Tipsheet: Costco +5.7% | Amazon ‘Chewed Up’ in Hollywood | Springsteen @ Barney’s | Meijer Layoffs

 

Costco Q4 Comp Sales (Ex FE/Gas) +5.7%, September +6.2% “Net sales for the 17-week fourth quarter were $41.36 billion, an increase of 15.8 percent…Net sales for the 53-week fiscal year were $126.17 billion, an increase of 8.7 percent from $116.07 billion in the 52-week fiscal year of 2016.” Press release

 

…Reuters: Shrinking margins cloud Costco’s profit beat, shares fall “Costco Wholesale Corp’s quarterly profit scraped past estimates, helped by a hike in membership fees, but a fall in gross margins fueled concerns of an intensifying grocer price war, sending shares down 3.6 percent in after-market trading.” Read more

 

Costco debuts new grocery delivery service and expands partnership with Instacart by Taylor Soper at GeekWire. “Costco rolled out a new two-day delivery service called CostcoGrocery for customers across the U.S., with the exception of those in Alaska, Hawaii, or Puerto Rico. Costco already sold products online, but now it labels items available as part of the new 2-day service with a “CostcoGrocery” logo.” Read more

 

Walmart Takes a Swing at Amazon, Says a $99 Membership Shouldn’t be Required to Get Free Shipping by Kristina Monllos at Adweek. “Walmart svp and CMO Tony Rogers gave the audience at the ANA’s Masters of Marketing conference in Orlando, Fla., a sneak peek at the company’s upcoming holiday spot which touts free shipping. “Free shipping two-day for orders over $35,” said Rogers, after showing the upcoming new spot (Walmart declined to send Adweek the new ad, as it won’t be released for a few weeks). “No membership fee because, you know, we just don’t think you should have to pay $99 a year for the privilege of free shipping.” Read more

 

Bruce Springsteen swings by Barneys amid Broadway prep by Ian Moore & Emily Smith at NY Post. “Bruce Springsteen took a break from prepping his Broadway show at the Walter Kerr Theatre on Thursday by stepping out for lunch at Freds Madison Avenue atop Barneys New York.” Read more

 

**A message from deVaca coffee substitute – Nearly 50% of coffee drinkers limit consumption due to caffeine concerns. Boost coffee category sales with deVaca – the all-natural, small batch, non-GMO barley coffee proudly grown and roasted in the San Luis Valley of Colorado. Embrace the dark robust coffee like flavor of this original roast with just a hint of chocolate sensuality. Product details | Free sample request: info@shiftmarketinggroup.net

 

Tesco to Review Contracts and Centralize Orders, CFO Says by Nina Trentmann at Wall Street Journal. “We have been operating on a decentralized and more fragmented basis,” said Mr. Stewart in an interview with CFO Journal. The grocer is now working with suppliers and potential suppliers to “get the most out of contracts” when they are up for renewal, he added.” Read more (subs.)

 

Tesco’s top bosses ‘cooked the books’ and inflated profits by £250million amid immense pressure from budget rivals Lidl and Aldi at Daily Mail. “Tesco executives ‘inflated profits by £250million because of pressure from budget chains Aldi and Lidl’. Carl Rogberg, 50, Chris Bush, 51, and John Scouler, 49, face 13-week trial.” Read more

 

Layoffs, transitions within Meijer’s IT department at Fox 17 West Michigan. “Meijer: ‘One of these changes is a new relationship with IBM which leverages their strengths in cloud-based computing, and involves transitioning a number of our ITS professionals to IBM.'” Read more

 

Sears gets another $100M in Lampert cash for holiday season by Lisa Fickenscher at NY Post. “That brings to $499.4 million the total of Lampert’s outstanding loans to the money-losing chains. The loans, from units of Lampert’s ESL Investments, carry an interest rate of 11 percent and are backed by mortgages of certain stores.” Read more

 

Bankrupt U.S. retailers begin to catch a break at Reuters. “We’re seeing a set of situations come together in which the constituencies have more interest in the retailer surviving than not,” said Holly Etlin, a managing director at AlixPartners LLP, a consulting firm that worked on the bankruptcy of Gymboree.” Read more

 

Hy-Vee is Progressive Grocer’s 2017 Retailer of the Year Read more

 

