Friday Tipsheet: H.Depot: TP & Lead Singers | Wmart & Fountain Drinks | CVS Cig Free in Oct.

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“Target tries to win hearts and clicks of Gen Y” by Hadley Malcolm at USA Today.  “Millennials aren’t smitten with Target, and the company knows it.  Last fall, Target learned that to Millennials, the company is nothing more than a big-box store. Buy from Target online? Who does that?  Not Millennials, apparently.” Read more

 

“Walmart:  Fountain Drinks Coming Back to Stores?” by Kim Souza at The City Wire.  “(Bill) Simon added that the learnings from the Walmart to Go convenience store format in the past 90 days have been huge. On area is in the fountain beverages from milkshakes to coffee and soda. “We took these fountains out of our supercenters and we are now evaluating the feasibility of bringing them back,” Simon said.”  Read more

 

Happening Now:  Walmart Shareholders Meeting 2014  Live Webcast

 

“Rite Aid Front-End Comp Sales +.5% in May”  “Total drugstore sales for the five-week period increased 2.5 percent to $2.484 billion compared to $2.423 billion for the same period last year. Prescription sales accounted for 68.0 percent of drugstore sales.” Read more

 

***A message from Lock-it Block-it: Keep the Bad Guys Out and Let the Fresh-Air In. Adjustable window security bar blocks criminals from entering a home through open windows. Windows can be open AND homes remain secured. Prevents children from falling out of open windows. Easy installation! Grow category sales with a truly unique product. Inventory in-stock for online sales. Watch the video. www.lockitblockit.com Contact info@shiftmarketinggroup.net for more information.

 

“CVS to be tobacco-free by October” by Peter Frost at Chicago Tribune.  “CVS is on track to remove all tobacco products from its 7,600 stores by Oct. 1, the president of its pharmacy division said Thursday.”  Read more

 

“CVS Doubles Up Walgreen In Retail Clinics As Obamacare Patients Seek Care” by Bruce Japsen at Forbes.  “Tom Charland of Merchant Medicine, a health care consulting firm that tracks retail clinic growth, said CVS now has 836 of its Minute Clinics opened in 28 states, compared to just 388 clinics for Walgreens in 19 states. Meanwhile, CVS also continues to open clinics up at a much faster rate.”  Read more

 

“Home Depot, the Place to Go for Toilet Paper?” by Shelly Banjo at Serena Ng at WSJ.  “Home Depot’s push into consumer staples came almost by accident, said the company’s U.S. retail president, Craig Menear. Employees in the garden department noticed cleaning supplies would boost the division’s sales in the winter, when customers weren’t buying potting soil and shrubbery, and suggested giving them more space. The company worked with Procter & Gamble Co. to understand how to add cleaning supplies that would appeal to general consumers in addition to its professional customers. “Once we made it more visible, it became a growing category for us,” Mr. Menear said.”  Read more

 

“Former Home Depot Credit Manager Now Lead Singer for 70s Mega Band Boston” by Michael Solender at Charlotte Observer.  “I grew up as a teen listening to Boston,” said DeCarlo, 49, who was working as a credit manager at a local Home Depot when he joined the band in 2008 after its original lead singer, Brad Delp, took his own life.”  Read more

 

“Sears’ Lampert met Ford’s Mulally for restructuring advice” by Nadia Damouni at Reuters. “One of the sources said that Mulally, who is due to retire from Ford in July, was left with the impression that Lampert was gauging whether Mulally might be open to the possibility of becoming Sears’ next CEO.”  Read more

 

“Missouri will act as “baby sitter” for Walgreen stores for 3 years” at KMOV 4 – St. Louis.  “The announcement comes less than a year after Missouri filed a lawsuit in Jackson County accusing the Chicago-based drugstore chain of deceptive pricing.  “Having a baby sitter over a major national corporation is an unprecedented penalty,” Koster said. “To do it for three years has never been done before that I’m aware of in the country.”  Read more

 

“Back-to-school deals before the year even ends” by Krystina Gustafson at CNBC.  “Back-to-school is going the way of Christmas, as retailers such as Lands’ End are beginning to push next year’s school necessities before many children have closed the book on the current semester.”  Read more

 

“Fred’s Comp Sales -.4% in May”  “Fred’s total sales for the month were $151.9 million, approximately flat with $152.3 million in May 2013.”  Read the release

 

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About Eye-on-Retail

Eye-on-Retail is a daily tipsheet that is must-read material for thousands of Retail Merchants/Executives every weekday morning. Eye-on-Retail is unique because it’s timely, smart and fun. It’s created bright and early every morning and delivered around 7 am CST. We love data, earnings reports, executive presentations and stories off the beaten path that get at what’s really happening in the world of retail. Enjoy!

