Archive for month: October, 2015

 

Home Depot’s Craig Menear Speaks at Rotary Club by Maria Saporta at Saporta Report. “During the “fireside chat,” Menear said he grew up in Flint, Michigan – home of nine General Motors plants – and that he was one of only two members of his family to escape the automobile business…” Read more

 

eBay Hires Walmart Executive by Ina Steiner at eCommerceBytes. “It wasn’t always the case that eBay hired executives with experience in retail or ecommerce, but it’s been the case since Hal Lawton joined the company…(Jill) Ramsey, who will also report directly to Lawton, was previously Vice President of Softlines Merchandising for Walmart.com’s Home & Apparel division.” Read more

 

NY Times: Amazon Spars With The Times Over Investigative Article by Nick Wingfield & Ravi Somaiya. “The debate began early on Monday when Jay Carney, a senior vice president for global corporate affairs at Amazon, posted a 1,300-word essay…Several hours later, Dean Baquet, The Times’s executive editor, published his own 1,300-word response…Mr. Carney got in the last word for the day with his own shorter response to Mr. Baquet’s response.” Read more

 

Shoppers will treat themselves this holiday: NRF by Krystina Gustafson at CNBC. “According to the National Retail Federation’s holiday spending survey, released Tuesday, shoppers will spend an average $131.59 on purchases for themselves or other nongift items. That’s up from $126.37 last year.” Read more

 

Target Rebuilds its Engineering Culture, Moves to DevOps by Rachel King at WSJ. “A year ago, people wouldn’t even use the word DevOps and now it is part of daily conversations in the hallways,” said Ross Clanton, senior group manager at Target, who leads engineering practices across the retailer’s information technology organization. Mr. Clanton spoke at the DevOps Enterprise Summit here on Monday.” Read more (Subscription)

 

**A message from Dig It Handwear – Only 4 weeks remain to place your order for Spring ’16! Why are Dig It garden gloves loved by women in the US and Canada? 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 and watch them fly out the door. Request samples at info@shiftmarketinggroup.net | www.digithandwear.com

 

P&G names new Tide, Downy boss by Alexander Coolidge at Cincinnati Enquirer. “Procter & Gamble is promoting North American fabric care president, Shailesh G. Jejurikar, to head the unit worldwide, effective Nov. 1.” Read more

 

Here’s a Look at Google’s Delivery Drones in the Wild by Mark Bergen at Recode. “Okay, not exactly in the wild. But in the short video below, you can see one of Google’s delivery drones gracefully drop a package at the company’s Zeitgeist confab taking place right now in Arizona.” See the video / Read more

 

Target partners with MIT Media Lab, Ideo to study the future of food by Nidhi Subbaraman at Boston Globe. “Retail giant Target announced a multi-pronged partnership with blue-sky thinkers at the MIT Media Lab Monday with the goal of rebooting their grocery and wellness business for a new generation of customers. Their focus: The future of food.” Read more

 

Alibaba’s global shopping site makes headway in the U.S. by Frank Tong at Internet Retailer. Read more

 

Lowe’s weigh Masters options as clock starts ticking by Sue Mitchell at Sydney Morning Herald. “Woolworths is expected to pull the plug on its $2.2 billion foray into the home-improvement market if joint venture partner Lowe’s decides to exercise an option to sell its $1.1 billion stake…Analysts believe Woolworths and Lowe’s might need to invest another $200 million into the joint venture over the next 12 months to keep it afloat.” Read more

 

This 4-year-old is obsessed with CVS so her mom threw her a pharmacy-themed birthday party by Molly Mulshine at Tech Insider. “So when your kid puts CVS on the same level as Disney World, you embrace it,” Sarah writes. “When they ask for a CVS birthday party, you throw it.” See the pics / Read more

 

Tipsheet Extra

Wal-Mart puts the squeeze on suppliers to share its pain as earnings sag

Home Depot #1 in Radio Again

Get a sneak peek inside Wisconsin’s first Nordstrom

Here’s what a Justin Trudeau win means for Canada

5 Ways @WalmartLabs Is Revolutionizing Mobile Retail

Here’s how P&G plans to make Tide with wind power

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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

 

