Tuesday Tipsheet: Ex-Target Exec to Rite Aid | Costco’s ‘New Store’ Concept | Kohl’s Settles for $1 Mil

 

Costco Has Quietly Been Testing a New Store Concept for 23 Years by Brian Sozzi at The Street. “Once the Denver store opens, Costco will have 11 Business Centers in operation across the country, mostly on the West Coast. Four of the stores are located in California and two more are in Costco’s backyard of Washington, which allows the retailer to more easily test products and tweak operations before a possible nationwide expansion.” Read more

 

Walmart sold ‘US-made’ products that were actually foreign by Lisa Fickenscher at NY Post. “A Walmart spokesman said that, within a week, consumers will not find Made in the USA labels on its Web site, and that other labels such as Women’s Economic Empowerment and Sustainability Leaders are coming down as well. “We added badges to products on our site to help customers find what they were looking for,” said the spokesman. Unfortunately, some Internet search engines won’t return an item with a badge in search results. We are working on a fix.” Read more

 

Kohl’s settles overcharge allegations for nearly $1 million by Alison Bauter at Milwaukee Business Journal. “In settling the case, Kohl’s did not admit wrongdoing and officials said Kohl’s has “changed policies and procedures to make pricing more accurate,” according to ABC 7 News.” Read more

 

Ex-Target Exec Joins Rite Aid “Bryan Everett is joining Rite Aid as executive vice president of store operations, effective Aug. 3. In this position, Everett will be responsible for all operations at the company’s nearly 4,600 chainwide stores.” Read the release

 

President Obama overtime rule could raise wages for 5 million at Politico. “The proposed rule would more than double the salary level under which virtually all workers qualify for overtime pay whenever they work more than 40 hours in any given week. That threshold, now $23,660, would rise to $50,440.” Read more

 

Amazon launches ‘Prime Now’ 1-hour delivery service in London, its first city outside the U.S. by Paul Sawers at VentureBeat. Read more

 

Analyst sees little to get Macy’s out of its ‘rut’ by Krystina Gustafson at CNBC. “Deutsche Bank analyst Paul Trussell on Monday downgraded Macy’s from “buy” to “sell,” citing “low confidence that the company can bust out of its same-stores sales rut.” Read more

 

Target’s Kathee Tesija Had An Impossible Job by Paula Rosenblum at Forbes. “I strongly hope Mr. Cornell splits the job, as it should have been from the beginning. Perhaps in the grocery category it’s fine to have them under one roof, but in product that even touches on fashion, I can only say two words: No Way.” Read more

 

Stop Buying in Bulk by Eric Holthaus at Slate. “As much as 40 percent of America’s food supply gets thrown away every day, with perishable items like dairy, breads, meats, fruits, and vegetables leading the way. The total annual bill of food waste for consumers is a whopping $162 billion, which works out to about $1,300 to $2,300 per family per year.” Read more

 

AmazonFresh delays $299/year Prime Fresh rollout, tweaks subscription model in California by Todd Bishop at GeekWire. “In recent weeks, Amazon has started experimenting with a new model in Northern and Southern California, making it so that standard $99/year Amazon Prime members can use AmazonFresh, too, as long as they pay a $7.99/order delivery fee.” Read more

 

Roundy’s opens biggest Mariano’s yet on Chicago’s North Shore by Alison Bauter at Milwaukee Business Journal. “Milwaukee-based Roundy’s will employ 500 at the new location, its 32nd in the Chicagoland market and second in Glenview.”  Read more

 

Kraft CFO and many others out with Heinz deal by Jessica Wohl at Chicago Tribune. Read more

 

Tipsheet Extra

St. Paul’s TargetExpress sets opening date

Pittsburgh: Tractor Supply Co. sneaking up on urban areas

Minneapolis: Warby Parker opening showroom

Charlotte: Grocery wars – Which brands are winning, losing in market share

Kroger kicks off hiring for largest-ever Cincinnati store

Grainger Names Chief Operating Officer

Read Tipsheet Extra Stories

 

***

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. See our website at www.eyeonretail.net

Monday Tipsheet: Sears Canada Chances ‘Slim’ | REI Eyes New HQ | ‘Treasure Truck’ Gets a Flat

 

