Tipsheet: More Tiny Targets | Wmart’s New DC | JCP/Kohl’s Battle Prime Day | Calia in Cabo

/in

 

Kroger vows better sourcing, less waste by Alexander Coolidge at Cincinnati Enquirer. “The cage-free pledge was part of a slate of initiatives – from improving seafood and egg sourcing to cutting store and factory waste – Kroger announced as part of the release of its 10th annual sustainability report…” Read more | Read the release

 

Canada: Customers side with Walmart in Visa spat, but retailer may lose shoppers anyway by Hollie Shaw at Financial Post. “A new survey from the Angus Reid Institute finds that 59 per cent of Canadians support the big-box retailer in its decision to stop accepting Visa at certain stores…But Angus Reid found that 46 per cent of Walmart shoppers who have used a Visa card at Walmart in the last year say they will be less likely to shop at the store in the future if the retailer stops taking Visa.” Read more

 

Target’s Future Will Be Decided by Kids by Susan Berfield at Bloomberg. “…Target’s designers have been listening to kids, too, about 1,000 of them from the ages of 4 to 12—in their homes, online, at daylong fairs, and in focus groups—to create what could become one of the company’s biggest brands and maybe one of the country’s biggest kids’ brands…Cat & Jack is a crucial step in a long-term plan to revitalize Target…” Read more

 

Gap Posts First Comparable-Sales Increase Since March 2015 via Fox News. “Gap posted a surprise 2% comparable-sales increase in June buoyed by strength at its Old Navy brand, following more than a year of monthly declines.” Read more | Read the release

 

Striking Wal-Mart workers in China return to work – for now at Reuters. “Workers striking at Wal-Mart Stores Inc outlets in China have returned to work after the firm agreed to consider their protests against a new work scheduling system that some fear could be used to cut overtime pay, workers and labor activists say.” Read more

 

Theranos CEO Elizabeth Holmes Banned From Operating a Lab for Two Years via Fortune. Read more

 

Bethesda, MD is getting a tiny Target by Jeff Clabaugh at WTOP. “The 35,000-square-foot Target will open in the Shops of Wisconsin development in March 2017.” See the artist rendering / Read more

 

…Target to open smaller-format store in Skokie by Lauren Zumbach at Chicago Tribune. “In Skokie, which has a sizable Jewish population, that means grab-and-go groceries with Kosher items, Target said.” Read more

 

Alexa has exclusive deals when you order products using your voice on Amazon Echo “Just say: “Alexa order a drone” and get a Dromida Kodo UAV Quadcopter for $25 (38% off, through July 12 or while supplies last)…” Read the release

 

Fred’s June Comp Sales -1.3% 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. Saves up to a cup of paint per gallon! The PaintPincher is great for Pro and DIY painters. See the video | Sell sheet | Packaging pic | paintpincher.com | Request a sample at info@shiftmarketinggroup.net

 

4 in 10 top-selling sunscreens on Amazon don’t meet dermatologists’ standards, study says by Karen Kaplan at LA Times. “Digging deeper into the top 1%, the researchers focused on the 10 with the most customer reviews — a proxy for popularity — and found that half of them weren’t water-resistant.” Read more

 

J.C. Penney and Kohl’s put their own spin on the Amazon Prime Day hoopla by Matt Linder at Internet Retailer. “J.C. Penney will run a sale dubbed “Penney Palooza.” The sale will run Monday through Tuesday, with the Tuesday portion of the sale coinciding with Prime Day. Likewise, Kohl’s will be running a string of daily deals from Sunday through Thursday of next week.” Read more

 

Wal-Mart opens $100M distribution center in North Carolina, overdelivers in jobs count by Amanda Hoyle at Triangle Business Journal. “Wal-Mart will be hosting a ceremony July 13 to celebrate the opening…the 450,000-square-foot facility is expected to create more than 550 new jobs. That’s 100 more than was initially promised when the project was announced in late 2013.” Read more

 

Woman pleads not guilty to causing Evanston Target bathroom explosion by Brian Cox at Chicago Tribune. “Dressed in a blue prison uniform, Schmidt did not say anything during the brief hearing. Her attorney entered her not guilty plea for her.” Read more

 

Ex-Sam’s Club CEO & Current Microsoft COO Jumps to Citadel by Kate Kelley at CNBC. “A one-time cashier at Wal-Mart, (Kevin) Turner was named a corporate officer there at age 29, the retailer’s youngest ever at the time. He later became CEO of Wal-Mart’s Sam’s Club division.” Read more

