Tipsheet: Wgreen CEO @ CNBC | Warren Pushes Toys R Us | Sears ‘Reassures’ Vendors

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CANADA – Recreational pot sales officially started at 12 a.m. on Wednesday through the provincial government’s online portal — www.bccannabisstores.com at Vancouver Sun. Read more

 

…Until yesterday Uruguay was the only country to have legalized the entire value chain for adult recreational use of marijuana at Fortune. Read more

 

…Canada Post workers could begin rotating strikes Monday at CBC News. Read more

 

‘I Urge You to Reconsider:’ Elizabeth Warren Pushes Toys ‘R’ Us to Give Laid-Off Employees Some Serious Severance at Fortune. Read more

 

Walgreens wants to be seen as a health-care company, not just a retailer at CNBC. “So you will see that in a few years our stores will be completely different and will give lot of prominence, even in front of stores, to health and beauty…” Walgreens Boots Alliance CEO Stefano Pessina said Tuesday.” Video/Read more

 

Target Reimagines Toy Experience for the Holidays “…adding nearly a quarter-million square feet of new space for toys across more than 500 stores and will complete remodels of toy departments in more than 100 stores.” Press release

 

Russian e‑commerce could nearly triple in the next five years by Adrien Henni at Internet Retailer. “Despite the growth, a dominant e-commerce player has yet to emerge in Russia…The top four e-commerce companies in Russia currently account for a mere 27% of the market vs. 63% in the USA and 84% in China.” Read more

 

Some of Amazon’s brand-new Mercedes-Benz delivery vans are suffering a mechanical failure by Hayley Peterson at Business Insider. “One Amazon delivery service provider has encountered the power-steering problem in about a quarter of the 40 Mercedes-Benz vans that the company received at a delivery station in early September, according to an employee of the company.” Read more

 

Sears tries to reassure suppliers after bankruptcy filing by Lisa Fickenscher at NY Post. “We do not anticipate any impact to vendor payments,” Chief Financial Officer Robert Riecker wrote in the letter obtained by The Post, adding, “We have sufficient funding for ongoing operations.” Riecker pointed to the $300 million debtor-in-possession financing that Sears got from its lenders to fund its operations and to an additional $300 million in financing that is being negotiated.” Read more

 

Wall Street analysts heard from Walmart executives on Tuesday by Kim Souza at Talk Business. “McMillon also said Walmart has a small advertising agency and there is more growth possible with AdIquity, Flipkart Ads and Walmart Media Group. He also said Walmart has never tried to monetize its massive data holdings, but that’s another opportunity.” Read more

 

…Walmart saves $200 million by changing its light bulbs and $20 million with a new floor wax at CNBC. Read more

 

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We’ve hit peak subscription box by Elizabeth Segran at Fast Company. “There are now 3,500, an increase of 40% from a year before. And a full 47% of subscription boxes launched in the past 12 months…McKinsey has found that in the overcrowded world of subscription boxes, the wheat is now separating from the chaff.” Read more

 

UPS CEO joins former Home Depot chairman on Macy’s board of directors Press release

 

Credit Suisse cautious on home improvement retailers at Seeking Alpha.”Analyst Seth Sigman lowers the price target on Home Depot to $204 from $222 and reduces the PT on Lowe’s to $111 from $115.” Read more

 

Carl Icahn has taken a stake in Dollar Tree by Josh Kosman at NY Post. “Icahn’s plans for the Dollar Tree stake weren’t immediately clear. Reached on Monday, he declined to comment.” Read more

 

Barneys New York Launches Barneys Home and Kids Press release

 

Albertsons launches an online marketplace selling 40,000 food, wellness and household products at Internet Retailer. “By the end of 2018, the site, Albertsons.com/Marketplace, will offer more than 100,000 products.” Read more

 

Greetings, death: Coca-Cola’s marketing slogan backfires badly in New Zealand at CNBC. Read more

 

Beer sold in 77-packs has Maryland’s comptroller accusing Anheuser-Busch of promoting binge drinking by Gina Salamone at NY Daily News. “They’re obviously promoting binge drinking by young people,” Maryland comptroller Peter Franchot said, according to CBS affiliate WUSA9.” Read more

 

Tipsheet Extra Stories

2018 100 best adoption-friendly workplaces list

Worker dies at Macy’s warehouse after 35-foot fall from cargo lift

Police now investigating the $35K left behind in a freezer bought and exchanged through Costco

Apple fixes ‘terrible’ bagel emoji design after social media outrage

Boston – not New York – has the best pizzeria, according to TripAdvisor

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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: eyeonretail.net

Tipsheet: WM/Advance Auto Pair | Amazon Freebies

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Walmart pairs with Advance Auto Parts to create online specialty auto parts store at CNBC. “The partnership will bring home delivery and same-day pickup in both Walmart and Advance stores. The venture will sell common auto parts and accessories, including tires, lube and battery services, online and in its 2,500 Walmart Auto Care Centers nationwide.” Read more

 

Build-a-Bear Workshops are opening at select Walmart stores at USA Today. List of stores

 

Amazon Doles Out Freebies to Juice Sales of Its Own Brands by Spencer Soper at Bloomberg. “Amazon uses Vine extensively to promote a fast-growing assortment of its own private-label products, distributing free samples…But there (is) an important group excluded from the Vine program: independent merchants…” Tiered subs.

