Today’s Tipsheet: Target: 61% Digital for Holiday | Costco Disrupts Surfing | Lowe’s in Space

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By Jason Long, jlong@eyeonretail.net

 

J.C. Penney tapping tech to claw back billions in lost sales by Phil Wahba at Fortune. “Marvin Ellison…told the WWD Apparel and Retail CEO Summit…that the retailer has moved past the phase of “patching holes” from a turnaround strategy that could have put Penney out of business and is now in rebuilding mode…“We are heavy on art and not good at science,” as Ellison put it. And his plan calls for balancing that out.” Read more

 

Wireless veteran John Stanton is the newest member of the Costco board by James Risley at GeekWire. “He has a storied history in the wireless industry, serving as CEO and chairman a range of wireless providers, including Western Wireless, VoiceStream Wireless and Clearwire.” Read more

 

CVS, Express Scripts deliver blow to Valeant’s drug plan by Michelle Celarier at NY Post. “The three largest US pharmacy-benefit managers — CVS Caremark, Express Scripts and OptumRx — on Thursday terminated their relationships with the trouble-plagued Philidor.” Read more

 

Target Boosts Digital, Social to 61% of Holiday Budget by Adrianne Pasquarelli at Ad Age. “We have landed in a place this Christmas that will separate us from the pack,” said Jeff Jones, CMO at Target. The campaign includes 12 commercials in 60-second and 30-second iterations, which will begin airing on TV Nov. 4.” Read more / See the spot

 

How Costco is disrupting the surf industry by Jen Wieczner at Forbes. “Would we like to see something revered like [a surfboard] sold at Costco?” Sean Smith, executive director of the Surf Industry Manufacturers Association, told Bloomberg. “No, it’s not what we’d like to see.” Read more

 

‘Hardware Store in Space’: Lowe’s Wants to Send Commercial 3-D Printer to ISS by Mike Wall at Space.com via NBC News. “Made In Space is partnering with home-improvement giant Lowe’s to launch a commercial 3-D printer to the International Space Station (ISS) early next year, representatives of both companies announced Thursday (Oct. 29).” Read more

 

**A message from Dig It Gloves–Only 3 weeks remain to place your order for Spring ’16! Why are Dig It garden gloves loved by women? It’s easy–interior pillow-top protectors are built into each fingertip. That’s right, no more broken or chipped nails when gardening! Call it manicure insurance, or just plain brilliant, but you have to see it to believe it. Cross-merchandise in the garden center during Spring ’16. Request samples at: info@shiftmarketinggroup.net | www.digithandwear.com

 

Delhaize Q3 Comp +1.7% Read the release

 

Target offering free shipping and returns in new threat to Walmart by Phil Wahba at Fortune. “From November 1 through Christmas Day, Target said on Thursday it is once again waiving any minimum order size requirement to qualify for free shipping as well as offering free returns.” Read more

 

…Brian Cornell: “If we decided not to be open on Black Friday, we’d have guests rebelling,” Cornell said. “They’d be knocking on the door, wondering how to get in.” by Kavita Kumar at Star Tribune. Read more

 

Walmart U.S. bets on store pickup over free delivery for holiday sales by Kim Souza at The City Wire. Read more

 

Amazon Launches ‘Pay With Amazon’ Buttons for Mobile Apps by Jason Del Rey at Recode. “The e-commerce giant is bringing its “Pay with Amazon” buttons to mobile apps, while “tripling down” on placing its Pay with Amazon buttons on websites in overseas markets like Japan.” Read more

 

Millennials twice as likely to distrust ‘big food,’ study says by Samantha Bomkamp at Chicago Tribune. “Among adults age 21 to 38, 43 percent said they don’t trust large food manufacturers, Mintel said. That compares with just 18 percent of older adults.” Read more

 

Amazon/Walmart/Best Buy get spots on FAA’s task force for drone registration rules by Alan Boyle at GeekWire. “Other task force members include Walmart’s Thomas Head, Best Buy’s Parker Brugge and GoPro’s Tony Bates, as well as representatives of drone manufacturers and operators, aviation associations, surveyors and the International Association of Chiefs of Police.” Read more

 

Bass Pro Opens in San Jose via Silicon Valley Business Journal. “We’re heading west a little more aggressively these days because there’s more opportunity here,” Darin Mekkers said.” Read more / See the pics

 

Tipsheet Extra

Senate approves two-year budget deal in 3 a.m. vote

Porch.com’s new acquisition leads to big Seattle staff cuts

Ex-P&G beauty head, CEO contender lands new job

Hy-Vee plans Twin Cities grocery store

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Today’s Tipsheet: Overflow @ Wmart Terms Mtg | Cornell @ Bloomberg | PE Eyes Cabela’s? | Amazon’s QVC Fighter

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By Jason Long, jlong@eyeonretail.net

 

Walmart’s top woman abroad heads to Chico’s by Erika Fry at Fortune. “Prior to joining Walmart, (Shelley) Broader served as COO and President of Michael’s, the arts and crafts superstore, and held a number of leadership positions with the Delhaize Group, the Brussels-based food retailer.” Read more

