Tipsheet: Secret Amazon Drone Filmed in UK | Costco Investigated (Again) | McMillon to Advise Trump | CES Room = $1,191/nt

 

Top-secret Amazon drone filmed zooming through the air above Cambridgeshire testing facility by Jasper Hamill & Brittany Vonow at The Sun.”Amazon’s top secret experimental delivery drone has been filmed in action for the first time. The Sun Online’s exclusive footage shows the flying machine zooming through the skies over Amazon’s testing facility in rural Cambridgeshire.” Video/Pics/Read more

 

Bruised sporting goods industry could make a comeback by Josh Kosman at NY Post. “KKR & Co., Bain Capital, and TPG Capital are among those doing homework on bankrupt Performance Sports Group, owner of Bauer hockey sticks and Easton bats, sources said. PSG will take offers Jan. 25, two sources close to the situation said. Former PSG Chair Graeme Roustan is bending the ears of PE execs — discussing the possibility of teaming with one firm and, perhaps, consolidating the sporting goods space, sources said.” Read more

 

SECOND ONTARIO REGULATOR LOOKS AT COSTCO – Costco investigated over allegations pharmacy directors accepted kickbacks for certain brands at The Canadian Press. “If the ministry were to conclude that a company paid or received rebates contrary to the legislation, the Executive Officer could issue a ‘rebate penalty order’ that requires the company to pay the amount of the illegal rebate to the government as a form of monetary penalty,” Jensen said.” Read more

 

Wal-Mart CEO picked to advise Trump administration by Matthew Nussbaum at Politico. List of 16 / Read more

 

Amazon won’t resume work with one of its airlines until it’s sure the pilots won’t strike again by Jason Del Rey at Recode. “The cargo airline in question, ABX Air, is one of several Amazon has contracted in the last year to operate a total of 40 planes on Amazon’s behalf.” Read more

 

Incoming Treasury Sec. Mnuchin steps down from Sears Board – was the Yale roommate of Sears Chairman and CEO Eddie Lampert at ABC News. Read more

 

Wal-Mart asking customers for product reviews as part of effort to boost online sales by Kim Souza at The City Wire. “Wal-Mart is actively emailing customers who use its Savings Catcher application asking them to review certain items from their recent grocery receipt as part of an effort to boost its e-commerce business…” Read more

 

Ex-NFL star Marshawn Lynch teams up with Amazon to drive the Treasure Truck, autograph ‘Beast Mode’ Echo devices by Taylor Soper at GeekWire. “Lynch was in a jovial mood, dancing and bobbing to his beats, signing Skittles packages for little kids and even getting in the face of one adult fan who tried to swipe some Skittles.” Pics/ Video/Read more

 

**A message from the 2017 Philadelphia Gift Show – See emerging artists 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

 

ThinkGeek opens new location at Seattle – met by a long line of dedicated “dweebs” by Kurt Schlosser at GeekWire. Pics / Read more

 

Want Groceries in Venezuela? First Stop at Six ATMs at Bloomberg.”Banks have set it up so people have to retrieve their money in as many as seven transactions — maybe the hope is they’ll get tired and give up — and everyone who can see what’s going on at the window counts. At seven, there’s a sigh of relief that deliverance is a step closer.” Read more

 

Wal-Mart Joining Corporate Surge to Protect LGBT Employees by Shannon Pettypiece & Jeff Green at Bloomberg. Read more

 

…Walmart, CVS, Walgreens & more score 100% on LGBT Equality rankings Corporate Equality Index 2017 Report

 

Consumer Electronics Show attendees gripe about hiked hotel rates by Claire Atkinson at NY Post. “We tried The Venetian Hotel to check rates and were quoted $1,191.68 (that’s per night) — and only if you check in on Wednesday, Jan. 4.” Read more

 

Is this the final burn for Florida’s ‘Cigar City’? by Abha Bhattarai at Washington Post. “What we’re dealing with right now is the worst it’s ever been,” said Newman…“On the one hand, the government is saying, ‘smoking is bad’ and making us jump through all these new hoops. On the other, they’re welcoming Cuban cigars — which haven’t been tested, which aren’t taxed — into the country. They’ve got this backwards.” Read more

 

Millennials Hit the Road in a Sleek New Generation of RVs by Kyle Stock at Bloomberg. “The aerodynamic, riveted pod comes with one massive panoramic window, solar power, Italian cabinetry, and a Bose Bluetooth speaker system. It’s an RV made for Instagram, not cousin Eddie, and it’s been in high demand since hitting dealerships in September. “It’s really kind of an online phenomenon,” said Bob Martin, chief executive of Airstream parent Thor Industries.” Read more

 

Domino’s Rewards Loyal Patrons With Shares, Profits by Jessica Wohl at Ad Age. “Domino’s Pizza has come up with two ways to reward its Piece of the Pie Rewards members with a literal and figurative piece of the pie. Starting Monday, the millions of patrons signed up for the program are eligible for a chance to win Domino’s stock. The company said it would pick 25 members at random monthly through November 2017, and give each of them 10 shares.” Read more

 

Tipsheet Extra Stories

‘Tree Lady’ charges $1K for her finest fir

Hell of South Korean dog meat farms exposed

Arianna Huffington goes retail

Cam Newton explains dress code violation that led to benching

Bryant Park Holiday Market spices up shopping to lure customers offline

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Tipsheet: Least Empathetic Co’s (CVS #19) | Visa Delays Pump Upgrade | Wmart #1 in Holiday TV Ads | Beaver Trashes Dollar Store

