Tipsheet: Target’s ‘Cart Guy’ | McKenna Honorary Chair | Macy’s Hiring R.Estate Exec | ‘Toxic’ Jewelry

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Number of store closures already set to outpace last year by Lisa Fickenscher at NY Post. “The number of store closures during the first two months of 2016 is already 33.2 percent higher — hitting 501 stores — than the same period last year, according to an analysis by Church’s firm. That compared with a 29 percent increase in 2015 over the previous year and a 6.3 percent increase in 2014.” Read more

 

Grand Rapids Target ‘cart guy’ delivers a few lessons in tolerance by Jon Tevlin at Star Tribune. “After hearing of Aaron’s job loss, Dowell set up a Facebook page to support and celebrate Aaron. In no time the site had 2,300 “likes” and had interactions with as many as 23,000 people, almost all of them positive. The page is filled with stories from customers saying how Aaron regularly made their day with his kindness and enthusiasm.” Read more

 

Macy’s hiring expert to deal with real estate by Andy Brownfield at Cincinnati Business Courier. “The line of people at our door who are attracted to that job has been very impressive”…We will always be a retailer first,”(Terry) Lundgren said. “This will be another set of expertise that will add value to us as a retailer.” Read more

 

Lowe’s looks for edge with new distribution concept by Katherine Peralta at Charlotte Observer. “…they know to set a grill up on a customer’s deck, connect the gas, fire it up and demonstrate how it works – all in a specified 2-hour window the customer selects…the new model gives Lowe’s an edge over an online retailer, which would have a freight company drop the product off on the doorstep and leave.” Read more

 

Judith McKenna, COO Walmart U.S, named Honorary Chair for the 2016 Komen Ozark Race for the Cure via NWA. “I had somebody come to see me whose wife has just been diagnosed and that is a Wednesday in the office… That’s what really makes you realize, and it really brought it home to me how important it is to do this and for me, whatever I can do to support it.” Read more

 

Minimum Wage Hikes Will Raise E-Commerce Shipping Costs by David Z.Morris at Fortune. “CBRE says each $1 increase in average hourly wages would add $1 million in costs to a warehouse with a staff of at least 500.” Read more

 

**A message from Black Flag® Brand: When the flag flies, pests die. The Black Flag® indoor/outdoor pest arsenal arms homeowners in the battle against invading bugs. Offering quick, decisive formulas that act fast and never back down, Black Flag insect and rodent controls get the job done, and take no prisoners. It’s time to Let It Fly. Check out our videos | Visit us on Facebook

 

Amazon Leans on Government in Its Quest to Be a Delivery Powerhouse by Cecilia King at NY Times. “When Paul Misener, Amazon’s global head of policy, took over the company’s Washington office 15 years ago, he had a staff of two…Amazon now has more than 60 people listed as its lobbyists — both employees and contractors — double what it had just two years ago.” Read more

 

HAPPENING TODAY – Judge in Washington weighs whether to block Staples/Office Depot merger by Jon Chesto at Boston Globe. Read more

 

Amazon bans customer who returned 37 items in 15 years by Jimmy Nsubuga at Metro. “Greg Nelson, a computer programmer, is still scratching his head trying to figure out why he had his account blocked.” Read more

 

Home Depot Co-Founder Gives $75 Million To Atlanta Hospital by Natalie Sportelli at Forbes. Read more

 

Bass Pro sales near $45 million in first 9 months at Memphis Pyramid by Wayne Risher at The Commercial Appeal. “The store’s best month was June, when it bagged $7.1 million, and the slowest was November, $3.38 million, according to gross sales reports.” Read more

 

Sears Canada strategy ‘starts’ with Toronto innovations lab by Marina Strauss at Globe & Mail. “Mr. Stranzl has hired new top executives, including a new head of e-commerce who is leading the tech lab and hiring a team of 25 for it.” Read more

 

2016 Sam’s Club National BBQ Tour See the dates

 

Older adults buddy up with Amazon’s Alexa by Elizabeth O’Brien at MarketWatch. “Alexa wasn’t designed for older adults, and experts say that might be part of its appeal with that demographic. The device avoids the bland aesthetic that has traditionally characterized assistive devices, which turns off consumers who don’t self-identify as old — that is, pretty much everyone.” Read more

 

Tipsheet Extra Stories

Kids’ jewelry sold at JC Penney, Dillard’s tested off the charts for toxic metals

Whole Foods commits to chickens that grow 23% slower

Microsoft bringing HoloLens headset to Lowe’s to visualize kitchen renovations

Williams-Sonoma will cut 5% of its workforce

The creepiest place on Earth: Inside the Disney World water park where a boy was killed by rare amoeba before it was shuttered and left to rot for 15 years

Walmart opens third training academy in Fayetteville

The Cuba Thaw Will Be Big for America’s Frozen Chickens

Read Tipsheet Extra Stories

 

Tipsheet: Cornell Chats w/Cramer | H.Dep.Founder ‘Cancer Free’ | Zika +450 | RH 50% Out-of-Stock

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Target CEO Talks with Jim Cramer via CNBC. “We know 75 percent of millennials, if you talk to them today, they want to live in cities and around college campuses. So, we are simply just following the consumer” Cornell said.” See the video interview / Read more

 

Home Depot co-founder announces he is ‘cancer free’ by D.Orlando Ledbetter at AJC. “(Arthur) Blank made the announcement while speaking at the Georgia Technology Summit at Cobb Galleria in front of 1,500 people.” Read more

 

