Tipsheet: ICE Raids Hurt Stores | Lowe’s VR Pilot | Dick’s Cuts 20% of Vendors | Prime @ Mexico

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Walgreen weighs risky FTC gambit in Rite Aid merger by Josh Kosman at NY Post. “The declaration would mean that, in Walgreen’s opinion, it has given regulators substantially all the information they need to make a decision. The move would give the FTC 30 days to complete its review of the proposed merger and take action if necessary, bringing a swift end to a vetting process that has dragged on since late 2015.” Read more

 

Immigration raids keeping customers away from small stores by Jeff Daniels at CNBC. “…worries persist among immigrants about enforcement actions, and some businesses have been forced to lay off employees to cope with the falloff in business. “Some are cutting across the board 20 to 30 percent,” said Arabo. “It’s not a good thing for the economy. It’s not a good thing for jobs.” Read more

 

Amazon Prime launches in Mexico by Sarah Perez at Techcrunch. “The service will offer unlimited free shipping on over 20 million items for the price of 449 pesos ($23) for the first year, before rising to the standard price of 899 pesos ($46) the following year.” Read more

 

Lowe’s brings virtual reality to some home-improvement stores by Ken Elkins at Charlotte Business Journal. “In Framingham, a booth is set up inside a Lowe’s store for customers, wearing VR headsets, to go through a guided instructional video. Tactile responses on the equipment give customers the sensation of actually holding a drill, for example. The pilot in the Boston area and in Canada will last for several months. Presumably then Lowe’s execs will make a call about bringing VR to other areas.” Read more

 

Ivanka Trump clothing line reports record sales by Judy Kurtz at The Hill. “Since the beginning of February, they were some of the best performing weeks in the history of the brand,” Abigail Klem, the president of the Ivanka Trump fashion brand, tells Refinery29 in an interview published Tuesday.” Read more

 

Dick’s to Cut Unpopular Brands From Stores by Matthew Rocco at Fox Business. “Dick’s plans to refocus its product lineup by dropping up to 20% of its vendors. CEO Edward Stack said changes are coming to “deliver a more refined offering for our customers” and enable Dick’s stores to “stay ahead of consumer trends.” Read more

 

Walmart to participate at the Bank of America Merrill Lynch 2017 Consumer & Retail Technology Conference “Tuesday, March 14. A presentation by Doug McMillon…will be webcast live through links at www.stock.walmart.com and will begin at approximately 8:50 a.m. EST.” Press release

 

**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

 

Saks Fifth Avenue to Host Second Annual Emerging Designer Showcase “As a result of the 2016 Emerging Designer Showcase, Saks picked up collections from two exciting brands, Roberta Einer and VETTA.” Press release

 

Best Buy swaps out Intel mini-shops for Alienware PC gaming displays by Kavita Kumar at Star Tribune. “Best Buy is swapping out its Intel mini-shops in about 50 stores, including at the Mall of America, with Alienware PC Gaming Experience zones. The Intel shops, which were first rolled out in 2014, showcased cutting-edge technology such as augmented reality and 3-D printing, but items weren’t necessarily available for purchase.” Read more

 

Wal-Mart Stores continues to woo suppliers as a media buyer by Kim Souza at The City Wire. “Walmart Exchange has been around for a couple of years, but with more emphasis moving toward online sales as well as in-store advertising there is a renewed push to get more suppliers onboard…” Read more

 

Coca-Cola Targets Small Retailers With Coke on Demand App by Kim S. Nash at Wall Street Journal. “Proprietors can send a request for, say, two cases of Coke and one case of Fanta, to local distributors, which bid on the deal. They promise a price and certain time period for delivery and then enlist help from gig workers with motorbikes to bring the products to the stores.” Read more (subscription)

 

Instacart Raises Funding Valuing Grocery Startup at $3.4 Billion by Ellen Huet at Bloomberg. Read more

 

Target comes out on top in digital marketing by Zak Stambor at Internet Retailer. “Paid search is one area where Target is particularly aggressive. It is behind only Amazon.com Inc. in terms of its average monthly spend. Those dollars are well spent, Argylian says, given that paid search drives 13.5% of Target.com’s overall traffic while also contributing to in-store traffic and sales.” Read more

 

The Home Depot Presents at 38th Annual Institutional Investors Conference via Seeking Alpha. Transcript

