Tuesday Tipsheet: Wmart Cuts Free Ship | Dick’s Brand VP Iview | H.Depot Hires CISO

 

Walmart Canada says no more free shipping for most orders under $50 by Ashante Infantry at Toronto Star. “Walmart Canada is implementing a $50 minimum order for free standard online shipping, and shoppers can thank Target Canada’s demise for the change, a retail expert says. “It’s a fall-out of easing competition,” said Schulich School of Business marketing professor Detlev Zwick of Walmart’s move.” Read more

 

We May Have Just Uncovered Amazon’s Vision for a New Kind of Retail Store by Jason Del Rey at Recode. “A recently filed patent application by Amazon reveals details about a new kind of retail establishment that would allow shoppers to pick items and leave without stopping at a cashier station or kiosk. Based around the idea of complete convenience, such a store would work using a system of cameras, sensors or RFID readers that would be able to identify shoppers and the items they’ve chosen.” Read more

 

Home Depot hires first chief information security officer by Phil W Hudson at Atlanta Business Chronicle. “The Home Depot Inc. hired Jamil Farshchi as its first chief information security officer.” Read more

 

5 Questions With DICK’S Sporting Goods VP Ryan Eckel by Dale Buss at Brand Channel. “Ryan Eckel, DICK’S Vice President of Brand, chatted with us about the CALIA launch, the sporting goods retail opportunity and the company’s omnichannel approach.” Read the interview

 

Former Walmart CEO Bill Simon compares business world to health care by Allie Robinson Gibson at Bristol Herald Courier. ” I think we’ve been able to maintain the quality standards in our health care … but the costs and the complications … have started to run away,” (Bill Simon) said. “And well-meaning efforts to try to fix it sometimes make it worse. It needs to be redesigned and stripped down to its basic form and almost rebuilt from the bottom up and I’m not sure the government has the capability to do that.” Read more

 

***A Message from CLUG: The World’s Smallest Bike Rack is Now Available. The CLUG Bike Clip is targeted at the urban cyclist and the casual enthusiast who are short on storage space for their bikes.  CLUG is a patent pending, high quality product that made the list of 2014 Best Stuff by GQ Magazine in their December 2014 issue.  CLUG is now ready for retail with its 100% recyclable, high volume packaging.  See the video.  See the sell sheet. Contact info@shiftmarketinggroup.net to request a product sample.

 

Retail clothing lines grow, shrink with economy by John Ewoldt at Star-Tribune. “I’ve seen this movie too many times before. The ending will be the same,” Marshal Cohen, apparel analyst at the NPD Group. “When business gets tough, as it does in recessions, retail shrinks down the less popular businesses and expands the higher-margin categories like shoes, cosmetics or accessories,” he said.” Read more

 

CVS Health’s CEO reports $32M in pay, another $11M in stock value for 2014 by Jessica Bartlett at Boston Business Journal. Read more

 

Amazon officially rolls out Home Services, expanding beyond physical and digital goods by Tricia Duryee at GeekWire. “Peter Faricy, Amazon’s Marketplace vice president, said the services business could eventually be as massive as those two other core categories for the company. “The part that is incredible to me is that people spend four times as much on services as they do on physical products,” he said.” Read more

 

Target Canada sells signs, shopping carts for $2.2M by David Friend via CTV News. “About 28,000 branded shopping carts, 912,000 shopping bags and 1,500 checkout lane lights were also included in the sale.” Read more

 

Europe’s Biggest Home Improvement Retailer Plans to Close 60 by James Davey at Reuters. “Britain’s home improvement sector is overspaced and last October Homebase, the country’s No. 2 player, said it would close a quarter of its 323 stores by 2018 as Britons had fallen out of love with home improvement.” Read more

 

Amazon tests delivery drones at secret Canada site after US frustration by Ed Pilkington at The Guardian. “What can be revealed is that the company’s formidable team of roboticists, software engineers, aeronautics experts and pioneers in remote sensing – including a former Nasa astronaut and the designer of the wingtip of the Boeing 787 – are now operating in British Columbia.” Read more

 

City Target Coming to Downtown LA at DTLA Rising. “Specific details pertaining to this City Target are still unclear, such as the store’s exact size, but an internal scheduled announcement for the USC Village project stated that City Target would be made public next month sometime in April 2015.” Read more

 

Best Buy Canada employees claim severance packages inadequate at CTV News. “What I’ve heard from these individuals that I’ve spoken with, and I’ve spoken with quite a few, is that they have not received proper severance … provincial standards could be maybe a quarter, maybe a half of their full entitlement so that’s not the end of the story right there.” Read more

 

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Eye-on-Retail Tipsheet is created early every weekday morning and read by retail merchants and executives worldwide. We love data, earnings reports, executive presentations and stories off the beaten path that get at what’s happening in the world of retail. Contact us at info@shiftmarketinggroup.net.

