Today’s Tipsheet: Target Price-Matches Costco/Sam’s | Costco -1.0% | Dick’s CMO Promoted | Wmart: 9 Steps to 4

 

Costco Q4 Comp Sales -1.0% “Comp sales for Q4 excluding the negative impacts from gasoline price deflation and foreign exchange were +6%” Read the release

 

Target expands price-matching policy to 29 rivals by Kavita Kumar at Star Tribune. “The updated policy, which goes into effect Thursday, includes giants like Macys.com and Staples.com as well as a number of online-only retailers such as Diapers.com, Drugstore.com, Newegg.com, and Wayfair.com. In addition, Target will for the first time begin matching online prices with warehouse clubs, such as Costco and Sam’s Club.” Read more

 

Wal-Mart tweaks store rules for better in-stocks by Kim Souza at The City Wire. “Mark Ibbotson, senior vice president for the Walmart U.S. Central Division…spoke to a group of suppliers in Bentonville in Tuesday…He said the retailer reduced the steps in its in-store supply chain…down from 9 steps to just 4. Also, the retailer began to move away from the Telxon which is used in-store to check inventory levels and adopted the MC40, which is more like a smart phone and much faster technology.” Read more

 

YouTube’s new shopping ads target e-commerce dollars by Julia Boorstin at CNBC. “The new Shopping ads will appear in the top right corner of a video. A click pulls down images and pricinig of products in the video, another takes consumers to the retailer’s website. Advertisers only pay when a user clicks on the ad to go to that site.” Read more

 

2015 Forbes 400 (Jeff Bezos #4, Jim Walton #9, John Menard Jr. #49…)  See the full list

 

Ex-Meijer/Sam’s Club Exec named Academy Sports new President & CEO by Olivia Pulsinelli at Houston Business Journal. “Effective Nov. 2, James Kevin “J.K.” Symancyk will take over the role from Rodney Faldyn, who announced his departure in June.” Read more

 

Ralph Lauren to Step Down as CEO, Hand Reins to Gap’s Larsson by Lindsey Rupp at Bloomberg. Read more

 

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

 

Dick’s CMO promoted by Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. “Dick’s Sporting Goods has promoted Lauren Hobart to executive vice president/​chief marketing officer and Chelsea Collective general manager. Ms. Hobart, who has been with the company since 2011, had been senior vice president/​chief marketing officer.” Story link

 

Amazon expands 1-hour delivery to U.K. by Sam Tonkin at Daily Mail. “(Amazon will) offer a range of 50-60 products to customers in London and Birmingham through its ultra-fast Prime Now service, which allows items to be ordered for delivery within an hour.” Read more

 

Home Depot Presents 2015 Innovation Awards “TTI Homelite / Echo won the retailer’s 2015 Innovation Award for its Echo 58-volt line of outdoor power equipment…Runner-up honors were awarded to Wink, Inc. for its Smart Home Hub and American Standard for its Optum VorMax Tall Height Elongated Toilet.” See the top 10 product innovations

 

Top 100 CPG Brands Mostly Lost Sales and Share in Past Year by Jack Neff at Ad Age.”Catalina found sales for the top 100 brands collectively declined 0.8% to $56.8 billion, even as overall sales tracked by Catalina increased 6% for the year ended June 30.” Read more

 

Peek inside San Jose’s new Bass Pro Shops by Nathan Donato-Weinstein at Silicon Valley Business Journal. “…it will throw open the doors to its new San Jose store, at 5160 Cherry Ave. in the Almaden Ranch shopping center, at 6 p.m. on Oct. 28, with a flurry of special events planned.” See the 18 pics / Read more

 

Menards to build $29 million facility in Missouri, hire over 120 by Diana Barr at St. Louis Business Journal. “Menard Inc. plans to invest $29.1 million into a new manufacturing and distribution facility in Sullivan, Missouri, creating 129 new jobs.” Read more

 

Walmart & Whole Foods Targeted for Produce Waste by Marissa Piazzola at Fox Business. “Over 100,000 people have become supporters of the online petition, including Chef Mario Batali and other notable figures in the food industry. The campaign has received national media coverage including on The Dr. Oz Show.” Read more

 

Hudson’s Bay cuts 265 head office jobs in bid to trim costs by Marina Strauss at Globe & Mail. Read more

