Tipsheet: Wmart +1.4% | Lowe’s Acquires | Nordstrom #50 @ LinkedIn | PriceSmart New DC

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Walmart U.S. comp sales +1.4% / traffic increase of 1.5% / digital sales +63% Press release

 

…CNBC: Wal-Mart earnings top Street estimates “Earnings per share: $1.00, excluding items, vs. expectations for 96 cents, according to Thomson Reuters analysts. Revenue: $117.5 billion vs. a forecast of $117.74 billion…Comp sales (climbed) 1.4 percent compared to a FactSet estimate of 1.3 percent growth.” Read more

 

LinkedIn Top Companies 2017: Where the world wants to work now (Amazon #2, Under Armour #16, Nordstrom #50) Top 50 list

 

Lowe’s Acquires Maintenance Supply Headquarters “…for a total transaction value of $512 million. Based in Houston, Texas, Maintenance Supply Headquarters operates 13 distribution centers serving customers in 29 geographic areas, primarily in the western, southeastern and south central U.S., with a portfolio of more than 5,300 products and value-added services for maintaining and renovating multifamily properties.” Press release

 

P&G president named CEO of Ralph Lauren by Barrett J. Brunsman at Cincinnati Business Courier. “Patrice Louvet, who oversees brands such as Pantene and Head & Shoulders shampoo as Procter & Gamble Co.’s group president for Global Beauty, has been hired as CEO of Ralph Lauren Corp.” Read more

 

Amazon turns to military vets as it looks for management talent by Angel Gonzalez at Seattle Times. “Lessard says that Amazon plans to hire 75 former military staffers into this program this year, and 150 in 2018. So far five, including Nielsen, have started working and another 14 have accepted offers. They’re being deployed in warehouses from Spartanville, South Carolina, to Dupont, Pierce County.” Read more

 

Ace Hardware Q1: Net Income +8.4% / -0.2% Retail Comp Sales “John Venhuizen, President and CEO: I’ll resist pinning the blame on the less than favorable weather.” Press release

 

**A message from Lock-it Block-it – Shut out burglars – not the summer breeze! The Lock-it Block-it is a high-impact security bar that allows windows to stay open AND secure at the same time. 13 adjustment holes allow for inch-by-inch opening adjustments. Great for sliding doors/windows too! Video | Sell sheet | Retailers request samples: info@shiftmarketinggroup.net

 

Shares of Ascena, Ann Taylor’s Parent, Plunge After Profit Warning by Maria Armental at Wall Street Journal. “Chief Executive David Jaffe said, company executives “no longer believe it appropriate to expect a stabilization of traffic and resulting normalization of comp sales”…Comparable sales…declined 8%.” Read more (subscription)

 

Google to launch a jobs search engine in the U.S. by Sarah Perez at TechCrunch. Read more

 

PriceSmart opens 325,000-square-foot distribution center in Miami-Dade by Nancy Dahlberg at Miami Herald. “Although PriceSmart has no storefronts in the United States, the company is a leading Miami exporter and maintains a workforce of more than 200 employees in its Miami distribution facilities. More than $1 billion in merchandise sold by PriceSmart is sourced in the United States and moves via more than 20,000 maritime containers annually.” Read more

 

Southern Living Launches Two New Branded Retail Stores in Destin, FL, and Huntsville, AL  Press release

 

Target looks to capture more business from bankrupt retailers by Kavita Kumar at Star Tribune. “Target didn’t have much new to say about plans to improve its grocery aisles…It recently brought Jeff Burt on board from Kroger to be its new grocery chief…“We want to give Jeff plenty of time to take his own inventory and begin to build his own strategy that will enhance the work we’ve been doing over the last few years,” said Cornell.” Read more

 

Stein Mart Q1 Comp Sales -7.6% Press release

 

FBI’s conduct in Best Buy computer case prompts judge to throw out child porn evidence by Tom Jackman at Washington Post. “In a statement to The Post Tuesday, Best Buy reiterated that its Geek Squad employees inadvertently discover what appears to be child pornography about 100 times a year, and that they are legally obligated to report it. “To be clear,” Best Buy’s statement said, “Geek Squad does not work for the FBI and never has.” Read more

 

The “Amazon of Fish” Want to Get Americans Eating More Seafood at Fast Company. “If you measure us against the overall seafood market in America, we’re a blip on the radar,” Spindler says. But the startup’s business has quadrupled since last year, and its revenue is in the millions. That, to Spindler, signals the potential for further growth, but what will drive that, in the end, will be the quality.” Read more

 

Stage Stores Q1 Comp Sales -9.6% Press release

 

Tipsheet Extra Stories

How China’s demand for a $30K fish bladder drives poaching

Amazon’s Australian Expedition to Rattle Retailers (WSJ Subs.)

How Alex And Ani Founder Built An American Jewelry Empire

The Farmer’s Dog, a customized pet food subscription service, scoops up $8.1M

Trader Joe’s Ex-President Has Advice for C-stores

Ace’s New Wholesale Chief Talks Mergers, Expansion, ‘Growing Pains’

Two trailers catch fire at Lowe’s

Read Tipsheet Extra Stories

 

Target Q1 Earnings Call Highlights

Brian Cornell

We saw an acceleration beginning in late February which was offset by better than expected sales in March and April.

We’re in the early stages of implementing merchandising and marketing efforts to improve Target’s value perception with guests and reestablish everyday price credibility on key items.

Plan to launch 12 new brands across our signature categories over the next two years.

 

John Mulligan

In our Tribeca store in New York City, we are ready to begin a test in which we will offer same day delivery to guest at that store.

Prior to the launch of the new East Coast facility, we have been testing daily customer replenishment based on niches in a single store here in the Twin Cities market.

We built the Target restock site and supporting back-end operations for Twin Cities’ team member test in just 35 days.

In the first quarter, more than 95% of in-store pick up orders were ready for guests in an hour less, up more than 3 percentage points from a year ago.

For the set of remodels we completed last fall, we have been measuring overall results in line with our expected 2% to 4% lift following completion.

  • Most encouraging for the 10 fold remodels in which the layout is more similar to the new layout we will roll out in Houston later this year, we have seen lifts near the high-end of that range.

For our 10 mature small format stores, we are seeing double-digit comp increases on average so far this year.

 

Mark Tritton

Electronics delivered a mid-single digit comp sales increase (in Q1), the strongest in three years.

Small decline at apparel comps in the first quarter.