 

Costco Sparks Excitement in Madrid as Spaniards Spend Again by Maria Tadeo & Sharon Smyth at Bloomberg. “The Costco opening, along with a Primark store launch earlier in the month, reflects a more buoyant consumer backdrop in Spain, where unemployment is slowly declining and the economy is at the forefront of the euro area’s recovery.” Read more

 

Techstars’ retail accelerator at Target already received hundreds of applications by Kavita Kumar at Star Tribune. “So does he expect the number of applications to surpass a thousand? Broshar didn’t want to hazard a guess. The deadline for applications is mid-March and the first cohort of 10 startups selected to participate in the program will move to Minneapolis in June for the 3-month-long program.” Read more

 

Billionaire hedge fund investor Paul Singer buys stake in hunting outfit Cabela’s by Michelle Celarier at NY Post. “The billionaire hedgie, who runs $27 billion Elliott Management, revealed on Wednesday he has taken an 11 percent stake in Cabela’s…Shares jumped 17.6 percent, to $39.78, after Elliott suggested in a filing that the $2.32 billion market cap company might be a target for private equity.” Read more

 

Washington Post: Just 1% of items to draw 76% of our online shopping dollars this holiday season by Sarah Halzack. “Some 60 percent of those sales will be electronics, Adobe expects, and another 10 percent will be gift cards…” Read more

 

Dan Bartlett: There Is A Daily Referendum On Our Reputation by Paul Holmes at The Holmes Report. “One of the things I learned when I joined Walmart, is that there can be a fine line between being viewed as humble or being viewed as arrogant,” Bartlett said. “From the outside it can come across as this big, arrogant company. But from the inside, you come to understand it’s a deeply humble company.” Read more

 

Target CEO: Consumers Like to Experience Physical Stores via Bloomberg. “Brian Cornell, chief executive officer at Target, explains the advantage of having physical stores that work in conjunction with the brand’s online strategy.” See the video

 

WSJ: To open or not to open, that is the question facing American retailers this Thanksgiving by Drew Fitzgerald. “Black Friday has traditionally been a top sales day for retail overall, but times are changing. Melody Wright, chief operating officer of Midwestern department store Von Maur Inc., said that Black Friday is no longer a top five sales day as it was a decade ago.” Read more (Subscription)

 

Athena Database Pushes Ad Boundaries for Best Buy by Meredith Derby Berg at Ad Age. “The database has been publicly touted by execs as key to the company’s future since early last year. Now, CMO Greg Revelle says the marketing success surrounding back-to-school foreshadows the retailer’s plans for the all-important holiday season.” Read more

 

Wal-Mart suppliers hear from experts on new payment terms by Kim Souza at The City Wire. “More than 200 supplier participants took part in the webcast, with more were turned away because of a lack of capacity by the web host. The organizers said they will hold another session next week to address the overflow. Following are some of the (myths) addressed during the webinar…” Read more

 

**A message from Pro Chlor Septic Tabs – Homeowners with aerobic septic systems are required to properly chlorinate systems or face fines. Flushable tabs won’t work here…only chlorine tabs made specifically for aerobic systems. Contact info@shiftmarketinggroup.net for program information or go to www.gwtcinc.com

 

Gander Mountain Names New President “Derek Siddons, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, will assume the role of President, effective on the retirement of current president Michael J. Owens, on October 31, 2015.” Read the release

 

How Failed JC Penney CEO Ron Johnson is Redeeming Himself with Enjoy by Max Chafkin at Fast Company. “For Johnson, who was raised Lutheran, the decision to start Enjoy was partly spiritual. He had regular lunches with Ortberg, who encouraged him to think about work as an extension of his beliefs, as “love made visible.” Johnson has never talked about his faith publicly, but it’s been a part of who he is since he was a little boy.” Read more

 

Winn-Dixie trying to stand out by lowering prices of staple items by Justine Griffin at Tampa Bay Times. “McLeod said prices will be reduced on items like Kellogg’s Frosted Flakes and Domino granulated sugar by almost 20 percent. Some items will see price reductions of as much as 53 percent. “ Read more

 

Nebraska Furniture Mart brings dynamic pricing to stores by Don Davis at Internet Retailer. Read more

 

Amazon brings e-commerce to Fire TV and prepares to launch its own shopping channel by Todd Bishop & Tricia Duryee at GeekWire. “GeekWire has learned that Amazon is developing its own shopping channel, like QVC but with the ability to purchase products directly from the screen. That channel is expected to roll out next year.” Read more

 

Shipping from stores helps Target level the playing field with Amazon by Matt Linder at Internet Retailer. “The percentage of online orders delivered by Target within two days increased to 26% from August 2014 to October 2015 from 2% during the period of April 2012 to July 2014.” Read more

 

Tipsheet Extra Stories

Target CEO: we almost missed out on a $17 billion opportunity

Whole Foods: Watch a child cry tears of joy after receiving Tom Brady’s autograph in a bucket of candy