Costco buys building for Northeast Minneapolis store by Nick Halter at Minneapolis/St.Paul Business Journal. “Costco has bought a 175,000-square-foot warehouse in Northeast Minneapolis and plans to convert the building into one of its Business Center stores. Costco paid $8.3 million for the building at 3311 Broadway St. next to the former Be the Match headquarters.” Read more

 

Why Macy’s CEO Thinks the Amazon Threat is Overstated by Phil Wahba at Fortune. “They’re going to have an interesting challenge when they start getting all those returns coming back online,” Macy’s Chief Executive Terry Lundgren told analysts at an investor conference in New York this week. He noted that shoppers typically order multiple sizes of the same piece of clothing, keep the one that fits, and send the rest back.” Read more

 

Tiffany’s sales tumbled over the holidays and it expects the year ahead to be harrowing via Business Insider. “Sales at the upscale jeweler’s established stores open for at least a year fell 10 percent in the Americas region in the fourth quarter.” Read more | Press release

 

UnitedHealth Takes on CVS, Express Scripts With Drugs Deal by Zachary Tracer at Bloomberg. “Clients of OptumRx, the third-largest U.S. drug benefit manager after CVS Health Corp. and Express Scripts Holding Co., will be able to pick up 90-day prescriptions at almost 8,200 Walgreens pharmacies, rather than receiving them by mail.” Read more

 

Analyst: Amazon will be a top-10 player in the U.S. food and beverage grocery market by 2019 by Julie Verhage at Bloomberg. Read more

 

**A message from Mobee – 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.

 

Washington Post: How Sunday stopped being special for the American worker by Lydia DePillis. “Rhode Island and Massachusetts are now two of the last states to require retailers to pay time and a half on Sundays, and the retail industry is pushing hard to get the requirement rolled back in Massachusetts. “Sundays in retail have become unaffordable in our state,” wrote William Rennie, vice president of the Retailers Association of Massachusetts.” Read more

 

Nearly 200 Olympic hopefuls are working at Dick’s Sporting Goods as they prepare for Rio by Emmett Knowlton at Business Insider. “…in 2009, Home Depot ended its partnership with the U.S. Olympic Committee, citing financial hardships. Between ’09-’15, no company partnered with Team USA in this capacity. Enter Dick’s Sporting Goods…” Read more

 

Meijer buys land for expansion into Twin Cities by Nick Halter at Minneapolis/St.Paul Business Journal. “Meijer bought about 30 acres of land at the northeast intersection of Highway 610 and Zane Avenue in Brooklyn Park, Minn.” Read more

 

HHS chief: US Zika cases rise to 450 by Sarah Ferris at The Hill. “The figure, which includes Puerto Rico and the continental U.S., shows an increase of about 90 cases from the department’s latest Zika report about one week ago.” Read more

 

Global Pet Expo shows off weird, wonderful, waste-worthy by Kate Santich at Orlando Sentinel. “In the 6.3 miles of display aisles at the Global Pet Expo in Orlando this week, one overriding theme becomes clear: Someone is making big money off poop. We’re talking poop collection, poop transport, poop composting, poop disposal. Making poop smell better. Making cat poop less alluring to dogs. Making fish poop easier to filter out. “We have bear-sized poop bags,” one vendor proclaimed. Fortunately, there were no demonstrations.” Read more

 

Restoration Hardware woes may be more than a hiccup by Krystina Gustafson at CNBC. “To be blunt, we find it shocking over half of RH Modern products are currently not in stock and will take over two months on average before customers are even contacted about scheduling deliveries,” Chukumba told investors.” Read more

 

SEC says Amazon should allow shareholder vote on gender pay by Mari Saito & Nathan Layne at Reuters. Read more

 

Target Names Tom Kadlec SVP of Infrastructure and Operations via A Bullseye View. “The company also announced the hiring of Joel Crabb as vice president of architecture, with responsibility for enterprise architecture, agile practices and Application Program Interfaces (APIs).” Read the release

 

Chicago’s first cat cafe to be unusual blend of coffee and cat lovers by Robert Channick at Chicago Tribune. “Popular overseas, the cat cafe concept has gained steam since migrating to the U.S. two years ago, offering patrons a chance to chill in a coffeehouse setting that falls somewhere between domestic tranquillity and cat-lady crazy.” Read more

 

Tipsheet Extra Stories

Tracy Morgan Cracked Jokes About Walmart During His SXSW Performance

Kanye gives 1 day’s notice for NYC pop-up shop

Renewable Fuels Association asks Lowe’s CEO to remove ‘Ditch the Ethanol’ sign

Target to sell device that uses electrical pulses to curb chronic pain

Young people prefer an Internet connection to daylight

Target’s design team finds inspiration in Morocco

Read Tipsheet Extra Stories

Tipsheet: Cornell Joins Board | JCP CEO’s ‘BS’ | Amazon Eyes O.Depot | Michael’s +3.1%

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Amazon eyes Office Depot deal to launch office supply business by Josh Kosman at NY Post. “A prominent activist investor has taken a stake in Office Depot, believing the workplace supply chain could be near a deal that will clear all regulatory barriers to its merger with Staples, The Post has learned.” Read more

 

Kohl’s Releases List of 18 Stores it Plans to Close (Half are in CA) by Melanie Lawder at Milwaukee Business Journal. See the list of 18

 

Michael’s Q4 Comp Sales +3.1% Read the release

 

Jet.com to add 200 HQ jobs in 2016 by Teresa Novellino at New York Business Journal. Read more

 

Leaked memo: Loblaw pulled French’s ketchup because it was ‘cannibalizing’ private label brand sales by Aleksandra Sagan at Canadian Press via Financial Post. “French’s ketchup became an Internet darling after a man’s Facebook post lauded the U.S.-based company for using 100 per cent Canadian-grown tomatoes.” Read more