Expect to see continued growth in swim in the second quarter and beyond.

Essentials and food beverage businesses…low single digit comp declines

Small increase in produce comps in the first quarter.

Adult beverage business…saw a mid single digit comp increase this quarter.

Plan to expand space for adult beverage in more than 100 additional stores in the second quarter with more planned to the third quarter and beyond.

Ready to launch…Cloud Island…a new exclusive line of nursery décor, bedding, bath and layette products.

The guest response to Cat & Jack, in particular, has been amazing.

But probably the key areas that we’re focusing on of course the food and beverage and essentials.

 

Cathy Smith

We are planning for a low-single digit decline in comparable sales in the second quarter.

On the EBIT line, we are planning for a decline of just over $200 million compared with last year.

Earnings Call Transcript via Seeking Alpha

 

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Tipsheet: Target Beats @ -1.3% | Dick’s Cuts 160 @ HQ | Bezos Eyes Pharmacy | Apple Overhauls Stores

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Target Q1 Comp Sales -1.3% “…driven by small declines in both traffic and basket size. Comparable digital channel sales increased 22 percent, on top of 23 percent growth in first quarter 2016.” Press release

 

…CNBC: Comp sales: 1.3% drop vs. forecast of a 3.7% decline, according to FactSet. Read more

 

…Reuters: Target’s profit and sales beat estimates, shares jump “…rise in demand for swimwear, electronics such as the Nintendo Switch gaming console, and also celebrity-endorsed products such as those from Victoria Beckham…Excluding items, the company earned a profit of $1.21 per share. Revenue fell 1.1 percent to $16.02 billion. Analysts on average had expected earnings of 91 cents per share on revenue of $15.62 billion, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.” Read more

 

Dick’s Sporting Goods cuts 160 jobs @ HQ by Stephanie Ritenbaugh at Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. “Dick’s Sporting Goods cut 160 positions in the Pittsburgh region and plans to slow its brick-and-mortar store growth nationally while whittling down its vendors by about 20 percent. Meanwhile, the liquidation of competitor Gander Mountain’s stores is expected to hurt short-term sales at Dick’s this year as shoppers snap up going-out-of-business deals.” Read more

 

…Dick’s Sporting Goods backing off on store expansion by Tim Schooley at Pittsburgh Business Times. “By 2019, Stack said the company could open as few as five or 10 stores….“I don’t think we’ll have significantly more stores 5 years from now than we do today.” Read more | Earnings call transcript

 

Apple is overhauling hundreds of stores to try to create the ‘modern-day town square’ by Jason Del Rey at Recode. “Starting on Tuesday, people can sign up for free classes ranging from a photography session titled “Seeing Beauty in the Familiar” with the photographer Chris Ozer to “Producing Music on the iPhone” with the producer Steve Lacy. The programming, dubbed “Today at Apple,” is going live this week in 271 U.S. Apple stores and 495 overall.” Read more

 

Target partners with bed-in-a-box maker Casper by Mark Reilly at St.Paul/Minneapolis Business Journal. “Target doesn’t currently sell mattresses in its stores — and still won’t under the Casper deal, at least not yet. That will keep Casper’s best-known product out of view, but the company says it’ll become the exclusive mattress of Target.com and it’s talking about getting mattresses into stores eventually.” Read more

 

…Deal came together after about a year of talks by Eliot Brown at Wall Street Journal. “Casper is finding it can no longer shun the storefront. The startup is turning next month to Target to sell pillows, sheets and other accessories—though not yet beds—in 1,200 stores nationwide.” Read more (subscription)

 

**A message from the Internet Retailer Conference & Exhibition – Excel at e-retail! Whether you’re focused on solutions in content or search marketing, maximizing your mobile commerce platforms or minimizing customer disengagement, you’ll find what you need at IRCE. Chicago McCormick Place West June 6-9. Website | Workshop schedule | Exhibitor list | Register now

 

Amazon is hiring people to break into the multibillion-dollar pharmacy market by Christina Farr at CNBC. “For the last few years, Amazon has held at least one annual meeting at its Seattle, WA headquarters to discuss whether it should enter the pharmacy business, says two people familiar with the company’s plans. But this year, with the rise of high-deductible plans and the trend towards consumers paying for health care, it is ready to get more serious.” Read more

 

TJX Q1 Comp Sales +1% (over last year’s 7% increase) Press release | Earnings call transcript

 

FTC steps up scrutiny of Walgreen-Rite Aid merger by Josh Kosman at NY Post. “They are working hard to get more information,” a source with direct knowledge of the situation said. The requests, known as Civil Information Demands, show that the Federal Trade Commission is still not ready to approve the deal, sources said.” Read more

 

Sears loses $6 million patent lawsuit to father-and-son company by Gina Hall at Chicago Business Journal. “The jury awarded LoggerHead $6 million in damages…The company sells what is called the Bionic Wrench, a tool that can adjust similar to pliers but also maintains the grip of a wrench…While the original Bionic Wrench sold for $24.99, Sears’ version cost $11.99.” Read more

 

Home Depot CFO Sees Opportunity Amid Retail Slump by Tatyana Shumsky at Wall Street Journal. “Rival retailers’ falling sales are an opportunity for Home Depot Inc., according to Carol Tomé…“The addressable market is $550 billion but there’s lots of competition in this space,” Ms. Tomé told CFO Journal in a phone interview on Tuesday. “It’s not just Home Depot and Lowe’s, it’s Sears, it’s Menards, it’s The Towel Shop, it’s the mom and pops, it’s Amazon, and that’s good because it’s a big market, a big market to grow into,” she said.” Read more (subscription) | Earnings call transcript

 

Women in 30s Now Having More Babies Than Younger Moms in U.S. via Bloomberg. “For more than three decades, women in their late 20s had the highest birth rates, but that changed last year, according to preliminary data released Wednesday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.” Read more

 

Amazon’s next fashion challenge: Technology to help people find clothes that actually fit by Monica Nickelsburg at CNBC. “For the past few months, Amazon has been secretly building a team that helps customers find clothes that fit perfectly, according to a LinkedIn profile spotted by CNBC…The profile belongs to Sam Dwarakanath, an engineer who most recently worked on the Amazon Go convenience store project…” See LinkedIn profile/Read more

 

Kroger announces retirement of Sukanya Madlinger, SVP of retail divisions – promotes Calvin Kaufman to succeed her Press release

 