China decides to drop 1-child policy, allow 2 children

Best Buy’s best decision in years was luring its CFO out of retirement

Teen Shoppers Can Get Drunk Without ID On CVS Homeopathic Laxative

Read Tipsheet Extra Stories

Today’s Tipsheet: Target CEO at Summit | Wgreen Buys R.Aid | Kroger Sells $11B of Organic

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By Jason Long, jlong@eyeonretail.net

 

Walgreens to Acquire Rite Aid for $17.2 Billion in All-Cash Transaction “Walgreens will hold a one-hour conference call to discuss its fourth quarter results and today’s acquisition announcement beginning at 8:30 a.m. Eastern time 28 October 2015.” Read the release

 

Walgreens Q4 Comp Sales Increase “Total sales in comparable drugstores increased 6.5 percent compared with the same quarter a year ago. Comparable retail sales increased 0.4 percent in the fourth quarter with an increase in basket size partially offset by lower customer traffic.” Read the release

 

Target CEO says fancier in-store presentation is giving sales a major boost by Phil Wahba at Fortune. “We realized we were making them [customers] work too hard,” Cornell told the WWD Apparel and Retail CEO Summit in New York on Tuesday…Cornell told the audience that sales of items worn by mannequins, which are now at 1,400 of Target’s nearly 1,800 stores, have increased by 30%.” Read more

 

Target hiring 1,400 workers for newly created in-store position by Nick Halter at Minneapolis/St.Paul Business Journal. “The new positions are called visual merchandising leaders. The job descriptions posted on Target’s career webpage say the new hires must stay up on the company’s omnichannel efforts to make sure products are in the right place.” Read more

 

Walgreens expands virtual doctor visits via Pager platform by James Covert at NY Post. “Beginning this week, patients can log onto a newly designed landing page on Walgreen’s Web site that gives them the option of talking to a US board-certified physician for common illnesses.” Read more

 

Kroger expands its newly branded online ordering service by Steve Watkins at Cincinnati Business Journal. “Kroger also added Nashville, Tenn., this week as the fifth market, including Cincinnati, where Kroger is offering the service. It now provides online ordering and customer pickup service at 19 stores.” Read more

 

Teen surprises mom and toddler with good deed at Target by Jennifer Earl at CBS News. “Shufflebarger repeated the story for her hundreds of friends on Facebook, sharing a photo of the young man posing with Kinley, who had a “sweet little shocked smile” on her face…After more than 55,000 shares, someone tagged the little girl’s hero in the post: Tario Fuller II, a freshman football player for Purdue University.” 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! See our videos | Visit us on Facebook

 

Dick’s to Open Store #646 in New Mexico Read the release

 

Kroger reveals just how many billions in organic foods it sells each year by Steve Watkins at Cincinnati Business Journal. “Kroger Co.’s natural and organic product sales now total more than $11 billion a year…It’s the first time Kroger has publicly stated how much its fast-growing natural and organics business generates in sales. That totals about 10 percent of Kroger’s annual sales, which topped $108 billion last year.” Read more

 

…Kroger Investor Conference Webcast

 

Deloitte: Free shipping trumps fast shipping during the holidays by Matt Linder at Internet Retailer. “87% say free shipping is more important than fast shipping, and many (60%) expect retailers to offer free on-time shipping as late as Dec. 17. “ Read more

 

…41 percent of shoppers who will use a smartphone this season said they will use it to make a purchase via CNBC. Read more

 

Ex-Amazon Prime Now Delivery Drivers Sue Over Contractor Classification by Jason Del Rey at Recode. “Four former Amazon Prime Now delivery drivers in Orange County, Calif., are suing the company, arguing that they should have been classified as employees instead of independent contractors.” Read more

 

As Retailer Digital Exchanges Proliferate, Will They Become the New Trade Promotion? by Jack Neff at Ad Age. “Newer entrants range from big national players like Target, Dollar General and Family Dollar to regional supermarket players such as Safeway/Albertson’s, ShopRite, H.E.B., Food Lion and Meijer, according to Anthony Acerra, director-digital strategy at WPP’s Rockfish. And he believes that number could easily grow to 20 within a year.” Read more

 

Pittsburgh Steelers surprise kids with shopping trip at Dick’s by Sheldon Ingram at WTAE News 4. See the video

 

Grocery Store Refuses to Sell Eggs to Minors Ahead of Halloween Due to ‘Safety Concerns’ by Liz Klimas via The Blaze. “Come on. Really? I mean, it’s an egg,” Wayne Mackiewicz told the news station. ”Yes, it’s a little bit of a bugger to clean up and yes if you don’t wash it off the car right away it can leave a little mark, but it washes off.” See the video / Read more

 

Tipsheet Extra

NY Times: Sweeping Away Gender-Specific Toys and Labels

Shotguns have ‘virtually sold out’ in Austria as citizens rush to buy arms amid fears of a massive influx of migrants

BJ’s Wholesale Club Reveals Holiday 2015 Top Ten Toys

Walmart Withdraws Hooked ‘Sheik Fagin’ Nose From Halloween Store

Man dressed as Target employee accused of stealing $50K worth of cellphones

Read Tipsheet Extra Stories

 

