Friday Tipsheet: Costco ‘Cornucopia’ | Target: Bounced Check & Bus Trip | Dick’s Not for Sale?

 

Shareholder meeting shows Costco bounty by Angel Gonzalez at Seattle Times. “Costco’s worldly cornucopia was highlighted at the Bellevue gathering, where hundreds of stockholders lined up for freebies — from maple-leaf-shaped bottles of Canadian maple syrup to Spanish extra virgin olive oil, Kirkland Signature roasted seaweed and an instant coffee popular in Taiwan. There was also a mammoth-sized Toblerone chocolate bar and vats of vegemite, a spread popular in Australia.” Read more

 

Dick’s Sporting Goods not for sale after all by Josh Kosman at NY Post. “(Dick’s) will likely not be sold because CEO Edward Stack, whose family has most of the sporting good retailer’s voting stock, wants to keep control of the business, according to bankers familiar with his thinking.” Read more

 

Amazon smashes Street forecast; stock soars 14% by Karma Allen at CNBC. “Amazon issued fourth-quarter earnings of 45 cents a share, down from 51 cents per share a year ago, but soaring past expectations of 17 cents…The company said worldwide Prime memberships grew 53 percent last year—up 50 percent in the U.S. and “even a bit faster” abroad.” Read more

 

…Amazon’s Press Release “Full Year 2014 – Net sales increased 20% to $88.99 billion, compared with $74.45 billion in 2013.” Read the release

 

Sears Canada bused fired Target workers to its headquarters last week to talk jobs: ‘We care about you’ at Financial Post. “We felt like we had to reach out and say ’We’re here,”’ Boire said in an interview with The Canadian Press. “Saying ’We care about you’ and ’We may not have a job for you today, but we may in six months’ — it’s the right thing to do.” Read more

 

Dick’s Sporting Goods #1 in Omnichannel Study by Don Davis at Internet Retailer. “Those tests included delivering in no more than three days, correctly answering an e-mailed question within 24 hours and letting a consumer check out in no more than five clicks or providing one-click checkout…The other six, in alphabetical order, are Kate Spade (No. 176), Office Depot Inc. (No. 9), Ross-Simons Inc. (No. 213), The Home Depot (No. 16), Williams-Sonoma Inc. (No. 21) and Zappos.” Read more

 

Walmart greeter told to stop saying ‘Have a blessed day’ at My Fox Atlanta. “When asked if Phillips was specifically told to quit saying this, a Walmart spokesman wrote, “Yes and that was not correct guidance because it doesn’t reflect any Walmart policy.” The controversy sparked an online firestorm, with hundreds of comments and shares in support of Phillips’ posted on the FOX 5 Facebook page.” Read more / See the video

 

NY Post: Costco worker says management mocked his Tourette’s by Julia Marsh & Jennifer Bain. “The supervisors looked the other way when co-workers yelled “hut-hut-hut” at Fox, mimicking his uncontrollable grunts, the suit says…Fox is seeking unspecified damages and is currently on leave.” Read more

 

Best Buy shifts emphasis from Super Bowl ads to digital marketing by Kavita Kumar at Star-Tribune. “As often happens when a new marketing executive comes on board with their own ideas, other leaders in the department are on their way out. Best Buy confirmed to the Star Tribune that Scott Moore, a senior vice president of marketing who has been with the firm for more than a decade, and Gayle Malcolm, vice president of advertising, will be leaving the company.” Read more

 

Target’s Kim Carswell to Present at Sustainability ConferenceTarget began using How2Recycle on private label packaging in 2013 as an official member of the program. Hear Kim Carswell, Group Manager of Owned Brands Packaging, talk about Target’s top 10 takeaways from their participation in the program.” See the agenda

 

Amazon’s headcount tops 150,000 after adding nearly 40,000 employees in 2014 by Rachel Lerman at Puget Sound Business Journal. Read more

 

Canada: Target’s $8,000 cheque for student conference bounces at CBC News. “Their accounts were frozen,” Normand said. He also had to pay a $5 penalty for the bounced cheque.” Read more

 

Thursday Tipsheet: Wmart Cuts 75 at HQ | Sears Cuts 110 | Alibaba ‘Disappoints’

 

Alibaba holiday-quarter revenue disappoints at CNBC. “Revenue rose 40 percent to $4.22 billion in the December quarter, missing the average analyst estimate of $4.45 billion, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.” Read more

 