Feds and Wal-Mart allege canned tuna prices fixed by Martha Mendoza at ABC News. “Executives of the most popular tuna brands in the U.S. — Chicken of the Sea, Bumble Bee and StarKist — conspired regularly to keep prices high for consumers with a taste for one of America’s favorite sandwich ingredients, according to criminal and civil court records updated this week.” Read more

 

Amazon starts taking pre-orders for first Alexa-enabled 4K TVs by Monica Nickelsburg at CNBC. “Amazon worked with Element Electronics and Westinghouse to make the 4K TVs, which cost between $450 and $900…The TV’s version of Alexa responds to voice commands like it does in Echo devices…you can ask Alexa what dramas are streaming on Amazon Prime and you’ll see a list displayed on the screen.” Read more

 

Tipsheet Extra Stories

Millennials prefer Five Guys & Starbucks & Chick-fil-A &…

Dad starts campaign to end “lunch shaming,” erases debt at 99 schools

Man wore Home Depot apron to steal air conditioners

Etsy share price spikes on heels of sale talks

Purveyor of on-demand custom home goods acquired for $12M

Read Tipsheet Extra Stories

 

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Tipsheet: H.Dep US +6% | Dick’s +2.4% | Retail CEOs in DC Today | Lowe’s Exoskeleton

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Home Depot Q1 Comp Sales +5.5% / US +6.0% “Based on its year-to-date performance, the Company reaffirmed its fiscal 2017 sales growth guidance and expects sales will be up approximately 4.6 percent and comp sales will be up approximately 4.6 percent.” Press release

 

…CNBC: Home Depot earnings, sales top Street estimates as shoppers flock to its stores “Home Depot said U.S. comparable sales…climbed a whopping 6 percent during the first quarter, blowing past a 4.3 percent estimate compiled by analysts who cover the company.” Read more

 

Dick’s Q1 Comp Sales +2.4% “eCommerce sales increased 11.0%. eCommerce penetration for the first quarter of 2017 was 9.3% of total net sales, compared to 9.2% during the first quarter of 2016.” Press release

 

Retail CEOs Renew Border-Tax Fight at Meeting With Mnuchin by Matthew Townsend at Bloomberg. “Executives are planning to host a meeting with Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin on Tuesday…The 10-person group…includes department-store chain J.C. Penney Co., apparel maker VF Corp. and battery producer Energizer Holdings Inc…Other CEOs scheduled to attend are from AutoZone Inc., Chico’s FAS Inc., Dollar General Corp., Ikea North America Services, PetSmart Inc., Tractor Supply co. and PVH Corp.” Read more

 

These four Lowe’s employees are now wearing exoskeletons to work by Matt McFarland at CNN. “…testing exoskeletons on four employees at a Christiansburg, Virginia, store to make it easier to lift objects and stock shelves…Kyle Nel, executive director of Lowe’s Innovation Labs, describes the suits as a way to better recruit potential employees and make their workdays easier. “Who wouldn’t want to work in a place where you get to wear an exosuit?” Nel asked.” Pics/Read more

 

Sears CEO slams Craftsman supplier for trying to get out of contract by Gina Hall at Chicago Business Journal. “They seek to embarrass us in the media to force us to let them out of their contract,” Lampert wrote in a blog post entitled, “Taking a Stand to Protect Our Company.”…“We will not simply roll over and be taken advantage of…”. Read more

 

Jewel bids on 17 Strack & Van Til stores in Indiana by Peter Frost at Crain’s. Read more

 

Staples Q1 Comp Sales -3.0% “Total company sales for the first quarter of 2017 were $4.1 billion, a decrease of five percent compared to the first quarter of 2016.” Press release

 

Photos of Walmart’s Updated Electronics Department: Before and After by Field Agent. “Looks a lot more professional than previous years. Well organized. Compares to Best Buy displays now instead of low end displays.”-Agent Quote” Pics/Read more

 

Rue21 files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection at Reuters. “The retail chain, which sells budget-priced clothing and accessories at over 1,100 stores across the United States, listed assets and liabilities in the range of $1 billion and $10 billion, according to the court filing.” Read more

 

**A Message from The Original Headache Hat – Don’t Suffer in Silence. Over 36M people suffer from migraines in the U.S. and 1 billion worldwide. 33% of attacks hit both sides of the head and 25% of U.S. households has a migraine sufferer. Yet no viable solution exists in the market today. Gel packs and bags of ice only stay cold for minutes and don’t cover much of the head. The Headache Hat is a hands-free, wearable ice pack for migraines, headaches & cooling therapy and has received rave reviews from both consumers and The Migraine World Summit. See it here now. Retailers request sample: info@shiftmarketinggroup.net

 

Why Wal-Mart Is Worried About a Discount German Grocer by Sarah Nassauer & Heather Haddon at Wall Street Journal. “Not everyone is convinced that Lidl and Aldi will wreak as much havoc in the U.S. as they have across the Atlantic. There are more players and more price competition in the U.S., Sanford C. Bernstein & Co. said in a recent research note, “explaining Aldi’s current around 1% market share despite four decades” in the U.S.” Read more (subscription)

 

Ex-Williams-Sonoma/Pottery Barn Exec Named President of New Business Development at Restoration Hardware Press release

 

TODAY SHOW – Cars crashing into stores: New technology aims to save lives by Jeff Rosen & Lindsey Bomnin at NBC Today. “When a crash test car was flung at a concrete-filled barrier at about 20 miles per hour — parking lot speed — the car knocked it down like a bowling pin…When the same car was sent down the same track at 20 mph at a stainless steel barrier, the barrier stopped the car. When the test was repeated at 30 mph, the new barrier design still held up.” Video/Read more

 

Jay Leno loves vintage cars, and now he’s selling products to make them shine by Charles Fleming at LA Times. “That was always the endgame,” Porrazzo said. “To get a branded product out there with Jay’s name on it.” The line is composed of 14 different vehicle care products, with another six more on the way, said the company’s marketing director, Chris Walters.” Read more

 

Costco, Walmart losing some ground in Canadian food sales to traditional grocers by Aleksandra Sagan at Global News. “Industry watchers say the price gap between the two sides has narrowed and the traditional stores’ loyalty programs are helping support sales.” Read more

 

Judge OKs settlement in Wal-Mart same-sex benefits case via Northwest Arkansas Democrat Gazette. “A federal judge in Boston has approved a $7.5 million class-action settlement between Wal-Mart and a former employee who challenged the retail chain’s lack of health insurance benefits for her same-sex spouse.” Read more