 

Today’s Tipsheet: Wmart Exec: ‘Anarchy’ Coming | Target Goes Small in L.A. | Man in Line at B.Buy 33 Days Early

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By Jason Long, jlong@eyeonretail.net

 

Walmart Exec: ‘Anarchy’ Coming in Holiday Transition to Chip Credit Cards by Jason Del Rey at Recode. “In a panel discussion at the Money 20/20 payments conference in Las Vegas on Monday, (John) Drechny said the October deadline for merchants to switch over to equipment that can accept new chip cards will cause chaos during the holidays. “We’re forcing anarchy” on the payments world right now, Drechny said.” Read more

 

REI rebels against Black Friday by Angel Gonzalez at Seattle Times. “REI is opting out of the annual doorbusting frenzy on the Friday after Thanksgiving by closing its 143 stores for the day…“While the rest of the world is fighting it out in the aisles, we hope to see you in the great outdoors,” REI said in the e-mail to members.” Read more

 

Tim Cook’s pep talk to Best Buy’s CEO by Jen Wieczner at Fortune. “In an interview with Fortune, Joly recounted the 2012 meeting—and the words of encouragement that Apple’s CEO offered him: Cook “was kind enough to say, ‘Years ago, in the media, it was always “the beleaguered Apple.” You’re now “the beleaguered Best Buy,” but there will be a good time after that.” Read more

 

Job postings reveal Amazon plans to take worldwide delivery, transportation into its own hands by Jeanine Stewart at Puget Sound Business Journal. “News site DC Velocity, citing “a person familiar with its strategy,” said in a story Monday that Amazon is pushing to develop its own transportation network in the United States, and has “retained one of the world’s leading recruitment firms to identify senior executives within the small-package industry.” Read more

 

Kohl’s to open smaller stores and outlets in new turnaround moves by Phil Wahba at Fortune. “There are a whole bunch of markets that are completely underserved by Kohl’s,” (Kevin) Mansell told Fortune in an exclusive interview…Kohl’s will also open 10 to 15 outlet mall stores under the Fila name to showcase that brand (for which Kohl’s stores have the U.S. exclusive rights to its sports line).” Read more

 

Alibaba revenue jumps 32%, beating expectations via CNBC. Read more

 

Target’s New Website Helps Trick-or-Treaters Find Best Candy Haunts in the Neighborhood by Christopher Heine at Adweek “When viewers visit Treatster, they can turn on location services and see their areas’ most popular candy haunts, marked on a map with smiling jack-o’-lanterns. The website lets people add their homes and “upvote”—a signature of approval—any house or storefront on the map.” Read more

 

Lowe’s Names 2015 Innovation And Vendor Partners Of The Year “…it has named Hitachi, Pergo and Sunrise Global as the company’s 2015 Vendor Partners of the Year. The companies were selected for their commitment to product quality, innovation and customer service.” Read the release / See the 13 honored for innovation

 

**A message from Dig It Gloves–Only 3 weeks remain to place your order for Spring ’16! Why are Dig It garden gloves loved by women? It’s easy–interior pillow-top protectors are built into each fingertip. That’s right, no more broken or chipped nails when gardening! Call it manicure insurance, or just plain brilliant, but you have to see it to believe it. Cross-merchandise in the garden center during Spring ’16. Request samples at: info@shiftmarketinggroup.net | www.digithandwear.com

 

Man camps out at Best Buy for Black Friday 33 days early by Daniel Dahm at News 6 Orlando. “Sutton told News 6 that he wants to purchase a new television, but also wants to raise awareness of 13,000 homeless children in Central Florida.” See the video / Read more

 

Wal-Mart seeks to test drones for home delivery, distribution centers by Kim Souza at The City Wire. “The retailer told The City Wire it has been testing drones within its cavernous distribution centers, but moving the devices outdoors requires FAA approval.” Read more

 

…This Is The Drone Company Walmart Is Hoping To Use For Deliveries by Ryan Mac at Forbes. “Walmart’s use of DJI devices represents a unique opportunity for the Shenzhen-based company, whose products are typically used by consumers and small businesses for imaging or video purposes.” Read more

 

FTC seeks remedy for Staples-Office Depot deal by Josh Kosman at NY Post. “The odds of Staples gaining regulatory clearance for its $6.3 billion purchase of rival Office Depot have improved greatly, according to a confidential report on Monday. The Federal Trade Commission met last Friday with a large corporate customer of Staples to discuss an antitrust remedy to get the deal done, according to the report issued by Bank of America.” Read more

 

Target to open two smaller-format stores in L.A. by Andrew Khouri at LA Times. “The 25,000-square-foot USC-adjacent location, coming in July 2017 to the USC Village retail complex…The 22,000-square-foot Koreatown location…is scheduled to open in late 2017 or early 2018 on the bottom floor of a residential development off Virgil Avenue and 6th Street.” Read more

 

How 180,000 stores in China will join Alibaba’s big online sale by Frank Tong at Internet Retailer. “Shoppers will be able to scan codes in stores to capture coupons they can use at Alibaba websites on Singles’ Day, Nov. 11.” Read more

