Friday Tipsheet: Wmart Preps ‘Pickup Grocery’ | Target Likes Annie | Google Drone Delivers Dog Treats

 

“Walmart ‘Pickup Grocery’ site preps for grand opening” by Kim Souza at The City Wire. “The retailer has named the test format Walmart Pickup Grocery…amid a flurry of activity as the 15,000 square-foot grocery center is being stocked with 10,000 fresh and dry grocery products – everything from cereal, chips and bread to fresh produce, meat and milk. Wal-Mart told The City Wire that several tests will be conducted before the online grocery service opens to the public early this fall. Walmart declined to provide a specific date or share who will be allowed to test the service.” Read more / See the pic

 

“Wal-Mart Looks Online for Chinese Growth” by Shelly Banjo & Laurie Burkitt at WSJ. “”We’ve taken a long-term view of China,” said Neil Ashe, Wal-Mart’s head of global e-commerce, in an interview. “It’s an awfully big market—it doesn’t have to be number one to be a good business.” Read more

 

Hollywood Reporter: “Annie-Inspired Target Collection Coming this Fall” by Stephanie Chan. “The 25-piece range, with all items priced under $30, includes Annie’s signature red frock and a heart-shaped locket, as well as pieces featuring elements of patchwork, pins, buttons and tulle, and a DIY kit. The collection is available starting Nov. 16.” Read more

 

Lowe’s to pay $1.6 million in settlement for mislabeled lumber dimensions” by Scott Morris at Bay City News. “They alleged that Lowe’s sold structural dimension building products that described product dimensions that were not the actual dimensions — incorrectly advertising the length, width, depth or thickness of building materials. In some cases, the inaccurate labeling was because of inaccurate dimensions provided by the manufacturers or other suppliers, according to Marin County prosecutors.” Read more

 

“Google Building Fleet of Drones to Bypass Earthbound Traffic” by Michael Liedtke at AP via SF Gate. “Although Google expects it to take several more years before its fleet of drones is fully operational, the company says test flights in Australia delivered a first aid kit, candy bars, dog treats and water to two farmers after traveling a distance of roughly one kilometer, or just over a half mile.” Read more

 

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“Is Dollar General really committed to acquiring Family Dollar?” by Jennifer Thomas at Charlotte Bus. Journal. “What hasn’t happened, though, is a new offer from Dollar General or a letter addressing Family Dollar’s concerns to jump-start talks between the dollar-store rivals. “Dollar General has got to make the next move,” says Brian Yarbrough, an equity analyst with Edward Jones.” Read more

 

“Tacoma Walmart developer sues individual council members for $1.8 million” by Kathleen Cooper at News Tribune. “In addition to the city itself, the lawsuit names individual city council members and 20 unidentified city employees as defendants.” Read more

 

Germany: Retail Sales Fell 1.4% in July by Emese Bartha at WSJ. “The economic expectations suffered the greatest slump since 1980, GfK said. The group added, however, that this hasn’t had much of an impact on the propensity to spend.” Read more

 

“Screen-obsessed Teens Threaten Apparel Retailers” at NY Times via CNBC. “It’s definitely more exciting for a lot of teenagers to have a new phone that can do lots of cool stuff than clothing,” said Nicole Myers, 19, a model in New York who emerged from an Apple store on Monday with a new iPhone that cost about $200. “A phone keeps you much more entertained. It’s a better distraction than clothing.” Read more

 

“Home Depot go-to guy with cerebral palsy celebrates 20 years” by Philip Morgan at Tampa Bay Times. “He has had a lot of experience: Last Friday marked his 20th anniversary as an employee of the Carrollwood Home Depot. “I’ve only been at this store for two months,” manager Jim Burgett said, “and sometimes I’ve got to rely on him to show me where something’s at.” See the video / 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. Contact us at info@shiftmarketinggroup.net.

Thursday Tipsheet: D.Gen Comp +2.1% | ‘Ludicrous’ Pay at Kroger | Sam’s: 1 Reindeer Left

“Dollar General Q2 Comp Sales +2.1%” “CEO: ‘In regards to our proposal to acquire Family Dollar, we remain firmly committed to the acquisition. The financial benefits of our offer to Family Dollar shareholders are indisputable, and the proposed combination would unlock tremendous value for Dollar General shareholders. We continue to believe the potential antitrust issues are manageable and that our transaction as proposed is both superior and achievable.’ Read the release

 

CNBC Headline: “Dollar General says committed to Family Dollar deal” “Dollar General, the No.1 U.S. deep discount retailer, said it remained committed to acquiring rival Family Dollar and reported a 7.5 percent rise in quarterly sales.” Read more

 

“Ex-Kroger CEO Calls His $12.8M Pay ‘Ludicrous’ “ by Alexander Coolidge at Cincinnati.com. “Dillon added his payout was “a little more responsible” – compared with peer companies. His pay is the bottom 25 percent of CEO pay among rival companies. “Still you’d argue, I think, it was pretty damn high,” Dillon said.” Read more

