Tipsheet: Trump Bashes Bezos | Costco Kidney | CVS Envelope Window | LL Bean Urban #1

 

Trump goes after Amazon day after report saying he wants to ‘go after’ the company at CNBC. “Unlike others, they pay little or no taxes to state & local governments, use our Postal System as their Delivery Boy (causing tremendous loss to the U.S.), and are putting many thousands of retailers out of business!” Trump wrote on Twitter.” Read more

 

Walmart commits to cutting 50 million metric tons of carbon emissions from its Chinese operations at Bloomberg. “There’s definitely a positive attitude from the Chinese government about the goals we are putting in place,” said Laura Phillips, the company’s Arkansas-based senior vice president of sustainability, said over the phone.” Read more

 

Family Dollar agrees to pay $45 million to settle long-running gender bias lawsuit by Katherine Peralta at Charlotte Observer. “According to the settlement, 37,000 female managers of Family Dollar stores allege that they were paid less than their male counterparts for doing the same job.” Read more

 

Toys R Us stores set to be bid on by Target, Big Lots and Aldi, among others at CNBC. “Out of the 58 “qualified bids” being considered, Target and Aldi both are looking at one location in Kendall, Florida, which is near a handful of college campuses. Big Lots is bidding on five stores — in Fresno, California; Exton, Pennsylvania; Durham, North Carolina; Woodbridge, Virginia, and Indianapolis.” Read more

 

52 percent of Democrats are now likely to purchase from Walmart compared to 44 percent five years ago at CNBC. Read more

 

A man looking for a kidney donor for 4 years might have finally found one — at Costco by Kerry Justich at Yahoo Finance. “While in the pet food aisle at Costco in Phoenix, Ariz., Duran was spotted by an 18-year-old who was curious about the “Kidney donor needed. Type B+. Ask me how” he was wearing…she decided to try and help him crowdsource an organ through social media.” Pics/Read more

 

Walmart changes annual shareholder meeting format, sets earlier business meeting by Kim Souza at Talk Business. “(Walmart) will separate the formal business meeting from the main event on Friday. The business meeting is slated for 10 a.m., May 30 — a Wednesday — at John Q. Hammons Center in Rogers. Shareholders will cast their votes for the proposals by the May 30 meeting which, will be webcast for those who can’t attend.” Read more | Press release

 

Vanity Fair Asks Sears CEO About Kidnapping by William D. Cohen at Vanity Fair. “Lampert has not talked publicly about (his 2003) kidnapping…When I asked him about it, he frowned. “You’re not going there, are you?” he says. “I don’t really want to talk a lot about it for a lot of reasons, but I know it’s not an unimportant event.” All he’ll say is that the experience was “not good” and “they could have made a different decision—let’s put it that way.” Read more

 

L.L. Bean opens first urban store by Catherine Carlock at Boston Business Journal. “At 8,600 square feet, L.L. Bean’s first urban store is among the larger retail footprints in Boston’s Seaport District. But the store is by far the smallest in L.L. Bean’s portfolio.” 33 pics/Read more

 

**A message from ReadyStrainer – Sink full of dirty dishes and need to drain noodles? The ReadyStrainer sits at the side of the sink and directs water into the sink! Avoid contact with dirty dishes and bacteria. Overview | Website | Sample: info@shiftmarketinggroup.net

 

Sprouts increases its credit limit by $250 million by Brandon Brown at Phoenix Business Journal. “…plans to open at least 30 more (stores) in 2018…This next year Sprouts is looking to move into four new states: Maryland, Washington, South Carolina and Pennsylvania.” Read more

 

Lawsuit claims CVS revealed HIV status of up to 6,000 people via NY Post. “…a letter that had information about getting HIV prescriptions through a CVS program was sent to about 6,000 participants in the state’s HIV Drug Assistance Program…CVS says the letter’s envelope window was intended to include a reference code for the assistance program, not the recipient’s health status.” Read more

 

JCP CEO: Excited that Shaq is joining the JCPenney Team as our Big & Tall spokesman. I’m 6 ft tall but Shaq is really tall! Twitter pic

 

New Hudson’s Bay CEO Helena Foulkes says execution lacking by Hollie Shaw via Vancouver Sun. “I think that the execution of (the transformation plan) was not good. It started with issues of alignment at the top, then essentially poor change management, so we had a lot of moving parts in the second half of last year with a good percentage of our folks in new positions and not enough clarity around their roles.” Read more

 

Everlane debuted a line of undergarments this week and the waiting list to buy them stands at 30,000 people by Melissa Wylie at New York Business Journal. Read more

 

Walgreens boosting hourly workers’ pay by $100 million per year by Lisa Schencker at Chicago Tribune. “Walgreens spokesman Michael Polzin said he couldn’t provide specific figures on exactly how much the move might change employees’ pay.” Read more (tiered subs.)

