Market Force: Rankings of Favorite Grocery Store Chain (Trader Joe’s-First, Walmart-Last) See the 14 Chains Ranked

 

CVS pays $22 Mil to resolve Florida painkiller probe by Jonathan Stempel at AP. “These revocations were part of a crackdown in Florida on illegal sales of controlled substances, at the height of what Bentley called the state’s “pill mill crisis.” Read more

 

Amazon Relents on Key Merchant Policy So Prime Members Can Get Better Selection by Jason Del Rey at Recode. “This year, Amazon has quietly been reaching out to a select group of merchants who sell on Amazon with a new pitch: We’ll let your goods qualify for Prime’s free two-day shipping program without storing your inventory with us, according to multiple people familiar with the program.” Read more

 

The New Organic Walmart Is Eating Whole Foods’ Lunch by Leslie Patton & Craig Giammona at Bloomberg. “It’s not unique to millennials—they’ve grown up with it,” she says. “There’s no cachet.” Read more

 

Target sells its office furniture business to Omni Workspace by Kavita Kumar at Star-Tribune. “A Target spokeswoman would not disclose the sale amount, but said it was under $10 million.” Read more

 

Bass Pro Shops resort cost Memphis taxpayers $78 million, says one estimate by Chris Butler at Tennessee Watchdog. “That’s about $33 million more than the city of Memphis originally agreed to pay — about 18 months past its scheduled opening date. Bass Pro Shops failed to return numerous requests for comment to discuss how much it put into the project, but Memphis television affiliate WHBQ reported the total cost at $113 million.” Read more

 

…Check out the new Eye on Retail website!  www.eyeonretail.net

 

Cottage Grove mayor fumes over Home Depot building sale conditions by Bob Shaw at Pioneer Press. “I am not going to shop at Home Depot. I am encouraging our citizens to not shop at Home Depot,” Bailey fumed Wednesday. “But I am not literally calling for a boycott. He said that after leaving the building empty for seven years, Home Depot is demanding a ban on neighboring businesses that sell anything it sells.” Read more

 

Kroger exec: Mergers are like a ‘duck on the pond’ by Steve Watkins at Cincinnati Business Journal. ““That duck on the pond, the head always looks pretty calm but those feet are going fast, and that’s how mergers typically are when they’re big like that. You have to make sure that the feet moving that fast does not disrupt what you’re trying to do for the customer, and if it does, that’s where it can wind up creating an opportunity for us.” Read more

 

Corporate Culture Shock As Wal-Mart Hosts Film Festival Celebrating Diversity by Ellen Killoran at Forbes. “But the idea for the Bentonville Film Festival emerged from the unlikeliest of places: Wal-Mart’s executive offices. Louis Greth, Wal-Mart’s senior director for movies, said the possibility of a festival promoting underrepresented demographics first came to him about a year ago….“We had to think more creatively. If we can’t buy from women and diverse suppliers more directly, what if we were able to provide a platform where films could actually be made by women and more diverse filmmakers?” Read more

 

Nordstrom Q1 Comp Sales +4.4% by Rob Smith at Puget Sound Business Journal. “It plans to open 300 Rack stores by 2020, up from 177 today.” Read more

 

Dillard’s Q1 Comp Sales -1.0% Read the release

 

Canadian Tire Q1 Comp Sales +4.7% “We once again owned the seasonal business and customers responded well to our assortments, helping drive the Canadian Tire banner to its best comparable store sales result in a decade,” said Michael Medline, President and CEO, Canadian Tire Corporation.” Read the release

 

Q&A: Kohl’s CEO talks about Scott Walker, dipping stocks, corporate headquarters by Alison Bauter at Milwaukee Business Journal. “Q: The Innovation Center on your corporate campus opens June 15. What comes next for headquarters?…A:…”I’m in that facility and if you go to that Innovation Center, the first thing you’re going to say is, ‘Hey, how do I get some of that over here?’ “ Read more

 

Tipsheet Extra

Woman Who Accused Target of Copying Accused of Copying Tootsie Pop Design

Amazon lets Echo users easily restock their home with a voice command

Amid mounting tension, Mexico agrees to subsidize farmworkers’ wages

Amazon eliminates some Seattle jobs

Glidden Literally Asks People to Watch Paint Dry on Periscope

Read Tipsheet Extra Stories

 

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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 really happening in the world of retail. Contact us at info@shiftmarketinggroup.net.

