Archive for month: July, 2016

 

Why Walmart and Big 5 Sporting Goods May Benefit Greatly From Sports Authority’s Demise by Christopher Heine at Adweek. “When it comes to in-store foot traffic, the research showed that Sports Authority shoppers visited Big 5 Sporting Goods locations 5.8 times more than all other sports retailers, while the same customers patronized Walmart 6.9 times more than other big box retailers.” Read more

 

How Home Depot & Interline are becoming ‘one’ by Jensen Werley at Jacksonville Business Journal. “We want one account for customers, one technology platform for everyone, one product catalog and one team working for the same thing,” said Frank Blake, general manager of renovation services for Home Depot, while on a recent visit to Jacksonville.” Read more

 

Walmart says Shipping Pass test gained traction during Prime Day push by Kim Souza at The City Wire. “Without specifics, (spokesman) Jariwala said the sign-ups for Shipping Pass quadrupled since the retailer announced the free 30-day trial that preceded its 5-day rollback event which ran from July 11-15. Read more

 

J.C. Penney Gets Aggressive in Appliance War With Sears by Phil Wahba at Fortune. “Jefferies retail analyst Randal Konik said in a research note Monday that Penney was offering up to 20% off some appliances and special financing for 18 or 24 months. What’s more, Penney was price-matching and offering free delivery and basic installation on all purchases over $299.” Read more

 

Jim Cramer inspired on TJ Maxx shopping trip at CNBC. “You have to understand, this country has changed. Americans want off-price retailers to give them high quality branded apparel at everyday low prices,” the “Mad Money” host said.” Read more

 

REI outdoor classes free for one weekend by Monica Mendoza at Denver Business Journal. “…this is the first time the company is waiving its fees, which range from $45 to $135, said Jon Frankel, Denver outdoor program market manager. Free weekend is July 30-31 and requires online registration.” Read more

 

**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

 

Wegmans committs $150,000 to open exhibit in Buffalo by Todd Clausen at Democrat & Chronicle. “The exhibit is at least the fourth involving Wegmans. The Strong National Museum of Play, the Children”s Museum of Richmond and the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History in Washington, D.C. all have exhibits.” Read more

 

Gander Mountain partners with NRA on memberships by Tyler Gieseke at Minneapolis/St.Paul Business Journal. “…will offer one-year NRA memberships for $30 (regularly $40) in Minnesota, Wisconsin and North Dakota stores starting this week. The program will expand to all 163 store locations nationally by September.” Read more

 

Girls are buying more toys than boys by Lisa Fickenscher at NY Post. “Sales of toys for girls grew by a whopping 35 percent in the quarter, but sales of toys geared to boys grew by just 4.3 percent — down significantly from the 24 percent gain for boys’ toys in the first quarter.” Read more

 

Russian Consumers Still in Shock as They Cut Back on Food and Medicine by Olga Tanas at Bloomberg. “Billionaire Sergey Galitskiy’s retailer, which operates almost 13,000 outlets in Russia, said the average purchase fell 2 percent in the second quarter from a year earlier, dropping for the first time since it began disclosing the figures in 2006. Nationwide data due Tuesday will show retail sales in June shrank for a record 18th month.” Read more

 

Melania Trump’s dress from Net-A-Porter sells out in minutes at Daily Mail. “The Slovenian immigrant, who became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 2006, wowed in the dress described as a ‘beautiful option for the modern bride’ by the e-commerce site Net-a-Porter. The dress by the London-based Serbian designer Ilinicic retails at $2,190 and promptly sold out following the model’s appearance on the RNC stage.” Read more

 

WSJ: Wal-Mart vs. Visa Showdown by Sarah Nassauer & Robin Sidel. “Ms. Zajac, who previously saw the signs at Wal-Mart warning that they would stop accepting Visa on Monday, says she stocked up on things she likes buying at Wal-Mart in advance and will go to a different grocery store that accepts Visa this week…Ms. Zajac, a chef who briefly worked as a Wal-Mart greeter about 15 years ago, says she and her husband are debating whether to go back if Wal-Mart starts accepting Visa again.” Read more (subscription)

 

