Eye-on-Retail Tipsheet 3/7/13: “Big box is so last decade”; Target’s SXSW contest

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“Why Walmart Is Betting Big On Small Stores” by Lydia Dishman at Forbes.  “Big box is so last decade. That’s why Walmart is upping the ante on its expansion efforts with smaller stores. According to Bill Simon, head of Walmart’s U.S. division who spoke on an industry conference call yesterday, “They compete really well against multiple channels,” including competitors such as Dollar General, Walgreens and supermarkets.  Simon said the company plans to add 115 new outlets that have less than 60,000-square-feet of selling space this year. Walmart’s not abandoning the big box yet. Simon says to expect 125 Supercenters to open this year, too.”  Read more:  https://www.forbes.com/sites/lydiadishman/2013/03/06/why-walmart-is-betting-big-on-small-stores/

 

“Costco Wholesale Corporation Reports February, Second Quarter and Year-to-Date Sales Results”  “Costco Wholesale Corporation today reported net sales of $7.58 billion for the month of February, the four weeks ended March 3, 2013, an increase of eight percent from $7.01 billion during the similar period last year.  For the twenty-six weeks ended March 3, 2013, the Company reported net sales of $51.35 billion, an increase of nine percent from $47.22 billion during the similar period last year.”  Read more:  https://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=83830&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=1793422&highlight=

 

“Target Looks For Help From Mobile Developers With Newly Announced “Retail Accelerator”” by Sarah Perez at Tech Crunch.  “Retail giant Target’s newly announced ”Target Retail Accelerator” isn’t really an accelerator – it’s more a sponsored contest taking place at SXSW in Austin. Developers who participate in the event will have a chance to create retail-focused mobile apps or mobile websites, with seven finalists receiving $10,000 for their ideas, and one grand-prize winner scoring a larger prize of $75,000. But most importantly comes the promise that the winner will “get to work with Target” to bring their project to life, the retailer says.”  Read more:  https://techcrunch.com/2013/03/06/target-looks-for-help-from-mobile-developers-with-newly-announced-retail-accelerator-which-is-actually-just-a-contest/

 

“Whole Foods Market® named to 2013 ‘World’s Most Ethical Companies’ list”  “For the fifth time, Whole Foods Market is named to the Ethisphere Institute’s “World’s Most Ethical Companies” list. Through in-depth research and a multi-step analysis, the institute reviewed nominations from companies in more than 100 countries and 36 industries.”  Read more:  https://media.prnewswire.com/en/jsp/latest.jsp?resourceid=6427682&access=EH

 

“2012 World’s Most Ethical Companies”  See the full list including retailers:  https://www.ethisphere.com/wme/

 

“Costco CEO: Raise The Minimum Wage To More Than $10 Per Hour” by Bonnie Kavoussi at HuffPo.  “President Barack Obama wants to raise the federal minimum wage to $9 per hour. And the CEO of one of America’s largest retailers says such a move would be good for workers and businesses alike. In fact, he says raise it even more.  On Tuesday, Costco CEO and President Craig Jelinek came out in support of the Fair Minimum Wage Act of 2013, which aims to raise the federal minimum wage to $10.10 per hour, then adjust it after that for inflation.”  Read more:  https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/03/06/costco-ceo-minimum-wage-craig-jelinek_n_2818060.html?utm_hp_ref=business

 

“Of Course Costco Supports A Higher Minimum Wage: It Already Pays Above It” by Tim Worstall at Forbes.  “This isn’t the most remarkable business statement ever. In fact, Costco coming out in support of a higher minimum wage is one of the more unsurprising ones. For Costco already pays well above minimum wage anyway. The only people who could be hurt by the rise are Costco’s competitors.”  Read more:  https://www.forbes.com/sites/timworstall/2013/03/06/of-course-costco-supports-a-higher-minimum-wage-it-already-pays-above-it/

 

“Walmart Beats Emissions Goal a Year Early” at Environmental Leader.  “Walmart has reduced its greenhouse gas emissions by 20 percent from a 2005 baseline, meeting its target one year ahead of schedule. The metric applies to all facilities built before the baseline.  The announcement represents something of a turnaround for the company. At Walmart’s 2009 Sustainability Milestones Meeting, CEO Mike Duke announced that the retailer was on track to meet 36 of its 37 sustainability goals.”  Read more:  https://www.environmentalleader.com/2013/03/06/walmart-beats-emissions-goal-a-year-early/