 

 

Target stores to introduce dedicated smart-home sections by Megan Wollerton at CNET. “Later this month, Target is launching an 8-foot connected-home statement in Target stores nationwide,” said the Target rep. “Products featured within the statement include home cameras and sensors, location tracking devises and digital scales. By “statement,” the rep later clarified she meant “a designated area within the electronics department where these products will be showcased on the shelf.” Read more

 

Walmart: 630 Workers Turn Out 62,000 Pairs of Prescription Glasses Weekly at Fayetteville Lab by Kim Souza at The City Wire. “Carmen Bauza, senior vice president of OTC health and wellness, baby, paper goods and chemical at Wal-Mart, said the infrastructure investment was needed to broaden the scope of the retailer’s optical services. Wal-Mart also is expanding its vision centers in at least 80 stores.” Read more

 

Dick’s Field & Stream Names Brunner Agency of Record by Patty Tascarella at Pittsburgh Business Times. “The agency’s assignment includes creative, Web property management and social media. CEO Michael Brunner said he’ll hire at least three to start including two posts in social media.” Read more

 

Rona plays down suggested Lowe’s merger by Nicolas Van Praet at Globe & Mail. “Honestly, unless it’s a real knockout price [that we’re offered], I think people are satisfied that the stock price is climbing,” chairman Robert Chevrier told reporters after Rona’s annual meeting on Tuesday…”What I’m hearing from people is, ‘Don’t get too worked up. You’ll get there.” Read more

 

Coming This Summer: U.S. Will Run Out of Internet Addresses by Robert McMillan at WSJ. “Enterprises that don’t have a plan for what to do with this will have this brought up by their board,” said James Cowie, chief scientist at Dyn, an Internet consulting firm.” Read more (Subscription)

 

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Woman goes shopping at Macon Target, leaves store engaged by Harold Goodridge at 13 WMAZ. ” Her hope now? To get married in Target. If she’s successful in getting her dream Target wedding, she’s not sure which aisle. She and Holder have six children between them, so she said perhaps the toy aisle.” Read more / See the video

 

Baltimore: Popular Gay Bar Closes to Make Room for CVS by James Briggs at Baltimore Business Journal. “Club Hippo is an iconic gay bar that has been in business since 1972. And CVS is, well, CVS.” Read more

 

Cabela’s GA Grand Opening: Mom Sleeps in Chair Since Sunday for 1st Spot in Line by Sara Sidery at WRCB NBC Chattanooga. “But just across the state line in East Ridge, 28 acres wait on one of Cabela’s biggest competitors, Bass Pro Shops. The 85,000 square foot store, which is about 13,000 square feet bigger than Cabela’s.  Is set to open in late Spring or early Summer of next year.” See the video / Read more

 

Wal-Mart criticized for sourcing bottled water in drought-hit California by Phil Wahba at Fortune. “The drought in California is very concerning for many of our customers and our associates,” Wal-Mart spokesman John Forrest Ales said in an emailed statement. “We share those concerns and are tracking it closely.” Read more

 

Amazon’s thriving book business to crank out 2,000 titles by 2016 by Tricia Duryee at GeekWire. Read more

 

Only 1 in 4 Canadians went cross-border shopping in the past 12 months “…with the majority (64%) citing the higher exchange rate as the top reason for not making the trip this year.” Read the release

 

