Archive for year: 2016

 

Costco April Comp Flat / +3.0% ex-gas & F/X “Costco reported net sales of $8.98 billion for the month of April, the four weeks ended May 1, 2016, an increase of three percent from $8.74 billion during the similar period last year.” Read the release

 

Whole Foods Q2 Comp Sales -3.0% via CNBC. “Whole Foods Market reported an earnings beat and a slight miss on revenue after the closing bell Wednesday…Analysts had expected same-store sales to fall 2 percent, according to a consensus estimate from FactSet.” Read more | Read the company press release

 

WALMART’S NEW RECEIPT CHECKERS – Walmart Brings Back Greeters to Improve Service and Fight Theft by Shannon Pettypiece at Bloomberg. “At two-thirds of locations, a standard greeter will be stationed at the entrance…The remaining stores, which the company has identified as having more theft, will get an employee focused on preventing shoplifting who will periodically check receipts.” Read more

 

TEXAS AG PENS LETTER TO TARGET CEO – Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s letter raps Target bathroom policy by Chuck Lindell at Statesman. “The Texas Legislature may at some point in the future address the issue,” Paxton wrote. “Regardless of whether Texas legislates on this topic, it is possible that allowing men in women’s restrooms could lead to criminal and otherwise unwanted activity.” Read more

 

Home Depot asked to pull seeds with LSD-like effects off shelves by via WCVB 5 ABC Boston. “These seeds could be responsible for disrupting a junior prom for a handful of students from Fall River’s Durfee High School. The owner of the venue said about half-a-dozen kids got sick and when police investigated, they said students admitted to eating seeds. Police even found one seed packet.” See the video / Read more

 

R.V. Retailer Camping World Said to Be Readying I.P.O by Leslie Picker at NY Times. “Marcus Lemonis is well known for writing checks to fund small businesses as the star of CNBC’s “The Profit.” His company may soon receive a large cash infusion of its own…The company, which sells recreational vehicles and other products for camping, is aiming to generate $350 million in proceeds, said these people, who spoke on the condition of anonymity.” Read more

 

Washington Post: Why a big clothing retailer is trying an Amazon Prime-like subscription by Sarah Halzack. “With the Circle Membership, Lands’ End seems to be trying to make shoppers come to Canvas as if on autopilot…Many women are hesitant to shop online because it’s too much of a gamble when you don’t know if the pieces are going to fit and you might have to spend money to send them back.” Read more

 

** Trade show spotlight – 2016 National Stationery Show – The ONLY stationery market in North America!

“I want to keep hearing customers say “you have the best cards in the city”, and the Stationery show is a very efficient way for me to assure that.” Retail chain owner. On May 15-18 at Javits Center, NYC join 10,000 attendees and 800 exhibitors from around the globe for the only stationery show in North America. Last year’s photo gallery | Show categories | Upcoming trends you’ll see | Register

 

New U.S. Rules Make Foreign Goods Better Deal for Online Shoppers by Laura Stevens at WSJ. “Since about a month ago, the government has allowed Americans to import up to $800 at a time of most foreign goods without having to pay import duties or tax. That’s quadruple the previous exemption of $200.” Read more (subscription)

 

Best Buy’s Hubert Joly made $23.3 million in last fiscal year by Patrick Kennedy at Star Tribune. Read more

 

CHOP 70 MORE? – Macy’s needs to cut another 70 stores beyond the 40 closing this year by Andy Brownfield at Cincinnati Business Journal. “Green Street Advisors said Macy’s needs to cut another 70 stores, or 9 percent of existing stores, to achieve the same sales per square foot as it had in 2006.” Read more

 

L.A. votes to resurrect partially built Hollywood Target by David Zahniser at LA Times. “On a 13-0 vote, the council revised the planning and zoning rules that govern the Sunset Boulevard site, ensuring that Target’s 74-foot-tall retail center would be permitted on the property.” Read more

 

Loblaws sharpens pencil, posts profit jump as grocery price war heats up by Hollie Shaw at Financial Post. “At a time when cauliflower prices spiked to $8 just before Christmas, Loblaw Cos Ltd. “began to notice consumer resistance” to soaring food prices in the fourth quarter, president Galen Weston told analysts on a first-quarter conference call Wednesday.” Read more

 

The Trials Of Packaging A Product For The Apple Store by Mark Wilson at Fast Company. “It’s a pain in the ass,” Marc Barros says with a laugh…”We were lucky, they reached out to us.” Read more