 

Albertsons Q2 comp sales +1.0% Press release

 

Apple’s Jony Ive says he still has a lot to do at Apple at CNET. “(Ive), who’s now overseeing Apple Store designs, added that the last thing he learned was how you can connect glass to a structural frame. “We’ve been doing this for a long time, and we’re still surprised and learning so much,” Ive said.” Read more

 

Grainger Q3 revenue +7.4% Press release

 

Walmart cuts earnings outlook for 2019 at CNBC. “…says net sales growth for 2020 will be at least 3 percent and will be hit by changes of operations in Brazil and reduced tobacco sales at Sam’s Club.
It expects net sales to climb about 5 percent internationally.” Read more

 

Petco Names Justin Tichy as Chief Stores Officer Press release

 

The Background Music You Hear May Not Be Licensed by Anne Steele at Wall Street Journal. “Though 88% of all small and medium stores play music either daily or almost every day, less than half say they know there is even a difference between playing music for personal consumption and playing background music at a business.” WSJ subs.

 

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BEZOS: “If big tech companies are going to turn their back on the DoD, this country is going to be in trouble.” at CNN Money. Read more

 

…“This country is a gem. It is amazing. It’s still the best place in the world,” (Bezos) said. “It’s the place where people want to come. There aren’t other countries where everybody is trying to get in — I’d let them in if it were up to me, I like them, I want all of them in. But this is a great country and it does need to be defended.” by Taylor Soper at GeekWire. Read more

 

CVS doesn’t want to leave any ‘white space’ for Amazon to disrupt at CNBC. “What Merlo does worry about is how CVS can meet the needs of its customers, he said Monday in an interview with David Rubenstein, president of the Economic Club of Washington, D.C.” Read more

 

Amazon launches new ‘As Seen on Shark Tank’ online store for 70+ shark-backed products by Nat Levy at GeekWire. “And each Shark Tank-approved company will be considered for Amazon’s Launchpad program, which helps startups launch, market and distribute products.” Read more

 

Wayfair launches new membership program with $29.99 annual fee Press release

 

Figs is Fast Becoming the Warby Parker of Scrubs by Jacob Gallagher at Wall Street Journal. “Figs, a five-year-old startup has upended the medical apparel industry with direct-to-consumer scrubs and splashy marketing campaigns. This year, it’s on track to make $100 million in revenue.” WSJ subs.

 

Instacart raises $600 million at a $7.6 billion valuation at TechCrunch. Read more

 

Walmart’s looking to sell third-party streaming platform subscriptions at The Verge. “Bloomberg says Walmart wants to give its Vudu customers the ability to add on premium services, like HBO Now, Showtime, or Starz. Bloomberg attributes the push to declining DVD sales. Amazon offers a similar service through Channels.” Read more

 

Amazon invests $10 million in Closed Loop Fund, which finances the creation of recycling infrastructure and services in U.S. cities at TechCrunch. Read more

 

Tipsheet Extra Stories

Grocery store refuses to sell Pepsi until drinks giant removes NFL logo

‘Retail is the place to be’ in cannabis, says MedMen CEO

He posed as a federal agent in Best Buy. He’s now a federal inmate in prison.

Drivers cars had to be towed from Kroger after pumping bad fuel

“Tom and Jerry” is expected to be the first live-action hybrid to shoot in 2019

Amazon delivery driver caught on video urinating near front door of home

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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: eyeonretail.net

Tipsheet: Lowe’s CEO on ‘Second Mover Advantage’ | Target Techstars Winner

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Retail sales edged up in Sept amid the biggest drop in spending at restaurants and bars in nearly 2 years at CNBC. “The Commerce Department said on Monday retail sales edged up 0.1 percent last month after a similar gain in August. Economists polled by Reuters had forecast retail sales increasing 0.6 percent in September.” Read more

 

Lowe’s CEO Marvin Ellison sits down for interview by Katherine Peralta at Charlotte Observer. “Ellison that said Lowe’s is testing (same-day/next-day delivery) in select places, but that the company’s supply chain isn’t “mature enough” to roll it out chain-wide. “I call it ‘second mover advantage.’ Sometimes it’s not terrible that you’re behind if you have the capital to catch up quickly,” Ellison said. “So we’re going to learn a lot from our competition. And we’ll be right there with them, if not right in front of them, in a few years.” Tiered subs.

