Tipsheet: JCP Jill | H.Dep Innovation Seal | M.Firm Bankrupt?

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Home Depot plays up innovative products with new seal by Adrianne Pasquarelli at Ad Age. “The award, given annually, highlights 10 products that create more value and convenience in the home improvement space for customers…Each item will be marked with the seal online beginning Oct. 2; in-store customers will see the label next month.” Tiered subs.

 

JC Penney taps former Joann Stores chief Jill Soltau as its CEO at CNBC. “Prior to working at fabric and crafts retailer Joann stores, Soltau was a chief merchandising officer at Shopko Stores. She also has worked for Sears and Kohl’s.” Read more

 

…Joann Stores President & CEO Jill Soltau will resign immediately Press release

 

…will receive a one-time cash signing bonus of $6 million…Her base salary was set at $1.4 million a year. at Wall Street Journal. Subscription

 

Walmart plans to acquire plus-sized fashion startup Eloquii for $100 million by Jason Del Rey at Recode. “The Eloquii brand was first created by traditional retailer The Limited in 2011 but was discontinued just 18 months later. A team of employees, with the help of an outside investor, bought the brand and relaunched it in 2014.” Read more

 

Mattress Firm planning bankruptcy filing as soon as this week at Reuters. “…as it seeks to exit costly store leases and shore up its business, people familiar with the matter said on Tuesday.” Read more

 

BEZOS SILENCES BERNIE – Bernie Sanders on Amazon: ‘I want to give credit where credit is due’ at Yahoo Finance. Read more

 

Gump’s bankruptcy auction will take place on October 17, 2018 at 10:00 a.m. Pacific time Press release

 

Amazon quietly ends its year-old Instant Pickup program that was supposed to be like a better vending machine by Dennis Green at Business Insider. “Customers could order items like snacks, drinks, and basic essentials from the Amazon app and use a barcode to access their purchase at designated Pickup locations. An Amazon employee would fill an Instant Pickup locker within minutes of the order being placed.” Read more

 

25 most popular stores in America (Target #7, Lowe’s #18, Kroger #24) via USA Today. List

 

**A message from X1 Ebike – Up to 37 miles on a single 4-hour charge and 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

 

Parents Magazine Announces Best Children’s Books List (“Do Not Lick This Book”) Press release

 

How Ring got on Amazon’s radar before $1B acquisition by Taylor Soper at GeekWire. “It was working with them for a long time and building real relationships,” (Ring founder) Siminoff explained. “We realized Amazon had a very similar culture to Ring. Amazon’s core tenant is to start from the customer and work backwards.” Read more

 

Toys ‘R’ Us debtholders plan to bring back ‘iconic’ brand – plan to open stores in US by Lisa Fickenscher at NY Post. Read more

 

How to Reach Chinese Consumers? Market in Australia by Mike Cherney at Wall Street Journal. “The Chinese buyers in Australia are called “daigou,”…That role has evolved from students or tourists who sent home the occasional package to people who do it as a part-time or full-time job, reaping often hefty profit margins.” WSJ subs.

 

Nielsen Brandbank chosen to join Walmart’s Connected Content Partner Program Press release

 

Restaurants in Austin banned from throwing away food by Avery Anapol at The Hill. “Businesses can dispose of their food waste by donating extra food, giving scraps to local farms for animals, or composting…Official city data shows that 37 percent of material sent to landfills is organic.” Read more

 

Ex-Rite Aid exec pleads guilty in $5 million kickback scheme by Myles Snyder at ABC 27 News. “James Pilsner, a former vice president for advertising, approved inflated invoices and received a significant portion of Rite Aid’s payments to Nuvision.” Read more

 

Man, 81, tried to buy woman’s 8-year-old daughter for $200,000 at Walmart store at Newsweek. “The first amount was $100,000, the second amount was $150,000 and then the final amount was $200,000,” Nigh said. “I then said ‘no, we have to go.’” When the pair then tried to leave, the suspect grabbed the girl’s arm and kissed her wrist, police added.” Read more