Wal-Mart hands out 75 pink slips at home office at The City Wire. “The 75 pink slips issued this week pale in comparison to the 2,300 issued by Sam’s Club last year.” Read more

 

Sears cuts 115 corporate jobs by Krystina Gustafson at CNBC. “A spokesman for the retailer, Howard Riefs, said the job cuts represent a “mix of positions in various departments across the organization.” Read more

 

Family Dollar CEO to sell up to 2 million shares of company’s stock by Jennifer Thomas at Charlotte Business Journal. “Levine holds nearly 8.8 million shares — or approximately 7.75 percent — of the Matthews-based discount retailer’s 114.4 million shares outstanding.” Read more

 

Walmart And Sears Among Top Retail Stores On Facebook via Bloomberg. “The Searchmetrics study analyzed the number of weekly Facebook Likes, comments, and shares for pages from the websites of nine top US department stores and three mass merchant stores[1] during November and December 2014.” See the rankings

 

Target Canada’s severance package is only severance for some by Nick Halter at Minn./St. Paul Business Journal. “If your last day is this Friday and you work through this Friday, you will continue to be compensated up through that 16 week period. If you are needed for the full 16 weeks, then we’ll provide the compensation for the full 16 weeks as well,” Target spokeswoman Molly Snyder told HuffPo.” Read more

 

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Family of Worker Killed at Manhattan Home Depot Speaks Out at WABC TV 7 “Someone from Home Depot told me that the guy was getting some counseling and I think he was not happy for the fact that my brother got the managerial position and he didn’t,” said Kadidia Traore, the victim’s sister.” See the video / Read more

 

Why This Could Be the Year Amazon Finally Reveals How Many Prime Members It Has by Jason Del Rey at Recode. “So why should Bezos go all in and disclose Prime’s membership numbers? Because it would give Wall Street analysts the ammo they need to continue to recommend Amazon’s stock, even as the company spends billions on risky new projects to boost Prime membership.” Read more

 

Meijer poised to open its first four supercenters in Wisconsin by Alison Bauter at Milwaukee Business Journal. “CEO Hank Meijer has said he sees potential support for about a dozen stores in the Milwaukee area, and the company plans to open two to three new Wisconsin stores each year for the next four years.” Read more

 

Lowe’s Canada to Hire 2,000 Employees for Spring and Summer Seasons Read the release

 

Rite Aid to close Charlotte distribution center, move 350 jobs to S.C. by Ken Elkins at Charlotte Business Journal. Read more

 

Rite Aid Selects Location for New Distribution Center in Spartanburg, South Carolina Read the release

 

Sears Partners with 3-D Printing Startup by Andy Brownfield at Cincinnati Business Journal. “Hauer said he is excited to work with some of Sears’ well-known brands like Craftsman and DieHard and help the company build momentum around those brands.” Read more

 

Seattle to Fine Residents for Throwing Food in the Garbage by Curtis Kalin at CNS News. “In an attempt to shame residents of their city, a new Seattle law will levy a fine on homes that do not properly sort food out of their garbage. Emblazoned with a red citation tag, violators will start to be fined anywhere from $1-$50 in July. For now, Seattle residents will be publicly shamed by the ‘Scarlet Letter’-like tags.” Read more

 

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Eye-on-Retail is a tipsheet read by thousands of Retail Merchants & Executives. It’s created and delivered early AM every weekday. We love data, earnings reports, executive presentations and stories off the beaten path that get at what’s happening in the world of retail. 

Wednesday: H.Depot #1 in S.Media | Sneak Peek: Wmart Emerg. Center; Target Hawaii Store

 

Why Nelson Peltz cut his Family Dollar stake by 66% at CNBC. “Investor Nelson Peltz’s Trian Fund Management slashed its stake in Family Dollar Stores by more than two-thirds to 2.07 percent, days after the company’s shareholders agreed to Dollar Tree’s $8.5 billion buyout offer.” Read more

 

Walmart Coordinates Northeast Snow Relief from Bentonville Office at KNWA NBC. “The Walmart emergency operation center in Bentonville is the hub of communication for the world-wide retailer, and senior manager Lucas McDonald sits at the helm. He says they work around the clock to make sure stores have support. “Yeah so we have 24/7 operations, anytime our associates or operators need anything, they call us directly. whether it’s two A.M. or two P.M. in the afternoon.” He said.” See the video / Read more

 

Amazon Local Services Isn’t Blowing Away Consumers, Merchants at The Street via Dallas News. “Alex Lima of New York-based FireIce Data, an IT services provider, says he signed up to be listed as one of the local services but has yet to reap any benefit. “Well the experience is no experience at all,” Lima said. “I will not recommended; there is no business.” Read more