 

Sears files for bankruptcy – will shutter 142 stores toward the end of the year at CNBC. Read more

 

Google is talking to Flipkart about launching its “shopping” tab in India at Fast Company. “One expert that spoke to the Economic Times says the new shopping tab is simply a precursor to Google setting up its own e-commerce marketplace in India.” Read more

 

Walmart acquires Bare Necessities to expand online offerings by Kim Souza at Talk Business. “Noah Wrubel, Bare Necessities co-founder and CEO, will oversee the intimates category across Walmart.com and Jet.com while continuing to run the Bare Necessities business which offers more than 100,000 items from 160 brands.” Read more

 

Visa Among Companies Said to Miss Deadline to Store Indian Data at Bloomberg. Tiered subs.

 

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Retail’s New E-Commerce Headache: Delivering Workers to Warehouses by Erica E. Phillips at Wall Street Journal via Toronto Star. “Amazon has created a corporate team, Amazon Ride, that works with transit agencies…Amazon is fully or partly funding transit services in places including Joliet, Ill., Shakopee, Minn., Robbinsville, N.J., Breinigsville, Pa.” Read more

 

Twin Cities entrepreneurs’ app Runerra gets trial with Target by Catherine Roberts at Star Tribune. “Runerra is one of five companies that presented last week at the accelerator’s DemoDay — basically its graduation ceremony — with a Target offer in hand. “We believe Runerra is the future of connecting our cities and communities,” said Pulgam, who has dropped out of the University of Minnesota so he doesn’t have a “safety net” as he and his partners build the company.” Tiered subs.

 

Walmart reaches $65M settlement with cashiers over seating at Fox Business. “…to settle a class-action lawsuit from roughly 100,000 California-based cashiers who accused the retail giant of failing to provide seating during their shifts.” Read more

 

Walmart Canada spending $175 million to upgrade stores across the country via Financial Post. “The company plans to renovate 23 stores by February 2019…plans to make changes to help its online shopping business such as dedicated parking spaces for online grocery pickup and new areas in stores devoted to online orders.” Tiered subs.

 

Tipsheet Extra Stories

Apple is donating 1,000 watches for a new study to track binge eating

Elon Musk’s Tesla files for a trademark of ‘Teslaquila’

Firefighter seriously hurt battling blaze at Bronx marijuana grow house

Hasselhoff and Heroes: Strange ’80s Concert Lives Up to Its Name

Krebs interviews SVP at the Center for Internet Security re: supply chain security

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Subscribe to Eye on Retail Tipsheet here

 

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Website: www.eyeonretail.net

Tipsheet: Target’s New Incubator | Toxic Jewelry Scare | Wgreen FE -1.9%

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Walmart Expands Entertainment Strategy With Eko Interactive Content Joint Venture by Cynthia Littleton at Variety. “Walmart has made an investment of about $250 million in Eko, a company based in New York and Tel Aviv…The plan calls for W*E to develop a range of content for Walmart’s website and its Vudu video service. Some of that might be branded entertainment and advertising-oriented and some may be purely entertainment based.” Read more

 

Walgreens Q4: front-end comp sales -1.9% / US retail pharmacy comp +0.3% at CNBC. Read more

 

…Walgreens and LabCorp to open 600+ patient centers Press release

 

PayPal will let customers deposit and withdraw cash at Walmart stores at CNBC. “Paypal will start offering deposit and withdrawal services at Walmartstores, the two companies said Thursday. This is the first time PayPal customers will be able to take cash out of their PayPal accounts in a brick-and-mortar store.” Read more | Press release

 

The Department of Justice approves $69 billion proposed merger between health insurer Aetna and CVS – contingent on Aetna selling its Medicare Part D prescription drug business at The Hill. Read more

 

…CVS-Aetna merger still faces New York state hurdle by Josh Kosman at NY Post. “It’s not clear if New York is positioning itself to get more concessions than the DOJ from CVS, or if it wants to derail the deal altogether, a source said.” Read more

 

Toxic metal cadmium found in chain stores’ jewelry for adults at AP via CBS News. “Jewelry with the toxic metal cadmium is showing up on the shelves of national retailers including Ross, Nordstrom Rack and Papaya, according to newly released test results.” Read more

 

The World’s Most Reputable Companies For Corporate Responsibility 2018 by Vicky Valet at Forbes. Top 100 list

 

Target’s newest incubator is looking for ‘save the world’ kind of stuff by Sarah Perez at TechCrunch. “(Target is) adding a fourth business accelerator to the mix with the launch of Target Incubator. The new program is aimed at Gen Z entrepreneurs and its only real require is that the businesses involved are doing some sort of good.” Read more