CHICAGO SODA TAX TROUBLE – John Daley flips on soda tax, boosting repeal effort by Hal Dardick at Chicago Tribune. “The change of heart by Daley, the brother of the former Chicago mayor and a longtime Preckwinkle ally, gives opponents nine votes in favor of repeal. That’s just enough to overturn the pop tax, but foes will need to round up two more votes to override a potential Preckwinkle veto.” Read more

 

Saks Unveils The Angelina Jolie $5 Million Star Sapphire by Anthony DeMarco at Forbes. Read more

 

German giant Kaufland plans first store in Australia by Simon Johanson at Sydney Morning Herald. “Kaufland, part of the world’s fourth-largest grocery conglomerate, has paid $25 million for the sprawling Le Cornu site in the Adelaide suburb of Forestville, where it will open its inaugural and flagship store.” Read more

 

Lowe’s hiring 200 employees in San Antonio, South Texas to meet Harvey demand by Joshua Fechter at My San Antonio. Read more

 

BEER ON THE GO – 7-Eleven gets ok to serve draft beer at Love Pattaya. “It is not clear at this time how many stores will start selling draft beer but the owners of 7-Eleven CP All have said that both of Thailand’s leading breweries are interested in “experimenting in the market.” Video/Pics/Read more

 

Michigan State honors Home Depot CEO Craig Menear as an outstanding alumni Press release

 

Where Amazon Is Failing to Dominate: Hollywood by Ben Fritz & Joe Flint at Wall Street Journal. “We were supposed to bring the best practices of one of the most successful companies in America to Hollywood,” said an Amazon Studios executive. “Instead, we’re getting chewed up.” Read more (subs.)

 

CVS taps Target’s designer for prescription labels Press release

 

A peek inside Nordstrom Local – Nordstrom’s store without any inventory at CNBC. Pics/Read more

 

Wal-Mart says it stopped fish imports from N.Korea-linked plant at Daily Mail. “Wal-Mart gave the Hunchun facility a “red” rating after it did not cooperate with a company investigation into labor problems, said Wal-Mart spokeswoman Marilee McInnis.” Read more

 

Tipsheet Extra Stories

Pumpkin spice air freshener prompts school evacuation

Utah apparel company sues L.L. Bean over “Outsider” trademark

Walton Foundation donates $787,000 to purchase trees

Woman sues Junior Mints over 57% filled box

Pabst Blue Ribbon owner buys vitamin business

Cats in Australia kill over 1 million birds a day

Australians give up 51,000 illegal guns as govt stands by tough laws

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Tipsheet: Amazon Tests Its Own Delivery | Salmon Scandal | WM Tires of Joy | Sinegal Donates $1.14M

 

SELLER FLEX – Amazon is reportedly testing its own delivery service by Spencer Soper at Bloomberg. “The service began two years ago in India, and Amazon has been slowly marketing it to U.S. merchants in preparation for a national expansion, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the U.S. pilot project is confidential. Amazon is calling the project Seller Flex, one person said. The service began on a trial basis this year in West Coast states with a broader rollout planned in 2018, the people said. Amazon declined to comment.” Read more

 

Whole Foods’ parking lots were busier after Amazon bought it – Kroger not so much at CNBC. “For the month of September, car traffic at Whole Foods stores was up 4.6%, the biggest increase since June 2014. To be sure, JPMorgan analyst Ken Goldman explained in a Wednesday note to clients that car traffic was “perhaps not as high as some observers may have expected.”…At Kroger, Satellite data showed a 7.3% decrease during the month.” Read more

 

Walgreens Expands Medication Disposal To 1,500 Stores In Opioid Battle Press release

 

Americans may be propping up North Korea by buying salmon at US stores at AP. “They cannot leave their compounds without permission. They must take the few steps to the factories in pairs or groups, with North Korean minders ensuring no one strays. They have no access to telephones or email. And they are paid a fraction of their salaries, while the rest — as much as 70 percent — is taken by North Korea’s government.” Read more

 

Easygoing Whole Foods Culture Faces Amazon Discipline by Ronald Holden at Forbes. “It hasn’t been widely reported, but Whole Foods is tightening the leash. There’s long been an internet portal for vendors, and there’s increasing pressure on vendors to use the web to manage their products. And they’ve got to get permission from district managers to actually set foot inside the store, even to do a spot-check on inventory.” Read more

 