 

Target Execs Escape Derivative Claims Over Data Breach by Shayna Posses at Law 360. “A Minnesota federal judge released Target Corp.’s top brass Thursday from derivative claims over a 2013 holiday season data breach that saw hackers steal information from tens of millions of customers after a special litigation committee appointed to investigate the allegations recommended dropping them.” Law 360 subscription

 

Americans spent gas savings on more gas by Nicholas Wells at CNBC. “Middle-income Americans spent 58 percent of what they would have otherwise saved thanks to cheaper gas. Chase said middle-income households had the potential to save an average of $632, but the lower gas prices encouraged drivers to drive more.” Read more

 

Home Depot Appeal To Test Banks’ Data Breach Footing by Allison Grande at Law 360. “Home Depot on Tuesday took the somewhat unusual step of seeking permission to bring to the Eleventh Circuit several questions of law raised by a judge’s refusal to toss data breach claims asserted by financial institutions, including whether the banks have standing to sue at all, a request that if granted will determine whether banks will continue to enjoy stronger footing than consumers in these disputes.” Law 360 subscription

 

‘Ghostbusters’ toys are already on the clearance rack at Target by Ian Mohr at NY Post. “But Target told Page Six when reached for comment it was all a big mistake. “This is an error and we are working quickly to address it. We apologize for any guest confusion,” said a rep.” Read more

 

Tipsheet Extra Stories

Former Wal-Mart exec named to Arkansas Game and Fish Commission

Total Hockey files for bankruptcy protection

Canada: Retailers’ intense rivalry and lower crop prices are set to cut grocery bills

NYC Cracks Down on Businesses ‘Air Conditioning the Sidewalk’

Carrie Underwood sports new Calia swimsuit line on Cabo vacation

Popular author reignites concerns over safety of Chipotle food

Read Tipsheet Extra Stories

 

 

QUICK-SUBSCRIBE to Eye on Retail Tipsheet here

Tipsheet: Target Shutters Several Pic Studios | McMillon Pic @ Sun Valley | Costco June Flat | Michaels Featured in Forbes

/in

 

Costco June Comp Sales Flat / +3% (excluding gas & f/x) “Costco reported net sales of $11.33 billion for the month of June, the five weeks ended July 3, 2016, an increase of three percent from $11.03 billion during the similar period last year.” Read the release

 

Target closes several portrait studios around the U.S. by Kavita Kumar at Star Tribune. “That front of store space is valuable real estate in our stores,” said Kristy Welker, a Target spokeswoman, adding that the company has been evaluating the best and most profitable use of that space as it remodels some stores.” Read more

 

Walmart’s Doug McMillon attends annual power conference in Sun Valley, Idaho via Daily Mail. See pics of attendees / Read more

 

Forbes: How Michaels Stores Are Crafting A Modern Brick-And-Mortar Experience by Samantha Sharf. “…A decade ago Michaels, which prided itself on stocking the basics, probably wouldn’t have carried those books and certainly wouldn’t have displayed them prominently. Now trendy products are front and center, part of Michaels’ attempt to attract new types of customers and make its cavernous stores more navigable. “We’re not Apple. We don’t make the new iPhone that people will line up in advance for,” Rubin says. “We need products that people want in an environment they want to shop in.” Read more

 

NEW CHAMPION – Dutch robot rises to Amazon Challenge by grabbing and stowing items the best by Kurt Schlosser at GeekWire. “Team Delft, from a technical university in the Netherlands, won $50,000 by beating out 15 top teams with its more accomplished picking and stowing machine. The Challenge was held during RoboCup 2016 in Leipzig, Germany.” Read more / See the video

 

88% of WalmartPay transactions are from repeat customers by Kim Souza at The City Wire. “…in the last week as WalmartPay became available nationwide there was a 45% increase in use from the previous week. He said 3 out of 4 customers who used it give it a 5-star rating, and 4 out of 5 users recommend it to their friends.” Read more

 

**A message from Pirola Italy – Colorful, designer-inspired ironing boards add spice to any home. Exclusively made in Italy for 45 years, these high-quality boards bring design and excitement to the category. Featuring the Arco board from the Design Line and the Luna board from the Plus Line. Custom colors and designs available. Retailers request samples at info@shiftmarketinggroup.net. Italy-America new product connection

 