 

Tipsheet Extra

Michelle Obama Talks About Going To Target After Moving Out Of White House

NBC 4: Safeway Worker Hurls Mangoes in Attempt to Stop Tide Thief

Why Jeff Bezos and others are betting on fusion

Twitter Plans to Go Beyond Its 140-Character Limit

State Fair’s best hams auctioned for $4,200 each  (Ex-Tractor Supply Chairman/CEO keynotes)

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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

 

Today’s Tipsheet: Wmart Expands Pickup to 8 Cities | Target Spotlights Chemicals | Hacking Dash Buttons

 

NY Times: As Online Data Theft Escalates, Banks Look to Retailers to Bear the Losses by Julie Creswell. “There’s a lot of misinformation out there about this, much of it based on speculation, rumors and opinion by individuals who don’t have the facts, and we’ll address them in the proper forum,” said Stephen Holmes, a spokesman for Home Depot.” Read more

 

Home Depot again asks court to dismiss banks’ lawsuit over data breach by David Allison at Atlanta Business Chronicle. “Home Depot goes on to say that “The banks guarantee the security of their cards and accounts, but rather than take any responsibility for their role in the losses they allege here, they seek to shift full accountability to Home Depot.” To read Home Depot’s full filing, click here.” Read more

 

Amazon Taps ‘On-Demand’ Workers for One-Hour Deliveries by Greg Bensinger at WSJ. “(Amazon) has quietly rolled out a program in its hometown to ferry merchandise to customers’ homes using a network of independent contractors…Under the new service, called Amazon Flex, people sign up for shifts through an app that prompts them to fetch packages from mini-warehouses and take them to customers’ homes in as little as one hour.” Read more (Subscription)

 

Target Expands List of Chemicals It Wants Out of Consumer Goods by Lauren Coleman-Lochner & Shannon Pettypiece at Bloomberg. “Target made the changes earlier this year without publicizing them, but a Washington-based advocacy group called Safer Chemicals, Healthy Families plans to spotlight the list this week. Though Target isn’t prohibiting the ingredients outright, the move gives consumer-products companies fresh incentives to identify and eliminate controversial substances.” Read more

 

…Safer Chemicals, Healthy Families: …This is fantastic, but the policy unfortunately does not set any specific goals or timeframes for suppliers to transition away from harmful chemicals that they have flagged…We applaud Target for improving their standard and look forward to working with them to continue to expand the program over time.” Read more

 

Amazon Showcases New Baltimore Fulfillment Center by Natalie Sherman at Baltimore Sun. Read more / See the video

 

Whole Foods co-CEO: Food industry experiencing ‘tectonic shift’ by Beth Kowitt at Fortune. “This thing is continuing to move, and you better get on board with it or you’re going to get left behind,” Robb said at Fortune Brainstorm E, an energy and environment conference in Austin.” 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%. www.getmobee.com Contact dowdy@getmobee.com to request a free pilot.

 

Walmart Doubles Down On Online Grocery Shopping With Curbside Pickup by Sarah Perez at TechCrunch. “Walmart is announcing a slew of new markets are going live with online grocery shopping. These include: Atlanta, Georgia; Charlotte and Fayetteville, N.C.; Salt Lake City and Ogden, Utah; Nashville, Tennessee; Tucson, Arizona; and Colorado Springs, Colorado. Customers in these regions can begin filling their online carts today, but pickup itself begins October 13….the retailer says the plan is to roll out online grocery shopping to even more stores and regions in the weeks ahead, but is not sharing details.” Read more

 

Amazon to open technology hub, corporate office in Detroit at Crain’s Detroit Business. “The company already has about 100 full-time employees in its offices at 150 W. Jefferson Ave…”We are expanding to multiple floors in our current building to accommodate the goals for our presence in Michigan and hiring plans to bring the great local talent to Amazon,” Peter Faricy, vice president for Amazon Marketplace.” Read more

 

Save-A-Lot executive leaves for PetSmart by Ben Unglesbee at St. Louis Business Journal. “Phoenix, Arizona-based PetSmart announced…Rob Anderson as its new senior vice president and CFO. The appointment is effective Oct. 5.” Read more

 