 

What Target’s fail says about Canadians by Karen von Hahn at Toronto Star. “1. We don’t shop for sport…2. We are extremely discerning…3. If we’re not urban, we’re rural…4. We are distrustful of hype.” Read more

 

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Sneak peek as Target prepares to open Kailua, Hawaii store at KHON 2. “A store is also slated to open in Kahului in March. It will be the first Target store on Maui.” See the video & pics / Read more

 

Home Depot #1 in Social Media by Mike O’Brien at Click Z. “The social media management company looked at social data from 18 national retail chains as part of its upcoming Social@Scale Journal…Rounding out the overall top five were PetSmart, Kohl’s, BJ’s, and Target.” See the rankings / Read more

 

Amazon’s secret weapon: Prime members spend $60 billion a year by Rachel Lerman at Puget Sound Business Journal. “A new study by Consumer Intelligence Research Partners(CIRP) shows Prime members may spend an average of $1,500 each year on the site. That’s more than double the $625 non-members spend.” Read more

 

Albertsons and Safeway agree to divest 168 stores to win antitrust approval for merger at Reuters. Read more

 

Wal-Mart Argentina’s CEO will also oversee the retailer’s Chile operations by Katie Evans at Internet Retailer. “When Wal-Mart Chile CEO Gian Carlo Nucci retires in June, the world’s largest retailer plans to add Wal-Mart Chile to Wal-Mart Argentina president and CEO Horacio Barbeito’s portfolio.” Read more

 

Amazon triples the number of items that can contribute to free shipping by Shan Li at LA Times. “The Seattle company has offered free shipping on qualifying orders over $35, but with a catch — all products in a basket had to come from the same seller. But the retailer said Tuesday that items from multiple merchants — including those that don’t ship through Amazon — could be combined to qualify for the free shipping minimum.” Read more

 

China Accuses Alibaba of Lax Oversight of Merchants by Lulu Yilun Chen at Forbes. “The scathing report by the State Administration for Industry & Commerce accused Alibaba of allowing merchants to operate without required business licenses, to run unauthorized stores that co-opt famous brands and sell fake wine and handbags. Alibaba employees took bribes, and the e-commerce giant didn’t fix flaws in customer feedback or internal credit-scoring systems, the report said.” Read more

 

Target failed Quebec too by Francine Kopun at Toronto Star. “Their biggest mistake, according to Blais, was basing the success of their business model on changing Canadian shopping habits. “Target executives themselves realized that Canadians were less likely to (one-stop) shop than Americans – and intended to change that in order to succeed,” said Blais, citing a press interview with former Target Canada president, Tony Fisher. “So, your success is predicated on changing the way Canadian’s shop? Good luck with that,” said Blais.” Read more

 

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Eye-on-Retail is a tipsheet read by thousands of Retail Merchants & Executives. It’s created and delivered early AM every weekday. We love data, earnings reports, executive presentations and stories off the beaten path that get at what’s happening in the world of retail.

Tuesday Tipsheet: Coke Changes Formula | Lowe’s Replace Target in Can? | Dick’s Opens #604

 

Home Depot ‘killer’ was mad that victim got promotion over him by Larry Celona, Reuven Fenton & Shawn Cohen at NY Post. “The Home Depot worker who murdered his manager before killing himself was simmering with anger after being dumped by his girlfriend — and being passed over for a promotion by the man he killed, law-enforcement sources told The Post on Monday.” Read more

 

Top Walmart official says retailer strives to prevent corruption by Thomas Lee at San Francisco Chronicle. “There is no textbook on how to be a chief compliance officer,” (Jay) Jorgensen told a group of students and faculty at a UC Davis law school symposium Friday…“Trust is our most important asset,” Jorgensen said. “We’ve had some problems, and it’s very difficult to regain that trust.” Read more

 

Coke to change its formula in Canada by Marina Strauss at Globe & Mail. “The company risks losing some customers who may notice a little less syrup concentration, industry watchers said. Coca-Cola will have to focus on avoiding what was a monumental blunder of the U.S.-based parent company in 1985 when it reformulated its top soft drink into New Coke and was forced to bring back its original product, renaming it Classic.” Read more

 

Dick’s Set to Open 604th Store on Feb. 6th “DICK’S Sporting Goods will be opening its 39th store in California and 604th store nationwide on Friday, February 6th at Coddingtown Mall in Santa Rosa, CA (1975 Cleveland Avenue).” Read the release