 

Crowds converge as Microsoft opens massive Fifth Avenue flagship by Teresa Novellino at New York Business Journal. “…by my estimate a crowd of several hundred people waiting to get inside the store, with probably a couple of hundred more of the most diehard fans already shopping and browsing ahead of the opening hour.” Read more

 

Etsy Launches A Same-Day Delivery Service For The Holidays, But It’s Pricey by Sarah Perez at TechCrunch. “Etsy says that its ASAP deliveries will require a flat fee of $20. That’s a lot more than, say, Amazon Prime Now, which charges nothing for two-hour delivery windows and just $7.99 for a one-hour delivery time frame.” Read more

 

Tipsheet Extra

Hobby Lobby owners are under federal investigation for possibly smuggling hundreds of Middle Eastern biblical artifacts

Sam’s Club’s VP sees need for industry sourcing standards

Bridgestone buying Pep Boys for about $835 million

Wal-Mart’s portfolio review could mean divestitures in South America

FedEx predicts 12 percent increase in holiday shipments

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: WHO Links Red Meat to Cancer | Wmart Removes 15% of Displays | Target Free Shipping?

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By Jason Long: jlong@eyeonretail.net

 

WHO to reveal red meat cancer scare via Yahoo News. “Eating processed meat can cause bowel cancer in humans while red meat is a likely cause of the disease, World Health Organization (WHO) experts said on Monday…The France-based International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), part of the WHO, put processed meat like hot dogs and ham in its group 1 list, which already includes tobacco, asbestos and diesel fumes, for which there is “sufficient evidence” of cancer links.” Read more

 

…Industry set to reject WHO’s processed meat carcinogens ruling by Clive Cookson at Financial Times via CNBC. “This time around the meat industry is getting its retaliation in first.”IARC says you can enjoy your yoga class, but do not breathe air (class I carcinogen), sit near a sun-filled window (class I), drink wine or coffee (class I and class 2A,), eat grilled food (class 2A) or apply aloe vera (class 2B),” said Nami’s Mr Carpenter.” Read more

 

Wall Street Journal: Wal-Mart Shrinks the Big Box, Vexing Vendors by Sarah Nassauer. “It’s the same brand, exactly the same item, but it just comes in six different sizes,” says Mr. Foran, who snapped a picture of the redundant display to send to the company’s grocer managers. “I look at that and I say to our team, ‘Do you really need six?’ The answer is we probably don’t.” At the U.S. chief’s direction, the retail behemoth has already removed about 15% of store displays over the past year, and the average Wal-Mart supercenter—home to around 120,000 products—has about 2,500 fewer items than a year ago.” Read more (Subscription)

 

Report: Target Will Also Offer Free Shipping On All Online Orders Throughout The Holiday Season by Mary Beth Quirk at Consumerist. “BestBlackFriday.com spotted the promotion in Target’s toy catalog today, which notes that the offer is valid from Nov. 1 through Dec. 25. There are no minimum price restrictions, though it may exclude oversized items.” Read more

 

A new look for fresh merchandising at Walmart by Mike Troy at Chain Store Age. “The new wood grain RPCs are more visually appealing than the current black RPCs the retailer uses.” Read more

 

Target tests international expansion through online portals by Kavita Kumar at Star Tribune. “We’re not going to open up 100-some stores in a market to go after the next international opportunity,” Casey Carl, Target’s chief innovation officer, told the Star Tribune in a recent interview. “But we will step into it through digital first … We’ll walk into it smartly.” Read more

 

Mom was a Kroger shopper, now she runs half the stores by Alexander Coolidge at Cincinnati Enquirer. “Sukanya Madlinger…was born in Mumbai, India, her parents brought her to the U.S. at age 2 and she grew up in Springboro. After nearly three decades with Kroger, Madlinger has helped implement major changes revolutionizing the supermarket chain…” Read the Q&A

 

Walgreens halts expansion of Theranos centers by Phil Wahba at Fortune. “Walgreens will not open any additional Theranos blood-testing centers in its pharmacies until it gets answers to questions surrounding the start-up’s technology, a Walgreens official told The Wall Street Journal.” 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.

 

Seinfeld’s ‘Soup Nazi’ serves up soup at Kroger HQ by Brian Wiechert at WLWT 5 NBC. “He’s helping launch a new line of soup in conjunction with Kroger.” Read more

 

Reese Witherspoon plans to bring her 2nd store to Dallas by Maria Halkias at Dallas News. “Reese Witherspoon opened her first Draper James store in Nashville…” Read more

 

CEO of American Egg Board steps down after she tried to stop the sale of a vegan mayonnaise at Whole Foods by Candice Choi at AP via Pioneer Press. “The Associated Press reported on emails in which Ivy told a consultant that she would “like to accept your offer to make that phone call to keep Just Mayo off Whole Foods shelves.” The request, made in 2013, was not successful, as Just Mayo is still sold at Whole Foods.” Read more

 