 

“PayOne files lawsuit against Home Depot” at Businessweek.  “PayOne Corp. has filed a lawsuit against Home Depot that claims the biggest U.S. home improvement company use of PayPal’s in-store checkout infringes on some of its patents.  The privately held company, formerly called PaymentOne Corp., is seeking an unspecified amount in damages and an injunction against future infringement by Home Depot Inc.”  Read more:  https://www.businessweek.com/ap/2013-03-06/payone-files-lawsuit-against-home-depot

 

“World’s #2 Retailer Ups Spending After Loss”  at CNBC.  “Carrefour, Europe’s biggest retailer,said it would boost capital spending this year to revive its struggling hypermarkets after 2012 profits fell 2.6 percent, depressed by falling demand in recession-hit Spain and Italy.”  Read more:  https://www.cnbc.com/id/100530644

 

“Wal-Mart passed on Barnes & Noble before, but maybe it should look again” by Gina Chon at Quartz.  “Wal-Mart had studied a Barnes & Noble deal in 2010 when the bookseller explored a possible sale. The logic was that Wal-Mart could use Barnes & Noble’s web site to help it better compete with Amazon, people familiar with the matter said. Despite Wal-Mart’s size, it’s still behind Barnes & Noble when it comes to certain aspects of online sales, including third-party merchant products.”  Read more:  https://qz.com/59515/wal-mart-passed-on-barnes-noble-before-but-maybe-it-should-look-again/

 

“National Retail Federation Backs Legislation to Repeal Health Care Employer Mandate”  The National Retail Federation this week welcomed introduction of House and Senate legislation that would repeal the employer mandate provision of the health care reform law scheduled to take effect next year.  “One of every four jobs in the American economy is supported by retail, which would be jeopardized by the mandate effective in 2014. The employer mandate is already deterring job growth today at the expense of tomorrow’s economy.”  Read more:  https://www.businesswire.com/portal/site/home/permalink/?ndmViewId=news_view&newsLang=en&newsId=20130306005987&div=-1245645151

 

“Lowe’s to Webcast Presentation from the UBS Global Consumer Conference (on 3/13)”  “Lowe’s Companies, Inc. announces that Robert A. Niblock, chairman, president and chief executive officer, and Robert F. Hull, Jr., chief financial officer, will present at the UBS Global Consumer Conference in Boston, MA.

What:  Presentation by Robert Niblock and Bob Hull at the UBS Global Consumer Conference in Boston, MA

When: 2:20 p.m. Eastern Time on Wednesday, March 13, 2013

Where: Visit Lowe’s Investor Relations website at https://www.lowes.com/investor

Read more:   https://www.businesswire.com/portal/site/home/permalink/?ndmViewId=news_view&newsLang=en&newsId=20130306005214&div=-1245645151

 

Thanks for reading…

 

Follow on Twitter @retaileyeretail

 

 

 

Eye-on-Retail Tipsheet 3/6/13: Google’s Rumored Alliance with Walmart & Target

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“Google’s Rumored Target and Walmart Alliance Could Scare the Prime Out of Amazon” by Louis Bedigian at Benzinga.  “Google is reportedly working on a new shopping service to take on Amazon Prime.  According to TechCrunch, the new service (which is being referred to as “Google Shopping Express”) will retail at $64 or $69 a year, making it considerably cheaper than Amazon Prime, which sells for $79.99 a year. It will also provide subscribers with expedited delivery options from Target , Walmart,  Walgreens and Safeway.   Read more: https://www.benzinga.com/news/13/03/3391587/googles-rumored-target-and-walmart-alliance-could-scare-the-prime-out-of-amazon#ixzz2MlkrSH61

 