 

**A message from X1 Ebike – Up to 37 miles on a single charge with a top speed of 23 mph. Folds into the size of a golf bag in 1 second. No license or tag required to use it. GPS tracking, VIN # & alarm for security. Video | Website | Contact

 

Amazon sends letter to Bernie Sanders assuring him that the company’s new $15 minimum wage and pay structure will result in increased compensation for all warehouse workers by Monica Nickelsburg at GeekWire. Read more

 

Walmart files a patent for a shopping cart that reads pulse, temperature by Kim Souza at Talk Business. “The goal of this biometric shopping cart handle is help warn consumers who may be experiencing signs of a serious condition such as stroke or heart-attack.” Read more

 

U.S. Postal Service requests a 5 cent increase to the forever stamp, up to 55 cents at USA Today. Read more

 

…Post Office worker allegedly stole more than $630,000 in stamps to fund gambling at USA Today. Read more

 

Meet The Billionaire Building The Malls Of The Future by Samantha Sharf at Forbes. “The Grove and his nine other lightly mortgaged shopping centers in the area have made (Rick) Caruso worth $4 billion. Caruso hopes his four children, ages 18 to 28, will take over the empire one day. He has hidden likenesses of his kids across his properties—family Easter eggs that the average shopper would never recognize but for which he has great pride.” Read more

 

Warby Parker taps NY celebs for limited edition frame collection Read more

 

DSW acquires Camuto Group at Internet Retailer. “Camuto Group is best known for its Vince Camuto footwear brand, as well as footwear brands Jessica Simpson and Lucky Brand.” Read more

 

Alexa Accelerator Demo Night Highlights by Taylor Soper at GeekWire. “Here’s a rundown of the nine companies that pitched on Tuesday, leading with Jargon, which won our first-ever GeekWire-Ubiquity award, and following with startups listed in pitch order.” Read more

 

Sears skips payments to vendors amid bankruptcy concerns at Reuters. “We went into business with them with our eyes open and knew this day would come one day,” said Arnold Kamler, CEO of Parsippany, New Jersey bike maker Kent International Inc. Kamler said he has withheld a shipment to Sears after it missed a regular payment last week for the first time.” Read more

 

Shopify opens its first brick-and-mortar space in Los Angeles by Jonathan Shieber at TechCrunch. Read more

 

Express launches a clothing rental subscription service “Shoppers can rent three items at a time for $69.95 per month with unlimited exchanges.” at Internet Retailer. Read more

 

Petco Names Michelle Bonfilio as Chief Human Resources Officer Press release

 

Young British people are drinking less alcohol than a decade ago at CNN. “Abstinence (is) becoming “mainstream” among teenagers and young adults, a new study reveals. Researchers found that 29% of 16- to 24-year olds were non-drinkers in 2015, up from 18% in 2005.” Read more

 

Waze launches carpool service at 50 Amazon warehouses as part of nationwide rollout by Nat Levy at GeekWire. Read more

 

REI is hosting used gear swaps in 11 stores across the country on Oct. 27 Press release

 

Tipsheet Extra Stories

Kid Rock Joining Trump & Kanye for White House Music Modernization Act Signing

Design will kill marketing, says Ikea’s former design chief

Notorious BIG’s signature Versace sunglasses are back at Barneys – but not for long

3 Lidl grocery stores to open in N.J. in coming weeks. Here’s where.

Reuters Top 100: The World’s Most Innovative Universities – 2018

Woman who spent $21M on luxury goods must explain to court where money came from

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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: WM Shuffles Execs | Wgreens Cut/Boost | HEB’s New Cafe

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Walmart Reshuffles Senior Execs in E-Commerce, Grocery by Kim Souza at Talk Business. “Steve Breen is moving from eCommerce to the stores team as SVP of central merchandising…promoted Kieran Shanahan to SVP of eCommerce retail for Everyday Living…Ralph Clair was named VP of merchandising operations snacks, beverage and impulse items…Diane Marshall was named VP, divisional merchandise manager of sporting goods.” See more changes

 

Bernie Sanders asks Amazon to clarify whether wage hike will cost workers at Fox Business. Read more

 

Walmart Canada ponders possibility of selling cannabis products by Kristine Owram at Bloomberg via Toronto Star. “As we would for any new industry, Walmart Canada has done some preliminary fact-finding on this issue, but we do not have plans to carry CBD products at this time,” spokeswoman Diane Medeiros said in an email.” Read more

 

Billionaire Bill Ackman discloses new $900M bet on Starbucks at Fox Business. Read more

 

Walgreens cutting some employee benefits after announcing $100M pay boost by Lisa Schencker at Chicago Tribune. “Walgreens is changing the benefits it offers employees and eliminating health insurance for most of its eligible retirees…Starting in 2019, employees…won’t qualify for paid time off unless they work at least 30 hours a week…Currently, employees can qualify for paid time off if they work at least 20 hours a week.” Tiered subs.