Petco unveils multimillion-dollar headquarters by Phillip Molnar at San Diego Union-Tribune. “(Petco unveiled) its new multimillion dollar corporate headquarters in Rancho Bernardo complete with Silicon Valley-level amenities, such as letting employees take cats and dogs to work, extravagant aquariums, employee lounges, a gym, a walking path, dog parks and a cafeteria so nice they call it a “cafe.” Read more

 

…Video of Petco’s new headquarters via CBS 8 See the video

 

Target sticks to its Halloween assortment via CBS News. “We have not made any changes to our store Halloween assortment related to this product,” Molly Snyder said. “At Target, our intent is never to offend any of our guests, and we appreciate their feedback. We have shared this feedback with the merchants for them to consider as they plan for future merchandise assortment.” Read more

 

Costco: Craig Jelinek’s ‘Ketchup’ Moment with Amex CEO by Devin Leonard & Elizabeth Dexheimer at Bloomberg. “…the Costco guys were tickled by how meticulously Amex choreographed his movements. “Ken Chenault would have an advance team come to our office before he visited,” says Paul Latham, Costco’s vice president for membership and marketing…according to people who were briefed by Chenault about the call, and told him that as far as he was concerned, Amex was another vendor, just like the one that sold Costco ketchup. “If I can get cheaper ketchup somewhere else, I will,” (Jelinek) said. Read more

 

Amazon releases ‘hot toy’ list, as analysts predict it will destroy Walmart this holiday season by Molly Brown at GeekWire. “(Fierce Retail) found that “Best Buy, Jet, Target and Walmart all significantly lagged behind Amazon in product assortments, although Walmart had the closest match with 32.9 percent product overlap with Amazon.” Read more

 

Wall Street Journal CEO Council Includes CEOs from CVS and Walgreens  See the list of attendees

 

**A message from Dig It Gloves–Only 5 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

 

Amazon Bets Mexico Street-Market Bargain Hunters Will Go Digital by Patrica Laya at Bloomberg. “I’ve never seen so much interest as now, not just from Amazon and consumers, but from other traditional retailers as well, to invest and come up with online offers,” Juan Carlos Garcia, who heads Amazon Mexico, said in a phone interview.” Read more

 

Walgreens mentioned in WSJ feature on Theranos by John Carreyrou. “Carmen Washington, a nurse who worked at a clinic owned by Walgreens in Phoenix, says she began to question Theranos’s accuracy…She says she raised her concerns with the drugstore operator and Theranos’s lab director, asking for data to show that the company’s finger-prick testing procedures produced results as accurate as blood drawn from a vein. “They were never able to produce them,” she says.” Read more (Subscription)

 

Popcorn companies blamed for bee deaths by Tim Devaney at The Hill. “The Center for Food Safety is calling on two of the largest popcorn manufacturers, Pop Secret and Pop Weaver, to phase out the use of corn seeds that are grown with neonicotinoid insecticides, which they say are harmful to bees.” Read more

 

Can Michael Jordan Sell Sneakers to Women? Nike Hopes He Can by Matthew Townsend & Scott Soshnick at Bloomberg. “There will also be gear for weekend warriors and football fans. Nike’s vision for Michael Jordan’s flagship line is to now extend to categories beyond basketball — all with the goal of doubling the brand’s sales to $4.5 billion by 2020.” Read more

 

Amazon poised to win big as India launches annual festive shopping spree by Nivedita Bhattacharjee at Reuters via Yahoo. “According to website analytics firm Alexa, Amazon’s India website was now ranked the 6th most visited website locally and the 83rd most visited site globally as of Oct. 13, after rising 18 positions over the past three months.” Read more

 

Macy’s to sell snowflake-print suits by Alexander Coolidge at Cincinnati Enquirer via USA Today. “The retailer is courting younger men with the slim-cut suit label that originated in Holland. At $99.99 for a jacket, pants and matching tie, Macy’s says the line is an attempt to “bridge the gap between value, quality and style.” See the pics / Read more

 

Tipsheet Extra

X-Rated Audio Shocks Customers At San Jose Target Store

Home Depot focuses on color with a new app

Wal-Mart Cost-Cutting Options Seen Including Sam’s Club Spinoff

Christie’s auctioning rare Apple-1 computer, hasn’t been turned on in a decade

Nevada Bans DraftKings, FanDuel as Unlicensed Gambling

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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

 