Amazon abruptly delays ‘Treasure Truck’ rollout after a week of hype by Todd Bishop at GeekWire. “Is it possible that Amazon forgot to apply for a permit in its bureaucracy-loving hometown? The city’s regularly updated list of sidewalk and plaza vending permit applications doesn’t reference Amazon or the initial Treasure Truck location.” Read more

 

Inside Macys.com via SF Gate See the 13 pics

 

Wegmans still committed to first urban store in Boston by Catherine Carlock at Boston Business Journal. “Wegmans spokeswoman Jo Natale said there is no final design plan, but the store would be similar in size to Wegmans’ Chestnut Hill store and would also have similar offerings — including wine.” Read more

 

REI Looks for New HQ Location by Marc Stiles at Puget Sound Business Journal. “REI is in the very early stages of looking for a place that the outdoor-gear company could grow. The 77-year-old cooperative employs more than 1,100 people at its Kent headquarters, and is growing at such a clip that it’s moving 280 tech employees to a new office in Bellevue.” Read more

 

Freeosk gives Sam’s Club members product samples via vending machines by Cheryl V. Jackson at Chicago Tribune. “Instead of getting the items from a worker, Sam’s Club shoppers scan their membership cards at the kiosks, which dispense the items and pitch the products via video screen. Last week at Sam’s Club, some Freeosks featured Nestlé Crunch Girl Scout Candy Bars. This week, some are featuring Crunchmaster Multi-Grain Crackers.” Read more

 

***A message from Dolce Extra Virgin Olive Oil – Looking for a true extra virgin olive oil? If you’re looking for high quality and high-impact packaging you’ve found it. Dolce features a maximum acidity rate of 0.2% and adheres to strict quality standards. Our advanced systems ensure less than 12 hours between harvest and oil extraction to packaging. See the new websiteRetailers-request a bottle and judge for yourself at info@shiftmarketinggroup.net

 

Wal-Mart stocks up on interns at Penn State by Lori Falce at Centre Daily Times. “This year, the retail giant has picked up a five-pack of interns for the summer for their Bentonville, Ark., operations. Three are in replenishment, one in logistics and one in Sam’s Club merchandising…“We have what is called the replenishment leadership program for students to come into post-graduation,” said Lauren Adams, manager of Wal-Mart’s campus relations team.” Read more

 

Sears Canada’s chances of survival are slim, analyst says: It’s ‘now or never’ by David Friend at The Canadian Press via Financial Post. “The next seven quarters are ’make it or break it’ for Sears Canada,” he wrote. “Our current view is that an operating turnaround is improbable.” Read more

 

Cabela’s sets unique opening ceremony for first Cincinnati store by Erin Caproni at Cincinnati Business Courier. “The West Chester location will be Cabela¹s second store in Ohio, joining the Columbus store opened in 2013. Additionally, the company has announced plans to open locations in Centerville in spring 2016 and Avon in spring 2017.” Read more

 

‘Nobody said this was going to be easy’: Tesco CEO at CNBC. “Sales at British stores open over a year fell by a better-than-feared 1.3 percent over the 13 weeks to May 30.” Read more

 

Amazon to offer loans to sellers in China, 7 other countries at Reuters. “Until now, the e-retailer has offered the service only in the United States and Japan. Amazon Lending, founded in 2012, now plans to offer short-term working capital loans in other countries where it operates a third-party, seller-run marketplace business, the head of Amazon Marketplace, Peter Faricy, told Reuters.” Read more

 

***

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. See our website at www.eyeonretail.net

Friday Tipsheet: Roz Brewer in Smithsonian Exhibit | Target Parts w/Tesija (& Morioka) | Kroger Pickup = 80

 

Target Parts Ways with Chief Merchant Kathee Tesija “Brian Cornell: ‘This role is critical to ensuring Target’s future success and we are conducting a comprehensive external and internal search for a new leader. On behalf of the entire Target team, I want to thank Kathee for all she has done on behalf of our company, brand, and team.'” Read more

 

...“I would think there are any number of companies that would be very interested in discussing president and CEO roles with her” via Evan Ramstad at Star Tribune. Read more

 

Target confirms departure of another merch exec, John Morioka by Nick Halter at St. Paul / Minn. Business Journal. “John Morioka left the Minneapolis-based retailer in May. He held the equivalent of Tesija’s position in Canada…Target confirmed Morioka’s unannounced departure, but declined to offer more information. Morioka couldn’t be reached for comment.” Read more