Monday Tipsheet: B.Buy Cuts 1,500 | Costco Likes Norway | Lowe’s Gives Away Hats

 

Laid-off Target workers support each other online by Kavita Kumar at Star-Tribune. “When (John) Drevlow settles in at his home computer each morning, one of his first stops online is a private Facebook group that connects Target employees and those it recently idled. The nearly 5,000 people in the group share job leads, contacts at potential employers, interviewing tips and words of encouragement…Meanwhile, recruiters from Home Depot, Gap and other retailers have flown in to meet former Target employees. On Thursday, Amazon.com staged a recruitment party at the Surly Brewing Co.’s new taproom in Minneapolis.” Read more

 

Costco will buy most farmed salmon from Norway, not Chile by Angel Gonzalez at Seattle Times. “(Chile) now provides Costco with about 90 percent of its farmed Atlantic salmon, and Norway just 10 percent. But starting in June, Norway will fulfill about 60 percent of Costco’s needs with antibiotic-free salmon, with Chile accounting for the remainder, said Jeff Lyons, the senior Costco executive in charge of fresh foods, in an interview. Costco purchases some 600,000 pounds of salmon filet per week, according to Lyons. That’s close to 10 percent of all U.S. Atlantic salmon imports from Chile.” Read more

 

Lowe’s Gives Away Glow-in-the-Dark Cat Hats During March Madness by Ashley Rodriguez at Ad Age. “It was so ridiculous that people were like, “I wish I had one of those things for my cat,'” said Brad Walters, director of social media at Lowe’s. “It was something silly that really caught their attention. We said, ‘let’s act nimbly and parlay this into a bigger story.'” Read more

 

Best Buy cuts 1,500 jobs in Canadian consolidation by Jim Hammerand at Minn./St.Paul Business Journal. “Best Buy bought Future Shop in 2001. It said Saturday that the restructuring will “address the fact that a significant number of its Future Shop and Best Buy stores are located adjacent to each other, often in the same parking lot.” The retailer will have 192 Canadian locations, including 136 large-format stores and 56 Best Buy Mobile locations.” Read more

 

Target speeds up its Canadian exit, plans to wind up all stores by mid-April by David Friend at The Canadian Press via Yahoo. Read more

 

Investigator: Home Depot not in compliance with some data security standards at time of breach by David Allison at Atlanta Business Chronicle. “As a result, the company says it is probable that the payment card networks will make claims against it, and Home Depot said it will dispute those claims.” Read more

 

Amazon removes crazy non-compete clause from hourly workers’ contracts by JanaKasperkevic at The Guardian via Business Insider. “That clause hasn’t been applied to hourly associates, and we’re removing it,” she said.” Read more

 

Why E-Commerce Can Be a Big Pain for India’s Deliverymen by Sean McLain at WSJ. “It’s a risky job,” said Mr. Kumar, who has to dodge potholes, erratic drivers and the occasional cow—all while carrying loads that at times weigh more than he does. “Sometimes people order dumbbells and then the bag gets really heavy,” he said.” Read more (Subscription)

 

Kroger executive: Dunnhumby sale won’t keep us from data by Steve Watkins at Cincinnati Business Courier. “We have the rights to the software and to their science in the United States,” (CFO Mike) Schlotman said. “And there’s nothing in whatever construct of a deal out there that would preclude us from being able to continue to enjoy the benefits of their insights.” Read more

 

Woman steps in hole, awarded $510,000 in Wal-Mart injury by Bob Kasarda at NWI Times. “Wal-Mart attorney James Balog placed the blame on Earle for failing to use reasonable care. “She’s not looking where she’s going,” he said after showing a surveillance video of the incident.” Read more

 

NY Times: GNC to Strengthen Supplement Quality Controls by Anahad O’Connor. “Eric T. Schneiderman, the attorney general of New York, would not comment on whether he was in talks to reach similar agreements with the other retailers included in his investigation — Walgreens, Walmart and Target.” Read more

 

Dallas: Amazon Prime Now Adds 11 Zip Codes by Maria Halkias Read more

 

Macy’s adds a high-powered CEO to its board by Tom Demeropolis at Cincinnati Business Courier. “John Bryant, CEO of Kellogg Co., has been elected to the Macy’s Inc. board of directors.” Read more

 

Porch.com moves to former Zulily space in Sodo, could grow to 600 employees by Rachel Lerman at Puget Sound Business Journal. Read more

 

Dried crab found sealed in plastic Easter Egg at Birmingham area Walmart by Lillian Lalo at WTHI TV 10. Read more

 

Restoration Hardware CEO trumpets new Atlanta store by David Allison at Atlanta Business Chronicle. “In a video posted on the company’s web site, (CEO Gary) Friedman said the store “is being hailed as the most important new home store in our industry.” Read more

 

Kroger’s workforce evolves with industry changes by Alexander Coolidge at Cincinnati.com. “Kroger has boosted jobs by 50 percent at its Downtown headquarters since 2008 – creating roughly 100 jobs a year for six years – as the supermarket grocer continues to thrive.” Read more

 

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Eye-on-Retail Tipsheet is created early every weekday morning and read by retail merchants and executives worldwide. We love data, earnings reports, executive presentations and stories off the beaten path that get at what’s happening in the world of retail. Contact us at info@shiftmarketinggroup.net.

