Tipsheet: New Handbags -23% | Murder Kroger’s Coffin | 41% New Fathers Switch | L.Liquid. +1%

 

Amazon can’t beat our Halloween mix-and-match creativity: Party City CEO by Elizabeth Gurdus at CNBC. “(CEO Harrison) said that where the chain goes beyond Amazon is in the opportunities consumers have at Party City to buy separate costume pieces and put them together more creatively, rather than simply ordering something preset online. “We take something thematically and really blow it out with multiple options,” Harrison said.” See the video / Read more

 

Sales at Lumber Liquidators grew for the first time in 6 quarters at Reuters. “Same-store sales rose 1 percent for the third quarter ended Sept. 30, compared to a 3.8 percent fall analysts polled by research firm Consensus Metrix had expected.” Read more

 

Handbag Sellers Slashing Their Lineups as Luxury Demand Wanes at Bloomberg. “In the three months through Aug. 31, the number of new handbags introduced by Nordstrom and Bloomingdale’s fell 23 percent and 3 percent, respectively, compared with an increase of 5 percent and 11 percent the year before, according to Edited.” Read more

 

Final nail put in Murder Kroger’s coffin by Amy Wenk at Atlanta Business Chronicle. “…people came out for a candlelight vigil that mixed the macabre with the nostalgic. It was part parking lot party, with some sipping beers in paper bags, and part homage to what’s become a kitschy Atlanta landmark despite the site’s history with violent crime.” 7 pics / Read more

 

Amazon shelling out record sums for shipping in push for faster delivery by Todd Bishop at GeekWire. “Shipping revenue received from customers covered a little more than 55 percent of the company’s overall shipping costs in the quarter, in line with other recent quarters, but those overall costs soared 43 percent to nearly $3.9 billion.” Read more

 

P&G Boss Tries to Speed Up a Giant by Sharon Terlep at Wall Street Journal. “Sitting in his office at P&G’s headquarters, Mr. Taylor said he is confident that P&G’s best prospects remain rooted in fundamentals. That means selling to the masses by way of big retailers on the strength of meticulously collected consumer research, a massive research-and-development operation and the world’s biggest advertising budget. P&G, he says, needs to learn to do these things faster and more effectively…” Read more (subscription)

 

Warby Parker opening inside Grand Central Terminal by Teresa Novellino at New York Business Journal. “…the latest shop takes architectural and design cues from “grand civic buildings,” including terrazzo floors, marble countertops and Solari-inspired train arrival and departure board for eye appointments.” 7 pics / Read more

 

**A message from Black Flag® – We take no prisoners. In the battle against indoor and outdoor pests, it’s every man for himself. Arm yourself with Black Flag insect and rodent controls. Our tough, no-nonsense formulas are packed with a powerful punch to make short work of home insect invaders. Whether you’re battling crawling, flying or stinging insects or fending off mice, when the flag flies, pests die. Let it Fly. How to protect your home with Sarge video | Facebook page

 

This is the best day of the year to do your holiday shopping via NY Post. “Indeed, jewelry (save 10% by buying on Thanksgiving), appliances (12%), computers (13%), sporting goods (14%), tablets (18%) and televisions (20%) are all a good deal on Turkey Day…” Read more

 

Brooks Brothers acquires jewelry brand Alexis Bittar by Teresa Novellino at New York Business Journal. Read more

 

The cost of fraud: 7.6% of an online retailer’s revenue by April Berthene at Internet Retailer. “Of the merchants surveyed, the average yearly financial expense due to fraud and fraud prevention was $14.6 million and that represents 7.6% of annual revenue across all channels, including online and offline sales. Of that $14.6 million, 7% is attributable to chargebacks; 74% is for fraud management software, hardware and employees; and 19% comes from false positives.” Read more

 

41% of new fathers switch brands, study finds via PR Week. “43% of fathers surveyed said they changed brands because they wanted organic products, 39% said they did so because they didn’t want artificial additives, and 33% said they switched to brands that were allergen-free.” Read more

 

Spurs debut new round of H-E-B commercials at NBA.com. See the spots

 

Goldman Sachs pushes Apple to make rival bid for Time Warner by Josh Kosman at NY Post. “They are freaking out trying to convince Apple to come in,” the source said. Goldman has been left on the sidelines in advising on AT&T’s $85 billion agreement to acquire Time Warner.” Read more

 

San Antonio: Five shot in overnight party by man dressed as Freddy Krueger by Chris Quinn at My San Antonio. Read more

 

More of Target’s advertising reaching out to Hispanics as customer demographics change by Kavita Kumar at Star Tribune. “Although Target has been marketing to Latinos for years, the retailer began amplifying its efforts a few years ago. Research showed that its core customer had shifted from the suburban soccer mom to someone much more urban, Hispanic and millennial. “We kind of had a realization that we had lost sight of who our guest is,” (Rick) Gomez said.” Read more

 

Starbucks Struggles to Become Your Local Saloon by Brian Sozzi at The Steet. “When we asked the server how to properly drink the espresso cloud IPA, she said pour the espresso shot in and enjoy. Seeing as there was sufficient room in the beer glass and the espresso shot was small, we poured it into the glass as instructed. Then the below instantly happened…” See the pic / Read more

 

Coffee-Loving Millennials Push Demand to a Record by Marvin G Perez at Bloomberg. “Millennials account for about 44 percent of U.S. coffee demand, according to Chicago-based researcher Datassential. In the eight years through 2016, daily consumption among 18- to 24-years-olds rose to 48 percent from 34 percent, while it climbed to 60 percent from 51 percent among those aged 25 to 39.” Read more

 