Amazon will employ a full-time horticulturalist for its new plant-filled Seattle biodomes by Jacob Demmitt at GeekWire. “I never could have imagined when I joined the company in 1999 that we would employ a full time horticulturalist to oversee the diverse plant life that we will have in the spheres,” (Jeff) Wilke said. “It will be a place where new possibilities are explored and ideas are formed.” Read more

 

WestJet hires Canadian Tire exec as new chief financial officer at Reuters. Read more

 

Female shoppers no longer trust ads or celebrity endorsements by Elizabeth Segran at Fast Company. “Before buying a product for themselves or their families, women want to hear from everyday people with whom they can relate: 86% of the 1,470 women surveyed said they put the most trust in real peoples’ product and service recommendations.” Read more

 

Man Hacks Amazon Dash Button To Order Pizza Whenever He Wants by Ashlee Kieler at Consumerist. Read more

 

Tipsheet Extra

Walker & Company Raises $24 Million, Will Sell Its Bevel Razors in Target Stores

Fortune: Walmart doubles down on renewable energy with wind deal

Man reprograms Amazon Dash buttons to control car AC

Ex-Walgreen CIO Joins Hub International

Australia: Aldi & Woolworths under fire on supplier deals

Amazon exec touts contributions, avoids NYT controversy in talk to Seattle business leaders

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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 the website at www.eyeonretail.net

Today’s Tipsheet: B.Buy Tests Store Robot | Aldi Online Next Yr | Wgreen Computer Fixed

 

Best Buy tests robot at New York store by Kavita Kumar at Star Tribune. “In just a half-minute, Chloe can scoot around and pick out a customer’s request from rows of about 15,000 DVDs, CDs, video games and even some tech accessories, such as Beats headphones and chargers. Customers at that store in Manhattan’s Chelsea neighborhood can make a purchase without ever having to interact with a person.” Read more / See Chloe in action

 

Aldi announces it will launch online next year by Chloe Rigby at Internet Retailing. “Aldi today said it would sell via ecommerce from next spring. The discount supermarket said it would first launch the sale of wine by the case, and follow that with sales of non-food items. Deliveries will be made to the home or can be collected from third-party locations.” Read more

 

Retailers Scale Back After Big Inventory Buildups by Paul Page at WSJ. “Some major retailers say they still are trying to pare down inventories from big buildups earlier this year, potentially dampening prospects for a surge in shipping heading into the holiday season.” Read more (Subscription)

 

Ex-Walmart/Bass Pro CFO: Nice guys don’t have to finish last by Daniel P. Smith at UIC News. “Although he was initially fearful of Walmart’s corporate enormity, (Michael) Fung found a company dedicated to its communities and customers. “You don’t last at Walmart if you think it’s about you,” he says.” Read more

 

Walgreens pharmacies’ computer problems fixed by Kim Janssen at Chicago Tribune. “Friday evening, Walgreens spokesman Jim Cohn said that the problem had been fixed.” Read more

 

Luxury-Perfume Makers Turn to Wal-Mart, Target by Serena Ng at WSJ. “The Wal-Mart display is striking because the companies that make these designer fragrances don’t supply them to the world’s largest retailer…A Wal-Mart Stores Inc. spokeswoman said the retailer works with “well-respected suppliers”…She declined to discuss sourcing of specific brands. A Target Corp. spokesman said all its fragrances are authentic and legally purchased and sold.” Read more (Subscription)

 

Walmart CMO Stephen Quinn Hosts Instagram Presentation Read the release

 

This Is Macy’s Idea of a Millennial Wonderland by Kim Bhasin at Bloomberg. “Selfie walls! Wearables! 3D printers! The newly renovated basement at Macy’s massive flagship store in New York City’s Herald Square is full of millennial buzzwords. It’s called One Below, and the department store wants it to be a destination for young shoppers.” Read more / See the in-store pics

 

NY Times: Brands Woo Millennials With a Wink, an Emoji or Whatever It Takes by Sydney Ember. Read more

 

Why I Work for Amazon: A Response by Maria Renz at Amazon via Recode. “I wouldn’t describe myself as outspoken. However, in the wake of the recent New York Times article about Amazon’s culture, I felt the need to contribute my voice to the conversation…” Read more

 

Tipsheet Extra

Fortune: This startup has a secret weapon for grocery stores

Indian Prime Minister Tells Zuckerberg Social Media Creates A New Form Of Diplomacy