 

Tipsheet Extra Stories

42% of all so-called “power gamers” are parents

DxE Occupies Amazon Chicken Supplier To Treat ‘Sick, Starving’ Birds

Walmart files WARN letter on closing return center in Bentonville

Impatient patients turn to online ‘buyers club’ for new drugs

Apple’s Wallet makes room for college student IDs

Tulsans get their first taste of full-strength beer

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Tipsheet: Kroger/Wgreens Partner | 7-11/Taco Bell Exclusive | Best Beer City

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Kroger and Walgreens to collaborate on exploratory pilot at CNBC. “Kroger and Walgreens are exploring a partnership to offer customers a new service that allows them to pick up groceries ordered online at Kroger at certain Walgreens locations, the two retailers announced Tuesday. The two are testing the concept at 13 Walgreens stores in Northern Kentucky, near Kroger’s Cincinnati headquarters.” Read more

 

Amazon raising its minimum wage for all U.S. workers to $15 an hour, effective November 1 by Anthony Ha at TechCrunch. Read more

 

Stitch Fix shares crater as revenue, active clients miss estimates at CNBC. “Stitch Fix said active clients grew 25 percent from a year ago to 2.7 million by the end of the fiscal fourth quarter, while analysts were calling for 2.81 million, according to StreetAccount. Stitch Fix also on Monday announced its expansion into the U.K., which is expected to happen by the end of next year.” Read more

 

‘They want us to be robots’: Whole Foods workers fear Amazon’s changes by Michael Sainato at The Guardian. “No one trusts Amazon and there are fears in upper management that Amazon will clean house if sales rates aren’t hit,” said one of the founders of the Whole Worker community in an interview. Staff are reluctant to speak on the record for fear of retaliation.” Read more

 

Canadian companies confused by new USMCA trade deal:

 

…Canada ‘caved’ on intellectual property issues: trade deal critics by James McLeod at Vancouver Sun. “The U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) lengthens copyright protection by 20 years, forbids governments from enacting data localization laws, and extends patent protection on cutting-edge drugs in a way that will increase costs for the Canadian health-care system, among other provisions.” Read more

 

…Canadian Tire: “As part of yesterday’s USMCA announcement, the federal government will reduce import and sales taxes for foreign retailers by raising the de minimis threshold…Canadian Tire expects and, frankly, assumes that the federal government will create a level playing field by extending the same treatment to Canadian retailers.” Press release

 

…eBay: “As we understand it right now, the Canadian de minimis provision in the USMCA applies only to shipments made by private courier; it does nothing to change the 30-year-old threshold for postal shipments. As such, it is a failure for Canadian taxpayers.  Press release

 

Inside Amazon 4-Star at Field Agent. “Over the weekend, Field Agent dispatched 15 agents to Amazon 4-Star to collect photos, capture video, and, basically, give us the tour of Amazon’s new digs.” Video/Read more

 

Q&A: Walmart’s Frank Yiannas on the use of blockchain for food safety by Lucas Mearian at Computerworld. Q&A

 

**A message from the Megaphone sound enhancing case – Don’t tolerate average smart phone sound! No wires or batteries, boosts sound 2X and filters the sound for a smoother “stereo” listening experience. Website/Video | Sample

 

Camping World Promotes Brent Moody to President Press release

 

Accenture: Millennials Likely to Be the Biggest Spenders This Holiday Season “Nearly four times as many younger millennials compared to baby boomers (49 percent versus 13 percent) said they plan to spend more this holiday season.” Press release

 

CMO Next 2018: The Full List Of 50 Chief Marketers (Old Navy, Boxed, Wayfair, Amazon Fashion) by Jenny Rooney at Forbes. List

 

The Best Beer City in the World by Kate Krader at Bloomberg. “Based on his research, Bjergsø has a surprising pick as the world’s best beer city: It’s not London or Munich or even the craft beer mecca San Diego; it’s New York.” Tiered subs.