 

“Costco to begin selling AppleCare+ for iPhone and iPad today” by Mike Beasley at 9 to 5 Mac. “An internal memo sent to employees at Costco stores indicates that the company will begin offerring AppleCare+ on iPhones and iPads sold through its wireless kiosks (today).” Read more

 

“Ikea Just Bought Some Awesome, Bendy Lighting Tech” by Mark Wilson at Fast Company. “Design LED Products does a lot more than make some light bulbs. Its specialty is something called the “Light Tile.” It’s essentially a grid of LEDs embedded in resin, forming an LED blanket that’s less than 1 millimeter thick. The blanket can be wrapped inside a product to make it glow while drawing very little power.” See the pic / Read more

 

Lowe’s Survey: 52 percent of Americans feel that having a smart home is at least somewhat important to them  Read the release

 

“Home Depot’s Marvin Ellison Sells $6,455,402 Worth of Stock” at Insider Trading Wire. Read more

 

“Arthur T. Demoulas is back at the helm of Market Basket” by Eric Convey at Boston Bus. Journal. “After an eight-week battle that threatened to destroy the 71-store supermarket chain…shareholders aligned with Arthur S. Demoulas agreed late last night to sell control of the business to a group led by ousted CEO Arthur T. Demoulas. The price is reportedly more than $1.5 billion.” Read more

 

Canada: “Rona shares rise to price offered by Lowe’s two years ago” by Nicolas Van Praet at Financial Post. “Customers are looking for deals right now, said Rona chief financial officer Dominique Boies. And that’s what’s driving traffic. “Our shareholders finally they like what they see,” Mr. Boies said. “They like the execution, they like the progress. So they’re not big sellers.” Read more

 

Miami: Sam’s Club Filling Up Shelves With Holiday Gear In August (Only 1 Reindeer Left) by Walter Makaula at CBS 4 Miami. “Sam’s Club in Doral, since August 18th, has a 1400 square-foot area dedicated to Christmas; with indoor and outdoor lights for sale, tree ornaments, wrapping paper, ribbons, and candles lining shelves. The store manager in Doral said competition is tough during the holiday season but right now—in late summer—there is no competition. “They [customers] get so excited. It’s like an excitement, or ‘wow’ factor that hits them right away,” said Bruce Siddens.” See the video / Read more

 

“Amazon is giving away 50, $5,000 college scholarships” by Ben Miller at Puget Sound Bus. Journal. “Finalists will be selected based on GPA, community involvement, and leadership experience, and then invited to complete an essay to advance to the final round. Winners will be notified in April 2015 and the scholarship awarded in July 2015.” Read more

 

“Dairy Queen Breach Connected to Malware that Hit Target” by Clare Kennedy at Minn./St. Paul Bus. Journal. “Brian Krebs reported a flurry of fraudulent credit card activity tied to a possible data breach at Dairy Queen stores in the Midwest and the South.” Read more

 

Report: “Amazon has sold no more than 35,000 Fire phones” by Charles Arthur at The Guardian. 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.

Wednesday Tipsheet: Target makes Instagram Shoppable | ‘Burners’ Stuck at Wmart | Kroger Bidding?

 

“Target & Nordstrom make Instagram shoppable” by Krystina Gustafson at CNBC. “Target and Nordstrom are teaming up with Curalate, a visual marketing and analytics firm, to launch Like2Buy, a platform that seamlessly allows Instagram users to make purchases when they see an item they like on their feeds.” Read more

 

“Soggy start: Burning Man crews stuck at Wal-Mart” by Scott Sonner at The Tribune (Reno, NV). “Turned back at the gate to the Black Rock Desert after rare showers on Monday turned the ancient lake bottom to a muddy quagmire, hundreds of “Burners” were forced to overnight on the Wal-Mart blacktop.” Read more

 

“Amazon.com brings same-day delivery to Atlanta” at Atlanta Bus. Chronicle. “The online retail giant on Tuesday began offering its Same-Day Delivery service in Atlanta, Alpharetta, Kennesaw, Marietta, and Mableton. Customers must select the new “Get It Today” search filter. They can order as late as 12 p.m., seven days a week, and get popular items delivered to their home in hours.” Read more

 

“Walmart’s e-com CEO Neil Ashe to Present at GeekWire Summit” by John Cook at GeekWire. ” Our biggest event of the year — The GeekWire Summit — is just over a month away, coming up on Oct. 2 at the Westin in downtown Seattle…lineup that already includes Zulily co-founder Mark Vadon; Walmart e-commerce CEO Neil Ashe; and veteran journalists Walt Mossberg and Kara Swisher.” Read more

 