LOWE’S WAS VR BEFORE VR WAS COOL – Lowe’s Tangos With Google To Help You Remodel Your Home In Augmented Reality by Steven Melendez at Fast Company. “When we did this story, it was way before Oculus Rift came out—this was way, way back when nobody was really talking about VR/AR in any meaningful way,” Nel says. “And since then, we’ve been iterating a number of times to help achieve that vision.” Read more

 

STUDY: 20% of Americans are too poor to shop by Lisa Fickenscher at NY Post. “These 26 million Americans are juggling two to three jobs, earning just around $27,000 a year and supporting two to four children — and exist largely under the radar…“The poorest Americans have stopped shopping, except for necessities,” said Britt Beemer, chairman of ARG.” Read more

 

ANALYST SLAMS MACY’S NEW BOSS JEFF GENNETTE by Andy Brownfield at Cincinnati Business Courier. “Gennette has participated in the total collapse of the brand, and as a merchant for decades, failed to see the shifting demographic and spending habits that were proliferating in the retail landscape,” Golden wrote. “The move by Macy’s to promote Gennette is akin to taking a Major League Baseball player with a career batting average of .200 and making him the hitting coach for a Major League Baseball team.” Read more

 

Wal-Mart in China faces employee protests by Joe McDonald at AP via Montreal Gazette. “Employees said Wal-Mart wants them to work 11-hour shifts on weekends and as little as four hours on weekdays under a system it started to roll out in June…Last week, staff members protested on Friday and Saturday outside Wal-Mart stores in the cities of Nanchang and Shenzhen in southern China, Chengdu in the west and Harbin in the northeast…” Read more

 

MIAMI – Publix is getting into the grocery delivery business with Instacart by Justine Griffin at Tampa Bay Times. “On July 12, Publix customers in some Miami neighborhoods will be able to order groceries online or through the Instacart smartphone app and have their groceries delivered to their home. The service will be available ZIP codes from Hallandale Beach to South Miami.” Read more

 

Walgreens CEO ‘Confident’ Rite Aid Deal ‘Will Go Through’ by Bruce Japsen at Forbes. “By December, we believe that everything will be done,” Walgreens Boots Alliance CEO Stefano Pessina said in answering questions about a U.S. regulatory review of its acquisition of Rite Aid.” Read more

 

…Expects to Shutter 500 Stores After Rite-Aid Deal Closes by Phil Wahba at Fortune. “That’s much less than what some analysts, or even the company, initially expected when the all-cash deal was announced last October.” Read more

 

Whole Foods promoted documentary about lives of farm animals to air by Bethany Clough at Fresno Bee. “At the Fork” follows filmmaker John Papola, who says he loves a big plate of ribs, and his vegetarian wife as he tracks how food ends up on his plate.” Read more / See the trailer

 

Hardware chain Orchard Supply eyeing Orlando area by Kyle Arnold at Orlando Sentinel. “Orchard Supply Hardware has about 70 stores in California and Oregon, but does not have any presence outside of the West Coast.” Read more

 

Possibly Rabid Animal Bites Walmart Shoppers via CBS Boston. “At least two people were reportedly bitten by a small black mammal that might have been a ferret, mink or weasel, according to authorities.” Read more

 

Tipsheet Extra Stories

‘Murder’ prank based on The Purge movie series disturbs shoppers outside Walmart

How Best Buy leaders past and present made ‘baby steps’ to big changes (WSJ subs.)

Neiman Marcus VP Natalie Bowman weighs in on how brands are utilizing new social platforms

Ex-NFL player opens gym where you can smoke pot while you work out

Family Dollar Employee Fatally Shot Trying to Stop a Shoplifter

U.S. retail mall vacancies rise in second quarter – first increase since 2014

Read Tipsheet Extra Stories

 

QUICK-SUBSCRIBE to Eye on Retail Tipsheet here

 

 

Tipsheet: Amazon Starts HQ Tours | Retailer Tells Suppliers to Cut Cost 1.45% | Wgreen +2.4% | Barney’s Stake for Sale

/in

 

Walgreens Q3 Net Sales +2.4% “Walgreens Boots Alliance’s proposed acquisition of Rite Aid Corporation, which was announced 27 October 2015, is progressing as planned.” Read the release

 

Minority stake in Barneys up for sale amid sagging sales, profits by Lisa Fickenscher at NY Post. “(Richard) Perry has hired Goldman Sachs to scout out a buyer, the source said. “The existing owners don’t want to put more money into Barneys,” said the source.” Read more

 