 

Kroger CEO on food price deflation: ‘It’s not fun’ by Steve Watkins at Cincinnati Business Courier. “We’re in the middle of the cycle right now and it’s not fun,” McMullen said…Kroger executives also talked about ClickList: The company has now expanded the online order and customer pickup service to 550 stores. That’s 50 more than it had just four weeks ago, McMullen said.” Read more | Earnings call transcript

 

Jewel-Osco hopes to burnish image in Chicago with contemporary store at Clark and Division by Greg Trotter at Chicago Tribune. “For those who may not associate their neighborhood Jewel with words like “swanky” and “contemporary,” well, that’s what Jewel-Osco is hoping to change. “We really wanted to make a statement for the Jewel-Osco brand…We really want to put forth a new image,” said Dave Hene, senior real estate manager for Jewel-Osco.” Video/Pics/Read more

 

Visa, Mastercard delay deadline for upgrade of gasoline pumps by Jenny Surane at Bloomberg via Boston Globe. “The world’s largest payments networks will give merchants until October 2020 to adopt the technology, three years later than previously planned, the companies said Thursday in separate statements.” Read more

 

Target to bring smaller store near University of Texas by Will Anderson at Austin Business Journal. “…the 22,000-square-foot location will be in Dobie Twenty21, a student-apartment and retail development at 21st and Guadalupe streets. The location, expected to open in July 2017, would be the company’s first in Texas in the smaller format.” Read more

 

Ulta Q3 Retail Comp Sales +14.3% “E-commerce sales grew 59.1% to $73.6 million from $46.2 million in the third quarter of fiscal 2015, representing 240 basis points of the total company comparable sales increase of 16.7%” Press release

 

Gap November Comp Sales -1.0% (vs. -8.0% LY) “Gap estimated that the fire, which occurred in a building on its Fishkill, New York distribution center campus, negatively impacted Gap Inc.’s November 2016 comparable sales by approximately 3 percentage points.” Press release

 

Five Below Q3 Comp Sales -0.2% Press release

 

Big Lots Q3 Comp Sales Flat Press release

 

The 20 Most (and Least) Empathetic Companies, 2016 (Whole Foods, CVS…) by Belinda Parmar at Harvard Business Review. “ Top/Bottom 20 Lists

 

**A message from Hot Shot – There’s no place like home. And when you rule the roost, you do it all… keep the peace, dry the tears, mop up the messes – even squash the spiders. When bugs cross your threshold, count on Hot Shot® brand for practical, easy-to-use, effective home insect solutions that take care of the creepy-crawlies for you – without breaking the bank. Save the Day. Facebook page

 

Millennial shoppers are heading to JC Penney by Krystina Gustafson at CNBC. “We want to be able to deliver her needs both as a woman and as a mother,” Sheeba Philip, J.C. Penney’s vice president of marketing strategy and communications, told CNBC. “That’s a huge unmet need.” Read more

 

Designed to save shoppers time, new system lights up Hy-Vee lines by Barbara Soderlin at Omaha World-Herald. “A green light indicates an open lane or a short line, and yellow or orange lights indicate a longer line. The Papillion store used data generated by the system to cut average wait times from more than four minutes — with some waits of as long as six or seven minutes — to less than three minutes, store director Dan Fuller said.” Read more

 

Google shops are popping up in Canada Best Buys by Dan DeBaun at Minneapolis/St.Paul Business Journal. “While the concept is growing across Canada, Cortellucci says there are no plans to expand Google shops into U.S. Best Buy locations.” Read more

 

Amazon’s Alexa on journey to fully grasping natural speech by Angel Gonzalez at Seattle Times. “Rohit Prasad, the Amazon scientist in charge of developing the artificial-intelligence software’s abilities to grasp human language, says Alexa is still in the early stage of its journey…” Read more

 

With $720 Self-Tying Sneaker, Nike Loosens Ties to Retailers by Sara Germano at Wall Street Journal. “(Nike) wants to double its direct sales to consumers to $16 billion by 2020…”They have to be worried about it,” said John Kernan, senior retail analyst for brokerage Cowen & Co. He pointed to recent efforts by Dick’s to create some of its own products and provide more shelf space to Under Armour and Adidas.” Read more (subscription)

 

Howard Schultz On Why He’s Stepping Down As Starbucks CEO at Fortune. “I am personally as passionate about developing the Reserve brand, and opening more Roasteries, as I was about opening our first espresso bar more than 30 years ago in Seattle…” Read more

 

…Meet Starbucks’ next CEO: Here’s what former colleagues say about tech vet Kevin Johnson by Taylor Soper at GeekWire. Read more

 

Mall of America’s first-ever black Santa makes history via AJC. “Luther went to a Santa convention in Branson, Missouri, and found Jefferson. Out of about 1,000 Santas, Jefferson was the only Santa of color there. “It was like finding a needle in a haystack,” Luther told the Star Tribune.” Read more

 

Target CEO: Partnership with St. Jude ‘a natural fit’ by Michael Sheffield at Memphis Business Journal. “It’s a great partnership,” Cornell said. “Target House opened in 1999, and we’ve had more than 4,500 families who can stay there and can live a normal life while they’re there.” Read more

 