Friday Tipsheet: Costco=Forbes #2 Employer | Target’s ‘Fairy Godmother’ | Restoration Hardware +24%

 

Forbes: America’s Top 500 Employers (Costco #2, Winco #241, Bass Pro #402, JCP #494).  See the top 500 list

 

Report: Amazon makes even temporary warehouse workers sign 18-month non-competes by Spencer Woodman at The Verge. “The Amazon contract, obtained by The Verge, requires employees to promise that they will not work at any company where they “directly or indirectly” support any good or service that competes with those they helped support at Amazon, for a year and a half after their brief stints at Amazon end.” Read more 

 

Fresh & Easy CEO buys $6.35-million home in Redondo Beach See the pics / Read more

 

How L.L. Bean Became Fashion’s Hottest Company by Clare O’Connor at Forbes. “You mess up, you’re going back to square one,” says Cindy Morse, a 21-year Bean veteran, over the thud of a vamping machine that finishes off each boot with three stitches of heavily waxed thread. There’s urgency but no rush. If you bought a pair in February, you can expect to receive them around June.” Read more

 

Dallas: Day 1 of  Prime Now by Maria Halkias at Dallas Morning News “It got busy enough that the service wasn’t being offered on some orders attempted from downtown Dallas in the late afternoon.” Read more

 

***A message from Orchard Road Canning – New designer inspired cap art for the home canning consumer. The decorative series of canning caps features three custom designs: Wild Daisy, Fruit and Gingham and is available in Regular Mouth size. Finally, something unique and differentiated to drive incremental sales in the home canning and storage categories! See the decorative designs. Request samples: info@shiftmarketinggroup.net.

 

Restoration Hardware Q4 Comp Revenues +24% Read the release

 

Amazon Robot Contest May Accelerate Warehouse Automation by Will Knight at MIT Technology Review. “Pete Wurman, chief technology officer of Kiva Systems, says that about 30 teams from academic departments around the world will take part in the challenge, which will be held at the International Conference on Robotics and Automation in Seattle (ICRA 2015). In each round, robots will be told to pick and pack one of 25 different items from a stack of shelves resembling those found in Amazon’s warehouses.” Read more / See the video

 

Fairy godmothers bring cheer to Target Canada workers at Toronto Sun. “It’s not something we expected anyone to do,” cashier Beverley Robinson said through tears. “It restores your faith in humanity.” See the video / Read more

 

Google Takes Its Amazon-Style Starred Product Ratings To Europe by Ingrid Lunden at TechCrunch. “Customers look for product validation through reviews and ratings. Providing this info is valuable to our customers and provides The Home Depot with a competitive advantage on Google,” Dave Abbott, Vice President of Online Marketing for The Home Depot, noted in Google’s blog post.” Read more

 

Macy’s “studying” China closely, with eye on international growth by Phil Wahba at Fortune. “We have spent a lot of time studying China,” Macy’s Chief Financial Officer Karen Hoguet said at a conference this week, adding though that “we haven’t figured it out yet.” She has been to China twice, while CEO Terry Lundgren has visited China regularly.” Read more

 

Mystery odor at Muncie, IN Walmart sends 8 to hospital by Douglas Walker at Muncie Star Press. “Monroe said the people had complained of a burning sensation in their throats after an odor was detected…there were no indications meth played any role in Wednesday night’s events. A man has been charged with leaving a backpack full of meth-related materials in a restroom of the southside Muncie Walmart on March 12.” Read more

 

CNBC most loved beer labels: Round one results See the labels / Read more

 

’50 Shades’ baby boom expected in November by Mark Duell at Daily Mail. “…it seems midwives in Leeds are well aware of the erotic movie’s potential for a baby boom nine months later, with a hospital staff room sign warning employees to ‘book your annual leave now’. The notice said: ‘Important information for midwives. The movie Fifty Shades of Grey is being released February 13, 2015 + 40 weeks = November 20, 2015. Book your annual leave now.’ Read more

 

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Eye-on-Retail Tipsheet is created early every weekday morning and read by retail merchants and executives worldwide. We love data, earnings reports, executive presentations and stories off the beaten path that get at what’s happening in the world of retail. Contact us at info@shiftmarketinggroup.net.

