Microsoft takes aim at Amazon with push for checkout-free retail by Jeffrey Dastin & Stephen Nellis at Reuters. "Microsoft has shown sample technology to retailers from around the world and has had talks with Walmart about a potential collaboration, three of the people said. Microsoft’s technology aims to help retailers keep pace with Amazon Go..." Read more   Kroger exits Raleigh-Durham market - sort of by Alexander Coolidge at Cincinnati Enquirer. "(Kroger) said it would shut 14 area stores in mid-August. But eight of those stores will be sold to Harris-Teeter, which Kroger owns. Agreements to sell two other locations [...]

  Tesla ditches Home Depot as sales partner for home solar products by Lora Kolodny at CNBC. "Tesla will now sell its Powerwall, Powerpack and residential solar energy products via its own stores and website." Read more   WALMART OPEN CALL DAY - Hundreds of entrepreneurs, innovators land in Bentonville for Walmart’s ‘Open Call’ by Kim Souza at Talk Business. "Walmart held a product expo and information event at the Four Points Sheraton for the guests a day before the big show...there are roughly 750 meetings between buyers and entrepreneurs...Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson is one of the featured speakers at [...]

  Lands' End Q1 Comp Sales -18.9% "Same store sales in Lands' End Shops at Sears locations declined 20.4% for the quarter while same store sales in our Company operated stores declined 9.9%." Press release   RH Q1 Comp Brand Revenue +1.0% "Adjusted for last year’s inventory reduction efforts, comparable brand revenues increased 5% versus a 9% increase last year." Press release   Casey's Q4 Comp Sales: Fuel +2.0%; Grocery/Other Merch -0.4%; Prepared Food/Fountain -1.3% Press release   Seattle poised to repeal new tax opposed by Amazon at AP via Yahoo. Read more   Home Depot Sets $1.2 Billion Supply-Chain Overhaul by [...]

  Walmart sues its former top tax executive to block her from joining Amazon by Nat Levy at GeekWire. "Walmart seeks to block (Lisa) Wadlin from going to Amazon until at least 2020. Wadlin had informed Walmart that she was thinking about leaving in January, but the revelation that she planned to move to Seattle to become a vice president of tax policy at Amazon didn’t come until later." Read more   Stitch Fix soars after online styling service says active clients grew 30% at CNBC. " Here's how the company did compared to what Wall Street expected: Earnings: 9 [...]

  Costco May Comp Sales (ex. gas & f/x) +8.0% "...net sales of $11.02 billion for the retail month of May, the four weeks ended June 3, 2018, an increase of 14.1 percent from $9.66 billion last year." Press release   Neiman Marcus Q3 Comp Revenues +6.0% Press release   ...New Neiman Marcus CEO says strategy is working by Maria Halkias at Dallas Morning News. "...strongest gains were in handbags, accessories and jewelry...Three more Last Call stores are closing July 13...Online sales increased 17.1 percent to $416 million and represent more than 35 percent of overall sales." Read more (Tiered subs.)   GameStop turns to comic books [...]

  HBC Q1 Comp Sales -0.7%: Saks Fifth Avenue comparable sales increase of 6.0% DSG (Hudson's Bay, Lord & Taylor and Home Outfitters) comparable sales decrease of 0.6% Saks OFF 5TH comparable sales decrease of 3.5% HBC Europe (Galeria Kaufhof and Galeria INNO) comparable sales decrease of 6.6% Press release   HD Supply Q1 Net Sales +14.2% / Organic Sales +9.9% Press release   Amazon now has 100,000+ automated robots by Erin Winick at MIT Technology Review. "When there are tens of thousands of orders going on simultaneously, you are getting beyond what a human can do,” (chief technologist of Amazon Robotics, Tye [...]

  Advent to take 80% stake in Walmart Brazil at CNBC. "The transaction is subject to approval from Brazillian regulators. The amount of the deal was not disclosed. Walmart said it expects to take a noncash net loss of approximately $4.5 billion, largely due to currency fluctuations." Read more   Sam's Club will now match Walmart's prices after furious customers complain by Hayley Peterson at Business Insider. "John Davidowsky bought a $689 television at a Sam's Club store in Scranton, Pennsylvania on May 11, and the next day, he said he saw the exact same TV advertised at Walmart— which owns [...]

  Costco Q3 Comp Sales (w/o gas & FX) +7.0% "Net sales for the quarter increased 12.1 percent, to $31.62 billion, from $28.22 billion last year...E-commerce +35.5%" Press release   ...Costco to Raise Starting Wage to $14 an Hour by Sarah Nassauer at Wall Street Journal. "(Costco will) increase its starting hourly wages by $1 to $14 or $14.50 an hour. Other hourly workers will receive raises of between 25 cents and 50 cents. The new wages take effect on June 11. Executives said the company was using some of its savings from last year’s U.S. tax overhaul..." Subscription required   Ulta Beauty Q1 [...]