 

Indy: Grocery Wars certain to flare up on north side by John Russell at Indy Star. “Three supermarkets (one Kroger and two Marsh supermarkets) and three specialty grocers (Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s and Fresh Thyme) are battling for the loyalty of thousands of shoppers in neighborhoods along East 82nd and East 86th street… A shakeout could happen in a few years…”And it will probably be dramatic when it happens,” said Joe Lackey, president of the Indiana Grocery and Convenience Store Association. Read more

 

Why there’s no Costco inside Dallas city limits yet by Maria Halkias at Dallas News. “Don’t expect Costco to wage an expensive fight for land the way its chief rival Wal-Mart owned Sam’s Club will do. (Example: the Cityplace Sam’s Club near downtown moving ahead.) Costco believes it always has the option to wait for a good real estate deal. It will walk away from land that it’s decided costs too much and did just that last month with a site at Coit Road and N. Central Expressway owned by the Texas Department of Transportation.” Read more

 

Ottawa: Target stores might be ‘dark for a while’ by Doug Hempstead at Ottawa Sun. “From our analysis is it pretty clear that there will not be a white knight,” Doucette said.” Read more

 

Winnipeg: Big-box chain Lowe’s could replace Targets here by Murray McNeill at Winnpeg Free Press. “Lowe’s already has stores in the other three western provinces and in Ontario, but none in Manitoba. “So Winnipeg is sort of along the way, and they already have the supply chain set up. So it’s not a big stretch, I don’t think, that maybe one of two of those (Winnipeg) properties could go to Lowe’s.” Read more

 

U.S. retail workers are No. 1…in employee theft by Anne Fisher at Fortune. “Globally, dishonest employees are behind about 28% of inventory losses, while shoplifters account for a markedly higher 39%. Not so stateside, the study says, where employee theft accounts for 43% of lost revenue.” Read more

 

Walgreens names new CFO by Ellen Jean Hirst at Chicago Tribune. “George Fairweather, formerly the group finance director at Alliance Boots, has been appointed global chief financial officer effective Feb. 20, replacing Tim McLevish.” Read more

 

NY Times: China’s Other E-Commerce Giant Follows Its Own Path by David Barboza. “While Alibaba’s marketplace serves as a platform to connect buyers and sellers, JD buys goods from manufacturers and distributors and holds the inventory in its own warehouses, in a model that echoes Amazon’s. It then arranges for quick delivery of virtually everything from television sets and refrigerators to socks and T-shirts, using motorbikes that weave in and out of traffic in some of the country’s biggest cities.” Read more

 

Washington Post: The growth of Wal-Mart may have made America’s obesity epidemic worse by Danielle Paquette. “The density of an area’s Supercenters can significantly affect the obesity rate, according to the study. Opening an additional store per 100,000 residents increased an area’s average body mass index by 0.24 units, or 10.8 percent of the sample obesity rate, the study found. The overall effect: “These estimates imply that the proliferation of Wal-Mart Supercenters explains 10.5 percent of the rise in obesity since the late 1980s.” Read more

 

Legal pot sales top $2.7 billion nationwide by Molly Armbrister at Denver Business Journal. “Legalized marijuana is the fastest-growing industry in the country with 74 percent market growth from 2013 to 2014, according to a report released Monday.” Read more

 

Sports Authority names Pep Boys exec to lead marketing by Mark Harden at Denver Business Journal. “Ron Stoupa, a marketing executive with Pep Boys since 2009, has been named executive vice president and chief marketing officer at Sports Authority.” Read more

 

Nordstrom is shoppers’ favorite fashion retailer by Patti Payne at Puget Sound Business Journal. “It’s the third consecutive year that Nordstrom tops a national consumer study by Market Force, polling 4,300 consumers as to their favorite fashion and shoe retailers…Nordstrom ranked at the top of the list, followed by Kohl’s, T.J. Maxx, Macy’s and Dillard’s.” Read more

 

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Eye-on-Retail is a tipsheet read by thousands of Retail Merchants & Executives. It’s created and delivered early AM every weekday. We love data, earnings reports, executive presentations and stories off the beaten path that get at what’s happening in the world of retail.