 

 

 

 

 

Thursday Tipsheet: Jim Sinegal Iview | TGT Can: Half Closed by 4/2 | Kroger CFO on CNBC

 

Costco’s Jim Sinegal Honored at Univ. of Notre Dame – Reflects on Success by Heidi Prescott at South Bend Tribune. “Q: You said a lot of luck along the way. What kind of luck? A: We were about ready to open our first warehouse in Seattle when we got a letter from the city. They were going to tear down a wooden bridge about 100 yards south of our building and the road would be closed to through traffic for 18 months…I called the city manager and said something really intelligent like, “You can’t do this.” And they said, “Of course we can.” But there were delays that gave us enough time for us to get our feet on the ground and get established. If they had shut it down, I don’t know what in the world we would have done.” Read the interview

 

AP: Slavery taints global supply of seafood by Margie Mason, Martha Mendoza & Esther Htusan via Dallas Morning News. “I want to go home. We all do,” one Burmese slave called out over the side of his boat, a cry repeated by many men. “Our parents haven’t heard from us for a long time, I’m sure they think we are dead.” Their catch mixes in with other fish at numerous sites in Thailand, including processing plants. U.S. Customs records show that several of those Thai factories ship to America.” Read more

 

Amazon Expands Prime Now One-Hour Delivery To Dallas, Now Covering 4 Metros by Ingrid Lunden at TechCrunch. Read more

 

Target Canada will have shut more than half its stores by April 2 by Sophia Harris at CBC News. Read more

 

Charles Armstrong, VP of distribution, leaving Home Depot by David Allison at Atlanta Business Chronicle. “An internal Home Depot memo dated March 24 noted that Armstrong “has decided to leave the Company.”…The memo did not give a reason for Armstrong’s departure.” Read more

 

***A Message from CLUG: The World’s Smallest Bike Rack is Now Available. The CLUG Bike Clip is targeted at the urban cyclist and the casual enthusiast who are short on storage space for their bikes.  CLUG is a patent pending, high quality product that made the list of 2014 Best Stuff by GQ Magazine in their December 2014 issue.  CLUG is now ready for retail with its 100% recyclable, high volume packaging.  See the video.  See the sell sheet. Contact info@shiftmarketinggroup.net to request a product sample.

 

We tested Amazon’s one-hour delivery service in Baltimore: Minor hiccups by Catherine Hawley at ABC 2 Baltimore. See the video

 

H-E-B quietly buying potential store sites in North Texas by Maria Halkias at Dallas Morning News. “(H-E-B) has bought at least a dozen locations in the region, including in Allen, Carrollton, Corinth, Dallas, DeSoto, Fort Worth, Frisco, Grand Prairie, McKinney, Murphy and Plano…“This market is ready for them,” said Karla Smith, senior vice president and partner in the Dallas office of CBRE/UCR. “I anticipate H-E-B will open a few stores in Dallas-Fort Worth in 2016.” Read more

 

Walgreen nixes ‘Be well’ at checkout line by Ellen Jean Hirst at Chicago Tribune. “A spokesman said the campaign had run its course, though the company didn’t elaborate on why the effort, launched several years ago, was dropped.” Read more

 

Kroger CFO Michael Schlotman Appears on CNBC  See the video

 

Walmart to Provide Strategic Update “Walmart U.S. President and CEO Greg Foran will host investors and analysts at the NYSE on Wed., April 1 to discuss his strategic priorities for the business. Joining Foran will be Judith McKenna, Walmart U.S. Chief Operating Officer, and Jeff Davis, Walmart U.S. Chief Financial Officer. Charles Holley, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. will also attend.” Read the release

 

Amazon’s On-Demand Services Marketplace Launches Next Week by Sarah Perez at TechCrunch. “On the rebranded “Amazon Home Services” website there are a variety categories beyond those that only relate to products Amazon sells. Top-level categories include Home Improvement, Lawn & Garden, Automotive, Computer & Electronics, and Lessons.” See the cities it’s launching in / Read more

 

Report: Radio Shack To Sell Customers’ Personal Information In Bankruptcy Sale “People are looking at Radio Shack now and they are gonna vilify Radio Shack,” said consumer expert Paul Viollis. “But at the end of the day, Radio Shack isn’t doing anything all other major corporations haven’t been doing for many years.” See the video / Read more

 

Purdue sued over Amazon textbook deal by Steven Porter & Joseph Paul at JConline. “To buttress its argument, the suit notes that the association obtained similar information from an agreement Amazon signed to open a store on the University of California-Davis campus.” Read more

 

Fortune: World’s Greatest Leaders  See the list

 

Accenture Omnichannel Study: “Fifty-seven percent of consumers said they would be willing to wait between four and seven days for free delivery…29 percent would wait eight days or more, compared to 23 percent who said the same last year.” Read the release