Send story tips, news releases, comments & questions to: info@shiftmarketinggroup.net

Thursday Tipsheet: Costco May Comp +6% | JD Power: Ace Wins | Wmart Lab Sneak Peek

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“Costco Comp Sales +6% in May”  “Costco reported net sales of $8.78 billion for the month of May, the four weeks ended June 1, 2014, an increase of eight percent from $8.13 billion during the similar four-week period last year.”  Read the release

 

“Walgreens Front-End Comp Sales +2.6% in May”  “Walgreens had May sales of $6.57 billion, an increase of 6.0 percent from $6.19 billion for the same month in fiscal 2013.”  Read the release

 

“J.D. Power Reports: Ace Hardware #1 in Customer Satisfaction among Home Improvement Retailers (Menards Beats Home Depot and Lowe’s)”  “Nearly one-fifth (17%) of customers purchase merchandise online from their primary home improvement retailer.” See the Top 6 List

 

“Sneak Peek Inside Walmart’s Innovation Lab” by Kim Souza at The City Wire.  “Items revealed included 3-D digital printers in stores that allow shoppers to replicate their own images for wedding cake toppers and digital watermarks in print circulars that allow shoppers to scan the item on the page into their phone to glean a host of additional product information including reviews.” Read more

 

****A message from Juicebar Chargers – Hurricane season is here!  Juicebar’s Hurricane Travel Charger holds enough juice to weather a full week’s worth of hurricanes, blizzards and power outages! With up to 5 full smartphone charges or a full tablet charge and more, Juicebar’s Hurricane is the perfect sidekick when life disconnects you from the grid. Peggable, shipper display or open-stock. See the full lineup: www.juicebarchargers.com. See the video. Email: info@shiftmarketinggroup.net for program details.

 

“Walmart to Expand Savings Catcher Nationwide” by Anne D’Innocenzio at AP via Charlotte Observer.  “Wal-Mart also plans to offer thousands more products, from general merchandise like TVs and shirts to veggies and other produce…Wal-Mart says since it rolled out Savings Catcher in March in Charlotte, North Carolina, Huntsville, Alabama, Minneapolis, Lexington, Kentucky., Dallas, San Diego and Atlanta, nearly one million receipts have been processed through the tool.”  Read more

 

Not Bad:  “Bed, Bath & Beyond CEO’s 2013 comp: $50 million” by Gary Strauss at USA Today.  “Temares received compensation valued at $19.1 million, including $3.8 million in salary, $13 million in stock and stock options and nearly $1.8 million in deferred compensation. That’s up 20% from $15.9 million in 2012.”  Read more

 

“Cabela’s Announces Plans for Three New Stores”  “Cabela’s announced today plans to introduce the unique Cabela’s retail experience to three new markets – Huntsville, Ala.; Oklahoma City, Okla.; and Woodbury, N.Y.”  Read the release

 

“Houston: Five Below Opens Eight New Stores Friday”  “The grand openings mark Five Below’s first foray into Houston.  The company currently has 15 stores in the Dallas and Austin markets.  Last year, the Philadelphia-based retailer opened 60 new stores, and has plans to open approximately 60 stores this year.  With the Houston openings, there will be 338 Five Below stores in 20 states throughout the country.”  Read the release

 

“Online retailers Bonobos and Warby Parker open stores in Dallas” by Maria Halkias at Dallas News.  “On Friday, men’s apparel retailer Bonobos  is opening what it calls a guideshop at 1901 N. Henderson Ave…A block away, Warby Parker opens in two weeks at 2008 N. Henderson. The online prescription eyeglass retailer’s 1,050-square-foot store will be hard to miss, with a sculpture of a pencil sticking out of the roof.”  Read more

 

 

“Home Depot’s Kevin Hoffman – President-Online, Presents at Goldman Sachs Dotcommerce Conference “

 

Highlights:

 

We have a very-very healthy bath business online, a very-very healthy and big growing flooring business online, of course appliances, patio, power equipment, power tools, those things are kind of the mainstays of the home improvement online business.