Walmart CEO on CNBC: This is how we’ll win by Tom DiChristopher at CNBC. “We’re making progress and our associates are buying in,” he told CNBC’s “Squawk Box” ahead of the company’s meeting with analysts in New York City…”Ultimately the way we are going to win, which is what we’ll talk about with analysts today, is the strategy of bringing them together.” Read more

 

Dollar General cuts 255 corporate jobs by Lizzy Alfs at The Tennessean. “Employees have been notified of the job cuts, which are effective immediately. Positions at the store level will not be impacted, according to the release.” Read more | Read the release

 

Lowe’s to meet Quebec suppliers, raising speculation about store expansion by Ross Marowits at Globe & Mail. “We believe this could be a sign that they are preparing to enter the Quebec market in the near future,” Scotiabank analyst Anthony Zicha wrote…Lowe’s spokeswoman Sandy Indig said the Nov. 5 meeting in Montreal with Quebec suppliers is to understand what products they can offer. The chain is seeking suppliers for a number of products, including doors, lighting and bathroom accessories.” Read more

 

Target joins UNICEF in new health charity initiative by Kavita Kumar at Star Tribune. “Whenever a customer buys a band, which sells for $39.99, Target will donate $10 to fund therapeutic food packets that will be sent to malnourished children around the world. “We know that one in four kids in the U.S. is inactive and one in four kids globally are malnourished,” said Angie Thompson, a Target spokeswoman.” Read more

 

Retail Union Spends Six Figures On Walmart Worker Ad Launch During Democratic Debate by Clare O’Connor at Fortune. “The 1.3 million-member United Food and Commercial Workers Union has spent in the region of $200,000 total on two 30-second ad spots.” See the ads / Read more

 

…Walmart response (via CNN): “While the UFCW is committed to spending its members’ hard earned union dues on political ads attacking a company that employs 1.3 million Americans, Walmart will continue to focus on our commitment to spending $1 billion this year alone to not only raise wages, but also provide additional skills-based training and other opportunities to build great careers” Read more

 

Target Partners with ‘Who What Wear’ on Street Style-Inspired Line by Chantal Fernandez at Fashionista. “Target’s Who What Wear line will debut in 800 stores, online at Target.com and at WhoWhatWear.com on Feb. 1 and will continue to deliver new product the first week of each month. The collection will feature over 20 categories such as knits, pencil skirts, party and day dresses, jackets, blazers and accessories.” Read more / See the video

 

…Who What Wear backed by Amazon by Elaine Low at Investor’s Business Daily. “In August, the company said that it had raised $8 million from Amazon and others in a Series B round of funding.” 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.

 

Amazon shuts down Destinations hotel booking service six months after launching it by Jordan Novet at VentureBeat. Read more

 

Wal-Mart grocery savings widen against Target by Kim Souza at The City Wire. “Raymond James & Associates’ monthly grocery comparison report for October found $5.72 in savings realized on a full basket of branded items purchased at Walmart compared to the same items bought at Target. The savings widened from 98 cents saved on the same items purchased in September. However, the basket savings decreased from $8.72 reported in October 2014.” Read more

 

TaylorMade Looks to Boost Sales at Dick’s with VR by John Gaudiosi at Fortune. “Now golf fans can be on the virtual green with PGA Tour pros Justin Rose and Sergio Garcia…TaylorMade has sent 1,500 PSi-branded Google Cardboard VR viewers to stores across the country like Dick’s Sporting Goods.” Read more

 

Wal-Mart announces FY 2017 earnings calendar, provides agenda for 22nd Annual Meeting for the Investment Community Read the release

 

Martha Stewart: I should have bought Kmart by Joseph Pisani at AP via Charlotte Observer. “We thought about buying it, but we didn’t do it, and we should have,” Stewart said in an interview with The Associated Press. “That could have been our store — KMartha!” Read more

 

Under Armour CFO/CEO Departs  Read the release

 

Dad asks for birthday cake from Costco – but he wasn’t expecting this at Mirror. “But his offspring went one better in the dad joke stakes – by getting him a cake OF Costco, complete with tiny trolleys. The wholesale warehouse-themed cake features the Costco branding, trees outside the doors, and entrance and exit signs.” See the cake pic / Read more

 

Tipsheet Extra

Target and other Minnesota companies fight to defeat proposals guaranteeing more predictable schedules and paid sick leave

Dale Earnhardt Jr. meets and greets fans at Jacksonville Walmart

PETA calls for investigation after animals die in SC PetSmart store during flooding

Facebook’s Working On A Tool To Help The Blind “See” Images

PA: New Field & Stream store opens this week

NY Times: Where Have All the Tomboys Gone?

