Archive for year: 2015

 

Tech security firm says it’s easy to hack Target gift registry apps by Mary Lynn Smith at Star Tribune. “Target took Avast’s assertions seriously, issuing a statement late Tuesday that said, “Earlier this evening, it was brought to our attention that there may be a potential issue with our guest registry platforms. Out of an abundance of caution, we have disabled elements of our wish list app and gift registry while we assess. We apologize for any challenges guests may be facing while trying to access their registry. Our teams are working diligently overnight to resume full functionality.” Read more

 

…Avast: The prize for the most unnecessary permissions requested by a retail app goes to Walgreens, Home Depot a close #2. “The Walgreens app not only requests permissions that are completely unnecessary for its app to function, but also requests more permissions than any of the other retail apps we looked at – see screenshot below. The Home Depot app came in close second in terms of unnecessary permissions requested.” Read more

 

Doug McMillon Statement on Rosalind Brewer CNN Comments “For years, we’ve asked our suppliers to prioritize the talent and diversity of their sales teams calling on our company. Roz was simply trying to reiterate that we believe diverse and inclusive teams make for a stronger business. That’s all there is to it and I support that important ideal.”

 

…Fortune: Sam’s Club CEO Supports Diversity, Gets Called a Racist by Jennifer Reingold. “Could Walmart, Sam’s Club, and the world do a better job with diversity? Sure. Does talking about it make Roz Brewer a racist? Nope.” Read more

 

Home Depot wants to expand in Marietta; could add hundreds more jobs by Carla Caldwell at Atlanta Business Chronicle. “Officials with The Home Depot told the Marietta Development Authority on Tuesday the Atlanta-based company plans to buy a 98,900-square-foot building on about 6.5 acres off New Market Parkway adjacent to the four-building campus Franklin Road campus, reports Marietta Daily Journal.” Read more

 

Whole Foods chief quashes buyout rumors by Will Anderson at Austin Business Journal. “I don’t want to say point-blank that Whole Foods would never go private, because that could be used against us if we ever changed our mind,” Mackey told the Statesman.” Read more

 

What’s behind Kohl’s 170-hour pre-Christmas shopping marathon by Sarah Halzack at Washington Post. “The department store plans to stay open for 170 hours straight, starting Thursday at 7 a.m. and wrapping up at 6 p.m. on Christmas Eve.” Read more

 

Millions of ‘organic’ eggs come from industrial scale chicken operations, group says by Peter Whoriskey at Washington Post. “Isn’t it a coincidence that there was not one bird outdoors on any of the facilities?” Kastel said. He noted that the space around barns is inadequate for the numbers of birds within – at any moment of time.” Read more

 

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Home Depot Bags Highest Ratings for Best Mobile Shopping Experience “22% of respondents claim that if a mobile site doesn’t work they will go straight to a competitor to find an alternative.” Read the release

 

Charlotte: Cam Newton Rides Around Dick’s Sporting Goods on Scooter to Spread Christmas Cheer by Caroline Sikes at Sporting News. See the video & pics / Read more

 

Pittsburgh: Steeler’s running back goes undercover as employee at Dick’s Sporting Goods at WPXI 11 News. “Thankfully, I’m better at carrying the football than working at Dick’s,” (DeAngelo) Williams joked in the video supplied by the company.” See the video / Read more

 

Toys R Us Domestic Comp Sales Down 0.9% Read the release

 

Schnucks names new chief merchant at Supermarket News. “Before joining Schnucks, (Mark) Doiron was president of Sure Winner Foods, a frozen food distribution company. Prior to that, he was chief supply chain officer for Belgium-based Delhaize, where he oversaw the company’s U.S. operations.” Read more

 

Walgreen strikes a deal on drugs with Valeant at Bloomberg via Chicago Crain’s. Read more

 

Amazon leads North America’s top e-retailers in sending email to new customers by Sandra Guy at Internet Retailer. “An Internet Retailer survey shows Amazon sent 128 emails in November to someone who had just signed up to receive them.” Read more

 

