Friday Tipsheet: Target HR Exec Exits | CVS Accused of Overcharging | B.Buy Accepts AMEX Points

 

Another Target Executive is Leaving Company by Nick Halter at Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal. ” …this time it’s Judy Werthauser, the senior vice president of human resources, headquarters…by my count at least eight of the company’s top 50 executives have left since Cornell’s arrival.” Read more

 

CVS accused of overcharging thousands of customers for generic drugs in suit at AP via NY Daily News. “We’ve seen people who pay $20 for a 30-day supply as their copayments on a drug that was $11.99 for a 90-day supply had they been in the (discount program),” said Kristen Broz, an attorney with Hausfeld, the firm that filed the suit.” Read more

 

CVS partners with IBM to mine all your health data by Jessica Bartlett at Boston Business Journal. “…engineers imagine programs that can track your prescription uses to figure out if you’re properly taking your medication, or a system that can use data CVS has collected on you to figure out when you might develop complications from diabetes.” Read more

 

Best Buy’s online site becomes outlet for holders of American Express reward cards by Kavita Kumar at Star Tribune. “Shoppers can now use their American Express points to buy TVs, refrigerators, drones or pretty much anything they want from Best Buy’s website. The new capability that has been integrated into the checkout process on BestBuy.com went live Thursday.” Read more

 

Target begins using credit card chip readers as deadline looms by Nick Halter at Minneapolis/St.Paul Business Journal. “It appears Target started reading chips at least a month ago. Target installed the card readers months ago but hadn’t used them until recently. It’s not clear why, and Target could not immediately be reached for more information.” Read more

 

Lee Rudofsky leaves Wal-Mart legal team to be Arkansas’ solicitor general at The City Wire. Read more

 

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Landlords call on Target to release inter-company claims information by Marina Strauss at Globe & Mail. “RioCan Real Estate Investment Trust, the largest landlord of Target Canada, contends the retailer could be holding back on releasing vital information, possibly putting all creditors at a disadvantage, according to the landlord’s submission this week to Ontario Superior Court.” Read more

 

Kroger’s first female officer announces retirement by Tom Demeropolis at 

 

IKEA Gets Deeper Into the Woods by Saabira Chaudhuri at WSJ. “IKEA is working to wield more control over its most important raw material: wood. The Swedish furniture giant earlier this month bought a forest in Romania, marking the first time that the company will manage its own forest operations.” Read more (Subscription)

 

Rite-Aid July Comp +2.4% (Front End +0.1%) Read the release

 

How America’s biggest companies are intimately interconnected by Jonathan Marino at Business Insider. “Only three companies — The Home Depot, Verizon, and UnitedHealthcare — had no board member overlap with other DJIA constituents.” Read more

 

Weis Markets Q2 Comp +4.3% Read the release

 

Woman with Tourette’s sues Walmart after being banned for outbursts by Rick Neale at Florida Today via USA Today. “Her husband of 29 years, Kevin, seeks $200,000 for “loss of consortium” with his wife.” Read more

 

Tipsheet Extra

KFC makes a chicken bucket that also prints photos, but only in Canada

Target Inspires Budding Designers at STITCHED Fashion Camp

Alibaba unlikely to set up U.S. headquarters in Seattle

Kraft ditches free snacks for employees in cost crackdown following Heinz merger

Boston Public Market Opens, Dedicated to New England Wares

Instacart now offering workers employee status in nine cities

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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. See our website at www.eyeonretail.net

Thursday Tipsheet: Wmart HQ May Layoff 1K | Costco Shoppers Spend +149% | Dollar Stores Convert +30%| CVS/Target Skeptic

 

They Came, They Saw but Did They Shop? At Costco and Dollar Stores, They Did by Kate Kaye at Ad Age. “Costco shoppers spend 149% more per visit than at the average retailer, and dollar store shoppers are around 30% more likely to make a purchase than when visiting other retailers.”  Read more

 

As many as 1,000 employees could be laid off at Walmart HQ by Chris Bahn at Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. “As many as 1,000 employees could be laid off at the home office, according to Cameron Smith of Cameron Smith & Associates, which specializes in working with Wal-Mart vendors and suppliers. Smith said he sent the memo to his employees on the basis of conversations with people “inside Wal-Mart” Read more