 

NLRB COMPLAINT – Wal-Mart’s closed-door meetings with workers unlawful by Daniel Wiessner at Reuters. “A new NLRB complaint says Wal-Mart Stores Inc violated federal law by barring employees who went on strike from having coworkers present at disciplinary meetings, potentially paving the way for a decision expanding the rights of nonunion workers.” Read more

 

Jacksonville: Winn-Dixie turned into a Harveys Supermarket by Derek Gilliam at Jacksonville Business Journal. “It became clear that this neighborhood was in need of a new and different offering from us,” said Southeastern Grocers CEO Ian McLeod.” Read more

 

Boston: With 330 local job openings, Wayfair is on the hunt for more space by Sarah Castellanos & Catherine Carlock at Boston Business Journal. “…381,000 square feet just isn’t enough. (Wayfair) is quickly outgrowing its Back Bay headquarters and is now on the hunt for some 100,000 square feet, according to sources in Boston’s real estate brokerage community.” Read more

 

REI CEO PUT ON SPOT AT COMPANY MEETING – It would cost REI $30M to raise all employees’ wages to $15 an hour by Coral Garnick at Puget Sound Business Journal. “Can we get fairly compensated?” the employee asked. “Can we get the signal that we matter, too?” Stritzke (said) that the company made $30 million last year, which would have put the company in the red if that amount was put toward adjusting salaries. “We can’t put the viability of this 77-year-old co-op at risk,” he said. “I believe we can get there. I think it means we become even better operators than we are today.” Read more

 

Amazon makes room for rare University plants by Todd Bishop at GeekWire. “Yes, Amazon has its own greenhouse…the company’s horticulturist, Ron Gagliardo, is preparing for the opening next year of the company’s biospheres…Amazon says the donation of greenhouse space represents an in-kind contribution of more than $200,000.” Read more

 

Incredible aerial shots show the sheer scale of Alberta wildfire set to become costliest Canadian natural disaster ever by Khaleda Rahman for Daily Mail. “The unchecked fire, which entered its fourth day on Wednesday, has prompted the full evacuation of Fort McMurray’s 88,000 residents…’You could hear the pop, pop, pop because of the propane tanks…’There was a Shell gas station that blew up and a Denny’s next door. There was nothing but the foundation and it was still smoldering in flames,’ he said.” See the pics / Read more

 

Tipsheet Extra Stories

Forbes: How Target Built A World-Class Digital Marketing Team: Tips From CMO Jeff Jones

Michigan Supreme Court to hear more about risks of big-box parking lots

NFL Warns Players Eating Too Much Meat In Mexico

KFC Just Made Edible ‘Finger Lickin’ Good’ Nail Polish That Tastes Like Chicken

115,000 Cage-free egg activists target Publix

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CVS Q1 Comp Sales +4.2% “Pharmacy same store sales rose 5.5%…Front store same store sales increased 0.7%” Read the release

 

…CVS Health 1Q Earnings Beat Expectations via Fox Business. “Net revenue rose 19 percent to $43.22 billion, beating analysts’ estimates of $43 billion.” Read more

 

Amazon finally brings its one-hour Prime Now delivery service to the web by Jason Del Rey at Recode. “Amazon Prime customers can now place orders for one-hour or two-hour delivery on PrimeNow.com.” Read more

 

Macy’s Selects New Creative Agencies by Adrianne Pasquarelli at Ad Age. “Before next Christmas, consumers will see fresh marketing creative from Macy’s. J. Walter Thompson has lost holiday duties for the retailer to New York-based Figliulo & Partners and BBH New York. Macy’s selcted the pair to handle holiday 2016 following a review.” Read more

 

FBI looks for man suspected of attempting to contaminate Whole Foods products with unknown liquid by Christopher Brennan at NY Daily News. “Whole Foods told MLive.com that an employee at the Ann Arbor location had seen the surreptitious spill, and that all the food at the salad bar and hot food bar was thrown out.” Read more

 

Amazon accounts for 60% of U.S. online sales growth in 2015 by Matt Linder at Internet Retailer. “Forrester also estimates that U.S. online retailer sales will grow to more than $530 billion by 2020, nearly a 60% increase from 2015.” Read more

 