A woman named ‘Flaming Lee’ is a classic example of double-dealing in China’s murky, anti-counterfeiting industry by Erika Kinetz at AP via Business Insider. “A lot of times the counterfeiter will turn into the investigator’s informant: ‘Don’t get me. I know these other guys down the road.’ It’s a protection racket.” Read more

 

Tipsheet Extra Stories

From Seahawks to Costco, Demitrius Bronson tries to stay on NFL radar

Jury awards ex-BJ’s employee $780K amid claims of corporate retaliation

Here are Google’s ‘top trending searches’ for 2015

NY Times: Square Merchants Bought Shares During Its I.P.O., With a Start-Up’s Help

U.K. Shoppers at Risk of Higher Grocery Bills If Nation Quits EU

Amazon boasts average wait of 39 minutes as it keeps bringing restaurant delivery to new cities

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Walmart Retreads Black Friday Deals for Green Monday by Phil Wahba at Fortune. “Green Monday has become the third biggest online spending day of the holiday season, after Cyber Monday…and the day after that. Last year, shoppers spent $1.6 billion on Green Monday, according to comScore, and if sales rise tomorrow at anything like e-commerce’s growth rates for the season so far, we could be looking at a nearly $2 billion day.” Read more

 

Kohl’s is building a legion of loyal shoppers by Krystina Gustafson at CNBC. “It’s also the first Christmas that its new loyalty program has been rolled out in earnest, with more than 34 million shoppers now enlisted…” Read more

 

Walmart Becomes the Largest Retailer to Sell Apple Watch by Phil Wahba at Fortune. “Walmart has started selling the Apple Watch on its website, becoming the biggest retailer to carry the popular device. The retailer is selling the watch at only a few select stores at this point, a Walmart spokeswoman told Fortune.” Read more

 

FTC seeks more info on Walgreens-Rite Aid deal at Reuters. “The FTC’s “second request” for information extends the waiting period required under antitrust rules to 30 days after the companies have provided the information.” Read more

 

Hudson’s Bay says strong greenback hurting Saks sales: ‘Even our own (employees) with discounts don’t shop in the U.S. anymore’ by Hollie Shaw at Financial Post. Read more

 

**New Product Spotlight. A message from SpinChill – Get warm drinks cold in 60 seconds! Don’t wait half an hour to get the party started – get the party started fast: Just clip it on, stick your drink in the ice, and Spin it for a Minute! See how it works | YouTube channel Contact info@shiftmarketinggroup.net to request a sample. www.spinchill.com

 

Walmart’s Everyday Low Prices Face Amazon’s Dynamic Price Push by Kate Kaye at Ad Age. “On Black Friday, for example, around 16% of Amazon’s prices fluctuated from the previous day, according to 360pi…But around 12% of Walmart’s online prices fluctuated…Meanwhile, Target altered only around 5% or less of the product prices tracked for most of the month, including on Black Friday.” Read more

 

Amazon Is Pulling Hoverboards From Its Store Pending Safety Review by Colin Lecher at The Verge via Recode. Read more

 

Walmart Accidentally Leaked Some New Star Wars Toys by Jen Wieczner at Fortune. “A Walmart in Council Bluffs, Iowa, put a figurine of the new female character Rey wearing her so-called “resistance outfit” on shelves recently with a price tag of about $7. But when Star Wars collector and host of the podcast Star Wars Action News, Justin Kozisek, purchased the product earlier this week and posted a picture to Facebook, he set off a firestorm.” Read more

 

Customers Make Amazon #1 in India “Just two and a half years after launching, Amazon.in became the most visited e-commerce site in India in October 2015, according to the global analytics firm comScore.” Read the release

 

Ikea Canada’s president brings his Swedish values to the workplace by Craig Dowden at Financial Post. “Stefan Sjostrand took over the reins as Ikea Canada’s president in August 2014, after spending eight years working for the company in the Netherlands, Sweden and France…” Read the Q&A

 