 

Costco Photo still down after hacking incident, won’t return until early August by Tricia Duryee at Geek Wire. “Costco says it continues to take orders at its warehouse’s photo desks, and warns that if you received an email, saying that your account has been deleted due to inactivity, it is not true.” Read more

 

It’s Amazon’s World. The USPS Just Delivers in It by Devin Leonard at Bloomberg. “David Vernon, an analyst at Bernstein Research who tracks the shipping industry, estimates the USPS handled 40 percent of Amazon’s volume last year—or almost 150 million items—more than either United Parcel Service or FedEx. He figures that Amazon pays the USPS $2 per package, which is about half what it would pay UPS and FedEx.” Read more

 

Washington Post: New mini-Target in College Park hailed as a sign of what’s coming by Arelis R. Hernandez. “It’s a nice fit,” said Andre Fletcher, who lives in the District and uses mass transit to reach his job in U-Md.’s registrar office. “It seems they are creating more of a community instead of just a destination.” Read more

 

Whole Foods’ earnings fall short amid overcharging scandal by Lisa Fickenscher at NY Post. “Same-store sales were up just 1.3 percent — far less than the 2.9 percent Wall Street analysts had expected.” Read more

 

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Forbes: Best Places for Business & Careers (Atlanta #5, Seattle #6)  See the top 30

 

Merchants seek to void $6 billion Visa, MasterCard, AmEx settlements by Jonathan Stempel at Reuters. “Dozens of retailers are seeking to void nearly $6 billion of U.S. antitrust settlements with Visa Inc, MasterCard Inc and American Express Co after learning that opposing lawyers exchanged confidential information, potentially tainting the accords.” Read more

 

As Target pharmacies shift to CVS, will consumers stick around? by Martin Moylan at MPR News. “Investors have generally cheered the sale…Davidowitz, however, is a skeptic and believes it will be a major problem. “I don’t think Target looked at this correctly,” he said. “Target has positioned itself to where it was clear to the customer that they were real alternative to Walmart and their prices were very, very close to Walmart’s.” Read more

 

Dick’s Expands ‘Sports Matter’ Campaign in Second Year by Declan Harty at Ad Age. “For a group of kids in Harlem, lacrosse has become a lifestyle. Depicted in two new national spots from Dick’s Sporting Goods set to premiere on Wednesday, the Harlem lacrosse team has become the latest beneficiary of the retailer’s program, Sports Matter.” See the spots / Read more

 

Whole Foods Market Announces First 365 by Whole Foods Market Store Leases  Read the release

 

Inside the Quest to Breed the Perfect Strawberry by Dune Lawrence at Bloomberg. “A few years ago, during his commute across California’s Pajaro Valley, Phil Stewart began stopping more regularly at the Burger King in Watsonville. He wasn’t just there for the Whoppers. He was visiting a wild strawberry plant…” Read more

 

$48,000 Ovens? Meet The Luxury Retailer Selling Appliances Like Apple, Tiffany’s by Liyan Chen at Forbes. “The industry has been dominated by big-box retailing,” says retail analyst Dana Telsey of Telsey Advisory Group. “The products featured at Pirch start where Home Depot and Lowe’s end.” Read more

 

Tipsheet Extra

Costco’s Richard Galanti co-chairs United Way campaign

Walmart And Kroger Pull Cilantro From Stores

This Remarkable Short Film Set at Costco Explores the Empty Obsession With Shopping

Judge Backtracks On Walmart Shoplifter’s Lifetime Ban From All U.S. Stores

Meijer ad man who stole $78K from company pays it back, avoids jail

Wayfair Partners with Sherwin-Williams to Launch DIY Hub

Amazon starts charging $5 for Dash Buttons to make ordering a cinch

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. See our website at www.eyeonretail.net

 

Wednesday Tipsheet: Target ‘Cartwheel’ Exec Exits | Meijer Family Blackmailed | WMT Warns Suppliers | AMZN Showcases Startups

 

Top Target Digital Executive Alan Wizemann Is Leaving by Jason Del Rey at Recode. “Wizemann started working with Target in late 2012 as a consultant, when he helped overhaul the team building the Cartwheel coupon app…Wizemann is an entrepreneur at heart, having founded several startups before he joined Target. He also lives full time in Portland, Ore., and traveled regularly to Target’s Minneapolis headquarters.” Read more