 

The Five Habits of the Walmart Shopper by Beth Kowitt at Fortune. “Sales of scientific and educational toys are up 24% over the past year…Sales of home improvement hardware, including power tools, are up 7% versus last year.” See list of 5

 

NRF: Retailers Support House Plan to Repeal ObamaCare Press release

 

Nordstrom updates parental leave policy to help stay competitive by Coral Garnick at Puget Sound Business Journal. “Birth mom’s across the company will now able to receive 12 weeks of paid leave at 100 percent of their wage. In the past, mom’s who were not in leadership positions received disability leave paid at 60 percent of their wage.” Read more

 

Here are the highest-paying jobs in America, according to Glassdoor’s annual list by Jillian Stampher at GeekWire. Top 25 list

 

Tipsheet Extra Stories

Fallon forced to change ‘Tonight Show’ amid Colbert ratings wins

Williams-Sonoma invites you to spend the night

How Farmers Business Network Plans To Disrupt Big Agra, One Farm At A Time

In Its Battle With Amazon, Best Buy Gets A Fighting Chance From Shoppers

Waffle House co-founder dead at 97

Kroger to invest $60M in KY distribution center, will employ 100

Read Tipsheet Extra Stories

 

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Subscribe to Eye on Retail Tipsheet here

 

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Tipsheet: Dick’s +5% | Michaels -1% | Gordmans Bankrupt? | Casey’s +3% | JCP Layoffs

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Dick’s Q4 Comp Sales +5.0% “Net sales for the fourth quarter of 2016 increased 10.9% to approximately $2.5 billion… Same store sales for Dick’s Sporting Goods increased 5.3%, while Golf Galaxy increased 13.2%.” Press release

 

Michaels Q4 Comp Sales -1.0% “Comparable store sales for the year decreased 0.5% driven by a decrease in customer transactions, which was partially offset by an increase in average ticket.” Press release

 

Gordmans said to be preparing to file for bankruptcy by Paige Yowell at Omaha World-Herald. “A Gordmans spokeswoman told The World-Herald that the company wouldn’t comment on “rumor or speculation…(has) roughly 100 stores in the upper Midwest.” Read more

 

Former Saks employees sue over paycheck deductions by Julia Marsh at NY Post. “The clerks earned $15-an-hour, the Manhattan Supreme Court suit says. They were told they make a 7 percent commission after $8,000 in sales, but the deductions meant they actually had to sell $20,000 in merchandise before seeing any commissions, according to court papers.” Read more

 

HAPPENING TODAY – Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos speaks Tuesday morning at the Satellite 2017 conference in Washington  Video stream via CNBC

 

Amazon, E-Bay set to fight Gov. Cuomo’s plan to tax online marketplaces by Kenneth Lovett at NY Daily News. “The coalition of tech groups plan to send millions of emails, generate thousands of phone calls, and use other means to rev up New Yorkers to fight the plan. The coalition will target 20 state legislators in hopes of pressuring them to oppose the Cuomo proposal as state budget talks are set to heat up in coming days.” Read more

 

**A message from GlobalShop – as a retail expert, you impact the customer experience and GlobalShop is the driving force behind that experience. Through education, peer networking and interaction with retail suppliers, you’ll return with results to build your brand and create a more effective retail environment. From mannequins and lighting to flooring and signage, GlobalShop has it all. Register now to join us in Las Vegas March 28-30, 2017! Qualified attendees use code GS17EOR for free expo hall admission. Retailer attendee list | Website | Networking Events

 

J.C. Penney lays off an undisclosed number of corporate employees by Korri Kezar at Dallas Business Journal. “Spokesman for J.C. Penney:  ‘Although I don’t have a number available to share, it is part of our normal course of business for leaders to ensure their respective teams are optimally staffed, so any position eliminations would vary by department.'” Read more

 

Colorado Senate kills bill to expand alcohol sales at Walmart, Target by Ed Sealover at Denver Business Journal. “On an 18-17 vote that crossed party lines, the upper body of the Legislature defeated Senate Bill 143, just one week after it gave the proposal preliminary approval.” Read more

 

New CFO takes the wheel at Tractor Supply at Nashville Business Journal. “Kurt Barton has been promoted to senior vice president, chief financial officer and treasurer.” Read more

 