How a Mom-and-Pop Creamery in Brooklyn Became the Official Ice Cream of Star Wars by Angela Dawson at Ad Week. “Disney chairman, CEO and acknowledged ice cream aficionado Bob Iger read an article in The Wall Street Journal last year about the ice cream company, which started with just one shop less than five years ago, and expanded to a second shop and a few kiosks as well as starting up a mail-order component…” Read more

 

Tipsheet Extra Stories

A School Is Asking Kids to Sing This Walmart-Themed Christmas Song

Sam’s Club CEO takes action if suppliers send her all white male reps

Jet.com CEO Marc Lore Explains Why Fighting Amazon Isn’t a Stupid Idea

This poll captures Amazon’s staggeringly big role in online shopping

Online and other nonstore sales grow 7.3% in November

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FTC Says Retailers Are ‘Bamboozling’ Shoppers With Fake Bamboo Fabrics at AdWeek. “The Federal Trade Commission announced complaints against four major retailers—Bed Bath & Beyond, Nordstrom, JCPenney and Backcountry.com—with civil penalties totaling $1.3 million. The offense? Marketing bamboo products that aren’t made of bamboo.” Read more

 

Walmart Drops An Atomic Bomb On Its Apple Pay Competitor by Mark Rogowsky at Forbes. “But the big news, which Walmart neglected to mention in its press release, is that in dropping this midnight bomb just two weeks before Christmas, the retailer isn’t targeting Apple Pay. Instead, it’s essentially blowing up MCX, the Walmart-led consortium that was formed in 2012 and has been desperately trying to roll out an Apple Pay competitor called CurrentC.” Read more

 

NY Post: Technical glitch almost ruins Walmart’s new app unveiling by Lisa Fickenscher. “By the time the phone conference began, most reporters were befuddled, asking “What’s the news about?” and complaining that they couldn’t access the video.” Read more

 

This brick-and-mortar store wants to sell you the Internet of Things by Tracey Lien at LA Times. ” In a store under construction…in Silicon Valley, workmen tinker and tarps cover the walls…B8ta’s founders came from Nest Labs…the founders learned how resource-intensive it was for a company selling an Internet of Things product to create environments inside retailers that adequately explain how everything works.” Read more

 

Amazon Launches One-Hour Booze Delivery in Manhattan Through Prime Now by Jason Del Rey at Recode. “The launch marks the second city in the U.S. where alcohol delivery is available through Prime Now; the first was Amazon’s hometown of Seattle.” Read more

 

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Wal-Mart customer insights from 2.2 billion voices drive much of the retailer’s business plan by Kim Souza at The City Wire. “There’s nothing like talking to your customers,” (Matt) Kistler said during his speech at the WalStreet Breakfast event held by the Bentonville-Bella Vista Chamber of Commerce on Wednesday (Dec. 9) in Bentonville.” Read more

 

Danger at Costco? Membership Growth Slowest in Years by Phil Wahba at Fortune. “Membership fees of $593 million in the quarter ended November 22 came in less than the $621 million Wall Street firm Cowen & Co was expecting. That represents growth of 1.9%, an anemic performance for Costco. Growth in fees has ranged from 4.5% to 7.7% in Costco’s four previous full fiscal years.” Read more

 

Costco earnings hurt by credit-card switch by Sarah Nassauer at MarketWatch. “Richard Galanti, Costco’s finance chief, said co-branded customer sign-ups during the quarter ended Nov. 22 had “greatly slowed and now ceased.” That reduced the company’s quarterly earnings by $15 million, or 2 cents a share, and he predicted the negative trend would to continue in the next two quarters and possibly into the fiscal fourth quarter.” Read more

 

Costco Q1 Earnings Call Transcript Read here via Seeking Alpha

 

Wednesday in Chicago: Hundreds of protesters block Michigan Avenue at Fox News. “The protesters formed a circle in the middle of downtown Michigan Avenue and appeared to be headed for a bridge near the Magnificent Mile, which was the site of a Black Friday protest. Some in the crowd shoved officers before police let them through.” Read more

 

WinCo to build Texas distribution center by Andy Nelson at The Packer. “The 800,000-square-foot facility could open by Spring 2017, said Michael Read, vice president of public and legal affairs for Boise, Idaho-based WinCo.” Read more