 

Feds investigate safety of Lumber Liquidators flooring at LA Times. “Chairman Elliot F. Kaye said Wednesday that the agency is taking the issue seriously and is working to get answers for consumers, but it’s too early to tell whether any flooring would be recalled. “As a parent of young children, I completely understand and share the strong desire that parents and other consumers have to know as soon as possible whether these products present a health risk,” Kaye said.” Read more

 

Fred’s Hires Ex-Walgreens Chief Merchandising Officer “Bryan Pugh brings to Fred’s 30 years of retail experience.” Read the release

 

Ashton Kutcher petitions Target & Costco to “provide universally accessible changing tables in their stores” by Caroline Bologna at HuffPo. “Kutcher’s letter on Change.org explains the choice to single out Target and Costco, as “companies that honor diversity, support families, and provide great services to kids of all ages.” He writes, “As leaders in their industry, they can initiate a company-wide policy to provide universally accessible changing tables in their stores.” Read more

 

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Eye-on-Retail Tipsheet is created early every weekday morning and read by retail merchants and executives worldwide. We love data, earnings reports, executive presentations and stories off the beaten path that get at what’s happening in the world of retail. Contact us at info@shiftmarketinggroup.net.

 

 

Wednesday Tipsheet: Wmart’s Pickup Vouchers | D.Gen CEO’s $35Mil | Kraft/Heinz Merge

 

Wal-Mart uses discount to woo more consumers to pickup format by Kim Souza at The City Wire. “Using targeted emails to Walmart.com customers in the test areas like Northwest Arkansas, Wal-Mart agreed to give a $10 discount on a user’s first $50 order. This offer went out to proposed customers on Monday (March 24) and is good through March 26. The offer supplies an eVoucher code that can be used at checkout. This offer comes on the heels of a $5 discount voucher offered in recent weeks to the same potential shoppers.” Read more

 

Kraft Foods and HJ Heinz Merge at CNBC. “Heinz will return to the public market with a 51 percent ownership of Kraft. Current holders of Kraft stock will own 49 percent of the company.” See the video / Read more

 

Good Day: Dollar General CEO Sells 467,924 shares of company stock for a total value of $35,290,828.08 at WKRB. Read more

 

Amazon says FAA-approved drone is already obsolete by Ben Geier at Fortune. “We’ve moved on to more advanced designs that we already are testing abroad.” Read more

 

***A message from Orchard Road Canning – New designer inspired cap art for the home canning consumer. The decorative series of canning caps features three custom designs: Wild Daisy, Fruit and Gingham and is available in Regular Mouth size. Finally, something unique and differentiated to drive incremental sales in the home canning and storage categories! See the decorative designs. Request samples: info@shiftmarketinggroup.net.

 

Family that shot Arizona cop in wild Walmart brawl lived in SUV parked in front of store, played in family band by Meg Wagner at NY Daily News. “The family formed its band at least three years ago in Idaho, according to Matthew 24 Now’s Facebook page. “We won’t do any events where there’s gonna be illegal drugs. Or any form of promiscuity,” the family band wrote.” Read more

 

…After brawl, Arizona Walmart seeks to ban overnight camping by Jon Erickson at KNXV / ABC 5. “Who are these people?” asked Cottonwood resident Kevin Stewart of the campers. Stewart said the nomads will often beg for money in the parking lot.” Read more / See the video

 

Field & Stream Grand Opening Tomorrow in Troy, Michigan by Frank Witsil at Detroit Free Press.  Read more

 

Target’s $146.8 million in grants is tops in state by Andy Rathbun at Twin Cities / Pioneer Press.  Read more

 

Six Lessons: Highlights from Doug McMillon’s Recent Visit to Stanford Business School by Bill Snyder at Stanford Business. “Walmart insiders use the phrase “Who owns the D?” It means, “Who is the decision-maker?” says McMillon…Top executives need to gather the collective wisdom of their teams, but waiting for consensus “can kill you, because speed matters, too.” The challenge for Walmart, McMillon says, “is to get the right few people in the room to make the best decision and get on with it.” Read more

 

Happening Tomorrow: Canadian Tire to Present at CIBC Retail and Consumer Conference Read the release

 

Amazon Will Occupy One-Fourth of Downtown Seattle’s Premium Office Space by Sanjay Bhatt at Seattle Times. “If the tech juggernaut fills all 10 million square feet, Seattle could have the nation’s highest concentration of office space occupied by a single business.” Read more

 

…10 million square feet of office space = enough space for 71,900 employees by Emily Parkhurst at Puget Sound Business Journal. Read more

 