 

WALMART REPORTS THURSDAY – Street expects comp between 1% and 1.5% in its U.S. stores by Kim Souza at The City Wire. Read more

 

General Mills to give away 10,000 boxes of Marshmallow Only Lucky Charms by Robert Klara at Adweek. “This is a limited-time offering, and consumers will need to buy a box of regular Lucky Charms to get a promo code that they then need to enter on the Lucky Charms website for a chance to win.” Read more

 

Tipsheet Extra Stories

The Rocket Shot nearly landed on ‘Shark Tank’; it’s now a Daisy product

Denver one of three finalists for massive Outdoor Retailer trade shows

WinCo invades Oklahoma

Pics: Construction begins on Google’s massive Seattle campus

Walmart shoplifter faceplants while trying to steal shopping cart of items

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Website: www.eyeonretail.net

 

Tipsheet: Target Eyed Sprouts/Boxed | Dick’s $23M Acctg Error | Foran @ (Un)Gala | Wgreens Sorry Store

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Dick’s Sporting Goods corrects $23 million accounting error by Daniel Moore at Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. “Friday’s corrected filing showed Dick’s adjusted EBITDA — rose 4 percent for the year, rather than 7 percent. During the fourth quarter, that figure rose 11 percent, not the 19 percent the company reported in March. The impairment charges related primarily to the closure of 10 Golf Galaxy stores that overlapped with sales areas of former Golfsmith stores.” Read more

 

Walgreens’ store of the future now in very sorry shape by Lewis Lazare at Chicago Business Journal. “…shelves that used to overflow with fresh-baked goods such as chocolate croissants, pastries and muffins…are now filled with hideous tinfoil bags of Combos baked snacks, peanuts and popcorn…But perhaps the saddest sight of all is the large refrigerated display unit that used to be packed with all manner of intriguing salads, sandwiches and creatively-realized snacks and dessert treats now looks as if it hasn’t been attended to in days. Or weeks.” Pics/Read more

 

Target’s New Online Strategy: Less Is More by Khadeeja Safdar at Wall Street Journal. “Target says it isn’t looking to be a soup-to-nuts retailer. “We’re not trying to be the catalog of everything,” said digital chief Mike McNamara. “We aren’t going to add products to our website and stores just because they exist.” Read more (subscription)

 

…Target was in advanced talks last summer to buy Sprouts Farmers Market…But it eventually walked away, people familiar with the discussions say…More recently, it looked into acquiring an e-commerce player, including Boxed.com…Talks with Boxed didn’t go anywhere, the people say.

 

EARNINGS WEEK:

Tuesday: Home Depot, Dick’s, TJX, Staples

Wednesday: Target

Thursday: Walmart, Gap, Hibbet Sports

Friday: Footlocker

Morningstar earnings calendar

 

Ex-Amazon exec working to transform Target from elephant to gazelle by Kavita Kumar at Star Tribune. “In his first sit-down interview since arriving at (Target), (Arthur) Valdez likened the traditional supply chain for brick-and-mortar retailers to a slow-moving elephant, which transports large amounts of products at one time. His task, he said, is to help transform Target into a gazelle that can more swiftly move smaller shipments, down to individual items, to where they are needed.” Read more

 

Walmart’s Foran honorary chair at Scott Family Amazeum’s Un-gala by Nancy Peevy at Talk Business. “Children learning through the kinds of hands-on play offered at the Scott Family Amazeum extends beyond the intellectual to the magical, Greg Foran, CEO of Walmart Stores, U.S., told 300 sponsors and supporters at the first annual Un-gala fundraiser benefitting the children’s museum on Friday” Read more

 

$500K in cosmetics stolen from Walgreens and CVS stores recovered at Berkleyside. Pics of stolen cache/Read more

 

**A message from the Internet Retailer Conference & Exhibition – Excel at e-retail! You need the right strategies, technologies and connections to enhance your e-commerce business. Whether you’re focused on solutions in content or search marketing, maximizing your mobile commerce platforms or minimizing customer disengagement, you’ll find what you need at IRCE. Chicago McCormick Place West June 6-9. Website | Workshop schedule | Exhibitor list | Register now!

 

Woman accused of substituting flour for infant formula in containers returned to Arizona stores for refund at ABC News. “One child got sick from ingesting tampered formula but is in good condition after being treated at a hospital and released…Police Chief Chris Magnus held an unusual nighttime news conference to disclose the arrest and to warn the public.” Read more

 

Walmart supported co-working space opens in Bentonville at Talk Business. Read more/Pic

 

Lululemon kicks off first global advertising campaign at The Globe & Mail. “In addition to Toronto and Vancouver, ads will run most heavily in New York, L.A., London and Shanghai…Lululemon partnered with Virtue, the advertising arm of Vice Media, to produce the ads.” Read more

 

Q&A with Amazon media chief Robin Mendelson by Monica Nickelsburg at GeekWire. “She always wanted to own a bookstore, and now she runs the Amazon Media department, which includes books, movies, music, software, and video games. “It was my childhood dream to open a bookstore, so leading Amazon’s online bookstore is quite literally a dream come true — on a much larger scale,” she said.” Read more

 

Saturday Night Live Introduces New ‘Amazon Echo Silver’ for Older People by Jennifer Calfas at Fortune. “And it has an ‘Uh Huh’ feature for long, rambling stories,” the narrator said. That means the Amazon Echo Silver will listen to stories, inserting “uh huh” ever few words to appear as if it were listening.” Read more

 

Even during Amazon’s IPO process 20 years ago, Jeff Bezos was obsessed with details by Ari Levy at CNBC. “He was reading every page of the S-1 making sure it was right,” said Tarkoff. “He was never operating at 30,000 feet but was always in the weeds.” Read more

 

Home Depot lobbyist joins administration by Theodoric Meyer at Politico. “Michael Dendas, a former lobbyist for Home Depot, is headed to the Department of Housing and Urban Development as a senior adviser on the congressional affairs team, according to an internal agency email obtained by POLITICO’s Lorraine Woellert.” Read more

 

Amazon is now worth two Walmarts by Jason Del Rey at Recode. “It took Amazon 18 years as a public company to catch Walmart in market value. It took less than another two years for Amazon to be worth twice as much.” Read more

 

Snap Unveils New Camera Ads Trying to Stay Ahead of Facebook by Sarah Frier at Bloomberg. Read more

 

Victim of Menards forklift accident had started new job, was ‘really happy’ by Nick Ferraro at Pioneer Press. “According to his father, Saunders had a load of 16-foot-long 2-by-4s on the forks up high and hit another stack of lumber, causing the machine to start leaning to one side. He jumped off. “Unfortunately, you can’t jump off the side that it’s not falling to, so he jumped off the side it was falling to and he couldn’t get out of the way of it fast enough,” his father said.” Read more

 

Tipsheet Extra Stories

Man busted in grocery store stabbing was carrying severed head

Home Depot co-founder on his $38M donation to help veterans

Hearing set in Wal-Mart same-sex benefits settlement

What It Takes To Sell To Walmart: Three Entrepreneurs Share Their Stories

Kroger, ArtWorks unveil sculpture at Cincinnati’s newest store

Can these ‘magic mirrors’ save retailers?