Walmart U.S. CEO, Bill Simon, Speaks at Raymond James Investor Conference:  “Some Shoppers Shun Online Credit Card Use: Wal-Mart” by Mark Hamstra at Supermarket News.  “He also said the company has had success with its Site to Store delivery, through which products are ordered online and picked up at the store. He cited a Neighborhood Market location in downtown Chicago that generates “up to 20% to 25% of its sales” through Walmart.com and Site to Store. “In fact, so much volume is done there that we had to rent more space from the landlord, just to be able to store the products that were shipped to the store through Walmart.com,” Simon said.  He also detailed the company’s small-format rollouts, describing a “density test” with its small-format Walmart Exporess stores in the Raleigh-Durham market in North Carolina, where Wal-Mart is seeking to learn “what happens when you put a lot of these in close proximity.”  Read more:  https://supermarketnews.com/retail-amp-financial/some-shoppers-shun-online-credit-card-use-wal-mart

 

“Target is here … now what?” at Maclean’s (Text and Video of store opening).  “They showed up at 5:30 a.m. and were first in line. Their goal was to find printer ink cartridges at a cheaper price than the competitors.  Behind them was Rhonda Weatherall, a local resident who remembers when Walmart launched its first store in Guelph several years ago.  “I was the first one in,” she said. “So I kind of wanted to come and compare.”  But after a walk through the aisles of the Target store she “wasn’t overly impressed.”  “There wasn’t a lot of great deals that I saw,” she said.”  Read and see more:  https://www2.macleans.ca/2013/03/05/target-is-here-now-what/

 

“Amazon Launching First TV Effort For Fashion Unit” by Sarah Mahoney at Media Post.  “Would the kind of woman who would rock a $24,000 bridesmaid gown shop in the same store that sells $5 mini-dresses?  Well, if the store is Amazon, she just might. Or at least that’s what the e-commerce giant is hoping –reportedly rolling out its first-ever TV campaign for Amazon Fashion, an effort to let fashionistas know that the world’s biggest online retailer has plenty of runway swagger.  Women’s Wear Daily reports that the company is launching a 30-second TV spot, directed by director/photographer Peggy Sirota, said to be airing in prime-time programming in select markets.”  Read more: https://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/194850/amazon-launching-first-tv-campaign-for-fashion-uni.html#ixzz2Mlo6S2Yx

 

“Martha Stewart Denies Wrongdoing With JC Penney Deal” at CNBC.  “Stewart said it’s Macy’s that didn’t uphold its end of the agreement to try to maximize the potential of her business. She said her brand, which is about a $300 million business at Macy’s, has grown “static” at the department-store chain. She said she was hoping the business would exceed well over $400 million.  “We were disappointed,” Stewart, wearing a sleeveless jacket and mini skirt, testified. “We did have hopes that the business would be much bigger … We got to a certain dollar amount and struggled and never got any further.”  Read more:  https://www.cnbc.com/id/100524473

 

“Home Depot quietly ends light-bulb-recycling program (in Canada)” at CBC News-Ottawa.  “A large home improvement retailer has decided to quietly pull the plug on its compact fluorescent light-bulb-recycling program nationwide, upsetting an environmental non-profit that has handed out hundreds of thousands of the energy-efficient bulbs in Canada.”  Read more:  https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/story/2013/03/06/ottawa-home-depot-cfl-recycling-bulbs-program-stopped-end-finish.html

 

“Walgreens February Sales Decrease 2.2 Percent”  “Walgreens had February sales of $5.75 billion, a decrease of 2.2 percent from $5.88 billion for the same month in fiscal 2012. Last year’s total February sales benefited from one extra day because of the leap year. Excluding last February’s leap day, this year’s February sales increased 1.5 percent. Total front-end sales decreased 3.1 percent compared with the same month in fiscal 2012.”  Read more:  https://www.businesswire.com/portal/site/home/permalink/?ndmViewId=news_view&newsLang=en&newsId=20130305005381&div=-1245645151

 

“Lowe’s Earns Fourth Consecutive ENERGY STAR® Partner of the Year – Sustained Excellence Award”  “Lowe’s is the only company to win multiple Sustained Excellence Awards in the product retailer category since the award’s inception in 2004. The company is being honored for outstanding achievements year after year in customer outreach, employee training and product selection. Lowe’s has won 11 consecutive ENERGY STAR awards (2003-2013) for product retailing, more than any other retailer.”  Read more:  https://www.businesswire.com/portal/site/home/permalink/?ndmViewId=news_view&newsLang=en&newsId=20130305006538&div=-1245645151