 

Small Town (pop.406) Manufacturer Boosts Payroll from 1 to 250 with Walmart Business by Kim Souza at The City Wire. “When I went down to Wadley to see about buying the plant, I was taken back by what I saw. Former employees were there mowing the lawn, weed eating around the plant’s perimeter…One guy said that nobody was paying him but he had worked for the plant for 15 years and his father has also worked there and they wanted to see the plant reopen,” Harbaugh told Talk Business & Politics.” Read more

 

…Walmart’s Fourth Annual U.S. Manufacturing Summit is Slated for June 28th in Bentonville – Registration Required by May 27th via The City Wire. Register Here/Read more

 

**A message from Man Dip – Sour cream is for sissies – Eat like a man! Sour cream is something you slap on a baked potato. It is NOT a dip. Man Dip uses real cream cheese loaded with chunks of meat and peppers to create dips that are rich and savory with just the right amount of kick. Protein rich – Gluten free – Served hot. See the five new flavors. Named 4th best new dairy product of 2015. Mandip.com. Retailers request samples at info@shiftmarketinggroup.net

 

Kroger Promotes Mary Ellen Adcock to Group VP of Retail Operations Read the release

 

Will Sports Authority Make $3.6M Payment to Keep Denver Broncos Stadium Naming Rights? by Monica Mendoza at Denver Business Journal. Read more

 

Fortune: Sorry, Bernie: Walmart Says Higher Wages Are Motivating Workers by Phil Wahba. “I can feel the difference, I can see the difference,” Wal-Mart Stores Chief Financial Officer Brett Biggs told analysts at an investor conference in New York this week. “It pays off in a number of areas: clean, fast, friendly store scores go up.” He added: “The stores are cleaner.” Biggs also praised the quicker checkout.” Read more

 

Ross Stores Appoints Bernie Brautigan President, Merchandising, Ross Dress for Less Read the release

 

Bloomingdale’s: Sarah Jessica Parker signs her creations as she serves customers via Daily Mail See the pics / Read more

 

FedEx CEO Smith Calls Amazon Challenge Reports ‘Fantastical’ by Mary Schlangenstein at Bloomberg. “Concerns about industry disruption continue to be fueled by fantastical — and I chose this word carefully — articles and reports,” Smith said on a conference call with analysts and investors. Read more

 

Why J.C. Penney store managers were receptive to CEO Marvin Ellison’s ‘BS’ by Maria Halkias at Dallas Morning News. “I want to reinforce BS, which can stand for business simplification or whatever else you want it to stand for,” he said. “We’re very serious about this. It’s very difficult for a business to simplify.” Read more

 

Gap Accepts 2016 Catalyst Award “Catalyst, a leading nonprofit organization accelerating progress for women, recognizes Gap Inc.’s culture of equality and dedicated efforts related to the advancement of women.” Read the release

 

…Target CEO Brian Cornell Joins Catalyst’s Board of Directors via A Bullseye View. “He and Laysha Ward, Target’s chief corporate social responsibility officer, (were) both guest speakers at the annual Catalyst Awards Conference in New York…”Over the years, I’ve had the good fortune to work with—and for—excellent leaders. Like Indra Nooyi at Pepsi, and before that, Ellen Marram, CEO of Tropicana..” Read more | See other featured speakers

 

True Value Sees Strong 2015 Performance “Destination True Value (DTV) comparable store sales were up 4.7 percent for the fiscal year…wholesale comparable store sales, on a gross billings basis, were up 1.8 percent for the year. Retail comparable store sales were up 3.1 percent.” Read the release

 

Black Enterprise: Meet the female execs behind some of the most admired corporate brands by Lisa Fraser. “Tracey Brown, Sam’s Club: “I not only want people who look like me and think like me, I also want the polar opposite of that” Read more | See the list of leading women

 

Coke Thinks Designer Milk Could Be a Billion-Dollar Brand by Shruti Singh & Jennifer Kaplan at Bloomberg. “We look at milk, honestly, as one of nature’s superfoods,” says Melanie Kahn, vice president for marketing at Fairlife.” Read more

 

Tipsheet Extra Stories

Safety notice issued for Disney sleeping bags over ‘strangulation’ fear

Politico: The inside story of how Michelle Obama decided to change American nutrition.

Benton County, Arkansas farmers saluted by Walmart for stewardship efforts

Kroger execs speak at conference – tout organic growth and why deflation can be a good thing

E-Commerce Gets Its Own Consumer Price Index

Apple design chief Jony Ive describes meeting Steve Jobs for first time

Read Tipsheet Extra Stories

 

 

Tipsheet: Teamsters Tangle w/Costco | Wmart Chief Wants Foodie Merchants | REI +1M | McFarland’s Directives

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Teamsters recommends rejection of Costco contract at Reuters. “The main sticking point is Costco’s decision not to bend to a union request that 3,500 members on the East Coast on a 401(k) pension plan be allowed to join the defined benefit pension plan provided to 12,500 members in California.” Read more

 

Chicago: Target to open Hyde Park store by Becky Yerak at Chicago Tribune. “..the new store will be its fifth “flexible format” location in Chicago. The store will open in late fall 2016 or early spring 2017 at the new Vue53 mixed-use development near the intersection of 53rd Street and Kimbark Avenue.” Read more

 

Walmart U.S. Food Chief Speaks at Bentonville-Bella Vista Chamber of Commerce Breakfast by Kim Souza at The City Wire. “(Charles Redfield) shared a story of how one new pizza supplier worked together with Walmart to study the market and craft an item that resonated with consumers – Sasquatch frozen pizza…The team went to Lowe’s and Home Depot and measured the sizes of typical household freezers and then designed their packaging to fit easily…“The important thing here is that this supplier didn’t say no at any time during the process. ‘No’ stifles innovation,” he said.” Read more

 

…Charles Redfield on Walmart’s new food sensory lab: “Too many of our merchants are not foodies and they need to be. This sensory lab will provide better experiences. Many of our suppliers have them and it should facilitate new product development. It should hopefully be open by shareholders week (early June),” Redfield said.”