Hammer attack on hot dog vendor at Home Depot gets assailant 30 years

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: JCP -3.5% | Target’s 16,000 Eggs | Bezos Spied in Italy | Dick’s New Pres.

/in

 

JCPenney Q1 Comp Sales -3.5% (vs. forecast -0.6%) “Home, Sephora, Fine Jewelry and Salon all comped positively, and were the Company’s top performing divisions during the quarter.” Press release

 

…CNBC: JC Penney’s stock tanks on widening net loss, weaker sales traffic “While February was a very challenging month for JCPenney and broader retail, we are pleased with our comp store sales for the combined March and April period, which improved significantly versus February,” CEO Marvin Ellison said in a statement.” Read more

 

Nordstrom Q1 Comp Sales -0.8% “Online sales were 24 percent of total net sales, driven by 11 percent growth at Nordstrom.com and 19 percent at Nordstromrack.com/HauteLook” Press release

 

Dillard’s Q1 Comp Sales -4.0% “Sales of ladies’ apparel notably outperformed other merchandise categories during the first quarter followed by the juniors’ and children’s apparel category. Weaker performances were noted in cosmetics, home and furniture, and ladies’ accessories and lingerie.” Press release

 

HBC Announces Q1 Comp Sales: DSG (Hudson’s Bay, Lord & Taylor and Home Outfitters) comparable sales decrease of 2.4%, Saks Fifth Avenue comparable sales decrease of 4.8%, HBC Off Price (Saks OFF 5TH and Gilt) comparable sales decrease of 6.8%, HBC Europe (Galeria Kaufhof, Galeria INNO and Sportarena) comparable sales remained flat.” Press release

 

Amazon Makes Major Push Into Furniture by Brian Baskin & Laura Stevens at Wall Street Journal. “The online retail giant is making a major push into furniture and appliances, including building at least four massive warehouses focused on fulfilling and delivering bulky items, according to people familiar with Amazon’s plans.” Read more (subscription)

 

Wal-Mart CEO to be questioned in U.S. lawsuit over Mexican bribery by Jonathan Stempel at Reuters. “A federal judge on Thursday ordered Wal-Mart Stores Inc Chief Executive Douglas McMillon to submit to questioning in a lawsuit by shareholders hoping to learn what he knows about suspected bribery by the world’s largest retailer in Mexico.” Read more

 

Lauren Hobart named president of Dick’s Sporting Goods by Paul J. Gough at Pittsburgh Business Times. “André Hawaux will retire as executive vice president and COO by the end of the second quarter, and that EVP/Chief Marketing Officer Lauren Hobart has been promoted to president.” Read more

 

…Target executive Keri Jones hired as Dick’s EVP and chief merchant

 

**A message from Lock-it Block-it – Shut out burglars – not the summer breeze! The Lock-it Block-it is a high-impact security bar that allows windows to stay open AND secure at the same time. 13 adjustment holes allow for inch-by-inch opening adjustments. Great for sliding doors/windows too! Video | Sell sheet | Retailers request samples: info@shiftmarketinggroup.net

 

Here’s how Macy’s CEO Jeff Gennette spent his first weeks on the job by Andy Brownfield at Cincinnati Business Courier. “…During (store) visits he said he’s seen what’s working at Macy’s: where the company has core value, exclusivity and simplicity. Macy’s works best when it can simplify and carry products that consumers can only get at the retailer. “We need to continue to make bigger meals out of fewer things at our stores,” he said.” Read more

 

Canadian Tire profit surges 26% despite warm winter, soaring past market expectations by Hollie Shaw at Financial Post. “Revenue from Canadian Tire’s retail stores, which account for more than half of its sales, rose two per cent to $1.38 billion. Same-store sales were flat, rising 0.5 per cent.” Read more

 

…Canadian Tire to test home delivery via Toronto Star. “We have no fewer than 30 e-commerce initiatives underway at the moment, providing us critical learning on everything from search optimization to website experience to back-end fulfillment options,” said Wetmore at the meeting.” Read more

 

Marsh files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, still seeking buyer by Justin L. Mack & Keith Roysdon at Indy Star. “…the filing is a step the company is taking to allow business to continue as usual in its 44 remaining stores. However, the 86-year-old chain’s remaining stores still face closure in two months if company officials can’t find a buyer.” Read more

 

What It Takes To Sell To Walmart: A Senior Buyer Tells All by Amy Feldman at Forbes. “Kinna Thomas, who joined Walmart five years ago from JCPenney, worked as a buyer of fine jewelry before switching to the bakery area, and she says she loves open-call day. She helped put together the deal to sell Patti LaBelle-branded sweet potato pies and fruit cobblers…And she’s even cold-called small bakeries when she’s seen a dessert she likes.” List of five things

 

Inside Wal-Mart’s new training sessions by Diane Stafford at Kansas City Star. “Wal-Mart officials shepherding a reporter and photographer in the rare access behind the scenes at Wal-Mart insist that Rice wasn’t coached to say that. It could well be that there’s no faking the enthusiasm of a young man who’s a couple of days into the new Wal-Mart Academy, a training program that by the end of 2017 will have reached a quarter million employees…” Read more

 

Tracy Morgan has forgiven Wal-Mart driver who nearly killed him by Luchina Fisher at ABC News. “Speaking to New York magazine’s Vulture before his new Netflix special, “Staying Alive,” Morgan said he forgave the driver in order to move on with his life. “The hardest part about all of this was forgiving that driver … because if I didn’t do that, we wouldn’t be sitting here talking,” he said. “I couldn’t move forward if I ain’t forgive him.” Read more