 

Patti LaBelle Sweet Potato Pies are back at Wal-Mart by Fred Imbert at CNBC. “It took about 2 million pounds of California-grown sweet potatoes to deliver this Christmas miracle,” John Forrest Ales, director of corporate communications at Wal-Mart, said in an email.” Read more

 

**A message from ASD Market Week. How can you make sure your company gets the most out of trade shows? Pairing relevant retail education with the largest selection of high margin merchandise anywhere, is key. ASD attendees have access to over 90 free retail education, e-commerce, and amazon selling strategy sessions, as well as a number of tools, both on and offline, to help buyers find the right vendors on show site. Attending educational tracks is a must if you want to see your company succeed in this day and age. Here are five tips to get you on the right track before your next trade show.

 

Washington Post: Home Depot looks to adapt for baby boomers who aren’t so into ‘do-it-yourself’ anymore by Sarah Halzack. “Their expectations of the Home Depot are changing,” said Marc Powers, the chain’s executive vice president of U.S. stores. “Now people like me have less time and less energy to do it myself like the Home Depot taught us to do. Now I want someone to do it for me.” Read more

 

The Hill: Retailers pan cyber bills as holiday assault looms by Katie Bo Williams. Read more

 

‘His mother is alive and well’: Woman who recounted emotional moment is branded a liar by Emily James at Daily Mail. “A Colorado woman’s emotional video about a Walmart cashier who broke down while at work, hours after his mother committed suicide, has been labeled a fake by a spokesperson for the store. According to the spokesperson, the incident detailed by Paige Yore, 25, in a heart-wrenching Facebook video…never actually took place.” Read more

 

Tipsheet Extra Stories

Major Brands Including Walmart, Unilver Sign ‘Anti-Piracy Pledge’

Walmart health kiosks potential way to spread telemedicine model

These pictures show you how massive Under Armour’s new distribution facility is

Alex From Target Is Unrecognizable With His Bright New Hair Color

Supreme Court May Limit Indian Tribal Sovereignty In Dollar General Case

Chipotle CEO pledges to be ‘safest place to eat’

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Target opens a holiday-themed playground to sell toys and test ideas in New York by Kavita Kumar at Star Tribune. “The 16,000-square foot “retail spectacle,” as the company calls it, will be free and open to the public for two weeks starting on Wednesday. Located next to the Chelsea Market, it is filled with 10 holiday-themed displays that incorporate a digital element on top of an interactive physical experience. Each one is tied in to a popular holiday toy that Target is selling at the space.” Read more

 

Canadian Tire suing Wal-Mart Canada Corp for allegedly copying clip-on Christmas lights by Hollie Shaw at Financial Post. “It also accuses the Arkansas big-box retailer’s Canadian unit of pulling a “bait and switch” on customers by featuring an image of the Noma lights on its packaging rather than depicting the actual merchandise.” Read more

 

Happening Today: Home Depot 2015 Investor & Analyst Conference Webcast

 

Home Depot Backs Guidance, Sets Long-Term Targets “The Company reaffirmed its sales and diluted earnings-per-share guidance for fiscal 2015. The Company expects sales to increase approximately 5.7 percent for the year, with comps of approximately 4.9 percent.” Read the release

 

Today at 6pm PT: Costco Releases Q1 Earnings Results

 

Bidding war for Pep Boys seen after Icahn tops Bridgestone offer by Kevin Orland & Jennifer Surane at Bloomberg via Boston Globe. “I wouldn’t rule out that he owns it ultimately, but I wouldn’t be surprised if he owned it with the intention of auctioning off the service and tire business,” said Jordan, who has a hold recommendation on Pep Boys.” Read more

 

The U.S. Postal Service Will Start Emailing You Your Mail Each Morning by Michal Addady at Fortune. “Individuals who are registered on My USPS, the postal service’s website, will be alerted every morning, except Sundays, through their digital inbox. It will let them know what mail they will receive that day by sending images of the front side of their unopened letters.” Read more