 

“Hostess sues Kroger for unpaid invoices” at Business Courier-Cincinnati.  “The company filed a lawsuit against The Kroger Co. demanding about $2.84 million in overdue invoices on Friday, according to Reuters. The baker and bread maker alleges that Kroger and its subsidiaries haven’t made payments since July.  The maker of Wonder Bread and Twinkies is also asking a bankruptcy judge to disallow at least two legal claims that Kroger has made against it until the payments are made.”  Read more:  https://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/morning_call/2013/03/hostess-sues-kroger-for-unpaid-invoices.html

 

“Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. to present at the Bank of America Merrill Lynch 2013 Consumer & Retail Conference”  “Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.  will participate in the Bank of America Merrill Lynch 2013 Consumer & Retail Conference on Tuesday, March 12. Chief Financial Officer Charles Holley will provide an update on the company’s financial priorities as the keynote speaker at the conference at approximately 12:30 p.m. EDT.”  Read more:  https://www.businesswire.com/portal/site/home/permalink/?ndmViewId=news_view&newsLang=en&newsId=20130305005986&div=-1245645151

 

Thanks for reading…

 

Follow on Twitter @retaileyeretail

 

Eye-on-Retail Tipsheet 3/5/13: Highlights – H.Depot’s Raymond James Conf.; Safeway Overcharges

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Home Depot Presents at Raymond James Institutional Investors Conference (3/4/13)

Presented by Home Depot’s Kevin Hoffman — President, Online

Highlights:

*  50% of Home Depot sales involve online properties in some shape or form

*  Aim to have endless aisles

*  600,000 skus online vs. 35,000 in typical store

*  One in four hit website before entering store

*  2% of sales come from online

*  12 million visits to Home Depot website per week

*  9 new Home Depot stores planned for 2013, 7 of those in Mexico

*  When asked “Where are you taking market share?” responded “paint, carpet, tools and outdoor power”.

*  Contractor represents 35% of sales

Hear and see presentation (registration required):  https://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?p=irol-eventDetails&c=63646&eventID=4917131

 

“Target Announces Opening of Three Pilot Stores in Ontario”  “Target today announced that it is opening three pilot stores in Ontario on March 5 at Stone Road in Guelph, Milton Mall Shopping Centre in Milton and Gates of Fergus in Fergus. The three pilot stores are the first Target locations to open in Canada, and the first of 124 Target stores that will open across the country throughout 2013. This marks the final phase in a testing process, which was designed to prepare systems, train team members and determine operational readiness as the first wave of 24 stores soft open across Ontario later in March.”  Read more:  https://media.prnewswire.com/en/jsp/latest.jsp?resourceid=6414216&access=EH

 

“Leadership shake-up at Save-A-Lot and Shop ‘n Save” by Kavita Kumar at St. Louis Post Dispatch.  “Just a month into his tenure, the new chief executive of Supervalu is shaking up top management at the company…But analysts said Supervalu needs to do a lot more than just change leaders to improve its fortunes.  “They’re probably trying to look for some turnaround specialists to make things better,” said David Livingston, a Wisconsin-based supermarket consultant. “But they have a massive amount of debt. And they have some retail concepts that don’t seem to be resonating with the consumer. So just having some new people in there isn’t going to change that fact.”  Read more:  https://www.stltoday.com/business/local/leadership-shake-up-at-save-a-lot-and-shop-n/article_b6796859-84bf-5c64-8d56-244877100674.html

 

“Hy-Vee makes creative displays” by Kevin Coss at Albert Lea Tribune.  “The snowmobile was one such display, which had to be tethered to support beams in the ceiling to give it the illusion it was floating over the orange stand.  “It seemed to grab a bit of attention,” Shahan said.  Produce Manager Todd Brouwers said the idea for the project came when they realized Arctic Cat offered a snowmobile the same color as January’s yearly theme of orange. He joked the store was feeling pressure to one-up itself on future displays.  “Maybe we’ll hang a four-wheeler from the ceiling,” Brouwers said.”  Read more:  https://www.albertleatribune.com/2013/03/04/hy-vee-makes-creative-displays/