Fast Company: The Ultimate Portable Woodburning Stove

LA Times: This week, credit cards with chips are to become the standard

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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

 

Today’s Tipsheet: Wmart E-com Pages Not Loading w/Ad-Block App | BJ’s CEO Joins Board | Wgreen Fills Manually | Target’s New Fix It Exec

 

Apple’s ad-blocking move causes big problems for Walmart, Walgreens, Bass Pro & more by Dan Primack at Fortune. “A Fortune investigation shows that an iPhone enabled with Crystal — the top paid iOS app right now – is unable to fully render the e-commerce sites of many major retailers, including Walmart, Sears and Lululemon.” Read more

 

Target hires new executive to help fix fundamentals by Kavita Kumar at Star Tribune. “Previously (Anu Gupta) was vice president for process and profit improvement at Michaels, the arts and crafts retailer, from 2008 to 2013 and held a leadership role at grocery chain Safeway for three years before that.” Read more

 

Walgreens pharmacists have filled prescriptions manually since Tuesday due to computer outage by Robert Channick at Chicago Tribune. “The system is gradually being restored, but thousands of Walgreens pharmacies remained offline as of Thursday afternoon, (Jim) Cohn said.” Read more

 

BJ’s Wholesale Club CEO Joins EMC Board of Directors by Arik Hesseldahl at Recode. “Laura J. Sen, 59, is the CEO of retail giant BJ’s Wholesale Club and will be EMC’s 13th director…Sen will be the second woman on the board, joining to Jami Miscik, president of Kissinger Associates. Sen is a 26-year veteran of BJ’s and has been its CEO since 2009.” Read more

 

Fortune’s top 40 under 40 list (Jason Buechel, CIO Whole Foods #11, Apoorva Mehta, Instacart #23…) See the top 40 list

 

Life as an Amazon bicycle courier: Steep hills and even steeper expectations by Jacob Demmitt at GeekWire. “Everywhere (Amazon is) losing money and everywhere they’re trying to cut costs by cutting staff,” he said. “Basically, they’re making the entire day a stress situation and then going back to management and asking why the Perfect Delivery Rate isn’t higher.” Read more

 

***A message from Pro-Chlor Septic Tabs – Homeowners with aerobic septic systems must properly chlorinate them or face fines upon mandated county inspections. Flushable tabs don’t work here …only chlorine tabs made specifically for aerobic systems. Contact info@shiftmarketinggroup.net for program information or go to gwtcinc.com

 

Bed, Bath & Beyond Q2 Comp Sales +0.7% Read the release

 

Harvard Business Review References Target & Home Depot in ‘Apology’ Study by Maurice E. Schweitzer, Alison Wood Brooks & Adam D. Galinsky. “The best apologies show candor. They leave no room for equivocation or misinterpretation, and they make absolutely clear that the organization acknowledges both the harm that was caused and its own responsibility.” Read more

 

Pier 1 Imports Q2 Comp Sales +2.5% Read the release

 

Haggen plans to close more than 100 stores, exit Pacific Southwest market at Puget Sound Business Journal. Read more

 

Detroit grocer offers free ride home at SF Gate. “We’re only racist toward one color,” Gappy says, which is followed by an uncomfortably long wait for the punch line. Finally, he says with an enormous gotcha smile: “It’s green! The color of money.” Read more

 

Kroger Names Scot Hendricks President of Delta Division Read the release

 

U.S. economy showing signs of recession, analysts say by Jonathan Ratner at Financial Post. “J.P. Morgan economist Jesse Edgerton (said) in a new report – Based on the current levels of those variables…the chance of a recession within two years is as high as 40 per cent, rising to 66 per cent within three years.” Read more

 

Tipsheet Extra

Target & Lowe’s CIO’s fly to India to meet startups ahead of PM Modi’s Silicon Valley visit

Sears Finally Wraps an Epic Ad Agency Review

Walmart removes ‘Little Amigo’ Halloween outfit from website

Study: Americans eat all day long

Former No. 2 Kroger exec paid $2.7M to leave quietly

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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

 

Today’s Tipsheet: Wmart: Pink Slips & Supplier Pressure | Target Founder’s Estate Sells | REI’s New VP of Retail

 