Tired of Counting Piles of Cash, Venezuelans Start Weighing Them by Fabiola Zerpa & Andrew Rosati at Bloomberg. “It’s sad,” Gonzalez says. “At this point, I think the cheese is worth more.” Read more

 

Tipsheet Extra Stories

Parents worried about creepy clowns plan to carry guns trick-or-treating

Forbes: How Walmart And Big Box Stores Make Us All Richer

Sports equipment company to file bankruptcy

A-Rod and Shaq buy an eSports team

Soda is also on the ballot this election day

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Tipsheet: B.Buy Taps Rickles | Wmart Tests Tower | Amazon Eyes 2K | UPS +14% | P&G’s ‘Bod Pod’

 

Walmart tests a giant tower that acts like a vending machine for online orders by Hayley Peterson at Business Insider. “When a customer orders something online for in-store pickup, the customer gets an order number. When the person arrives at the tower, he or she enters the order number into the machine. Then the machine spits out the customer’s package the way a vending machine can do with a bottle of Coke.” Read more

 

Amazon Third Quarter Sales up 29% to $32.7 Billion Press release

 

…Amazon shares tumble as rising expenses weigh on online retailer by Hannah Kuchler at Financial Times. “(Amazon) forecast operating income of as little as zero next quarter.” Read more

 

…Amazon sees potential for up to 2,000 grocery stores in U.S. over next decade by Todd Bishop at GeekWire. “That’s the word from Business Insider, which says it has viewed internal Amazon documents outlining a plan to start with a 20-location pilot for Amazon Fresh-branded grocery stores in areas including Seattle, Las Vegas, New York, Miami and the Bay Area. Half the pilot stores will be drive-up locations for picking up online orders, while the other half will be traditional stores where shoppers can browse for items.” Read more | Business Insider article

 

Woman awarded $70M in Johnson & Johnson cancer suit via NY Post. “She was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2012. The suit accused Johnson & Johnson of “negligent conduct” in making and marketing its baby powder.” Read more

 

How Halloween Stores Conquered America by Patrick Clark & Polly Mozendz at Bloomberg. “Marver, now 73, didn’t have any special love for the Oct. 31 holiday, but he was a self-described “maniac” for the business. He called his stores Spirit Halloween in a riff on his original store—called Spirit Women’s Discount Apparel—and expanded throughout California and much of the Southwest. Fifteen years after he’d launched his first store, the chain had grown to nearly 60 pop-ups, and Marver was fending off acquisition offers from larger companies…” Read more

 

Best Buy Taps Don Rickles, Bobby Flay for Holiday Campaign by Adrianne Pasquarelli at Ad Age. “Best Buy will run a total of 15 spots—five of which will be on broadcast TV—in a mix of 30-and-15-second clips. Like last year’s holiday effort, also by Grey, the push will be largely digital. Mr. Barnes noted that the campaign will include some longer-length videos with Mr. Rickles for social media.” See spots / Read more

 

Ex-Sam’s Club Executive to Join Boxed.com as Chief Merchandising Officer Press release

 

PICS – P&G pumps up employees with ‘bod pod’ at new HQ fitness center by Barrett J. Brunsman at Cincinnati Business Courier. 19 pics / Read more

 

**A message from the 2017 Philadelphia Gift Show – See emerging artists, regional specialties, and gift, home décor, and color trends! Get a sneak peak in our Product Spotlight, and see our list of unique exhibitors. Sweetening the pot, this all-category gift show runs concurrently with the Philadelphia National Candy, Gift & Gourmet Show. See it all January 6-9, 2017, at the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center, in Oaks, PA.  Register now | Website

 

Amazon tops 300,000 employees by Todd Bishop at GeekWire. “Amazon’s headcount is already four times the size of Google parent Alphabet’s nearly 70,000 employees.” Read more

 

UPS expects 14 percent rise in holiday shipments by Kelly Yamanouchi at AJC. Read more

 

FCC bans internet providers from tracking web surfing by Claire Atkinson at NY Post. “The Federal Communications Commission on Thursday drove a stake through the heart of the $77 billion online ad business, barring Comcast, Verizon and other internet service providers from automatically tracking consumers while they surf the Web.” Read more

 

Lowe’s Appoints Michael P. McDermott Chief Customer Officer Press release

 

New York AG Eric Schneiderman forces Amazon delivery firm to pay $100G settlement by Denis Slattery at NY Daily News. “Cornucopia cheated workers by docking them for lunch breaks that were never received due to back-to-back deliveries. The company also withheld “call-in pay,” which must be paid when employees report to work but are sent home.” Read more

 

Amazon Prime Finally Arrives in China by Michelle Toh at Fortune. “Starting Friday, 11 years after the membership option was launched by the tech and e-commerce giant, Chinese Prime users will be able to get free shipping on orders for overseas products with a minimum purchase for 200 yuan (US$29.50).” Read more

 

Australia: Aldi slashes the price of sausages and sunscreen ahead of the warmer months at Daily Mail. “(Aldi’s) preemptive strike more than a month before summer begins is a permanent 29 per cent price drop on more than a dozen items.” Read more

 

Build-A-Bear Q3 Comp Sales -2.2% Press release

 

Barneys publishes first book in 93-year history at Luxury Daily. ““Barneys New York,” published by Rizzoli, looks at the retailer’s impact on the city of New York and the fashion industry through a mix of photographs and quotes from famous fans of its stores.” Read more

 

Jeff Bezos backs biotech startup developing anti-aging therapies by Clare McGrane at GeekWire. Read more

 

