Archive for year: 2016

 

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

 

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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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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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

Tipsheet Extra Stories

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

Amazon has patented a voice-controlled drone that fits in your pocket

Clay Christensen’s New Theory Of Innovation Has Everything To Do With Hiring

A likely survivor in the impending death of brick-and-mortar stores: Williams-Sonoma (and here’s why)

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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Macy’s to stick with Thanksgiving hours, open even earlier by Krystina Gustafson at CNBC. “BestBlackFriday.com, which tracks retailers’ holiday deals and hours, received confirmation from five U.S. shopping centers that their Macy’s locations would open at 5 p.m. Thursday. That compares with 6 p.m. in both 2014 and 2015.” Read more

 

Target Removes Clown Masks From Stores After Recent Scares at WCCO 4. “Given the current environment, we have made the decision to remove a variety of clown masks from our assortment, both in stores and online,” Target spokesperson Joshua Thomas said.” Read more

 

Former Schnucks president sues chain and CEO by Lisa Brown at St.Louis Post Dispatch. “After he was offered the CEO position at Earth City-based Save-A-Lot in October 2015, (Anthony) Hucker alleges that he approached Todd Schnuck, asking him to waive his non-compete agreement…Instead of waiving the non-compete, Hucker was terminated without cause in November 2015, according to Hucker’s attorney Jerome Dobson, and caused him to lose the opportunity to be CEO of Save-A-Lot.” Read more

 

Instacart reverses course, re-introducing tips for shoppers by Matthew Linley at TechCrunch. “The backlash went so far as to inspire a boycott among some shoppers, though again Mehta said that this was not the primary cause for returning tipping. “We have tens of thousands of shoppers,” Mehta said. “I think that a lot of times it’s the most vocal ones you hear from…” Read more

 

J.Crew hires help to inject life into the troubled brand by Josh Kosman at NY Post. “J. Crew’s legendary Chairman and Chief Executive Mickey Drexler is asking for help to turn around his ailing chain, The Post has learned. Drexler, who is credited with the Gap’s success in the ’90s, has been working with consultant McKinsey & Co. on developing a new business plan for the preppy J. Crew retail chain, two sources with direct knowledge of the situation said.” Read more

 

Meet the Woman Who Could Turn Jet.com Into the Digital Era’s Ultimate Challenger Brand by Christine Birkner at Adweek. “She started with Jet in March 2015 after a nearly two-year tenure as CMO at E-Trade, where she oversaw the brand’s first post-talking-baby ads with the campaign “Type E,” featuring Kevin Spacey. “Until that job, I never thought of myself as a marketer,” Landsman explains. “I always thought of myself as a customer-focused businessperson.” 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 videos | Facebook page

 

Macy’s flagship in New York debuts Apple shop via Denver Post. “This is one of the most sought-after products,” Terry Lundgren, the outgoing CEO of Macy’s, told The Associated Press. “We really cater to women better than most retail stores do. I do think that we are going to end up creating a business that is more female-friendly.” Read more

 

Banana Republic is transitioning to outlet stores amid sales slump by Lisa Fickenscher at NY Post. “Banana Republic is quietly converting some of its full-price stores to factory stores — right in the middle of urban shopping districts, The Post has learned.” Read more

 

Bass Pro’s Johnny Morris opens private museum with public artifacts by Tony Messenger at St.Louis Post Dispatch. “Owens shared her story — and a bevy of emails and other documents — with both me and a state lawmaker in hopes of preventing this sort of thing in the future. “Hopefully the outcome is that we can get some kind of protection for the collection so it doesn’t happen again,” Owens said. “When this sort of thing gets to donors, it looks bad. People won’t give to your collection if they don’t believe the artifacts are properly protected.” Read more

 

Former Saks CEO Steve Sadove on CNBC: “Things are going to start looking up for certain department stores, former Saks CEO Steve Sadove told CNBC on Friday…The consumer wants buy now, wear now. The consumer is fickle. The consumer is thinking differently.” See the video / Read more

 

Is McDonald’s ready to sell its Big Mac special sauce in grocery stores? by Anne Stych at Chicago Business Journal. “McDonald’s applied for a U.S. trademark for “Mac Sauce” last month, the Chicago Tribune reported, perhaps signaling its intention to sell the creamy condiment in grocery stores.” Read more

 

Mall of America continues its quest to be biggest by Kavita Kumar at Star Tribune. “The Mall of America’s Canadian owner, Triple Five Group, is working on both the Florida project and one in New Jersey — each branded under the grandiose name “American Dream” — that could surpass Minnesota’s marquee mall in size. Meanwhile, King of Prussia Mall outside Philadelphia now has 450 stores that span 2.9 million square feet of retail space, nearly as much as the Mall of America.” Read more

 

Whiskey Workers Strike at 2 Beam Distilleries in Kentucky via ABC News. “Given our inventories and contingency plans, we currently do not anticipate shortages of Jim Beam or any other products made at these facilities,” David Hunter, chief supply chain officer for Beam Suntory, said in a statement Friday night.” Read more

 

Discount Tire gives $1 million to campaign against marijuana legalization by Mike Sunnucks at Phoenix Business Journal. Read more

 

Hasbro reports 14.2 percent rise in quarterly revenue at Reuters. “…helped by strong demand for toys in the girls category such as Disney Princess, Frozen and Trolls dolls.” Read more

 

Tipsheet Extra Stories

16-year-old saves man’s life at north OKC Target

The Employers Hiring The Most In 25 Major Metro Areas

Is Salmon Jerky the Next Million-Dollar Snack Food?

Self-Checkout Skimmers Go Bluetooth

Best Buy’s stock slips after government data shows drop in electronics sales

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