 

Lauded New York City chefs ready to launch The Roastery Cafe at HEB by Alaena Hostetter at Eater. “The new venture at 5106 Bissonnet is owned and lead by Jason Giagrande, a former vice president of food operations at corporate giants NBC Universal and Barnes & Noble. He’s launching the concept in Houston with his powerhouse group Four J.” Read more

 

Amazon patents new Alexa feature that knows when you’re ill at The Telegraph. “One example given in the patent is a woman coughing and sniffling while she speaks to her Amazon Echo device. Alexa first suggests some chicken soup to cure her cold, and then offers to order cough drops on Amazon.” Read more

 

Cramer’s ‘power ranking’ for consumer discretionary: 1) Amazon, 2) TJX, 3) Kohl’s, 4) VF Corp, 5) Nike at CNBC. Read more

 

…Costco #2 in consumer staples ‘power ranking’ Read more

 

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Retail industry saw its rate of announced CEO changes among S&P 500 companies rise to nearly 23% last year, from 16% by Andria Cheng at Forbes. Read more

 

Costco Has Considered Video Streaming Service for Executive Members by Jessica Toonkel at The Information. “The retailer has talked to at least two providers of existing streaming services about the possibility of offering such a service free for its “executive” members, people familiar with the matter said. Talks with one of the providers broke down when the two companies couldn’t agree on the terms of the deal, said one of the people.” Subscription

 

Sears arranges financing for a potential bankruptcy filing at CNBC. Read more

 

Bon-Ton Seeks to Join TV Ad Price-Fixing Suit by Maria Armental at Wall Street Journal. “Companies like Sinclair and Tribune own dozens of local TV stations that carry programming from national broadcast networks like ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox and typically compete to win advertising business. But the suits paint a picture in which the companies allegedly coordinated higher prices in certain markets.” WSJ subs.

 

New Lowe’s CEO Marvin Ellison makes first public appearance in Charlotte by Ken Elkins at Charlotte Business Journal. 16 pics/Story subscription

 

Amazon scraps secret AI recruiting tool that showed bias against women by Jeffrey Dastin at Reuters. “In effect, Amazon’s system taught itself that male candidates were preferable. It penalized resumes that included the word “women’s,” as in “women’s chess club captain.” And it downgraded graduates of two all-women’s colleges, according to people familiar with the matter.” Read more

 

7-Eleven announces its first location at a professional sports venue – Texas Motor Speedway Press release

 

Home Depot Names Manuel Kadre to its Board of Directors Press release

 

Google’s smart home sell looks clustered and incoherent by Natasha Lomas at TechCrunch. “What’s the average consumer supposed to make of all this incestuously overlapping, wallet-badgering hardware?! Smartphones at least have clarity of purpose — by being efficiently multi-purposed.” Read more

 

Food Lion announces grand re-openings of 63 Roanoke-area stores Press release

 

Tipsheet Extra Stories

Procter & Gamble granted tariff exemption for razors

Nebraska Furniture Mart name Nora Gomez chief merchandising officer

29 shipping containers are the building blocks for wild-looking new Starbucks

Saks Fifth Avenue Hits Back at Cartier with $55 Million Countersuit

Amazon delivery van carjacked; thief arrested after chase

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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: Kwik Trip #1 for Food | Inside ‘AWS Loft’ Spaces | Target in all 50

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Hurricane Michael anticipated landfall is Wednesday on the northeast Gulf Coast at Miami Herald. Read more 

 

Trump to allow more ethanol in gasoline by Donnelle Eller at Des Moines Register. “E15 is banned during the summer months, based on concerns it contributes to smog, a claim ethanol advocates say is unfounded. Almost all gasoline contains 10 percent ethanol.” Read more

 

Walmart partners with MGM on original programming for Vudu by Sarah Perez at TechCrunch. “The news follows rumors that Walmart was working on its own subscription video-on-demand Netflix competitor, but Vudu says there’s nothing planned on that front for the time being. However, it’s not being ruled out for the future, the company noted.” Read more

 

Second Amazon Go store opens in Chicago, with a third on the way by Nat Levy at GeekWire. “The location at 144 S. Clark St. is the fifth Amazon Go store overall. The 1,200-square-foot store is the smallest one yet. Amazon didn’t give an opening date for the third store at 500 W. Madison St., saying only that it is “coming soon.” This location will be a little bigger at 1,700 square feet.” Read more

 