 

Kroger’s Annual Meeting: Stock splits & Pickup ‘love’ by Steve Watkins at Cincinnati Business Courier. “Customers have loved Kroger’s launch of its online order and customer pickup service known as ClickList at two Greater Cincinnati stores, Kroger President Mike Ellis said. “You rarely hear the word ‘love’ from customers, but we’ve heard them say they love it,” Ellis told me after the meeting. “The feedback has been amazing. It’s made their lives easier.” Kroger plans to launch the service in 80 stores across the country this year, Ellis said.” Read more

 

…Kroger Annual Meeting Webcast

 

The Most Attractive Employers For Business Students Around The World (Amazon #11, Nordstrom #15) by Kathryn Dill at Forbes. See the top 15 list

 

Here’s the inside scoop on Amazon’s mysterious Treasure Truck by John Cook at GeekWire. “Well, you can kind of think about it like a new shopping experience on wheels, allowing Amazon.com customers in Seattle to purchase one very special discounted item each day…Users of Amazon.com’s mobile app can browse the special deal of the day on the Treasure Truck, choose to make the purchase and then select a pre-determined location around Seattle where the truck will be stationed in order for easy pick-up.” Read more

 

Sam Walton & Rosalind Brewer a part of upcoming Smithsonian ‘American Enterprise’ exhibit by Kim Souza at The City Wire. “Liebhold said Brewer was visiting the exhibit June 25 for a sneak peek. She is part of a business women’s biography video display…He said in the retail innovation segment, Brewer is next to Jeff Bezos, founder of Amazon.com.” Read more

 

NRF: 64% Plan to Attend BBQ Over July 4th Holiday Read the release

 

Tiny Town Across Canadian Border Has Huge Online Sales by Angel Gonzalez at Seattle Times. “It’s a few minutes’ drive, or a quick cross-border walk, for the 170,000 residents of the Abbotsford, B.C., metro area. Their enthusiasm for Web shopping has made Sumas the state’s top spot for online spending per resident: In 2014 it was a whopping $3,013, seven times the figure for Seattle.” Read more

 

Companies benefit from Wal-Mart’s onshoring agenda by Kim Souza at The City Wire. “He said working with Wal-Mart has been easier than he thought, so much so that he will back in front of buyers on July 7 at this year’s Open Call to pitch two more products — tailgate plates with the images of college mascots, and his patent-pending Wader Socks designed to keep feet dry while wearing waders for duck hunting or fly fishing.” Read more

 

Amazon makes $100M available to fund voice-control tech by Emily Parkhurst at Puget Sound Business Journal. Read more

 

4 Specialty Retail Takeover Deals That Make Sense by Lee Jackson at 24/7 Wallst. “Best Buy makes a move and decides to purchase GameStop Corp…Bed, Bath & Beyond steps up to the plate and acquires Kirkland’s Inc…Dicks Sporting Goods expands its footprint and acquires Hibbett Sports Inc…Walgreens also grows the chain’s national footprint by buying Fred’s.” Read more

 

How Macy’s competes for talent in Silicon Valley by Phil Wahba at Fortune. “Unlike many established tech companies—from eBay to Apple to Yahoo—Macy’s has kept its West Coast tech team in the heart of San Francisco rather than place it in Silicon Valley, a nod to the fact that more and more young tech workers want to be in an urban environment rather than an office park.” Read more

 

Tipsheet Extra

Dick’s Sporting Goods becomes title sponsor of PONY League World Series

The Home Depot Joins the RealPage Vendor Network

Sears Unveils Connected Solutions Flagship

Home Chef delivers meal kits to those who love to cook, hate to shop

Lululemon recalls 300K women’s tops over drawcords

84 Percent of Americans Want to be Notified Immediately of a Data Breach

Retailers Say Congress Should ‘Seize the Opportunity’ After Supreme Court Ruling on Health Care

Read Tipsheet Extra Stories

 

***

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. See our website at www.eyeonretail.net

Thursday Tipsheet: Former Target Exec to U.S. Bancorp | Bed/Bath +2.2% | D.Gen Names Interim CFO

 