Rite Aid to Rebuild Pharmacy at 300 Martin Luther King Boulevard in Baltimore “The company expects to open a temporary trailer at the location on May 18 to serve customers’ prescription needs while the store is rebuilt.” Read the release

 

Tipsheet Extra

Wal-Mart will start telling investors how much it spends on lobbying

The Deadliest Jobs in America

Wal-Mart gets new ammo in Web battle with Amazon

Sidecar Will Now Deliver Weed to Your Doorstep if You Have a Doctor’s Note

Net-A-Porter Launches an App that Allows Women to Shop Together Online

Read Tipsheet Extra

 

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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 really happening in the world of retail. Contact us at info@shiftmarketinggroup.net.

 

 

 

 

 

Target ball Web craze is merrily rolling along by Kavita Kumar at Star-Tribune. “If you search the hashtag on Instagram, there over 2,000 pictures from people around the country taking the selfies,” said Byington, 32, of Birmingham, Ala. “It’s crazy.” People sit on the red balls. They stand on them. They do yoga on them. They lay down on them like they’re Superman. And then, they post pictures to Twitter and Instagram with the hashtag #targetballing.” Read more

 

Home Depot’s Craig Menear Speaks to MSU Graduates by Terri Hughes-Lazzell at Eli Broad College of Business. “He told them of a time in his career when he was asked to take a lateral move into the supply chain organization. “I was a merchant—the guy who found great products at great value for customers. What did I know, or care, about how the products got from the manufacturer to the store?” he said….“Without taking that risk and gaining invaluable knowledge, I wouldn’t have been prepared to take on overseeing our company’s supply chain transformation, a hugely complex project,” he said.” Read more

 

…Target’s Brian Cornell will Deliver Commencement Address at UCLA Anderson on 6/12/15 “Brian Cornell (BA ’81, Exec Ed CERT ’91,) chairman and CEO of Target Corp., will address this year’s MBA, Fully Employed MBA, and Ph.D. graduates. The graduation ceremony will take place on Friday, June 12, 2015, at 4:00 pm on Wilson Plaza at the UCLA campus.” Read more

 

Wayfair Q1 Total Net Revenue +52.3% “The number of active customers in our Direct Retail business reached 3.6 million as of March 31, 2015, up 49.3% year over year…Aided brand awareness reached 62% in April 2015.” Read the release

 

Alibaba’s buys $56M stake in Zulily by Rachel Lerman at Puget Sound Business Journal. “…buying up a 9.3 percent stake…It is unclear what Alibaba’s plans are with moms-focused flash sales site Zulily, but a source told the Wall Street Journal that Alibaba does not plan to acquire Zulily.” Read more

 

***A message from Mobee: Mobee has over 350,000 GPS Tracked, Smartphone enabled “Bees” located within 5 miles of every retail store in the USA. We detect supply chain issues quickly and issue fix alerts to remedy the problem in hours not months. Our “Supply Chain Fix Alerts” have resulted in post-alert sales increases of up to +35% by getting displays up and product on shelf.  How Mobee works video. See “Fix Alert” example.  Visit website. Contact dowdy@getmobee.com to ask about our “Free Pilot” offer.

 

Retired Kroger executive would own piece of Cincinnati marijuana farm by Barrett J. Brunsman at Cincinnati Business Courier. “Cincinnati lawyer Paul Heldman, who retired last year as general counsel and secretary of the Kroger Co., would own part of a Butler County marijuana farm if a proposal to legalize pot makes it onto the Ohio ballot this fall and wins voter approval.” Read more

 

Kris Jenner Has a ‘Passion’ for Costco, Compares It to a ‘Massage’ by Jackie Willis at ET. “…anyone could make a Costco run for Jenner, but she finds it “sacred” and also sees it as an opportunity for cameras to follow her around as she “picks up salmon with herb butter on her own.” Jenner also “did not trust anyone else to check the date stamp on the oatmeal-raisin cookies to see which were baked most recently.” Read more

 