Halloween Candy Sales Are Sending Good Economic Signals by Julie Verhage at Bloomberg. “In fact, the team expects spending on Halloween candy to experience the strongest increase since 2011, rising 5.5 and hitting $3.8 billion. In 2014 and 2015, spending on Halloween candy was up 5 percent and 1.7 percent, respectively.” Read more

 

Tipsheet Extra Stories

Austin: Home Depot files police report after someone spray paints racist comments

Pics from Omaha area’s second Costco store opening

Coca-Cola names a new CIO

Former Amazon ‘bar raiser’ offers insight into hiring process

Walmart, Target Likely to Obliterate Dying Kmart in Toys This Holiday Season

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Tipsheet: Wmart Deploys 4.5K ‘Helpers’ | Sinegal @ Univ. | CST Brands CEO: Amazon Can’t Compete | Deloitte/IRI Shopper Studies

 

Walmart Will Deploy Thousands of ‘Holiday Helpers’ to Shorten Checkout Wait Times by Phil Wahba at Fortune. “Walmart is deploying “Holiday Helpers” to all of its 4,500 or so U.S. stores during the upcoming months. These workers, clad in yellow vests to make them easily identifiable to customers, will be tasked with speeding up checkout time by, among other things, fetching items that shoppers may have forgotten, so they don’t lose their places in line; helping to unload shopping baskets at the registers; and if it’s very busy, opening a cash register.” Read more

 

…Wal-Mart is bringing in selfie booths and toy demonstrations to liven up its store this Christmas by Krystina Gustafson at CNBC. Read more

 

Deloitte Study: Shoppers plan to spend 47% of their budget online – matching what they plan to spend at physical stores for the first time Press release

 

Costco’s longtime corporate controller steps down by Coral Garnick at Puget Sound Business Journal. “He was always a pleasure to work with,” Chief Financial Officer Richard Galanti said in an interview. “He’s passing the torch to Dan Hines who’s also been here a long time. He’s leaving the accounting department in very good shape.” Read more

 

The 25 Best Global Companies to Work For at Fortune. Rankings

 

Neiman Marcus names new technology executive by Korri Kezar at Dallas Business Journal. “…promoting Sarah Miller to senior vice president and chief information officer…Her resume also includes serving in information technology roles with Lowe’s Companies and as CIO for Nash Finch Co.” Read more

 

**A message from NY NOW – Shop Bold New Trends from 2,400+ Top Home, Handmade + Lifestyle Gift brands this February and elevate your merchandise mix! NY NOW, the industry leader bringing innovation and design across HomeLifestyle Gift + Handmade collections, will take place at the Javits Convention Center in NYC this February 4 – 8, 2017. Explore the widest breadth of product – hundreds of new brand introductions, emerging global trends and the unexpected new discoveries you’ll want to add to your 1st quarter product mix. 2016 show recap video. NY NOW is your source for volume buying & private label programs. Register now and view comprehensive market details throughout the extensive NY NOW website.

 

NO STRIKE – Schnucks employees approve contract, avert strike by Lisa Brown at St.Louis Post Dispatch. “Members of United Food and Commercial Workers Local 655 who are employed by Schnuck Markets Inc. voted 1,020-507 to approve the contract, or 67 percent of the total votes cast.” Read more

 

CST Brands’ CEO: Amazon Can’t Compete With Convenience Stores at Fortune. “What we sell, things like hot cups of coffee, a breakfast taco, and a gallon of gas, you can’t really get on the Internet,“ (CEO Kim) Lubel says…Lubel also talks about why CST decided to sell the company after only three years since its spinoff from Valero Energy, and how consolidation could impact the competitive convenience store industry.” See the 2:26 video / Read more

 

IRI Study: Nearly two-thirds of U.S. consumers believe their financial health is poised to deteriorate in 2017 regardless of who wins the presidential election this year Press release

 

Costco Co-Founder Sinegal shares company’s story at Heritage University by Ryan Yadao at KIMA TV. “I’m just going to show them a lot of pictures of me [laughs]. No, just kidding,” said Costco co-founder and former CEO Jim Sinegal.” See the video / Read more

 

Cabela’s Q3 Comp Sales -2.3% Press release

 

Wal-Mart stocks up on ugly Christmas sweaters by Krystina Gustafson at CNBC. “Customers just can’t get enough of it, and the tackier the better,” said Deanah Baker, a senior vice president who oversees Wal-Mart’s apparel. “The more you can put on it the better it sells.” Read more

 

Keen names former Patagonia CEO Casey Sheahan president by Matthew Kish at Portland Business Journal. Read more

 

“Best Entrepreneurial Companies in America” – Entrepreneur Magazine’s 2016 Entrepreneur 360™ List (RetailNext #1) Rankings

 

Home Depot Presents 2016 Innovation Awards Top 10 product innovations

 

Wal-Mart testing watermark barcodes by Jennifer Joyner at The City Wire. “We take the same information that’s inside that typical barcode and replicate it hundreds of times across the package” said Larry Logan…Wegmans Food Markets of Rochester, N.Y., has adopted the technology for its private-label brand.” Read more

 

Amazon leases former Tommy Bahama HQ in Seattle by Mike Rosenberg at Seattle Times. Read more

 

American Apparel Prepares to File for Bankruptcy, Again at Bloomberg. Read more

 

CEO: Costco is still pursuing chicken plant in eastern Nebraska by Barbara Soderlin at Omaha World Herald. “Until we have the permit in our hand, we don’t commit to anything,” Jelinek said. He said Costco hopes to start construction in 2017. “We hope to get it done.” Read more

 

Murphy Oil posts third quarter loss of $16.2 million, beats Wall Street estimates by Wesley Brown at The City Wire. Read more

 