Monday Tipsheet: NYC H.Depot Shooting | Mom Sues Target | Amazon = 25% in UK

 

Employee ‘fatally shoots’ manager, self at NYC Home Depot by Frank Rosario, Larry Celona & Jamie Schram at NY Post. “I heard some shots towards the back of the store. It sounded like four or five,” said an employee at the store on West 23rd Street between Fifth and Sixth avenues. I heard someone yell, ‘Oh, my God, he’s dead!’ Everyone was running and screaming and ducking,’’ Esdaile had been arguing with the manager, 38, in Aisle 12 just before about five shots rang out, witnesses said.” Read more

 

Top Target Canada managers get big cash payouts as stores close by Sophia Harris at CBC News. “The traditional view is that it’s all hierarchy driven. Companies would say that the top guy has to make sure that there’s an orderly wind down,” says the professor who teaches at the Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto.”If I were Target, I think I’d be very concerned about the possibility of sabotage and so forth. Also, imagine what the motivation of these workers would be? Why would they want to do a good job? “I think that Target is setting itself up for even more difficult times winding down,” he concludes. Read more

 

13 and 11-Year Old Arrested For Setting Fire To Walmart Store at The Smoking Gun. “According to investigators, the boy stole a lighter while inside the Columbia store and, with his cousin, used it to set a fire in the Walmart’s greeting card aisle. The ensuing blaze caused significant damage to the store, though no injuries were reported.” Read more

 

Mom Sues Target Over Son’s Suicide by Kim Baldonado at NBC 4 Southern California. “The suit claims 22-year-old Graham A. Gentles, a former cashier at the retail chain’s Pasadena store, was humiliated when he was subjected to what the family’s attorney called a “walk of shame,” a ritual during which the employee is paraded around the store in handcuffs.” Read more / See the video

 

Amazon, E-Commerce Rivals Fuel Commercial Property Boom in India at Reuters via Recode. “Demand from e-commerce firms, a tiny fraction of India’s retail industry, accounted for as much as 40 percent of 1.7 million square feet of warehouses leased in 2014 — a seven-fold increase from 2013, according to consultants CBRE South Asia. Warehouse rents have risen by a quarter over the past year.” Read more

 

Gilroy (CA) Costco Says Shoppers May Have Been Exposed to Measles at NBC Bay Area. “The infected person may have also visited a Walmart, located across the street, and a restaurant in the area…The store is warning customers through fliers that if they were inside the store at 7251 Camino Arroyo on Jan. 18 between the hours of 4 to 6 p.m., they may have been exposed to measles.” Read more / See the video

 

Amazon Japan says it’s cooperating with police child porn probe at Bloomberg via Japan Times. “Aichi Prefectural Police conducted raids on the Internet retailer’s Tokyo headquarters and a distribution center in Chiba Prefecture on Jan. 23, seeking evidence that Amazon Japan’s website may have been used by sellers to trade porn goods.” Read more

 

UPS Hints it will Charge Retailers More by Phil Wahba at Fortune. “Though customers enjoyed high quality service, it came at a cost to UPS,” said CEO David Abney. He also hinted that retailers would stop getting a (relatively) free ride and bear more of that cost next Christmas period. “Going forward, we will reduce operating costs and implement new pricing strategies during peak season.” Read more

 

Google Looks To Expand Wallet Use, WePay Integrates Instant Buy API by Ingrid Lunden at TechCrunch. “Google is reportedly eyeing up an acquisition of Softcard to expand Google Wallet services to more points of sale with retailers, but it also wants to grow its position in the wider world of mobile-based transactions to compete with the likes of PayPal by way of its Instant Buy AP.” Read more

 

UK: Amazon controls quarter of games and music sales by Simon Neville at The Independent. “(Amazon) was the big winner in physical sales of music, games and DVDs, controlling 25.6 per cent of the market, with Tesco trailing in second position with 14.7 per cent and HMV with 13.9 per cent, according to Kantar Worldpanel.” Read more

 

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Eye-on-Retail is a tipsheet read by thousands of Retail Merchants & Executives. It’s created and delivered early AM every weekday. We love data, earnings reports, executive presentations and stories off the beaten path that get at what’s happening in the world of retail.