 

It’s only a year to go until Brexit — but top UK retailers are frustrated they can’t prepare for it by Silvia Amaro at CNBC. Read more

 

Rite Aid Completes Transfer of Stores to Walgreens Boots Alliance Press release

 

Tim Cook takes shot at Amazon HQ2 search and says Apple won’t conduct such a ‘beauty contest’ by Kurt Schlosser at GeekWire. Read more

 

Piggly Wiggly Independent Store Owners Enter into Agreement with Southeastern Grocers to Purchase Six Stores Press release

 

The vegans came to protest his restaurant. So this chef carved a deer leg in the window by Eli Rosenburg at Washington Post. “Ugar told CTV News that Hunter’s counterprotest had left her feeling “sad for a few days.” “He wanted to get us back, which I guess is easy to do. We’re only there because we love animals,” she said. “We were in shock,” she said.” Pics/Read more (tiered subs.)

 

Tipsheet Extra Stories

Christians raise hell about Sweet Jesus ice cream over controversial cross branding

FDA to consider what ‘healthy’ means and other claims food companies can make

Squatters to be ousted from vacant Sam’s Club lot in north Seattle

New Buffalo Wild Wings owner cuts 132 workers at HQ

These Salad Vending Machines Have Become One Of Chicago’s Hot Lunch Spots

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Website: www.eyeonretail.net

Tipsheet: Trump “Obsessed” w/Amazon | Wgreen Pharm +5.1% | Ex-Neiman Q&A | Ace + Joanna

 

Walgreens profit, sales beat estimates via CNBC. “Same-store sales at Walgreens’ U.S. pharmacies rose 5.1 percent in the quarter. The company filled 269.2 million prescriptions, up 9.1 percent from a year ago.” Read more | Press release

 

Trump hates Amazon by Jonathan Swan at Axios. “Trump wants to go after…Amazon, according to five sources who’ve discussed it with him. “He’s obsessed with Amazon,” a source said. “Obsessed.” Read more

 

Hudson’s Bay Q4 comp sales -2.4% “Comparable sales at Saks Fifth Avenue grew for the third consecutive quarter, increasing by 2.1%…Comparable sales declined by 2.6% at DSG, 3.4% at HBC Europe, and 7.6% at HBC Off Price…” Press release

 

Campaigners call for plastics-free aisles in Kroger at Reuters. “An online petition has drawn some 75,000 signatures in less than a week…The petition comes less than a month after the Dutch organic chain Ekoplaza set up what it said was the world’s first such supermarket aisle.” Read more

 

J. Crew Looking to Madewell Chain to Fuel Growth After Slump by Nick Turner at Bloomberg. “Though overall revenue increased just 2% last quarter, it jumped 32 percent at Madewell…Madewell, a seller of denim clothing and accessories for women, has become a bright spot at J. Crew by appealing to millennials.” Read more

 

…J.Crew Q4 comp sales decreased 3% following a decrease of 5% in the fourth quarter last year Press release

 

2018 Harris Poll Reputation Quotient® Rankings (Amazon #1, Costco #17, Kroger #18, Home Depot #26, Target #49, Nordstrom #55) Top 100 list

 

RH Q4 net revenue +14% Press release

 

**A message from BK Resources – Restaurant owners, plumbers & GCs buy food service equipment – are you getting your fair share of this business? BK Resources is a leading supplier of stainless steel: commercial faucets, sinks, work tables, bar equipment, ice bins and more. Catalog | Website | Custom/Sample requests

 

Kohl’s bets on smaller stores to fuel its growth at CNBC. “Kohl’s currently has 12 shops in the U.S. that are roughly 35,000 square feet…”An average full-size Kohl’s store is doing 15 percent less business than it did five years ago,” outgoing CEO Kevin Mansell told CNBC Tuesday.” Read more

 

Neiman Marcus and Joor develop technology to relieve buyers of a lot of the job tedium Press release

 

Walmart Beat Netflix and Amazon to Video on Demand But Still Lost by Matthew Boyle at Bloomberg. “As its competitors flourished, Vudu languished. Even though it’s pre-loaded in or can be downloaded to hundreds of millions of smart TVs, Blu-ray devices and video-game consoles.” Read more

 

Forbes talks with Ruth Crowley, VP of customer experience design at Lowe’s to discuss its efforts to reach millennial new home buyers by Jeff Fromm. Q&A

 

Walmart Tries to Join the #MeToo Movement By Removing Cosmo From Checkout Lines by Natasha Bach at Fortune. Read more

 

Former Neiman Marcus CEO Relishes the ‘Sweet ‘Revenge’ of Success by Suzanne Kapner at Wall Street Journal. “Over lunch of poached eggs on avocado toast at the Mark Restaurant by Jean-Georges in Manhattan, the 61-year-old Ms. Katz spoke about her career and how women can make it to the top…” Q&A (subs.)