Bed Bath & Beyond Q1 Comp +2.2% “The Company is modeling a 2.0% to 3.0% increase for comparable sales for the fiscal 2015 second quarter and continues to model a 2.0% to 3.0% increase for the remainder of the year.” Read the release

 

CNBC: America’s Top States for Business 2015 (Minnesota #1, Georgia #5..) See the top 50 list

 

The U.S. Cities Where Creative Jobs Are Thriving via Fast Company See the list

 

U.S. Bancorp hires former Target exec as SVP by Cody Nelson at Minn./St.Paul Business News. “U.S. Bancorp hired Reba Dominski as senior vice president for its U.S. Bank Foundation and community relations, it said Wednesday. Dominski will oversee the foundation’s grant and volunteer donations, which last year totaled more than $23.5 million in grant funding and over 370,000 volunteer hours.” Read more

 

Contract changes ask more from Wal-Mart suppliers by Kim Souza at The City Wire. “One pet supplier said their new agreement asked for an additional 1% discount on what was a 20-day payment term, except Wal-Mart now wants to extend that payment window to 90 days. This scenario gives Wal-Mart 105 days between invoice submission and payment.” Read more

 

***A message from Dig It® Handwear – Protect your finger nails when gardening!  Revolutionary garden glove protects nails from chipping or breaking with patented “pillow-top” finger nail protection.  View the innovation at www.digithandwear.com. Peggable gloves merchandise easily. Retailers contact info@shiftmarketinggroup.net to request samples.

 

Canadian property owners struggle to find foreign retailers in wake of Target exit by Marina Strauss at Globe & Mail. Read more

 

Entrepreneur Sells Returned Merchandise by Katie Conner at ABC 15 Arizona. “Scott Fitzgerald buys returned and undamaged merchandise from big box retailers like, Home Depot and then sells them at a fraction of the cost. “We don’t see very many people buy just one item and leave,” said Fitzgerald.” See the video / Read more

 

Dollar General Appoints John W. Garratt as Interim CFO  Read the relase

 

Albuquerque Walmart makes customers check bags before shopping by Emily Younger at KRQE News 13. “Walk into the Walmart on San Mateo near Zuni and there are signs posted saying backpacks and large bags are not allowed. “I don’t believe it’s right,” said Edward Aragon. “At first, I thought it was crazy,” said Michelle Montano…“This store gets stolen from a lot you know,” said one customer.” See the video / Read more

 

Two Amazon employees leave to create ‘Mona,’ a Siri-like personal shopping assistant by Tricia Duryee at GeekWire. “In an interview, Mona CEO and co-founder Orkun Atik said nothing has changed in e-commerce since the early 2000’s. “Today, shopping is organized around products, and we want to organize it around people,” he said.” Read more

 

Digimarc Soars After Wal-Mart CEO Praises its Bar Codes at Zacks via Nasdaq. “Per media reports, Wal-Mart CEO Doug McMillon revealed in an Instagram post that the company is carrying on a test on invisible watermarking – a new bar-coding technology – in one of its labs.” Read more

 

Martha Stewart deal in flux after Sequential CEO’s blunder by James Covert at NY Post. “Insiders said Shmidman last week leaked the story that Sequential was nearing a Martha Stewart deal before it was finalized. The reports that followed goosed shares to nearly $7 apiece — well above the price of Sequential’s deal. In frantic negotiations last weekend, sources said Sequential was forced to include a so-called “go-shop” provision with its Monday announcement of an offer at $6.15 a share, allowing Martha Stewart to solicit higher bids for 30 days.” Read more

 

***

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. See our website at www.eyeonretail.net

 

 

Wednesday Tipsheet: Wmart: Building ‘Aisle Robot’ / Plucks 65 from eBay | W.Foods Probe | Target Drops Halloween Costume

 

Wal-Mart to impose charges on suppliers as its costs mount by Nathan Layne at Reuters. “For instance, Wal-Mart is seeking to charge a food supplier 10 percent of the value of inventory shipped to new stores and to new warehouses, both one-time charges, and 1 percent to hold inventory in existing warehouses, according to a copy of amended terms seen by Reuters.” Read more

 