Under Armour buys Port Covington land for $70.3 million by Natalie Sherman at Baltimore Sun. “…more than twice what CEO Kevin Plank’s private real estate firm paid in 2014, according to land records. The roughly 50-acre waterfront site includes a Wal-Mart that closed this year and a former Sam’s Club that recently reopened as Under Armour offices. It also includes more than 8 acres of submerged area.” Read more

 

Tipsheet Extra Stories

This is what Amazon’s homepage looked like when it launched 21 years ago

A Bullseye View: Behind the Scenes of Target’s Back to School Campaign

Boots makes a push into South Korea with Emart expansion deal

Dunkin’ Donuts kiosks coming to BJs

Target case a cyber warning to corporate directors

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TODAY – Walmart to stop accepting Visa in Thunder Bay, Ontario stores at CBC. “We are moving ahead as planned regarding our decision to stop accepting Visa at our three Thunder Bay stores on Monday, July 18,” said Alex Roberton, senior director, corporate affairs, at Walmart Canada. “We will then roll out the change in phases across Canada,” he added.” Read more

 

AMAZON TOUR PICS – Tours give a look-see inside Amazon’s campus by Angel Gonzalez at Seattle Times. “Demand has been brisk: As the word spread since the program began this month, tours were booked through October on the online booking site. But there’s an online waiting list if any spots open up. The company won’t offer the tours in the winter months because of the weather.” See the 10 pics / Read more

 

Citi CEO Says He’s Focused on Fixing Costco Credit-Card Woes by Dakin Campbell at Bloomberg. “We experienced extremely high calling volumes in the early implementation of it,” Chief Executive Officer Mike Corbat said..“Questions around card activation, questions around statements, questions around where to send payments, and so we’re working through that. We’re gaining on it. We’re very focused on it.” Read more

 

U.S. and Chinese labor groups collaborated before China Wal-Mart strikes by Nandita Bose at Reuters. “They asked for our support,” said Cantare Davunt, OUR Wal-Mart’s leader from Minnesota, who participated in the Skype call…”We can use this to collectively press Wal-Mart on issues,” said Dan Schlademan, co-director of OUR Walmart.” Read more

 

Stores get personal to woo L.A. shoppers and keep them wanting more by Kavita Daswani at LA Times. “Saks, for example, introduced its mobile shopping service last year but only recently started promoting it in Los Angeles. A crew including a store stylist will come to you if you can’t make it into the Beverly Hills store or 12 other stores nationwide, including ones in New York and Florida.” Read more

 

Jeff Bezos scores role as an alien Starfleet official in blockbuster Star Trek Beyond by Liam Quinn at Daily Mail. “Producer J.J. Abrams laughed about Bezos’s silver screen appearance, saying: ‘You can’t keep people away… I saw it, I thought it was funny.’ Read more

 

Sam’s Club operates unique lab in Bentonville store to test fresh sushi, seafood and other offerings by Kim Souza at The City Wire. “The demand for sushi in the Bentonville Club was so great that they started with two rice cookers and had to increase that to five in the first couple of weeks of opening in late May,” Harris said. He said FuiiSan employs 10 sushi chefs inside the Bentonville Club…” Read more

 

**A message from Alma Italy – Enjoy the innovative, yet simple elegance of Alma Cookware. Alma Cookware produces non-stick aluminum cookware products and delivers healthy and tasty foods with the security of a professional product. Featuring La Sughiera – the thick-tempered glass lid with upper hole allows for spice-adding and stirring without removing the lid. Featuring Egizia – this warm color pottery connects modern technology with a traditional rural aesthetic. Made in Italy | Website | Italy-America new product connection | Retailers request samples at info@shiftmarketinggroup.net

 

Overstock.com president Stormy Simon resigns by Tracy Maple at Internet Retailer. “Overstock.com Inc. president Stormy Simon has resigned, effective no later than July 25, to “pursue other opportunities” and will leave the board no later than Sept. 30.” Read more

 

Sears finds a new way to rake in cash, deliver Costco appliances by Lisa Fickenscher at NY Post. “No one who works at a Costco wants a Sears guy delivering their stuff to their customers, so we rebranded the company,” said Cates, a former counterterrorism consultant who joined Innovel 18 months ago.” Read more

 