Coming Soon to Your Local Mall: Celery and Dog Food by Esther Fung at Wall Street Journal. “Natick Mall in Natick, Mass., is leasing 194,000 square feet of space vacated by J.C. Penney Co. to upscale grocer Wegmans which is planning to open a store in 2018. College Mall in Bloomington, Ind., plans to bring in 365 by Whole Foods Market in the fall. Kroger Co., meanwhile, has purchased a former Macy’s Inc. location at Kingsdale Shopping Center in Upper Arlington, Ohio, and plans to build a new store in its place.” Read more (subscription)

 

About 1,300 Kroger employees take voluntary buyout offer by Steve Watkins at Cincinnati Business Courier. Read more

 

Fred’s Pharmacy Announces Appointment of New Directors (Ex-Family Dollar & CVS Execs) Press release

 

Walmart’s U.K. Division Continues to Decline by Lisa Botter at The Street. “Walmart’s U.K. division was the only supermarket to see declines in the 12 weeks to Feb. 26, supermarket industry data indicated Tuesday, as it continues its downward trajectory in a fiercely competitive market. Asda saw sales fall 0.8% in the 12-week period compared with last week.” Read more

 

Casey’s Q3 Grocery/Merch Comp Sales +3.0% Press release

 

Despite declining sales, do shoppers still prefer brick-and-mortar stores? by Herb Weisbaum at CNBC. “The nation’s retailers are doing a better job of making their customers happy. After two years of declining satisfaction, they reversed course during the 2016 holiday shopping season, according to the latest American Customer Satisfaction Index report. Retailers scored 78 out of 100 points, that’s up 4.7 percent and an all-time high for the sector.” Read more

 

Security guard works at Amazon, and Amazon works to sell his BBQ sauce by Angel Gonzalez at Seattle Times. Read more

 

Alibaba’s Jack Ma Wants Serious Jail Time for Counterfeiter by Lulu Yilun Chen at Bloomberg. “The Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. chairman appealed to the National People’s Congress convening in Beijing this week to penalize counterfeiters as harshly as drunk drivers.” Read more

 

Lands’ End Chief Executive Officer Jerome Griffith Joins Company “…most recently serving as President and Chief Executive Officer at Tumi Holdings, Inc. He has also joined the Lands’ End Board of Directors.” Press release

 

Nordstrom’s Trunk Club opens Boston location by I-Chun Chen at Chicago Business Journal. “With the new shop, Trunk Club now operates seven Clubhouse locations including Charleston, South Carolina; Chicago; Dallas; Los Angeles; New York and Washington D.C.” Read more

 

Tipsheet Extra Stories

Hunt for Walmart shopper who attacked store employees with a chemical that made them sick

P&G sells off another brand

Ex-Target exec Jeff Jones jumps into a tough situation at Uber

Adidas says Ohlmeyer to succeed Stalker as CFO in May

SpartanNash Promotes Weslow to SVP, Distribution Sales

Read Tipsheet Extra Stories

 

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Eye on Retail Tipsheet is must-read material for 20,000+ retail execs every weekday morning. Tipsheet stories are carefully curated bright and early every morning to ensure fresh and unique content.

 

Subscribe to Eye on Retail Tipsheet here

 

Contact us: Send story tips, press releases and advertising inquiries to info@eyeonretail.net

 

Website: www.eyeonretail.net

Tipsheet: Lowe’s Privacy Breach | WinCo Long Lines | Neiman Hires Debt Adviser

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Hundreds of Lowe’s customers’ personal information compromised by Paul Boyd at WSOC TV. “The breach is connected to a fax machine in Vancouver, Canada. A spokesperson from the company that owns the machine does not want to be identified, but said they have received more than 250 pages of customer order information in recent days.” Read more

 

Amazon and Repsol strike parcel pick-up deal at Financial Times via CNBC. “Customers will be able to receive deliveries at many of Repsol’s almost 4,000 outlets across Spain and Portugal, as the service is rolled out over the next two months. It follows a trial of the service in some of Repsol’s 320 sites in Italy.” Read more

 

Walton family heirs reduce stock holdings at Talk Business. “In recent weeks heirs of Wal-Mart Stores founders Helen and Sam Walton sold off more than 12.585 million shares of the retail stock with a market value in excess of $898.535 million.” Read more

 