 

Lululemon outperforms estimates in Q4 after strong holiday season via Vancouver Sun. “…net revenue increased 18% to $928.8 million for its fourth quarter ended January 28.” Read more

 

Consumer Reports says Trader Joe’s Liquid Laundry HE and Xtra Scentsations detergents performed only slightly better than plain water by Marilyn Moritz at KSAT 12 ABC. “Member’s Mark Ultimate Clean from Sam’s Club or Kirkland Signature Ultra Clean Free and Clear from Costco are both good options.” Video/Read more

 

Kroger New Director of Investor Relations Started as a Cashier Press release

 

In Venezuela, hungry child gangs use machetes to fight for ‘quality’ garbage by Eduard Freisler at Miami Herald. “At 16, Liliana has become the mother figure for a gang of Venezuelan children and young adults called the Chacao…The 15 members, ranging in age from 10 to 23, work together to survive vicious fights for “quality” garbage…Their weapons are knives and sticks and machetes. The prize? Garbage that contains food good enough to eat.” Read more

 

Tipsheet Extra Stories

The Unlikely Tale of an $89 Amazon Coat That’s Taken Over the Upper East Side

Saudi Arabia Lifts Its 35-Year Ban on Movie Theaters

Ace Hardware Launches Exclusive Paint Partnership With Joanna Gaines

HEB Grocery shopper seeks $1 million over alleged injuries caused by falling boxes

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Tipsheet: H.Depot’s #1 Hot Dog | Baby Registry Battle | Kickbot | Nestle -40% Sugar

 

H&M’s Pile of Unsold Garments Grows as Earnings Plunge by Anna Molin at Bloomberg. “Operating profit fell 62 percent to the lowest level in 16 years as inventory rose to 17.6 percent of sales in the first quarter. The stock slumped to the lowest in almost a decade.” Read more

 

Home Depot Has #1 “Least Fancy Hot Dog” in NYC by Lisa Elbert at Food & Wine. “This was not the Hot Dog Depot I was accustomed to, but a little slice of heaven called Rocco’s Italian Sausages, and the moment we walked in and spotted the sizzling sausage spirals on the grill beside piles of peppers and onions, we knew we were in for a treat.” Read more

 

Walmart And Target Are Set To Be The Big Winners From Toys ‘R’ Us Closures by Deborah Weinswig at Forbes. “Among Toys “R” Us shoppers, Walmart was neck and neck with Amazon for browsing and was the No. 1 retailer (other than Toys “R” Us) for buying toys.” Read more

 

Top 10 in Spot Radio Last Week (JCP #3, Home Depot #4, Lowe’s #6, Macy’s #7) Top 10 list

 

Maker of Sharpies Drew the Line on Trade Promotions—and Paid in Lost Sales by Sharon Terlap at Wall Street Journal. “The battle began when Newell Brands sporadically stopped shipping the markers and other writing utensils to Office Depot because it believed the retailer wasn’t spending what the two had agreed on for showcasing and marketing…” Read more (subs.)

 

Impax settles retailers’ antitrust cases over generic drug’s delay at Reuters. Read more

 

LOWE’S SUCCESSION – One of the directors D.E. Shaw got on the (Lowe’s) board was David Batchelder, a key player in Home Depot’s comeback a few years ago. According to Bloomberg News, he will lead the search for a new CEO along with a group of directors that includes the former Dollar General and VF Corp CEOs. Fortune. Read more

 

Southeastern Grocers files for bankruptcy protection via CNBC. “The restructuring will reduce its debt by $500 million as it will continue to operate over 580 stores.” Read more

 

…Mitchell Grocery Corp. purchases three Winn-Dixie locations in Alabama from Southeastern Grocers by David Mitchell at Birmingham Business Journal. Read more

 

Raley’s has agreement to purchase six stores in Nevada by Mark Glover at The Sacramento Bee. Read more

 

**A message from Kidibul – The festive, bubbly beverage made for kids’ parties! Wildly popular European beverage now available in the US for the first time. 100% natural & sparkling juice in a champagne type bottle with natural cork & wire to pop. Great for birthdays, New Year, Christmas, etc. Kids love the bubbles! Website | PowerPoint | Samples: info@eyeonretail.net

 

In China payment war, Walmart places bet on Tencent at Reuters. “Walmart…said it had dropped Alibaba-linked Alipay in all its stores in the western region of the country, after agreeing a tie-up with Tencent to use its popular WeChat payment system. The move underscores how China’s retail market is dividing into two camps around Alibaba and Tencent.” Read more

 

Why is Amazon asking its customers what they think about TV news? Here’s the survey. by Peter Kafka at Recode. Survey/Read more

 

Scientists Create Melt-Resistant Ice Cream by Ben Renner at Study Finds. “The study found that when mixed with the banana fibers, ice cream melted far slower than the dessert normally does. Even better, the shelf life of the product was longer and the ice cream’s creaminess and texture wasn’t worsened.” Read more

 

Target, Keurig, More CEOs Agree, Commit to Sustainability Practices by Kali Hays at WWD. Read more (subs.)