How Macy’s Is Turning Beauty Store Bluemercury Into Its Secret Weapon by Phil Wahba at Fortune. ““We are gushers of innovation,” Barry Beck, Bluemercury co-founder, tells Fortune in an interview. Beck acts as Bluemercury’s operations chief; his wife, Marla, serves as CEO. After giving us a tour of the Bluemercury store in Manhattan’s TriBeCa district, he lists some of the ways in which the chain is breaking new ground…” Read more

 

Office Depot to acquire IT services firm CompuCom for $1B by Emon Reiser at South Florida Business Journal. Read more

 

WALMART TIRES OF JOY – How Walmart is growing Carolinas manufacturing jobs by Ken Elkins at Charlotte Business Journal. “About 200 local officials, workers, state execs and tire industry people attended a dedication ceremony on Wednesday. The two-hour event included a tearful speech by Giti employee Arlene McIver, who had been unemployed for as many as eight years before finding the permanent job in Richburg.” Read more

 

Home Depot’s Top Picks for Product Innovation 2017 Top 10 products/Press release

 

**A message from Hot Shot – When bugs cross your threshold, count on 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. 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. Facebook page

 

Camping World CEO opens upscale women’s fashion store in Chicago by Brigid Sweeney at Chicago Business. “”This” is Marcus, an upscale, two-story shop at 110 E. Delaware Pl. in the Gold Coast. …the bright, loft-like store opened quietly last week. It will be joined by outposts in Aspen, Colo.; New York and, early next year, west suburban Hinsdale, according to Menkin.” Read more

 

The era of holiday deals is dead, and so is Black Friday by Abha Bhattarai at Washington Post via Denver Post. “Thirty-five percent of consumers who plan to shop during Thanksgiving week say they will do so on Black Friday, down from 51 percent last year and 59 percent the year before, according to consumer markets research from PwC.” Read more

 

Costco co-founder Sinegal donates $1.14M for 20 college students in Washington by Miles Jay Oliver at Yakima Herald. “I’m not gonna change the world, but maybe I can make a few differences in a few lives” Sinegal said.” Read more

 

Sears Canada to Choose Between Chairman’s Bid and Liquidation by Andrew Scurria & Jacquie McNish at Wall Street Journal. “A special committee of the Sears Canada board will decide this week on Executive Chairman Brandon Stranzl’s bid to purchase some of its stores out of bankruptcy as a going concern.” Read more (subs.)

 

Mattel cancels plans for a kid-focused AI device that drew privacy concerns by Hayley Tsukayama at Washington Post via Houston Chronicle. “It also triggered broader concerns about how quickly companies are marketing products to parents without understanding how technology could affect early childhood development.” Read more

 

Casper now has ties to two of the most powerful mattress reviews sites on the web by Jason Del Rey at Recode. Read more

 

Bump stocks disappearing from online stores by Dennis Green at Business Insider. “Cabela’s previously offered the Slide Fire bump stock for sale on its website, but that listing has been taken down…A similar search at Bass Pro Shops yielded the same result…A version of the bump stock was previously available for sale by a third-party seller on Walmart’s website for an unknown period of time, but the retailer has pulled the listing.” Read more

 

BEZOS 25TH-LARGEST LANDOWNER IN US – The Many Places Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos Calls Home by Nancy Keates at Wall Street Journal. “…includes several homes on over 10 acres of land on the shores of Lake Washington in Medina, Wash.; two neighboring houses in Beverly Hills, Calif.; a former museum in Washington, D.C.; four linked apartments in a landmark Art Deco tower on Manhattan’s Central Park West; and over 300,000 acres in West Texas.” Read more (subs.)

 

Zefo, an online store for secondhand goods, gets $9.2M Series B led by Sequoia India by Catherine Shu at TechCrunch. Read more

 

Shopify shares slide after company called ‘get-rich-quick scheme’ via Toronto Star. “In a stinging tweet and video rebuke, Citron founder Andrew Left called Ottawa-based Shopify a “get-rich-quick” scheme and “dirtier” than Herbalife Ltd., which has been targeted by regulators for deceptive business practices.” Read more

 

Off-price retailers are starting to cannibalize themselves by Tonya Garcia at MarketWatch. ““With department stores struggling, fewer off-price stores opening, and different location strategies emerging, sales siphoning could be taking place,” Kroll wrote.” Read more

 