Milwaukee: More than 1,500 storm Nordstrom on day one by Alison Bauter at Milwaukee Business Journal. “…music befitting a nightclub pulsed and shoppers scrambled to try out shoes, makeup and jewelry. Hundreds of employees chanted a deafening countdown inside the Mayfair store Friday morning, cheering, applauding and high-fiving as more than 1,500 people surged through the doors.” See the video / Read more

 

Another Ben Franklin store is going out of business – only 125 left by John Enger at Pioneer Press. “The five-and-dime empire that once stood 2,500 stores strong has fallen to just 125…” Read more

 

Thomas Stemberg, Founder of Staples Retail Chain, Dies at 66 by Stephen Miller at Bloomberg. Read more

 

Jack Link’s enjoys ride as industry leader while keeping its family roots by Mike Hughlett at Star Tribune. “Jack Link’s growing marketing and sales department is now largely based in Minneapolis’ North Loop, where Jack Link’s employs about 130 people. Troy Link shuttles back and forth from Florida, where he lives, to Minneapolis and Minong, where he also has a residence.” Read more

 

First Lady Michelle Obama shares personal message with the produce industry Read the release

 

LA Designers and Makers: Target’s Looking for Local Products at A Bullseye View. “We’re looking to invite a handful of vendors and makers to meet with the Target team in LA on Nov. 6. If chosen, you’ll work closely with Target to bring your designs to life in our LA-area stores as early as March 2016.” Read more

 

Tipsheet Extra

Bentonville Film Festival to expand in 2016, connect more to the region

Russian Ships Near Undersea Cables Carrying Global Internet Are Too Close for U.S. Comfort

Lowe’s and media group backing fee-for-service agent marketplace

Clay Christensen explains, defends ‘disruptive innovation’

Ten Food Trends That Will Transform Restaurants In 2016

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 the website at www.eyeonretail.net

 

Today’s Tipsheet: JCP Cuts 9% @ HQ | Amazon +23% | Cabela’s -4.2% | H.Depot +800

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By Jason Long @ jlong@eyeonretail.net

 

J.C.Penney cuts nearly 9% of workforce at HQ by Maria Halkias at Dallas Morning News. “J.C. Penney laid off 300 of its 3,400 headquarters employees in Plano Thursday…In the reorganization, some people are being offered different jobs with lower-ranking titles. Some could face pay cuts, Avilas said. People who don’t want to take new jobs will be offered severance packages.” Read more

 

Amazon’s sales rise 23% by Allison Enright at Internet Retailer. “Amazon.com Inc. has pulled in $25.36 billion in revenue in the third quarter, up 23.2% from $20.58 billion a year earlier. Almost three-fourths of that revenue (72.8%) came from the sale of products on Amazon sites globally, down from 77.8% in Q3 2014.” Read more  Read the company press release

 

Amazon reaches 222,400 employees, hires 39,000 in last quarter alone by Taylor Soper at GeekWire. Read more

 

Costco just sold a $5.5M Boeing Field hangar to Jeff Bezos by Marc Stiles at Puget Sound Business Journal. “Jeff Brotman, chairman of Costco, on Thursday confirmed that Costco sold the Boeing Field hangar but offered no details. “It was sold in accordance with our original plan for the space,” he wrote in an email.” Read more

 

Best Buy to offer free online shipping starting this Sunday by Kavita Kumar at Star Tribune. “Jeff Haydock, a company spokesman, acknowledged that most orders on BestBuy.com are priced over $35. So the question is how many shoppers, who are usually deterred from buying cheaper items online because they don’t want to pay shipping, will take advantage of the promotion.” Read more

 

Cabela’s Q3 Comp Sales Decreased 4.2% Read the release

 

Cabela’s Massive Superstores Are Cannibalizing Each Other by Kyle Stock at Bloomberg. “In a note to investors this morning, Goldman Sachs analysts said cannibalization among the company’s stores “looks severe.”…Cabela’s said this morning that it will slow its expansion schedule. At the moment, it is calling for seven new stores next year and no more than that in 2017.” Read more

 

Lumber Liquidators concedes timber-sourcing crimes in U.S. court via Chicago Tribune. “The admission before U.S. District Judge Raymond Jackson in Norfolk, Virginia, on Thursday comes two weeks after the hardwood flooring retailer said it will pay $10 million in fines, forfeiture and community service contributions to end a two-year federal criminal investigation.” Read more

 

General Mills will start investing in small food companies by Mike Hughlett at Star Tribune. “If a venture target succeeds, “it can provide a direct path to acquisitions,” Haugen said. “It’s something we will consider in many of these cases.” Read more

 

Waco: Hosts of HGTV’s Fixer Upper open store in old grain barn complete with silos by Maria Halkias at Dallas Morning News. “The surprise soft opening about a week ago attracted about 1,000 people, The Waco Tribune reported.” Read more

 

Home Depot opening 800-worker online customer service center in Tempe by Mike Sunnucks at Phoenix Business Journal. “The Tempe back office center will provide customer support for products bought on HomeDepot.com.” Read more

 