The VC behind Warby Parker, Glossier, and Jet.com has raised a new $360 million fund by Stephanie Mehta at Fast Company. “In 2012…you could get some early traction on a relatively small amount of money. I’m not saying that’s not true now, but if you look forward six years later, there are more startups, more money coming into the ecosystem, the job market has gotten tighter, the competition for talent has become greater, the costs are higher, and the bar is higher for meeting new milestones.” Read more

 

Capital One says it will lay off more than 150 who work on Cabela’s credit cards by Brad Davis at Omaha World-Herald. “In June, about 450 people had been working in Lincoln, servicing the customers of the Cabela’s CLUB card.” Read more

 

These 10 market trends turned wellness into a $4.2 trillion global industry by Rina Raphael at Fast Company. “The Global Wellness Institute (GWI) said this weekend that the wellness market, which encompasses everything from boutique fitness gyms to day spas, is now valued at a whopping $4.2 trillion, having grown 12.8% in the last two years. The industry now represents 5.3% of global economic output.” Read more

 

Ace Hardware Wants You to Know It’s Proud to Not Be a Big-Box Store by Robert Klara at Adweek. Subscription

 

Target finally makes it into Vermont, can claim presence in all 50 states by Martin Moylan at MPR News. “The store opens Oct. 21 in South Burlington. And it’s much smaller than the typical Target…The store will be 60,000 square feet.” Read more

 

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CNBC unveils its annual list of 100 promising start-ups to watch Read more

 

dunnhumby: Kwik Trip and Wawa are Top Rated Retailers for Food in the U.S. C-store, Dollar & Drug Channels “The top ten retailers with the highest consumer preference index scores are: 1) Kwik Trip, 2) Wawa, 3) Quik Trip, 4) Speedway, 5) CVS, 6) Sheetz, 7) Cumberland Farms, 8) Walgreens, 9) Dollar Tree, 10) Turkey Hill.” Press release

 

Sheetz Welcomes Stephanie Wilkes to Board of Directors Press release

 

Chicago: Treasure Island workers protest loss of wages, health benefits by Greg Trotter at Chicago Tribune. “A few dozen former Treasure Island Foods workers chanted and marched down North Broadway on Monday morning, demanding pay and benefits they say they are owed after being laid off recently from the longtime grocery chain.” Tiered subs.

 

FAO Schwarz makes international push and plans return to New York ahead of first Christmas without Toys R Us at CNBC. Read more

 

Amazon’s other brick-and-mortar move: Inside the growing network of ‘AWS Loft’ co-working spaces by Todd Bishop at GeekWire. “This is the AWS Loft in San Francisco, part of a growing network of physical locations where the public cloud leader connects with its customers. The spaces are free to use as long as you have an AWS account.” Read more

 

SpartanNash announces promotion of Joseph McQuesten to SVP Center Store and Fresh Merchandising Press release

 

As of Monday, there have been 57 cases of flea-borne typhus in Los Angeles County at CNN. Read more

 

Tipsheet Extra Stories

Yellowstone geyser barfs up ‘strange’ garbage dating back to the 1930s

Need to Flee Venezuela? Pay Huge Bribe or Stand in Line Forever

With Chrome 70, hundreds of popular websites are about to break

Gas station owner imposes ban on customers warming urine in microwave

Ozzy Osbourne still hospitalized for two infections in one hand

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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: Chicago Prepares for Protests | Costco +7.2% | Lowe’s Interim CFO

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Costco Q4 comp sales (ex gas & f/x) +7.2% “Net sales for the 16-week fourth quarter were $43.4 billion, an increase of 5.0 percent from $41.4 billion in the 17-week fourth quarter last year.” Press release

 

…Costco Falls After Reporting Problem With IT Systems in Results by Matthew Boyle at Bloomberg. “Costco’s information-technology problem, which roiled its bookkeeping and sent the stock tumbling on Thursday, was tied to workers getting access to financial data after they should have been cut off. While a company official was cryptic on their call with analysts, Costco later said that it has hired outside experts to check for any signs of meddling.” Tiered subs.

 

Mattress Firm files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection at CNBC. Read more

 

Chicago retailers brace for potential protests as jury deliberates in Officer Jason Van Dyke’s murder trial by Ryan Ori & Ally Marotti at Chicago Tribune. “The Magnificent Mile Association sent an email out to its roughly 700 members Wednesday…The police bulletin urged readers to secure items that can cause damage, like patio chairs, tables and trash containers, and make sure doors are locking as expected.” Tiered subs.