Rumors continue about deep job cuts at Wal-Mart, Sam’s Club HQ by Kim Souza at The City Wire. “Rumored corporate layoffs at Wal-Mart and Sam’s Club offices in Bentonville persist, with five sources each telling The City Wire on Wednesday (Sept. 23) that the retail giant will begin handing out pink slips as early as this Friday and continue through the fiscal quarter which ends Oct. 31.” Read more

 

Target founder’s lakeside estate sold for $5.3M by Sam Black at Minneapolis/St.Paul Business Journal. “The buyer was an entity controlled by developer and real estate agent George Stickney, who plans a housing development.” See the 17 pics / Read more

 

Wal-Mart presses suppliers to share benefits of cheaper yuan by Nathan Layne & Nandita Bose at Reuters. “Wal-Mart managers in recent weeks have contacted more than 10,000 suppliers in various countries, all of which have manufacturing facilities in China, seeking cost cuts of 2 percent to 6 percent on mainly general merchandise including home furnishings, apparel, health and beauty products, appliances, electronics and toys, according to a consultant who advised Wal-Mart on the move and spoke on condition of anonymity.” Read more

 

J.C. Penney has a new chief merchant by Maria Halkias at Dallas News. “John Tighe, 46, has been named executive vice president and chief merchant at J.C. Penney, following his mentor, Liz Sweney, into the top merchandising role at the Plano-based department store.” Read more

 

Canadian Tire debuts mobile credit card app, game and loyalty card by Hollie Shaw at Financial Post. Read more

 

Target Is Tops in Driving Mobile Sales at Barron’s. “Though consumers spend 60% of digital shopping minutes on mobile, mobile captures only 16% of digital dollars, showing a significant mobile monetization-gap opportunity for retailers who execute well with apps and conversion security.” Read more

 

**A message from Hot Shot Insecticides – While you’re away, what creepy-crawlies are at play? Be the hero with Hot Shot(R) Insecticides — our household bug solutions root out hidden insect pests before they move in and multiply. It’s the clear advantage at home and in the checkout line. Save the day! Check out our videos Visit us on Facebook

 

Field Agent Study: The Rise of Online Grocery Shopping  See the full report here

 

Union fired workers for trying to organize a union: source by Lisa Fickenscher at NY Post. “The union trying for years to organize Walmart workers employs non-union staffers — and fired several of them 15 months ago when they attempted to organize, one former insider claims.” Read more

 

REI Promotes 25-Year Veteran Rachel Ligtenberg to Vice President of Retail  Read the release

 

Smart & Final to open 100-plus stores in four years by Mike Troy at Chain Store Age. “Smart & Final, a uniquely positioned operator of 266 warehouse style stores, has plans to open 100 new stores in the Western United States during the next four years. CEO Dave Hirz dropped that bombshell while he and other senior members of the company were at the New York Stock Exchange to ring the opening bell to commemorate the one year anniversary of the company’s listing.” Read more

 

Home Depot Employees Arrested for Over $200,000 in Credit Card Fraud by Andrew Cohen at Long Island Exchange. Read more

 

Photos: Tim Cook, Jeff Bezos and Mark Zuckerberg meet China’s president at Microsoft by Taylor Soper at GeekWire. “ See the pics / Read more

 

Tipsheet Extra

Meet the seafood rap star at Costco

Walmart Workers Still Unsatisfied, 7 Months After Widely Celebrated Pay Raise

Ron Johnson wants to deliver the iPhone 6s to you in under 4 hours

Here’s a list of companies, people that Quirky owes money to

Reporter not impressed with Walmart in-store pickup

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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

Today’s Tipsheet: 74% Like Wmart Pickup | JCP’s New Chief Merchant Is? | MO AG Slams Wgreens | Cuban Warns Wmart

 

Survey: Walmart grocery pickup popular with 74% of users by Kim Souza at The City Wire. “Field Agent found that 65% of shoppers in its 500-person survey said the inability to take advantage of sales promotions such as coupons, in-store discounts could deter them from using grocery pickup in the future. Likewise, a whopping 91% said being able to use coupons, or being able to benefit from other in-store discounts, was either “extremely” or “very” important to them.” Read more

 