 

Hibbett launches reserve and buy online, pick up in store at all locations by April Berthene at Internet Retailer. Read more

 

The Mooch wants to help laid-off Toys ‘R’ Us workers by Lisa Fickensher at NY Post. “His hedge fund, SkyBridge, an investor in a company that invested in Toys ‘R’ Us’ debt, wants the firm to fork over some cash to a hardship fund for laid-off workers.” Read more

 

Target is first brick & mortar retailer to carry the web-hatched Quip toothbrush at Bloomberg via Internet Retailer. Read more

 

Amazon’s ‘Free Dive’ Ad-Supported TV Streaming Service to Launch as Early as This Week, Report Says at Fortune. Read more

 

Taco Bell’s Diablo sauce now comes as a tortilla chip and is exclusive to 7-Eleven via CNBC. “… its new, limited-edition Diablo Tortilla Chips are exclusively available at participating 7-Eleven stores nationwide through Oct. 31. After that, they will roll out to additional grocery and convenience stores through November.” Read more

 

Tipsheet Extra Stories

The Top 10 Rising Cities For Startups

The Most Dangerous Celebrity Online Is Revealed

‘Mosquito-pocalypse is in full effect’ in North Carolina

Aldi set to open Oct. 18 in Walmart’s Bentonville back yard

It’s going to be an Instagram Christmas

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Tipsheet:

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This is the beginning of the end for Lord & Taylor’s flagship store by Lisa Fickenscher at NY Post. “The upscale retailer’s 104-year-old flagship store at 424 Fifth Ave. — New York City’s oldest — is set to launch a final “store closing” sale on Thursday that will hawk deals on fashions and accessories throughout the holidays before the store shuts down for good.” Read more

 

These retailers will be closed on Thanksgiving at CNBC. Long list

 

Amazon Enters Bed Market With Low-Cost Basic Foam Mattress by Spencer Soper at Bloomberg. “The AmazonBasics foam mattress, starting at $130, was spotted Friday by TJI Research…Amazon’s furniture brands already included bed frames and bedding, but this is the first Amazon-branded mattress, according to TJI.” Tiered subs.

 

JCPenney CFO Jeffrey Davis left to become CFO at Qurate Retail Group, which owns QVC, HSN & Zulily by Lisa Fickenscher at NY Post. Read more

 

…JCPenney has been without a CEO since June 1 by Tatyana Shumsky at Wall Street Journal. “The retailer must finalize its CEO pick before it can turn to filling the CFO spot, said Peter Crist, chairman for executive recruiter Crist|Kolder.” WSJ subs.

 

Best Buy stocked an unannounced Chromecast ahead of Google’s hardware event at TechCrunch. “The cashier wasn’t able to scan the item because it wasn’t in the system yet. The release date was labeled October 9 — the same day as the 2018 Google hardware event. “But since I already had it in my hand and was the same price as the 2nd generation Chromecast, they let me have it under the old SKU,” the post read.” Read more

 

Canada, US confirm new deal with Mexico updating NAFTA at Fox Business. Read more

 

**A message from BK Resources – The Best Kept secret for commercial and food service kitchen equipment. Leading supplier of stainless steel: commercial faucets, sinks, work tables, bar equipment, ice bins and more. Catalog | Website | Contact

 

Chicago’s Beloved Treasure Island Grocery Chain Will Close All Six Stores by Micheline Maynard at Forbes. “Julia Child once described the chain as “America’s Most European Supermarket.” Treasure Island was upscale, with a locally focused approach, years before similar shopping trends swept the country.” Read more

 

Amazon’s new 4-star-product store in NYC is like a mini-Target by Jimmy Im at CNBC. “…unfortunately, for me, “Top Selling” didn’t necessarily translate to cool or interesting. Many of the products seemed to be things you could just as easily find at Target or Walmart.” Read more

