“Target Picks Pepsi Veteran as New CEO (starts Aug. 12th / at HQ today)” by Paul Ziobro & Joann S. Lublin at WSJ. “Target Corp. is bringing in PepsiCo Inc. executive Brian Cornell as its new chief executive, turning to an outsider for the first time in its history to repair a battered corporate culture and navigate a sea change in Americans’ shopping habits…Mr. Cornell, who has long sought to run a public company, begins his new job Aug. 12. He first started talking with Target several weeks ago after people in the Minneapolis business community mentioned him as an attractive candidate for the job. He has ties to the city as a director at recreational vehicle maker Polaris Industries Inc.” Read more

…New Target Chief was CEO at both Sam’s Club & Michael’s at Star-Tribune.  “In replacing Steinhafel, Target’s board said it had hired a search firm to find the new CEO, only the company’s fourth since 1984. Cornell is the first Target chief executive from outside the company.” Read more

Target’s ‘A Bullseye View’: “Introducing Target’s New Chairman and CEO Brian Cornell” “When I told my daughter I was leaving PepsiCo, her reaction really solidified things for me. She’s 28 and has grown up in a household that loves Pepsi. She was so disappointed to hear I was leaving until she asked where I was going. When I shared the answer, she simply said, “Dad, I love Target!” Read more

“Best Buy CEO Says Tablet Sales Are “Crashing,” Sees Hope for PCs” by Walt Mossberg at CNBC via Re/code.  “The tablets boomed and now are crashing. The volume has really gone down in the last several months. But I think the laptop has something of a revival because it’s becoming more versatile. So, with the two-in-ones, you have the opportunity to have both a tablet and laptop, and that’s appealing to students in particular. So you have an evolution. The boundaries are not as well defined as they used to be.” Read the CEO interview

***A message from Dig It® Handwear.  Grow garden category sales with glove protection for manicured female hands!  Patented line of high-quality gardening gloves provides unique “pillow-top” protection for female gardeners.  Nationally distributed in Canada…Shark Tank’s Kevin O’Leary is an investor…now being offered to US Retailers for the first time.  View the line at www.digithandwear.com.  Peggable gloves merchandise easily–see the off-shelf display. Contact info@shiftmarketinggroup.net to get started.

Interview:  Family Dollar’s CEO Howard Levine (Dollar Tree Approached Family Dollar in March) by Ely Portillo at Charlotte Observer.  “Levine, 55, acknowledged the spotlight has been “very uncomfortable.” “If you were in my shoes, it doesn’t make you feel very good,” he said of Icahn’s comments. “I’m still not really going to respond to what he did.” Levine stressed that the Dollar Tree deal was in the works before Icahn began demanding the company’s sale in June. “Some of the slant has made it feel like Carl drove this,” Levine said of news coverage. “The process our board went through started way before Carl got into the middle.” Read more

“Whole Foods Q3 Comp Sales Up 3.9% vs. Street Expectations of 4.8%” by Karma Allen at CNBC.  “Whole Foods Market reported earnings that beat analysts’ expectations on Wednesday, but shares plunged as quarterly revenue and comparable store sales trailed Wall Street estimates. ” Read more

“Whole Foods plans major marketing push” by Candice Choi at AP via Yahoo. “The company will partner with third parties to offer home delivery in 12 to 15 major markets, with plans for a wider rollout over time. Whole Foods declined to give details about which cities will get home delivery, but it already offers delivery in select markets, including New York City. Other major players such as Wal-Mart are testing delivery as well.” Read more

“Amazon quickens push into tough local services market” by Deepa Seetharaman at Reuters via Chicago Tribune.  “Amazon’s experiment with services goes back to at least mid-2012 in its hometown of Seattle. It’s now expanded the tests to New York and Los Angeles, six service providers who worked and talked with the company told Reuters. More locations and services are coming soon. As soon as mid-August, Amazon will take as much as a 20-percent cut from services booked through its website.” Read more

“Amazon ships first order from New Jersey DC” at WSJ. “The Interplak All-In-One Sonic Water Jet was sent from Robbinsville to an Amazon customer in New York.” Read more

San Diego: “Plane Hits Roof of Target Store then Slams into Costco Parking Lot” by John Soderman at KUSI News.  “One woman is killed, another is injured after a single-engine plane crashes in Kearny Mesa Wednesday. After taking off from nearby Montgomery Field, the female pilot radios in that the Mooney M20 has lost power and is going down.” Read more

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About Eye-on-Retail

Eye-on-Retail is a daily tipsheet read by 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 between 7-8 am CT. 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.