 

**A message from 2016 Sweets & Snacks Expo – Discover what products are trending and guaranteed to fly off your shelves! Items selected during the Sweets & Snacks Expo’s Most Innovative New Product Awards go on to enjoy sweet success – see the 2015 New Product winners here. Get the first glimpse of the newest items and receive a sneak peek at products predicted by industry experts to become best-sellers. Join us at Chicago’s McCormick Place from May 24-26. See this year’s exhibitors | sweetsandsnacks.com

 

J.C. Penney to store managers: focus on the customer, not your inbox by Maria Halkias at Dallas Morning News. “(Joe McFarland) pointed to a cart rolled out onto the stage with a foot-high stack of paper. “Those are all the emails received by one general (store) manager in one month from district staff and managers, regional and home office,” McFarland said. “This is unmanageable and overwhelming.” Read more

 

…McFarland on weak in-store Wi-Fi: “We would think Wi-Fi in stores is one thing that the Apple guy would have gotten right.” 

 

REI reports 23% increase in digital sales, record membership growth by Monica Nickelsburg at GeekWire. “For the first time in the company’s history, more than 1 million new members joined the co-op last year. REI reported $2.4 billion in annual revenue for 2015. In-store sales increased by 7 percent and digital sales grew by almost 23 percent.” Read more

 

Former Best Buy CEO retires from company’s board by Kavita Kumar at Star Tribune. “Brad Anderson, who was chief executive from 2002 to 2009, will retire from the board at its annual shareholders meeting in June.” Read more

 

TAKE IT BACK OR ELSE – Neiman Marcus throws bad merchandise back at vendors by Lisa Fickenscher at NY Post. “(Neiman Marcus) has asked its vendors to take back merchandise or risk not getting their fashions into the store in the future, according to sources familiar with the situation.” Read more

 

Neiman Marcus Bonds Jump After Chain Posts Smaller Sales Decline by Nick Turner & Sridhar Natarajan at Bloomberg. “Neiman Marcus bonds surged after the department-store chain posted a smaller sales decline over the holidays than in the previous three months. Same-store sales…fell 2.4 percent in the second quarter.” Read more

 

Jet.com spreads its wings at Hoboken’s growing tech hub by Teresa Novellino at New York Business Journal. “A deal was made with developer SJP Properties for an additional 40,000 square feet of space, bringing Jet.com’s headquarters to 80,000 square feet of space at the Waterfront Corporate Center III. The three-building complex comprises 1.5 million square feet…” Read more

 

Amazon’s Italy Chief Says Company Under Probe for Tax Evasion by Daniel Lepido at Bloomberg. “E-commerce is a low-margin business, and Amazon is in a phase of heavy investment, so profits are slim,” the executive said.” Read more

 

Wal-Mart’s Brett Biggs, EVP & Int’l CFO, Presents at Bank of America Merrill Lynch Consumer & Retail Conference Read the full transcript via Seeking Alpha

 

Bass Pro founder/CEO Johnny Morris will speak March 31 at North Arkansas College via Harrison Daily. “The lecture will be open to the public free of charge and will begin at 6:30 p.m.” Read more

 

Tipsheet Extra Stories

Lord & Taylor settles deceptive advertising charges

P&G drops product following government ban

CVS must face lawsuit over generic drug discount plan – judge

Tom Walton named ‘Tourism Person of the Year’ by Arkansas Gov.

Loblaws to re-stock French’s ketchup after social media backlash

Target’s 2015 Public Safety Partnerships

QuikTrip co-founder Chester Cadieux passes away

Read Tipsheet Extra Stories

Tipsheet: Costco Recycling Snafu | Target Nearly Halts Remodels | Sex & the City Star @ Bloomingdale’s | HD Sup +6.8% | ‘Raging’ Mom Storms Asda

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Costco Is Quietly Removing Tobacco From Most of its Stores by Brian Sozzi at The Street. “Costco revealed on Monday that it started pulling tobacco products from some of its shelves three or four years ago…Currently, 189 of Costco’s 488 locations still sell tobacco products, a spokesman told The Street, adding that the decision to curtail their availability was more about the company’s bottom line than about pushing customers to make healthier choices.” Read more

 

Lowe’s: New CMO Ushers in Marketing Rebrand by Adrianne Pasquarelli at Ad Age. “One commercial features a unicorn lamenting that his “tiny unicorn legs” don’t afford him a better view of the lush green lawn. Another features a preening lawn flamingo. The 1,840-unit Lowe’s is planning a total of six spots in 15-and 30-second variations; more commercials will continue throughout the year.” Read more / See the unicorn spot

 

Wal-Mart Japan to focus on remodeling stores, no plans to exit market by Ritsuko Shimizu at Reuters. “It now has 345 stores in Japan compared with 434 before the closures announced in 2014.” Read more

 

‘Tis the Season…

*Costco co-founder to host Clinton at fundraiser next week by Jim Brunner at Seattle Times. “Hillary Clinton’s caucus-week plans in Washington state include a high-priced fundraiser at the Medina home of Costco co-founder Jeff Brotman and his wife, philanthropist Susan Brotman.” Read more

 