 

We’re not transacting a lot and shipping a lot of 60 pound bags of concrete, you know we sell a 60 pound bag of concrete for $3, people aren’t buying that online and having it showing up to their doorstep, but there’s a ton of price checking, inventory look up.

 

We have about 35% of all of our online orders; for example, get filled out of our store locations.

 

Later this year we’ll offer a much-much more improved capability to have buy online and deliver from the store, won’t be same day, but it’ll be pretty accurate and within a couple hour window next day or scheduled delivery to your home.

 

We feel like we’ve got a pretty good full buffet of fulfillment options for our customers and that’s what we’re investing in and that’s what we’re building on.

 

90% of all of our online returns actually happen through the convenience of our store.

 

10% of all of our online orders are originating in the store with the customer and the associate engaging each other.

 

We watch (Amazon) closely. We watch them arguably just as closely, if not more closely than some of our traditional competitors you would think of.

 

Our pro app is only three or four quarters old, it’s had very good reception 400,000 downloads.

 

Pro Extra has got 1.5 million sign ups to it.

 

Read the full transcript via Seeking Alpha

 

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About Eye-on-Retail

Eye-on-Retail is a daily tipsheet that is must-read material for thousands of Retail Merchants/Executives every weekday morning. Eye-on-Retail is unique because it’s timely, smart and fun. It’s created bright and early every morning and delivered around 7 am CST. We love data, earnings reports, executive presentations and stories off the beaten path that get at what’s really happening in the world of retail. Enjoy!

Send story tips, news releases, comments & questions to: info@shiftmarketinggroup.net

Wednesday Tipsheet: Target Gets Twitter Heat | NYC: No to Wmart’s Millions | Tesco Comp -3.7%

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“Target Gets Twitter Heat From Gun Control Group” by Christopher Heine at Ad Age.  “Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America, a Michael Bloomberg-backed organization in favor of more gun control, is applying notable pressure on Target via Twitter this evening. The activist group is drawing attention to an open-carry gun policy that the retail giant evidently has in place for locations in states where such an action is legal. ”  See the Twitter pics / Read more

 

“India likely to ease restrictions for foreign online retailers next month” at Reuters.  “India could allow global online retailers such as Amazon.com Inc to sell their own products as early as next month…The decision, which is likely to be announced in the budget, is one of the first tangible signs of economic reform by the business-friendly government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who was sworn in 10 days ago.”  Read more

 

Walmart Shareholder Week Shenanigans…

 

“NYC Council Members Tell Walmart to Stop Making Millions in Charitable Donations to Local Groups!” by James Covert at NY Post.  “We know how desperate you are to find a foothold in New York City to buy influence and support here,” says the letter, obtained by The Post and addressed to Walmart and the Walton Family Foundation.  “Stop spending your dangerous dollars in our city,” the testy letter demands. “That’s right: this is a cease-and-desist letter.”  Read more

 

“Walmart Protesters Head to Chairman Rob Walton’s Home in Arizona” by Matthew Hendley at Phoenix New Times.  “Most of the protesters who took to Walton’s home Monday were women, and their main message was calling for a minimum pay of $25,000 per year for full-time work to provide for their families.”  See the pics / Read more

 

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“Dollar General significantly increases the number of products available for between $1 and $5”  by Anna Prior at WSJ.  “Today, more than ever, given the economic environment that has lingered for quite some time, affordability has now become the focus of our core customer,” Chief Executive Rick Dreiling said on the company’s quarterly conference call.”  Read more

 

“Walmart’s ‘Made in USA’ push exposes strains of manufacturing rebirth” by James B. Kelleher at Reuters via Chicago Tribune.  “Cindi Marsiglio, the Walmart vice president overseeing the U.S. sourcing push, says the retailer and its existing suppliers have 150 active reshoring projects in various stages of development. For all too many, she says, finding U.S.-made component parts has emerged as a vexing problem.”  Read more