Supervalu Snags Marsh Supermarkets by Mike Hughlett at Star Tribune. “In addition to distributing branded foods, Supervalu will sell its private label products to Marsh. Supervalu will also provide Marsh with some professional services — back-office work — and merchandising support…Marsh’s primary grocery wholesaler has been C & S.” Read more

 

Fortune: Walmart plans to add 1 million online items per month for the foreseeable future by Phil Wahba. Read more

 

Notoriously secretive Amazon starts offering public tours of Seattle HQ by Todd Bishop at GeekWire. “The free tours, which require pre-registration, will be available every Wednesday at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m., and they will typically last about an hour, the company says. “We will do our best to answer your group’s questions,” reads the confirmation message, “but please understand that we may not be able to go into specifics on certain topics.” Read more | Tour registration

 

Five days of Etsy payment processing outages have merchants flipping by John Mannes at TechCrunch. “Over the last five days, a large number of Etsy transactions have been disrupted by “third party” payment processing outages. As of 6pm PST July 5th, over 4,000 messages of frustration have been posted in the company’s Bugs Community Forum.” Read more

 

Canada: Walmart still on track to refuse Visa unless compromise reached at CBC via MSN. “Lee thinks Walmart’s goal is to reach a compromise with Visa before it gets to the point where it drops Visa from a large number of its stores — especially high-volume urban locations. So if the Thunder Bay move doesn’t force Visa to make concessions on transaction fees, Lee predicts Walmart will simply move to round two. And that could involve additional lower-volume locations.” Read more

 

Ex-Walmart executive Leslie Dach has been involved in Hillary Clinton outreach efforts to business leaders by MJ Lee at CNN. Read more

 

Amazon bookstore coming to Manhattan by Jennifer Gould Kell at NY Post. “Amazon Books is slated to open in Hudson Yards, the massive retail, commercial and residential space developed by Related Cos. and Oxford Properties Group, sources tell The Post.” Read more

 

Winn-Dixie donated all 4th of July profits to veterans by Leada Gore at AL. “More than 700 Winn Dixie grocery stores across the Southeast (participated) in the second annual event. Last year, the day generated more than $3 million for veterans.” 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

 

Canada: Loblaw sends strongly worded letter to major suppliers, asks group to lower costs by Hollie Shaw at Financial Post. “In a strongly worded letter to its large suppliers this week, Loblaw is asking the group to cut costs by 1.45 per cent for shipments received by the country’s largest grocery chain on or after Sept. 4.” Read more

 

Fairway exits bankruptcy by Aaron Elstein at Crain’s New York. “The company succeeded in persuading lenders to cut Fairway’s borrowings in half in exchange for all the equity. The reorganized company also has a new board of directors that includes a former senior Whole Foods executive and the president of Rite Aid.” Read more

 

Michael Strahan won’t be pitching products anymore (except for J.C.Penney!) by Ian Mohr at NY Post. “An ABC spokesperson told us of the move: “Michael’s endorsements are set to expire in the next few months and won’t be renewed. His clothing line [with J.C. Penney] will continue.” Read more

 

CNBC talks up Kroger’s ‘patriotic’ post-Brexit prospects by Steve Watkins at Cincinnati Business Courier. “These guys are 100 percent U.S,” said Seymour, a New York-based hedge fund manager…“These guys were the hot stock last year. Down 18 percent year to date. Growing 7-8 percent. You can buy all that food, beer, mustard, hot dogs, whatever a guy is looking for.” Read more

 

Target India launches initiative to help women rejoin the workforce by Brinda Dasgupta at The Economic Times. Read more

 

Social Media is Doug McMillon’s Yellow Notepad via Walmart Today. Read more

 

Back-to-School Shopping Kicks Off by Adrianne Pasquarelli at Ad Age. “According to Kantar Retail…roughly three out of 10 consumers plan to spend more money on back-to-school this year, while half plan to spend about the same amount.” Read more

 

Canada Post parcel deliveries may stop Friday by Allison Enright at Internet Retailer. “Canada Post Corp. today served 72-hours’ notice to the union representing more than 50,000 mail carriers that it may lock out workers starting Friday.” Read more

 

Brawl at Walmart involved 30 people – people used baseball bats and canned food to try to protect themselves at WHEC NBC 10. “Police Chief James VanBrederode says, “It was in total chaos when officers got there, it’s just disgusting to see that kind of behavior happening right here.”..”The adults jumped right in with the kids and this is what it turned into.” Read more / See the video