…Five more Walmart pickup locations open today in Northwest Arkansas at NWA. ” The five new locations (all Neighborhood Markets) are: Fayetteville, 2690 East Citizens Drive, Springdale, 4900 Jennifer Terrace, Rogers, 808 West Walnut, Bentonville,1703 East Central Avenue, Bentonville,1400 North Walton Boulevard.” Read more

 

J.C. Penney Is Searching for a New Chief Merchant by Joann S. Lublin at WSJ. “It isn’t clear whether the retailer has picked a successor yet, nor whether the newcomer would come from outside Penney. But the company expects an announcement early Wednesday morning that “does relate to the chief merchant role,’’ one person familiar with the matter said. This person declined further comment.” Read more (Subscription)

 

Don’t count on a very merry Christmas by Krystina Gustafson at CNBC. “Ultimately we’re seeing a holiday that’s going to be a fair amount below the trailing five- and 10-year averages,” said Noam Paransky, director in the retail practice at AlixPartners consulting firm. “It’s certainly not going to be a holiday for the ages.” Read more

 

Missouri Attorney General Hits Walgreens on “Shoddy” Business Practices by Samantha Liss at St. Louis Post Dispatch. “The motion comes after Koster’s office conducted an independent, one-week investigation in July and found more than 1,300 expired and inaccurate sales tags at 49 stores across the state. Koster alleges that hundreds of tags were weeks past the expiration date and two had expired two years earlier.” Read more

 

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

 

Porch launches its own $1,000 guarantee for home-improvement work by Todd Bishop a GeekWire. “The company is launching the Porch Guarantee in 28 markets, and says more cities will be added next year. Porchy has been piloting the program in Chicago and Seattle for the last two months, with just one homeowner taking advantage of the guarantee during the pilot.” Read more

 

Amazon slashes Prime price to $67 for new customers to celebrate Emmy wins by Tricia Duryee at GeekWire. Read more

 

Hillary Clinton Would End Tax Break for Drug Ads by Ana Radelat at AdAge. “The Association of National Advertisers said the Clinton plan is unconstitutional, misguided and likely to hurt sick people who could be helped if they were aware of the development of new drugs.” Read more

 

WalmartLabs Snaps Up Silicon Valley-Based PunchTab by Sarah Perez at TechCrunch. “…the focus is not – at least, initially – on improving the Walmart.com website, but rather on optimizing how Sam’s Club can better tailor offers such as savings, merchandise and services to its members.” Read more

 

A PetSmart-Petco merger might not add up by Jonathan Berr at CBS News. “If you are asking me if things are going to be better after the merger, (the answer is) absolutely not,” Davidowitz said, adding that the combined company would have a “gigantic” amount of debt. “What they should be doing is perfecting their businesses, coming up with specialty niches within pets,” he said. “I can think of a hundred things they ought to be doing.” Read more

 

5,000 Kroger managers coming to Cincinnati summit by Alexander Coolidge at Cincinnati Enquirer. “Kroger is hosting a company-wide leadership summit next week that will draw 5,000 – including managers from every store, factory, distribution center and office the grocer has in the country. The gathering is the second ever of its kind – Kroger held a similar event in Louisville in 2013 – and is intended to spur its growth strategy.” Read more

 

Mark Cuban prepares for ultimate showdown with Walmart at Sports Illustrated. “Cuban bought the patent license from Shane Chen…An American company, IO Hawk, is importing the Chinese-manufactured hoverboards and selling them as well. Walmart plans on selling the hoverboards this holiday season, and if they choose the ones from IO Hawk over Chen, they could be hit with a patent infringement lawsuit…Cuban has Chen’s back, and in an email to Buzzfeed, had some tough talk for Walmart: “They are in for a nightmare,” Cuban said.” Read more

 

Tipsheet Extra

Whole Foods’ expensive, ‘humanely treated’ meat is a ‘sham,’ PETA lawsuit claims

Why the Rexall pharmacy chain is a hot acquisition target

In Seattle, Chinese leader vows to join U.S. to fight cybercrime

Indy: Kroger store opening Thursday offers toys, clothing and appliances

Kohl’s testing same-day delivery in two markets

NYC retailers look for boost from Pope visit on Thursday

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

Today’s Tipsheet: China Pres. to Meet Bezos | Wmart’s ‘Magic’ Text | B.Buy Founder Gives $500K for Entrep.