“Kroger could be aiming for another acquisition” by Steve Watkins at Cincinnati Bus. Courier. “Kroger is rumored to be a potential bidder for Market Basket, a 71-store chain based in Tewksbury, Mass.” Read more

 

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“Food 4 Less averts strike by reaching tentative deal with SoCal union” by Shan Li at LA Times. “Food 4 Less, owned by Kroger Co., was the last grocery chain in Southern California to reach a deal on a new contract. The previous one expired June 8. The agreement covers more than 6,000 grocery workers at 100 Food 4 Less stores in the Southland. They are scheduled vote Sept. 2 on whether to approve the contract.” Read more

 

“Michaels shares rally after profit, sales beat expectations” by Tomi Kilgore at MarketWatch. “Sales rose 4.9% from last year to $948 million, while same-store sales increased 3.2%, topping analyst forecasts of $943 million and a 2.5% rise, respectively.” Read more

 

“EEOC Sues Costco for Sex Discrimination” at National Law Review. “John Rowe, the EEOC district director in Chicago, said that the agency’s administrative investigation revealed that the employee repeatedly complained to her managers at the Glenview, Ill., Costco where she worked about being pursued, approached, and confronted in the Costco by the man.” Read more

 

“One-Hour Grocery Delivery Service Instacart Comes to Portland” at MarketWatch. “Customers in Portland can order groceries from Whole Foods Market, Costco and Uwajimaya Asian Market stores and have them delivered in as little as one hour. Customers do not need to be a Costco member to order from Costco on Instacart.” Read the release

 

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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.

 

 

Tuesday Tipsheet: Wmart EVP Next to Exit? | Costco HQ Adds 177K s.f. | Best Buy Comp -2%

 

Walmart’s Duncan Mac Naughton Next Out the Door? by Kim Souza at The City Wire. “Some close watchers of the Wal-Mart corporate world say Mac Naughton may follow Bill Simon, former Walmart U.S. CEO, out the door. Simon was not picked to be Wal-Mart CEO, and Mac Naughton was considered a candidate for the Wal-Mart U.S. CEO job to which Foran was promoted.” Read more

 

“Costco leases 177,000-square-foot building for growing HQ staff” at Seattle Times. “Chief Financial Officer Richard Galanti said the lease gives Costco more room for part of its information technology staff and other operations. “We’re continuing to grow and trying to keep most of the administrative operations nearby,” he said. “IT is certainly a much bigger operation” for the company than it used to be, and the international staff is also growing, he said.” Read more

 

…taking over one of the buildings that Microsoft is abandoning by Becky Monk at Puget Sound Bus. Journal. “Microsoft still occupies the other two buildings in the three-building office campus.” See the pic / Read more

 

“Amazon’s tax maneuvers stir up storm in U.K.” by Jay Greene at Seattle Times. “As political theater, it would be hard to find anything better, unless, of course, you’re Cecil or Amazon. A corporate titan, hauled before the sharp-tongued inquisitors of British Parliament, unable to reply in kind because it would only make matters worse. So for more than 40 minutes, Cecil sits and takes a lashing. What’s caused the politicians’ ire? Amazon’s decision to place its European headquarters about 300 miles to the southeast, in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg.” Read more

 

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“Best Buy US Comp Sales Down 2%” at CNBC. “Like other retailers and as reflected in this quarter’s performance, we continued to see a shift in consumer behavior: consumers are increasingly researching and buying online,” Hubert Joly, Best Buy president and CEO, said in a statement.” Read more

 

“Whole Foods is latest retailer to reject checks” by Maria Halkias at Dallas News. “As of Sept. 1, Whole Foods stores in Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas and Oklahoma will no longer take personal checks. Whole Foods has stopped taking checks in other markets in recent years. “Most of our regions no longer accept personal checks, but the Southwest is not the last one to make the transition,” said Lindsay Robison, a Whole Foods spokeswoman based in Austin.” Read more

 

“Sam’s Club Meets with Hundreds of Small Businesses to Find New Products for Members” “Sam’s Club is participating in the event to engage new suppliers, strengthen relationships with local suppliers, and identify new food and beverage products relevant to Sam’s Club members in the Southwest and Western regions…The San Diego supplier event takes place at the Sheraton San Diego Hotel and Marina, August 26-27, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.” Read the release

 

“Fresh Market Named Exclusive Retailer for Coca-Cola Life” by Jacques Couret at Atlanta Bus. Chronicle. “Coke Life, first introduced in 2013 in Argentina and Chile, is now available in 65 The Fresh Market store shelves in Georgia, Florida, North Carolina and South Carolina.” Read more

 

“GMA Recognizes Retired Walmart CEO Mike Duke with Hall of Achievement Award” at Grocery Headquarters. “The Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA) presented retired Walmart President and CEO Mike Duke with its 2014 Hall of Achievement Award before more than 400 industry leaders at the GMA Leadership Forum at The Broadmoor. The Hall of Achievement Award represents the highest honor given by the more than 100 year-old association.” 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. Contact us at info@shiftmarketinggroup.net.