 

…The giant Roomba installation eats up a fair amount of floor space. You’re telling me iRobot isn’t paying Amazon a hefty sum for that exposure? by Chris Welch at The Verge. Pics/Read more

 

In holiday ‘war for talent,’ retailers offer turkey dinners and haircut deals to lure temp workers by Abha Bhattarai at Washington Post. “Nationally, retailers say they plan to pay as much as 54 percent more than they did a year ago…They are increasingly offering a chance at other perks, too: $500 gift cards at Target, all-expenses-paid vacations to Miami and New York, as well as $5,000 “prize packages” at J.C. Penney….Gap and Old Navy are advertising employee discounts of 50 percent, as well as backup child care and free flu shots.” Tiered subs.

 

…Retailers tout big hiring plans this holiday season, but workers will be hard to find at CNBC. “Roughly 23 percent of retailers weren’t able to hire all the temporary workers they wanted for the 2017 holiday season, according to new Korn Ferry report.” Read more

 

Target’s new fashion line goes a different route by Charisse Jones at USA Today. “Target is about to launch one of its signature limited collections. But rather than its typical team-up with a celebrity or haute label such as Victoria Beckham or Missoni, Target’s new fashion collaboration for the first time will be with a nonprofit.” Read more

 

Nearly a quarter of US households own a smart speaker, according to Nielsen by Micah Singleton at The Verge. Read more

 

Harley-Davidson to sell apparel, riding gear on Amazon at CNBC. “Previously, customers could only purchase Harley apparel and riding gear from the company’s website or licensed dealerships.” Read more

 

Indonesians Loot Markets After Tsunami Creates Shortage Of Food, Water at NDTV. “Men and women made off with plastic bin bags and baskets full of biscuits, crisps, nappies, gas canisters, tissue paper and more. “There has been no aid, we need to eat. We don’t have any other choice, we must get food,” shouted one man. “We are in a crisis,” cried another.” Pics/Read more

 

South Korean cookie shop sold Costco desserts as store-made at UPI. “The roll cakes were hand-baked at our store at first, but we made the wrong choice as the orders surged,” said Mimi Cookie in an apology statement, according to Korea Joongang Daily.” Read more

 

Health officials seek woman who delivered rabies-infested bat to Target employees at Fox 40 News. “…she placed the bat in a Starbucks cup before bringing it into the store and giving it to two employees…The bat bit one of the Target employees, who has now received a rabies vaccination. The other employee has also been treated.” Video/Read more

 

Tipsheet Extra Stories

Two people are shot – one a child – when gunman opens fire in Indiana Walmart

Washington state man gets prison for overharvesting sea cucumbers

Vintage baseball jerseys are red hot – four favorites up for auction

Ex-Amazon engineers raise $18M to prove that companies will pay to have someone crash their apps

‘Babylon Berlin’ Is the Biggest Drama Launch on German TV in 2018

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

 

Website: www.eyeonretail.net

Tipsheet: Target CMO Owns It | Lowe’s Eyes H.Dep Playbook | Pilot J Prez in Jail

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Target CMO Says NYC Opening That Went Viral for the Wrong Reasons Made It Rethink Its Strategy by Diana Pearl at Adweek. “Our intention was to celebrate the community,” (Rick) Gomez said. But in trying to do so, the team realized it had “made a big mistake” because it had “tried to be the community rather than being Target.” After coming to that realization, Target came out with an apology.” Tiered subs.

 

J.C.Penney CFO Jeffrey Davis Departs by Paul O’Donnell at Dallas Morning News. “…the Penney announcement didn’t specify where Davis is going…the third C-suite executive to leave the 114-year-old retailer this year.” Tiered subs.