Why Walgreens uses interactive maps plus analytics to evaluate store locations by Heather Clancy at Fortune. “Ten years, our teams had to print out a map and take it with them. Now they can bring their mobile device, and have access to updated sales, demographics and other targeted information,” said Jillian Elder, director of enterprise location intelligence for Walgreens.” Read more

 

Kellogg nears $1B merger with snack-maker Diamond Foods by Josh Kosman at NY Post. “Diamond, whose stable of brands includes Kettle potato chips, Emerald nuts and Pop Secret popcorn, put itself on the block earlier this year and last week asked for final bids.” Read more

 

Amazon’s Jeff Bezos is the third-richest man in the nation by James Covert at NY Post. “The Amazon founder’s net worth surged to more than $55 billion late Thursday after the Seattle Web giant posted surprisingly strong quarterly results.” Read more

 

Study reveals cheese is as addictive as drugs by Jenn Harris at LA Times. “Cheese happens to be especially addictive because of an ingredient called casein, a protein found in all milk products. During digestion, casein releases opiates called casomorphins. “[Casomorphins] really play with the dopamine receptors and trigger that addictive element,” registered dietitian Cameron Wells told Mic.” Read more

 

Build-A-Bear recalls 33,600 stuffed dragons over choking hazard by Lisa Brown at St. Louis Post Dispatch. Read more

 

Tipsheet Extra

Walmart Backs Away From Hoverboards For The Holidays

Where the best (and worst) looking people in the US live

Adele’s Target Exclusive 25 Deluxe Edition Will Have Three More Songs

Best Buy Survey: Top 15 tech gifts for 2015

Lowe’s Releases 2015 Smart-Home Survey Results

Amazon has doubled the number of robots in its warehouses to 30,000

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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: Target Now Shipping to Canada | “Package-Gate” | T.Supply +2.9% | Amazon Tried Tribune Trucks

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By Jason Long (jlong@eyeonretail.net)

 

Target now shipping to Canada, but shoppers dismayed by cost by Sophia Harris at CBC News. “Considering Target’s track record in this country, marketing expert, Mandeep Malik doesn’t believe the site as it exists now will win any hearts in Canada. “My instinctive reaction [is] that this is something that we will collectively laugh about, like really?” says the McMaster University professor.” Read more

 

Tractor Supply Q3 Comp +2.9% at MarketWatch. Read more

 

King’s Hawaiian Bakery sues grocery giant Aldi for ripping off its sweet rolls by David Allison at Atlanta Business Chronicle. “In a lawsuit filed Oct. 21 in federal court in Gainesville, Ga., King’s Hawaiian Bakery Southeast Inc. says Aldi…is selling sweet rolls in packages intentionally designed to look like King’s Hawaiian.” See the package / Read more

 

Amazon Tested Package Delivery by Newspaper Trucks by Greg Bensinger at WSJ. “The experiment, which enlisted Tribune Publishing Co. trucks in Chicago, lasted just a week or two, according to the people. For Tribune, which publishes the Chicago Tribune and Los Angeles Times newspapers, tax issues related to its newspaper couriers was an apparent roadblock to continuing the package delivery test, said one of these people.” Read more (Subscription)

 

Target Sets Up ‘Peanuts’ Audition. Guess Who Tried Out? at Ad Age. See the TV spot

 

**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! See our videos | Visit us on Facebook

 

Toys R Us Aims for the Heart and Parents’ Wallets With Its New Holiday Campaign at Adweek. “The anthem ad “Tree,” which debuts next month on broadcast TV, includes no toys, games or other consumer goods. Instead, it sends a more emotionally resonant message about inclusiveness and generosity with a young girl and an older neighbor who seems at first to be a classic “bah, humbug” curmudgeon.” See the spot / Read more

 

Fortune: 25 Best Medium Workplaces (Etsy #6), 25 Best Small Workplaces (Radio Flyer #1)

 

Supervalu shares slide on earnings miss by Nick Halter at Minneapolis/St.Paul Business Journal. “Same-store sales at the company’s Save-A-Lot chain were down 1.6 percent. It’s retail food segment’s same-store sales were down 3.3 percent.” Read more

 

Time Inc.’s People Launches “People Shop” E-Commerce Destination Read the release

 

eBay Beats Q3 Earnings Expectations in First Report After PayPal Spinoff by Jason Del Rey at Recode. “EBay’s stock surged more than 8 percent in after-hours trading on Wednesday as the online shopping marketplace posted better than expected earnings results.” Read more

 

Walmart: Bentonville a litmus test for store density by Kim Souza at The City Wire. “A retired Wal-Mart executive officer recently told The City Wire that the Bentonville market has been a litmus test to see what the tolerance level is for the store density…The expert said a well run supercenter has the potential to do five times the sales volume of a smaller Neighborhood Market in the same region.” Read more

 

Under Armour just had its first billion-dollar quarter via Yahoo Finance. Read more

 

“Package-Gate”: Web-Shopping Deluge Boxes In Landlords by Laura Kusisto at WSJ. “Camden Property Trust, the 14th-largest U.S. apartment operator by number of units, stopped accepting parcels at all of its 169 properties nationwide this year…“Ultimately, this was going to eat our lunch,” said Keith Oden, president of Camden. He refers to the situation as “package-gate.” Read more (Subscription)