 

Lowe’s shares fall after naming interim CFO by Sue Chang at MarketWatch. “…(Lowe’s) has appointed Tiffany Mason as interim chief financial officer, effective Oct. 5. She will hold the position until David Denton, who was named CFO in late August, joins the company.” Read more

 

Bernie goes easy on Bezos for slashing stock options at Fox Business. “Our understanding is that the vast majority of Amazon workers are going to see wage increases, including some very significant increases as the minimum wage goes up to $15 an hour,” Sanders said in a statement to FOX Business.” Read more

 

…Next Stop – McDonalds! at CNN Business. “If McDonald’s raised the minimum wage to $15 an hour and respected the constitutional rights of your workers to form a union, it would set an example for the entire fast food industry to follow,” Sanders wrote in a letter addressed to (CEO Steve) Easterbrook.” Read more

 

One month in, Petco has 2,000 subscribers to its pet advice service by Ilyse Liffreing at Digiday. “It’s a learning platform for us to understand how pet parents want to engage with a partner, not just a retailer,” said (Tariq) Hassan. Right now, the only PetCoach store is in San Marcus and has three vets on staff,  but Hassan said Petco has plans to build out and test more locations. The online site receives 2.5 million visitors a month and has 100 vets available online.” Read more

 

Target is back to its ‘cheap chic’ roots, but the retailer has to keep the momentum going by Lauren Thomas at CNBC. “Nestled inside Target’s Minneapolis headquarters, racks of unfinished clothes line the walls. In another area, sketches and splotches of color are hung up for inspiration. Walk down the hallway, and it looks like you’ve arrived at an HGTV set…About 550 employees work together to bring roughly 40 private labels…to life.” Read more

 

Walmart is testing a new floor-scrubbing robot in 78 stores by Hayley Peterson at Business Insider. “The robot scrubs store floors, taking over a job that previously took Walmart employees about two hours daily to complete, the company said in a blog post. Walmart will soon deploy the robot, dubbed Auto-C, to more than 360 US stores.” Read more

 

Gap Appoints Three New Members to Its Board “Amy Bohutinsky, COO of Zillow Group Inc., John Fisher, Co-Founder and General Partner of Sansome Partners, and Lexi Reese, COO of Gusto.” Press release

 

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Postmates Unlimited lowers min order size for free delivery from $20 to $15 at TechCrunch. Read more

 

Online Orders Force Supermarkets to Rethink Their Stores by Heather Haddon at Wall Street Journal. “Smart & Final Inc. has made some changes lately that would seem like near-heresy for a supermarket: …(removing) racks of snacks and other profitable impulse purchases near the doors of some stores and instead installed freezers there…The freezers will serve as pickup points for customers who order their groceries online and may never go any farther into the store.” WSJ subs.

 

Square launches a new service that will allow its small business sellers to offer financing to their customers at TechCrunch. Read more

 

BuzzFeed is opening a quirky toy store in NYC this fall by Lori Weiss at NY Post. “The project is being advised by New York branding guru Rachel Shechtman. That’s despite the fact that Shechtman founded Story, a trendy store at 144 Tenth Ave. in Chelsea’s High Line District that follows a similar strategy, albeit catering to teens and millennials with a rotating assortment of stylish accessories. Story was acquired in May by Macy’s.“ Read more

 

The best times for retail brands to post on social media by Rachael Samuels at Internet Retailer. “Facebook: Thursday at 2 p.m. and Friday at 11 a.m…Instagram: Saturday at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m…Twitter: Saturday at 1 p.m.” Read more

 

Tipsheet Extra Stories

Wind farms cause global warming

Will anti-straw forces take down the Big Gulp?

Apple (finally) contracts police to guard stores against ring of thieves

London Underground stations are getting vending machines that’ll clean your clothes

Reputed mobster shot dead in McDonald’s drive-thru

Downtown LA Hit With Outbreak Of Flea-Borne Typhus

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: McKenna’s “TNTs” | Wgreen/Birchbox Team | Amazon $15 Trickery?

/in

 

BETTER OFF? – Amazon eliminates monthly bonuses and stock grants after minimum wage increase at The Verge. “Currently, warehouse workers get two shares of Amazon stock when they’re hired ($1,952.76 per share as of writing), and an additional stock option each year. After the changes take effect, the RSU program will be phased out for stocks that vest in 2020 and 2021, and it will be replaced with a direct stock purchase plan by the end of next year.” Read more

 

Walgreens takes minority stake in digital makeup company Birchbox at CNBC. “Walgreens will experiment with adapting the concept to some of its stores, stocking shelves with more “prestige” makeup brands, dedicating 400 to 1,000 square feet of space to Birchbox and allowing customers to “build your own Birchbox” at Walgreens.” Read more

 

…Birchbox just gave the Walgreens beauty aisle a 21st-century makeover by Elizabeth Segran at Fast Company. “…at 11 flagship Walgreens locations over the next few months. In December, the first six stores will open in New York City, Chicago, Los Angeles, and Minneapolis, and then in early 2019, five more stores will open in Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles, and Miami.” Read more