Center of gravity in media shifts Yvonne Villarreal at LA Times. “The center of gravity in media has been shifting to San Francisco and Silicon Valley…Apple Chief Executive Tim Cook this month touted the popularity of “Game of Thrones” as one reason his company was happy to partner with HBO. Previous “Game of Thrones” premieres have been held in Los Angeles, New York, London and San Francisco.” Read more

 

Blue Bell Expands Recall of Ice Cream by Karen Robinson-Jacobs at Dallas Morning News. “No illnesses have been reported in this week’s recall, which was launched after the Kansas Department of Health & Environment reported one positive test for Listeria monocytogenes on a chocolate institutional/food service cup from a hospital in Wichita.” Read more

 

Strict: Kids in NYC day cares must be 2 years old before they can drink juice by Laura Bult & Jennifer Fermino at NY Daily News. “Not all parents were thrilled with the new regulations. “It’s like the big soda ban under Bloomberg!” said Brooklyn mom of two Victoria Clark,33.” Read more

 

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Eye-on-Retail Tipsheet is created early every weekday morning and read by retail merchants and executives worldwide. We love data, earnings reports, executive presentations and stories off the beaten path that get at what’s happening in the world of retail. Contact us at info@shiftmarketinggroup.net.

 

Tuesday Tipsheet: Ex-Target CIO Hired | JCP Whistleblower | Feds Probe Lumber Liquidators?

 

Former Target Chief Information Officer Lands at SPS by Kavita Kumar at Star-Tribune. “(Beth) Jacob was the chief information officer who stepped down at Target in the aftermath of cyberthieves’ data breach at the retailer. In her new role, she will help SPS Commerce with its strategy as it expands its services around the globe. She starts April 6.” Read more

 

How To Get Paid Faster From Home Depot by Gene Marks at Forbes. “But what if Home Depot comes back to you and says “Look little guy – we value you and we’re happy to pay you earlier. Just find your invoice in our online portal and click the button that says ‘pay earlier.’ It’s as simple as that.” And it really is that simple.” Read more

 

Newly retired Walgreen CEO: Taking cigarettes off the shelf won’t stop smokers by Celia Ampel at South Florida Business Journal. “Bold move by CVS,” (Former CEO Greg Wasson) said Monday, referring to the competing retailer’s decision last year to stop selling cigarettes at its 7,600 stores. “I applaud them for it. I think the bigger question may be … ‘Is there another way a community pharmacy can really help the remaining 18 percent of the population who smokes?'” Read more

 

NY Times: With New Nonstick Coating, the Wait, and Waste, Is Over by Kenneth Chang. “The company announced on Monday that Elmer’s Products Inc. had signed an exclusive licensing agreement for the use of such coatings in glue containers. “We certainly see a chance for a competitive advantage,” said Anthony Spath, associate manager for innovation and business development at Elmer’s.” Read more

 

Fortune: Whistleblower files claim against JC Penney by Jennifer Reingold. “Does Blatchford have a case? It’s hard to say. But he does have in his possession numerous emails from former executives at the company, such as (Ron) Johnson and (Dan) Walker, and says he is planning to subpoena them to testify.” Read more

 

Canadians slow to switch to online purchase-and-delivery retail by Joanne Lee-Young at Vancouver Sun. “Online sales are expected to account for just 4.8 per cent of all retail sales in Canada in 2015, according to new figures from RetailMeNot, which released an international study conducted by the Centre for Retail Research. That is a paltry number compared to similar expectations of 12.7 per cent in the U.S. and 8.4 per cent across Europe.” Read more

 

Amazon sets up logistics company in India to deliver products directly to clients by Harsimran Julka at The Economic Times. “Such a service is already on offer from Flipkart through logistics company eKart, and Snapdeal, which bought a stake in delivery firm Gojavas last week. “We want to change how India shops,” said Samuel Augustine Thomas, director of transportation for Amazon in India.” Read more

 

Senator Schumer: Investigate Lumber Liquidators by Martha C. White at CNBC. Read more

 

Sorry, J. Crew. Female shoppers just aren’t that into you by Sarah Halzack at Washington Post. “We’ve made some mistakes,” (CEO Mickey) Drexler said, including “missteps in our iconic classics.” Drexler said the women’s business has been “challenging” recently and that the fits, silhouettes and color palette of the clothes simply haven’t connected with shoppers the way they had in the past.” Read more

 

Monsanto chief admits ‘hubris’ is to blame for public fears over GM foods at The Independent. “[But] we were so far removed from that supermarket shelf, that was never something we gave a lot of thought to. We never thought about our place in the food chain.” Read more

 

…Monsanto Says It’s ‘Outraged’ by WHO Report Claiming Roundup Weedkiller May Cause Cancer by Jack Kaskey at Bloomberg. “Monsanto Chief Technology Officer Robb Fraley said Monday that the WHO’s International Agency for Research on Cancer, or IARC, reached its conclusions by “cherry picking” data.” Read more

 

Amazon’s video game streaming site got hacked by Arjun Kharpal at CNBC. Read more

 

Family Dollar CEO gives $45 million to build his legacy foundation by Mark Price at Charlotte Observer. “He and his wife plan to look for causes to help, rather than wait for charities to come to them. That will include picking up the phone and personally calling charity leaders with offers of aid, he said.” Read more

 

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Eye-on-Retail Tipsheet is created early every weekday morning and read by retail merchants and executives worldwide. We love data, earnings reports, executive presentations and stories off the beaten path that get at what’s happening in the world of retail. Contact us at info@shiftmarketinggroup.net.