Beaver trashes dollar store by Justin Wm. Moyer at Washington Post. “The beaver was apprehended at a dollar store in Charlotte Hall, Md., the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement, apparently after browsing the selection of artificial Christmas trees and trashing the place.” Pics

 

Walmart, Target and Verizon Have Spent the Most on Holiday TV Ads So Far This Year by Jason Lynch at Adweek. “Walmart led the pack again with an estimated $66.4 million in holiday ad spending, though that number was down slightly from $67.6 million last year. Target, which almost doubled its holiday ad spending from last year, came in second with $49.7 million.” Read more

 

Tipsheet Extra Stories

Nike on Thursday filed 64 patent applications, including 24 for new technology

Macy’s closing flagship Minneapolis store on Nicollet Mall

Three killed as pickup truck crashes into Walmart store

Bloomberg: Dollar General, Don’t Repeat Walmart’s Mistakes

Walmart launches 2nd grocery pick-up and gas station concept in Denver area

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Tipsheet: Kroger +0.1% | Costco +1.0% | D.Gen -0.1% | Wmart Exec @ Chamber | Bernie @ Amazon

 

Costco November Comp Sales +1.0% “Costco reported net sales of $9.95 billion for the month of November…an increase of three percent from $9.68 billion during the similar period last year.” Press release

 

Kroger Q3 Comp Sales +0.1% Press release

 

Dollar General Q3 Comp Sales -0.1% “…we saw an acceleration in headwinds from average unit retail price deflation and reductions in SNAP benefits in the 2016 third quarter as compared to the 2016 second quarter. We are focused on efforts to drive traffic in our stores…” Press release

 

Lands’ End Q3 Comp Sales -14.3% Press release

 

7-Eleven Seeks New Creative Agency by Lindsay Stein & Jessica Wohl at Ad Age. “Mzyme Marketing is supporting the review, which is expected to wrap in early December, according to the same people.” Read more

 

Wal-Mart’s Jane Ewing talks to room of suppliers by Kim Souza at The City Wire. “Ewing was asked what she thinks could be the next disruption in retail. She said the work in virtual and augmented reality is interesting and how it might apply to retail is exciting. When asked how the local supplier community will need to change as technology becomes more of a retail focus, Ewing said there will always be a need for the basic retail fundamentals, but cautioned suppliers from holding on to past assumptions.” Read more

 

When it comes to shopping, Canadians just aren’t clicking as only 2% of sales are made online by Hollie Shaw at Financial Post. “Considering that we have heard larger numbers from all sorts of sources in the past, the fact that it is actually that small comes as a surprise,” says Toronto-based retail analyst Ed Strapagiel.” Read more

 

IRI and Costco Wholesale Announce Launch of Costco CRX Australia Press release

 

Retailers Revamp Strategy to Handle Holiday-Season Demand by Paul Ziobro at Wall Street Journal. “Toys “R” Us Inc. is trying to avoid a repeat of last Christmas, when it had to deploy an unusual step: “sales prevention.”…To address the issue this year, the Wayne, N.J.-based company has prepared nearly its entire chain of 870 stores to help ship web orders during the holidays. It started cramming its stores with as many goods as possible weeks earlier than last year…” Read more (subscription)

 

**A message from the Craft & Hobby Association. Join thousands of industry professionals for the latest products, innovations, and trends in paper crafts, art materials, jewelry supplies, sewing and textile, home décor, seasonal, and every kind of craft supply. Learn what’s trending, connect with new suppliers, designers, makers, and entrepreneurs from more than 60 countries, and discover new craft products and innovations that will change your retail business in 2017. Register now to attend the ultimate creative industries event, January 19-23, 2017 in Phoenix, AZ. Learn more at creativationshow.org.

 

Q&A with Amazon Web Services CEO Andy Jassy by Dan Richman at GeekWire. Read Q&A

 

Amazon wants to ship your data to the cloud using a literal truck by Paul Miller at The Verge. “This is a sizable upgrade over Amazon’s existing Snowball service, in which Amazon ships you a secure 80TB “Storage Appliance” to load your data onto over 10Gbps Ethernet.” Read more

 

Wayfair Reports 52% Increase in Direct Retail Sales for Holiday Shopping Weekend Press release

 

Nestle Says It Has Found A Sweet New Way To Cut Sugar From Its Chocolate by Dominique Rowe at Fortune. “…by up to 40%. Nestle told Bloomberg that the process involves altering the structure of the sugar. Exactly how this works remains strictly secret, the company is still waiting to patent the process.” Read more

 

Bernie Sanders addresses crowd at Amazon HQ by Monica Nickelsburg at GeekWire. Pics / Read more

 

Fitbit in talks to buy smartwatch pioneer Pebble by Tim Bradshaw at Financial Times via CNBC. “…people close to the deal said Fitbit was paying a low price for the Silicon Valley-based start-up, which has struggled financially despite another $12.8 million Kickstarter campaign in June.” Read more

 

Sheetz: All salaried employees will earn a minimum base salary of $47,500 per year Press release

 

Levi’s asks customers to not bring guns into stores by Lisa Fickenscher at NY Post. “(CEO) Bergh shot off the letter, posted on his LinkedIn page, after a customer’s gun inadvertently went off in a Levi’s store, injuring the denim wrangler.” See letter / Read more

 

Fred’s Reschedules Q3 Release and Postpones Analyst Day Press release

 

Tipsheet Extra Stories

The $845 Wine Book That Dealers Can’t Keep in Stock

Can Walmart Keep Up Its Game Of Chicken With Visa?