 

TNTs – Walmart International CEO Judith McKenna sweats the small stuff by Claire Zillman at Fortune. “…McKenna still sweats the small stuff—”TNTs,” as she calls them, for tiny, noticeable things. “What makes a difference sometimes is not big things but TNTs,”. An encouraging note, a congratulatory phone call, conversations with behind-the-scenes workers—those gestures can “make a real difference,” McKenna said.” 1:49 video/Read more

 

EBay accuses Amazon of ‘unlawful’ merchant poaching at CNBC. “We have uncovered an unlawful and troubling scheme on the part of Amazon to solicit eBay sellers to move to Amazon’s platform,” eBay said in a statement. “We have demanded that Amazon end its unlawful activity and we will take the appropriate steps, as needed, to protect eBay.” Read more

 

…eBay CEO: ‘I want to get as far away from Amazon as I can’ and stand for something different by Nat Levy at GeekWire. “Speaking at the GeekWire Summit, Wenig said the e-commerce world is big enough for a number of players, including both Amazon and eBay. He doesn’t view Amazon as a direct competitor, and wants eBay to continue to develop its own identity.” Read more

 

Pier 1 Q2 Comp Sales -11.4% Press release

 

How Toys ‘R’ Us plans to make its comeback by Lisa Fickenscher at NY Post. “The long-necked company mascot (Geoffrey the Giraffe) was spotted at the Fall Toy Preview in Dallas promoting the bankrupt retailer’s plans to open store-in-a-store concept shops this fall under the Geoffrey’s Toy Box nameplate…The first stores will open in November, likely within a large Midwest retailer, according to a report in The Toy Book, a trade publication.” Read more

 

Barnes & Noble may be preparing to put itself up for sale by Carleton English at NY Post. “One of those suitors is none other than Barnes & Noble founder and Chairman Leonard Riggio, who has a 19.2 percent stake in the company, including shares held by his foundation.” Read more | Press release

 

Neiman Marcus in talks with lenders for debt overhaul at Bloomberg via Reuters. Read more

 

GameStop Faces Fresh Headwind With Walmart Jumping Into Collectibles at Bloomberg. “Walmart announced it is rolling out its own dedicated section of “collectibles,”…partnering with Loot Crate, a collectibles subscription service, McFarlane Toys and CultureFly. They’ll also sell Funko merchandise — an area where GameStop is counted as one of the toy manufacturer’s top retailers.” Tiered subs. | Press release

 

Forbes 400: The Definitive Ranking Of The Wealthiest Americans (Bezos #1, Menard, Jr. #41) Ranked list

 

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Vanity Fair: The 2018 New Establishment List (Bezos #2) Top 100 list

 

Home Depot 2018 Innovation Award Winners “Overall Winner: Makita Sub Compact Program…First Runner Up: LifeProof Slip Resistant Tile…Second Runner Up: Halo Color Selectable LED Downlight Retrofits.” Press release

 

Tom Ward, vice president of digital operations at Walmart U.S speaks to supplier community by Kim Souza at Talk Business. “Walmart recently installed a robotic order picking system known as Alphabot in a store in Salem, N.H. Over the past 18 months, Walmart has helped Alert Technology develop the Alphabot technology to fully automate the order picking process.” Read more

 

CVS Pledges To Keep Aetna In Hartford For At Least 10 Years at NY Daily News. Read more

 

Bed Bath & Beyond Is Missing Out on Retail Rally by Suzanne Kapner at Wall Street Journal. “Their stores look the same as they did decades ago—cluttered,” said Cristina Fernández, a senior research analyst at Telsey Advisory Group…A basket of 50 items sold on Bed Bath & Beyond’s website in August was 16.2% more expensive than an identical basket sold by Amazon.com.” WSJ subs.

 

Serta owner may look to acquire Mattress Firm if it goes bankrupt by Josh Kosman at NY Post. Read more

 

NRF Forecasts Holiday Sales Will Increase Between 4.3 and 4.8 Percent Press release

 

Wayfair will launch two holiday pop-up shops on November 1 Press release

 

Philly: 1 killed, 4 injured in drive-by shooting outside Dollar General store at WPVI ABC 6 News. “Using chisels and saws, detectives worked to remove bullets lodged in trees, after they said at least 18 shots were fired around 2:30 p.m. Wednesday.” Video/Read more

 

Tipsheet Extra Stories

Bass Pro employee dies from brain-eating amoeba

Walmart recalls 246,000 axes after learning the heads can fly off while in use

Apple, Amazon deny Bloomberg report on Chinese hardware attack

Best Buy Appoints Cindy Kent to Board of Directors

The luxury sector is growing faster than many others and Gucci is in the lead

Popeyes serves up chicken wings coated in 24-karat gold batter

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