*Theranos CEO Elizabeth Holmes Is Holding a Hillary Fundraiser With Chelsea Clinton by Noah Kulwin at Recode. “…One person Holmes hasn’t lost? Hillary Clinton, apparently. Next Monday, Holmes is hosting a fundraiser for Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign in Palo Alto.” Read more

 

HD Supply Q4 Net Sales +6.8% “HD Supply…today reported Net sales of $7 billion for the full-year fiscal 2015 ended January 31, 2016, an increase of $418 million, or 6.0 percent, as compared to fiscal 2014.” Read the release

 

**A message from PaintPincher – Never Waste Paint Again! The PaintPincher is an ingenious 8-in-1 paint can spatula that recovers paint, stain, adhesives and more from gallon and quart cans, leaving them 99.9% clean. The PaintPincher is great for Pro and DIY painters and can save up to a cup of paint per gallon! See the video | See the sell sheet | Packaging pic | paintpincher.com Retailers request a sample at info@shiftmarketinggroup.net

 

Target Canada fallout continues as court lifts ban on co-tenancy rights by Marina Strauss at Globe & Mail. “Ontario Superior Court on Monday agreed to a request by…TJX…and Gap…that a temporary ban on retailers being able to invoke their so-called co-tenancy rights be lifted. Co-tenancy rights allow key retailers to get rent breaks and, in some circumstances, leave a mall or other retail property without penalty, if an “anchor” tenant such as Target closes its store in the premises.” Read more

 

Why You Shouldn’t Trust All Amazon Reviews by Jason Cipriani at Fortune. “Best Reviews looked at 488 different products listed on Amazon with a total of 360,000 user ratings. Out of those reviews, 66.3% (nearly 240,000) were 5-star ratings. It’s an almost unrealistic number for any business, let alone for the hundreds of products monitored in the study.” Read more

 

Happening Today ‘Around Noon’ – Sarah Jessica Parker To Work Shoe Floor At Bloomingdale’s by Rachael Allen at Footwear News. “The rumors are true! I’m clocking in and putting myself to work…at @bloomingdales 59th Street. Come stop by “Shoes on 2″ around noon. I’ll be working the sales floor and helping to answer any and all questions about the @SJPCollection.” Read more

 

Kroger misses out on Fresh Market deal by Steve Watkins at Cincinnati Business Courier. “Fresh Market said Monday morning it has agreed to be acquired by private equity firm Apollo Global Management in a deal valued at nearly $1.4 billion.” Read more

 

Ahold, Delhaize shareholders approve supermarket merger by Toby Sterling & Robert Jan-Bartunek at Reuters. “Some Delhaize shareholders were at times emotional during a question and answer session, lamenting the loss of the supermarket chain, founded by Jules Delhaize in 1867, to foreign control. “The lion is not dead. He’s just making another step in his career,” Chairman of the board Mats Jansson said.” Read more

 

Costco recycling snafu: 1.2 million Kirkland water bottles mislabeled by Catherine Cruz at KITV 4 ABC. “Customers across (Hawaii) are just finding out those bottles are being rejected by recycling centers because they don’t have the proper Hi-5 labels. “I hadn’t heard of it. I’m not sure if I have any that come from Costco,” said Debbie Snell…Neither did another man who had two large garbage bins full of Kirkland bottles. He wasn’t very happy to learn he would have to take them back where he bought them.” Read more

 

Avon to cut 2,500 jobs, shift headquarters to UK via Reuters. Read more

 

Under Armour’s CEO Just Hinted at How His Company Can Grow to $7 Billion by 2018 by Christopher Heine at Ad Week. “Under Armour CEO Kevin Plank recalled crying at a tollbooth about 10 years ago while trying to explain to the attendant that he didn’t have the $2 he needed to drive through…“Our belief is data is the new oil,” Plank said. “I think the companies that will win are using math.” Read more

 

Amazon Wants the Patent for Pay-By-Selfie by Jason Del Rey at Recode. Read more

 

Nordstrom inks deal for NFL linebacker’s grooming line by Lisa Fickenscher at NY Post. “Karlos Dansby of the Cleveland Browns, whose Montez Renault line of shaving cream, moisturizers and scrubs has won over Hollywood’s Ethan Hawke and NBA star Kevin Durant, has signed a deal with Nordstrom to bring the upstart brand to 50 of the chain’s stores across the country.” Read more

 

Target nearly halts store remodeling in 2015 by Nick Halter at Minneapolis/St.Paul Business Journal. “Target remodeled just nine of its stores in 2015, down from 39 remodels the year before and nearly 400 in 2011.” Read more

 

Neiman Marcus exec departs after years of defining the in-store luxury experience by Maria Halkias at Dallas Morning News. “Ignaz Gorischek a 25-year veteran of Neiman Marcus who has been responsible for all facets of the luxury retailer’s in-store experience has a new job. Gorischeck has joined the Dallas office of architect and design firm Callison RTKL.” Read more

 

Tesco Felt Sorry For Shoplifter – So They Offered Him a Job at Time via Fortune. “He was not a regular thief. When we questioned him, he immediately confessed, saying that he stole the fruits and drinks because his son was hungry.” The manager also gave the man some cash to help him take care of his three children.” Read more

 

Tipsheet Extra Stories

Raging mom storms into Asda and takes items from shelves without paying after delivery failed to turn up twice

Herbalife Spent $700,000 Protecting Its CEO From Threats in 2015

Home Depot CMO Trish Mueller nominated for SXSW Cojones Award

Honey Nut Cheerios Mascot Goes Missing as Brand Addresses Declining Bee Populations