QuikTrip Leads Gas Retailers in Customer Satisfaction “Warehouse retailer Costco was the survey’s runner up, followed by Kwik Trip, Kroger and Sheetz.” Read the release

 

Massachusetts grocery stores innovating food waste disposal by Corin Cook at Metro West Daily News. “Almost two years ago, Massachusetts passed a commercial food-waste ban…Stop and Shop opened a green energy facility next to the company’s distribution center in Freetown, the second of its kind and the first of its kind on the East Coast…” Read more

 

123,000 Venezuelans cross border shopping for scarce food at AP. “It was the second weekend in a row that Venezuela’s socialist government opened the long-closed border with Colombia, and by 6 a.m. Sunday, a line of would-be shoppers snaked through the entire town of San Antonio del Tachira. Some had traveled in chartered buses from cities 10 hours away.” Read more

 

…Bloomberg: My Venezuela Nightmare: A 30-Day Hunt for Food in a Starving Land Read more

 

Tipsheet Extra Stories

Harris Poll Retail Brands of the Year: Home Depot, Nordstrom, Macy’s, Cabela’s, Best Buy, Kohl’s.com and TJ Maxx

Franklin Graham once again takes aim at Target after transgender woman arrested for voyeurism

Mary Kay picks Lewisville, TX plot for $100M research facility

Winning on Black Friday with Wal-Mart linked to ‘Store Assortment Online’

NYC pension fund urges Kroger to stop gun sales

Weis buying 21 Food Lion stores in Maryland

American marijuana shops focus on retail design

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WALMART CMO SPEAKS AT CHAMBER MEETING – Walmart U.S. focuses on 26 million ‘busy family’ households needing to save time and money by Kim Souza at The City Wire. “(Tony) Rogers, during his address Tuesday (July 12) to suppliers at the Bentonville-Bella Vista Chamber of Commerce WalStreet Breakfast, said Walmart sees busy families, predominantly larger than four members, as its biggest target customers. He said the retailer has divided shoppers into four categories: busy families, active savers, older unconnected and urban connected.” Read more

 

Sonos opening first retail store in N.Y.C., including ‘Wall of Sound’ by Teresa Novellino at New York Business Journal. “Each listening room is set up to look like a room in a house, such as a studio or a living room, featuring custom furniture, visual art and lighting designed to reflect the company’s favorite styles and periods from the past century. Included is the so-called “Wall of Sound,” a 17-by-24-foot installation made up of roughly 300 Sonos speakers, with eight of them plugged in and active.” See the 5 pics / Read more

 

NEWSWEEK: How Jeff Bezos is Hurtling Toward World Domination by Alexander Nazaryan. “Kara Swisher, the Recode co-founder many regard as Silicon Valley’s premier journalist, has watched Bezos from the start. “He’s kind of on this kick to be a better person,” she tells me. “He realizes his power—that he has power.” Though she is critical of some Amazon practices, she admires Bezos for his recent defense of free speech and journalism. “He’s enjoying the limelight a little bit more.” Read more

 

Toys ‘R’ Us CEO Says He Wants Toy Chain to Return to New York City by John Kell at Fortune. “(CEO David) Brandon hinted the main Toys ‘R’ Us brand could return to the island of Manhattan, though he admits it won’t look like it did in the past. He says locations will likely be smaller, perhaps between 8,000 to 12,000 square feet, an “urban model” that is similar to what Toys ‘R’ Us operates in China.” Read more

 

Publicis Groupe Creates New Entity for Walmart to Handle U.S. Creative, In-Store Marketing by Maureen Morrison at Ad Age. “The retailer has already been working with Publicis Groupe’s Saatchi & Saatchi on creative. It has also been working with Interpublic’s Martin Agency, for creative, and, according to people familiar with the matter, the agency is now officially losing the creative part to Publicis Groupe.” Read more

 

Lowe’s Ranked #1 in Customer Satisfaction with Appliance Retailers (Home Depot #3) 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

 

Back-to-school goods seen lifting July imports at US ports by Jeff Daniels at CNBC. “According to information from Global Port Tracker released Tuesday, July’s forecast is for major U.S. ports to handle 1.64 million 20-foot equivalent units. That would represent a rise of just 1.4 percent from a year ago.” Read more