“Why monster dollar-store merger should scare Pepsi, Coca-Cola” by Brian Sozzi at CNBC.  “The only topic not touched on thus far is how the merged Dollar Tree/Family Dollar will exert pressures on major food, household goods, and drink suppliers, including Pepsi, Hershey, and Clorox…Walmart has 659 suppliers compared to Dollar Tree at 32 and Family Dollar at 54. However, as the unified buying teams at Dollar Tree/Family Dollar sit with the aforementioned suppliers, and others, they will boast a store base totaling in excess of 13,000 (Walmart U.S. 4,800 stores or so), and undeniably be an advantageous negotiating position for merchandise prices.” Read more

Source: “Dollar General was offered a chance to bid on Family Dollar and declined” by Brooke Sutherland at Bloomberg.  “There’s hope that a strategic buyer might step in,” Dutch Fox, an analyst at FBR & Co., said in a phone interview. “We handicap that as a relatively low probability. There’s no obvious other contender beside Dollar General that’s going to come and break this merger up. ‘‘I don’t think they’re interested,” he added.” Read more

“Family Dollar to keep Charlotte area HQ for ‘foreseeable future’ “ by Jennifer Thomas at Charlotte Bus. Journal.  “Family Dollar has approximately 1,400 employees at its headquarters here. “For the foreseeable future, we will continue to operate out of both,” the memo reads.” Read more

San Francisco: “New Target Express store could land on Ocean Avenue in S.F.’s Ingleside” by Annie Sciacca at San Fran. Bus. Times.  “According to the San Francisco Planning Department, a proposal has been submitted for a Target Express at a site formerly occupied by Rite Aid. The spot has been empty for six years.” Read more

***A message from Orchard Road Canning Co. – Target Millennials to Grow Canning Category Sales. Young female canners are the future of the category and there is untapped potential within this segment.  Orchard Road targets this demographic with a simple and elegant glass jar design and unique package graphics that feature authentic food-filled jars.  See the package design. See the sell sheet. www.orchardroadcanning.com.  Contact info@shiftmarketinggroup.net for more information.

“Wegmans working on 10 new stores” by Tom Tobin at Democrat & Chronicle.  “Wegmans spokesperson Jo Natale said Monday that the company is not in a growth spurt, but is pursuing an expansion strategy — two or three new stores a year…The idea, Natale said, is to continue to open new stores in six East Coast states — New York, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Virginia and Maryland. Most of the states are in regions dominated by a large city, including Boston, Washington, D.C. and Philadelphia.” Read more

“What Amazon’s foray into 3D printing means for the industry” by Benjamin Snyder at Fortune.  “There is this feeling of watching something get created, and this isn’t going to provide that in the same way,” Shepherd said. But he added that “it’s going to get people more excited” and potentially encourage them to buy and 3D printer to use in their own garage.” Read more

Canada: “RONA and Ace Hardware Announce Agreement for Master License” “RONA and Ace Hardware International have also signed a long term distribution agreement giving RONA access to products available through Ace Hardware’s various channels of distribution including its China direct programs to support the growth of the Ace brand in Canada.” Read the release

“Amazon Loses $1.5B IRS Transfer Pricing Dispute” by Jonathan Randles at Law 360 (Subscription required). “Amazon.com Inc. lost its bid Monday in the U.S. Tax Court to resolve parts of the company’s ongoing litigation with the Internal Revenue Service over use of a European subsidiary to substantially reduce its tax bill.” Read more

In the first half of this year, 136 retailers have been involved in 264 lawsuits brought by patent trolls by Andria Cheng at WSJ.  “Some of the bricks-and-mortar retailers that land in the top 100, among the more than 11,000 companies that have been sued by patent trolls in the U.S., are Wal-Mart, Best Buy, Target, Home Depot,Sears and J.C. Penney, according to Dan McCurdy…In the retail category, though, only the e-commerce pioneer Amazon ranks in the top 10.” Read more