NY Times: Though Awash in Fakes, China Rethinks Counterfeit Hunters

Here’s Why American Eagle Outfitters Shares Are Plunging

It’ll soon be illegal for businesses to punish customers for leaving negative reviews

Amazon partners with Techstars for new Alexa accelerator at University of Washington

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Tipsheet: Albertsons Buy Price Chopper? | Bass Pro/Cabela’s Delay | Trump Hurts Tiffany | Adidas New Flagship

 

Cyber Monday set a U.S. e-commerce record with $3.45 billion in sales by Jason Del Rey at Recode. “…setting a record for the largest day in U.S. e-commerce history, according to Adobe. The record marks a 12 percent increase over the same day last year…the total was just 3 percent higher than that of Black Friday, as the two big days of discounts become indistinguishable from each other.” Read more

 

Albertsons in advanced talks to buy Price Chopper by Lauren Hirsch at Reuters via Fox Business. “…for around $1 billion, people familiar with the matter said on Tuesday…Price Chopper operates roughly 130 stores across the U.S. Northeast.” Read more

 

Claim: Amazon accounts for nearly 40% of holiday weekend web sales in the US by Allison Enright at Internet Retailer. “43% of shoppers say they will make more than half of their holiday purchases on Amazon, according to the results of an Astound Commerce study released this week.” Read more

 

SPEED BUMP – FTC review to delay Cabela’s-Bass Pro merger by Josh Kosman at NY Post. “The Federal Trade Commission has asked Bass Pro Shops for more information on its $5.5 billion acquisition of Cabela’s, a move that will hold up the Oct. 5 deal for what two sources close to the situation said could be a few months.” Read more

 

Patagonia’s Black Friday sales hit $10 million — and will donate it all by Parija Kavilanz at CNN. “The company said it was expected pull in about $2 million in sales at both its 80 global stores and Patagonia.com but blew past its own estimate many times over.” Read more / Video

 

Kohl’s gets 60 million hits to site during Black Friday week by Melanie Lawder at Milwaukee Business Journal. Read more

 

Spectacle around Trump Tower hurts business at Tiffany & Co. by Lisa Fickenscher at NY Post. “Swept up in the security ring and protest marches surrounding Trump Tower, customers now have to walk past barricades to enter through the store’s main entrance on Fifth Avenue. “We have seen an adverse affect on traffic at that store and we can’t assure that sales won’t be negatively affected going forward,” management said.” Read more

 

**A message from the 2017 Philadelphia Gift Show – See emerging artists 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

 

Chicagoland: Target to open store in Oak Park high-rise next year by Lauren Zumbach at Chicago Tribune. “The 22,000-square-foot Target store will be part of the 20-story, 271-unit Elevate Oak Park luxury apartment development at the corner of Lake Street and Maple Avenue, Target said Tuesday.” Pics / Read more

 

Amazon device sales (Echo & Fire) were up more than 2X on Cyber Monday compared to last year by Taylor Soper at GeekWire. Read more

 

New UPS CIO Envisions ‘Autonomous Everything’ by Sara Castellanos at Wall Street Journal. “Vehicles that are capable of automatically making safe and informed decisions during inclement weather and traffic hazards, without human intervention, could usher in a new era of safety in the delivery of packages to customers, he said.” Read more (subscription)

 

Adidas will open a new flagship retail location on the outskirts of Times Square by Brian Heater at TechCrunch. “It’s the largest of German shoe giant’s stores – and the first in a string of upscale brick and mortar shops soon to include a sizable location opening up soon in London. The company is currently giving some private tours of the space, and it’s all pretty nuts – multiple stories, bleacher-style seating for watching sports events, a cold press juice bar. And lots and lots of shoes.” Read more

 

Amazon developing Alexa-powered touchscreen device for the home by Mark Gurman at Bloomberg. “The new device will have a touchscreen measuring about seven inches…according to two people familiar with the matter. This will make it easier to access content such as weather forecasts, calendar appointments, and news…They asked not to be identified speaking about a product that has yet to be announced. The latest Amazon speaker will be larger and tilt upwards so the screen can be seen when it sits on a counter and the user is standing.” Read more

 

Ex-President/COO of Ralph Lauren Joins TJX Board Press release

 

Driver of Walmart truck that crashed into Tracy Morgan’s limo pleads guilty at Daily Mail. “Under the terms of his plea, Roper, 37, from Jonesboro, Georgia, can avoid prison if he performs community service and satisfies other conditions over the next three years.” Read more

 

Ace Hardware Teams up with Product Launch Platform to Spark Innovation Press release

 

Retail technology promises to get her the perfect gift every time by Krystina Gustafson at CNBC. “Stores are optimized for shopping for yourself,” Erez said. “They are leaving money on the table.” Read more

 

Wal-Mart’s Doug McMillon and John Furner host a Giving Tuesday event for Bentonville child care center by Melissa Gute at Northwest Arkansas Democrat Gazette. “Shelley McMillon shared her experience of sending her sons through the center. “They were always on top of their game and always very caring,” she said of the center’s employees.” Read more

 

Tipsheet Extra Stories

Amazon removes ‘offensive’ Allah ‘doormats and dog mats’

Sarah Jessica Parker’s shoe line opening its first store

Can Fast-Fashion Brands Like Zara Go Sustainable?