 

Amazon First to Lay Out Drone ‘Rules of the Road’ by Matt O’Brien at San Jose Mercury News. “Amazon was first to unveil a plan Tuesday that includes a high-speed lane for robot delivery drones — including its own Prime Air fleet — flying between 200 and 400 feet above the ground.” Read more

 

Wal-Mart Warns Suppliers Over Labeling Laws by Dow Jones via Nasdaq. “The memo, dated July 20, reads as a perfunctory reiteration of state, federal and company regulations. It also notes that any fines against Wal-Mart or the company’s membership-only club chain Sam’s Club could be directed back to suppliers.” Read more

 

Supervalu shares soar on plan to spin off Save-A-Lot by Mike Hughlett at Star Tribune. “Supervalu’s announcement Tuesday that it aims to spin off Save-A-Lot, a national discount grocery chain, sent the company’s shares soaring 10 percent.” Read more

 

Amazon’s New Launchpad Page Showcases Startup Products by Abigail Tracy at Forbes. “More than 200 products created by startups are currently featured on Amazon’s new Launchpad page, which launched on Tuesday. The online retail giant worked with 25 venture capital firms, crowdfunding platforms and startup accelerators to curate the storefront’s selection.” Read more

 

Here’s how Kroger got on the cutting edge of the craft beer scene by Andy Brownfield at Cincinnati Business Courier. “Kroger was one of the first grocery chains that saw the potential of craft beer, and they were one of the first chains to put Samuel Adams on their shelves,” Koch told me.” Read more

 

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DICK’S Sporting Goods, DonorsChoose.org launch ‘Sports Matter’ crowdfunding partnership by Cam Smith at USA Today. “Three million dollars, half of it from DICK’S, can go a long way toward soothing the sting of many of these cutbacks.” Read more

 

St. Louis suburb gets first Neighborhood Markets in area by Lisa Brown at St. Louis Post Dispatch. “Two Wal-Mart Neighborhood Markets, which are about 41,000 square feet versus 182,000 square feet for Supercenters, will open at 45 Sutters Mill Road and 3031 Mid Rivers Mall Drive in St. Peters.” Read more

 

Lowe’s Canada President to Speak at Retail Council Breakfast on Sep. 3rd  Read the invite

 

Brit tried to extort £2million from Meijer family by Steph Cockroft at Daily Mail. “Casbolt – described in court as an ‘extremely dangerous man’ – also posted ramblings about his wife being a prostitute and even threatened to send suicide bombers to her parents’ home.” Read more

 

Tipsheet Extra

Brian Cornell resigns from the board of directors of Polaris Industries

‘Elvis Presley Bedding’ headed to select Walmart stores

Sunglass company Oakley is laying off more than 160 workers

Waltons to bring new private school to Bentonville

Meat-labeling legislation sparks fear of retaliation against US

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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. See our website at www.eyeonretail.net

Tuesday Tipsheet: Wmart New Ecom Center | Target Catches Aldermans Ire | Google Express Union? | Meijer Likes Tesla

 

Millennials May Shop Walmart, But They Don’t Love Walmart by Pam Goodfellow at Forbes. “Millennials’ Net Promoter® Scores for Target were higher than their Walmart-shopping counterparts’ ratings in 24 of 25 categories.” Read more

 

Are You Geek Chic Or Earthy Explorer? Target’s Digital Design Tool Will Tell You by Courtney Fishman at Ad Age. “From “chic geek” to “earthy explorer,” each personality type leads to an interactive dorm design followed by a curated list of recommendations for bedding, storage and decorations.” Read more

 

New Walmart center for managing e-commerce operations opens in Sunnyvale CA by Jeremy Quach at The Mercury News. “The building will house 500 associates and technologists and an interactive 40-foot Prysm video wall, which can track website traffic and orders from the company’s 245 million weekly customers. The office is located at 680 W. California and is the fifth building in the Bay Area for Walmart Global eCommerce.” Read more / See the pic

 

Tesla to open car charging station at Meijer store via Detroit Free Press. “WOOD-TV reports the charging station is set to open Monday at a Meijer store in Cascade Township. The charging station would work with Tesla’s Model S electric sedan.” Read more