 

$170K in jewelry stolen from Gwyneth Paltrow’s pop-up shop at NY Post. Read more

 

Bay Area man wanted in Costco ring theft at KOBI 5 NBC. “…a man was looking at a $5,000 ring at the Medford Costco on sunday, when he asked the clerk if he could compare it to a $31,000 ring. “The clerk gives him both rings,” Sgt. Brent Mak says, “at which point he grabs them, and bolts for the door at which point he jumps into a waiting car.” Read more

 

Omnicom Big Winner in Multibillion-Dollar P&G Review by Alexander Bruell at Ad Age. “Omnicom won the majority. Carat will have about one-third of the business, and Starcom Mediavest Group, the incumbent on the U.S. buying and planning business, will likely hold onto some brands, according to people familiar with the matter.” Read more

 

Walmart wrapping paper supplier moves back to U.S. for the holidays by Kim Souza at The City Wire. “It’s the first time Wal-Mart has offered holiday paper made in the U.S.” said Cindi Marsiglio, vice president of Walmart Manufacturing. “Impact Innovations agreed to onshore their wrapping business after first meeting with us nearly three years ago and in June the new presses in Memphis begin to run.” Read more

 

**New Product Spotlight. A message from SpinChill – Get warm drinks cold in 60 seconds! Don’t wait half an hour to get the party started – get the party started fast: Just clip it on, stick your drink in the ice, and Spin it for a Minute! See how it works | YouTube channel Contact info@shiftmarketinggroup.net to request a sample. www.spinchill.com

 

FTC moves to block Staples-Office Depot merger by Beth Healy & Hiawatha Bray at Boston Globe. “…regulators at the US Federal Trade Commission on Monday filed a legal action to kill the deal, saying it would lead to higher prices for office supplies, particularly for business customers.” Read more

 

HD Supply Q3 Net Sales +5% “Adjusted EBITDA increased $35 million, or 15.2 percent, to $265 million for the third quarter of fiscal 2015 compared to $230 million for the third quarter of fiscal 2014.” Read the release

 

Zulily makes its first appearance on QVC by Molly Brown at GeekWire. “Zulily’s chief merchant Lori Twomey will guest star on the QVC show…A Zulily rep told us in an email release that the show will feature footage of the Seattle office and employees going through the process of selecting and presenting products on the site.” Read more

 

Wal-Mart’s Greg Foran No. 1 In Arkansas Exec Pay At $19.5M by Gwen Moritz at Arkansas Business. “Thanks to Wal-Mart’s policy of front-end loading stock awards for top executives, Greg Foran was the higest paid executive in Arkansas during 2014…That was enough to edge out his boss, Wal-Mart Stores Inc. CEO Doug McMillon. McMillon’s total compensation last year was just under $19.4 million.” Read more

 

Amazon targets bookworms with new $250 ‘Reader’s Edition’ tablet bundle by Jacob Demmitt at GeekWire. “The offer is a little unusual, since Amazon already sells a line of Kindle e-readers. But the company explains that while Kindles are “purpose-built for reading,” this is “the best tablet for reading.” Read more

 

LeBron James Signs Unprecedented Lifetime Contract With Nike by Eben Novy-Williams at Bloomberg. “Terms of the deal weren’t released, but sports agent David Falk, who represented Michael Jordan for most of his playing career, estimated its value at $400 million to $500 million.” Read more

 

Costco surprises former NICU patient with 93″ teddy bear, donates $30,000 to Sanford Children’s by Amy Unrau at WDAY 6 ABC. See the video / Read more

 

Tipsheet Extra Stories

Target hosts Christmas shopping spree for blind children

Boomers are ready to retire from holiday hubbub, but their kids won’t let them

Woman defrauds 150 Target stores in “short change” scheme

Donald Trump called out Jeff Bezos on Twitter. Then Bezos called his bluff

Google is developing a wearable that draws blood

‘Power issue’ hits Microsoft Surface tablets during Monday Night Football, as teams revert to pen and paper

Thirty Boston College students get sick after eating at Chipotle

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