 

Brand Keys: Most Patriotic Brands in America (Walmart #17, Amazon #8) See the top 19 list

 

…John Wayne Named Most Patriotic American See the top 20 list

 

STAPLES NEW BOSS: “A couple of years ago, if someone told me we’d be selling Chef Boyardee in our stores, I wouldn’t have believed it” by Lisa Fickenscher at NY Post. Read more

 

Amazon Says ‘Prime Day’ Sales Up 30 Percent for Merchants by Spencer Soper & Nicole Piper at Bloomberg. “ChannelAdvisor Corp., a North Carolina firm that helps 3,000 merchants sell on online marketplaces such as Amazon, said that as of 5 p.m. New York time, its customers were experiencing similar U.S. sales to the first Prime Day last July.” Read more

 

Kroger Announces Retirement of Bob Mariano Read the release

 

Retailers Lease Warehouse Space at Record Pace by Erica E. Phillips at WSJ. “Firms leased 70.1 million square feet of industrial space in the second quarter of 2016, the most in over 30 years of data and up 6% from the same quarter last year, real-estate brokerage Cushman & Wakefield Inc. said in a report.” Read more (subscription)

 

Retail suppliers face growth-challenged environment by Kim Souza at The City Wire. “Retailers and thousands of product suppliers…face one of the slowest growth climates in recent retail history, according to a report by Nielsen and the NPD Group. The report, recently presented to Wal-Mart suppliers at the retailer’s Open Call in Bentonville indicated that 45% of product categories are flat or declining, which represents about 40% of total retail revenue.” Read more

 

Online Sports Retailer Fanatics Turns to Fan Videos in First National Ad Push by Nathalie Tadena at WSJ. “In its first-ever national advertising campaign, online sports-apparel retailer Fanatics is leveraging user-generated content to capture the highs and lows that come with being a diehard sports fan…will debut with three 30-second spots on Wednesday during the ESPY Awards on ESPN.” Read more (subscription)

 

Tipsheet Extra Stories

Cops shoot, kill hatchet-wielding robbery suspect at Home Depot

Toronto: New service brings Costco to downtown dwellers

Chicago: Why won’t retailers move into Trump Tower?

Walgreens Exec Andrea Collaro earns national honor

Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc hikes dividend 15% as profit tops $1 billion

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Q&A: Target CEO Brian Cornell Says Tech is ‘Thread that Connects All Initiatives’ by Kim S. Nash at WSJ. “Are CIOs now CEO material? I don’t know if I’d be ready to make that jump, but they have to be thinking like strategic general managers, thinking at the enterprise level, across functions, about emerging consumer trends and how tech plays a role.” Read more (subscription)

 

…Target CIO Mr. McNamara: “Things important to me now are user experience, speed to market and putting technology in front of customers.” CEO involvement, he says, “is constant.” by Kim S. Nash at WSJ. Read more (subscription)

 

Forget Beanbag Chairs. Amazon Is Giving Its Workers Treehouses. by Nick Wingfield at NY Times. “Just off a remote stretch of road here, near wineries, horse stables and farms, Amazon is secretly growing something, but it’s not what Jeff Bezos, Amazon’s chief executive, calls the “tiny seeds” that could become the company’s next big businesses…” Read more

 

Some REI workers plan forum to push for better hours, pay by Janet I. Tu at Seattle Times. “There’s even some talk of unionizing. A group of those workers, calling themselves REI Employees for Real Change, along with Seattle City Councilmember Kshama Sawant, have organized a forum at City Hall Monday at which several REI workers are expected to speak.” Read more

 

Wal-Mart offers ‘free shipping with no minimum’ to tackle Amazon’s Prime Day via Reuters. “…for five days starting on July 11. Read more

 

WORCESTER – Hundreds of shoppers wait for up to 14 hours in the rain for opening of new Aldi store by Euan McLelland at Daily Mail. See the pics / Read more

 

Sports Authority is selling everything — on Craigslist by Danika Worthington at Denver Post. “It’s not just computer monitors. An ice maker, laptops, office desk sets and a frosted glass conference table ($12,500) all are up for grabs. Other highlights include an extensive collection of sports memorabilia, a foosball table and an outdoor ping pong table.” Read more