Reese Witherspoon to Open First Store in Nashville by E.J.Boyer at Nashville Business Journal. “The fashion trade publication Women’s Wear Daily (WWD), which interviewed Witherspoon about the launch, cites the store as 3,000 square feet, and says its decor will mirror Witherspoon’s own home in Nashville.” Read more

 

…Reese Witherspoon Launches Draper James Fashion Line by Rosemary Feitelberg at WWD. “There’s no hotel. I don’t know why people think I’m making a hotel, but I’m not,” she says.” Read more

 

Indianapolis: Kroger’s onslaught will put Marsh under further siege by Greg Andrews at Indianapolis Business Journal. “Marsh’s market share “continues to plummet” and that heavyweights like Kroger and Wal-Mart view the Fishers-based chain as an “ineffectual competitor..(Marsh) now has 74 groceries, down 36 percent from the 116 (in 2006).” Read more

 

Amazon’s Grocery Delivery Business Quietly Expands to Parts of New Jersey by Jason Del Rey at Recode. Read more

 

Safeway closing 9 stores in metro Denver by Caitlin Hendee & Mark Harden at Denver Business Journal. “This was a very difficult decision made after long and careful deliberation,” Staaf said. “Ultimately, our business analysis indicated that we needed to cease operations at these locations.” Read more

 

Tipsheet Extra

Time: Apple Pay Is Creaming Walmart in the Mobile Payment Wars

Here’s what one shopper learned trying Kroger’s online shopping

Six More McDonald’s Characters That Need a Makeover Now (Mayor McCheese!)

India’s No.2 Offline Retailer, Future Group, Battles Booming Online Rivals

Read Tipsheet Extra

 

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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 really happening in the world of retail. Contact us at info@shiftmarketinggroup.net.

 

***Announcing the new Eye on Retail website for more headlines and stories off the beaten path! www.eyeonretail.net

 

Costco April Comp Sales Flat / +7% Excluding Fuel “Costco reported net sales of $8.75 billion for the month of April, the four weeks ended May 3, 2015, an increase of two percent from $8.56 billion during the similar period last year.” Read the release

 

Whole Foods Q2 Comp Sales +3.6%, Announces New Store Concept Geared Towards Millennials “We believe the growth potential for this new and complementary brand to be as great as it is for our highly successful Whole Foods Market brand,” added (Walter) Robb. “We look forward to sharing more details about this exciting new venture sometime before Labor Day.” Read the release

 

Lumber Liquidators Pulls Chinese-Made Laminate Flooring Amid Safety Concerns by Chelsey Dulaney at WSJ. “…the company said Thursday that it is further reviewing its supplier’s certification and labeling processes. The company has brought on Freeh Group International Solutions LLC, founded by former FBI director and federal judge Louis J. Freeh, to help in reviewing its sourcing and compliance policies.” Read more (Subscription)

 

Former Best Buy CEO joins Minneapolis startup by Kavita Kumar at Star Tribune. “Former Best Buy CEO Brian Dunn is getting back in the game….he is joining Minneapolis tech startup Upsie as its chairman effective June 1. Upsie, which allows consumers to buy a warranty for smartphones, televisions and other devices, launched its smartphone app in November.” Read more

 

Ex-Dollar General employee files suit, claims he was fired after whistleblowing by Eric Snyder at Nashville Business Journal. “Corey McNeley, a director of store operations, filed suit last month…(he) claims he was fired after raising concerns about the company’s use of coupons that violated the redemption terms agreed to by vendors…The suit claims the value of the alleged fraud is in excess of $8 million.” Read more

 

AmazonFresh pushes back deadline for Prime members to upgrade to $299/year grocery membership by Tricia Duryee at Geek Wire. “We did extend the free period,” said Amazon spokeswoman Nell Rona. “Prime members in Seattle, New York metro and Philadelphia metro can use the service for free through the end of June 2015.” Read more

 