 

Lowe’s Canada Announces Newly Appointed Vice President of Supply Chain “Lowe’s Canada announced the appointment of Gregor Stuart as Vice President, Supply Chain effective July 27, 2015.” Read the release

 

Home Depot #1 in radio (by far) at Radio Ink. “Home Depot aired 71,053 commercials during the week of July 20-26, making it #1 by far. Geico also increased its ads aired for the week, but remains #2 with 47,302 spots.” Read more

 

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99 Cents Only names former Walmart grocery chief Sinclair CMO at Supermarket News. “Based in City of Commerce, Calif., 99 Cents Only operates 384 stores in four Western states.” Read more

 

Whole Foods to sell its own beer in Texas by Michael Theis at Austin Business Journal. “Whole Foods announced it will begin distribution of its craft beer at all 10 of its Houston-area stores on Aug. 8. Stores in the Austin area and the rest of the state’s Whole Foods shoppers will get a chance to buy the beer on Sept. 18.” Read more

 

IKEA’s gorgeous vision of the future kitchen is a big lie by Max Ehrenfreund at Washington Post. Read more

 

Amazon Has Jet Beat on One Thing–Website Speed by Rebecca Borison at The Street. “Jet’s homepage is 25% slower to load than Amazon’s, according to software delivery service Instart Logic.” Read more

 

Target’s Jeff Jones and Lowe’s Gihad Jawhar join Point Inside Board by Allison Deangelis at Bellevue Reporter. “Point Inside’s digital system called StoreMode combines the physical location of products in-store with enterprise data and mobile shopper behavior…Target, Lowe’s Home Improvement and Meijer already use the StoreMode platform.” Read more

 

Chicago: Alderman sees ‘loophole’ in plastic bag ban via Chicago Business Journal. “Target and Jewel-Osco stores have caught Cardenas’s ire for their plans to continue using plastic bags, only these ones are thicker and, the companies say, can be re-used as many as 125 times…”We’ll re-visit that and make it so we can remove plastic from the environment by doing a complete ban on certain types of plastic.” Read more

 

Lands’ End CEO on her post-Sears plan: “I am here to move the needle” by Phil Wahba at Fortune. Read more

 

eBay shutters same-day delivery service by Heather Somerville at The Mercury News. “You can’t wake up in the morning without a local delivery company announcement. So, we’re going to use all those players.” Read more

 

Google Express delivery workers want to unionize by Matt O’Brien at The Mercury News. Read more

 

“Bird lady” and her service bird asked to leave Kroger store by Jordan Burgess at WCPO Cincinnati. “Cooper travels everywhere with Jackson, mostly around town, often traveling by moped. In public, she puts a diaper on the bird to prevent any messes and keeps him on a leash, she said.” See the video / Read more

 

Tipsheet Extra

NYPD officers seen punching man during arrest at Brooklyn Target

Alibaba Answers Walmart Challenge With Grocery Blitz

Amazon has a Twin Cities partner in drive-up grocery venture

Buffett’s Dairy Queen is ripping off Subway sandwiches

Philly U designers score space on Target’s shelves

Labor unions ready to fight bankrupt A&P

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. See our website at www.eyeonretail.net

Monday Tipsheet: Lowe’s 54 in CAN | A.Watch in B.Buy 8/7 | Amazon’s Groc. Pickup | B.Pro Cuts <60 @ HQ

 

Report: Amazon planning drive-up grocery stores by Nathan Donato-Weinstein at Silicon Valley Business Journal. “The e-commerce giant is developing a new drive-up store concept in Silicon Valley that will allow consumers to order grocery items online, then schedule a pickup at a dedicated facility, according to industry sources familiar with Amazon’s plans.” Read more

 

Lowe’s expanding Canadian network to 54 stores via Globe & Mail. “Lowe’s Canada said it will spend $50-million to build two new stores in Ontario….Lowe’s acquired 12 former Target locations as well as Target’s Milton, Ont., distribution centre for $147.75-million after the company decided to close its Canadian operations…The 14 new stores will be located across the country including four new stores in British Columbia, two in Alberta, one in Saskatchewan and seven in Ontario.” Read more