 

Neiman Marcus closed its corporate offices and Dallas flagship store on July 8 following mass shooting via Luxury Daily. Read more

 

Best Buy reminds customers to recycle online shipping boxes by Kavita Kumar at Star Tribune. “Starting in November, when its online shipping orders surge amid the hustle of holiday shopping, Best Buy’s shipping packages will come emblazoned with the slogan: “I want to be a pizza box. Recycle me.” Read more

 

Is Barneys leaving Madison Avenue? by Lisa Fickenscher at NY Post. “The West Coast flagship on Wilshire Boulevard and its New York counterpart, at 650 Madison Ave., account for two-thirds, or about $400 million, of the 25-store chain’s revenues. “This is a ticking time bomb for Barneys,” said a former senior store executive with direct knowledge of the company’s real estate.” Read more

 

**A message from Alma Italy – Enjoy the innovative, yet simple elegance of Alma Cookware. Alma Cookware produces non-stick aluminum cookware products and delivers healthy and tasty foods with the security of a professional product. Featuring La Sughiera – the thick-tempered glass lid with upper hole allows for spice-adding and stirring without removing the lid. Featuring Egizia – this warm color pottery connects modern technology with a traditional rural aesthetic. Made in Italy | Website | Italy-America new product connection | Retailers request samples at info@shiftmarketinggroup.net

 

Meijer yanks application for first Minnesota store by Bob Shaw at Pioneer Press. “Handt said there was no indication from the company that it planned a store in another location in Lake Elmo or anywhere else. “We do not expect to see another application from them,” said Handt.” Read more

 

Sobeys parent Empire Co announces sudden departure of CEO Marc Poulin following huge losses by Hollie Shaw at Financial Post. “Peter Sklar, analyst at BMO Capital Markets, believes it may take some time for Empire to find a permanent president and CEO, but he believes the most obvious candidate for turning around the business is Robert Sawyer, former CEO of Metro, and most recently president and CEO of Rona prior to its acquisition by Lowe’s.” Read more

 

Staples Names Steve Matyas, President North American Retail Read the release

 

Mall Owners Push Out Department Stores by Suzanne Kapner at WSJ. “Nordstrom was torn down and replaced with a Dick’s Sporting Goods store and a crayon-based family attraction called the Crayola Experience. The Saks Fifth Avenue was demolished, too, to make way for a dining pavilion with 23 restaurants. And Lord & Taylor was carved into space for American Girl, H&M, Forever 21 and Zara. Once the linchpin of American shopping malls, department stores are being displaced by newer types of retailers that do a better job of driving shoppers to the centers and lifting overall mall sales.” Read more (subscription)

 

Nordstrom takes stake in supply-chain tech company by Becky Monk at Puget Sound Business Journal. “Nordstrom took the stake in DS Co., a cloud-based service company that routes orders from retailer websites to manufacturers so that orders can be shipped directly to the customer.” Read more

 

Washington Post: Why the off-the-shoulder top is suddenly everywhere by Sarah Halzack. “To me, this is the best thing that’s happening right now in women’s apparel,” said Geoffrey Henning, a divisional vice president of design and fashion at J.C. Penney…Brooke Jaffe, fashion director at Bloomingdale’s for women’s ready-to-wear, works with her team to put together an extensive trend report at the beginning of each season to guide the upscale department store’s buyers. Off-the-shoulder pieces were in the No. 1 spot this season.” Read more

 

Pennsylvania community outraged after longtime special needs Walmart greeter gets fired by Laura Bult at NY Daily News. “This guy lives and breathes for his job and his store,” a former store manager Keith Sturges told the Pocono Record…A Walmart spokesman confirmed the 50-pound requirement and said they were able to find new positions for other greeters who lost their jobs.” Read more

 

Tipsheet Extra Stories

Lawn care CEO is investing ‘like, half a billion’ in the marijuana industry

Man arrested for stabbing worker at Home Depot

NY Post: Retailers offer huge discounts to make up for slow spring

Home improvement advertising: how to get through to DIY millennials

A shopper shocked to find a worm in her fish blasts Aldi for low compensation

Publix’s collaboration with Instacart is about way more than grocery delivery

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