New study compares Amazon to 19th century robber barons, urges policymakers to break up

Will Eataly take a bite out of Boston’s food scene?

PRWeek 2016 Best Places to Work U.S.

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Tipsheet: Amazon Worker Jumps Off Co. Bldg | Cartier Hits Wmart | Dick’s Acquires | Galanti @ Chamber

 

Amazon Worker Jumps Off Company Building After E-Mail Note by Spencer Soper at Bloomberg. “An Amazon.com Inc. employee was injured when he leaped off a building at the company’s Seattle headquarters in what police characterized as a suicide attempt. The man, who wasn’t identified by authorities, sent an e-mail visible to hundreds of co-workers, including Chief Executive Officer Jeff Bezos, before the incident occurred.” Read more

 

Dick’s Sporting Goods acquires mobile scorekeeping company GameChanger Media by Anthony Ha at TechCrunch. “GameChanger…(is) used by 165,000 amateur baseball and softball teams to track scores and stats for individual players.” Read more

 

Ex-Walmart and 99 Cents Only Stores Exec named Neiman Marcus Interim CFO/COO by Korri Kezar at Dallas Business Journal. “Neiman Marcus has named Michael Fung as its interim chief financial officer and chief operating officer after former CFO and COO Donald Grimes left the company two weeks ago.” Read more

 

Wegmans store in Virginia taken off the table by Todd Clausen at Democrat & Chronicle. Read more

 

Inside look: How Amazon’s robots picked and packed purchases on Cyber Monday by Taylor Soper at GeekWire. “GeekWire got a behind-the-scenes look at Amazon’s massive fulfillment center in DuPont, Wash. — an hour south of its Seattle headquarters — on the company’s busiest day of the year…” Video/Pics

 

Capital One paying $200 million for Cabela’s bank by Matt Olberding at Lincoln Journal Star. Read more

 

Cartier Says Walmart Is Not Authorized to Sell Its $18,000 Diamond Watches by Phil Wahba at Fortune. “…Cartier took aim at Walmart on Monday and said it could not vouch for the authenticity of the watches sold via walmart.com.” Read more

 

QVC Appoints Bob Spieth to EVP, Customer and Business Services Press release

 

Tiffany posts first increase in sales in 8 quarters via CNBC. “…same-store sales fell 2 percent in the third quarter ended Oct. 31. Analysts on average had expected a 2.8 percent drop, according to research firm Consensus Metrix. Tiffany’s net sales rose slightly to $949.3 million from $938.2 million a year earlier.” 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

 

Only 59% of Prime members shopped in-store on Black Friday – down from 65% last year Press release

 

Ikea racks up record sales in Canada amid redecoration and home-buying spree by Hollie Shaw at Financial Post. “Ikea Canada also reported Tuesday that its online sales rose 41.3 per cent in 2016, while its in-store sales were up 12.7 per cent and customer visits climbed five per cent…Ikea Canada grew its market share in home furnishings by one per cent to 9.4 per cent, according to Fusion Retail Analytics. That’s up from a 5.8 per cent share in 2013.” Read more

 

NRF CEO on CNBC: “Shay said that eight of the top 10 largest e-commerce platforms are operated by brick-and-mortar stores…” Video / Read more

 

Shoe Carnival Q3 Comp Sales -0.4% Press release

 

Costco CFO to speak at Dec. 1 Chamber lunch at Mercer Island Reporter. “The deadline for reservations is 9 a.m. on Nov. 29. Call the chamber office at 206-232-3404 to reserve your space and to pay by credit card. You can also email your reservation to info@mercerislandchamberofcommerce.org.” Galanti in cart pic / Read more

 

TJX to expand overtime pay despite block of Obama rule by Greg Ryan at Boston Business Journal. Read more

 

AMAZON HEADACHE? – Trump adds antitrust expert to Justice transition team via Yahoo News. “An antitrust division designed by (David) Higbee would be tough on price-fixing and mergers of competitors but would be cautious in challenging deals where companies buy suppliers or incidents where companies are accused of breaking antitrust law to run competitors out of business, McDonald said.” Read more

 

Tipsheet Extra Stories

HSN names former Procter & Gamble executive to C-suite

Ohio State attacker reportedly worked at Home Depot store, was employee of the month

Brothers arrested for driving dirt bike through Walmart in cape and underwear (pics/video)

Watch the latest drone video of Apple’s new $5 billion Cupertino campus

Inside New York’s Club for Influential Women: The Wing has 500 members and brands want in

The Great Smoky Mountains burn: Terrified guests trapped inside a burning Hilton hotel

Suspect charged after fatally shooting good Samaritan at Texas Walmart

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Tipsheet: WashPo Tries BOPUS | Gap’s Analytical CEO | Amazon Review Limits | Black Friday Data

 

NRF: U.S. shoppers spend less over holiday weekend amid discounting by Nandita Bose at Reuters. “Shoppers spent $289.19 over the four-day weekend through Sunday compared to $299.60 over the same period a year earlier. The survey found that 154 million people made purchases over the four days, up from 151 million a year ago. However, there was a 4.2 percent rise in consumers who shopped online and a 3.7 percent drop in shoppers who purchased in a store.” Read more

 

Adobe: Online spending over Thanksgiving and Black Friday grew nearly 18% to $5.27 billion compared with last year via Fox Business. Read more

 