Dick’s Sporting Goods and Tribeca Team Up on Documentary by Tyler Pukatch at Screen Daily. “We partnered with Judd and Tribeca Digital Studios on We Could Be King to create public awareness around the impact of funding cuts in youth sports,” said Lauren Hobart, director of The Dick’s Sporting Goods Foundation and svp and chief marketing office of Dick’s Sporting Goods. “To continue to shine a light on this important issue, we’re excited to share a similarly powerful yet very different story of the Salmon River High School girls’ lacrosse team.” Read more

 

Ahold USA names 3 new SVPs by Jon Springer at Supermarket News. “…Naming Nick Bertram (currently SVP of store strategy and execution) to the role of SVP of merchandising strategy and support….Dean Wilkinson (currently VP of sales and marketing for Giant-Landover) will replace Bertram as SVP of store strategy and execution.” See all of the changes

 

Alibaba earnings beat estimates as revenue jumps 45 percent by Reem Nasr at CNBC. “Gross merchandise volume on China retail marketplaces rose 40 percent to $97 billion.” Read more

 

CVS Puts Media Business Into Review by Alexandra Bruell at Ad Age. “WPP’s Mindshare is the incumbent on the media business and is expected to participate…CVS in 2014 spent $84.4 million on measured media in the U.S., according to Kantar Media.” Read more

 

Firm hires former Target lawyer Bob Seng by Katharine Grayson at Minn./St.Paul Business Journal. Read more

 

Kansas: Ex-Kroger Chairman David Dillon Advocates for Major Retailer Liquor Sales by Tim Carpenter at Topeka Capital Journal. “We all know many liquor store owners don’t like this legislation,” said Dillon, a former chairman of Kroger and the chairman of the Uncork Kansas advocacy group…“For 60 years,” Dillon said, “they have enjoyed their government-sanctioned industry protections and have never had to worry about new competition, industry developments or changing customer desires.” Read more

 

Loblaw Q1 Comp Sales +2.3% “Consolidated sales of $10,048 million, an increase of 37.8% compared to the first quarter of 2014.” Read the release

 

Sears’ Lampert tells investors he has the cash to speed up a turnaround by Phil Wahba at Fortune. “As important as it is to have a good plan and adapt to changing circumstances, you also need to find the resources to effect the transformation,” Lampert wrote.” Read more

 

NY Times: Bentonville, Ark., Hosts a Film Festival Without a Movie Theater by Bret Schulte. “Laura Brown moved to Bentonville from San Diego in 1999, when her then-husband took a job with Sam’s Club. “I probably cried for three years,” she said. She failed to mesh with locals and recalls two restaurants, a forsaken town square and “no shopping whatsoever, except for Walmart.” As a local developer put it, “You could have fired a gun downtown and not hit anyone.” Read more

 

Canada: Despite Target’s departure, retailers still fighting industry pressure by Marina Strauss at Globe & Mail. Read more

 

Australia: Masters – Five reasons Woolworths is being hammered on hardware by Bunnings by Emily Stewart at ABC. “A retailer can choose quality sites, good value sites, or do it fast — but no one can do all three at once.” “In pursuit of their rapid rollout, Masters has chosen inferior locations, including some already rejected by Bunnings and is rumoured in the property sector to be paying big prices.” Read more

 

Tipsheet Extra:  To maintain a concise Tipsheet we’re forced to leave out great stories every day. No more! Now these stories are featured in the Tipsheet Extra section of the new Eye on Retail website. Today’s stories:

Target Backs Off Plan To Put Store On Polk Street In San Francisco

Walmart CEO Doug McMillon Featured at Retailing Excellence Conference on June 11

CVS will Reopen Looted and Burned Stores in Baltimore

Credit Suisse: Five Below Could Grow to 3,000 Stores from Current 366

12 Target Property Leases Sold to Canadian Tire

See the Tipsheet Extra stories here

 

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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 really happening in the world of retail. Contact us at info@shiftmarketinggroup.net.