 

Babies ‘R’ Us Demise Sets Off a Scramble for Baby Registries by Justina Vasquez at Bloomberg. “Sarah Maiellano, a soon-to-be mother living in Chicago, said she spent two hours on the phone with Babies “R” Us customer service before learning she may not see her Endless Earnings benefits. She had accumulated $340 in cash-back rewards from the program.” Read more

 

Nestle launches a new chocolate bar using sugar-reduction technology – reduces sugar by up to 40% at CNBC. “It’s made by spraying a mixture of sugar, milk powder and water into warm air. “The milk stabilizes the spray-dried sugar and stops it becoming too sticky”. Read more

 

KICKBOT – What In-Store Robots Have Taught Walmart by Jonathan Vanian at Fortune. “…local residents…now completely ignore them…Teenagers, however, pose a challenge for Bossa Nova’s Walmart robots because of their “mischievous” nature, Hitch said. “We’ve been hit with shopping bags,” Hitch said about the robots. “We’ve been deliberately kicked.” Read more

 

Amazon announces deal with French retailer Monoprix to deliver groceries – will begin serving Prime Now members in Paris this year by Catherine Shu at TechCrunch. Read more

 

Tipsheet Extra Stories

Meet the “Women of Wegmans” Who Camp Out to Try New Stores

Schnucks removes two security guards after kicking out local drag queen

Beyonce took her daughter shopping at Target and fans couldn’t handle it

Machete-wielding man tried to kidnap children at Walmart

Monro hires ex-Target, Home Depot exec to be COO

Yeti Coolers puts public offering plans on ice

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

 

Website: www.eyeonretail.net

Tipsheet: Jet’s New Prez | Lowe’s CEO Retires | W.Foods Micro Trips +11% | Fiesta Mart Sold

 

Tesco veteran to head Walmart’s Jet.com as U.S. grocery wars flare by Nandita Bose at Reuters. “Simon Belsham will oversee all operations including grocery and general merchandise and join Walmart’s U.S. e-commerce leadership team, according to an internal email sent on Monday by Marc Lore, the head of Walmart’s e-commerce business, to Jet employees and seen by Reuters.” Read more

 

Lowe’s CEO to Retire “Robert A. Niblock plans to retire as chairman, president and CEO after a 25-year career with the company. The board of directors has initiated a search for his successor, and in the interim Niblock will remain in his current role as chairman, president and CEO.” Press release

 

Short visits rise at Whole Foods stores with Amazon lockers via CNBC. “Short “micro” visits, defined as three to five minutes in length, were up 11 percent at stores with lockers since Amazon closed its purchase of Whole Foods on Aug. 28, according to an inMarket report provided exclusively to Reuters News.” Read more

 

JD Sports in Deal to Acquire Finish Line for $558 Million by Thomas Buckley at Bloomberg. “The acquisition is subject to the approval of JD Sports and Finish Line shareholders, with completion expected no earlier than June.” Read more

 

At least 64 people, some children, killed in Russian mall fire at Reuters. Read more

 

NBC TODAY – AMAZON VS. INSTACART by Jeff Rosen. “So which was faster? Instacart’s order was delivered first. All refrigerated items were cold, but the avocados were missing. The Amazon order came five minutes later. Everything was cold but there was also an item missing from this order: the ice cream. In terms of cost, Amazon won. That tab, without tip, came to $40.75. The Instacart groceries cost $45.76, due to a service fee.” Video/Read more

 

Fiesta Mart to be acquired by El Super grocery chain by Paul Takahashi at Houston Chronicle. “Bodega Latina Corp and its Mexican parent company Chedraui…are expected to acquire the 63 Lone Star State stores, including 32 in the Houston area, by the beginning of the second quarter.” Read more

 

Aldi and Lidl dig deeper into Britain’s grocery market by James Davey at Reuters. “A top Aldi executive told Reuters it aimed to have 1,000 UK stores by 2022, up from its current 762 while Lidl said it sees potentially 1,200 to 1,500 stores in the long term, up from 710.” Read more

 

Whole Foods is slashing regional and in-store marketing and graphic-design jobs in its latest push to centralize operations by Hayley Peterson at Business Insider. Read more

 

**A message from 2018 Sweets & Snacks Expo – Be first to market with the newest candy and snack products!  See the 2017 Innovation Winners. Put yourself in the center of the single largest gathering of confectionery & snack companies under one roof – schedule your trip now! Chicago, May 22-24, 2018. Website | Exhibitors

 

Target was Everywhere in Last Week’s Episode of NBC’s Superstore by Jason Lynch at Adweek. “The integration in the NBC workplace comedy, set in a superstore called Cloud 9, is part of a year-long partnership between Target and NBCUniversal.” Read more

 

Grocery wars turn small chains into battlefield casualties by Michael Corkery at NY Times.  Read more (tiered subs.)