 

“Supermarkets add digital coupons, but response has been tepid” by John Ewoldt at Star-Tribune.  “In 2013, 52 percent of Internet users said they had redeemed at least one digital coupon that year. By 2016, that number is expected to rise to only 59 percent, according to eMarketer…“Digital is clunky,”…“Redeeming them should be flawless, quick and fun. We haven’t figured that out yet.”  Read more

 

“Tesco reports 3.7% drop in same-store sales” by Katy Barnato at  CNBC.  “Tesco Chief Executive Philip Clarke said on Wednesday that Tesco sales had been hit by the supermarket’s own price cuts. He warned investors in a news call not to count on sales improvements in the next few quarters and said he had “never seen sales fall like this before”.  Read more

 

RadioShack CEO:  ‘I don’t know if we can overcome this…’ by Danielle Abril at Dallas Bus. Journal.  “CEO Joseph Magnacca once was singing the praises for the comeback… But at Tuesday’s shareholders meeting, he wasn’t as optimistic as he tries to find areas to cut costs after lenders nixed plans to close 1,100 stores.  “I don’t know if we can overcome this impasse, but we’ll continue to work at it”  Read more

 

Report:  “Blue Light Emitted by Tablets ‘increases hunger’ “ by Emma Innes at Daily Mail.  “Results of the US study show that blue-enriched light exposure, compared with dim light exposure, was associated with an increase in hunger that began 15 minutes after light onset and was still present almost two hours after the meal.”  Read more

 

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About Eye-on-Retail

Eye-on-Retail is a daily tipsheet that is must-read material for thousands of Retail Merchants/Executives every weekday morning. Eye-on-Retail is unique because it’s timely, smart and fun. It’s created bright and early every morning and delivered around 7 am CST. We love data, earnings reports, executive presentations and stories off the beaten path that get at what’s really happening in the world of retail. Enjoy!

Send story tips, news releases, comments & questions to: info@shiftmarketinggroup.net

Tuesday Tipsheet: D.Gen Q1 Comp +1.5% | Candy Canes in May | Wmart Week

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“Dollar General Q1 Comp Sales +1.5% ”  “Net sales increased 6.8 percent to $4.52 billion in the 2014 first quarter compared to $4.23 billion in the 2013 first quarter. Same-store sales increased 1.5 percent resulting from increases in both customer traffic and average transaction amount. Sales increases in consumables significantly outpaced the Company’s non-consumable categories, led by increased sales of tobacco products, perishables and candy and snacks.”  Read more 

 

“Fortune 500: Five Retailers Crack the Top 25 (Walmart #1, CVS #12, Costco #19…)”  See the Top 500 List

 

“Walmart Week:  Univ. of Arkansas Expects to Earn $1.26 Mil from Walmart Meeting Guests” by Kim Souza at The City Wire.  “That breaks down to $436,000 from the use of its dorm facilities, according to Steve Voorhies, manager of media relations at the UA. He said there will be 4,500 Wal-Mart guests staying on campus, as the retailer has reserved 2,250 room at a nightly rate of $28.  Food services for the week will also rake in about $500,000. ”  Read more

 

“Walmart Kicks Off Shareholders Week” (Company Release).  “This week, Walmart will host 14,000 shareholders, including thousands of associates from 27 countries, at its annual Shareholders meeting in Bentonville.”  Read the release

 

“Target board defends its role before and after data breach” by Kavita Kumar at Star-Tribune.  “She didn’t explicitly address the criticism the retailer has faced in recent months, including from a U.S. Senate committee in March, that it missed multiple opportunities to thwart the attack on its systems, including alerts from its own anti-intrusion software.”  Read more

 

“Christmas Creep:  Hobby Lobby Puts Out the Candy Canes in May” by Laura Northrup at Consumerist.  “The last time we noted the first display of Christmas decorations at Hobby Lobby was in 2010, when they first put out the decorative items in mid-June. That’s only about six months before the holiday, though: clearly they’ve been missing out on some sales. That’s why this year, the Christmas decorations are out before the end of May.”  Read more

 

***A message from Lock-it Block-it: Keep the Bad Guys Out and Let the Fresh-Air In. Adjustable window security bar blocks criminals from entering a home through open windows. Windows can be open AND homes remain secured. Prevents children from falling out of open windows. Easy installation! Grow category sales with a truly unique product.  Inventory in-stock for online sales. Watch the video & see it in action. www.lockitblockit.com  Contact info@shiftmarketinggroup.net for more information.