 

Ex-Walmart Exec Cindy Davis on the Biggest Lesson She Learned at Walmart by Jon Lafayette at Broadcasting & Cable. “The biggest lesson I learned [at Walmart] is that all consumers don’t want the same thing, and even the same consumer wants different things at different times based on their needs,” Davis said. “The key is to have your finger on the pulse of that, so you can innovate and help deliver that to the consumer the right way.” Read more

 

ThredUp: Reinventing the resale business 20 years after eBay by Sarah Halzack at Washington Post. “…he believed there could be big business in helping them sell those pieces online if he could make it as easy as stuffing the castoff clothing in a bag and getting it to a mail carrier. There are signs that his model is getting some traction: ThredUp received 3.8 million items from sellers last year and $81 million in fresh funding earlier this month.” Read more

 

Best Buy founder Dick Schulze to spend $500,000 to bolster entrepreneurship by Neal St. Anthony at Star Tribune. Read more

 

Walmart Simple Text Could Be Walmart’s Version Of Magic by Drew Olanoff at Tech Crunch. “I was shocked that Walmart Labs wasn’t testing something like this already, but if these three keep hammering away at it, making it smarter with AI and tapping into more parts of the Walmart API, it could actually turn into something sustainable.” Read more

 

Specialty Pharmacy Boom Will Continue And CVS Health To Be a Major Beneficiary by Trefis via Forbes. Read more

 

Chinese President arrives in Seattle today, will meet with Jeff Bezos and other CEOs tomorrow morning by Ashley Steward at Puget Sound Business Journal.  See the itinerary / 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%. www.getmobee.com Contact dowdy@getmobee.com to request a free pilot.

 

Thousands of spectators expected at sale of Alice Walton’s horses by Michael Lindenberger at Dallas News. “…I sat there at her table and she interrogated me like she was an attorney during cross-examination…Moving to Fort Worth might bring some relief to another group of folks: the workers at the Super Wal-Mart in Mineral Wells, near her ranch…“She goes there and as soon as they see her coming, they straighten right up.” Read more

 

Student Entrepreneurs Pitch Sam’s Execs, Get Face-to-Face with Rosalind Brewer at NWA.  See the video / Read more

 

Macy’s says more than 14% of its 85,000 seasonal hires will work in fulfillment by Matt Linder at Internet Retailer. Read more

 

Airport security accepts Costco cards at Fox News. “(Erica) Ho told her tale of woe to Transportation Security Administration agents at the airport, where she showed them the Costco card and some credit cards bearing her name. She was then moved aside for a secondary screening and pat down. And that was it.” Read more

 

Tracy Morgan’s Emmy Speech Irks Walmart Truck Driver’s Lawyer by Whitney Friedlander at Variety. “This is exactly what happens when a prosecutor and a judge allow parties to dictate what’s important and control the proceedings,” Glassman said in a statement.” Read more

 

Buy the house immediately across the street from Amazon’s Jeff Bezos by Patti Payne at Puget Sound Business Journal. See the 20 pics / Read more

 

Tipsheet Extra

Home Depot’s Ann-Marie Campbell discusses women’s advancement at Oct.19th event

Washington Post: Another Whole Foods mess – Abuse alleged at pig farm linked to chain

Costco shopper, 78, punched in fight over free Nutella waffle sample

Comedian Steve Harvey buys latex plant, meets with Doug McMillon, gets commitment 

Dick’s Opens #631

Staples, Office Depot $11.3B merger may not happen: source

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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 the website at www.eyeonretail.net

Today’s Tipsheet: Krebs Releases Target Security Report | KKR Sniffs Petco | Female CEO at P&G?

 

Inside Target Corp., Days After 2013 Breach at KrebsOnSecurity. “In December 2013, just days after a data breach exposed 40 million customer debit and credit card accounts, Target Corp. hired security experts at Verizon to probe its networks for weaknesses. The results of that confidential investigation — until now never publicly revealed — confirm what pundits have long suspected: Once inside Target’s network, there was nothing to stop attackers from gaining direct and complete access to every single cash register in every Target store.” Read more

 

NY Times: Retailers’ Use of Their Fans’ Photos Draws Scrutiny by Sydney Ember & Rachel Abrams. “Shereen Way did not think twice about posting a photo on Instagram of her 4-year-old daughter wearing a green dress and pink Crocs sandals. Crocs…featured it in a gallery of user-generated photographs on its website. The company had not asked Ms. Way for permission…“No one reached out to me,” Ms. Way, 37, of Pearl River, N.Y., said in a phone interview. “I feel a little weirded out.” Read more