 

Apple Watch coming to Best Buy on August 7th by Casey Common at Star-Tribune. “It will initially be available in more than 100 stores and on BestBuy.com, the Richfield retailer said Sunday in a posting on its corporate website. Another 200 stores will have it in time for the holidays.” Read more

 

Today Show: Wal-Mart’s oldest employee in the US celebrates turning 103 with special party by Shelby Marra. “Loren Wade works at a Winfield, Kansas Wal-Mart where he waters plants, greets customers and runs the cash register. In fact, he is such a fixture at the local Wal-Mart that his coworkers recently helped him ring in his birthday by throwing him a very special birthday party.” See the video / Read more

 

Retail Just Lost Its 2nd Busiest Shopping Season by Krystina Gustafson at CNBC. “As consumers increasingly stock up on back-to-school essentials throughout the year, and simultaneously shift their view as to what constitutes a school item in the first place, a new study has found that parents of children from kindergarten through high school plan to spend $434 on back-to-school items this year—a 20 percent decline.” Read more

 

Target will have solar-power projects in all major N.C. markets by John Downey at Charlotte Business Journal. “The plans already filed represent an investment of almost $22 million. And Target is likely to put rooftop projects on at least two more stores this year, according to its filings with the N.C. Utilities Commission. That would be about 60% of its 49 stores in the state.” Read more

 

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Bass Pro confirms layoffs at HQ by Wes Johnson at Springfield News-Leader. “Bass Pro Shops laid off “fewer than 60” employees at its corporate headquarters on east Kearney Street in Springfield and at a woodworking shop in Nixa, the company confirmed Friday…the company also laid off an average of six employees at most of its retail stores across the country.” Read more

 

Walmart plans grocery pickup in Rogers, AR by Teresa Moss at Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. “The Rogers Planning Commission approved a waiver for Walmart to build a grocery pickup at the store at 4208 Pleasant Crossing Blvd. Plans provided to the city show two kiosks with overhangs and a loading area connected to the side of the store. The loading area consists of parking spots with a metal canopy.” Read more

 

The Cities That Are Leading America’s Industrial Revival by Joel Kotkin at Forbes.  See the Top 10 List / Read more

 

Target’s struggle to sell stores exposes Canada’s weak retail leasing market by Marina Strauss at Globe & Mail. “It is quite a bit of space for the market to absorb,” said Caiti Morgan, vice-president of retail valuation at realtor Cushman & Wakefield. “The Target property auction results … weren’t particularly stellar.” Read more

 

Costco Scrutinizes Bulk Cigarette Purchases after Investigation by Scott MacFarlane at News 4 NBC. “News4 I-Team undercover cameras caught alleged smugglers buying huge loads of cigarettes at one time. Some spent tens of thousands of dollars in cash, and bought so much product they needed help wheeling the cartloads out of the store.” See the video / Read more

 

Manchester United kit accidentally put on sale in US one week before official release by Jack Briden at Daily Mail. “The club are set to release the strip on August 1, however a picture emerged on Saturday showing the shirt available for $90 from US retailer Dick’s Sporting Goods.” See the pics / Read more

 

Wal-Mart’s e-commerce goal: Reach 95% of customers in 2 days or less by Matt Linder at Internet Retailer. Read more

 

US anchor’s bizarre theory about Amazon’s success stuns co-host at 9 News. “His female co-host was momentarily speechless. “They’re trying to eat breakfast!” she said, pointing out at the viewers on the other side of the screen.” See the video / Read more

 

Tipsheet Extra

Oscar Mayer rolls all-terrain ‘Wiener Rover’

Build-A-Bear Quietly Removes “Bear” From Job Titles

Jet.com CEO: We Are the Costco of Internet Retail

Bob Abt of Abt Electronics, who ‘raised bar’ for ethical retail, dies at 77

McDonald’s to line Germany’s autobahn with 100 restaurants

Tesco has abandoned 62 planned stores across the UK

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. See our website at www.eyeonretail.net

Friday Tipsheet: Wmart Anti Heat Seat | Satellite Favors H.Depot | Bass Pro Founder ‘1,200 Acres of Wow’ | A.Walton Sells Horses

 