Tipsheet Extra Stories

Vacant Sports Authority to become Manhattan flagship for another chain

Barneys New York to sell new man-made ‘cultivated’ diamond collection

Jay Z offers $40M for Prince’s unreleased tracks

College student: I used Target gift card to get past security in 9 buildings

Chanel Haute hijabs on display in boutique windows on Rodeo Drive

Apple Leak Confirms ‘All Glass’ New iPhone

A Cubs-focused sports retailer halts online orders after demand surges

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Tipsheet: Cornell/Tome on CNBC | Chain Applies to Sell Marijuana | Amazon #1 in Clothing in ’17 | Target Broadcast Ad $ +21%

 

Canada: Shoppers Drug Mart formally applies to distribute marijuana, but there will have to be rule change first by Claire Brownwell at Financial Post. “The company plans only to distribute it, not grow it…If Shoppers’ application is successful, it would require changing medical marijuana policies to allow pharmacists to fill prescriptions in person in retail stores. Currently, medical marijuana can only be legally distributed through the mail.” Read more

 

Target increasing holiday broadcast ad spending by 21 percent by Kavita Kumar at Star Tribune. “Target will roll out a series of promotions in mid-November that each week offer $10 off a $50 purchase in different product categories such as grocery, apparel and toys. And for the third year in a row, Target will offer free shipping on any size online order — a promotion Richfield-based Best Buy also launched earlier this week. Target’s free shipping began Tuesday and will go a week later than last year, until Jan. 1, because Hanukkah starts Dec. 24 this year.” Read more

 

Home Depot’s Carol Tome on CNBC – Discusses Fuel Cell Initiatives See the segment

 

Amazon on pace to become biggest U.S. clothing retailer by next year, study says by Nat Levy at GeekWire. “According to a report by Cowen & Co., Amazon’s clothing and accessory sales are projected to rise approximately 30 percent next year to $28 billion, while Macy’s sales are expected to decline 4 percent to $22 billion.” Read more

 

Online orders must be delivered in two days to be considered ‘fast’ by Krystina Gustafson at CNBC. “According to a new survey by Deloitte, just 42 percent of consumers characterize three- to four-day shipping as “fast” — down 21 points in just one year.” Read more

 

Kohl’s will likely open on Thanksgiving for Black Friday shopping by Melanie Lawder at Milwaukee Business Journal. “(Kohl’s) recently filed a request with the city of Glendale to open for extended hours on Thanksgiving Day, and Nov. 25 at its location in Bayshore Town Center mall. According to that request, Kohl’s wants to open at 6 p.m. on Thanksgiving and stay open all night, for 30 straight hours, until Black Friday ends at 12 a.m.” Read more

 

Target CEO Cornell on CNBC See the video

 

PICS – 3M Design Center spurs creativity and innovation by Rachel Siegel at Minneapolis/St.Paul Business Journal. 9 pics / Read more

 

**A message from Fabe – Pillows hand-crafted in Italy prevent and relieve neck and back pain. Fabe’s Ergo Praxis pillow supports and aligns the head and neck to prevent cervical pain. Created in cooperation with Ludes University in Switzerland – it gets the body in the right position for a good night’s sleep. 100% Made in Italy. Ergo Praxis Specs | Fabe Website | Retailers request samples at info@shiftmarketinggroup.net. Find Made in Italy Products

 

Coke taps high-tech fountain data for new flavor by Russell Grantham at AJC. “(Coke) plans to introduce two new soda flavors early next year — Sprite Cherry and Sprite Cherry Zero — after that flavor combo turned out to be one of the most popular options among customers using its Freestyle soda fountains, which allow people to make mix-and-match drink flavors.” Read more

 

Study: Nearly 20% of Amazon’s 65M Prime members in U.S. go with monthly charge by Nat Levy at GeekWire. Read more

 

Walmart in Manitoba drops Visa at 16 stores at CBC News. “Alex Roberton, a spokesman for Walmart, says the company pays more than $100 million a year in credit card fees and is focused on reducing Visa transaction costs. Roberton says the impact of its policy on customers in Thunder Bay has been minimal, adding that the stores have seen an increase in cash and debit payments.” Read more

 

As Under Armour stock tumbles, Kevin Plank says ‘the growth remains intact’ by Holden Wilen at Baltimore Business Journal. Read more

 

Target Channels Hamilton and The Nutcracker for Holiday Campaign Aimed at Hispanic Shoppers by Christine Birkner at Adweek. “Its ads include “The Toycracker,” a Broadway-musical inspired spot with both English and Spanish versions, which stars a little girl, Marisol, and Target’s mascot, Bullseye the dog, as well as a parade of toys you can buy at Target.” See the spot / Read more

 

Google Express expands, now reaches 90 percent of U.S. by Sarah Perez at TechCrunch. Read more

 

Apple May Have Underestimated Demand for the iPhone 7 Plus via Fortune. “The technology leader is not sure it can make as many units of the iPhone 7 Plus as consumers want in time for the Christmas shopping rush, Apple’s CEO Tim Cook told analysts on Tuesday. It will manage to make enough of the smaller iPhone 7s, though, he said.” Read more

 

Target Unveils Holiday 2016 Plans Press release

 

Plunging home improvement stocks raise questions about the housing market by Alex Rosenberg at CNBC. “It’s more of a retail story, and that’s where the issues are. The spending’s just not coming in, and we’re starting to see disappointments,” Sanchez said on CNBC’s “Trading Nation.” Read more

 

Facebook isn’t making money when you shop on Facebook — yet by Kurt Wagner at Recode. Read more

 

Jimmy John’s sued: Mustard leaves woman speechless by John Agar at M Live. “She could barely speak when she got home. Several days later, she went to work but was told to go home. “Plaintiff has been unable to speak above a whisper since the incident occurred,” Mueller wrote in the lawsuit.” Read more

 

AmazonFresh Expands to New Cities, including Chicago and Dallas Press release

 

Tipsheet Extra Stories

Boston: Purple Carrot partners with Whole Foods

Bloomberg: How MusclePharm Went From Swole to Twig

Apple Pay is live in Japan and works on public transport

Apple Has Mistakenly Unveiled the New MacBook Pro and Touchbar

Nordstrom will hire 1,900 fulfillment employees for the holidays

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Tipsheet: Bezos Iview/Printing Out Landing Pads | Target HQ Light Show | Kohl’s ‘The Kitch’ | Duluth #1 in East | Cont. Store #1 in Neb.