Monday Tipsheet: Costco Won’t Deliver Fruity Pebbles | H.Depot & Bobbleheads

 

“Amazon at odds with Germany over strong union tradition” by Jay Greene at Seattle Times. “As the protesting workers grill bratwurst and listen to a guitarist playing union songs, the rants aren’t the hot-button issues that often fuel strikes in the United States…Sure, the workers here want better pay and job security for zipping off boxes of books, shirts, razors and more to customers. But often, the first complaint these Amazon strikers raise is simply that the company doesn’t respect their rights as Germans to form a union and engage in collective bargaining.” Read more

 

“Sneak peek inside the new South Bend, Indiana Costco” by Heidi Prescott at South Bend Tribune. “Projects this size usually take 180 days or longer…But Costco is going up in 120 days, or 110 days if you only count the actual construction process after the foundation was poured.This week, Cullivan gave The Tribune the first tour of the site and a peek inside the store. He offered a behind-the-scenes glimpse of a process not many have the chance to see.” See the video / Read more

 

“Lowe’s Strikes $9.5M Deal In HR Managers’ OT Class Action” by Micheal Lipkin at Law 360 (Subscription required). “Lowe’s Home Centers Inc. on Friday agreed to pay $9.5 million to end human resources managers’ class action allegations that they were not actually managers and that Lowe’s misclassified them as exempt from overtime pay requirements.” Read more

 

WSJ: “The Next Big Question For Home Depot: What Happens To The Frank Blake Bobblehead?” by Shelly Banjo. “One question that will need to be answered is whether his Bobblehead, usually priced at $9.95, will go on sale, or whether its price will surge as it becomes a collector’s item…the retailer began making Bobbleheads of its top executives in 2007 and sells them at its corporate headquarters and online at prices ranging from $4.95 (for CFO Carol Tome) to $14.95 (for Home Depot’s mascot, Homer)…Mr. Blake is known to autograph his figurine’s head for employees.” Read more

 

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Costco CFO Richard Galanti: “We’re never going to be the one to deliver a quarter of milk and a box of fruity pebbles before 7 a.m. on Monday for your kids that you ordered at 10 p.m. the night before.” by Rachel Lerman at Puget Sound Bus. Journal.  Read more

 

“Walmart-controlled Yhd has become China’s first e-commerce firm licensed to operate online drugstores” by Doug Young at South China Morning Post. “What’s probably most significant is the fact that a very small player like Yhd beat out all the big companies to receive the first license, which probably owed at least partly to its Wal-Mart connections.” Read more

 

“Amazon Prepares to Challenge Google in Online Advertising” by Rolfe Winkler & Greg Bensinger at WSJ. “Initially, Amazon plans to replace those ads on its pages that Google chiefly supplies with a new in-house ad placement platform, said people familiar with the matter. In the future, that system could challenge Google’s $50 billion-a-year advertising business.” Read more

 

“More than 1,000 businesses affected by same malware as Target” by Salvador Rodriguez at  LA Times. “There’s a lot of retailers out there that have been compromised by this and they simply don’t know it yet,” Westin said, explaining that many businesses don’t have the tools in place to monitor for these kinds of attacks.” Read more

 

“How Thumbtack Plans To Be Your One-Stop Local Services Shop For Plumbers, Chefs And Belly Dancers” by Ryan Mac at Forbes. “Thumbtack is more of a marketplace, like HomeAdvisor and Redbeacon, but has a far wider variety of services than all of them. And on Thumbtack the providers bid on you…Thumbtack’s software distributes your request to relevant and nearby pros, who then respond with a price and description of their services.” 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. Contact us at info@shiftmarketinggroup.net.

Friday Tipsheet: Menear Congrats | Hollywood Stops Target | D.Tree +4.5%

 

“Home Depot Names Retail Chief Craig Menear As CEO” by Shelly Banjo at WSJ.  “Mr. Menear, who will take the helm Nov. 1, will become the third CEO to run the country’s fourth-largest retailer by revenue…The CEO appointment settles the top job but raises questions about how long Mr. Ellison and Ms. Tome, both well-regarded executives who were also considered possible successors to Mr. Blake, will remain with the company.” Read more

 

“Costco’s Galanti: Minimum wage hike probably won’t mean price hike” by Rachel Lerman at Puget Sound Bus. Journal. “Whenever there’s any type of cost increase, whatever it is…ultimately the last thing that we’re going to do is raise prices,” he said. “Ultimately if some of it has to be borne in pricing, we do. We want to be the last to raise a price based on a cost increase and the first to lower it based on a cost decrease.” Read more

 