Walmart Working on Robot to Patrol the Aisles by Kim Souza at The City Wire. “(Rick) Webb said Wal-Mart is working fast on a robot that will be soon patrol the aisles of local stores as the retailer tests its ability to scan products, check for out-of-stocks and report the findings. He said this is just the tip of the iceberg for where automated technology is going in the retail world and elsewhere. Webb said Wal-Mart is working with technology group out of Pennsylvania on the robot project.” Read more

 

Fortune: Shoplifting, worker theft cost retailers $32 billion last year by Phil Wahba at Fortune. “Shrinkage, along with administrative errors, cost U.S retailers about 1.4% of their 2014 sales, according to the report…According to a survey conducted last spring of senior loss-prevention executives at many retailers, shoplifting accounted for 38% of the shrinkage, followed by employee theft at 34.5%.” Read more

 

Ahold and Delhaize announce intention to merge via CNBC. “Dutch-based supermarkets operator Ahold said on Wednesday it is to buy Belgian peer Delhaize in an all-share merger, with Ahold taking a 61 percent stake in the new company.” Read more

 

Deloitte Study: About 4 out of 10 respondents said they view buying store branded items as a sacrifice, up 10 percentage points from the year before via CNBC. Read more

 

Hank Meijer anticipates ‘substantially more’ Wisconsin stores, eyes Madison market by Alison Bauter at Milwaukee Business Journal. “The CEO said his company is now looking in Madison, as well as Green Bay and other points across the state. It’s part of Meijer’s broader expansion across the Midwest, from Cleveland in the east out to Minneapolis in the west, he said. Short term, aside from its other Wisconsin openings, Meijer is eyeing Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.” Read more

 

Paper: Whole Foods chain faces city probe after investigators found ‘worst case of overcharges’ by Sarah Ryley & Reuven Blau at NY Daily News. “Inspectors weighed 80 different types of items at Whole Foods’ eight locations in (NYC) that were open at the time. They found every label was inaccurate…Whole Foods, according to the city, wasn’t the only bad apple. The sweep included 120 grocery stores citywide, and 77% were hit with one or more violations.” Read more

 

CVS Health Announces New Chief Marketing Officer  Read the release

 

What is that mysterious Amazon Treasure Truck driving around Seattle? by Emily Parkhurst at Puget Sound Business Journal. “It’s likely the truck is part of some kind of promotional stunt, possibly to drive signups for Amazon Prime. The truck has its own Twitter account, @treasuretruck, and all it says in the description is “Hello Seattle, Treasure Truck is on its way.” The account tweeted that it was coming to Seattle soon on Tuesday afternoon.Read more

 

Why Walmart crushed Target in Canada by Hollie Shaw at Financial Post. “A new report from real estate firm Colliers International reveals sales per square foot at Target Canada were $97 in 2013, compared with Walmart Canada’s average of $492 per square foot.” Read more

 

J.C.Penney CEO Marvin Ellison Presents at Oppenheimer Consumer Conference via Seeking Alpha Read the Transcript

 

Wal-Mart Scours eBay for Tech Talent by Kim Nash at WSJ. “Wal-Mart is shopping at eBay Inc., hiring away at least 65 technology professionals recently as it buys the talent needed to compete in e-commerce…In the last two years alone, at least 49 such experts have left eBay for Wal-Mart, according to research by CIO Journal.” Read more (Subscription)

 

Target pulls Confederate Halloween costume from website by Jim Hammerand at Minn./St. Paul Business Journal. “Our intention is never to offend,” spokeswoman Molly Snyder said. “We all recognize the great sensitivity around this and have removed that one item from our website.” Read more

 

Alibaba gives up on Amazon rival after a year by Tricia Duryee at GeekWire. “That’s even more the case following today’s news that it is giving up on 11 Main, an online retail site it launched a year ago that was focused on selling a wide variety of items, including home, fashion, jewelry and crafts.” Read more

 

Tipsheet Extra

Nordstrom now has five women on its board

Wal-Mart CEO McMillon: ‘Double Bottom Line’ Exists (Video)

Staples merger unlikely after judge blocks Sysco/US Foods union

Penner, McMillon relationship ‘crucial’ to long-term Wal-Mart success

Younger Americans Fear Other Drivers More Than Death, Public Speaking and Spiders

Shocking Values program: Sam’s Club the first wholesale retailer to offer an online daily deal program