Wal-Mart is joining Target in bid to woo millennial parents by Kavita Kumar at Star Tribune. “(Wal-mart)… has added hundreds of new baby products to its lineup in the last years from about 20 national brands including Baby Bjorn, Ella’s, and Plum Organics…Wal-Mart executives would not say how big of an increase this is to its previous assortment and whether more space has been added in its stores for baby products. But they said it was a “fairly significant increase.” Read more

 

NY Post: Walmart selling baby car seat that can prevent hot-car deaths by Lisa Fickenscher. “There are millions of cars in our parking lots every day and we put a challenge out to the industry,” said Diana Marshall, vice president for baby at Walmart. “Evenflo stepped up with a first-of its kind product aimed at vehicular heat stroke.” Read more

 

Amazon.com Q2 Sales up 20% to $23.18 Billion  Read the release

 

Katy Perry, Coty Launch Perfume Line With Twitter Pop-Up Shop by Declan Harty at Ad Age. “The account, which gained more than 14,000 followers by Thursday afternoon, is the first of its kind for a beauty brand, Ms. Bond said. While she declined to comment on the virtual pop-up shop’s cost, it is a relatively new concept for marketers. As with brick-and-mortar pop-up stores, the goal is primarily to pique consumer’s interest.” Read more

 

Amazon adds record 18,000 workers in quarter to top 183,000 globally by Jacob Demmitt at GeekWire. 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. “Supply Chain Fix Alerts” have resulted in post-alert sales increases of up to +35%. How Mobee works video. Contact dowdy@getmobee.com to request a free pilot.

 

Loblaw to Close 52 Stores by Marina Strauss at Globe & Mail. “Canada’s largest grocer said on Thursday the shutdown of an array of its stores, including supermarkets, pharmacies, standalone Joe Fresh clothing outlets, and gas bars, is expected to cut its sales by about $300-million but add $35-million to $40-million to its operating income annually.” Read more

 

Satellite Imagery Shows Home Depot is Busier than Lowe’s by Ana Watson at Washington Post. “Analysts are now using satellite imagery to examine everything from the lights cast by cities in India, to black market activity in North Korea, to how many people are shopping at Home Depot. As satellite imagery becomes more available, it will reshape how companies monitor their own and competitors’ operations.” Read more

 

Apple Kicks Nest Thermostats From Its Shelves — For Now by Marc Bergen & Dawn Chmielewski at Recode. “The ouster comes as a new generation of devices that take advantage of Apple’s HomeKit home automation technology reach store shelves. “ Read more

 

Cabela’s Q2 Comp Sales +0.8%  Read the release

 

Wal-Mart, thwarted by India’s retail restrictions, goes big: wholesale by Shashank Bengali at LA Times. “Before the Best Price opened…the family relied on a loose network of wholesalers who kept irregular hours. If an item suddenly ran out, it could be days before the vendor returned…”We used to go to 10 or 12 places to get all the inventory we needed, and we would spend the whole day,” Bhaskar Sreenivasan said. “Now it’s better. We come here once or twice a week and in a couple of hours we have everything we need.” Read more

 

Jeff Bezos is now world’s fifth-richest man as Amazon passes Walmart in market cap by Taylor Soper at GeekWire. Read more

 

Bass Pro Founders New Project: ‘1,200 Acres of Wow’ by Wes Johnson at Springfield News-Leader. “Still to come: A sporting clays course reminiscent of a golf links, where shooters travel on a golf cart from “hole to hole” and shoot clays at each stop. Unlike golf, it’s the highest score — he who dusts the most clay pigeons — that wins. The shooting areas aren’t the only draw. Look closely and you’ll see the parking lot lines are painted to look like shotguns.” Read more

 

Walmart Heiress is Selling all of Her Horses at Texas Ranch at CBS DFW. “It’s called realigning my priorities,” (Alice) Walton said in an interview to Western Bloodstock LTD about the sale. “I have loved this business and this way of life.” 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 really happening in the world of retail. See our website at www.eyeonretail.net

 

Thursday Tipsheet: U.Armour +29% | Wmart Buys Out | H.Depot Acquires | Ikea Recalls

 

Wal-Mart buys out China e-commerce firm Yihaodian at Reuters. “Wal-Mart Stores Inc has taken full ownership of Chinese e-commerce firm Yihaodian.com, buying out the 49 percent stake that it did not already own to accelerate its push online.” Read more