Thanksgiving online shoppers bought twice as much through phones as through tablets by Jason Del Rey at Recode. “More than a quarter of online sales on Thanksgiving — 27 percent, to be exact — took place via mobile phones compared with 22 percent last year, according to Adobe, which tracks $7.50 of every $10 spent online.” Read more

 

Adobe: Cyber Monday expected to generate at least $3.36 billion in revenue — up nearly 10% from last year — bringing the Thursday-through-Monday online total to more than $10 billion by Sophia Rosenbaum at NY Post. Read more

 

This is your holiday season reminder that Amazon doesn’t always have the lowest prices by Jason Del Rey at Recode. “Over at Jet.com… you could find better prices on 46 percent of top-selling toys that both sites carried.” Read more

 

As Gap Struggles, Its Analytical CEO Prizes Data Over Design by Khadeeja Safdar at Wall Street Journal. “The 61-year-old CEO is blunt in his criticism of the industry’s long fascination with creative executives who are given broad powers to set the overall image of a brand. “We have cycled through so many, and each has been proclaimed as the next savior,” he said. In the end, they were “false messiahs.” Read more (subscription)

 

Amazon puts new limit on (some) customer reviews: No more than 5 a week by Todd Bishop at GeekWire. “Books, music and video are exempt from the limit, but the new cap applies to the rest of Amazon’s vast online selection of products.” Read more

 

**A message from Made in 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. Website | Italy-America new product inquiries | Retailers request samples at info@shiftmarketinggroup.net

 

Washington Post: What happened when I tried ‘buy online, pick up in store’ on Black Friday by Sarah Halzack. “My visit to Walmart was quite speedy, clocking in five minutes and 54 seconds…I spent 12 minutes and 59 seconds in Macy’s — and it felt even longer than that…The most frustration came at Best Buy, where the process took 18 minutes and 41 seconds…When I got to Target, things weren’t looking good: The pickup counter wasn’t even staffed. But, improbably, I ended up getting out of there faster than anywhere else, in five minutes and 41 seconds.” Read more

 

Amazon Leans on Technology to Speed Training of Holiday Workers by Laura Stevens at Wall Street Journal. “To prepare for the flood of holiday orders already under way, the retail giant has been using technology ranging from touch screens to robots to shrink the time it takes to train new hires to as little as two days, compared with up to six weeks for a conventional warehouse job.” Read more (subscription)

 

Why does Walgreens charge 1,237% more than Costco for prescription drugs? by Laurie Roberts at The Arizona Republic via USA Today. Read more

 

Verto Analytics: Top 15 retailers based on the online activities of 20,000 U.S. consumers during October 2016 at Adweek. See the chart

 

Macy’s Web Site Buckles Under Heavy Traffic on Black Friday by Phil Wahba at Fortune. Read more

 

Amazon reportedly eyeing $1B acquisition of Middle Eastern e-commerce giant Souq.com by John Cook at GeekWire. Read more

 

Tipsheet Extra Stories

Amazon’s commander of the Cloud shares his vision

Bed Bath & Beyond acquires PersonalizationMall.com

Why Half a Million Young Japanese Can’t Face School or Work

Luxury industry is severely missing personalization in online experience

Inside the secretive Chinese space program that could threaten NASA’s dominance

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Tipsheet: H.Dep CFO on CNBC | Mall Robots | Amazon Turkeys | Smart Garbage Cans

 

Home Depot’s CFO talk to Jim Cramer by Abigail Stevenson at CNBC. “This year, Home Depot expects to sell 2.8 million live Christmas trees, and enough LED Christmas lights to circle the globe six-and-a-half million times. “We leaned to it in a big way, and we are going to have a knockout black Friday” (Carol) Tomé said.” Video interview / Read more

 

…Home Depot wants to grab a bigger chunk of Black Friday shoppers’ spending by Krystina Gustafson at CNBC. “In an effort to capitalize on consumers’ desire to decorate their homes, Home Depot — the largest seller of live Christmas trees — has grown its seasonal assortment five times over since launching the category a decade ago.” Read more

 

Malls are trying to use humanoid robots to get shoppers back from the internet by April Glaser at Recode. “For the first extended time in the U.S., shoppers at the Westfield Malls in San Francisco and Santa Clara, Calif., can meet the four-foot-tall roving android, where it will be working for the next three months. Shoppers at b8ta, a Palo Alto tech store, had a week to meet Pepper back in August.” Read more

 

US durable goods orders up 4.8% in Oct vs 1.5% increase expected at CNBC. Read more

 

Smart garbage can device will tell Amazon to automatically reorder stuff you throw away by Nat Levy at GeekWire. “GeniCan’s newest device is set for release in January. It will attach to a bin, and when people throw away items, they can scan barcodes and add them to a shopping list on their smartphone.” Read more

 

New Yorkers are lining up around the block and into the subway to buy Snap’s new Spectacles by Kurt Wagner at Recode. “I knew the lines were long, but then I saw this video from Mashable’s Sam Sheffer. Wow. It goes around the block, around another block, then down and back up a set of subway steps before extending another 100 yards or so. “I estimate probably 400 people are on line,” Sheffer said while walking the line on Facebook Live.” Read more

 

Department Stores Lure Black Friday Shoppers With $19.99 Women’s Boots by Suzanne Kapner at Wall Street Journal. “Belk Inc. started offering the heavily discounted boots as its “door-buster” seven years ago. The promotion was so successful that it has been repeated every year since, and adopted by rivals like Kohl’sCorp., Macy’s Inc. and J.C. Penney Co. “$19.99 is a magic number,” said Joseph Safdeye, chief executive of E.S. Originals Inc., a shoe importer that came up with the idea.” Read more (subscription)