 

Former Pilot Flying J president sentenced to more than 12​​​​​​​ years in prison, fined $750K by Jamie Satterfield at Knoxville News Sentinel via USA Today. “The motive was hubris – his competitiveness … his desire to capture more market share for Pilot,” (Judge) Collier said. …”This degree of commandeering … the court is not aware of any reported case where such a situation has happened.” Read more

 

Lowe’s new CEO plans to ‘replicate Home Depot playbook’ by Lisa Fickenscher at NY Post. “Lowe’s has suffered from “self-inflicted mistakes,” (Marvin) Ellison told analysts at a closed-door meeting this week. Customers are too often told that merchandise is out of stock or reps are unable to locate whether a store has an item…Lowe’s also lacks local merchandise, Ellison said.” Read more

 

Ricker’s c-stores set to be purchased by Giant Eagle by Justin Mack at Indy Star. “The GetGo and Ricker’s brands are poised to join forces by year’s end…(not) immediately clear if Ricker’s will be rebranded as GetGo stores…Ricker’s operates 56 stores in Indiana, and is slated to open its 57th store soon.” Read more

 

N.J. PLASTIC (& PAPER) POLICE – Bag and straw ban would be the strictest in the nation by Michael Sol Warren at NJ Advance Media. “The proposal would ban stores from handing out single-use plastic shopping bags, plastic drinking straws and polystyrene food containers (like foam takeout clamshells) from being used in New Jersey. The bill would also create a 10-cent fee on single-use paper bags, which would finance a new “Plastic Pollution Prevention Fund.” Read more

 

Inside Amazon’s New 4-Star Store at CNBC. Pics/Read more

 

Publix to expand HQ in Lakeland, FL adding 700 new jobs by Andrea Lyon at WFTS ABC News. “Florida state incentives require Publix to add a certain number of jobs each year until the year 2027…They are looking to add on about 190,000 additional square feet to the present structure in Lakeland.” Pics/Read more

 

**A message from Kidibul – The festive, bubbly beverage made for kids’ parties! 100% natural & sparkling juice in a champagne type bottle with natural cork & wire to pop. Website | PowerPoint | Samples: info@eyeonretail.net

 

Raley’s Elevates Keith Knopf to President & CEO Press release

 

Rare blue Amazon locker inside Chase Bank signals tech giant’s latest physical expansion by Taylor Soper at GeekWire. “…this one has Chase branding — “Even more 24/7 convenience from Chase,” reads the wording on the kiosk, with the Chase logo just beneath. The branch is open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekdays, but the locker is accessible 24/7 for those who have a Chase card.” Pic/Read more

 

Nordstrom Local Opens Two More Locations in LA by Jefferson Graham at USA Today. Read more

 

Michaels expands kids’ crafting section in bid to win sales left behind by Toys R Us by Sarah Whitten at CNBC. “We call it creative play,” CEO Chuck Rubin told CNBC. “It’s kind of a variation of the toy market.” Read more

 

Top Amazon recruiting executive: Don’t be afraid to say ‘I don’t know’ in a job interview by Nat Levy at GeekWire. “Amazon likes to empower people to make tough calls…This, Williams said, comes into play with a concept called one-way doors and two-way doors…Two-way doors are smaller decisions where the company can always walk back through the door and reverse them. With one-way doors, there’s no turning back…” Read more

 

Tipsheet Extra Stories

NYC Airport Workers to Receive Top Minimum Wage: $19 an Hour

Boy Scouts issue recall of 110,000 neckerchief slides due to high lead levels

Tim Hortons seeks to shut down ‘Tim Hottens’ knock-off restaurant

Secret Service Warns of Surge in ATM ‘Wiretapping’ Attacks

Amazon Sued Over Use of Artist’s Work in ‘Suspiria’

DJ Khaled buys $26 million Miami Beach home from inventor of ‘Baby on Board’ sign

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Tipsheet: Rite Aid +1% | Amazon’s ‘Anti-Union’ Video |