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Canada: Fired Walmart greeter, 78, gets support from angry shoppers by Andrew Huncar at CBC News. “At his van, Ouimet realized he had left the store with a package of toilet paper in his scooter, which he intended to buy. He said he put the toilet paper in his van in order to change his oxygen tank. But when he returned to the store, Ouimet said he realized he had forgotten to take the toilet paper with him.” Read more

 

Walmart Introduces Great Value Organic by Christopher Durham at My Private Brand. “A two page spread introducing of Great Value Organics in the U.S. follows the introduction of Great Value Organics in Canada in late 2015. This U.S. version comes with new packaging that closely follows the expected category cues, while still seeming a bit fresher than most of the existing Great Value sku’s.” See the circular / Read more

 

When Prince ran a retail store by Mark Reilly at St.Paul/Minneapolis Business Journal. “The New Power Generation store, which had sister locations in Los Angeles and London, sold Prince-related merchandise…and showcased souvenirs from his tours and movies. It also functioned as a lab for new distribution methods; apparently the store had a phone inside that would play unreleased songs for people who listened to it.” Read more

 

Meet the Entrepreneurs Trying to Get Target to Think Like a Startup by Polina Marinova at Fortune. “…He took the call to be polite, but deliberately led with the story of getting his nose pierced. “I was really hoping [the recruiter] would say, ‘Yes, that will totally affect your candidacy,’ so I could be like, ‘OK, now I have a legitimate excuse not to talk to you,’” Stringfellow says. “But he said, ‘No, I actually think that’s a perk.’” Read more

 

Top two execs at TJX earned a combined $40M last year by David L. Harris at Boston Business Journal. “(Carol) Meyrowitz, 62, earned $19.6 million…That’s actually down from the $28 million in total pay she earned in 2014.” Read more

 

Radio: Lowe’s Creeps up on Home Depot – Moves from 15th to 4th at Radio Ink. “The top three advertisers for radio remained The Home Depot (60,969), GEICO (37,724), and Walgreens (33,270). Lowe’s aired 28,836 commercials to take the fourth position.” Read more

 

Who buys what on Amazon: An in-depth look at the electronics category by Stefany Zaroban at Internet Retailer. Read more

 

J. Crew’s CEO Lists Tribeca Townhouse for $29.95 Million by Candace Taylor at WSJ. “A Manhattan townhouse owned by J. Crew CEO Millard “Mickey” Drexler is going on the market for $29.95 million, according to listing agents Shaun Osher and Jim St. Andre of Core.” See the 20 pics (subscription)

 

Buffett Defends AmEx CEO’s Decision to End Costco Deal via Dow Jones Business News. “However, Charlie Munger, Berkshire’s vice chairman as well as a board member at Costco, had a different opinion on the AmEx decision regarding Costco. “I would have made the opposite decision,” Mr. Munger said of the AmEx choice. “Costco is so powerful,” he explained to CNBC, “they (AmEx) should have thrown away the rule book.” Read more

 

Cubs wear zany suits, retailer hits home run by Robert Channick at Chicago Tribune. “The first-place Cubs hit the road for Pittsburgh this week with a mandated dress code from manager Joe Maddon — wear a “minimalist zany” suit for the entire trip…A team spokesman said several players went to one supplier — OppoSuits, a 4-year-old online retailer that has established itself as the Brooks Brothers of zany suits.” Read more

 

Tipsheet Extra Stories

Chicago: ‘Active shooter’ at Target was just ‘disturbance’ about transgender restrooms

Seattle May Day protests took place largely near a Costco – protesters were “assailing shopping carts” and flipping over pallets outside the store

Angry Woman In Walmart Throws A Fit Over Man Using Food Stamps

100 Best Brunch Restaurants in America: OpenTable Releases Its 2016 List

Father-of-three ex-Marine shot and killed in front of his wife after trying to stop a gunman who opened fire inside a Walgreens

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Target’s New Robot Helper Is Busy At Work On Aisle 3 by Jonathan Vanian at Fortune. “Target is testing robots that track inventory on its store shelves including shampoo and laundry detergent. The retail giant is conducting a one-week trial at one of its department stores in downtown San Francisco, according to a source familiar with the matter and confirmed by three store clerks.” Read more / See the video

 

Walmart to hold ‘Open Call’ for technology suppliers as part of tech summit by Kim Souza at The City Wire. “The “Innovation Open Call” event gives selected startups from around the country the opportunity to pitch their technology solutions into Walmart’s ecosystem and millions of customers, said Bao Nguyen, corporate spokesman for Walmart. He said more than 100 technologists and executives from around the company will review the solutions in the areas of retail, logistics, big data, security and social media.” Read more