 

Amazon’s Latest Prime Perk: A Five Percent Cash-Back Credit Card by Jason Del Rey at Recode. “Amazon quietly introduced the card, the Amazon Prime Store Card, in March and has been slowly rolling out marketing for it on Amazon.com since then. But the company hasn’t done any PR around it.” Read more

 

Under Armour’s quarterly sales jump 29 pct via Yahoo.  Read the release

 

Wal-Mart Is Ending Overnight Hours at Some Stores by Shannon Pettypiece at Bloomberg. “The move will affect about 40 stores, including those in Philadelphia, New Jersey and Maryland, beginning next week, said spokesman Brian Nick. About two dozen 24-hour locations already had their hours reduced this spring, and more stores are slated to go through the process later.” Read more

 

Home Depot just made its biggest acquisition in nearly a decade at Fortune. “Home Depot said Bill Lennie, president of its Canada operations, will oversee the integration and then lead the Pro, MRO and installation services business in a newly created role.” Read more

 

Inside Target’s Cyber Fusion Center via a Bullseye View. “We’ve got teams of Cyber Security analysts working round the clock,” adds Brad Maiorino, Target’s Chief Information Security Officer. “They use a mix of human intelligence, analytics and state-of-the-art technology to detect, investigate and contain threats to our business.” Much of the work they do takes place in our newly opened Cyber Fusion Center (CFC).” See the pics / Read more

 

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Walmart Tests Pizza & Pastry Counter at New Store by Kim Souza at The City Wire. “Corporate spokesman John Forrest Ales said the store also offers made-to-order pizzas while customers wait. The shopper has the option of having it baked by Wal-Mart or simply wrapped for baking at home…Another new feature in the North Walton Boulevard store is a pastry counter supplied by Rick’s Bakery, which is based in Fayetteville.” Read more

 

Macy’s battles Amazon with same day delivery via CNBC. “Macy’s…already offers same-day delivery services in eight markets. By partnering with Deliv,an Uber-like startup that uses a fleet of contract drivers to pickup online orders from stores and malls, the retailer has found a cost-effective way to expand, said the Macy’s official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.” Read more

 

Ikea recalls 27 million chests, dressers after two deaths by Jayne O’Donnell at USA Today. Read more

 

Walmart, Whole Foods Urged To Sell ‘Ugly’ Produce At A Discount at CBS. “Figueiredo’s petition calls on the stores to sell the produce at 30 to 50 percent discount, noting that many low-income families can’t afford fruits and vegetables.” Read more

 

Jet Hits $1 Million in Sales on Launch Day by Jason Del Rey at Recode. “To be clear, that’s the company’s gross receipts, not the cut of sales it keeps for itself.” Read more

 

Walmart Opens New e-Commerce Fulfillment Center in Bethlehem, PA “The new 1.2 million sq. ft. facility in the Majestic Bethlehem Center, which features state-of-the-art automation and warehousing systems, created nearly 400 full-time jobs in the Lehigh Valley…” Read the release  See the video via Morning Call

 

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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. See our website at www.eyeonretail.net

 

Wednesday Tipsheet: Costco Cuts Water | Kraft/Heinz Cuts Mktg | City Target Fenway Opens | Amazon Home Services +11

 

Jet.com CEO Appears on CNBC: “There are 90 million households in America that don’t have Prime,” Jet co-founder and CEO Marc Lore told CNBC’s “Squawk Box.” “This is going to be the fastest and cheapest shipping option for those households.” See the video / Read more

 

Why Wal-Mart, an icon of suburbia, had to urbanize its hometown by Lydia DePillis at Washington Post. “When Jerome Lynch first met a Wal-Mart recruiter at a conference in Washington D.C., he had no intention of joining up. He couldn’t even guess where it was based. “I said ‘I don’t know, Texas?’ She said ‘no, Bentonville, Arkansas.’ I kind of wrote it off right and there,” recalled Lynch, 23.” Read more

 

City Target Near Fenway Park Opens Today by Donna Goodison at Boston Herald. “The escalator at the street-level entrance brings shoppers directly to a second-floor desk where customers who ordered merchandise online can pick it up at the store. “The guests shouldn’t have any confusion and get in and out really quick,” store manager Don Aldridge said.” Read more