 

Target’s New Logo Is Confusing Shoppers by Molly Horan at Teen Vogue. “When images of the new (A New Day) logo began circulating on Twitter, many users confessed the styling of the words, which kind of looks like a horizontal tryptic, proved confusing, Racked reported. Racked senior editor Alanna Okun said of the logo in a tweet, “a confusingly designed logo that it took me 4-5 target trips to realize it didn’t say ‘and away!'” Read more

 

Michaels is closing 94 of its Aaron Brothers framing stores nationwide – only 3 will remain in Texas by Kevin Smith at San Gabriel Valley Tribune. Read more

 

CHICAGO – Graffiti cleanup ‘blitz’ ahead of Amazon visit wipes out street art by Lauren Zumbach at Chicago Tribune. “A work by a French street artist on the side of Cards Against Humanity’s headquarters was blasted away as the city dramatically stepped up graffiti cleanup near some proposed sites for Amazon’s second headquarters.” Read more (tiered subs.)

 

Tapestry picks former Michael Kors exec Anna Bakst as CEO of Kate Spade at CNBC. Read more

 

Walmart imagines drone-aided farming by Robbie Neiswanger at Northwest Arkansas Business Gazette. “The applications have not been approved by the government office, but are signs of Walmart’s desire to develop solutions to farming problems, according to experts.” Read more

 

Tipsheet Extra Stories

Joanna Gaines Returns to No. 1 on Top TV Personalities

Firefighters use concrete-cutting saws to rescue man stuck between walls at Walgreens

Lead paint: CA ballot measure would hit taxpayers, not paint companies, for cleanup

How Big Sports Leagues Push Junk Food on Kids

The RealReal hires former Amazon and Walmart executives

Restaurants make big bucks off people who aren’t eating a thing

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Eye on Retail Tipsheet is must-read material for 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: Target’s 78 Second Pickup | Sam’s Ruiz #9 Latina | WM $9.95 Deliv

 

Retail sales decline for third straight month in February via CNBC. “Excluding automobiles, gasoline, building materials and food services, retail sales edged up 0.1 percent last month after being unchanged in January.” Read more

 

Walmart Grocery Delivery Availability Grows to Some 40% Of U.S. Households by Phil Wahba at Fortune. Read more

 

…BJ’s Wholesale Club offers same-day delivery with Instacart at CNBC. “BJ’s Wholesale Club is expanding its partnership with Instacart to offer customers same-day delivery in cities along the East Coast, with plans to expand to all BJ’s Clubs nationwide by the end of April.” Read more

 

The 50 Most Powerful Latinas of 2017 (Ruiz – Sam’s Club #9) at Fortune. List of 50

 

Dick’s CEO: Under Armour biggest reason for disappointing fourth-quarter sales by Holden Wilen at Baltimore Business Journal. “The broadened distribution has definitely had an impact and it will continue until Under Armour has its segmentation figured out,” Stack said.” Read more

 

Weis Markets Q4 Comp Sales +1.2% Press release

 

Costco eyes fresh grocery delivery in Canada by Hollie Shaw at Financial Post. “We are looking at sites from which we can fulfill fresh grocery orders,” confirmed Costco Canada spokesman Ron Damiani.” Read more

 

Analyst gives Target’s Drive Up service in Twin Cities a thumbs up by Kavita Kumar at Star Tribune. “While one order for body wash took over an hour to be ready for pickup, the rest of the orders were ready within 16 minutes. And, most importantly, he said, it took only an average of 1 minute and 18 seconds from the time of parking to departing with orders loaded in the car.” Read more (Tiered subs.)

 

Toys R Us prepares plan to liquidate its business at CNBC. Read more

 

…All Toys “R” Us shops to shut in Britain at Reuters. Read more

 

**A message from 2018 Sweets & Snacks Expo – Be first to market with the newest candy and snack products!  See the 2017 Innovation Winners. Put yourself in the center of the single largest gathering of confectionery & snack companies under one roof – schedule your trip now! Chicago, May 22-24, 2018. Website | Exhibitors

 

How Home Depot realized it should market to women by Sukriti & Kristi Faulkner at The Quartz. “When Trish Mueller first joined Home Depot as Chief Marketing Officer, the brand was considered a women-repellant…“Before I came here,” Mueller says, “somebody thought pink power tools would be really fun.” Read more

 

How Amazon Became Corporate America’s Nightmare by Shira Ovide at Bloomberg. Read more

 