 

Tipsheet Extra Stories

Rosalind Brewer Sells $773K in Stock

“Murder Kroger” won’t be around much longer

NY Times: Amazon Is Quietly Eliminating List Prices

Walmart employee & amputee who lost his leg to cancer finds cruel note on his car reprimanding him for parking in a disabled spot

Yeti Coolers files paperwork for huge public stock offering

Theranos faces congressional inquiry over faulty blood tests

Adidas Is About to Make Kanye West More Than Famous

Read Tipsheet Extra Stories

 

QUICK-SUBSCRIBE to Eye on Retail Tipsheet here

 

Tipsheet: JCP Wants 1,000 in India | Ex-Target Exec Joins Refugee Group | Dick’s Gets Sports Authority

/in

 

J.C. Penney to employ 1,000 at new tech center in India by Korri Kezar at Dallas Business Journal. “According to the Times of India, the Plano-based retailer expects to hire 450 people for the center by the end of the year. Staff will include engineers to manage internal information technology systems and develop digital, e-commerce and analytics solutions.” Read more

 

MasterCard-Visa Settlement With Retailers Is Overturned by Rachel Abrams at NY Times. “The National Retail Federation, a trade group representing some of the country’s largest retailers, said it welcomed the ruling. “This ‘settlement’ was never a settlement on behalf of the retail industry but rather a back-room deal that failed to represent the interests of retailers,” said Mallory Duncan.” Read more

 

…Retail Industry Leaders Assoc Applauds Circuit Court Decision Rejecting Visa/MasterCard Settlement Read the release

 

Time: 71 Celebrities Share Their Favorite Things About America (Roz Brewer picks Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville, Ark) See the list

 

Former Target real estate chief John Griffith joins American Refugee Committee by Jim Hammerand at Minneapolis/St.Paul Business Journal. “The Minneapolis-based nonprofit said he’ll manage more than 1,600 American Refugee Committee employees in 11 countries.” Read more

 

**A message from PaintPincher – Saves up to a cup of paint per gallon! 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. Never waste paint again! See the video | See the sell sheet | Packaging pic | paintpincher.com Retailers request a sample at info@shiftmarketinggroup.net

 

Amazon biospheres: What will happen inside those giant glass orbs by Nat Levy at GeekWire. See the recent pics / Read more

 

…You have to see Apple’s spaceship-like campus — it has a 100,000-square-foot gym by Sally French at MarketWatch. “The drone footage was shot by Matthew Roberts, who has been documenting the construction site with a new video every month…” See the recent pics / Read more

 

Dick’s Sporting Goods wins Sports Authority’s brand name by Alicia Wallace at Denver Post. “Dick’s disclosed it was the successful bidder for some of Sports Authority’s intellectual property assets as well as 31 store leases…Dick’s bid $15 million for the intellectual property and $8 million plus cure costs for the rights to acquire the leases, company officials wrote Thursday in a U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filing.” Read more

 

What a Rubik’s Cube taught Tim Belk about leadership by Katherine Peralta at Charlotte Observer. “Belk set an audacious goal for his team of associates of selling one Rubik’s Cube to each customer. He believed it could be done. Belk says his team was pretty close to hitting its goal when one employee stepped into his office, imploring him, “You have to stop this.” Read more

 

P&G Overhauls Bonus System for Managers by Sharon Terlep at WSJ. “Starting Friday, annual bonuses for thousands of senior managers will be tied more directly to the performance of each leader’s specific business unit instead of being based on the company’s broader, regional operations. “We are trying to get a clearer line of sight between an individual’s responsibilities and their results and their compensation,” Chief Financial Officer Jon Moeller said this week in an interview.” Read more (subscription)

 

Walton heirs dispose of $39 million of Wal-Mart stock, remain the richest U.S. family by Kim Souza at The City Wire. “The Walton Family Holdings Trust was left with a share balance of 173,113,205 shares after the sale. The value of the shares held by Walton Family Holdings Trust is $12.544 billion as of Wednesday (June 29).” Read more

 

Tipsheet Extra Stories

Amazon committed to U.K. data center opening despite Brexit

Americans are drinking so much Corona it has left region surrounding Mexican brewery with drought

A rare one-on-one interview with Nike’s Phil Knight

Wegmans a target of another online scam

Hershey board unanimously rejects preliminary offer from Mondelez

Read Tipsheet Extra Stories

 

 

QUICK-SUBSCRIBE to Eye on Retail Tipsheet here