Tractor Supply CEO joins home decor retailer Kirkland’s board by Eleanor Kennedy at Nashville Business Journal. Read more

 

“Dollar Dog” – named for his frequent trips to Dollar General – lured into road and killed WSAZ Newchannel 3. “…a couple people had actually seen where somebody had intentionally put a little pile of of dog food right at the intersection of 40 and 172,” said Price. “It wasn’t consistent with somebody hauling dog food and maybe some of it spilling out of the bed. This was intentional that somebody had set up a little pile of food just to lure it out there.” Video/Read more

 

Tipsheet Extra Stories

Woman creates Twitter account specifically to call out abandoned Costco carts

Arkansas family wins $546,000 over bed bugs at hotel

More than 1 million chickens die in Indiana egg farm fire

FDA: ‘Love’ Is Not A Real Ingredient

Sam’s Club Shoplifting Suspect Dies While In Custody

Former H-E-B exec found guilty on 48 counts in child porn case

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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: Amazon +1K MBA’s | SHOT Show On | Target Talks Cotton

 

Kroger stock jumps amid acquisition rumors by Steve Watkins at Cincinnati Business Courier. “Bloomberg reported that Twitter speculation referenced Ahold reportedly has hired advisers to look into a possible bid for Kroger $32 a share, Bruno Monteyne, a London-based supermarket analyst at Bernstein, wrote in a research report Tuesday. But Monteyne believes any deal would have to be structured as a merger of equals.” Read more (subs.)

 

Amazon said looking for physical stores, possible acquisition in France by Jeff Daniels at CNBC. “Amazon is on the prowl for approximately 15 store locations in France, especially in Paris, in the next two years, according to the newspaper Le Monde. The French publication also said that the U.S. company has “approached French distributors to forge partnerships or make an acquisition in France.” Read more

 

…French supermarket operator Leclerc has been approached by Amazon over possible logistics partnerships at Fortune. Read more

 

Amazon has acquired 3D body model startup, Body Labs, for $50M-$70M by Natasha Lomas & Jordan Crook at TechCrunch. “…a company with a stated aim of creating true-to-life 3D body models to support various b2b software applications — such as virtually trying on clothes or photorealistic avatars for gaming.” Read more

 

Report: If Sears Canada is to completely shutter – it should get it done before Christmas by Francine Kopun at Toronto Star. Read more

 

Puerto Rico Faces Critical Drug Shortage as Walgreens Restores Service at NBC News. “As of Tuesday, only 76 of the 120 Walgreen pharmacies across the island are open, many on a limited basis.” Read more

 

The SHOT Show will go on as planned in Las Vegas by Tamar Lapin at NY Post. “Out of respect for the families of the victims and the law enforcement process, we are not going to comment or participate in media requests made relating to this attack.” Read more

 

M.B.A.s Want to Work for Amazon by Kelsey Gee at Wall Street Journal. “Amazon is now the top recruiter at the business schools of Carnegie Mellon University, Duke University and University of California, Berkeley, and it is the biggest internship destination for first-year M.B.A.s at the University of Michigan, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dartmouth College and Duke…All told, Amazon has hired roughly 1,000 M.B.A.s in the past year. Read more (subs.)

 

Target Team Travels the Globe to Kick off New Sustainable Cotton Sourcing Goal at A Bullseye View. “Today, we’re taking our next step forward—setting a goal to source 100% sustainable cotton by 2022 for our owned and exclusive national brands in apparel, home and essentials, and introducing a new policy to help guide the way.” Read more

 

**A message from Lock-it Block-it – Leave windows open AND secure. The Lock-it Block-it is a high-impact security bar that allows windows to stay open AND secure at the same time. Great for sliding doors/windows too! Video | Sell sheet | Retailers request samples: info@shiftmarketinggroup.net

 

EU hits Amazon with $294 million bill over what it deems to be illegal tax breaks at Bloomberg. Read more

 

60 per cent of a consumer’s buying decision shaped by digital medium: Krish Iyer, Walmart India CEO at The Economic Times. Read more

 

Ace Hardware Acquires Majority Stake In E-Commerce Startup, The Grommet “The Grommet operates an e-commerce website that markets and sells new and innovative products created by independent entrepreneurs…It has discovered and launched dozens of now household brand names, including FitBit, IdeaPaint, OtterBox, SimpliSafe and SodaStream.” Press release

 

Due to Lowe’s contract, logistics company to ink large industrial lease in Houston by Cara Smith at Houston Business Journal. “NFI plans to sign a three-year lease for 250,000 square feet of industrial space, per industry sources, and will work exclusively with Lowe’s…In September..Home Depot signed a lease for 300,000 square feet of warehouse space in Jersey Village.” Read more (subs.)