Amazon-owned Twitch offering collection of free games for Prime members by Nat Levy at GeekWire. Read more

 

“If you want to talk about the single biggest pain point in our stores right now, it’s the checkout process,” Macy’s Inc chief executive Jeff Gennette told an investor conference on Tuesday. by Phil Wahba at Fortune. Read more

 

Target launches Love Taza travel gear line at A Bullseye View. Read more

 

P&G settles tooth-whitening ‘piracy’ lawsuit with competitor Barrett Brunsman at Cincinnati Business Courier. “In the suit filed last year, P&G had described the action of Ranir as a “flagrant act of piracy.” (P&G) had claimed that Ranir sold its own version of the P&G products through Walmart (&) Kroger.” Read more

 

Camping World Q4 Total Revenue +32.9% Press release

 

About a third of couples getting married in the next year plan to borrow up to $10,000 to cover wedding bills at CNBC. Read more

 

**Eye on Retail Tipsheet will return on March 26th. Thank you for being a loyal reader!

 

Tipsheet Extra Stories

Consumer Reports says these are the 10 worst car brands

IHOP apologizes to black teens forced to prepay for a meal

Liquor industry is pushing to get self-driving cars on the road

Record Sales Plunge– JT, U2, even Taylor Swift– Sell Fractions of Previous Numbers

How the Tiara Became Jewelry’s Accessory of the Moment

Publix eyes Northward expansion

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Eye on Retail Tipsheet is must-read material for 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

 

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Tipsheet: Dick’s -2% | B.Buy Return Headache | HD Supply +9%

 

Dick’s Q4 Comp Sales -2.0% (vs. -1.0% expected) Press release

 

…Dick’s Sporting Goods shares tumble on revenue miss at CNBC. “Revenue was $2.66 billion, below analysts’ expectations for $2.74 billion in sales.” Read more

 

How Your Returns Are Used Against You at Best Buy, Other Retailers by Khadeeja Safdar at Wall Street Journal. “Every time shoppers returns purchases to Best Buy, they are tracked by a company which has the power to override the store’s touted policy and refuse to refund their money.That is because (Best Buy) is one of several chains that have hired a service called The Retail Equation to score customers’ shopping behavior and impose limits on the amount of merchandise they can return.” Read more (Subs.)

 

Harris Poll Reputation Quotient (Amazon #1, Wegmans #2, HEB #6, Publix #8, Aldi #10) at Reuters. Read more/Top 10 list

 

HD Supply Q4 Net Sales +9.0% Press release

 

How Amazon Is Planning to Take Over the Office Supplies Market at Fortune via Bloomberg. “The e-commerce giant has been in talks with banks including JPMorgan Chase on a co-branded credit card for small-business owners who shop on its website, said the people, who asked not to be named discussing private negotiations.” Read more

 

Ikea rolls out nationwide assembly services with TaskRabbit at CNBC. Read more

 

**A message from ReadyStrainer – Sink full of dirty dishes and need to drain noodles? The ReadyStrainer sits at the side of the sink and directs water into the sink! Avoid contact with dirty dishes and bacteria. Product Overview | Website | Sample: info@shiftmarketinggroup.net

 

DSW Q4 Comp Sales +1.3% Press release

 

Kroger grows home delivery to 45 cities with Instacart deal by Alexander Coolidge at Cincinnati Enquirer. Read more

 

Stitch Fix made a big addition to its business by Jason Del Rey at Recode. “The new Extras feature, however, allows customers to choose from an assortment of undergarments like bras and underwear to add to each box of five items their stylist has chosen for them.” Read more

 

…Stitch Fix quarterly revenue was $295.9 million, 24% above last year and better than the $291.24 million Wall Street was predicting at TechCrunch. Read more

 

Home Depot Ducks 4×4 Wood Board Labeling Class Action by RJ Vogt at Law 360. “An Illinois federal judge on Monday shot down a proposed class action against hardware chain Home Depot over claims it shorted customers who bought lumber, finding that the use of “4×4” on labels was literally true because it didn’t include inch-mark symbols after each number.” Read more (Subs.)

 

Anne Dament, Supervalu’s head of retail, talks Cub Foods, Twin Cities grocery and ‘Arby’s Island’ by Dan DeBaun at Minneapolis/St.Paul Business Journal. Subscription required

 

Ross Stores To Open 100 New Locations In 2018 Press release

 

CVS, Aetna shareholders will vote on deal Tuesday at CNBC. Read more

 

‘Game of Thrones’ Spin-Offs Will Be Big-Budget Out of the Gate, HBO Bosses Say by Scott Roxborough at Hollywood Reporter. “HBO last year announced that it had teamed with Max Borenstein (Kong: Skull Island), Jane Goldman (Kick-Ass), Brian Helgeland (Legend) and Carly Wray (The Leftovers) to develop separate spin-off series based on the fantasy world created by writer George R.R. Martin.” Read more