 

“Bill Gates, Amazon’s Bezos among tech’s top billionaires” by Bret Molina at USA Today via Forbes.  “Several notable tech leaders appeared on the Forbes’ billionaires list. Amazon.com CEO Jeff Bezos finished at 19th on the list with $25.2 billion, followed by Google co-founders Larry Page ($23 billion) and Sergey Brin ($22.8 billion) at 20th and 21st, respectively.”  Read more:  https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/2013/03/04/forbes-billionaires-microsoft-google-facebook/1961879/

 

“Study: Wal-Mart most popular place to find love at first sight” at WGHP 8.  “Romance isn’t dead. It’s just hiding at your local Wal-Mart.  A study of “missed connection” posts on Craigslist, where love-struck hopefuls try to track down and win over a stranger who caught their eye, found that Wal-Mart is the most popular place for people to find love at first sight, according to Psychology Today magazine.”  Read more:  https://myfox8.com/2013/03/04/study-wal-mart-most-popular-place-to-find-love-at-first-sight/

 

“Office Depot is stronger brand than OfficeMax, survey says” by Marcia Heroux Pounds.  “When the No. 2 and No. 3 office supply retailers merge, the combined companies would do well to use the Office Depot name, a branding expert says.  The Office Depot name is a stronger brand in the eyes of consumers than OfficeMax, according to YouGov BrandIndex, a consumer perception research service in New York City and Palo Alto, Calif.”  Read more:  https://www.sun-sentinel.com/business/fl-office-depot-brand-20130305,0,1543048.story

 

“Costco dodges economic bullet” at MSN Money.  “Costco Wholesale’s annual sales run above $100 billion, more than twice J.C. Penney’s  and Macy’s combined, and nearly 40% of those of mega-retailer Target.  Yet, Costco’s sales have not been dented by the current downturn or slowdown in sales that most of the nation’s largest retailers have felt.  Costco may not have the perfect model for retail success, but it is close.”  https://money.msn.com/top-stocks/post.aspx?post=472d3829-6700-456b-9932-d659654f66c8

 

“Analysts: Kroger Co. poised for acquisitions” at WCPO Cincinnati.  “The Kroger Co has the financial capacity to pull off an acquisition worth more than $2 billion, but company officials and industry observers are hinting that smaller bites are more likely.  Kroger is likely to be asked about potential acquisitions in its March 7 conference call to discuss fourth quarter earnings.  Read more: https://www.wcpo.com/dpp/money/business_news/kroger-poised-for-acquistion#ixzz2MfW9lSUE

 

“Monster hits back at lawsuit over teenager’s death” at Seattle Times via AP.  “In an interview with the Associated Press, Monster’s lawyer Daniel Callahan said the company hired a team of physicians to review the medical records in the Anais Fournier case and found that she likely died of natural causes brought on by her pre-existing heart conditions. The team found no medical evidence to show caffeine was a factor, he said.”  Read more:  https://seattletimes.com/html/businesstechnology/2020483944_apusmonsterenergylawsuit.html

 

“Safeway Prices Too High, According To Investigation” at WUSA 9 (Text and Video). “An investigation by KPIX-TV in San Francisco found that Safeway overcharges more often than other stores surveyed in California. The station reviewed 1,800 scanner inspections over the last five years in California and 11 other states. They found Safeway, and its affiliated stores (Vons, Pavilions, Carrs-Safeway, Dominick’s Finer Foods, Randall’s and Tom Thumb) overcharged in more than 30% of the inspections. Safeway has grocery stores in Maryland, DC and Virginia.”   Read and see more: https://www.wusa9.com/(X(1)A(4C27-hC5zAEkAAAAYzA5YjQ2YzktOTk1Zi00MzVhLTgwMmMtMWUyMTdlZDlkNWY0Q9A_ppj6SQLTPxGfD-rRYaxNP5k1))/news/article/246742/37/Safeway-Prices-Too-High-According-To-Investigation

 

Thanks for reading…

 

Follow on Twitter @retaileyeretail

 

 