Friday Tipsheet: Apple Retail Chief Gets $73 Mil | D.Gen CEO = 1 More Yr | ‘Feyonce’ & ‘The Pyramid’

 

Analyst: Can Dollar Tree turn struggling Family Dollar around? by Jennifer Thomas at Charlotte Business Journal. “I think the work for Dollar Tree is a lot more than they initially thought because the business has gotten so bad,” Yarbrough says…”What can they do to differentiate themselves from Dollar General? I think it comes down to pricing.” Yarbrough says.” Read more

 

Dollar General CEO: Family Dollar vote ‘a loss’ for consumers by Lizzy Alfs at The Tennessean. “He said a Dollar General/Family Dollar combination would have provided a “better value and great selection to customers.” Read more

 

Dollar General Announces Rick Dreiling Will Continue as Chairman and CEO “I am excited to remain with the Company for another great year as we look to capitalize on the numerous opportunities ahead of us.” Read the release

 

Family Dollar CEO: Dollar General offer better on paper by Jennifer Thomas at Charlotte Business Journal. Read more

 

Target Test Program Lets Shoppers Get Health Insurance In-Store by Kylie Bearse at WCCO-CBS Minnesota “The program started in January and is in Targets on Lake Street in Minneapolis, Plymouth and Apple Valley. “People are very excited to know that we’re here, we’re at a place that’s comfortable for them,” said Valerie Power, the head of client services at Gravie.” See the in-store video

 

Former Kroger CEO spearheads initiative to expand alcohol sales in Kansas at Kansas City Business Journal. “David Dillon, who retired from Kroger in December, is leading the Uncork Kansas campaign, which aims to allow grocery and convenience stores to sell full-strength beer. Currently, grocery and convenience stores in Kansas can only carry 3.2 percent alcohol malt beverages.” Read more

 

Walmart Canada opens 11 new supercenters in January at The City Wire. “These completed real estate projects bring Walmart Canada’s total store count to 394 stores, including 280 supercenters and 114 discount stores. These stores are part of the 35 supercenter projects this year.” Read more

 

Why Target Is Raking Up Its Maple Leaves by Matt Townsend at Businessweek. “Operations have never been Target’s strength, and there are even more doubts about those abilities after its drubbing north of the border…Marketing, long considered the retailer’s forte, focused too much on conveying the sheen and trendiness of the Target brand to the detriment of explaining the kinds of products and deals it offered, says former Target Canada media executive Kevin O’Rourke.” Read more

 

List of Target Canada Creditors at Alvarez and Marsal. See the list

 

…Here they are, mapped at Canadian Business. See the map

 

Memphis: Bass Pro Ready to Staff ‘The Pyramid’ at WCMA-5 NBC. “Bass Pro Shops announced plans to host a job fair to fill more than 600 full-time and part-time positions for the mega-store opening in May 2015.” See the video / Read more

 

Beyoncé Threatened To Sue Craft Website Etsy For Using ‘Feyoncé’ On Mugs by Rob Price at Business Insider via SF Gate. “Etsy has folded, and the mugs in question are no longer available. But other products with “Feyoncé” branding are still available, however — though it’s unclear whether the singer intends to threaten legal action against them as well.” Read more

 

Apple Paid Former Burberry Boss $73 Million to Become Its Retail Chief by Dawn Chmielewski at Recode. “Since joining the company in May, Ahrendts has collected some $70 million in stock grants from Apple — $37 million to compensate her for the value of the Burberry stock that she walked away from in accepting the Apple job.” Read more

 

Walgreens Grants Billionaire Interim CEO $7 Million in Stock by Anders Melin at Bloomberg. Read more

 

Shuttered Storefronts Are Welcome Sight for This Company Craig Giammona at Businessweek. “When they make that announcement, we already know the ones we want,” At Home Chief Executive Officer Lee Bird said in an interview. “That’s our Black Friday.” Read more

 

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Eye-on-Retail is a tipsheet read by thousands of Retail Merchants & Executives. It’s created and delivered early AM every weekday. We love data, earnings reports, executive presentations and stories off the beaten path that get at what’s happening in the world of retail.

Thursday Tipsheet: Target’s Creditor List | D.Gen ‘Blew’ Chance | Amazon Pulls Diapers

 

Target Canada owes billions to long list of creditors by Marina Strauss at Globe & Mail. “Much of Target Canada’s amounts owing are in the thousands or tens of thousands of dollars per creditor, but some are noticeably larger. Target owes more than $4.2-million to Warner Bros. Entertainment Group, almost $2.2-million to Universal Studios Canada Inc. and more than $3-million to grocer Sobeys, which supplied food to the U.S.-based chain.” Read more

 

Costco can keep selling gray market Omega watches by David Post at The Washington Post. “Omega misused its copyright “by leveraging its limited monopoly in being able to control the importation of [the Globe Design] to control the importation of its Seamaster watches.” Read more

 