Sasha and Malia Obama Wore $20K Dresses to the Canada State Dinner

Amazon is hiring the most MBAs in tech, and it’s not really close

Hal Lawton and Amazon Exec Join Catalyst Americas 2016 Keynote Lineup

Iron Maiden’s Boeing 747 grounded after runway incident in Chile

Read Tipsheet Extra Stories

Tipsheet: Cornell Keynote Tue.| Sinegal’s Op-Ed | Stack Grad Address | Bentonville: Geena Expects 100K

/in

 

Tomorrow: Target CEO to present keynote at The Executives Club of Chicago “Join The Club on Tuesday, March 15 to hear Cornell share key insights and lessons learned, as Target transforms its business and adapts to the shifting consumer landscape.” See details / Read the release

 

Former Costco CEO Sinegal Pens Education Op-Ed with Daughter via Seattle Times. “…we urge Gov. Jay Inslee and our state elected leaders to prioritize our kids and invest in these crucial high-quality early learning programs this legislative session.” Read the Op-Ed

 

Fresh Market Shares Soar on Apollo Takeover Offer via CNBC. “Specialty grocery retailer Fresh Market said on Monday it agreed to be acquired by private equity firm Apollo Global Management for about $1.36 billion in cash. Shares of Fresh market surged more than 20 percent in premarket trading” Read more

 

Anchorage: Proposal to ban RV camping in Walmart parking lots dropped after outcry by Devin Kelly at Alaska Dispatch News. “Gray-Jackson said she personally received more than 150 emails about her proposal, almost all negative. She said the number of phone calls on the issue were among the most she’s received since she was elected.” Read more

 

Dick’s Sporting Goods CEO to deliver keynote address at the commencement ceremony of St. John Fisher College by Lori Gable at Rochester Business Journal. “Stack is a St. John Fisher alumnus. He graduated with a bachelor’s degree in accounting in 1977.” Read more

 

Amazon’s most prolific reviewers: Meet the people whose lives revolve around rating products by Nathalie Olah at The Independent. “The most prolific reviewer in Amazon’s history, an American called Harriet Klausner, died last year. Submitting more than 31,000 reviews in just over 10 years, Ms Klausner, who lived in Atlanta, had become the target of a campaign to expose instances of suspected “supplier involvement”…(she) had been accused of selling free products as a secondary source of income, with books supposedly appearing on trading site half.com before their official release.” Read more

 

Instacart Slashes Pay Up to 63% For Grocery Couriers by Leena Rao at Fortune. Read more | WSJ article (subs.)

 

…Instacart says ads from General Mills, PepsiCo, and other consumer companies account for 15% of revenue by Ellen Huet at Bloomberg. “Instacart said it’s “profitable” in four cities, including its biggest two, San Francisco and Chicago. It said 40 percent of the company’s volume is profitable—meaning most orders still lose money.” Read more

 

Washington Post: The big business behind the adult coloring book craze by Sarah Halzack. “At Barnes & Noble, Walmart and Michaels, executives said the growing interest in adult coloring books has also prompted a surge in sales of a host of related art supplies. Indeed, Nielsen reports that total sales of colored pencils shot up 26.3 percent in 2015, a sharp increase compared to the previous three years, when growth ranged from 1.3 to 7.2 percent.” Read more

 

**A message from Black Flag® Brand: When the flag flies, pests die. The Black Flag® indoor/outdoor pest arsenal arms homeowners in the battle against invading bugs. Offering quick, decisive formulas that act fast and never back down, Black Flag insect and rodent controls get the job done, and take no prisoners. It’s time to Let It Fly. Check out our videos | Visit us on Facebook

 

Twin Cities 40 Under 40 2016 via Minneapolis/St.Paul Business Journal. “Melisa Lopez Franzen – A veteran of Target, she now runs her own PR firm and won a hotly contested race to represent Edina in the Minnesota Legislature.” See the full list

 

Amazon’s landmark spheres rising but have a long way to go by Marc Stiles at Puget Sound Business Journal. See the recent pics

 

JCP CEO Ellison Visits Houston with new EVP Joe McFarland See the Twitter pic

 

Target CIO Mike McNamara Q&A via A Bullseye View. “What were some of your favorite talks at the Forbes summit? Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff was brilliant. He explained how a group of monastics recently inspired him to put “mindfulness” rooms on each floor of Salesforce’s new office…Google’s Ben Fried and Intuit’s Atticus Tysen had a great talk about the challenges and thrills of being a CIO today.” Read more

 

GeekWire: Get ready for the next billion-dollar fight in the credit card industry. Two small merchants in Florida say the industry’s shift to chip-enabled credit cards has caused them a tenfold increase in fraud losses by Bob Sullivan. Read more

 

eBay Invites Some Sellers to List 600,000 Listings by Ina Steiner at eCommerceBytes. “One seller started a thread on the eBay boards wondering if eBay had been hacked due to the large number of free listings offered in the promotion.” Read more

 

Lane Bryant’s CMO Talks Barbie, Bodies and Branding by Adrianne Pasquarelli at Ad Age. “Re: rejected commercial: “Our plan is to keep the edit “as is,” we believe it’s a beautiful and appropriate expression of women’s bodies. We do plan to air this through our own media channels as well as through digital channels.” Read the Q&A

 

Tipsheet Extra Stories

Geena Davis expects 100,000 for Bentonville Film Festival in its second year

Wired: I Watched Amazon’s Live Fashion Show So You Don’t Have To

Brian Cornell Standing Next to Magic Johnson (pic)

Madonna’s Daughter to Appear in Stella McCartney’s Campaign for New Fragrance Pop