Field Agent: Consumers slow to use ‘Alexa’ for online ordering by Kim Souza at Talk Business. “This minority of Echo users that uses the purchase function said they buy the following: Electronics 27%, Gifts 25%, Home goods 17%, Packaged foods 15%, Ready-to-eat meals 8%, Movie tickets 7%, Beverages like coffee or soda 7%.” Read more

 

Macy’s asking price may be too steep for bidders by Lisa Fickenscher & Josh Kosman at NY Post. “One explanation for the impasse, insiders say, is that some of the pressure on Macy’s to consider a sale has diminished in recent weeks. That’s partly because activist hedge fund Starboard Value is no longer interested in waging a proxy battle and has instead been reducing its stake in Macy’s, according to sources close to the firm.” Read more

 

Amazon and Pinterest Threaten to Shake Up the Search Ad Market by Mike Shields at Wall Street Journal. “In the past 12 to 18 months we’ve really been focusing on search,” said Seth Dallaire, Amazon’s vice president of global advertising sales at Amazon. “It’s still really early days for us.” Read more (subscription)

 

Shoppers pack new Nampa WinCo on opening day by Lis Stewart at Idaho Press-Tribune. “By 10 a.m., an hour after the doors opened, a line for the check-out stretched to the back of the store and employees were already re-stocking shelves of Cheetos.” Read more

 

**A message from Lock-it Block-it – Over 5,000 children fall from open windows every year. The Lock-it Block-it is an adjustable childproof AND burglar proof security device for home windows and patio doors. The device allows windows to be LOCKED OPEN at various safe heights. Simply adjust the Lock-it Block-it to a safe opening that allows fresh air to flow in AND blocks children from falling out. Easy to install. Easy to use. High-impact resistant. See the video | Sell sheet | Request a sample: info@eyeonretail.net

 

Neiman Marcus hires debt restructuring adviser at Reuters. “Neiman Marcus is in no immediate risk of bankruptcy, the sources said. However, the move makes it the highest-profile U.S. retailer to turn to a debt restructuring adviser so far this year, as consumers increasingly embrace the internet for shopping.” Read more

 

Amazon shuts down its cable store by Sarah Perez at TechCrunch. “Remember that time when Amazon decided it wanted to sell you internet service and cable TV? Well, that’s done now. Yep, Amazon’s “Cable Store” is no more.” Read more

 

Retailers are blaming bad results on the IRS being too slow to deliver tax refunds by Krystina Gustafson at CNBC. Read more

 

Ron Johnson: How to Beat Amazon at Recode. Audio/Read more

 

Rachael Ray cooks up apparel pop-up shop by Lisa Fickenscher at NY Post. “The Moxie Shop, as it’s called, will offer such apparel brands as Otte, Ganni and Mother. Accessories on display will come from Hadid Eyewear, April Soderstrom and Ellis Brooklyn. It will be open for a week. “These are things that I wear, stuff that’s loose and comfortable,” Ray said.” Read more

 

Amazon Education GM leaves; company says it ‘remains committed’ to K-12 technology by Todd Bishop at GeekWire. Read more

 

It’s Alibaba versus Amazon in India’s e-commerce market by Jon Russell at TechCrunch. Read more

 

DIVA-BETIC – Patti Labelle on Her Second Life as a Celebrity Cook by Kenzie Bryant at Vanity Fair. Read more

 

Lowes Foods launches pilot employee fitness program by John Brasier at Triad Business Journal. Read more

 

LESSON NOT LEARNED – Man who defrauded Home Depot gets prison for doing it again via CNBC. “Dooley was convicted in 2007 of defrauding Home Depot out of more than $330,000 in a similar scheme and received a five-year prison sentence.” Read more

 

Bird Flu Found in Tyson-Contracted Farm at Fox Business. “…the 73,500 birds will be culled to stop the virus from entering the food system, government and company officials said on Sunday.” Read more

 

Meijer to open its 1st stores in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula at The Detroit News. “Meijer is expected to open the first store in Escanaba on May 22, followed by another in Sault Ste. Marie this summer.” Read more

 

Mom persuades retailers to use special needs kids in ads at Chicago Tribune via Watertown Daily Times. “I wanted to cry,” Driscoll said. “I eat, breathe and sleep this change. So it’s a profound feeling when it’s your own child out there changing the face of beauty.” Read more

 

