Wednesday Tipsheet: Can. Tire’s Testers | Target’s Tough Day | Costco Employee Surprise

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Target Workers Axed in Groups by Adam Belz at Star-Tribune. “The calendar invitations landed in inboxes across Target just after sunrise. Workers who’d arrived to find the offices stacked with white boxes were to report to conference rooms for simultaneous but separate 8:45 a.m. meetings…The job cuts — 1,700 people — came in one fell swoop, all at the same time, by department. In the words of one employee who kept her job, “at least the Band-Aid is going to rip fast and this won’t be drawn out.” Read more

 

…elevator was filled with co-workers crying by Tom Webb and Katie Kather at Twin Cities / Pioneer Press. “It’s crazy that this was my dream, and it was ripped away from me,” the woman, who did not give her name, said Tuesday morning through tears. “It’s such a great company. That’s the worst part”….There were layoffs in marketing, in merchandising, in technology, in financial services, in human resources, in design and in departments large and small throughout Target headquarters.” Read more

 

Wal-Mart officials descend on NC sock maker to celebrate reshoring initiative by Ken Elkins at Charlotte Business Journal. “Peds Legwear, will cut the ceremonial ribbon on a small sock-making operation in the Burke County town on Wednesday morning… Cindi Marsiglio, vice president of U.S. manufacturing at Wal-Mart, will be at the ribbon-cutting to talk about the retailer’s buy-American program.” Read more

 

Rite-Aid Announces First New Store Since 2010  Read the release

 

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Canadian Tire taps customer testers for a hands-on marketing tool by Hollie Shaw at Financial Post. “From a list of 75,000 who applied — Canadian Tire was bombarded with applicants and soon closed the portal, recalls chief operating officer Allan MacDonald …“We wanted to make sure [the panel] represented different interests, different demographics, different age groups, different parts of the country and so on,” Mr. MacDonald said. “Now we have 15,000 active product testers.” Read more

 

Massachusetts: Suit says grocers let minors buy lottery tickets by Jack Newsham at Boston Globe. “The Stop Predatory Gambling Foundation sued Star Market Tuesday…after a Cambridge city councilor, Craig Kelley, filmed his 14-year-old son buying lottery tickets…in September. The foundation said it filed suit after being unable to get Star to block access to the vending machines for minors…The group made a similar request of Stop & Shop after the same teenager bought a lottery ticket at a vending machine at the chain’s Arlington store Monday.” Read more

 

Robbins Geller Says SEC Sitting On Wal-Mart Bribery Docs by Jonathan Randles at Law 360. “The SEC has maintained that all the documents related to its Wal-Mart investigation are exempt from Robbins Geller’s Freedom of Information Act request because disclosure may interfere with the commission’s ongoing investigation.” Read more (Subscription)

 

Costco employee with terminal cancer gets surprise vacation from customers by John Sasaki at Fox 2 KTVU. “Arlie (Smith) is such a beloved figure that some customers heard about the cancer and decided to do something nice for him. At 1 p.m. on Tuesday, they invaded the store. “We’re all here today because we love you so much,” said customer Bridgette Loughnane to Arlie. They raised some $2,500 to send Arlie and his wife on a vacation.” See the video / Read more

 

GNC: 4th round of testing shows herbal supplements safe by Paul J. Gough at Pittsburgh Business Times. “This additional round of tests leaves no doubt that our products are not only pure but are in full compliance with all regulatory requirements,” said GNC CEO Michael G. Archbold in a statement released Tuesday afternoon.” Read more

 

The Surprising Winners And Losers Of The Retail Revolution by Sean Silverthorne at Forbes. “(Home Depot) looked strategically at all aspects of their offering across the various channels they have at their disposal to maximize customer satisfaction and the return they get on their TIPS (Technology, Inventory, People, Space) assets. For example, if your toilet blows up, you aren’t going to wait two days for delivery for a part from Amazon Prime.”  Read the Q & A

 

Lumber Liquidators Provides Agenda For 3/12 Business Update  Read the release

 

Why this CEO wants to save SkyMall by Michelle Fox at CNBC. “Scott Jordan wants to save the in-flight catalog SkyMall, but right now the airlines are not returning his calls, he told CNBC.” See the video / Read more

 

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Eye-on-Retail Tipsheet is read worldwide by Retail Merchants & Executives and created early every weekday morning. We love data, earnings reports, executive presentations and stories off the beaten path that get at what’s happening in the world of retail. Contact us at info@shiftmarketinggroup.net.