Walgreens Reports Surprise Drop in 1Q Sales at Fox Business. "Sales fell to $28.50 billion from $29.03 billion." Read more | Press release   Macy's to shutter 68 stores and cut 10,000 jobs in massive restructuring by Alexander Coolidge at Cincinnati Enquirer. "The store closures will impact about 3,900 retail associates. But the company also plans to slash 6,200 mostly back office employees." Read more | Press release   Costco December Comp Sales +3.0% (US +3.0% / Canada +7.0%) "Costco reported net sales of $13.07 billion for the month of December...an increase of five percent from $12.46 billion during the [...]

  Retailers weren't panicking at the end of the holiday season — here's how you can tell by Krystina Gustafson at CNBC. "...while retail discounts remained rampant over the holidays, they also held steady in the days after Christmas — serving as the latest indication that the 2016 season may have topped original expectations." Read more   Walmart Shifts Massive Media Account to Target's Former Agency Haworth by Jack Neff at Ad Age. "Haworth has a longtime relationship with Michael Francis, the former Target chief marketing officer who worked with the agency for years there. Then Mr. Francis brought Haworth [...]

  Could Macy's be acquired by Ross Stores in 2017? by Andy Brownfield at Cincinnati Business Courier. "The idea of off-price retailer Ross Stores buying Macy's , which boasts numerous high-end locations in major U.S. cities under the Macy's and Bloomingdale's banners, would have once seemed unthinkable," Sozzi writes." Read more   ...Sozzi prediction #2: Dunkin' Brands buy David's Tea? Read more via The Street    New SEC filing lists potential roadblocks in proposed Cabela's-Bass Pro deal by Steve Jordon at Omaha World-Herald. "...making some investors nervous about the deal’s future...And Capital One Bank “likely” will not get federal bank [...]