 

A Federal Judge Just Blocked the Obama Administration’s Signature Overtime Rule via Fortune. “The Labor Department can appeal to the New Orleans, Louisiana-based 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, but that court has stymied the Obama administration before…the Labor Department could drop the appeal after Republican President-elect Donald Trump takes office in January.” Read more

 

Amazon’s Treasure Truck trots out the turkeys during pre-Thanksgiving trip around Seattle by Kurt Schlosser at GeekWire. “Amazon’s lit up, roaming, deals on wheels destination was out and about delivering fresh, 14- to 16-pound free-range turkeys from Woodinville, Wash.-based meat company Porter & York. The $43 deal also included a Cuisinart thermometer, roasting pan and roasting bag.” Pics / Read more

 

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Couche-Tard profits hurts by a flood, a hurricane and an oil pipeline leak by Damon Van Der Linde at Financial Post. “Investors seemed understanding of these setbacks, with the stock gaining 0.60 per cent to $63.50 by market close Tuesday.” Read more

 

Barnes & Noble Q2 Comp Sales -3.2% Press release

 

Inside Bob Iger’s Massive Disney Empire by James Rainey at Bloomberg.”Nothing about Bob Iger’s middle-class upbringing in New York…suggests that he would find a muse in a Tokyo subway station. But it is there, in a tiny sushi bar, that the chairman and CEO of the Walt Disney Co. finds inspiration, in a wizened nonagenarian who spends most of his waking hours sculpting fine slices of blue fin and eel and combining them with rice that is grown exclusively for the restaurateur…” Read more

 

Amazon’s delivery drones just might be on the job in 2020 … at least in Britain by Alan Boyle at GeekWire. Read more

 

Amazon Is Turning Up The Heat On Counterfeit Products by Leena Rao at Fortune. “…testing a new set of digital tools called Brand Central to help merchants prevent other sellers from copying and selling their products, tech news site CNET reported on Tuesday.” Read more

 

How Apple Lost China to Two Unknown Local Smartphone Makers at Bloomberg. “Apple needs to offer something cutting-edge to appeal to maturing Chinese smartphone users,” Counterpoint Research director Neil Shah writes. Oppo and Vivo can use the time until then to cement their positions, he said.” Read more

 

Pilot strike could delay Amazon holiday deliveries by Chris Wetterich at Cincinnati Business Courier. “About 250 pilots who fly for ABX Air, a cargo carrier that serves DHL and Amazon.com, are striking, grounding flights from both Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport and Wilmington Air Park…ABX flies 35 flights a day for Amazon Prime Air.” Read more

 

GameStop misses its own sales estimates with Q3 earnings by Korri Kezar at Dallas Business Journal. “Next quarter, GameStop now expects comparable store sales to range between a deficit of 7 percent and 12 percent.” Read more

 

Don’t Give Up on the Guitar. Fender Is Begging You by Kim Bhasin at Bloomberg. “Almost everyone who picks up a guitar, about 90 percent, abandons it within the first year, according to Mooney. Many give up within three months, frustrated or unwilling to commit.” Read more

 

Tipsheet Extra Stories

Hackers stole customers’ card data from landmark NYC venues

Mark Cuban reportedly meets with Steve Bannon at Manhattan bar

NFL players hit in eyes with lasers at Mexico City game

Ex-Target exec loses MSFA commission seat, said governor blamed ‘friction’

Elderly grocery shopper stabbed during orange juice heist

Wall Street Journal: Department Stores’ Big Sales Are Getting Smaller

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Tipsheet: No Aloe in Aloe @ Target & Wmart | D.Tree Beats | B.Buy CEO Close-Up | Wmart Lab -91 Jobs

 

No Evidence of Aloe Vera Found in the Aloe Vera at Wal-Mart, Target & CVS by Lydia Mulvany & Zeke Faux at Bloomberg. “Aloe’s three chemical markers — acemannan, malic acid and glucose — were absent in the tests for Wal-Mart, Target and CVS products conducted by a lab hired by Bloomberg News. The three samples contained a cheaper element called maltodextrin, a sugar sometimes used to imitate aloe. The gel that’s sold at another retailer, Walgreens, contained one marker, malic acid, but not the other two.” Read more

 

Dollar Tree Q3 Comp Sales +1.7% (+1.4% expected) “The same-store sales growth, representing the Company’s 35th consecutive quarter of positive same-store sales, was driven by increases in comparable customer count and average ticket.” Press release

 

Fox Business: Dollar Tree’s Quarterly Profit More Than Doubles “Excluding items, the company earned 81 cents per share, beating the average analysts’ estimate of 78 cents, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.” Read more

 

Burlington Stores Q3 Comp Sales +3.7% “For the fourth quarter of Fiscal 2016 the Company expects: Net sales to increase in the range of 6.6% to 7.6%; Comparable store sales to increase in the range of 2.5% to 3.5%.” Press release

 

Best Buy CEO Hubert Joly smiling over the retailer’s holiday prospects by Kavita Kumar at Star Tribune. “…being an avid user and evangelist for technology is also part of the job — and one that Joly takes seriously. He bought a drone last year and plans to buy another this holiday. His house is filled with several Google Home devices, the tech giant’s version of the voice-activated-and-responding Amazon Echo. He has an Echo, too, in his kitchen and is a Prime member himself. “But Alexa and I are not really on speaking terms anymore,” he quipped.” Read more