 

AutoZone’s national sales meeting draws thousands to Memphis by Meagan Nichols at Memphis Business Journal. 31 pics/Read more

 

Best Buy Bets on Adults Remotely Monitoring Their Aging Parents by Matthew Boyle at Bloomberg. “As Best Buy proceeds, it could find itself competing against companies that already sell geriatric products in—you guessed it—Best Buy stores. One of those is GreatCall, which has offered its senior-friendly phones and medical-alert devices at Best Buy for about a decade. GreatCall CEO David Inns says he welcomes the competition as a sign that senior care is “finally becoming sexy.” Read more

 

St.Thomas Home Depot Re-Opens Today at 11 a.m. at St.Thomas Source. Read more

 

Amazon brings Echo and Alexa to India and soon Japan, its first markets in Asia by Ingrid Lunden at TechCrunch. Read more

 

Pilot Flying J Teams with Bass Pro Shops for In-Store Experience by David Bennett at Convenience Store Decisions. “The shop-in-shop concept is scheduled to be expanded to additional Pilot Flying J locations by the end of the second quarter 2018. Pilot Flying J is looking at five more locations to fit the shop-in-shop concept.” Pics/Read more

 

Blue Apron Launches New Branded Podcast “Why We Eat What We Eat” by Jeff Beer at Fast Company. Read more

 

Amazon leases Seattle’s soon-to-be 2nd tallest building by Nat Levy at GeekWire. “The 1.17 million-square-foot project includes 200 apartments on the upper floors of the 58-story building…Amazon does not get special priority on either the housing or hotel rooms, but Johnson said those aspects were attractive to Amazon.” Read more/Pic

 

Tipsheet Extra Stories

Icahn pushes $2B into auto parts business

A peek inside McDonald’s new Chicago HQ (13 pics)

Publix sued for religious discrimination for requiring employee to cut dreadlocks

Canadian cafe goes ‘screen free after 5 p.m.’, sparks backlash

Walmart Thief Leaves 2-Year-Old Son to Die on Road as He Flees Scene

Why Colorado’s special legislative session on pot-tax error left everyone empty-handed

Snap has sold ‘over 150k’ pairs of Spectacles since launch

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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: WM Buys Parcel | Buffett Buys Pilot | USPS ‘Stalker’s Dream’ | Target Pickup Test

 

Berkshire Hathaway buys 38.6% stake in Pilot Flying J at CNBC. “Pilot Flying J is the largest operator of truck stops and rest stops in North America, with 750 locations and more than $20 billion in revenue. The company is 15th on Forbes’ list of America’s largest private companies.” Read more

 

Walmart has acquired the logistics startup Parcel to help launch same-day delivery in New York City by Jason Del Rey at Recode. “(Parcel) handles scheduled and same-day delivery services in New York for online retailers like Bonobos and meal-kit companies like Chef’d and Martha Stewart’s Martha & Marley Spoon. Parcel will continue to serve those clients, but Walmart will also utilize the startup’s technology and network of delivery employees to ramp up its own same-day delivery offerings for both Jet.com and Walmart.com in New York City.” Read more

 

Target’s test of curbside pickup launches at 50 Twin Cities stores by Kavita Kumar at Star Tribune. “Nearly 200,000 items that span home furnishings, household essentials, toys and nonperishable food are eligible for the service. Fresh groceries such as produce and refrigerated or frozen items are not included. No minimum order is required and the service is free.” Read more

 

High-Income Shoppers to Drive Holiday Spending Up 6% This Year by Alexandra Stratton at Bloomberg. “…those with household incomes under $60,000 will cut their outlays for both gifts and entertainment as they deal with stagnant wages…Last year, U.S. holiday sales grew 4 percent to $658.3 billion, according to the National Retail Federation.” Read more

 

Boxed Is Looking to Challenge Amazon and Cash In on the Ecommerce Ad Exchange Boom by Christopher Heine at Adweek. “Boxed…is introducing a real-time auction platform for its top-of-the-page, sponsored search results. The New York-based company has offered ads for a few years through its six-person sales team, but is now aiming to ramp up revenue from its ad inventory by pitting bidder versus bidder—and in the process, take away a chunk of business from ecommerce powerhouses Amazon and Walmart.” Read more