Eye-on-Retail Tipsheet 3/4/13: Amazon’s “#1 weapon”; Marching to Publix

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“Wal-Mart Anxious to Combat Amazon’s Lead in Web Vendors” by Renee Dudley at Bloomberg.  “Wal-Mart Stores Inc. is “anxious” to take on Amazon.com Inc.’s Marketplace, where independent merchants sell millions of products.  According to minutes from a Feb. 1 officers meeting led by U.S. Chief Executive Officer Bill Simon, Wal-Mart considers Marketplace Amazon’s “number one weapon…Four years after starting its own version of Marketplace — called Marketplace — Wal-Mart has signed up six outside merchants, including one that sells sports memorabilia. Amazon has 2 million that sell everything from clothing to mobile phone cases.”  Read more:  https://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-03-04/wal-mart-anxious-to-combat-amazon-s-lead-in-web-vendors.html

 

“First Lady Michelle Obama Visits A Walmart In Springfield, MO” by Chase Snyder at KTTS.  “Michelle Obama:  “As Leslie mentioned, in just two years, Walmart saved customers $2.3 billion on fresh fruits and vegetables across the nation. And I’m going to repeat these accomplishments because they’re worth saying over and over again, because Walmart is still making money. You reduced the amount of sugar in products across the store by 10 percent. You’ve cut price premiums for healthy items, making the healthier item more affordable or just as affordable as the alternative.  You have opened 86 new stores — one of the most important calls, most important work to eliminating food deserts, because you’ve opened these stores, including this one, in underserved communities. And now you’ve launched your “Great for You” seal that I got to see firsthand — that helps customers immediately spot healthy items on the shelf.”  Read and see complete speech:  https://www.ktts.com/news/194088161.html

 

“Albertsons Gets Executive Ducks in Two Rows” by Kimerly Eisham at Path to Purchase.  “The new company, which will encompass the existing Albertsons LLC operation and consist of two segments:

Albertsons LLC, to operate all of the roughly 600 Albertsons stores. The unit will add a Northwest division covering Northern Idaho, Oregon and Washington to complement the four divisions already in place at the separate Albertsons chains, according to a media release.

New Albertsons Inc. (NAI), which will manage the 375 stores in the Acme, Jewel-Osco and Shaw’s/Star Market chains along with all pharmacy operations (including Albertsons).

Read more:  https://p2pi.org/node/120057

 

“Buffett Still Buying Stocks, Sees ‘Good Value, isn’t too worried about Sequester'” at CNBC this morning.  “Buffett isn’t too worried that the automatic government spending cuts known as the sequester will slow down the U.S. economy too much.  Buffett said that while the sequester will reduce the government’s stimulus of the economy by cutting back on the deficit the remaining spending is still providing the economy a lot of “juice.”  Read more:  https://www.cnbc.com/id/100515743

 

“Why SolarCity teamed up with Home Depot” at CNN Money.  “CEO Lyndon Rive discusses how SolarCity is looking to expand its footprint via partnerships with Home Depot and Honda.”  See the video:  https://money.cnn.com/video/technology/2013/03/01/t-solarcity-home-depot-honda.fortune/index.html?iid=SF_F_River

 

“What Amazon dilemma? It’s helping (yes, that’s right) smaller retailers” by Teresa Novellino at Upstart Business Journal.  “But what you may not know are some of the figures that Tom Taylor, vice president of Fulfillment by Amazon and the Amazon Webstore, shared with Upstart Business Journal at eTail West, which wrapped up in Palm Springs Thursday: Amazon has more than 2 million third-party sellers worldwide, and they represent 39 percent of the units sold on Amazon in the fourth quarter of 2012. Sellers who are selling via Amazon, as a group, sold 40 percent more units year over year during the 2012 holiday season versus 2011.”  Read more:  https://upstart.bizjournals.com/companies/rebel-brands/2013/03/01/amazon-and-its-third-party-retailers.html

 

“Obama to nominate Walmart’s Burwell as White House budget chief – sources” at Reuters.  “President Barack Obama plans to nominate Walmart Foundation head Sylvia Mathews Burwell to head the White House Office of Management and Budget on Monday, sources said on Sunday.  Burwell is a veteran of Bill Clinton’s White House and has helped steer philanthropic efforts while at Walmart in Bentonville, Arkansas. The sources, who asked to remain unidentified, said plans were for Burwell to be nominated on Monday.”  https://www.reuters.com/article/2013/03/03/usa-obama-budget-idUSL1N0BV23I20130303

