Target CEO Brian Cornell on Bruce Dayton: A legacy of generosity by Brian Cornell at Star Tribune. "The night we met, Bruce brought me a set of books (two he’d authored himself) about the history of Target and the Dayton family...I keep these books on my desk, not as cherished mementos, but as guidebooks that help me do my small part in making sure Bruce’s legacy of generosity endures for generations to come." Read more   Walmart's U.S. CEO: Toys Will Have Biggest Christmas in Years by Phil Wahba at Fortune. "...And we’re already starting to see it,” Foran [...]

  Wal-Mart workers fasting for a $15 wage by Tim Devaney at The Hill. "Wal-Mart employees who say they don’t make enough money to put food on their own tables are fasting — some for as many as 15 days, until after Thanksgiving — to pressure one of the nation’s top grocery stores to raise minimum wages to $15 an hour." Read more   Fortune's Businessperson of the Year (Meyrowitz #28, Sandfort #33) See the top 50 list   Target Corp. adds third new board member in recent months to help with strategic agenda by Kavita Kumar at Star Tribune. [...]

  Wal-Mart Labor Activists Demand Employee Discount on Food by Shannon Pettypiece at Bloomberg. "For the world’s largest retailer, that could cost more than $400 million. Wal-Mart currently offers workers a 10 percent discount on all merchandise except the vast majority of food. Fruits, vegetables and some snacks are the only food items included in the promotion, unless they’re on sale. Read more   How a Target shopping cart changed a Missouri family’s life at Fox 2 St. Louis. "Her husband Adam’s post expressing gratitude to Target’s Facebook page has gone viral with over 100,000 likes." Read more   Walmart Buys "Deep", [...]

  Alibaba busts Singles' Day sales record by Nyshka Chandran at CNBC. "The e-commerce giant says it generated $10 billion in gross merchandise volume (GMV) within 14 hours of the start of the shopping event — well above last year's record of $9.3 billion, which Alibaba surpassed by 1 p.m. in China on Wednesday. It's also well above the $2.4 billion sold on Cyber Monday, the biggest online sales day in the U.S." Read more   Walmart Customer Satisfaction Scores on the Rise by Phil Wahba at Fortune. "Some 75% of customers in Cowen’s rolling survey of 2,506 shoppers in [...]

  Consumers Aren't Happy With Target Sweater That Makes Light of OCD by Kristina Monllos at Ad Week. "We never want to disappoint our guests, and we apologize for any discomfort," said a spokesman for the company in a statement. "We currently do not have plans to remove this sweater." Read more / See the pics   Walmart’s Use of Sci-fi Tech To Spot Shoplifters Raises Privacy Questions by Jeff John Robert at Fortune. "Walmart’s experiment, which it ended after several months, highlights the powerful high-tech tools available to retailers to reduce theft...Home Depot says it does not use face [...]

  By Jason Long, jlong@eyeonretail.net   Target had quiet talks with labor on Minneapolis workplace rule by Adam Belz at Star Tribune. "The company’s involvement, which until now hasn’t been disclosed, reflects Target’s concern about what shape future scheduling rules will take. While the rule would have affected only a few hundred Target employees — at three regular Target stores and one Target Express in the city — it could have influenced the national discussion on workers’ rights, which affects the retailer because it must deal with the costs of varying work rules across the country." Read more   Fortune: CEO [...]

  By Jason Long, jlong@eyeonretail.net   Lowe’s to pay NY customers $1.1 million for deceptive sales practices by Katherine Peralta at Charlotte Observer. "According to the attorney general’s investigation, Lowe’s charged customers for floor installations based on how many square feet of carpeting, tile, wood and laminate flooring they ordered for a project instead of those that were actually installed." Read more   Target believes audio porn played in Calif. store was from outside source by Paul Walsh at Star Tribune. "Molly Snyder, spokeswoman for the Minneapolis-based national retailer, said this week that “there is absolutely no indication that any [...]

  By Jason Long, jlong@eyeonretail.net   Costco October Comp Down 1%, +5% Excluding Gas & Foreign Exchange "Costco reported net sales of $8.78 billion for the month of October, the four weeks ended November 1, 2015, an increase of one percent from $8.73 billion during the similar period last year." Read the release   Target considers outside help for fresh food business by Nadita Bose at Reuters. "There is an opportunity to use some partners who may be able to do things a little bit better," Chief Operating Officer John Mulligan said in a recent interview. Target's supply chain evolved over [...]