NY Post: Family Dollar shareholders to approve Dollar Tree takeover by Josh Kosman. “The $8.5 billion takeover is also likely to open a new chapter in the retail sector — about how Richard Dreiling, CEO of the No. 1 chain in the sector, Dollar General, misread regulators and blew his chance to grab hold of the long-coveted Family Dollar chain…“They should have approached the Federal Trade Commission earlier [about its higher rival proposal] and been more hostile with them,” a hedge fund trader said Wednesday about Dreiling and Dollar General.” Read more

 

Amazon Pulls Its Line of Diapers Less Than Two Months After Launch by Jason Del Rey at Recode. “Amazon’s grand plan to sell its own line of diapers has crapped out after seven weeks. At least for now…“Based on early customer feedback, we are making some design improvements to the diaper,” the company said in an email to customers on Wednesday that was flagged by Gigaom. Amazon offered these shoppers a $25 credit for their troubles and said they’d these like customers to try out the new diapers when they are ready for sale.” Read more

 

Sam’s Rosalind Brewer: Gas prices now fueling spending by Tom DiChristopher at CNBC. “We saw the turn just before the holiday. We saw the oil prices moving and gas prices moving at the same time. We saw traffic tick up,” she said during a CNBC “Squawk Box” interview from the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.” Read more

 

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EBay’s breakup plans may open door for e-commerce M&A at CNBC. “No one knows what’s going happen down the road,” Donahoe said in an interview on Wednesday, after eBay reported fourth-quarter earnings. “But each business will have the flexibility they need to do what they need to do to win.” Read more

 

…eBay to shed 2,400 jobs by Jeremy Owens & Patrick May at Mercury News. Read more

 

Tracy Morgan Crash: James McNair’s Family Reaches Settlement With Walmart by Aaron Katersky at ABC News. “The amount of the settlement was subject to a confidentiality agreement between Walmart and McNair’s children, 19-year-old Danita and 26-year-old Jamel.” Read more

 

Former founding director of Lowe’s home improvement dies by Fran Daniel at Winston-Salem Journal. “(“Pete”) Kulynych joined Lowe’s in November 1946 as a bookkeeper and the company’s first employee. He became one of five men to manage the home-improvement company when Ralph Buchan, who co-owned Lowe’s with Jim Lowe, died in 1960. He helped take the company public in 1961.” Read more

 

Walgreen Co. Is the Latest to End Monthly Sales Reports at Nasdaq. “…preferring to detail its performance in a “single unified report” when it reports quarterly results.” Read more

 

Home Depot wants 250,000 square feet in Marietta, GA for IT center by Carla Caldwell at Atlanta Business Chronicle. “The Home Depot is looking to move its IT center to a vacant building off Franklin Road in Marietta. The move would bring 1,200 jobs to the site.” Read more

 

Target aiming TargetExpress format at Washington, D.C. area by Rebecca Cooper at Washington Business Journal. “Target Corp. is in talks to take retail space in an office building at 1500 Wilson Blvd. in Arlington, Va. The retailer declined to confirm it is considering space in Arlington but acknowledged it is targeting the Washington metro area.” Read more

 

Lowe’s To Hire 30,000 Seasonal Employees at MarketWatch. Read the release

 

Amazon ends its mobile wallet app trial after six months by April Dahlquist at Internet Retailer. “Amazon’s success has made it increasingly hard for them to partner with top retailers who view them as a competitive threat,” Wingo says.” Read more

 

Daughter Knows Best: Inside The 84 Lumber Saga by Dan Alexander at Forbes. “In March 2009 Maggie Magerko sat in her office, ignoring her dad’s phone calls. When she finally picked up, things went downhill fast: He told her she was thinking irrationally. She let out a stream of expletives and hung up. The stakes surrounding this father-daughter clash could hardly have been bigger. The housing market was collapsing, taking construction down with it…” Read more

 

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Eye-on-Retail is a tipsheet read by thousands of Retail Merchants & Executives. It’s created and delivered early AM every weekday. We love data, earnings reports, executive presentations and stories off the beaten path that get at what’s happening in the world of retail.