 

Tipsheet Extra Stories

Bass Pro offers former Cabela’s headquarters for $1 per year

Amazon Is On Track to Be a $1 Trillion Company by 2022, Jefferies Says

Bra bandits pepper spray employee – steal $11K of Victoria’s Secret lingerie

44.5% of Amazon customers would use an “Amazon Bank”

Spain’s Amazon workers call two-day strike over wages, rights

PepsiCo pulls Grant Hill Mountain Dew ad after uproar

Read Tipsheet Extra Stories

 

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Eye on Retail Tipsheet is must-read material for 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: W.Foods Vendor Summit | Iowa Caged Eggs | B.Buy Turnaround Done

 

Whole Foods calls March 19th meeting with key vendors as tensions flare at CNBC. “A major point of debate for its larger vendors is the new servicing fee, proposed in the last few months, which will charge vendors for Whole Foods’ efforts to centralize its merchandising, sources said. Still, some of the sources noted their reliance on Whole Foods as a customer gives them little power with which to bargain.” Read more

 

Amazon’s attempt to land major Pentagon job stokes antitrust fears by Ali Breland at The Hill. “Companies frustrated by what they see as procurement bias towards Amazon have also slammed the decision. IBM called the move “flawed,” while Microsoft said it was “disappointed.” Read more

 

Walmart and Kroger promised to switch to cage-free eggs. This obscure Iowa law could stop them. by Caitlin Dewey at Washington Post. “…this week, (Iowa) lawmakers passed an unusual bill that would require many stores to stock eggs from caged chickens — a move designed to stop retailers from phasing them out. Although the law would apply only to stores’ Iowa locations, it’s intended to address a growing national dilemma.” Read more (Tiered subs.)

 

AAA: Spring gas prices could approach a ‘tipping point’ for drivers at CNBC. “The national average price could reach as high as $2.70 per gallon this spring.” Read more

 

Walmart bars customers from buying too many items online by Hayley Petersen at Business Insider. “Walmart bars customers from buying more than 32 items in a single online order…Amazon’s per-order limit is 50 items.” Read more

 

Toys R Us Canada says it’s business as usual amid reports of U.S. liquidation at Financial Post. “Toys R Us Canada has about 82 stores as well as an e-commerce site — making it about one-tenth the size of its American counterpart.” Read more

 

Bezos Says He’ll Spend ‘Amazon Lottery Winnings’ on Space Travel by Amanda L. Gordon & Tom Metcalf at Bloomberg. “Bezos loves Earth, too. “We have sent a lot of probes to every planet in this solar system. Believe me, this is the best one,” he said. “The world that we live on is an absolute gem.” Read more

 

**A message from 2018 Sweets & Snacks Expo – Be first to market with the newest candy and snack products!  See the 2017 Innovation Winners. Put yourself in the center of the single largest gathering of confectionery & snack companies under one roof – schedule your trip now! Chicago, May 22-24, 2018. Website | Exhibitors

 

Blocking Gun Sales to Buyers Under 21 Might Be Illegal by Polly Mosendz at Bloomberg. “At least nine states cited by NSSF, including Delaware, Louisiana, Michigan and Oregon, have laws on the books related to age discrimination. Washington D.C. and New York City have comparable laws.” Read more

 

Amazon could disrupt online travel industry next, Morgan Stanley says at CNBC. Read more

 

Best Buy CEO says turnaround done, room to compete with Amazon at Reuters. “We have turned around the business, it’s about where we go from here,” (Hubert Joly) said. “We have not only survived but thrived and I don’t believe this is a winner-takes-all market.” Read more

 

Tech Is Transforming the Role of CMO. Here Are 20 Execs Driving the Innovation (Walmart, Domino’s) by David Gianatasio at Adweek. List of 20

 

Bloomingdale’s turns shopping into a game with Nintendo by Sarah Jones at Luxury Daily. “The video game theme extends across Bloomingdale’s channels with references to Super Mario World. In-store, customers can pose for a photo with characters from the game or play classic Nintendo games in the Let’s Play pop-up shops.” Read more

 

Amazon adds follow-up mode for Alexa to let you make back-to-back requests by Nick Statt at The Verge. Read more

 

Tipsheet Extra Stories

Retired Walmart exec talks lessons learned from watching Sam

Netflix, ‘Stranger Things’ Creators Respond to Verbal Abuse Claim

Amazon’s Checking Account Push Shows Next Target: Swipe Fees

Court: Woman must pay for canceled eBay $100,000 diamond ring sale

Amazon delivery driver fired after dropping box on puppy

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Eye on Retail Tipsheet is must-read material for 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: Boxed No To Kroger | Neiman +6.7% | Target Jean Recall | Bentonville ‘Mecca’

 