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FDA wants to start naming retailers during food recalls to help consumers by Zlati Meyer at USA Today. “The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is issuing a draft of rules about when retail information should be part of a food recall announcement, according to a notice published in the Federal Register on Wednesday.” Read more

 

Rite Aid Q2 comp sales +1% : +1.6% in pharmacy sales and -0.1% in front-end sales at CNBC. Read more

 

Amazon was back in Chicago last month, as its search for HQ2 narrows by Ally Marotti & Ryan Ori at Chicago Tribune. “In mid-August, members of Amazon’s HQ2 site selection team made the return visit to Related Midwest’s 62-acre planned development, called The 78, according to sources familiar with the visit.” Tiered subs.

 

Home Depot Expands Same-Day Delivery to Keep Up With Shoppers by Matthew Townsend at Bloomberg. “…aided by startups Roadie Inc. and Deliv Inc. in its top 35 metro markets, online orders made before noon of about 20,000 products — everything from Halloween decorations to power tools — can arrive by van or car the same day, starting at a cost of $8.99.” Tiered subs. | Press release

 

Amazon unveils new brick and mortar concept — Amazon 4-star — featuring highly rated items by Nat Levy at GeekWire. “The first location…will be in New York City’s SoHo neighborhood…Throughout the store there are features like “Most-Wished-For,” a collection of products that are most added to Amazon.com Wish Lists; “Trending Around NYC,” hot products that NYC-area customers are buying on Amazon.com; “Frequently Bought Together”; and “Amazon Exclusives.” Read more

 

Bed Bath & Beyond Q2 comp sales -0.6% (vs. expected +0.3%) Press release

 

…Bed Bath & Beyond falls 15% after earnings miss at CNBC. “Sales were flat at $2.94 billion, less than expected $2.96 billion. For the sixth straight quarter, same-store sales declined.” Read more

 

LYING, CHEATING RATS – Amazon Sends ‘Anti-Union’ Training Video to Whole Foods Team Leaders by Erin Corbett at Fortune. “The narrator goes on to say, “We are not anti-union, but we are not neutral either,” according to the report…In a tweet on Wednesday, (Gizmodo reporter) Menegus wrote, “‘Unions are lying, cheating rats’ is a wild sentence for Amazon to have included in their manager training video.” Read more

 

Amazon General Counsel Testifies Before Senate by Monica Nickelsburg. “In rare public remarks on how Amazon treats consumer data, the company’s general counsel, Andrew DeVore, cautioned senators to ensure that the regulations actually accomplish the goal of consumer protection.” Read more

 

Instacart to transform Toronto office into tech hub and hire 200 employees via Toronto Star. Read more

 

**A message from Real Coconut Water – Brazilian Coconut Water is Sweeter & Tastes Better. Make the switch to Organic. PL or branded programs available. Sell sheet | Website | Samples: info@eyeonretail.net

 

Bay Area Apple stores blitzed and robbed 9 times in 1 month. by Michelle Robertson at SF Gate. “Since mid-May there have been at least 21 run-and-grab thefts at Apple stores in California…many offenders seem to be aware of the “hands-off” policy for store security.” Tiered subs.

 

Amazon made two preliminary approaches for British online food delivery company Deliveroo at Reuters. Read more

 

Fancy South Korean grocer PK Market to open first U.S. store in downtown L.A. by Roger Vincent at LA Times. “PK Market, which also sells prepared foods to go, is expected to be a competitor for Whole Foods Market and other high-end grocers in the region. The South Korean grocer has leased the first three floors of the former Ville de Paris store at 7th and Olive streets.” Tiered subs.