 

Kohl’s CEO Kevin Mansell said on a conference call Thursday that sales of Under Armour products beat “very aggressive” expectations during the first quarter by Brian Sozzi at The Street. Read more

 

NBC’s Today Team Discusses Neiman Marcus ‘Destroyed’ Sneakers See video

 

Jeff Bezos does some real-world shopping at historic Italian market by Chris Spargo at Daily Mail. “The Amazon founder was spotted basking in the warm Italian sun and company of his wife MacKenzie on Thursday during a much-deserved vacation with his family. The group, which included Bezos’ parents Jacklyn and Mike, his sister Christina and her husband Steve, and his brother Mark with his wife Lisa, were seen posing for photos just like every other tourist in the historic city.” Pics/Read more

 

Target used 16,000 eggs to decorate a dinner party, in a grand display of design’s wastefulness by Anne Quito at Quartz. “To start the festivities, Target chief creative officer Todd Waterbury and Cooper-Hewitt director Caroline Baumann asked guests to use tiny wooden mallets to whack open some eggs. Inserted within the hollowed out eggs were tightly rolled chits of paper that indicated the guests’ seating assignments. Many attendees, including several design luminaries, cooed about the smashing spectacle.” Pics/Read more

 

Tipsheet Extra Stories

What It’s Really Like Being A Costco Sample Person

Trunk Club getting new look as it evolves under Nordstrom control

Former Walmart exec joins Aquaculture Stewardship Council

Burglars cut through 7 panes of bulletproof glass at Walgreens pharmacy

Florida Man Indicted In Target Stores Bomb Plot

Goldman: Bet on Tiffany because the rich are getting richer

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

 

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Tipsheet: Kohl’s -2.7% | Macy’s -4.6% | Wmart Taps Hays | Kroger New C-Store | Basement Crawl

/in

 

Kohl’s Q1 Comp Sales -2.7% “Kevin Mansell, Kohl’s chairman, chief executive officer and president, said, “We are encouraged by the significant improvement in sales and traffic for the March and April period, after a weak February start to the first quarter.” Press release

 

…Fox Business: Kohl’s Posts Higher Profit as Store Traffic Improves “Kohl’s reported a 14 percent jump in adjusted quarterly profit, helped by higher traffic in stores in March and April and as a leaner inventory helped it discount less.” Read more

 

Macy’s Q1 comp sales: owned basis down 5.2%; down 4.6% on an owned plus licensed basis Press release

 

…Reuters: Macy’s quarterly profit tumbles 39% “Net sales fell 7.5 percent to $5.34 billion, falling for the ninth straight quarter and missing the average analyst estimate of $5.47 billion.” Read more

 

Whole Foods bets on 365 format, cost cuts to revive growth by Jeff Daniels at CNBC. “Same-store sales in the quarter ended April 9 were down 2.8 percent, although better than the 3.1 percent decline in comps that had been projected by analysts polled by Thomson Reuters.” Read more

 

…Whole Foods Shakes up Board of Directors at Fortune. “Whole Foods Market named a new chief financial officer and five independent directors who were not on activist investor Jana Partners’ slate…The new independent directors are former Footlocker Chief Executive Ken Hicks, Morningstar founder and Executive Chairman Joe Mansueto, former Best Buy Chief Financial Officer Sharon McCollam, Panera Bread founder and Chief Executive Ron Shaich, and State Street Global Advisors CEO Scott Powers.” Read more

 

Walmart Taps Hays to Succeed Huff as EVP, Consumables, H&W at Progressive Grocer. “Wal-Mart Stores Inc. has revealed that Scott Huff, its EVP, consumables, health & wellness, who is retiring after 23 years with the mega-retailer, will be succeeded by Marybeth Hays, currently chief merchandising, marketing and supply chain officer at Walmart China. Hays will fully transition into the role on June 1.” Read more

 

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Stitch Fix has $730 million in annual revenue and is profitable by Jason Del Rey at Recode. “Stitch Fix still hasn’t raised any funding since a $25 million round led by Benchmark in 2014, it turns out, but many e-commerce industry insiders couldn’t figure out how. Here’s one answer: The company has been cash-flow positive since 2014…Barring a giant acquisition offer, many industry insiders expect the next stop to be an IPO for Stitch Fix.” Read more

 

Walmart looking into note found recounting forced labor in China at Reuters. Read more

 

Macy’s, JCPenney Losing Search Clicks To Newcomers Like Rent The Runway by Laurie Sullivan at MediaPost. “Newcomers like Rent the Runway, which allow women to rent a dress, have moved in to take share from traditional formalwear retail stores, as well as the paid-search advertising category, generating a 9.3% click share on the prom dress category, according to recent data from AdGooroo.” Read more

 

Costco gives green light for construction of Fremont chicken plant by Barbara Soderlin at Omaha World-Herald. “Costco’s corporate office has given the go-ahead for construction of the company’s planned poultry operation in Fremont. Site work could begin in a few weeks, and project managers plan a ceremonial groundbreaking for June, they told The World-Herald on Wednesday.” Read more

 

Sears Doesn’t Think It Needs More Customers by Phil Wahba at Fortune. “We don’t need more customers. We have all the customers we could possibly want,” Lampert told shareholders at the Sears annual meeting on Wednesday, speaking of the Shop Your Way program. His comments were confirmed by a Sears spokesman.” Read more

 

Delivery drone sets U.S. record by flying a package 97 miles at Fast Company. Read more

 

CRAWLING OUT OF THE BASEMENT – The Next Hot Housing Market: Starter Homes by Laura Kusisto & Chris Kirkham at Wall Street Journal. “Some 854,000 new-owner households were formed during the first three months of the year, more than double the 365,000 new-renter households formed during the period, according to Census Bureau data. It was the first time in a decade that more households chose to own than rent compared with a year earlier, according to an analysis by home-tracker Trulia.” Read more (subscription)

 

Adidas’s TaylorMade golf line settles for low-balling buyer by Josh Kosman at NY Post. “Adidas AG finally found a buyer for its TaylorMade golf division — but not at the price it envisioned…While the deal was announced at $425 million, KPS will put up only about $200 million in cash, two sources close to the situation said.” Read more

 

Urban Outfitters has agreed to stop selling Harley-Davidson branded merchandise by Kali Hays at WWD. “There doesn’t appear to be a monetary aspect to the settlement despite Harley initially demanding $2 million in damages.” Read more