 

Target Recalls Over 120,000 Halloween Window Decorations by Madeline Farber at Fortune. “Luckily, Target has not received any reports of injuries or choking incidents.” Read more

 

Video: Jeff Bezos shares big ideas, from Amazon’s drone landing pads to a 10,000-year clock by Alan Boyle at Geek Wire. “When the robotic aircraft go into operation, they’ll be able to fly at speeds of more than 50 mph with a 20-mile range. The system is designed to deliver packages weighing less than 5 pounds, a weight range that Amazon says covers 86 percent of the products it sells. “It’s going to work really well in one of the hardest neighborhoods urban, dense suburban neighborhoods,” he said. “You just need a landing field. And if you have a landing field, you can mark it with a symbol which you can print out on your printer and put wherever you want the vehicle to land.” See the video / Read more

 

Retailers Get Early Start on Recruiting Seasonal Workers Amid Tight Labor Market by Eric Morath at Wall Street Journal. “Data from job-search site Indeed.com shows retailers, and the warehouse and logistics firms they compete with for seasonal labor, started searching for temporary workers a month earlier than in recent years.” Read more (subscription)

 

Nebraska’s first Container Store expected to draw about 3,500 customers opening weekend by Mara Klecker at Omaha World Herald. “More than 100 shoppers stood in front of the new store at Westroads Mall (on Saturday morning)…The first customer in line, Cindy Mangiameli, 61, of Elkhorn got to the store at 7 a.m. She had never been to a Container Store but enjoys organizing, she said. She left the store empty-handed — she needs to evaluate her home and come back with a list and a game plan.” Read more

 

Target’s nightly light show a ‘digital mood ring’ for Minneapolis by Kavita Kumar at Star Tribune. “Sometimes, the upper reaches of ­Target Corp.’s headquarters transform into an underwater scene with tropical fish darting around, including a playful puffer fish that blows itself up. This time of year, they might be treated to one of many seasonal scenes such as a Halloween one — and coming soon, a snow globe and ­Christmas lights. Over the years, Target’s in-house creative team has designed about 30 such motifs that rotate throughout the year.” Read more

 

J.Crew finally has an activewear line by Josh Kosman at NY Post. “Two years ago, (CEO Mickey) Drexler was not about following trends. The retail legend said in an October 2014 interview that he considered and dismissed making yoga clothing.” Read more

 

**A message from Black Flag® – We take no prisoners. In the battle against indoor and outdoor pests, it’s every man for himself. Arm yourself with Black Flag insect and rodent controls. Our tough, no-nonsense formulas are packed with a powerful punch to make short work of home insect invaders. Whether you’re battling crawling, flying or stinging insects or fending off mice, when the flag flies, pests die. Let it Fly. How to protect your home with Sarge video | Facebook page

 

Kohl’s unveils ‘The Kitch,’ a new Bartolotta-operated corporate dining facility by Melanie Lawder at Milwaukee Business Journal. “After announcing one year ago that it planned to partner with Milwaukee-based The Bartolotta Restaurants to bring an experiential dining experience to Kohl’s corporate headquarters in Menomonee Falls, the new food service operation is up and running.” 20 pics

 

REI to close again for Black Friday via Fox Business. Read more

 

Dick’s wins auction for U.S. business of bankrupt Golfsmith – sources by Jessica DiNapoli at Reuters. “Dick’s plans to keep open at least 30 Golfsmith stores and wind down the rest with liquidators from Hilco Global and Tiger Capital Group, the people said. It plans to keep about 500 of the company’s employees. Golfsmith had 109 stores in the United States at the time of its bankruptcy filing last month.” Read more

 

Burberry and Coach Are Not in Active Merger Talks via Fortune. Read more

 

Sears insists it’s paying its vendors as reports swirl about spat with toymaker by Krystina Gustafson at CNBC. “Jakks, the fifth-largest U.S. toy company, told investors on its third-quarter earnings call that it had halted shipments to a “major U.S. customer,” which was presumed by some to be Kmart. A Wall Street Journal report, citing sources familiar with the matter, also linked the companies together.” Read more

 

In Marlboro Country, a Big-Money Race for the New Smoke by Jennifer Kaplan at Bloomberg. “Perched above crystalline Lake Neuchatel, southwest of Zurich, the glass hexahedron holds secrets to a future when, Philip Morris says, the world will be blissfully smoke-free. That’s right: Philip Morris, of all companies, is telling smokers to quit…” Read more

 

Duluth Trading Company opens first store in the East — with a lumberjack demonstration by David Schuyler at Milwaukee Business Journal. “The new store, in King of Prussia, Pa., is also distinguished by the inclusion of a “tool museum” based on Pennsylvania carpentry shops, according to a public invitation to the store’s grand opening.” Read more

 