 

The Apple Watch did not change the Apple Store like we thought it would by Sarah Halzack at Washington Post. “I’m guessing that they just looked at it and said, ‘Are we really going to put a fixture like you’d find in a Macy’s? Or are we going to stick with what brought us here?’ Kirn said.” Read more

 

Former Home Depot head searches for a sustainable Canada by Tyler Hamilton at Globe & Mail. “Risk can take all sorts of forms – like starting a new company when you’re pushing 60, say. Or riding a mechanical bull in a room full of your peers. Annette Verschuren smiles devilishly when reminded of the latter, and then responds the way she is apt to do: “I am someone who gets things done. I talk about things I want to do, but I also do them. I’m a risk-taker.” Read more

 

Z Gallerie Pays $15 Million After Allegedly Misleading Customs Officials by Subrina Hudson at Los Angeles Business Journal. “The company allegedly violated the False Claims Act by importing bedroom furniture through the Port of Savannah and misclassifying the products as non-bedroom items to avoid paying antidumping duties.” Read more

 

Amazon absolutely crushes earnings expectations in first quarter by Jason Del Rey at Recode. “Amazon recorded a profit of $1.07 per share in the quarter on revenue $29.1 billion, which was a 29 percent increase over the same period last year. Analysts had estimated a profit of 58 cents a share on about $28 billion in revenue.” Read more | Amazon press release

 

**A message from 2016 Sweets & Snacks Expo – the Show Floor is Sold Out! The 2016 Expo will set an all-time record in volume of confectionery and snack products with more than 720 companies showcasing nearly four acres of product innovation. The Sweets & Snacks Expo is the one place more confectionery and snack retailers and manufacturers come together to get inspired, make connections and find new best sellers. See all of this year’s exhibitors | 2016 New Exhibitors | These retailers are taste testers

 

Forever 21 is having problems paying the bills by Lisa Fickenscher at NY Post. “The tardy payments are spooking vendors and lenders who were already edgy, having witnessed Forever 21 take the unusual step of closing two massive California stores.” Read more

 

Former Country Manager of Costco Canada honored with Retail Council of Canada’s Lifetime Achievement Award “Louise Wendling began her 38-year career in retailing with the Hudson Bay Company. In 1986, she and two other Hudson’s Bay colleagues founded Price Club, where she developed and implemented the warehouse club concept and culture.” Read the release

 

Samsung Checkout lets shoppers buy through their TVs by Matt Linder at Internet Retailer. “It’s going to give retailers three months to develop something for back-to-school season and then the holidays,” says Michael Moeser, director of payments at Javelin Strategy & Research. “We should be seeing this in development (for retailers) this holiday season.” Read more

 

Etsy: “Gender lies on a spectrum” by Megan Rose Dickey at TechCrunch. “Employees had the option to self-report gender from a list of more than 60 options. Those that fall into other are the ones who did not identify as gender male/man or gender female/woman.” Read more

 

Parents hope brands choose their Instagram baby pictures to market products by Elizabeth Holmes at WSJ. “The mother of four snapped a picture and uploaded it to Instagram, tagging the brand’s handle and adding the hashtag #lovemypbk. Marketing executives at Pottery Barn Kids saw it and thought so, too. They re-shared the image on their Instagram feed, garnering more than 2,750 likes and 125 comments. “Our baby was a celebrity for 15 minutes,” Ms. Stowell says with a laugh.” Read more (subscription)

 

Tipsheet Extra Stories

Nearly 1 Million Sign Pledge to Boycott Target Over Bathroom Policy

Ezekiel Elliott stole the show at the NFL Draft red carpet with his wild crop-top suit shirt

Google Filed Patent For Injecting A Device Directly Into Your Eyeball To Improve Vision

Kroger takes over former Target distribution center in Phoenix

Macy’s launches line of clothing and accessories fronted by Lady Gaga and Elton John

PetSmart Charities Appoints Dr. David Haworth as President

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BOWING TO CRITICISM – Amazon Prime Relents on Same-Day Delivery to Boston Neighborhood by Barb Darrow at Fortune. “Boston’s Roxbury neighborhood, home to a high number of minority and low-income residents, was not covered by free same-day delivery unlike virtually every other enclave in and around Boston.” Read more

 