“Why Nobody Calls Target ‘Tarjhay’ Anymore” by Brad Tuttle at Time. “When Target was the media and shopper darling nicknamed “Tarjhay” for its chic fashions and dependable household staples, the perception was that it truly delivered on its slogan “Expect more, pay less.” Target’s big problem is that the motto has rung hollow for quite some time. “The dimension of ‘expect more’ is gone,” said Amy Koo, a senior analyst at Kantar Retail. “As for ‘pay less,” well, pay less than what? Folks are savvier today.” Read more

 

“Judge orders Target to stop building Hollywood shopping center” by David Zahniser at LA Times. “Target, said Silverstein, proceeded at its own risk after receiving ample warnings about a legal challenge. “Nobody that I represent ever opposed a Target store,” Silverstein said. “What they opposed was blowing the lid off the height and the parking and the other structural requirements that are supposed to … guide development for the future of Hollywood.” Read more

 

“Dollar Tree Q2 Comp Sales +4.5%” “Consolidated net sales increased 9.5% to $2.03 billion from $1.85 billion in the prior year’s second quarter.” Read the release

 

“Dollar Tree ‘committed’ to Family Dollar deal” by Jennifer Thomas at Charlotte Bus. Journal. “During Dollar Tree’s earnings call, Sasser said his company will continue to watch the new developments closely. “We look forward to completing our transaction as soon as possible,” he says.” Read more

 

“Family Dollar rejects Dollar General’s bid” by Eric Snyder at Nashville Bus. Journal. “In its statement Thursday, the Family Dollar board said Dreiling’s letter did nothing to assuage their concerns about antitrust regulations. In its offer to buy Family Dollar, Dollar General had said it was prepared to sell 700 stores to ease potential regulatory concerns.” Read more

 

“Mexico Bans Commercials for Sugary Products During Children’s Programs” by Amy Guthrie at WSJ. “We’re pioneers in Mexico when it comes to restrictions on publicity,” said Álvaro Pérez, a commissioner at Mexican health protection agency Cofepris who helped establish the advertising parameters. “What we’re looking for is an incentive for companies to reformulate their products so that they’re healthier.” Read more

 

“Hibbett Sports Q2 Comp +.1%” “We are on pace to achieve our goal of 75 to 80 new stores this year, and continue to be pleased with new store performance.” Read the release 

 

“Fresh Market Q2 Comp +2.9%” “Management’s outlook for fiscal 2014 – Unit growth of 22 new stores, with 6 new stores opening in the third quarter and 5 new stores opening in the fourth quarter and remodeling 4 to 5 stores.” Read the release

 

“No Knockoff Here. Meet China’s New Gadgets” by Paul Mozur at WSJ. “In laboratories and startups across China, tinkerers with big dreams are pushing what many in the industry see as a potential new wave of Chinese innovation. They see smart gadgets—wearables and other devices that connect to the Internet or interact with users—as an opportunity to create a Chinese-designed product for a global audience.” Read more

 

“5 P&G execs best positioned to become CEO” by Alexander Coolidge at Cincinnati.com. “As P&G starts a new fiscal year, here’s how the executive race looks for the five frontrunners. Our assessment is based on the track records that made the five executives serious contenders in the first place, and their latest results when the boss was watching closest…” Read more

 

“Man Drives Stolen Walmart Shopping Cart to Meet Probation Officer” at Washington Free Beacon. “Eighteen year old Michael Rene Johnson stole an electric shopping cart and rode it to the Metropolitan Court in Albuquerque where he was due to meet his parole officer. His probation officer asked him where he had obtained his unusual ride, and Johnson admitted that he had stolen it from Walmart.” See the video / 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. Contact us at info@shiftmarketinggroup.net.

 

Thursday Tipsheet: Target & Lowe’s Earnings Call Highlights | F.Dol. CEO Guarding Job?

 

“Family Dollar CEO Said to Guard Job” by Shelly Banjo at WSJ.  “Dollar General said the chief executive of Family Dollar Stores, Howard Levine, shrugged off multiple requests to pursue a merger between the country’s two largest dollar chains out of fear he would have to step down as CEO, according to a letter sent to Family Dollar’s board of directors late Wednesday.” Read more

 

WSJ: “Shopper Malaise Hangs Over Target” by Paul Ziobro & Anna Prior. “Target posted a 62% drop in earnings for the fiscal second quarter ended Aug. 2, as losses in Canada continued and margins shrank because of heavy discounting. The price cuts didn’t entirely work. Target rang up 1.3% fewer transactions at U.S. stores open more than 13 months, its seventh straight quarter of falling traffic.” Read more

 

“Target sees signs of progress, but cuts outlook for year” by Kavita Kumar at Star-Tribune. “You see this sometimes when new CEOs come in: companies lower the bar,” said Brian Yarbrough, an analyst with Edward Jones. “It gives them a better opportunity to beat numbers and to gain Wall Street’s confidence.” Read more

 