Sneaker culture: Behind the $1B shoe resale business by Lisa Fickenscher at NY Post. “On the morning of Oct. 18, some of New York City’s savviest investors, a mostly young group of males, lined up outside a store in Manhattan’s Soho neighborhood waiting for the hottest product in recent months to make its debut…Hitting the public markets that day was the Satin Air Jordan 1 Banned, perhaps the most coveted sneaker ever. The $175 Nike product…carries an asking price today on eBay of about $2,000.” Read more

 

Target takes top spot in solar, besting Walmart for first time (Costco #5) via Solar Energy Industries Association. See top 25 list

 

Canada: Weak retail sales result makes Canada rate cut more likely via Financial Post. “Retail sales fell 0.1 per cent in August, compared with forecasts for a 0.3 per cent gain. Consumer inflation accelerated for the first time in five months in September to 1.3 per cent, however the jump was below the 1.4 per cent rate economists were forecasting.” Read more

 

Hundreds of yoga-pant loving women march on man’s home after he writes scathing letter-to-editor claiming they look ‘disturbing’ on women over 20 by Anneta Konstantinides at Daily Mail. “More than 300 people marched in their yoga pants on Sunday to protest a newspaper letter by one man who told women to stop wearing their Lululemons…’Not since the mini-skirt has there been something worn by so many women who should never have it on in the first place,’ he wrote in a ‘Letter to the Editor’ published in The Barrington Times.” See the pics / Read more

 

Tipsheet Extra Stories

Grim video at Costco egg supplier reveals how ‘cage-free’ hens live, animal advocates say

Walmart sues cookware maker for ‘using’ name

76-year-old man sits for 15 hours overnight in mobility scooter for opening of new Aldi

Walmart food waste

Tipsheet: Wgreens adds pickup service | Wmart prices threaten Target | Facebook lets businesses sell

 

Walgreens adds in-store pickup service by Lauren Zumbach at Chicago Tribune. Walgreens now lets customers shop online and pick up orders at more than 7,600 of its stores. Read more

 

Bloomberg: Wal-Mart plans to crack Chinese market by delivering within hours. Read more 

 

Target ranked No. 1 in corporate solar energy capacity by Mike Hughlett at Star Tribune. …adding more solar this year than any other U.S. retailer, according to report out Wednesday. Read more

 

Any business on Facebook can now sell goods right from its Page by Jason Del Rey at Recode. Facebook had been testing the capability with a limited set of small businesses, but is now opening it up as a tool available to all businesses globally. 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. Request samples at info@shiftmarketinggroup.net.Italy-America new product connection

 

Wayfair teams with A&E for home improvement show by Megan Woolhouse at Boston Globe. Boston-based home furnishings e-retailer Wayfair Inc. and A&E Television Networks will soon air a new TV series merging two of the nation’s favorite pastimes: watching TV and online shopping. Read more

 

T-Mobile fined millions for selling unlimited data plans that weren’t really unlimited by Brian Fung at Washington Post. Federal regulators are slapping T-Mobile with millions of dollars in fines and other requirements after consumers complained that the wireless carrier misled them with its advertising on “unlimited” data. Read more

 

Walgreens profit jumps, Rite Aid deal seen closing in 2017 by Sruthi Ramakrishnan and Martina D’Couto at Reuters. Read more

 

Apple Mac event: October 27 in Cupertino by Ina Fried at Recode. Apple has scheduled an Oct. 27 event to launch the next generation of Mac computers. “Hello Again,” reads the invitation sent Wednesday to journalists. The event will take place at 10 am PT at Apple’s Cupertino, Calif., headquarters, with new Macs expected to take center stage. Read more

 

Kroger rival gets acquired by Steve Watkins at Cincinnati Business Courier. A deep-discount grocery chain that’s viewed as a key competitor to one of Kroger Co.’s growing store brands has been sold to a private equity firm. Read more

 

Walmart’s price cuts could cost Target billions of dollars by Phil Wahba at Fortune.The discount retailer, enjoying something of a renaissance with eight straight quarters of U.S. comparable-sales gains, is cutting the prices on countless items to keep that streak going, something that could put $35 billion worth of business at Target, Dollar General, and Family Dollar at risk, a UBS research paper found this week. Read more

 

Reuters: Mattel sales beat estimates as Barbie shines. Mattel Inc (MAT.O), the largest U.S. toymaker, reported better-than-expected quarterly revenue, driven by strong demand for its flagship Barbie and Fisher-Price brands. Read more

 

Wealthy shoppers are spending more on almost everything…except this by Krystina Gustafson at CNBC. Sure, their items cost more. But the struggles of the high-end retail market aren’t all that different from its lower-price counterparts. Read more

 

Canadians not yet buying into idea of online grocery shopping as retailers try to change behavior by Hollie Shaw at Financial Post. Skeptics may believe online grocery shopping will never catch on in Canada, but that was said about many categories that eventually developed a steady and growing e-commerce presence. Read more

 

Supervalu changes focus as retail sales slip by Dow Jones News Service. Supervalu said Monday it would sell its Save-A-Lot business, a discount grocery chain that has been a rare bright spot for the company, to a private-equity firm. The announcement reversed plans to spin off the chain into its own public company. Read more

 

Dollar General Corporation Insiders look optimistic about prospects by Christian Wheeler at Review Fortune. Insider Trading News: Insiders at the company look optimistic about the outlook as they seem to accumulate shares while they have -3.82 retreated so far this year. Read more 

 

Tipsheet Extra Stories

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Tipsheet: Retired Wmart Exec Dies | Kroger Backs Off Wgreen/R.Aid Merger | Ex-A.Apparel CEO Death Threats

 