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About Eye-on-Retail

Eye-on-Retail is a daily tipsheet that is read by 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 between 7-8 am CT. 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

“Stephen Colbert gives shout out to Staten Island Lowe’s for fixing veteran’s wheelchair” by Ryan Lavis at Staten Island Advance. “I don’t see why all our veterans health issues can’t be helped by Lowe’s,” Colbert quipped, adding, “Why wait months to have that hip replaced at the VA when Lowe’s will fix you up in minutes with duct tape, chicken wire and a socket wrench set?” See the video / Read more

“Bezos pet projects blamed for huge losses in Q2 for Amazon” by James Covert at NY Post.  “Wall Street was caught off guard in particular by a forecast for an operating loss between $410 million and $810 million in the current quarter — more than half of which could be attributable to Bezos’ taste for high-priced talent.” Read more

“Amazon’s Sunday Delivery Now Covers 25% of U.S. Population”  Read Amazon’s News Release

“Wal-Mart’s U.S. fix-it man has never worked in the U.S.” by Andria Cheng at MarketWatch.  “Greg Foran, the 53-year-old New Zealand native who was put in charge of Wal-Mart Stores biggest division on Thursday, is a groundbreaking choice: He has never worked in the U.S.” Read more

“Greg Foran was Passed Over for Top Job at Woolworths (Australia) in 2011” by Eli Greenblat at Sydney Morning Herald (2011 article).  “Mr Foran’s shock resignation comes as Woolworths is engaged in a pitched battle for shoppers with smaller rival Coles, with the Wesfarmers unit outperforming Woolworths in terms of sales over the last nine quarters.” Read more

Barclays:  “Target Can Fix Its Canada Business” by Jonathan Ratner at National Post.  “We believe that a large opportunity remains in Canada for Target to take market share from existing competitors such as Sears Canada,” the analysts said, noting Target would be best suited to focus on the home and apparel segments.” Read more

“Cabela’s Q2 Comp Sales Down 14.2%” “Total revenue increased 0.6% to $761.2 million; Retail store revenue increased 3.4% to $500.4 million.” Read more

“Roundy’s CFO Karst Leaving to Join Rite Aid” Read the release

“Largest Target on East Coast to open its doors in Upper Merion” at The Times Herald.  “Most Target stores don’t have all these windows, but the fact that we are elevated above the parking level is very different for Target,” she said of the unique design. “For people driving down the highway they wanted to be sure it stood out. When it’s all lit up at night it looks really cool.” Read more / See the 5 in-store videos

“A group of activist workers wants Costco to stop buying plastic goods from a “sweatshop” plastic company” by Reuven Blau at NY Daily News.  “Ming and more than 100 of her former colleagues and supporters plan to rally outside the Costco in Sunset Park on Saturday. They want the company to stop buying from Reynolds, which is stocked with Pactiv products. “They are a sweatshop!” said Shu Rong Lin, 47, a former Pactiv packer.” Read more

“A Sort Of Creepy Reason To Love Costco” by Kim Bhasin at HuffPo.  “In the days following a massive fruit recall, the membership-based warehouse retailer actually called customers to tell them to toss their potentially Listeria-tainted peaches, nectarines, plums and pluots…Any time one of Costco’s approximately 70 million members buys something, the company logs the item number of the product they purchased, explained Craig Wilson, vice president of quality assurance and food safety at Costco.” Read more

“Lowe’s Kyle Nel to Speak at Ad Age Conference on Sep. 17th” at Ad Age.  “Kyle Nel, executive director of Lowe’s Innovation Labs, will share how the home improvement retailer is using physical lab spaces, along with a team of science-fiction writers, to help it envision what the future might look like.” Read more

Fortune: “Is T.J. Maxx the best retail store in the land?” by Beth Kowitt.  “It’s a bold statement, but it’s true.” Ron Hess, a professor of marketing at William & Mary’s Mason School of Business, puts it this way: “They are stunningly good.” 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