Robots May Someday Engage Male Shoppers Who Shy Away From In-Store Interactions

Tiny Austin business wins big Wal-Mart deal for its monster cookies

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Tipsheet: Nordstrom Slashes 100+ | HD Supply +500 in Cobb | Wmart Gen Y Share +4.5% | JCP CEO Buys 50K Shares

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Nordstrom slashes at least 100 jobs in latest round of cuts by Madeline Vuong at GeekWire. “The retailer “has been taking a closer look at our technology team to ensure it is best structured to provide a competitive advantage for Nordstrom,” spokeswoman Tara Darrow said in an e-mail to GeekWire today, confirming that the company has made additional cuts.” Read more

 

HD Supply to expand in Cobb by J. Scott Trubey at AJC. “The company plans to add 500 workers in Cobb over the next five years as part of a new $100 million headquarters campus, according to a news release Thursday from Gov. Nathan Deal’s office.” Read more

 

Walmart has increased its market share with Millennials by 4.5% in the past few years by Kim Souza at The City Wire. “Steve Bratspies said the retailer continues to focus on the Millennial generation…He said 48% of them are multi-cultural, versus 28% of the boomers…“They are the most value driven generation that was seen in my lifetime, slightly ahead of Gen- X.” Read more

 

J.C. Penney CEO Marvin Ellison buys JCP stock, bringing total stake to 2.5 million shares by Maria Halkias at Dallas Morning News. “Ellison made the $590,000 purchase of 50,000 shares at an average price of $11.80 a share on Wednesday.” Read more

 

Kohl’s Stakes its Turnaround on Relaunch of Top House Brand by Phil Wahba at Fortune. “Over the years, we were looking at it as different categories within Sonoma, like women’s, men’s and home items, rather than as a true brand,” says Michael Gilbert, executive vice president of product development for Kohl’s. “We knew that Sonoma was a vehicle we needed to re-imagine.” Read more

 

CVS Health to spend $50M to snuff out youth tobacco use by Jessica Bartlett at Boston Business Journal. “CVS Health said it would partner with national anti-tobacco organizations like Scholastic and the American Cancer Society to educate youth on the harms of smoking.” Read more

 

Amazon.com back online after sudden outage hit users across the U.S. by James Risley at GeekWire. See the outage map

 

Vitamin Shoppe Adds Former Walgreens Boots CIO Tim Theriault to Board by Steven Norton at Wall Street Journal. “Tim Theriault…still serves as an adviser to Walgreens Boots CEO Stefano Pessina on cybersecurity and other IT issues.” Read more (subs.)

 

**A message from Dig It® Handwear – Revolutionary garden glove protection for manicured female hands! Patented line of high-quality gardening gloves provides unique “pillow-top” fingernail protection for female gardeners. See the line at digithandwear.com. Retailers – contact info@shiftmarketinggroup.net to request a sample. 

 

Here’s why the founder of Ikea wears hand-me-down clothes by Peter Holley at Washington Post. “This is not the first time the 89-year-old has revealed his penchant for extreme penny-pinching. In 2008, he told Swedens Sydsvenskan newspaper that he saves money by getting his hair cut during trips overseas to poorer countries.” Read more

 

Jet.com Wants to Slash Diaper Prices for Low-Income Families by Jason Del Rey at Recode. “To bring down the price, the two companies decided to eliminate unnecessary graphics from packaging and add more diapers than usual to a box. The diapers will be available to anyone on Jet.com in late April, but nonprofits can apply for special discounted pricing at Jet.com/jetcares right now.” Read more

 

Jessica Alba’s Honest laundry detergent said to contain forbidden ingredient by David Pierson at LA Times. “The Wall Street Journal conducted two lab tests that found the company’s liquid laundry detergent contained SLS, according to a story published Thursday. Honest, which has raised $222 million in private funding, disputes the Wall Street Journal’s findings and called the story “reckless.” Read more

 

Ulta Beauty Q4 Comp Sales +12.5%  Read the release

 

Shopify COO Opens Up About Executive Coaches by James Cowan at Canadian Business. “Until recently, it was a weird, dirty secret that some of the best leaders in the world have coaches. So I’ve become very vocal about it, because I think it’s important. Coaching at Shopify actually started with Cody Fauser, our CTO. He was a phenomenal engineer and software creator, but it didn’t come naturally for him to manage a team. So he hired a coach for himself. Once we saw the benefit for Cody, the entire executive team started seeing coaches.” Read the full Q&A

 

Sobeys cutting fresh food prices in Western Canada to woo customers by Marina Strauss at Globe & Mail. “We’re not dealing with the same customer psyche that we were dealing with even a year ago,” Marc Poulin, chief executive officer of parent Empire Cos. Ltd., told analysts. “The behaviour of the customer has changed in Western Canada, and we have to acknowledge that.” Read more

 

Colgate extends restructuring program, will cut up to 3,800 jobs at Reuters. “The company also said it would cut costs on its supply chain and focus on expanding its commercial hubs.” Read more

 

Chobani Pushes Into Drinks and Savory Dips by Jennifer Kaplan & Craig Giammona at Bloomberg. “Chobani’s billionaire founder, Hamdi Ulukaya, is looking to prove the company can go it alone after rejecting an offer earlier this year from PepsiCo.” Read more

 

Tipsheet Extra Stories

Why It’s Better to Live Near a Target Than a Walmart

Zika virus now linked to serious brain infection in adults, experts warn

Lane Bryant ad starring plus-size model Ashley Graham barred by ABC, NBC

Supervalu grounds jet perk for new CEO Mark Gross

Alleged Avon hoax mastermind arrested, indicted

Joe’s Crab Shack apologizes after using photo of black man’s 1895 hanging as decoration

Caitlyn Jenner teams up with retailer to model for sports campaign

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Tipsheet: Target’s Mysterious Start-Up | D.Gen +2.2% | Pressure On Lowe’s To Up Rona Bid | Costco’s 1st East Coast Bus.Ctr.