Tipsheet Extra Stories

Man has beef with Home Depot – puts racist slurs on his truck 

Philly’s soda tax is crushing the city’s beverage business

Latest baby powder lawsuit snares Walgreens

Gwen Stefani takes kids shopping at Whole Foods in Studio City

Bad parking – car ends up on top of classic 1959 Corvette at Walmart

Walgreens evacuated after solar panels catch fire

Read Tipsheet Extra Stories

 

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Subscribe to Eye on Retail Tipsheet here

 

Contact us: Send story tips, press releases and advertising inquiries to info@eyeonretail.net

 

Website: www.eyeonretail.net

Tipsheet: Kroger Throws Ecom Shade | Costco +3% | B.Lots +0.3% | Saks Woos Guys

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Costco Q2 Comp Sales +3.0% Press release

 

…Forbes: Following Earnings Miss, Costco Plans To Hike Membership Fees “Starting on June 1, 2017, membership fees will go up $5 for U.S. and Canada individual, business and business add-on members; with this price hike, the membership fee for these groups will come to $60 a year. Executive fees are also seeing a hike: the price for an executive membership in the U.S. and Canada will go to $120, up from $110.” Read more

 

Kroger’s 13-year winning sales streak ends by Alexander Coolidge at Cincinnati Enquirer. “Identical-store sales excluding fuel rose 1 percent during the fiscal year ended Jan. 28, but actually declined 0.7 percent in the fourth quarter – snapping a 13-year winning streak of market share growth.” Read more | Press release | Earnings call transcript

 

…Grocer Kroger ramps up home delivery tests with Uber as online competition heats up by Jeff Daniels at CNBC. “The Kroger CEO also took a dig at competitors in the online grocery space. “There are a lot of companies out there right now investing in digital and e-commerce in opportunistic ways that will likely never create value for their shareholders,” he said. “A core strength of Kroger is our ability to both create shareholder value today and to make meaningfully strategic investments for the future.” Read more

 

Big Lots Q4 Comp Sales +0.3% Press release

 

Kohl’s and Under Armour: Behind the Biggest Brand Launch in Kohl’s History by Adrianne Pasquarelli at Ad Age. “The visual spots show intimate, real-life moments of an athletic start, but are representative of a major athletic achievement, recognizing that stepping up to the challenge, no matter the challenge, is a big deal,” said Michelle Gass, chief merchandising and customer officer at Kohl’s, via email. She noted that in the last 12 months, Kohl’s has seen some 500,000 searches on its website for Under Armour.” Read more/See spot

 

Target Leak Reveals ‘All New’ iPhone Release? by Gordon Kelly at Forbes. “According to a Target memo obtained by MacRumors, the retailer has instructed all its stores to return unsold iPhone SE models to Apple by March 1st.” Read more

 

CVS Health Names Jon Roberts EVP and COO “Jon Roberts has been with CVS Health for 26 years.” Press release

 

Saks Looks to Woo Guys with DJs, Putt-Putt Golf by Troy Patterson at Forbes. “Saks Fifth Avenue’s new men’s store at Brookfield Place opened last week, and Saturday-afternoon visitors could be forgiven for thinking that the launch party was still in progress. Just past the entrance was a man in headphones—his bald head gleaming hiply, his pot belly pulling at his designer T-shirt—peering over his sunglasses to work two turntables.” Read more

 

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

 

Fred’s February Comp Sales -4.0% Press release

 

Aldi launch online sales of wine, snacks and breakfast products in China using Australian suppliers at Daily Mail. “The company will sell its own brand products via online platform Tmall Global, operated by Alibaba, and will use its Australian suppliers to serve the Chinese market, it said on Thursday. Aldi said an initial ‘soft launch’ on March 20, which typically sees a product offered to a limited audience, will be followed by a full launch event in Shanghai on April 25.” Read more

 

Burlington Q4 Comp Sales +4.6% Press release

 

We visited convenience-store rivals Wawa and Sheetz to see which does it better — and the winner is clear at Business Insider. Read more

 

Wal-Mart to Present at Raymond James Conference on March 8th at 8:40 a.m ET Press release

 

Barnes & Noble Blames Adele and Coloring Books For Worsening Sales Drop by Phil Wahba at Fortune. “The bookstore chain on Thursday reported comparable sales fell 8.3% during the holiday quarter…it was Barnes & Noble’s worse holiday quarter performance in 11 years.” Read more