H-E-B /Publix /Trader Joe’s Earn Top Emotion Scores In Temkin Group Research

The Best Time of Day to do Everything at Work

Read Tipsheet Extra Stories

 

***

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. See our website at www.eyeonretail.net

 

Tuesday Tipsheet: 12.4% for Wmart Shipping Pass | Back-to-School +24% | Ellison Profile

 

Walmart will no longer sell products with the Confederate flag by Sarah Begley at Fortune. “We never want to offend anyone with the products that we offer,” the spokesman, Brian Nick, said. “We have taken steps to remove all items promoting the confederate flag from our assortment—whether in our stores or on our web site.” Read more

 

Marvin Ellison’s story is classic J.C. Penney by Maria Halkias at Dallas News. “Ellison quoted his father: “‘When the economy was bad, I was grinding. When the economy was good, I was grinding. I had seven kids and couldn’t take a chance.’ “Then he asked me,” Ellison said. “Are you willing to roll up your sleeves and grind every day?” After relaying that story, Ellison told Penney managers that he’s not a fancy person. “I won’t try to be theatrical or provocative with you…” Read more

 

Tenet’s Most Powerful Brands (Wgreen #33, Lowe’s #43, Wmart #52, Costco #85)  See the Top 100 list

 

Don’t worry, Amazon: Not many plan to sign up for Walmart’s new shipping program by Tricia Duryee at GeekWire. “The study, which was conducted by Prosper Insights, found that just 12.4 percent of respondents said they were “likely” or “very likely” to sign up for Walmart’s Shipping Pass.” Read more

 

…But on the bright side nearly half (45.7%) of those “likely” or “very likely” to subscribe to Shipping Pass were identified as Millennials via Pam Goodfellow at Forbes. Read more

 

Home Depot #1 Radio Advertiser for 12th Consecutive Week at Radio Ink. “Home Depot is the top radio advertiser with a whopping 63,682 commercials aired for the week of June 15-21, according to Media Monitors. Geico remains in second place with 35,358 ads played.” Read more

 

Meijer: Wisconsin grand opening today by Alison Bauter at Milwaukee Business Journal. “Meijer makes its Milwaukee-area debut Tuesday, starting with a Grafton grand opening in the morning followed by Kenosha in the afternoon.” Read more

 

***A message from Dolce Extra Virgin Olive Oil – Looking for a true extra virgin olive oil? If you’re looking for high quality and high-impact packaging you’ve found it. Dolce features a maximum acidity rate of 0.2% and adheres to strict quality standards. Our advanced systems ensure less than 12 hours between harvest and oil extraction to packaging. See the new websiteRetailers-request a bottle and judge for yourself: info@shiftmarketinggroup.net

 

Wal-Mart disputes report saying it uses tax havens to avoid paying taxes by Kim Souza at The City Wire. “This calculation incorrectly includes inter-company assets, primarily investment in our wholly-owned subsidiaries and inter-company loans which are both eliminated on consolidation,” (Randy) Hargrove told The City Wire in a phone interview.” Read more

 

Why stores matter to Home Depot’s e-commerce push by Mark Brohan at Internet Retailer “Home Depot Inc. added $1 billion in new web sales in 2014, posting total web sales of $3.5 billion, in large measure because of effective use of stores. That’s the key point Home Depot senior vice president and president of online Kevin Hofmann told analysts last week at the sixth annual Goldman Sachs dotCommerce conference in New York.” Read more

 

Wal-Mart is amending supplier contracts to control costs at The City Wire. “This week Wal-Mart Stores confirmed it began sending out amended agreements with approximately 10,000 of its suppliers in hopes of better controlling costs…Wal-Mart said the goal of the new agreement is to bring more simplicity and consistency to its supplier relationships.” Read more

 

WinCo to Open Another in Surprise, AZ  Read the release

 

Back-to-school: Will retailers’ bets pay off? by Krystina Gustafson at CNBC. “Research from the National Retail Federation, to be released Tuesday, found that 29 percent of households with children between the ages of 6 and 17 plan to spend more on back-to-school shopping this year. That’s up from 24 percent last year.” Read more

 

Big Lots Launches Big Lots Latino “Big Lots announced the launch of Big Lots Latino, a new Spanish language information hub for Hispanic customers.” Read the release

 