“Home Depot’s CEO Will Never Make My ‘Worst’ List” by Herb Greenberg at Real Money via Dallas News.  “I mentioned to Blake that I was impressed as I shopped his stores throughout Southern California, the Chicago area and Connecticut…He: “You’ve only been in the ones that worked.” Me: “Ones that worked?” He: Yep. It’s up to the store manager, and we usually promote an assistant manager to store manager, and they don’t always have what it takes. But you don’t know that until they get the job.” That floored me, because rather than just acting like it was a big success, he was acknowledging how hit-and-miss it can be and how hard, in practice, it really is.” Read more

 

Australia: Meet Costco Mum at Herald-Sun. “The Canberra mum runs the “Costco Mum” Facebook page, which offers price and deal advice to the 8600 people who like her page…Mrs. Romano started the page to try to get discussion going about deals and experiences, and soon the page took off. “They’re all American brands so you don’t always know what you’re buying, so I thought it would be a good idea to have a page where I could do product reviews,” Mrs Romano said.” Read more

 

***A message from Relax Sacks – Get Ready for the Most Comfortable Chair on the Planet!  Consumers love the comfort of our ‘big and fun’ bean bag chairs (up to 7.5 feet in size!).  Incredibly soft micro-suede covers and uniquely comfortable shredded foam filling make the Relax Sacks experience one your customers won’t want to miss!  Great for living rooms, basements, kids rooms, dorm rooms, etc.  Bring some fun and excitement to your stores and drive impulse sales in the process. www.relaxsacks.com.  Email info@shiftmarketinggroup.net for more information.

 

“Sears Reports Q2 Net Loss of $573 Mil” “Sears Full-line stores experienced comparable store sales growth of 0.1% for the quarter as compared to a decline of 0.8% in the second quarter of last year.” Read the release

 

“Sacramento’s epic environmental battle – plastic bags” by Jessica Calefati at San Jose Mercury News. “Lobbyists have launched a frenzied eleventh-hour effort to kill a bill that would make California the first state to outlaw flimsy plastic grocery bags…”This bill is not about helping the environment,” Daniels said. “It’s a cash grab for grocers who will get to keep all the money they make when they start charging customers for so-called reusable bags.” Read more

 

“Home Depot launches “Smart Home” partnership in Canada” by Brian Platt at The Star.  “At a “Smart Open House” on Tuesday, Home Depot representatives demonstrated a line of products ranging from light switches, blinds, thermostats, security cameras and door locks that all interface with an app called Wink.” Read more

 

Target Q2 Earnings Call Highlights

Kathee Tesija

Q2 comparable sales (US) were strongest in hard lines driven by both toys and electronics… also positive in our less discretionary food, health and beauty categories, while they were down slightly in apparel and down low single-digit in home.

U.S. comparable transactions were down 1.3% completely offset by an increase in the average basket.

We are pleased that the U.S. traffic trend improved a full percentage point compared with the first quarter.

Second quarter digital sales increased more than 30% over last year…reflects a nearly 50% increase in visits to our mobile website.

TargetExpress: We plan to expand our test of this new format to several additional locations outside the Twin Cities next year.

Store pickup: About one-fifth of guests engaged in additional shopping in-store when they picked up their online purchases.

About 14% of our digital sales today are being picked up in-store.

Subscription orders account for more than 15% of digital sales.

We are exploring gifting subscriptions, which would allow guests to register for subscriptions that are easy for gift givers to fulfill.

This fall when we rollout standard ship from store capabilities to 35 additional markets, we will be within 1 to 2-day ground transit of 91% of the U.S. population.

Of the 70,000 items in a typical Canadian Target store, about 30,000 items will be new between now and the holiday season.

In Canada, on September 7, we will be launching two new lines of cleaning products, Better Life, an all-natural line of cleaning products designed by two fathers with charismatic packaging.

 

John Mulligan

We are working to moderate our promotional intensity to a level we believe is more appropriate in the long run.

In the U.S., second quarter sales penetration on REDcards was 28.8%, up more than two percentage points over last year.

REDcard penetration in Canada was 4.8% in the second quarter, more than double last year’s 2.3%

This quarter the Canadian comp was down more than 11%.

We are currently forecasting U.S. comparable sales will be flat to up 1% this quarter.

We are encouraged by the positive comps we have seen so far in August.

 

Brian Cornell

I am impressed with the progress that John and the team made in the last three months, including a strategy review that is the most comprehensive effort I have seen in my career.

I want to be a good student of the business, but clearly we have to have a sense of urgency here and a sense of pace.

 

Read the transcript

 

Lowe’s Q2 Earnings Call Highlights

Robert Niblock

Comparable sales were 4.4% with an increase in comp transactions of 3.1% and an increase in comp average ticket of 1.3%.

With regard to the rumors on Brazil, obviously we don’t comment on specific rumors of a nature like that.

Outdoor product sales were strong with a roughly 6.5% comp for the quarter while indoor comps were roughly 3%.