 

Deloitte: 76% of Americans plan to shop over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend “Shoppers expect to spend 51% of their budget online and 46% in physical stores…84% plan to shop in-store over the holiday weekend and 87% plan to do so online…69% plan to head to stores and 55% intend to shop online on Black Friday…Cyber Monday: 74% of respondents plan to shop online on Cyber Monday.” Press release

 

Wal-Mart’s Dallas optical lab loses 91 jobs to automation by Maria Halkias at Dallas Morning News. “While trade policies were a big issue in the presidential election, manufacturing jobs are still being lost in the U.S. to automation. Last year, Wal-Mart said it would spend $10 million to upgrade manufacturing equipment at its Fayetteville, Ark.; Crawfordsville, Ind.; and Dallas optical labs.” Read more

 

Eddie Bauer faces tough climb to reclaim former heights by Janet I. Tu at Seattle Times. “Earlier this year, the company moved its Bellevue Square flagship store from a 8,390-square-foot location to a space half that size. The store design morphed from a lodge motif to a more spare look with darker walls and ceilings and lots of light, intended to make the products stand out. So far, 57 of the company’s 370 stores worldwide (335 in the U.S. and Canada) have this new design. And the company is looking to downsize its other locations as leases come up.” Read more

 

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Amazon reportedly wants to include live sports as part of Prime membership by Taylor Soper at GeekWire. “The Journal reported that Amazon wanted to exclusively license NBA’s League Pass streaming product; it is also reaching out to traditional broadcasters like Univision and ESPN about the content they own but don’t end up airing on TV.” Read more | WSJ article (subscription)

 

Brewers Bet Beer Drinkers Seek More Sober Suds by Saabira Chaudhuri at Wall Street Journal. “It’s kind of like nonbeneficial exercise—why would people use this if the main benefit doesn’t exist?” says Matt Voda, a New York-based virtual-reality developer who in 2013 did market research on nonalcoholic beer for Heineken as part of an internship with the brewer. Mr. Voda’s research during his three months at Heineken showed nonalcoholic beer was primarily drunk by older people whose doctors had advised them to cut back on alcohol.” Read more (subscription)

 

Amazon Echo sales reach 5M in two years, research firm says by Taylor Soper at GeekWire. “CIRP’s estimates line up with other research firms. New York consulting firm Activate Inc. estimated that Amazon sold 4.4 million Echo units in its first full year of sales, after becoming available to the general public in 2015.” Read more

 

Lowe’s Unveils LoweBot, The Bilingual Robot That Is Eager To Please by Don Ford at CBS SF Bay Area. “One guy wants a soft drink. “I’m looking for a Soda,” he said. “Drain cleaner,” the robot responds. The robot likes specifics. “Do you have Pepsi?” the man asks. That worked.“I followed it and it took me right to it!” the man said.” Video / Read more

 

Amazon has big plans to expand its online tickets business by Jason Del Rey at Recode. “In one of the recent job postings, Amazon said it is looking to hire new employees “to develop our international expansion strategy for Europe and Asia.” The company has also been hiring Amazon Tickets employees at its headquarters in Seattle, potentially signaling plans for a U.S. ticketing business. “[O]ur vision goes beyond just selling tickets as we aim to disrupt the entire live entertainment experience, including what happens before, during and after the show,” one posting reads.” Read more

 

Ex-Staples President Joins Barnes & Noble as COO Press release

 

Orchard Supply opening first San Diego County store by Karen Pearlman at San Diego Union Tribune. “…there will be a ribbon cutting at 6 p.m. at the store on Dec. 8. A “grand opening” is also set for Dec. 10, said store manager Shane Holly…They will open new stores later this year in Rolling Hills and Culver City. Another store set to open next year in Hollywood.” Read more

 

Venezuela’s Nemesis Is a Hardware Salesman at a Home Depot Store by Anatoly Kurmanaev at Wall Street Journal. “Mr. Díaz, 60 years old, does more than anyone else to set the price of everything from rice to aspirin to cars in his native Venezuela, influencing the inflation rate and swaying millions of dollars of daily currency transactions. How? He is president of one of Venezuela’s most popular and insurgent websites, DolarToday.com, which provides a benchmark exchange rate used by his compatriots to buy and sell black-market dollars.” Read more (subscription) | Story via AL.com

 

Singing Dollar General cashier keeping his day job, for now by Rachel Greco at Lansing State Journal. “The last few weeks have been unexpected for the East Lansing resident and Dollar General cashier, whose impromptu rendition of “Ascension” by Maxwell was captured on video and went viral this month. Holliday’s week began with a Monday appearance on “Good Morning America,” and ended with a rare opportunity, an invitation from Maxwell himself to take the Detroit venue’s stage in front of thousands of people.” Read more | Video

 

Tipsheet Extra Stories

Why the ‘Birchbox for Muslim Women’ Is Sending Customers Pepper Spray

Trump Victory Threatens Alibaba’s American Dream

How Kellogg paid “independent experts” to tout cereal

The Grand Tour premiere breaks Amazon viewership records, drives Prime sign-ups

Hillary Clinton spotted browsing books post-election at bookstore in Rhode Island

Ottawa requires provinces to phase out coal by 2030, expected to affect taxpayers

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