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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

 

 

 

Best Buy founder Schulze cranks up giving at his $1 billion family foundation by Jean Hopfensperger at Star Tribune. “Schulze also is bankrolling two experiments he hopes will become national models. One cranks up teaching and technology at Twin Cities Catholic schools; the other speeds up business research-sharing among academics.” Read more

 

Walmart U.S. Appoints Steve Bratspies to Chief Merchandising Officer “The company also announced additional leadership changes, including the appointment of Charles Redfield to executive vice president of food for Walmart U.S…John Furner will serve as executive vice president, merchandising for Sam’s Club.” Read the release

 

Walmart Appoints Brett Biggs New Chief Financial Officer “Charles Holley to retire as CFO Dec. 31, 2015 after serving the company for over 20 years.” Read the release

 

Charles Holley’s Retirement Package by Kim Souza at The City Wire. “When Holley retires he will continue to receive payments of $1.9 million paid in multiple installments through January 2018…31,930 restricted shares of Wal-Mart’s common stock…will be accelerated to vest on the date of Holley’s retirement. These vested shares would have a street value of $2.13 million at Friday’s stock price $77.71 per share.” Read more

 

Lowe’s, Woolworths tip $105 million into Masters as deadline looms by Sue Mitchell at Sydney Morning Herald. “Analysts said Lowe’s willingness to inject another $35 million into the joint venture, taking its total investment over the past six years to $1.11 billion, was not necessarily a sign that the US retailer remained committed to Masters in the long term.” Read more

 

Costco’s Richard Galanti Sells 5,500 Shares for $840,785.00 at Ticker Report. Read more

 

**A message from Dig It Handwear – Only 5 weeks remain to place your order for Spring ’16! Why are Dig It garden gloves loved by women in the US and Canada? 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 and watch them fly out the door. Request samples at info@shiftmarketinggroup.net | www.digithandwear.com

 

Whole Foods sets restaurant partnership by Lisa Jennings at Supermarket News. “Del Pero did not disclose terms of the investment, but said the partnership will help the 11-unit sandwich chain build infrastructure as it expands into the San Diego and San Francisco Bay area markets in late 2016. As part of the deal, Whole Foods plans to test the opening of Mendocino Farms outlets in select market locations.” Read more

 

PETA targets Urban Outfitters over angora rabbit fur by Lisa Fickenscher at NY Post. “The group is launching a campaign Monday targeting Free People and highlighting the cruelty it says is inflicted on rabbits when the fur is ripped from their bodies, The Post has learned.” Read more

 

Target and General Mills pledge $6M to North Minneapolis nonprofit by Clare Kennedy at Minn./St.Paul Business Journal. Read more

 

‘Outlaw Hogs’ Crowned 2015 Sam’s Club BBQ Champs at NWA. “Thousands made their way to the Sam’s Club headquarters in Bentonville Saturday for the Kansas City Barbeque Society ‘Sam’s Club National Tour.'” Read more

 

Fort Worth: Target opens its first new local store in years by Maria Halkias at Dallas Morning News. “The 122,000-square-foot store is also one of the first stores in the chain with a newly created position of visual merchandise leader, he said. Home merchandise displays will change several times a year.” Read more / See the pics

 

Countdown to Costco grand opening in New Britain (CT) by Michael Schroeder at New Britain Herald. “It took 70 trucks to bring in the 4,000 items on the shelves, compared with “maybe 14,000” in another store of the same type. This limited selection allows Costco to work with suppliers more directly and keep prices down, (Tom) Daly said.” Read more

 

Florida Orange Crop Crushed With Output Estimated at 52-Year Low by Marvin G. Perez at Bloomberg. “Florida’s orange crop will shrink to the lowest in 52 years, the U.S. Department of Agriculture has forecast, as damage from citrus-greening disease persists.” Read more

 

Tipsheet Extra

Twin Cities: Star Tribune Puts Amazon’s 1-Hour Delivery (Ice Cream) to the Test

Meijer expects 20% increase in Halloween shoppers

New Hartford’s “Rogue Cow” Captured Across from Home Depot

The 5 Weirdest Things Brands Are Doing at New York Comic Con

Sometimes the No. 2 spot on Google can beat the top spot

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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