 

hhgregg plans to close 88 store locations and three DCs Press release

 

Schnucks’ warehouse operator XPO laying off 204 in St. Louis County by Lisa Brown at St.Louis Post Dispatch. Read more

 

RadioShack’s Successor Preparing to File for Bankruptcy, Sources Say at Bloomberg. “A filing could happen within the coming days and will probably result in liquidation, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the process isn’t public.” Read more

 

McDonald’s Customers Scream, and Get New Ice Cream Machines by Julie Jargon at Wall Street Journal. “The Wall Street Journal recently reported that customers who ordered McFlurry ice cream treats and soft-serve cones in the evening were often turned away because the machine’s weren’t operational. The precise reasons weren’t clear and led many customers to offer up conspiracy theories.” Read more (subscription)

 

Office Depot names Zimmerman New Ad Agency of Record Press release

 

Jeff Bezos and Blue Origin offer ‘Amazon-like’ moon delivery in 2020 by Alan Boyle at GeekWire. “As described by the Post, the proposal seeks NASA’s support for sending a “Blue Moon” lander to Shackleton Crater near the moon’s south pole.” Read more

 

Since 2012, Wal-Mart spent nearly $500,000 a day on federal corruption probe by Kim Souza at Talk Business. Read more

 

Amazon deepens university ties in artificial intelligence race by Jeffrey Dastin at Reuters. Read more

 

Report suggests the housewares category drove 15% of Amazon’s sales growth in 2016 by Stefany Zaroban at Internet Retailer. “Amazon sold roughly $7 billion worth of housewares products alone to U.S. consumers last year—a 33% jump from 2015, OneClick estimates. That’s 13% more than the $6.2 billion Internet Retailer estimates Macy’s sold globally online in 2015 across all categories, and double the $3.3 billion top web-only housewares merchant—Wayfair sold last year.” Read more

 

Wal-Mart boss killed in stabbing; former employee arrested by Stephanie Allen at Orlando Sentinel. “It’s unknown what the argument was about, but deputies said it eventually spilled out into the parking lot and ended with the stabbing.” Read more

 

Amazon’s massive AWS outage was caused by human error by Jason Del Rey at Recode. Read more

 

Walmart.com revamp could include limited marketplace access by Kim Souza at Talk Business. “Suppliers in Bentonville recently told Talk Business & Politics that Walmart.com is also in the midst of limiting marketplace access for grocery and consumables. Marketplace sellers already have a somewhat limited presence on Walmart.com, but if all access is restricted by third-party marketers, suppliers will be able to ensure their margins are protected.” Read more

 

Tipsheet Extra Stories

Portland grocer opens store #20 in San Fran

American Eagle developing prototype jeans store

Virginia is the first state to pass a law allowing robots to deliver straight to your door

Popular boutique owner caught shoplifting from Whole Foods

Man crawls through mud while fleeing Walmart fight (Police heat seeking video)

Speaker Ryan greeted by R.I. protesters…and CVS execs

Woman Rams Hearing Impaired Child With a Shopping Cart at Walmart

Read Tipsheet Extra Stories

 

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Eye on Retail Tipsheet is must-read material for 20,000+ retail execs every weekday morning. Tipsheet stories are carefully curated bright and early every morning to ensure fresh and unique content.

 

Subscribe to Eye on Retail Tipsheet here

 

Contact us: Send story tips, press releases and advertising inquiries to info@eyeonretail.net

 

Website: www.eyeonretail.net

 

Tipsheet: Lowe’s +5.1% | D.Tree +2.3% | B.Buy -0.9% | Cornell @ CNBC | Wmart +9% Satisfaction

/in

 

Lowe’s Q4 Comp Sales +5.1% “For the fiscal year, sales were $65.0 billion, a 10.1 percent increase over the same period a year ago, and comparable sales increased 4.2 percent.” Press release

 

…CNBC: Lowe’s topped analysts’ estimates across the board Wednesday “For the first time in awhile in this quarter we actually had normalish weather, so Lowe’s may have benefited more from that than Home Depot” Nagel said.” Read more

 

Best Buy Domestic Q4 Comp Sales -0.9% Press release

 