Boxed reportedly rejected $400 million buyout offer from Kroger by Matthew Boyle & Craig Giammona at Bloomberg. “(Boxed Wholesale’s) board voted last week to reject the offer from (Kroger), said the person, who asked not to be identified because the discussions were private. Boxed also had preliminary talks with Amazon.com Inc., Target Corp. and Costco Wholesale Corp., but Kroger was the only company to submit a bid, the person said. Boxed has a $470 million valuation, the person said.” Read more

 

Neiman Marcus Q2 Comp Revenue +6.7% Press release

 

Amazon all-hands meeting: Jeff Bezos & Whole Foods CEO on stage inside Key Arena by Taylor Soper at GeekWire. “Jeff Bezos was in attendance, taking questions from employees as he typically does at all-hands meetings.” Pics/Read more

 

Cat & Jack skinny jeans sold at Target being recalled for laceration danger by Charisse Jones at USA Today. “The company says shoppers should take the jeans back to a Target store because the metal stars, attached to the bottom of the pants, can loosen, and fall off, potentially harming the skin.” Read more

 

Amazon Is Shifting Prime Pantry Service to Subscription Model by Spencer Soper at Bloomberg. “Amazon.com Inc. is shifting its Prime Pantry service, which focuses on non-perishable household goods like breakfast cereal, laundry detergent and shampoo, to a $5 per month membership model. Amazon will make the change gradually.” Read more

 

Humans of Amazon: Meet some of the people behind Seattle’s tech juggernaut by Matt Day at Seattle Times. Read more (Tiered subs.)

 

Bentonville Is a Mecca for Luxury-Home Buyers by Sarah Nassauer at Wall Street Journal. “Last year David Redfield, a senior vice president at Walmart, moved into a $700,000, three-bedroom condo near Bentonville’s center. Recently divorced and with two nearly grown children, downtown became “a place I want to be part of, not just read about,” said Mr. Redfield.” Read more/Pics (Subs.)

 

**A message from 2018 Sweets & Snacks Expo – Be first to market with the newest candy and snack products!  See the 2017 Innovation WinnersPut yourself in the center of the single largest gathering of confectionery & snack companies under one roof – schedule your trip now! Chicago, May 22-24, 2018. Website | Exhibitors

 

Speaker Ryan’s Visit to Home Depot Store Support Center 26:41 video

 

Nordstrom acquires two tech startups to further boost its digital credibility by Kurt Schlosser at GeekWire. “Nordstrom announced Thursday that it has closed on deals to acquire the retail technology companies BevyUp — makers of a digital selling tool — and MessageYes— a platform for e-commerce through mobile messaging.” Read more | Press release

 

Dick’s gets traffic surge after taking stand on gun sales by Lisa Fickenscher at NY Post. “A second customer-traffic monitoring company showed the number of cars in the parking lots of Dick’s stores was up by a high single-digit percentage over a four-day period — from Feb. 28 to March 3.” Read more

 

Toys ‘R’ Us Is Prepping to Liquidate Its U.S. Operations at Bloomberg. “Hopes are fading that a buyer will emerge to keep some of the business operating, or that lenders will agree on terms of a debt restructuring, the people said.” Read more

 

Big grocery store to open in Amazon’s latest high-rise — and it’s not a Whole Foods at Nat Levy at GeekWire. “PCC, a Seattle-based organic grocer that competes with Whole Foods locally, will open a store in the base of the $570 million Rainier Square project.” Read more

 

Amazon files lawsuits over counterfeit Vera Bradley purses and Otterbox phone cases by Monica Nickelsburg at GeekWire. Read more

 

Dollar General Announces Paid Parental Leave and Adoption Assistance Benefit Press release

 

Walgreens shuffles financial leadership at CNBC. “Takeda Pharmaceuticals CFO James Kehoe will replace Walgreens’ George Fairweather, who has been in the role since 2015 and will become a senior advisor to CEO Stefano Pessina for business development and finance.” Read more

 

Wayfair Expands Housewares Offering Press release

 

American Eagle Outfitters tops same-store estimates via CNBC. “The company’s comparable sales rose 8 percent in the fourth quarter ended Feb. 3, beating analysts’ average estimate of a 7.34 percent rise.” Read more

 

Home Depot to pay $27.8M for hazmat, privacy violations by Teri Figueroa at San Diego Union-Tribune. “…for illegally tossing out hazardous material and private customer information without first rendering it unreadable, the District Attorney’s office said Thursday.” Read more

 

Tipsheet Extra Stories

High heels are the worst, and women are finally ditching them

Macy’s downtown Cincy store to close March 25th

A $10K bet on Amazon at the market bottom 9 years ago would be worth $250K today

Where Small Town America Is Thriving

Target renovates Houston store after Hurricane Harvey

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Eye on Retail Tipsheet is must-read material for 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