People are drinking less coffee thanks to the rise of single-servings by Luc Cohen at Reuters via Financial Post. “Coffee consumption in the United States is expected to fall to 23.7 million 60-kg bags in the upcoming 2015/16 season, down from 24 million bags in the year that ends in September and the first drop since 2009/2010, the U.S. Department of Agriculture forecast in its biannual coffee report on Friday.” Read more

 

Tipsheet Extra

These 3 kinds of shoplifters cost Wal-Mart a ton of money

Ryan Gosling writes open letter urging Costco to sell cage-free eggs

Woman stops to use CVS restroom, ends up winning $5 million in lottery

Amazon Echo Now Available to All Customers

12 crazy facts hardly anyone knows about Wal-Mart

‘Gambling malls’ may be coming to a strip mall near you

Entrepreneur set out to build a backyard deck that doesn’t rot

GLIDDEN Paint by PPG Launches GRAB-N-GO Pre-Mixed Paint at WALMART Stores

Read Tipsheet Extra Stories

 

***

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. See our website at www.eyeonretail.net

 

Monday Tipsheet: Instacart’s Part Timers | Loblaws Strike? | Catalina’s Sneak Peek

 

Amazon Online Audience Doubles Wal-Mart’s by Douglas A. McIntyre at 24/7 Wall Street. “In May, it posted 182 million unique visitors, fourth among all sites in the United States. Wal-Mart Stores…had an online unique audience of 86 million.” Read more

 

The result of Chicago plastic bag ban: Shopping bags to be sturdier by Alexia Elejalde-Ruiz at Chicago Tribune. “When Chicago’s plastic bag ban kicks in Aug. 1, many shoppers accustomed to carting groceries home in those ubiquitous plastic bags will instead walk away with … nicer plastic bags…Walmart has been testing its new ordinance-compliant plastic bags at two of its Chicago stores, and plans to roll them out to its 12 city locations by the end of June.” Read more

 

Instacart hires grocery shoppers to part-time jobs amid contract-labor disputes by Curt Woodward at Boston Globe. “Instacart, which has relied on contractors to fill and deliver online orders, will now make some of its shoppers part-time employees. The change will be introduced in Boston and Chicago on Monday, and Instacart might expand the practice to its 14 other US markets, the company said.” Read more

 

Catalina Program Gives Shoppers Peek at Next Week’s Deals by Jack Neff at Ad Age. “Every shopper enrolled in the loyalty programs of participating stores is shown five offers for the week ahead when they check out, using printouts from Catalina’s Checkout Coupon system.” Read more

 

***A message from Mobee’s ‘Bees’: Mobee has over 350,000 GPS tracked, Smartphone enabled ‘Bees’ located within 5 miles of every US retail store. Detect supply chain issues quickly and remedy the problem immediately.“Supply Chain Fix Alerts” have resulted in post-alert sales increases of up to +35%. How Mobee works videoContact dowdy@getmobee.com to request a free pilot.

 

Amazon changes its key formula for calculating product ratings and displaying reviews by Todd Bishop at Geek Wire. “Amazon will give greater weight to newer, more helpful and verified customer reviews (written comments) and ratings (the 5-star system) when determining top reviews to display, and when calculating a product’s overall rating.” Read more

 

Loblaws workers reject tentative deal, union says its preparing for a strike at The Globe & Mail  Read more

 

East Ottawa: Costco to relocate to bigger store, and bigger lot at Ottawa Citizen. “With the bulk warehouse store’s pending move to larger quarters — and a larger parking lot — a few blocks north, Costco should no longer need an off-duty police officer to ensure order.” Read more

 

Twin Cities: St. Paul Port Authority considers Walgreens a ‘home run’ for Macy’s building at Pioneer Press Read more

 

Wayfair Partners with Country Singer-Songwriter Ashley Monroe on Writer’s Room Makeover  Read the release

 

Man wearing only Halloween mask and shoes runs through Walmart yelling ‘I’m on fire!’ before dousing himself with milk by Ashley Collman at Daily Mail. Read more / See the pics

 

***

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. See our website at www.eyeonretail.net

Friday Tipsheet: H.Depot’s Campbell to B&N Board | D.Tree CEO Shares Plans | Wmart: Greeters Return & DC Connection

 