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Target looking to hire 20 people for mysterious start-up called Goldfish by Kavita Kumar at Star Tribune. “Goldfish is the brainchild of West Stringfellow, who joined Target last year as one of three entrepreneurs in residence who were charged with bringing out-of-the-box ideas to help push Target’s innovation agenda…A Target spokeswoman on Wednesday confirmed that the retailer was hiring for the project.“At this point the project and what it is, is still confidential,” said Jenna Reck, the spokeswoman.” Read more

 

Dollar General Q4 Comp Sales +2.2% “Net sales increased 7.0 percent to $5.29 billion in the 2015 fourth quarter compared to $4.94 billion in the 2014 fourth quarter. Departments with the most significant increases in net sales were candy and snacks, perishables, tobacco, and food.” Read the release

 

Nordstrom chooses Texas stores for exclusive Italian brands by Maria Halkias at Dallas Morning News. “If you were Nordstrom and wanted to test emerging Italian brands, what state would you pick? Nordstrom picked Texas for its latest keep-them-coming pop-in shop program run by Olivia Kim, the Seattle-based retailer’s vice president of creative projects.” Read more

 

Pressure mounts on Lowe’s to up its offer for Rona’s preferred shareholders by Barry Critchley at Financial Post. “This week, and possibly as early as Thursday, more information is expected to be released about the extent of the opposition to the terms offered to the pref shareholders. “We have had lots of emails and calls from retail investors about the situation and we will be responding,” said an adviser with knowledge of what’s being planned.” Read more

 

Costco to Open First Business Center on East Coast by Joan Verdon at North Jersey. “The store, at 80 South River St., will still be open to all Costco members, but will be stocked to appeal more to business owners than to the general public…The Hackensack will be Costco’s first business center in New Jersey, and the 13th business center nationwide.” Read more

 

Former TJX executive named CEO at Bob’s Discount Furniture by Katheleen Conti at Boston Globe. “Former TJX Cos. executive Michael Skirvin will be taking the helm at Bob’s Discount Furniture as the retailer’s president and chief executive, the company announced Thursday.” Read more

 

Home Depot Appliance Boss Bob Baird Stepping Down by Alan Wolf via Twice. “The merchandising VP will formally step down May 1, when he passes his responsibilities to David Passafiume and enters semi-retirement.” Read more

 

Hispanic newspaper publisher joins Target board by Nick Halter at Minneapolis/St.Paul Business Journal. “Target has added former Hispanic newspaper publisher Monica Lozano to its board it directors…Lozano, 59, was CEO of Hispanic media company ImpreMedia and the publisher of La Opinion, the country’s largest Spanish language newspaper.” Read more

 

Rite Aid’s distribution center in Charlotte closing this spring, laying off 270 workers by Jenna Martin at Charlotte Business Journal. Read more

 

Ex-Costco Execs Take Organic Fast-Food Concept to San Francisco by Sarah Fritsche at SF Gate. “The company is also aiming to open several more outposts over the coming year in San Francisco, the East Bay and possibly Sacramento (exact locations TBA).” Read more

 

**Trade Show Spotlight—Sweets & Snacks Expo’s Insights: A recent NCA poll shows that 95% of candy and snack buyers identified the winter holidays as their key time for sales. Keep your seasonal offerings current, stay ahead of your competitors, attend the Sweets & Snacks Expo May 24-26 to identify the hottest trends for 2016 and beyond. More candy and snacks than any other event! Last Year’s Recap Video | This Year’s Exhibitors | Register Now

 

As many as 139 Jos. A. Bank stores are closing by Rick Seltzer at Baltimore Business Journal. Read more

 

VALENTINE’S DAY – Man Loses Wedding Ring in Golf Glove at Dick’s Sporting Goods – Good Samaritan Returns by Nick Schwartz at Fox Sports. “Fortunately for Castro, the ring never moved until Jeff Geyer tried on the very same glove three weeks later. Geyer posted about his find on Facebook, and the power of social media did the rest. The two men are now planning on a golf outing together.” See the video / Read more

 

CMO Spotlight: Wanda Gierhart with Neiman Marcus by Drew Neisser at Ad Age. “Her department is currently experimenting with different tactics across platforms, but Gierhart notes that what works well on desktop also works well on mobile.” Read more

 

Home Depot’s Kevin Hofmann, President Online, Presents at Raymond James 37th Annual Investor Conference Read transcript via Seeking Alpha

 

Walmart’s Steve Bratspies, Chief Merchandising Officer US, Presents at Raymond James’ 37th Annual Institutional Investors Conference Read transcript via Seeking Alpha

 

Food Lion investing $215M in Charlotte market to improve shopping experience by Jennifer Thomas at Charlotte Business Journal. “Food Lion says it plans to remodel 142 stores, with projects slated to be complete between May and October.” Read more

 

Toys “R” Us Q4 Comp Sales +2.3% Read the release

 

Dick’s Sporting Goods’ Management to Present at the Bank of America Merrill Lynch Conference on March 15th Read the release

 

Tipsheet Extra Stories

Salmonella outbreak linked to pistachios from Trader Joe’s and other brands sickens 11 people in nine states

Heading to Austin? Here Are 10 Must-See Marketing and Media Sessions at SXSW

GE executives turn former Quirky building into innovation hub

Walmart U.S. undergoes management shifts

Barbie brand sales are at their lowest in at least 23 years

Camping equipment sales spike 13% in Q4

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