 

Monday Tipsheet: Fresh & Easy to Shutter 50 | REI Record Sales | Canada’s Funk

 

REI climbs to new heights with record sales by Angel Gonzalez at Seattle Times. “We’ve gone back to who we were,” (CFO Eric) Artz said in an interview. REI’s outdoorsy gospel also spread more quickly than ever before, with 945,000 new members joining the co-op. That brings the number of active members (those who’ve spent money there in the past 12 months) to 5.5 million, a nice bump after two years when the membership rolls stayed flat at around 5 million.” Read more

 

Wal-Mart Fights Bid to Curb Gun Sales by Dow Jones at Nasdaq. “A U.S. appeals court showdown looms next month for Wal-Mart Stores Inc. in a case with potentially broad impact on how much influence investors can have over their companies. The dispute concerns Wal-Mart’s sales of assault rifles with high-capacity magazines…” Read more

 

Fresh & Easy discloses plans to close up to 50 of its 200 stores by Elliot Zwiebach at Supermarket News. “In addition, the company said it is working with ADMI, the company behind the design of the Apple Store, to design “the Fresh & Easy store of the future —a concept the company believes represents the future of convenience retail and puts Fresh & Easy into a category of one: the only fresh-food convenience store.” Read more

 

After Target wage hike, labor groups turn to drugstore chains by Nandita Bose at Reuters via Business Insider. “Given the current momentum, we expect a faster chance of success in hiking minimum wage within the retail space which includes drug chains, than say the fast food sector,” said Marc Goumbri, a spokesman for the UFCW.” Read more

 

***A Message from CLUG: The World’s Smallest Bike Rack is Now Available. The CLUG Bike Clip is targeted at the urban cyclist and the casual enthusiast who are short on storage space for their bikes.  CLUG is a patent pending, high quality product that made the list of 2014 Best Stuff by GQ Magazine in their December 2014 issue.  CLUG is now ready for retail with its 100% recyclable, high volume packaging.  See the video.  See the sell sheet. Contact info@shiftmarketinggroup.net to request a product sample.

 

Lowe’s Adds $5 Billion to Repurchase Program by Nicholas Turner at Bloomberg. Read more

 

Organic dairy farming struggles to keep up with demand by Tom Meersman at Star-Tribune. “I can’t tell you enough what it matters to have a Costco or a Target or a Wal-Mart really embrace organics,” he said. “It’s a demand drive on an amount of milk that’s just not there right now.” Read more

 

SEC to allow shareholder vote on Wal-Mart independent chairman by Nathan Layne at Reuters. Read more

 

Baltimore: Small merchants brace for competition from Amazon’s Prime Now by Lorraine Mirabella & Natalie Sherman at Baltimore Sun. “I can’t tell you what the future is going to look like,” said Piper, 51. “Hopefully I’m not out of business in 10 years, but if I am … it’s probably because of the Internet.” Read more

 

Amazon Loses Its General Manager Of Payments Following Wallet Shutdown by Sarah Perez at Techcrunch. “We understand that (Matt) Swann has now moved to Citigroup to head up its cards and payments business instead, confirming earlier reports. He’s no longer at Amazon, though his departure and his replacement haven’t yet been officially announced.” Read more

 

Inside Gap’s Plan to Get Back into Your Drawers by Danielle Sacks at Fast Company. “Defeat, it turns out, smells a lot like cinnamon rolls. On a Saturday afternoon in January, the cheap-caloried aroma of Cinnabon permeates New Jersey’s two-story Livingston Mall, distracting visitors from an increasingly visible reality. The 43-year-old shopping center’s fleet of modest stores—so familiar and accessible to customers for more than a generation—are turning into a liability…” Read more

 

Canada’s economy in a funk, could actually shrink in first quarter by Michael Babad at Globe & Mail. “January may well show a contraction in the area of 0.1 per cent to 0.3 per cent, economists now believe, having seen a series of weak indicators from the factory floor to the shopping mall. “February isn’t likely to be much better, suggesting that Q1 growth will come in well below 1 per cent and a negative print cannot be ruled out,” said senior economist Benjamin Reitzes of BMO Nesbitt Burns.” Read more

 

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Eye-on-Retail Tipsheet is created early every weekday morning and read by retail merchants and executives worldwide. We love data, earnings reports, executive presentations and stories off the beaten path that get at what’s happening in the world of retail. Contact us at info@shiftmarketinggroup.net.