Kroger slowly backing away from Walgreens-Rite Aid merger by Josh Kosman at NY Post. “Kroger is close to passing on acquiring the 650 stores that Walgreens and Rite Aid would have to sell to gain regulatory approval of their $17 billion merger, sources said…Kroger may decide not to buy because Obama’s Federal Trade Commission — already a year into its merger review — recently told the supermarket owner that the 650 stores couldn’t be purchased and closed, with the operations moved inside the grocery stores, two sources close to the situation said.” Read more

 

Retired Walmart and Sam’s Club leader Ron Loveless dies by Dan Holtmeyer at Northwest Arkansas Democrat Gazette. “Due in great part to his innovative nature, Ron rose through the ranks as Walmart grew,” McMillon and Brewer wrote, calling Loveless “one of the great leaders in our history.” Loveless described himself more modestly as “just an Arkansas boy with a high school education” in his 2011 memoir, “Walmart Inside Out,” co-written with his long-time friend Anna Morter.” Read more

 

Amazon Eyes Internet Service Offering by Amir Efrati & Martin Peers at The Information. “Amazon.com is considering offering internet service directly to consumers in Europe, said a person briefed on the discussion. That would allow Amazon to bundle internet access with its Prime streaming video offering…” Read more (subscription)

 

…It’s unclear how Amazon would implement such a service, and if a U.S. offering — similar to Google Fiber — could be in the cards by John Cook at GeekWire. Read more

 

Ex-American Apparel CEO Seeks to Leave the Death Threats Behind in New Job by Phil Wahba at Fortune. “The executive also had to fend off death threats, see a piñata with her likeness get beaten to smithereens in American Apparel’s parking lot, and contend with dozens of lawsuits lobbed by American Apparel’s founder and ousted CEO Dov Charney…“I don’t have a bodyguard here so it’s already better,” (Paula) Schneider quipped at the Fortune Most Powerful Women Summit on Tuesday.” Read more

 

Walmart’s Vudu Launches Free Ad-Supported Video on Demand by Jack Neff at Ad Age. Read more

 

SuperValu Q2 Net Sales -4.8% “Total net sales within the Wholesale segment decreased 5.5 percent. Retail identical store sales were negative 5.9 percent. Save-A-Lot network identical store sales were negative 5.2 percent. Identical store sales for corporate stores within the Save-A-Lot network were negative 5.0 percent.” Press release

 

…Fox Business: SuperValu Matches Profit Expectations, But Misses On Sales Read more

 

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Former Wells Fargo CEO John Stumpf resigns from Target board by Nick Halter at Minneapolis/St.Paul Business Journal. Read more

 

First Wal-Mart Academy class in Minnesota graduates by Kavita Kumar at Star Tribune. “Boy, if this isn’t Wal-Mart, then what is?” John Welling, the company’s regional general manager, joked to the 60 or so graduates and another 100 people seated in the garden center of the Wal-Mart store in Maple Grove. This particular ceremony had more bells and whistles because it doubled as a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new Wal-Mart Academy at that location.” Read more

 

Twin Cities: Big-box retailer Meijer paid $3.9M for Brooklyn Park land by Nick Halter at Minneapolis/St.Paul Business Journal. “At the time of the sale, Meijer was in the middle of a hot Twin Cities site search, negotiating deals for as many as four stores. But since then the company has throttled back on its Minnesota expansion plans and said it will instead focus on a Cleveland expansion first. A Minnesota entrance could be four or four years out.” Read more

 

Adidas is going after Nike where it hurts by Krystina Gustafson at CNBC. “According to a new report by Jefferies analyst Randal Konik, Adidas saw a “massive” increase in the number of men’s running shoes listed on Foot Locker’s best-seller list in October. While only two Adidas shoes ranked among the top 60 in September, that number shot to 13 in October. Meanwhile, category-leader Nike saw its penetration dip by six, to 46 units.” Read more

 

EBay Testing Shopping Assistant ShopBot on Facebook Messenger via Ad Age. “The trial service will use artificial intelligence to learn more about shoppers through their Facebook profiles and questions about what they’re seeking.” Read more

 

Starbucks names China CEO, sees 5,000 stores there by 2021 by Lisa Baertlein at Reuters. “Among other things, (Belinda) Wong will oversee the opening of Starbucks’ first international Roastery and Reserve Tasting Room in Shanghai in 2017.” Read more

 

Grainger Q3 Sales +3.0% “Excluding acquisitions and foreign exchange, organic sales were flat consisting of a 1 percentage point contribution from sales of seasonal products offset by a 1 percentage point reduction in price.” Press release

 

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Bloomberg: Apple Wants to Get Inside Your House Before It’s Built

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The curse of the superstar CEO shift has struck Reckitt Benckiser at last

‘Hipsters’ will spend $500 more on average than their peers this holiday season

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Tipsheet: Dick’s Eyes Golfsmith | Apple’s Ahrendts Iview | Powerful Retail Women Help Girls | Target’s Logo History

 

Amazon is putting veteran leaders in charge of its big grocery delivery plans by Jason Del Rey at Recode. “Earlier this year, longtime Amazonian Ben Hartman was chosen to run Amazon Fresh, Recode has learned. Hartman was most recently the technical adviser or “shadow” to Jeff Wilke…Amazon lifer Steve Kessel, a member of Bezos’s leadership team, is also involved in the planning for Amazon grocery store experiments, two sources told Recode.” Read more

 

In a Wal-Mart First, the CEO Turns Pitchman by Sarah Nassauer at Wall Street Journal. “Google searches for ‘Wal-Mart CEO salary,’ spiked during the summer when the commercial aired to the highest levels since Mr. McMillon was announced as chief executive. Searches for ‘Wal-Mart CEO’ and ‘Doug McMillon’ also rose. He gained about 10,000 followers on his Instagram account, where commenters call him “commercial guy.” Read more (subscription)