…Fox Business: Best Buy Reports Drop in Same-Store Sales, Shares Sink “Net revenue fell 1 percent to $13.48 billion, missing the average analyst estimate of $13.62 billion, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.” Read more

 

Target CEO Appears on CNBC “Many of our competitors are aggressively rationalizing their assets. They’re cutting costs just to keep their heads above water,” Cornell said. “This contraction will create opportunities for Target to pick up market share over the long term.” Video/Read more

 

Q4 Comps: Dollar Tree +2.3% | Family Dollar +0.2% Press release

 

Inside Amazon’s first brick-and-mortar bookstore in Massachusetts by Kelly J O’Brien at Boston Business Journal. 17 pics/Read more

 

…has a Peet’s Coffee and Tea, the first Amazon Bookstore to have a coffee shop by Jordan Graham at Boston Herald. Read more

 

ACSI: Retailers Improve Customer Satisfaction Amid Store Closings “Department and discount stores: Dillard’s takes first place…In second place, JCPenney is the biggest gainer, up 11 percent to 82…Specialty retailers: Costco (+2%) leads with an ACSI score of 83, followed by a trio (Sam’s Club) at 81…With a big jump, Home Depot (+10% to 80) edges ahead of rival Lowe’s (+7% to 79) for the first time, as well as Menards (+1% to 79).” Press release

 

…Walmart scores jump 9% by Aimee Picchi at Moneywatch. “Walmart received a customer satisfaction score of 72, or 9 percent higher than its year-earlier score of 66.” Read more

 

Sneak peek: ​Cabela’s prepares for its first opening in D.C. area by Rebecca Cooper at Washington Business Journal. “Representatives of the Gainesville store are expecting thousands of people to attend the March 9 grand opening.” 26 pics/Read more

 

**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

 

Amazon Web Services outage reveals critical lack of redundancy across the internet by Nat Levy at GeekWire. “…outage knocked out access to a litany of websites and apps that run on AWS, including but not limited to Expedia, Slack, Medium, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.” Read more

 

CST growth loses steam with fourth quarter earnings report by Katie Burke at San Antonio Business Journal. “…net income of $324 million for year-end 2016, nearly double the $149 million it posted for the year prior. However, that jump was announced alongside a considerable drop in fourth quarter income, which fell from $25 million to $18 million.” Read more

 

Ross Stores Q4 Comp Sales +4.0% Press release

 

Nearly one year after launch, Apple Pay finds limited traction in China by Emma Lee at TechCrunch. “Apple Pay is now accepted by 36 percent of merchants in the U.S., thus making it one of the most widely available mobile payment methods in the country. However, to date it has received a lukewarm — or perhaps even cold — reception in China.” Read more

 

Big 5 Q4 Comp Sales +3.1% Press release

 

Huh? Cramer says Target’s survival has everything to do with pizza by Abigail Stevenson at CNBC. “We have to question the entire relevance of Target, particularly if prices go up 20 to 25 percent … Three-year plan? How about a survival plan. There is no long-game anymore,” the “Mad Money” host said.” Video/Read more

 

Meet YouTube TV: Google’s Live TV Subscription Service by Tom Huddleston, Jr. at Fortune. Read more

 

Office Depot Q4 Total Sales -2.0% Press release

 

Apple to release $1k iPhone with curved screen and USB-C by Matt Burns at TechCrunch. Read more

 

Tommy Hilfiger Looks to Technology as It Combats Macy’s Decline by Stephanie Hoi-Nga Wong at Bloomberg. Read more

 

After Alberta pipeline spill goes undetected for 45 days, Murphy Oil fined $172,500 at Toronto Star. Read more

 

Home Depot store honors customer who died suddenly – lets family build his casket in store at KIRO 7. “Building the casket has helped Scott’s brothers deal with the sudden loss. “When we have something to focus on, it’s almost eliminated the heartbreak. You know, until tomorrow,” Keith said. Employees from the Home Depot store will be attending the funeral service Friday.” Video/Read more

 

Tipsheet Extra Stories

Hulk Hogan gives inside look at his new Orlando shop

Hackers ransom children’s voices recorded on teddy bears

‘Breaking Bad’-inspired chicken eatery to take over Austin parking lot for SXSW

Grandfather finds lost million dollar lottery ticket in Aldi shopping bag a year later

7-Eleven takes on the on-demand invasion

For another $3, Papa John’s pizza will get to your door a little faster

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