 

Harris Poll Study Shows Millennials Award Higher Brand Equity to Retail Stores Compared to Older Generations “Sporting goods store brand equity is 7.7 points higher among millennials compared to baby boomers, while luxury department stores (+5.6)…electronics stores (+5.7)…off-price retailers is 4.9 points higher…footwear and department stores are 4 points and 3.8 points higher, respectively. Only hardware and home stores (-3.8) have lower brand equity among millennials compared to baby boomers.” Press release

 

Canadian Tire buys popular kitchenware brand Paderno Press release

 

Kroger to open new convenience store concept at Cincinnati Business Courier. “…a concept called Fresh Eats MKT in the eastern Columbus suburb of Blacklick…The store also features a drive-thru Kroger pharmacy.” Read more

 

Europe’s Fashion Brands Expand in U.S. Even as American Stores Close Doors by Saabira Chaudhuri at Wall Street Journal. “We’re not in all the malls we want to be in yet,” said Nils Vinge, head of investor relations for Swedish fast-fashion retailer Hennes & Mauritz, “There is still opportunity for physical stores.” Read more (subscription)

 

Gun Industry’s Post-Election Demise ‘Greatly Exaggerated’: Ruger by Matthew Rocco at Fox Business. Read more

 

Tipsheet Extra Stories

Liberace the bargain-hunter? ‘He shopped at Walmart,’ says friend

Cubs retired catcher David Ross headed to Jewel-Osco with new product

Sneak peek inside Cincinnati’s first Duluth Trading Co. store

Bloomberg: The Crop That Ate America

Philly Mayor says legal marijuana should be sold in Pennsylvania liquor stores

Southeastern Grocers Could be Facing ‘Worst of Times’

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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: Jet’s 1st Store | Costco #1 Employer | Target’s Timing | Tiffany Wades

/in

 

JET.COM OPENS FIRST STORE – A concept store called “Story” will open its doors on Wednesday to a temporary location in New York City for Jet to sell fresh groceries by Lindsay Rittenhouse at The Street. “Jet will sell its grocery items – including fresh produce, ingredients and culinary merchandise – at the store for six weeks. Workshops and cooking classes will also be held at the store throughout the display period.” Read more | CNBC story

 

How Amazon’s Bot Army Is Trouncing Walmart in E-Commerce Wars via Fortune. “Earlier this year, engineers at Walmart Stores who track rivals’ prices online got a rude surprise: the technology they were using to check Amazon.com several million times a day suddenly stopped working…Its technology unit, @WalmartLabs, was unable to work around the blockade for weeks, forcing it to retrieve Amazon’s data through a secondary source…” Read more

 

U.S. Asks Wal-Mart to Pay $300 Million to Settle Bribery Probe at Fox Business. “Wal-Mart hasn’t yet agreed to the offer, this person said, but negotiations are in the final stages…As the Obama administration prepared to leave office late last year, the Justice Department and the Securities and Exchange Commission attempted to reach a settlement with the world’s largest retailer of as much as $1 billion.” Read more

 

Abercrombie & Fitch Is Reportedly Accepting Takeover Bids via Fortune. “Abercrombie has hired investment bank Perella Weinberg Partners to handle the takeover approaches, the two sources said, asking not to be identified because the matter is confidential. There is no certainty that any deal will occur, the sources added.” Read more

 

Amazon is offering $250,000 to a team that comes up with an advanced robot for its warehouses by Arjun Kharpal at CNBC. “Amazon currently has more than 80,000 automated robots in its warehouses globally.” Read more

 

Costco Named America’s Best Employer 2017 (REI #3, Wegmans #10) by Niall McCarthy at Forbes. Top 10 list

 

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Amazon to create permanent shelter for homeless families on its Seattle campus by Taylor Soper at GeekWire. “The new 47,000 square-foot shelter, run by Mary’s Place and opening in early 2020, will house more than 200 people each night.” Read more | NY Times article

 

Tiffany & Co. wades into the debate on climate change with an ad calling on President Trump to uphold the 2015 Paris climate accord by Ryan Kilpatrick at Fortune. Read more

 

Amazon fires back at Wal-Mart by slashing free-shipping threshold to $25 at CNBC. “The drop to $25 marks the second time in three months that Amazon has lowered its minimum requirement.” Read more

 

Target increases its free shipping threshold to $35 as Amazon drops to $25 by Courtney Reagan at CNBC. Read more

 

Overstock takes Wayfair to task by Allison Enright at Internet Retailer. “Overstock.com Inc. CEO Patrick Byrne used the e-retailer’s first quarter earnings call with investors to dole out some gritty details on how Overstock battles its biggest direct competitor, Wayfair Inc…he concluded that Wayfair can’t “grow themselves out” of the situation it is in and is “self-immolating.” Read more

 

Amazon Sees Significant Gains in Sales of Bulky “eCommerce Immune” Items “In the Tools and Home Improvement market, the most revealing figure is the overall growth rate: 35% for Amazon…Woodworking (30%), Tool Organization & Garage Storage (35%) and Power Saws (25%).” Press release

 

Sears CEO: ‘We’re fighting like hell to change the way people do business with us’ by Lauren Zumbach at Chicago Tribune. “In an interview Tuesday, Lampert acknowledged Sears’ struggles and admitted that the turnaround is taking longer than expected. But he also complained about media coverage speculating on a possible bankruptcy, saying it is undermining the company’s efforts and has made it tougher for Sears and Kmart to work with suppliers.” Read Q&A

 

Apple Pushes Into Analyzing Your Sleep With Beddit Acquisition by Mark Gurman at Bloomberg. Read more

 

TRAMPLED BY AMAZON – Amazon invested millions in the startup Nucleus — then cloned its product for the new Echo by Jason Del Rey at Recode. “They must realize that by trying to trample over us — a premiere partner in the Alexa Fund ecosystem — that they are going to really cripple that ecosystem and put a warning out for others,” Frankel said.” Read more

 

Tipsheet Extra Stories

Florida’s first plastic bag ban approved – fines up to $500

JCPenney sells Buena Park facility for $131 million

Menards worker dies in forklift accident

Aunt Jemima’s listeria woes leads to nationwide recall at Save-A-Lot

Rapid growth continues for Austin app-based delivery service Favor

Man slams officer to ground outside Walmart, angry store didn’t have boots his size