 

This is how Costco is using data and sensors to cut water use by Katie Fehrenbacher at Fortune. “A Kirkland, Washington-based startup called Apana is the brains behind Costco’s software and sensors. After operating for two years under the name Kirkland Analytics, Apana is relaunching under a new name Tuesday and with a story about how customers like Costsco have been quietly using its product to cut water use.” Read more

 

WSJ: Pitching Products to Wal-Mart, in 30 Minutes by Sarah Nassauer. “Jacob Moore, the retailer’s merchandise planner for health and wellness, analyzed the mock packaging of the yet-to-be-released product called BootySpray. “You can use this billboard much better,” he said, examining the spray can. Mr. Moore suggested a bigger font for some phrases like: “No messy hands.” Read more (Subscription)

 

Sports Authority’s play to take on Dick’s by Krystina Gustafson at CNBC. “Now, with two years under the belt for much of its executive team, Sports Authority is hoping to end years of what Moody’s described as “inconsistent” operating performance…Moody’s recently upgraded Sports Authority’s ratings outlook from “negative” to “stable”. Read more

 

Amazon invades Angie’s List’s turf even more by rolling out Home Services in 11 new markets by Tricia Duryee at Geek Wire. “Today’s announcement puts the company on track to hit its goal of launching in 30 markets by the end of the year, making it a formidable competitor to other sites like Angie’s List, Pro.com, HomeAdvisor, Porch, Yelp and others.” Read more

 

Sam’s Club says custom jewelry demand growth led by Millennials by Kim Souza at The City Wire. “Joel Heiligenthal, merchant over jewelry at Sam’s Club, recently told The City Wire that one of the retailer’s best kept secrets was its custom jewelry business. About two years ago, Heiligenthal made the decision to place the special order catalogs on the jewelry counters in all of its clubs across the U.S. “It has been well received. A large percentage of our fine jewelry business is special orders today.” Read more

 

***A message from Dolce Extra Virgin Olive Oil: From this Chilean oasis comes Dolce Super Premium Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Featuring the lowest acidity rate in the category at 0.2%. Our advanced systems ensure less than 12 hours between harvest and oil extraction to packaging. See the websiteRetailers request a sample at info@shiftmarketinggroup.net

 

Home Depot Back at #1 in Radio at Radio Ink. “Home Depot is back in the top spot. According to Media Monitors, Home Depot was the advertising king of the hill for the week of July 13-19 with 56,414 commercials aired. The previous week’s #1 advertiser, Geico, slips back to #2 with 42,906 ads played.” Read more

 

Wal-Mart de Mexico sales rise by Anthony Harrup at MarketWatch. “Sales in the quarter rose 9.9% to 114.4 billion pesos, the biggest increase since the third quarter of 2012. Sales in Mexico were up 7.4% and in Central America they rose 25% in Mexican peso terms.” Read more

 

8 grocery stores set to open, or reopen, in metro Detroit this week at Crain’s Detroit Read more

 

Northwest Arkansas Council celebrates 25 years at annual meeting by Christie Swanson at NWA Online. “Jim Walton, chairman and CEO of Arvest Bank Group, took over Monday as the council’s presiding co-chair from Rosalind Brewer, president and CEO of Sam’s Club. This marks Walton’s third stint in the leadership role and he joked that it better be his last.” Read more

 

Nordstrom launches personal shopping service for women under Trunk Club brand by Tricia Duryee at Geek Wire. “A box of clothing is sent to each customer to try on in their own home, and then they can keep what they love and send the rest back for free.” Read more

 

Kraft Heinz Begins Culling Marketing Jobs by E.J. Schultz at Ad Age. “Those departing the company include Tom Bick, senior director-integrated marketing communications and advertising for the Oscar Mayer business; and Kara Henry, senior marketing director, communications and agency relations, according to people familiar with the matter.” Read more

 

These Are the Top 20 Cities Americans Are Ditching at Bloomberg. See the list

 

Walmart Shoppers Sing National Anthem in Patriotic Viral Video at ABC 7 Los Angeles.  See the video

 

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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. See our website eyeonretail.net