 

Wal-Mart test truck aims to slash fuel consumption on big rigs by Ronald D. White. “We are hoping to bring more attention to what we do with our main business,” Jamison said on a day when the truck was parked outside Capstone’s Chatsworth offices, drawing considerable attention from motorists, some of whom stopped to ask what it was. One guess: It was a prop for a new Transformers movie. “We are hoping it brings us some more clients.” Read more

 

KKR, Hellman & Friedman sniff out Petco for potential deal by Josh Kosman at NY Post. “Buyout shops KKR and Hellman & Friedman are sniffing around Petco, The Post has learned. The private-equity firms made preliminary offers for the pet-supply chain last week and, so far, are seen as the strongest bidders, according to sources close to the auction…“Buying Petco would create a yearlong antitrust fight,” one source said.” Read more

 

WSJ: Target CIO to Reduce Outsourcing, Hire 1,000 in IT by Kim S. Nash. “Keeping the intellectual property created by in-house software engineers preserves competitive advantage, Mr. McNamara told CIO Journal…Historically, Target has outsourced significant portions of application development and backend systems to India and U.S. firms, such as Infosys Ltd. and IBM Corp. “We’ve got to a stage where almost half the team is in third parties. It’s unhealthy,” he said.” Read more (Subscription)

 

Yum! Brands, Inc. Appoints Brian Cornell to Board  Read the release

 

Canadian retailers poised to raise prices amid slumping loonie by Marina Strauss at Globe & Mail. “Dollarama CEO Larry Rossy recently signalled his company may need to raise its top prices to $4 from $3 next year if the loonie continues to slip….”this is really an exceptional time where the Canadian dollar has gone so poorly against the U.S. dollar and everything is bought in U.S. dollars,” Mr. Rossy said. “So to absorb 25 per cent to 35 per cent [currency shift] is almost impossible” without eventually having to raise prices.” Read more

 

Home Depot Opens Third and Largest Direct Fulfillment Center “To learn more about how the new DFCs will affect the future of interconnected retail at the company, we sat down with Mark Holifield, our EVP of supply chain and product development…” Read the Q&A

 

Made in America Store to triple in size by David Bertola at Buffalo Business First. “When founder and owner Mark Andol opened the store, he didn’t anticipate he’d draw people from all over the country. But a steady stream of bus tours make their way to Elma. This weekend, the 10-person staff is preparing to host three buses from Missouri and another from Chicago. Ten busloads of tourists are expected next week at the store, located off Route 400, south of Buffalo.” Read more

 

Female CEO at P&G? ‘Just a matter of time’ by Alexander Coolidge at Cincinnati Enquirer. “Women tend to be the buyers of beauty products and diapers,” (Lori) Hudson said. “Having top women as executives brings an important perspective, especially when you’re selling so much to women.” Read more

 

Hy-Vee Makes Twin Cities Debut Tuesday by Bob Shaw at Pioneer Press. “One’s first impression is size. The place is huge — about 50 percent larger than a typical Cub Foods. And then there is the variety. A line of kiosks, food stations and mini-stores ring the outside edge of the store. On a tour last week, Deering-Hansen walked past the Starbucks, the dry-cleaning stand and the flower shop…” Read more

 

Brawny Man Looms Large — But Faceless — In Iconic Makeover by Jack Neff at Ag Age. “The Brawny man is losing face but gaining considerable stature in a major makeover of the iconic brand breaking on national TV Monday…the brand, backed by Cutwater, San Francisco, is making him larger than life in a humorous new campaign with the tagline “Stay Giant!” Read more

 

Tipsheet Extra

Fortune: Target wants to turn Minneapolis into a mini Silicon Valley

Thousands line up at new Cabela’s store in Oklahoma City

LA Times: With debt payment looming, American Apparel is running out of options

Get ready for Spam bits — Hormel is cooking up more products

Online’s share in our revenues is rising: Walmart India CEO Krish Iyer

SyFy’s ‘Bazillion Dollar Club’ Is a Reality TV Show About Startups That Doesn’t Suck

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