“Target Canada Asks Suppliers for 2% Cost Break to Share in Its Struggles” by Marina  Strauss at Globe & Mail.  “In a recent letter to its suppliers, obtained by The Globe and Mail, Target said it is setting up the Target Canada Business Development Fund (BDF) by collecting “an incremental 2 per cent accrual against receipts at cost” from its vendors, starting in March of 2015. “The BDF will provide incremental funding for the key corporate initiatives, including investment in technology and supply chain, necessary to enhance the effectiveness of our business partnership and expedite our sales growth with you,” said the letter from John Butcher, new senior vice-president of merchandising at Target Canada.” Read more

“City plans to bill host Jim Sinegal up to $35,000 for Obama’s visit” by Patti Payne at Puget Sound Bus. Journal. “From our City Council’s standpoint, we shouldn’t pass this on to our citizens,” Sauerwein says. “We absolutely do not think the cost should be passed on to taxpayers.”…“We won’t know what the number will be until after he leaves and it’s all totaled up,” he says. “Any number I give you will be speculative.” But it is likely to be in five figures, and the Sinegals, as hosts, will get the bill.” Read more

“Costco and the perils of mixing politics and business” by Ben Carson at Washington Times.  “I should reveal that I have been a member of the Costco Board of Directors for 15 years. There are people on the board of several political persuasions, and we are all friendly and work well together because politics plays no role in business decisions. In the years that I have had the privilege of serving on the Costco board, I have never witnessed a single incident where politics influenced a business decision.” Read more

Opening today:  “First TargetExpress opens its doors in Dinkytown, MN” by Kavita Kumar at Star-Tribune.  “It’s too early to say how many TargetExpress stores the retailer might eventually open, Witherspoon said. But Target already is planning four more locations for 2015 — one in St. Paul’s Highland Park and three in the San Francisco Bay Area…Aside from basic socks and underwear, it doesn’t have an apparel section. Nor does it have furniture or patio sets. But it does have a full-size beauty department, along with the retailer’s fairly new beauty concierge service.” Read more

***A message from Dig It® Handwear.  Grow garden category sales with glove protection for manicured female hands!  Patented line of high-quality gardening gloves provides unique “pillow-top” protection for female gardeners.  Nationally distributed in Canada…Shark Tank’s Kevin O’Leary is an investor…now being offered to US Retailers for the first time.  View the line at www.digithandwear.com.  Peggable gloves merchandise easily–see the off-shelf display. Contact info@shiftmarketinggroup.net to get started.

“Dick’s Sporting Goods lays off all its in-store PGA pros” by Tim Schooley at Pittsburgh Bus. Times.  “Dick’s Sporting Goods has laid off all of the golf pros who work in its 560 stores nationwide, according to the Professional Golf Association of America and a report by ESPN. Three PGA professionals who were fired confirmed to ESPN.com that more than 500 full-time pros were let go Tuesday.” Read more

Farnsworth Group Study:  71% of all homeowners have purchased at least one home improvement product online within the past 12 months. “The study indicates that while consumers are purchasing home improvement products from a broad range of websites, home improvement store websites such as Home Depot and Lowe’s lead the way, as 46 percent of homeowners purchase products from these merchants online.”  Read more via 4-traders

“Former Dollar General CEO David Perdue Wins Georgia’s GOP Senate Runoff” at NPR.  “I’ve never run for anything in my life. I’m humbled,” Perdue told supporters gathered at a hotel in the Buckhead neighborhood of Atlanta. With 99 percent of the precincts reporting, Perdue led Kingston by about 8,000 votes – enough for 50.9 percent of the vote.” Read more

“Justin Bieber Shops at Whole Foods” at Disney Dreaming.  See the pics

“Amazon quietly releases payment app” by Benjamin Snyder at Fortune.  “But it falls well short in terms of functionality. Amazon’s app, which premiered on Thursday, currently lets users only upload gift and store loyalty cards. Users can’t yet make mobile payments using credit or debit cards like rivals.” Read more

“Home Depot Donates Lawn Mower to Feisty Grandma Who Fought Off Thieves” at News 9 Texas. “The folks at Home Depot heard about our story and decided to donate a brand new lawnmower to Raquel Pineda. “I just managed to grab on to it and I said this little old granny ain’t gonna turn it loose,” Raquel said. The 63-year-old didn’t back down when three thieves tried to take off with her lawn mower. Raquel managed to hang on while the suspects drove off and dragged her for 25 feet. She lost a tooth and ended up with a cuts and bruises.” See the video / 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