All 14 regions had positive comps for the quarter; likewise, all 12 product categories had positive comps.

Saw particular strength in lawn and garden during the quarter.

Strength in millwork, paint and tools and hardware which were all above the Company average.

Solid performance in line with the Company average in fashion fixtures, flooring and lumber and building materials.

ProServices business outperformed the Company average during the quarter.

Canada delivered double-digit comps in local currency for the fifth consecutive quarter.

We’ve got some key things we’re working on from a website standpoint to improve the functionality of our website that will be delivered in the next 12 months.

Appliances: obviously something that was a little bit of a challenge in the second quarter.

A couple of parts of flooring were a little weak in the quarter.

 

Rick Damron

Patio and outdoor products topped their solid first-quarter results generating double-digit positive comps.

Introduced Valspar Reserve exterior and interior paints at the end of the first quarter to appeal to both DIY and pro customers and our sales to both customers have exceeded our expectations.

www.lowesforpros.com is currently being tested with a select group of pro customers.

In Q2, our pro applications grew 23% over last year so we continue to see the pros respond very well to the initiatives that we’ve got in place.

Flexible fulfillment allows us the capability to ship from 54 of our stores as well as all of our distribution hubs and nodes direct to consumer.

Interior project specialist: We rolled it to another 582 stores. We are looking at our rollout campaign into 2016.

 

Bob Hull

Monthly comps were 4.7% in May, 4.6% in June and 3.7% in July.

 

Mike Jones

Flooring: we see very good performance in tile. We see very good performance in carpet. We see a little pressure in wood.

Pros: We expanded our lineup of Lenox and Irwin. Certainly our Bosch brand continues to do well, DeWalt does very well.

 

Read the transcript

 

***

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. Contact us at info@shiftmarketinggroup.net.

 

 

 

Wednesday Tipsheet: Lowe’s Comp +4.4% | Wmart’s ‘Price First’ Launch | H.Depot Call Highlights

 

“Lowe’s Q2 Comp Sales +4.4%” “Lowe’s reported net earnings of $1.04 billion for the quarter ended August 1, 2014, a 10.4 percent increase over the same period a year ago…Fiscal Year 2014 outlook:  total sales are expected to increase approximately 4.5 percent, comparable sales are expected to increase approximately 3.5 percent, expects to open approximately 10 home improvement and 5 hardware stores.” Read the release

 

CNBC’s Headline: “Lowe’s profit tops estimates; trims sales guidance” “Lowe’s delivered second-quarter earnings that topped Wall Street’s expectations, but the retailer trimmed its outlook for full-year sales growth. Lowe’s shares sank in premarket trading following the report.” Read more

 

Lowe’s Q2 Earnings Conference Call Today at 9am ET  Webcast

 

“Target’s new CEO will speak during earnings conference call Wednesday” by Nick Halter at Minn./St. Paul Bus. Journal. “CEOs typically lead earnings calls. A spokesman said Chief Financial Officer John Mulligan and Chief Merchandising and Supply Chain Officer Kathee Tesija will lead the call, but Cornell will also speak.” Read more

 

Target’s Q2 Earnings Conference Call Today at 9:30am CST  Webcast

 

“Walmart Launches ‘Price First’ Private Label Line Nationally” by Kim Souza at The City Wire. “Price First is a new opening price point product line that the retail giant has tested in selected markets since the fall of 2013. Products include pasta, peanut butter, baking mixes, mustard and other condiments totaling about 50 items including paper and other consumables. Wal-Mart is nationally debuting the new private-label product line in more than 2,500 stores over the next few months, according to Danit Marquardt, Wal-Mart corporate spokeswoman.” Read more

 

***A message from Relax Sacks – Get Ready For the Most Comfortable Chair On the Planet! Consumers love the comfort of our ‘big and fun’ bean bag chairs (up to 7.5 feet in size!).  Incredibly soft micro-suede covers and uniquely comfortable shredded foam filling make the Relax Sacks experience one your customers won’t want to miss!  Great for living rooms, basements, kids rooms, dorm rooms, etc.  Bring some fun and excitement to your stores and drive impulse sales in the process. www.relaxsacks.com.  Email info@shiftmarketinggroup.net for more information.