 

“Amazon Patents Gravity-Based Links to Pull You In” by Roberto Baldwin at Wired.  “Amazon has patented a system that pulls the pointer toward a link or button, just the thing to help you click links — and buy products associated with those links.  If you’ve ever hit the wrong button or link on a touchscreen, you know the frustration of tapping repeatedly and still missing the link or button. Amazon’s Gravity-Based Link Assist patent fixes that by creating a gravitational field of sorts around linkable objects that pull the pointer toward tiny links and buttons.”  Read more:  https://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2013/03/amazon-patents-gravity-based-links/

 

“Coalition of Immokalee Workers launching march to Publix headquarters” at Naples News.  “The 200-mile trek to Central Florida, called “March for Rights, Respect, and Fair Food,” is promoted by the Coalition of Immokalee Workers and ends up at the corporate headquarters for Publix supermarkets…“We are going to take our case directly to the consumers through our presence in the streets, through nightly meetings with supporters in churches, schools and community halls along the way, and through our voices in the media,” Coalition representative Oscar Otzoy said in a statement. “We will not rest until Publix realizes that the 21st century supermarket cannot afford to turn its back on human rights.”  Read more:  https://www.naplesnews.com/news/2013/mar/03/coalition-immokalee-workers-launching-march-publix/

 

Thanks for reading…

 

Follow on Twitter @retaileyeretail

 

 

Eye-on-Retail Tipsheet 3/1/13: 2013 World’s Most Admired Co’s; Walmart’s Empty Shelves

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“2013 World’s Most Admired Companies” at Fortune.  “Asked to name the best of the best, 3,800 executives, directors, and analysts chose these businesses.  Highlights:

#1 – Apple

#3 – Amazon

#19 – Whole Foods

#22 – Target

#23 – Costco

#27 – Walmart

#45 – Home Depot

See the full list:  https://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/most-admired/2013/list/?iid=wma_lp_toprr

 

“Wal-Mart Struggles to Restock Store Shelves as U.S. Sales Slump” by Renee Dudley at Bloomberg.  “Wal-Mart Stores Inc already struggling to woo shoppers constrained by higher taxes, is “getting worse” at keeping shelves stocked, the retailer’s U.S. chief told executives, according to minutes of an officers’ meeting obtained by Bloomberg News.  For much of its history, Wal-Mart has been considered a master of logistics, persuading suppliers to set up shop near its operations. “We have to get better and remain laser-focused every day because momentum can turn against you in a second,” Bill Simon, executive vice president and chief executive officer for the U.S. for Wal-Mart Stores Inc., said according to the Feb. 1 meeting minutes.   “We run out quickly and the new stuff doesn’t come in,” U.S. Chief Executive Officer Bill Simon said, according to the minutes of the Feb. 1 meeting. Simon said “self-inflicted wounds” were Wal-Mart’s “biggest risk” and that an executive vice president had been appointed to fix the restocking problem, according to the minutes.”  Read more:  https://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-02-27/wal-mart-s-slowness-stock-shelves-worsens-as-sales-stay-s.html

 

“Meijer – Fresh Michigan-grown tomatoes year-round”   “Meijer has something customers have been missing: Fresh, vine-ripened Michigan-grown tomatoes year-round, even in the middle of winter, thanks to a strong partnership with Mastronardi Produce and their state-of-the-art hydroponic greenhouse in Coldwater, Mich. Meijer is committed to buying locally-grown produce as long as the quality meets its high standards, and as a result, works with more than 100 local growers and businesses in the Midwest, representing an economic impact of more than $80 million annually.”  See the video of how they’re doing it:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PK24WYWOAxU

 

“Groupon Fires Founder, CEO Andrew Mason” at Fox Business.  “Embattled daily deal company Groupon on Thursday fired its founder and chief executive Andrew Mason.  The company said in a statement that executive chairman Eric Lefkofsky and vice chairman Ted Leonsis have been appointed to replace Mason temporarily while the company conducts a search for a new CEO.”  Read more:  https://www.foxbusiness.com/industries/2013/02/28/groupon-fires-founder-ceo-mason/#ixzz2MHtWr7ti