 

Report: Dick’s Prepares Bid for Golfsmith’s U.S. Stores at Fox Business. “…challenging an offer by rival retailer Worldwide Golf Shops, people familiar with the matter said on Monday. While bids for Golfsmith, owned by OMERS Private Equity, the buyout arm of one of Canada’s largest pension funds, were due earlier on Monday, Dick’s was given an extension until Tuesday morning to submit its offer, the people said.” Read more

 

NBC’s Today Show: Drugstore vs. designer makeup: Can you save money and still get a great look? “Do you really need to spend a fortune to get a flawless look with makeup? TODAY national investigative reporter Jeff Rossen, with the help of identical twins, puts drugstore and designer brands to the test to find out if you should splurge, or save your cash.” See the video

 

Amazon amps up fashion push with $15M ad campaign by Monica Nickelsburg at GeekWire. “Over the past month, Amazon has aired a TV spot entitled “Delivering Fashion,” more than 2,500 times.” See the spot / Read more

 

Fortune’s Most Powerful Women Give Gen Z Girls a Standing Ovation by Erika Fry at Fortune. “Each young woman conducted five, 5-minute one-on-one interviews with high-profile business leaders, including Johnson & Johnson Group Worldwide Chairman Sandi Peterson, Instagram COO Marne Levine, Ulta Beauty CEO Mary Dillon, and Build-A-Bear Workshop founder Maxine Clark…The participants also got a dose of inspiration from (Ann-Marie) Campbell, the Home Depot EVP, who told the young ladies of her own improbable trajectory.” Read more

 

Apple Retail Chief Angela Ahrendts on Turning Stores Into Town Squares by Leena Rao at Fortune. “Ahrendts views the company’s newly redesigned retail outlets not just as stores, but as the company’s next big products, she explained at the Fortune Most Powerful Women conference in Laguna Niguel on Monday night, in her first interview about Apple’s retail redesign.” Read more / See the video

 

**A message from GlobalShop – As a retail expert, you impact the customer experience and GlobalShop is the driving force behind that experience. Through education, peer networking and interaction with retail suppliers, you’ll return with results to build your brand and create a more effective retail environment. From mannequins and lighting to flooring and signage, GlobalShop has it all. Register now to join us in Las Vegas March 28-30, 2017. Check out this year’s exhibitorsLearn more at our website about the best retail shopper marketing show.

 

Target’s Bullseye Logo and the Minneapolis PR Man Who Created It by Robert Klara at Adweek. “Stewart K. Widdess probably didn’t think he was making history. For the time being, all he had to make was a name and a logo. It was 1961, and Widdess was the publicity man for Dayton’s in Minneapolis. A downtown landmark since 1902, Dayton’s was a fancy department store that sold things like fine jewelry and cashmere sweaters. But its owners had decided to go into the discount business with a new store for the suburbs—and charged Widdess with naming it.” Read more

 

Under Armour inks baseball-related deal with online retailer Fanatics by Terry Lefton at Baltimore Business Journal. “The deal would mean the end of MLB’s longtime licensing relationship with both Nike and Majestic Athletic. Starting in the spring of 2020, all jerseys would feature UA branding.” Read more

 

eBay’s new high-end furniture shop, eBay Collective, includes a visual search engine by Sarah Perez at TechCrunch. “…the technology has been integrated to power a “Shop the Room” feature which lets online shoppers hover over an image of a fully designed space, and then the tool will search across eBay inventory to surface items that are close matches to that portion of the image.” Read more

 

Supervalu to sell Save-A-Lot to Canada’s Onex for $1.37 billion via St.Louis Post Dispatch. “Analyst Ajay Jain of Pivotal Research Group in New York thought Save-A-Lot could fetch as much as $1.8 billion, but sales in the last four quarters declined between 1.4 percent to 3.4 percent. “We are not entirely surprised that the sale proceeds were lower than expected,” he said in a research note.” Read more | Press release

 

Here’s Why Visa CEO’s Resignation Is Shocking via Fortune. Read more

 

New Staples Canada president sees company shifting to services amid digital onslaught by Hollie Shaw at Financial Post. “Though Office Depot has no stores in Canada, it owns the Grand & Toy business that remains a major supplier to corporate offices across the country. “We compete with Grand & Toy, but we also have a unit that focuses on (business-to-business) and it’s doing well. We were anticipating the merger, so that made us change focus a little bit.” Read more

 

Women are buying more leggings than jeans online by Lisa Fickenscher at NY Post. “For the first time, in the third quarter, women purchased more leggings than jeans online…In fact, over the past year, demand for the tight-fitting pants has increased by 41 percent, compared with a paltry 3 percent growth rate for jeans.” Read more

 

Walgreens Introduces Ship to Store Offering, with Free Shipping for Online and Mobile Orders Press release

 

Phil and Penny Knight give $500 million to University of Oregon by Matthew Kish at Portland Business Journal. “The money will create the Phil and Penny Knight Campus for Accelerating Scientific Impact, which will work to take science from the laboratory to the real world.” Read more

 

Inside Amazon’s Prime Air secret drone testing facility by Cambridge News. “In a world exclusive, the News was given a tour of their workshop today in Castle Park, just off Castle Street, along with eight children from the Year 5 class at Steeple Morden School. We were shown around the laboratory which has been nestled just a stone’s throw from the city centre unbeknown to the general public for several years.” See the pics / Read more

 

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Culver’s president and CEO Phil Keiser dies at 60

Burberry’s Losing the It-Bag Fight

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