Walmart Greeters Moving Back to the Front of the Store by Benjamin Snyder at Fortune. “The reason? To check for possible theft among shoppers and reduce the amount of money lost on stolen items each year…The test is taking place at a few hundred stores in the U.S.” Read more

 

How a Wall Street Exec Played Career Counselor to Costco’s Richard Galanti by Lucina Shen at Business Insider. “(Richard) Galanti had walked into (Fred) Lane’s office one day in the late 1970s while both were working at Donaldson Lufkin and Jenrette and asked, “should I get an MBA?” Lane responded:“Richard, does your father want you to go to business school?” “Yes.” “Does your father love you?” “Yes.” “Do you love your father?” “Yes.” “Then you should go to business school!” Read more

 

Dollar General EVP Sells $389,783.24 in Stock at Dakota Financial News. “Robert D. Ravener sold 5,012 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, June 17th.” Read more

 

Home Depot’s Ann-Marie Campbell Named to Barnes & Noble Board of Directors “Ms. Campbell currently serves on the board of Potbelly Corporation, and on the Catalyst, Inc. Board of Advisors.” Read the release

 

Dollar Tree CEO: Expect reduced prices, improved appearance at Family Dollar stores by Jennifer Thomas as Charlotte Business Journal. “Family Dollar stores need to focus on the “value” customer with a focus on everyday low prices and delivering the right assortment of merchandise at competitive prices. That includes adding new categories and products while removing and reducing the assortment of unprofitable ones.” Read more

 

Washington D.C. often a training ground for Wal-Mart corporate jobs by Kim Souza at The City Wire. “The DC connection is interesting especially given that 20 years ago Wal-Mart had little to do with Washington. That is obviously changing,” said Alan Ellstrand, corporate governance expert and professor at the University of Arkansas.” Read more

 

Whole Foods Says This Is the Best Day for Discounts by Jacob Davidson at Money. “A Whole Foods rep tells Business Insider that Wednesday is the one day where the sales from the current week and the previous week overlap, leaving consumers with a larger number of discounts.” Read more

 

Kroger Q1 Earnings Call Transcript via Seeking Alpha  Transcript

 

CVS Health Opens Digital Innovation Lab in Boston “The Digital Innovation Lab, located at 116 Huntington Avenue in Boston’s Back Bay neighborhood, will ultimately employ up to 100 team members, complementing the work of the more than 100 digital professionals currently at the company’s Digital Experience Center in Woonsocket. “ Read the release

 

Walmart Presents at Goldman Sachs dotCommerce Day  Read the transcript

 

Home Depot Presents at Goldman Sachs dotCommerce Day  Read the transcript

 

Retailer lets you take a shower, cook a meal in its stores by Krystina Gustafson at CNBC. “Robin Lewis…said Pirch represents what he believes to be the future of retailing. Similar to Lululemon, Apple or Cabela’s stores, the brand’s shops include what Lewis called a “neurologically addictive experience. “Not only can shoppers reserve Pirch’s “Sanctuary” room—which includes more than a dozen shower heads, a steam room and a sauna—but whenever the store is open, a chef is always cooking, sending the aroma of bacon or other savory treats through the air.” Read more

 

Denver Pilot: Kroger/King Soopers Launches Natural/Organic E-com site Read the release

 

From the Archive: Frank Blake Q&A by Susan Reda at NRF. “What’s the most recent DIY project you’ve undertaken and how did it go? Do you consider yourself handy? I really like a simplified project, but the most recent “serious” DIY project was replacing a P-trap (a plumbing project). I don’t hold myself out as a DIYer.” Read the Q&A

 

Walgreens store without air-conditioning for weeks by Xerxes Wilson at The News Journal. “I went in there and every associate was dripping with sweat,” said Hockessin resident Michael Howe, who shops at the store weekly. “I started about a month ago complaining about how it was hot in there.” Howe said the cashier offered customers free water.” Read more

 

Tipsheet Extra

Milk surplus forcing Canada’s dairy industry to dump supply

Jessica Alba lobbies Congress for stronger chemical protections

Leo Burnett’s FutureShop: Browse 4D Retail Tech, Perch, Aisle 411

Dallas: Whole Foods to open Uptown store in August

America’s Best And Worst Food Franchises

Read Tipsheet Extra Stories

 

***

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. See our website at www.eyeonretail.net