 

“Nashville:  Walgreens Faces Public Hearing on Proposed Store in Heart of the Honky-Tonks” by Adam Sichko at Nashville Bus. Journal.  “…ordinance would require new businesses or tenants planned for those properties to have a venue for live music — or, if it’s a retailer (such as Walgreens), 75 percent of their products would be required to “support the cultural heritage district by promoting the district or musicians, craftsmen/makers or performance venues.”  Read more

 

“Hurry:  Florida’s Hurricane Sale Tax Holiday Ends June 8th” at WEAR ABC 3.  “Across Northwest Florida Home Depot has organized a bucket of storm ready supplies they call the “Grab and Go Hurricane Kit.” Jason wood is a manager at Home Depot and he says “We have gloves, batteries, flash light, emergency radios, first aid kits which is great to have around in case you have an emergency.”  Read more

 

“RetailMeNot Survey:  Dads Get the Shaft on Father’s Day”  “Nearly half (48%) of consumers surveyed believe that people spend more on Mother’s Day gifts than on Father’s Day gifts…20% of consumers surveyed admit they are more creative with gifts for their mom on Mother’s Day than for their dad on Father’s Day.”  Read the release

 

“Delhaize sells three grocery chains for $246M” by Jennifer Thomas at Charlotte Bus. Journal.  “Delhaize has sold its Sweetbay, Harveys and Reid’s operations to Bi-Lo Holdings for $246 million in cash….Details about store locations included in the deal were not provided…In a separate $28 million transaction, Delhaize sold its Plant City, Fla., distribution center to C&S Wholesale Grocers.”  Read more

 

Random:  “Woman Arrested For Stealing A Bible From Walmart” at The Smoking Gun.  “The Bible and the other items “were recovered and are resellable” cops noted.”  Read more

 

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About Eye-on-Retail

Eye-on-Retail is a daily tipsheet that is must-read material for thousands of Retail Merchants/Executives every weekday morning. Eye-on-Retail is unique because it’s timely, smart and fun. It’s created bright and early every morning and delivered around 7 am CST. We love data, earnings reports, executive presentations and stories off the beaten path that get at what’s really happening in the world of retail. Enjoy!

Send story tips, news releases, comments & questions to: info@shiftmarketinggroup.net

Monday Tipsheet: Target Lost Its Way: CEO | Wmart Pounces on Amazon | H. Depot: No Shots Fired

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“Interim Target CEO Says Retailer Had Lost Its Way, Works to Overhaul Corporate Structure” by Matt Townsend at Bloomberg via SF Gate.  “John Mulligan said that even before December’s massive data breach, the retailer had lost its way by becoming too cautious and bureaucratic.  The theft of credit card data from 40 million customers has forced the company to refocus on pleasing shoppers and reconsider everything from how it presents apparel to how it makes decisions, Mulligan said Friday.  “That came out of it, but I would have preferred to have gotten there a different way,” he said. “We got a little bit risk-averse in making sure things were perfect and we understood the economics. Now, it’s really unshackling ourselves.”  Read more

 

“Open Carry Rally at Texas Home Depot Goes Off Without a Hitch” at Dallas News.  “Saturday’s rally began in the parking lot of a Home Depot. Corporate spokesman Stephen Holmes said that while Home Depot allows customers to carry legally permitted weapons into its stores, “we do not allow solicitation or organizing by third parties on our property.” The Open Carry supporters were not asked to move on Saturday. But should they return for another rally, Holmes said, “we’ll remind them of that policy.” Read more

 