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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: NorthStar Hits TJX | H.Dep EVP Iview | Wayfair +32% | Wgreen/Rite Aid 60 Days

/in

 

60 DAY COUNTDOWN – Walgreens, Rite Aid To Certify Compliance, Forcing FTC’s Hand On Merger by Bruce Japsen at Forbes. “Walgreens Boots Alliance officially set in motion a clock designed to force the Federal Trade Commission to make a decision on its purchase of Rite Aid in 60 days.” Read more | Press release

 

NorthStar Asset Management not happy that all of the top executives at TJX are white men by Jeff Green & Lindsey Rupp at Bloomberg. “TJX’s primary customer base is likely represented by the store workers and the store management, rather than what you see in the C-suite,” NorthStar CEO Julie Goodridge said in an interview. “As management gets further and further away from their customer base, that’s when they start making stupid decisions around merchandising, and that’s something we’re concerned about.” Read more

 

Home Depot EVP Ted Decker Talks to Atlanta Journal Constitution by Michael E. Kannell at AJC. “Decker: “Have you read ‘The Boys in the Boat’ about the American Olympic rowing team in 1936? It’s a wonderful metaphor.” When everyone is doing everything in concert to make that boat move faster, “that’s when the boat has what they call ‘swing,’” Decker said. “And that is what we want.” Read more

 

…Carol Tome: “We estimate that we have captured fifty-one percent of the appliance sales lost by Sears”

 

Wayfair Q1 direct retail net revenue up 32.1% year over year “The number of active customers in our Direct Retail business reached 8.9 million as of March 31, 2017, an increase of 45.8% year over year.” Press release

 

Bon-Ton CEO Kathryn Bufano to resign after three years by Melanie Lawder at Milwaukee Business Journal. “Bufano will resign from the company late in (August) upon the expiration of her contract, the department store chain said late Monday afternoon. Her successor is William Tracy, the company’s chief operating officer, who will become president and CEO effective Aug. 25.” Read more

 

USING A.I. TO SET GAS PRICES – Why Do Gas Station Prices Constantly Change? Blame the Algorithm by Sam Schechner at Wall Street Journal. “In a pilot study, OK split 30 stations into two sets, a control group and an a2i group. The group using the software averaged 5% higher margins, according to a paper Mr. Derakhshan presented last June at an A.I. conference in Seville, Spain.” Read more (subscription)

 

**A message from the Internet Retailer Conference & Exhibition – Excelling in retail means excelling in e-retail. And that means having the right strategies, technologies and connections to enhance your e-commerce business. Whether you’re focused on solutions in content or search marketing, maximizing your mobile commerce platforms or minimizing customer disengagement, you’ll find what you need at IRCE. Chicago McCormick Place West June 6-9. Website | Workshop schedule | Exhibitor list | Register now!

 

CST Brands Q1: U.S. Merchandise & Services Gross Profit increased 1% Press release

 

Pop-Ups, Markets Generate Big Bucks For Retailers by Anne Kadet at Wall Street Journal. “The market’s appeal is so strong, she says groupies volunteer to set up tables, hand out fliers and greet shoppers…Co-founders Ronen Glimer and Amy Abrams say artisan markets are thriving because shoppers are hungry for unique goods, not to mention connection. They choose their merchants based not just on their wares, but personality. A key question: “Is this a fun person?”.” Read more (subscription)

 

Toys R Us finally gets serious about e-commerce by Charisse Jones at USA Today via CNBC. “The toy giant’s new site will debut to a small number of users before a full rollout that is expected by early July. The revamp is part of a nearly $100 million investment by Toys R Us over the last three years that is geared toward jump-starting an e-commerce experience that it acknowledges lagged some of its retail peers.” Read more

 

Two years after massive breach, Staples hires first cybersecurity chief Press release

 

Coach CEO says he doesn’t want consumers to know it owns Kate Spade by Courtney Reagan at CNBC. “We don’t want consumers to any have idea that there is a link. We don’t think it’s relevant,” explained Coach CEO Victor Luis in an interview with CNBC…”To that end, there won’t be links between the brands online. All the connection will be on the back end of the business” like logistics and some supply chain costs.” Read more

 

Amazon set to debut new Echo device with touchscreen and phone-calling capabilities by Taylor Soper at GeekWire. “The Wall Street Journal reported Monday afternoon that the new voice-powered device will sport a 7-inch touchscreen and let users make internet-powered telephone calls. The device could start shipping as early as June and will be priced at more than $200.” Read more

 

…Amazon to control 70% of the voice-controlled speaker market this year by Sarah Perez at TechCrunch. Read more

 

Office Depot beats 1Q profit forecasts on cost cuts at Fox Business. Read more | Press release

 

With Wal-Mart’s help, China’s JD.com grows Q1 sales 40% by Don Davis at Internet Retailer. “JD.com said today it had begun selling on its e-commerce site goods from British grocery chain Asda, a Wal-Mart subsidiary. It also said it was working with 80 Wal-Mart stores in China and 165 stores operated by Chinese supermarket chain Yonghui Superstores Co. Ltd. to offer one-hour delivery of groceries to online shoppers in China.” Read more

 

Party City Q1 Comp Sales +1.7% Press release

 

Dick’s Sporting Goods launches a private-label performance apparel brand by Matt Linder at Internet Retailer. “Dick’s recently launched (Second Skin) online first rather than in store to gauge consumer response, says Ryan Eckel, vice president of brand at Dick’s. “We initially want athletes to discover the brand rather than be loud and in their face right from day one, and an online launch gives us the best opportunity to do that,” he says. “Later this year, Second Skin will expand to include a wider assortment of athletic apparel and will be available both in stores and online.” Read more

 

Lowe’s Launches Iris Monitoring Service For $14.95 Per Month Press release

 

BLONDIE FOR AMAZON – Amazon is launching live music gigs to attract more Prime subscribers at Fast Company. “The first Prime Live Event will feature Blondie at the Round Chapel in Hackney, London, on May 23. Other upcoming artists include Alison Moyet and Texas. In order to purchase tickets to the gigs, you’ll need to be an Amazon Prime subscriber.” Read more

 

Tipsheet Extra Stories

I tried Publix’s new meal kits, and here’s what you should know

Get your kids to play these sports to boost their chance at a college scholarship

Man could go to jail for selling fake kosher cheese at Jewish summer camps

Key players in Amazon Spheres discuss all the details

Caffeinated bagels are here for your rough mornings

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