 

YouGov: 2017’s Top 10 Millennial Brands (HEB & Walmart #3, Amazon #8) by Angela Natavidad at Adweek. Top 10 list

 

USPS ‘Informed Delivery’ Is Stalker’s Dream at Krebs on Security. “A free new service from the U.S. Postal Service that provides scanned images of incoming mail before it is slated to arrive at its destination address is raising eyebrows among security experts who worry about the service’s potential for misuse by private investigators, identity thieves, stalkers or abusive ex-partners. The USPS says it hopes to have changes in place by early next year that could help blunt some of those concerns.” Read more

 

American Express wins dismissal of lawsuit over lost Costco contract by Jonathan Stempel at Fox Business. “In a decision made public on Monday, U.S. District Judge Paul Gardephe in Manhattan rejected claims that American Express improperly downplayed the risk its 16-year relationship with Costco might end, and concealed how the warehouse chain had generated 8 percent of its revenue and 20 percent of its loans.” Read more

 

**A message from Pirola – Made in Italy – Designer ironing boards add style to any home. Exclusively made in Italy for 45 years. Custom colors & designs available. WebsiteRetailers request samples at info@shiftmarketinggroup.net. Italy to U.S. product connection

 

Nordstrom buyout unlikely due to high interest rates by Josh Kosman at NY Post. “With little chance of receiving much less expensive rates, a buyout of their company is not likely, the sources said. In recent days, banks like JPMorgan Chase asked the Nordstrom family for the flexibility to charge a 12 percent interest rate on the bonds they underwrite, one lender said.” Read more

 

This Couple Scammed Amazon Out of $1.2 Million. Now They Have to Pay It Back by Grace Donnelly at Forbes. “For Amazon, it’s often cheaper to replace items when these claims are filed than to investigate. But after using hundreds of fake online identities to grift the online retail giant, the husband and wife team face up to 20 years behind bars for fraud and money laundering.” Read more

 

Inside Amazon’s $300 million private-label business by Stefany Zaroban at Internet Retailer. “The merchant’s AmazonBasics brand accounts for nearly 85% of all of its private-label sales so far this year, while its apparel and baby care brands are growing at 90% year over year.” Read more

 

Jeff Bezos muscles way to top of Vanity Fair’s ‘New Establishment’ list again at Vanity Fair. Top 100 list

 

Metro’s $4.5-billion takeover of Jean Coutu creates Quebec mega-firm by Hollie Shaw at Financial Post. “The deal will create a combined company with 1,300 retail stores, 87,000 employees and $16 billion in annual revenue, and will result in an anticipated $75 million in cost savings in three years.” Read more

 

Whole Foods dominating the competition since Amazon takeover by Lisa Fickenscher at NY Post. “In the first week of the Amazon takeover…(Whole Foods) gained nearly 10 percent of (Trader Joe’s) customers compared with a year ago, according to a report by Thasos Group, a research company, which tracked shoppers’ mobile phone location data…by the third week (Trader Joe’s) shoppers accounted for 6 percent.” Read more | Download report

 

Starbucks Shutters Online Store As It ‘Elevates’ Mobile Perks, Store Experiences by Barbara Thau at Forbes. “The coffee chain will instead channel its digital-commerce efforts towards its mobile app and the Starbucks Rewards loyalty program (which accounts for 36% of U.S. company-operated sales), both cornerstones of its so-called “digital flywheel strategy.” Read more

 

Amazon flies cargo plane into hurricane-devastated Puerto Rico, loaded with donated supplies by Todd Bishop at GeekWire. “Amazon plane packed with donation of critical supplies landed earlier today in San Juan. Thank you to all the Amazonians who made it happen,” Bezos wrote in posts on Twitter and Instagram.” Read more

 

Tipsheet Extra Stories

“Craft beer” faces an identity crisis as Great American Beer Festival arrives in Denver

New Hannaford loyalty program will reward private-brand purchases

Quebec retailers fear they will be shortchanged in NAFTA renegotiation

Whole Foods in-house items on the rise among Amazon’s top-selling brands

Here are the retailers opting to stay closed on Thanksgiving this year

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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