“Wal-Mart pounces on Amazon/Hatchette book squabble” by Kim Souza at The City Wire.  “Wal-Mart began offering almost 400 Hachette titles for 40% off, with delivery dates within the one week.  Walmart.com noted this deal prominently on it home page this past week.  The retailer reported Friday (May 30) that its physical book sales rose 70% during the week since the deals were first offered.”  Read more

 

“A New Rallying Cry for Retail Workers: $25,000 a Year” by Susan Berfield at Bloomberg.  “In the coming days, you will be hearing a lot about working women. Not the women leaning in, not the women opting out, but the working women living in or near poverty.” Read more

 

“Bentonville prepares for Walmart shareholders week” by Jonathan Rozelle at 4029 TV.  “With thousands of shareholders expected to be in northwest Arkansas this week, Dynasty Taxi Service dispatcher Claire March said her company will have about 20 cab drivers on hand to help shareholders get around and five dispatchers answering the phones.  “We always look forward to it. It’s one of the busiest weeks in the year for us,” March said.”  Read more

 

Deadline June 6th:  Walmart’s Made in USA “Open Call” Event  “Walmart will host our first Made in USA “Open Call” Event on July 8 in Bentonville, Ark., at the Walmart Home Office…All suppliers must apply by June 6.”  Read more

 

“Lowe’s CEO still wants the company to grow — but not too quickly” by Ken Elkins at Charlotte Bus. Journal.  “So becoming No. 1 isn’t on the wish list…Niblock said we’ll “see it ramp up some” in the number of new Lowe’s stores opened each year from the current rate of about 10 per year. He didn’t elaborate on the number of new stores that could mean.”  Read more

 

“Walmart:  Canadian Female CEO to Oversee Europe, Middle East and Africa”
 by Kim Souza at The City Wire.  “Shelley Broader, who will assume her new role effective June 1, joined Walmart Canada as chief merchandising officer in December 2010 and was promoted to president and CEO of Walmart Canada in September 2011.”  Read more

 

“Dollar General opens $100 million distribution center to media (Bethel, PA)” by Ryan Hughes at WFMZ TV.  “The distribution center opened its doors to the media Friday. It started receiving vendor products in December and began shipping to stores in January…The warehouse is Dollar General’s 12th distribution center in the United States. It currently supplies merchandise to 706 stores in seven states.”  See the video / Read more

 

Tomorrow:  Dollar General Corporation First Quarter 2014 Financial Results  Webcast

 

“Q&A: Former Exec Explores Amazon’s Internal Culture” by Brad Stone at Bloomberg.  “Most companies don’t truly obsess about anything—they think about it, they may even act on it, but they are not obsessed. Look at the history of features and advancements Amazon has made, and they truly do work to make a great customer experience.”  Read more

 

“Welcome to Wal-Mart High!” by Justin Solomon at CNBC.  “It’s the end of the first year of a retail immersion class called Etail/Retail, which is the brainchild of Tracy Davis, director for the Center for Retail Management at the University of Houston—Downtown.  Davis started the class, born out of his passion for the industry that he once worked in, as the first step in what he hopes will become a four-year program.”  Read more / See the video

 

Report:  “Home Depot reports another insider breach” at Data Breaches.  “Home Depot has notified the New Hampshire Attorney General’s Office that between May 7 – May 21, an employee was accessing – and sharing with third parties – tool rental customers’ names, addresses, phone numbers, dates of birth, credit card numbers and expiration dates.  According to Home Depot, less than 500 customers’ information was shared with others, but the employee also obtained access to 30,000 other customers’ accounts.”  Read more

 

“Field & Stream Store to Open June 13 in Erie, PA, Invites Public to Campout”  “Campsite spaces are limited; reservations will be accommodated on a first-come, first-serve basis. For information on how to reserve a campsite for you and your family, visit fieldandstreamshop.com.”  Read the release

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About Eye-on-Retail

Eye-on-Retail is a daily tipsheet that is must-read material for thousands of Retail Merchants/Executives every weekday morning. Eye-on-Retail is unique because it’s timely, smart and fun. It’s created bright and early every morning and delivered around 7 am CST. We love data, earnings reports, executive presentations and stories off the beaten path that get at what’s really happening in the world of retail. Enjoy!

Send story tips, news releases, comments & questions to: info@shiftmarketinggroup.net