Wednesday Tipsheet: Target: Liquidate in 2-3 Wks | Macy’s TM Battle | Amazon’s Wind Farm

 

Target Canada’s liquidation will begin in 2-3 weeks by Pete Evans at CBC News. “…within four to five months, the chain’s entire Canadian presence — including its distribution centres across the country — will be gone.” Read more

 

Wal-Mart launches cash pickup option for tax refunds at CNBC. “The service could help people without bank accounts get their refunds more quickly and avoid high check-cashing fees. Wal-Mart also says it could prove convenient for others.” Read more

 

Home Depot given until July to respond to data breach lawsuits by David Allison at Atlanta Business Chronicle. “Thrash gave Home Depot until July 1 and July 15, respectively, to respond to the allegations of consumers and financial institutions.” Read more

 

J.C. Penney is not bringing back its Big Book by Maria Halkias at Dallas News. “It’s a single 120-page catalog, focused only on the home. This is just like the specialty catalogs we issued after we discontinued the big book and our catalog operation,” Coultas said. “It’s a marketing piece. It’s not a new shopping channel.” Read more

 

Target enlists bloggers to promote new plus-size line by Kavita Kumar at Star-Tribune. “Target flew the women to Minneapolis to meet with the team behind Ava & Viv, convey their irritations with plus-size offerings, and give suggestions for the fall line. Target also paid them to be models in Ava & Viv’s look book. “Things don’t ever get ­better if all of the input is ‘We love it,’ ” said Stacia Andersen, Target’s senior vice president of apparel and accessories. “They didn’t hold back.” Read more

 

Amazon wants changes to GOP Internet bill by Mario Trujillo at The Hill. “Paul Misener, Amazon’s vice president of global public policy, is slated to testify Wednesday before committees in the House and Senate on the draft legislation.” Read more

 

Lowe’s $10M Settlement Provides 3 Lessons For Firms Working With Independent Contractors by Jeff Wald at Forbes. “One of the more common misconceptions held by today’s businesses is that working with an LLC removes the risk associated with misclassification. The idea that sole proprietors are somehow riskier to work with simply isn’t true.” Read more

 

Macy’s plots to keep unused brand names on the shelf by James Covert at NY Post. “(Macy’s) appears headed to court in its long-running trademark dispute involving a slew of its dead-but-stirring regional department-store names, including Abraham & Straus, Marshall Field’s and Filene’s. California-based Strategic Marks LLC scooped up the rights to those names more than four years ago…After years of delays, a San Francisco judge recently ordered a jury trial to begin March 2.” Read more

 

UK: Amazon says Sunday deliveries have quadrupled by Graham Ruddick at The Telegraph. Read more

 

Houston: Grocery chains to add 32 new stores this year by Roxanna Asgarian at Houston Business Journal. “San Antonio-based H-E-B Grocery Co. will have the greatest expansion with seven new stores.” Read more

 

Could Kroger buy Dunnhumby? by Steve Watkins at Cincinnati Business Courier. Read more

 

Amazon to fund a big wind farm in Indiana by Robert Ferris at CNBC. “For the next 13 years, Amazon will buy the bulk of the output from a wind farm that Pattern Energy plans to build in Indiana. The company estimates it will draw about 500,000 megawatt hours from the farm, enough to power about 46,000 homes.” Read more

 

Investor urges Staples to merge with Office Depot by Marcia Heroux Pounds at Sun Sentinel. “Staples didn’t outright dismiss a potential merger, issuing a statement Tuesday that the company “values constructive shareholder input an dialogue.” Staples said it has met with Starboard Value on several occasions to discuss its ideas.” Read more

 

Hair drama: 40% of women under 40 cried at least once over their hair in the past six months “Nearly a quarter (23%) of women under age 40 think that while having sex, a partner ruining their hair would be worse than a partner who can’t perform” Read the release

 

Fender’s move to sell instruments directly to musicians upsets dealers by Ryan Faughnder at LA Times. “It’s hard to not call it a bit of a betrayal,” said Gabriel O’Brien, sales manager at Larry’s Music Center in Wooster, Ohio, which dropped Fender as a supplier a year ago, partly because it anticipated Fender would start selling its guitar lines through its site. “I feel it undercuts dealers whose backs these brands were built on.” Read more

 

Target displays ’50 Shades of Grey’ toys next to children’s toothbrushes by Adrienne Cutway at Orlando Sentinel. “A man named Jacob tweeted the photo to Target…although he later clarified in another tweet that he wasn’t offended, just baffled. Target’s customer service account tweeted back a few days later saying the merchandising team would look into the placement. At the time of press, Target hasn’t given an official response explaining the situation.” Read more

 

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Eye-on-Retail is a tipsheet read by thousands of Retail Merchants & Executives. It’s created and delivered early AM every weekday. We love data, earnings reports, executive presentations and stories off the beaten path that get at what’s happening in the world of retail.