Friday Tipsheet: H.Depot CEO on CNBC | Big Bass Pro Sign | 40 More @ Target

 

Home Depot CEO Craig Menear Appears on CNBC by Krystina Gustafson at CNBC. “Tough winter weather and issues at West Coast ports pressured the home improvement retailer’s business in recent months, Menear said. He believes Home Depot will sustain its momentum through low oil prices and a looming Federal Reserve interest rate hike. “We’re not overly concerned about it,” Menear said of a rate increase.” See the video / Read more

 

Target circles back, lays off 40 in HR by Tom Webb at Twin Cities/Pioneer Press. “Thursday’s 40 layoffs at its Minneapolis headquarters are included among the 1,700 jobs cuts announced last week, said Target spokeswoman Molly Snyder. Target “delayed making a small group of position eliminations” until Thursday, she said.” Read more

 

Amazon Gets Drone Permission from FAA by Alex Fitzpatrick at Time via Fortune. “The Federal Aviation Administration gave Amazon’s drones what’s called an experimental airworthiness certificate, which lets the company fly its aircraft for research, testing and crew training purposes…However, the FAA is not yet allowing Amazon to conduct commercial drone flights.” Read more

 

…See FAA Statement  Read more

 

2015 BrandSpark Most Trusted Brands (Paint-Behr, Soft Drink-Coca Cola, Ice Cream-Breyers) See the full list by category

 

***A message from Orchard Road Canning – New designer inspired cap art for the home canning consumer. The decorative series of canning caps features three custom designs: Wild Daisy, Fruit and Gingham. Available in Regular Mouth. Finally, something unique and differentiated to drive incremental sales in the home canning and storage categories!  See the decorative designs. Request product samples: info@shiftmarketinggroup.net.

 

Signage Being Added To Bass Pro Shops Pyramid in Memphis at WHBQ Fox 13. “The signage is so big in fact; they are having to install it in sections.” See the video / Read more

 

Target’s breach settlement: “The odds of anyone getting $10,000 is virtually zero” by Kavita Kumar at Star-Tribune. “Legal experts said it’s unlikely many customers will be able to show a lot of documented proof of significant damages.“The odds of anyone getting $10,000 is virtually zero,” said Eric Goldman, a law professor at Santa Clara University in California.” Read more

 

Sears Rebuts ‘Pay Early’ Critics by Krystina Gustafson at CNBC. “Why would that be a bad thing if we can afford to do so and we get a discount or other benefit from doing it?” (Sears CFO Rob) Schriesheim wrote on the company’s blog.” Read more

 

…compares it to a family that would prefer to pay off its credit cards early if it was able and there was a benefit to doing so. at Chicago Tribune. Read more

 

WSJ Q&A with Macy’s CFO by Kimberly S. Johnson at WSJ. Read the Q&A (Subscription)

 

Sprouts set to open 200th store by Tim Gallen at Phoenix Business Journal. “The 27,500-square-foot store is the 17th Sprouts location in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.” Read more

 

St. Louis: Brick-and-Mortar Furniture Shop Strikes Ecommerce Gold by Gwen Moran at Entrepreneur. “Goedeker’s has transformed itself into a fleet-footed e-tail powerhouse with a national customer base. Goedeker says the site features more than 200,000 products and brings in 92 percent of the company’s revenue. Meanwhile, the staff has grown from the 15 people the store employed seven years ago to more than 90.” Read more

 

Michaels Q4 Comp Sales +1.4% by Maria Halkias at Dallas Morning News. “Port delays are hurting current quarter results, too, chief executive Chuck Rubin said during a call with analysts…adding that any store walk-through will reveal empty pegs where product is slotted to go.” Read more

 

‘Exclusively for white people’ stickers put on Austin stores at SF Gate. “Mayor Steve Adler said the stickers discovered Wednesday morning were “an appalling and offensive display of ignorance in our city.” The stickers also say “Maximum of 5 colored customers / colored BOH staff accepted,” apparently referring to the “back of house” operations at a restaurant.” Read more

 

Tostitos Is Giving Free Dip to People Named Chip by E.J. Schultz at Ad Age. “To plug the promotion, Tostitos created a video that includes Erik Estrada, who of course starred in the 1970s/1980s TV show “CHiPs”.” Read more

 

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Eye-on-Retail Tipsheet is created early every weekday morning and read by retail merchants and executives worldwide. We love data, earnings reports, executive presentations and stories off the beaten path that get at what’s happening in the world of retail. Contact us at info@shiftmarketinggroup.net.