 

Target Takes Heat for Selling T-shirt that Replaces Princess Leia with Luke Skywalker by Kipp Jones at Breitbart. “Franchise fans know the moment well, and were shocked last week upon seeing an image of the famed encounter revised to include Skywalker (Mark Hamill).” Read more

 

Tipsheet Extra

“People of Walmart” costume has Louisiana principal in hot water

The One Thing Tesco’s Big Data Algorithm Never Predicted

Ben & Jerry’s is making craft beer ice cream

What You Need to Know About YouTube’s Subscription Service, YouTube Red

Gatorade’s CMO Wins Adweek’s Top Honor as 2015 Grand Brand Genius

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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 Removes/FTC Backs Off | H.Depot Scared? | Target Resale Program Ended Wks Ago

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Walmart removes “Made in USA” logos from website after government inquiry by Phil Wahba at Fortune. “Walmart’s big push to appeal to patriotic shoppers was just delivered a setback. The giant retailer was forced to remove “Made in the USA” logos from its e-commerce site after an inquiry by the Federal Trade Commission into its labeling.” Read more

 

…The FTC said in a letter to Walmart‘s associate general counsel that it would not pursue action against Walmart because the retailer had taken voluntary steps to “prevent consumer deception” Read the FTC letter

 

Target resale program creates online buzz but actually ended weeks ago by Kavita Kumar at Star Tribune. “Angie Thompson, a Target spokeswoman, confirmed that the program ended at the end of September.” Read more 

 

The Hipster Hardware Store That Has Home Depot Scared by Tom Foster at Inc. “Jason Ballard remembers the time some guys from Home Depot came poking around in TreeHouse, his eco-conscious home-improvement store in a strip mall in southwest Austin…”So I marched up and said, ‘Hey, I’m Jason! How can I help you?'” Ballard recalls. With a little small talk, he got them to say they were in town from Atlanta. Then he asked where they worked. They admitted they’d come from the big-box home-improvement giant. Ballard wished them well and cautioned his employees to say nothing more.” Read more

 

Google’s New Tool Lets Retailers Find Shoppers Based on What They Search For — and Where by Dawn Chmielewski & Mark Bergen at Recode. “On Tuesday, Google gave an early holiday gift to the big box stores. The company announced a new ad product that takes two of its biggest strengths — search data and mapping data — and packages them for retailers, letting them identify shopping trends in individual U.S. markets.” Read more

 

Lowe’s CEO donates $2.5 million to UNC Charlotte by Katherine Peralta at Charlotte Observer. “Niblock’s gift is among the largest to the Belk College of Business in recent years. Charlotte-based Belk announced a donation in 2013 of $5 million over five years to support business innovation and data analytics.” 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.

 

Fresh Market founder explores bid for company at Reuters. “No offer to Fresh Market has been made and none may materialize, the people cautioned. Shares of Fresh Market jumped as much as 14 percent on the news.” Read more

 

Wal-Mart’s Raises to $10 an Hour May Cost Retailers $4 Billion by Shannon Pettypiece at Bloomberg. “The problem is, the math is just awful,” said Scott Mushkin, an analyst with Wolfe Research LLC. Wal-Mart plans to spend $2.7 billion on increased wages and training over the next two years. If that boosts sales by 1 percent, that would only translate into about $350 million in profit, he said. “The return on investment is terrible.” Read more

 

Jeff Bezos Makes Surprise Appearance at Madrona Celebration by John Cook at GeekWire. “The discussion between Alberg — an Amazon board member — and Bezos was touted as “off the record,” and those in the room were discouraged from Tweeting or sharing anecdotes via social media. No video or audio was taken of the talk.” Read more

 

Walmart energy boss speaks at energy association meeting by Wesley Brown at The City Wire.”In his 25-minute presentation, (Mark) Vanderhelm reiterated the pillar of retail giant’s global sustainability goal of becoming 100% fully supplied by renewable energy by the end of 2020. He said the company now produces or procures 20% renewable energy globally every year, but said the next step of reaching its 7 billion kilowatt hour (kWh) milestone will be more difficult and complex.” Read more

 

Why the Nike store in L.A. looks so different from the one in Tuscaloosa by Sarah Halzack at Washington Post. Read more

 

The Slower You Shop, the More You Spend by Ellen Byron at WSJ. “If you sit down in an Origins store, you’ll probably spend about 40% more than you would standing up. This type of insight, backed by data, is behind a change going on at retail. Stores are trying to slow down the shopping experience, a movement known as “slow shopping.” Read more (Subscription)

 

Google Express expands overnight delivery to St. Louis, Rochester (before Twin Cities), Cleveland…

 

Tipsheet Extra

Target Showcases Disabled Child In Halloween Costume Mail Advertisement

Walmart Execs to Speak at NWA Technology Summit on Nov. 10th

Remote cat feeders, disease detectors & other inventions at this 24-hour caffeine-fueled university hackathon

Trader Joe’s confirms downtown Minneapolis store plan

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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