The Target boycott is spiraling out of control by Hayley Peterson at Business Insider. “In a third incident, a man brought his daughter to Target and confronted store management about the policy, saying it made his daughter uncomfortable, then posted about it on Facebook. The post has been “liked” more than 135,000 times.” Read more

 

More than 700,000 boycott Target over transgender bathroom policy by Hadley Malcolm at USA Today. “The boycott has more than 744,800 signatures as of Tuesday afternoon, marking it as one of AFA’s most popular campaigns. “This is the best response we’ve ever had this quick,” says AFA President Tim Wildmon, attributing the protest’s viral nature to the fact that “everybody knows who Target is, and it’s an easy-to-understand issue.” Read more | AFA website

 

TRADER JOE’S 26% CHEAPER THAN WHOLE FOODS – Trader Joe’s Pinches Whole Foods on Price via Motley Fool. “…with the basket of goods at (Whole Foods) costing $303 and just $240 at (Trader Joe’s). The difference is reportedly wider than it was last time the analysts compared the chains’ prices, which led them to conclude that Trader Joe’s has been cutting prices again.” Read more

 

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Trek investigating how Sam’s Club got its bikes at Bicycle Retailer. “Trek’s Eric Bjorling told BRAIN, “(Sam’s Club) did not acquire them from Trek directly. Presently, we are looking into how the bikes were acquired and will make a decision on next steps based on our findings. Trek has no plans to sell bikes at Sam’s Club or any other big box retailer.” Read more

 

Cabela’s, CFO, Settle SEC Accounting Charges by Maxwell Murphy at WSJ. “Cabela’s Inc. agreed to pay a $1 million civil penalty to settle Securities and Exchange Commission allegations that it and its long-time finance chief misled investors.” Read more (subscription)

 

HEADED TO AUCTION – Sports Authority Is Giving Up on Getting Out of Bankruptcy by Michal Addady at Fortune. “It has become apparent that the debtors will not reorganize under a plan but instead pursue a sale,” company lawyer Robert Klyman said to a judge on Tuesday at a hearing in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Wilmington, Delaware.” Read more

 

Kroger workers, retirees sue failing pension fund, trustees by Fatima Hussein at Cincinnati Enquirer. Read more

 

Retailers are on track to lay off more than 37,000 people this year by Lauren Zumbach at Chicago Tribune. “What makes this cycle different is that much of the decline is due to a secular change in consumption, both due to new online competitors as well as the shift in sales to the lower margin e-commerce channel,” Exstein wrote.” Read more

 

Full-Time Hires Buck the Trend at Fast-Food, Retail Chains by Rachel Feintzeig at WSJ. “Sheetz, and others like beauty retailer Bluemercury Inc., acknowledge that full-timers might cost more at first, but say they are more reliable—27% of full-time hourly workers leave their jobs per year, versus 68.7% of part-timers, according to the Korn Ferry report.” Read more (subscription)

 

Target Teams Up With Tracy Anderson in New Wellness Push by Jade Scipioni at Fox Business. “There are people that are like ‘why do you want to be in a Target or a Walmart?’…You think I don’t want to be on the shelves when someone is in that store deciding that’s the moment they want to start showing up for their health?…Anderson, creator of The Tracy Anderson Method, tells FOXBusiness.com.” Read more / See the video

 

RadioShack names second CEO since scaled-down chain plucked from bankruptcy year ago by Maria Halkias at Dallas Morning News. “(Dean) Rogers has been a managing director of Target Australia, CEO of Sears Canada and executive vice president at Kmart.” Read more

 

Supervalu’s profit beats forecasts despite pressure on sales by Mike Hughlett at Star Tribune. “Sales fell 3 percent to $3.95 billion, below analysts’ estimates of $3.99 billion, and that’s where the trouble starts…” Read more

 

eBay shares rise 5% after beating earnings expectations by Katie Roof at TechCrunch. “The e-commerce giant brought in $2.1 billion in revenue, when analysts were expecting $2.08 billion.” Read more | Press release

 

Amazon to Open New Pickup Location at California State University, Long Beach Read the release

 

Tipsheet Extra Stories

Neiman Marcus holds tight to top standing in luxury retailing

Customer bitten by dog sues Whole Foods for providing ‘tie-up’ area outside store

Jessica Alba’s Honest Co. sued over synthetic baby food ingredients

Washington Post: A majority of millennials now reject capitalism, poll shows

Here’s Dyson’s Latest Invention: A $400 Hairdryer Called Supersonic

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