 

“Now Amazon Veterans Are Running Groupon” by Owen Thomas at Business Insider.  “Now that Groupon has fired its CEO, Andrew Mason, the e-commerce company is largely in the hands of its current management team.  And more than half of its management team previously worked at the largest e-commerce company in the world, Amazon.com.  (They of course report up to Groupon investors and board members Eric Lefkofsky and Ted Leonsis, who are acting as co-CEOs.)  Groupon is essentially in two businesses today.  One is its original daily-deals business, which has evolved into what’s more or less a marketing platform for local businesses.  The other is Groupon Goods, which the company calls “curated e-commerce”—in other words, a selection of products for sale, usually at an attractive discount.”  Read more:  https://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-veterans-running-groupon-2013-2#ixzz2MHwwpX9D

 

“Home Depot’s CMO Trish Mueller to Keynote  Mobile Marketing Association’s New York Forum” at Mobile Marketing Watch.  “This year, the keynote responsibility will fall on the senior vice president and chief marketing officer for The Home Depot, Trish Mueller. Muelller is responsible for the strategic branding and advertising direction of the company and its subsidiaries.  Prior to joining The Home Depot in 2009 as vice president of advertising, Mueller was senior vice president, advertising and marketing for The Sports Authority. She has an extensive background in the retail industry and has held senior officer marketing management roles at American Signature, a $1 billion-plus furniture store company, and ShopNBC, a home shopping network.”  Read more:  https://www.mobilemarketingwatch.com/mma-confirms-new-plans-for-mmas-new-york-forum-29821/

 

“Former Trader Joe’s CEO Wants to Use Expired Food to Feed the Hungry” by Lisa DeCanio at BostInno.  “Doug Rauch, a former CEO of Trader Joe’s, wants to change that practice by rescuing expired food and using it to feed the needy.  Before you object, understand that it’s not as disgusting as you think. WBUR explains how expiration dates work:  Sell-by dates began as a method of inventory control for store managers, a way to stock grocery aisles more efficiently. But the dates have now morphed into a marketing tool with a harmful ripple effect. They cause producers to churn out more inventory, stores to waste more food, and motivate the rest of us to throw perfectly good food down the disposal.”  Read more:  https://bostinno.com/2013/02/27/trader-joes-ceo-expired-food-to-feed-the-hungry/

 

“Facebook acquires Atlas from Microsoft” by Janet Tu at The Seattle-Times.  “Facebook said, in a posting today from Brian Boland, director of product marketing, that it believes its purchase of Atlas “will benefit both marketers and users.”  Atlas has been an approved partner for measuring ad campaigns on Facebook since June, and Atlas clients should not see any change to the service, Boland said.  He also said:  “Today’s marketing environment is much more complex than it was just a few short years ago. Marketers and agencies struggle to understand how their efforts across different channels complement and strengthen each other. Consequently, they are forced to adopt siloed marketing strategies for each channel, leading to poor and inconsistent end-user experiences.”  Read more:  https://blogs.seattletimes.com/microsoftpri0/2013/02/28/facebook-acquires-atlas-from-microsoft/

 

“Wal-Mart executive Tom Mars exits” at The City Wire.  “An internal memo from Walmart US CEO Bill Simon circulated throughout the company Wednesday (Feb. 27) announced that Tom Mars, executive vice president and chief administrative officer, will exit the company March 13.  There was no reason given for Mars’ departure in the memo obtained by The City Wire and Wal-Mart has publicly declined comment.”  Read more:  https://www.thecitywire.com/node/26687#.UTCaCDCG3X4

 

“Gap Inc. Reports Fourth Quarter Earnings Per Share Increase of 66 Percent”  “Gap Inc. today reported fourth quarter and full year results for fiscal year 2012 and provided guidance for fiscal year 2013. Improved product performance and continued global expansion helped drive an 8 percent increase in net sales for the full year.”  Read more:  https://www.businesswire.com/portal/site/home/permalink/?ndmViewId=news_view&newsLang=en&newsId=20130228006426&div=-1245645151

 

Thanks for reading…

 

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