 

“Dick’s: PGA pros not needed to sell golf merchandise” by Tim Schooley at Pittsburgh Bus. Times.  “We’ve got very good people who are there who can still help people,” said (CEO Ed) Stack when asked about how the lack of golf pros in the store could impact sales. “We don’t think it’s going to have any impact on the business.” Read more

 

“Icahn slams Family Dollar for ignoring Dollar General” by G. Chambers Williams III at The Tennessean.  “Even as cynical as I am about the dysfunction of so many boards, I find it hard to believe that before agreeing to a $305 million breakup fee to Dollar Tree (which was obviously designed to chill other bidders), Family Dollar wouldn’t first be absolutely sure Dollar General wasn’t interested in bidding,” Icahn said in an online post. “Could the fact that Family Dollar’s CEO, Howard Levine, has a future role in a Dollar Tree/Family Dollar merger have anything to do with it?” Icahn asked.” Read more

 

“Icahn Suits Up for War with Family Dollar Management” by Charlie Gasparino at Fox Business.  “The activist investor described Levine as a child of privilege who either doesn’t understand or doesn’t care about the rights of shareholders. “Listen, his father started the company, and he thinks it’s his,” Icahn said in a telephone interview. “But it isn’t and he doesn’t know what he’s doing.” Read more

 

“Macy’s to pay $650,000 for racial profiling at flagship store in Manhattan” by Michael Virtanen at AP via SF Gate.  “The agreement cites Macy’s data from October 2012 through October 2013 showing employees apprehended and detained 1,947 individuals at the Herald Square store. Meanwhile, about 6,000 people were detained at stores statewide.” Read more

 

“GameStop CEO undergoes surgery for brain tumor” at Reuters via CNBC.  “Chief Executive Paul Raines underwent an unexpected surgery last week for a small cancerous brain tumor. Raines, who will be undergoing chemotherapy, will restrict his travel during the expected six week of treatment, the company said in a regulatory filing on Tuesday.” Read more

 

“Staples Q2 Comp Sales Fall 5.8%”  by Michael Calia at WSJ.  “Sales through Staples.com rose 8%…The company’s commercial operations in North America posted a 2.6% increase in sales to nearly $2 billion.” Read more

 

“Sears Canada Q2 Comp Sales Fall 6.8%” via Yahoo.  Read the release

 

“PetSmart to Explore Sale” by Soyoung Kim at Reuters via Chicago Tribune.  “There is no guarantee the review will lead to a deal and PetSmart could still determine that it would be better off on its own, people familiar with the matter told Reuters.” Read more

 

Highlights from Home Depot’s Q2 Earnings Call

 

Frank Blake

Every region positively comped.

Our Mexican business positively comped for the quarter, making it 43 quarters in a row of positive comps.

We could actually see the divot in sales when Mexico was playing in World Cup matches, but they still performed very well.

Canadian business continues to perform well with positive comps for the 11th consecutive quarter.

Our dot-com business had sales growth of over 38%.

 

Craig Menear

Departments that outperformed the company’s average comp: tools, millwork, outdoor garden electrical, windows, concrete, insulation, pressure treated wood, studs, fasteners, pipe and fitting, gypsum, kitchens.vanities, decorative lighting, fixtures and hard surface flooring led by laminate, tile and hardwood.

Appliances also had another quarter of outperformance, posting double-digit comps.

Baths, décor, plumbing, hardware, paint, building materials, indoor garden, flooring, lighting, and lumber were at or below the company average, all at mid-single digit comps.

Appliance parts, HVAC, hand tools, power tool accessories, water heaters and light bulbs all had double-digit comps.

Total company transactions grew by 4.1% for the quarter while comp ticket increased 1.7%.

Transactions for tickets under $50, representing approximately 20% of our U.S. sales, were up 3.1% for the second quarter.

Transactions per tickets over $900, also representing approximately 20% of our U.S. sales, were up 8.4% in the second quarter.

Sales from our high spend pro customers, which we define as those who spend more than $10,000 a year with us, grew above the company average for the tenth quarter in a row.

Our new lightbulb reset that will expand our presence and holding capacity in the category. This reset will add 25 new SKUs to our assortment and provide for a better, more intuitive shopping experience for the customer.

The lowest comping department was north of 4% and the spread was pretty narrow.

Roughly about a third of our online transactions culminate in a store, and that is split across both consumer and pro.

Roughly about 4% of our total sales comes from our services businesses today.

 

Carol Tome

We are reaffirming our sales growth guidance for the year of approximately 4.8% and comp sales growth of approximately 4.6%.

We expect a rate of comp growth for the back half of the year to be about 80 basis points higher than the rate of comp growth we experienced in the first half of the year.

Appliances: we have our expanded assortment in over 800 of our stores. We’re rolling to another 183 stores, and appliances contributed 50 basis points of our comp growth in the second quarter.

We might also just call out services because they had such a terrific quarter. They comped twice the company average, and the average ticket within our services business is $1,500.

Print will be less than 10% of our total advertising spend this year while digital is 36% and trending higher.

If we had either a 5% increase in our ticket or three more transactions per pro per year, it’s a $1.2 billion opportunity.

Dot-com sales made up 4.2% of our total sales at the end of the second quarter – that’s up 100 basis points from a penetration perspective year-on-year.

I would say buy online, ship to store is 100% incremental, and that in the second quarter was $144 million.

Read the full transcript

 

***

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. Contact us at info@shiftmarketinggroup.net.