 

Meijer receives a top score of 100 percent on the Disability Equality Index Press release

 

Amazon could be doubling down in jewelry at Business Insider. “Amazon has applied for a trademark for “For Keeps by Amazon,” according to a filing with the US patent office. The patent was filed September 19, according to the office. It includes a wordmark logo.” Read more

 

Gap pulls the plug on subscription clothing boxes by April Berthene at Internet Retailer. Read more

 

Walmart CEO Doug McMillon called AT&T CEO for clarification on his ‘Netflix is akin to Walmart while HBO is akin to Tiffany’ comments at CNN Money. Read more

 

REI Co-op announces two new roles: chief customer officer and chief digital officer Press release

 

Bass Pro Shops sues 2 retail startups run by former Cabela’s managers by Steve Jordon at Omaha World Herald. “Matthew Highby’s father, Dennis Highby, was president of Cabela’s from 2003 through 2009 and served on its Board of Directors until…2017…The Highbys said that they told Cabela’s managers well in advance of their planned retail venture.” Read more

 

H-E-B stores experience system delays Wednesday, holding up checkout by S.M.Chavey at San Antonio Express News. Read more

 

Tipsheet Extra Stories

Whole Foods issues restraining order on animal rights group DxE

Band of thieves stole $2M from Walmart, feds say

LeBron James Can’t License His Own Tattoos, Lawsuit Claims

Pinterest Opens First Canada Office

Tencent & Alibaba chase remittances in battle for Southeast Asia

Chile government approves construction of Walmart distribution center

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

 

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Tipsheet: #1 C-store Coffee | Captain Walmart | Amazon Sues over ads

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Amazon sues over malicious ads, alleging a ‘sophisticated and widespread’ scheme to deceive consumers by Todd Bishop at GeekWire. “It’s an unusual lawsuit from Amazon, and possibly the first of its kind to be filed by the company against what’s known as “malvertising” — reflecting its increasingly aggressive stance against fraudsters who take advantage of its websites and brands.” Read more

 

Kohl’s adding lifestyle brand from ‘Property Brothers’ stars Press release

 

Online grocery shoppers want more deals and personalized offers by James Melton at Internet Retailer. “48% of all respondents—including 70% of millennial parents—say they would be more likely to shop for groceries online if they could use more coupons.” Read more

 

United Natural Foods taps Sean Griffin as CEO for Supervalu by John Ewoldt at Star Tribune. “Griffin, who had been chief operating officer at UNFI for the past eight years, announced his retirement in May. But in July, when UNFI’s purchase of Supervalu was announced, CEO Steven Spinner asked Griffin to stay on and lead the integration of the two firms.” Tiered subs.

 

Petco Names Tariq Hassan as Chief Marketing Officer Press release

 

Buc-ee’s has the best C-store coffee in America “QuikTrip captured the top spot in seven states…Wawa and Cumberland Farms tied for second, both with six states. The top five states with the highest-rated gas station coffee are Texas, Pennsylvania, Oregon, Wisconsin, and Florida.” #1 by state

 

2018 Working Mother 100 Best Companies to Work For List

 

Amazon invests in prefab startup focused on smart home tech by Patrick Sisson at Curbed. “Amazon invest(s) in Plant Prefab, a startup based in Rialto, California…Amazon already has a deal with Lennar, the nation’s largest homebuilder, to pre-install Alexa in all the company’s new homes.” Read more

 

NRF to Recognize Levi Strauss CEO Chip Bergh as The Visionary 2019 Press release

 

**A message from X1 Ebike – Get up to 37 miles on a single 4-hour charge and 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 donates $1M to Wikipedia’s nonprofit parent organization by Nat Levy at GeekWire. “Alexa, uses Wikipedia as one of many sources to answer questions.” Read more

 

What’s yogurt? Industry wants greater liberty to use term by Candace Choi at AP via NY Daily News. “What’s the rule? I mean, make a rule,” said Bailey Wood, spokesman for the International Dairy Foods Association…Adding to the confusion, the association says yogurt makers can opt to follow the 1981, 1982 or 2009 provisions in the absence of a final rule.” Read more

 

The 20 best PR campaigns in the past 20 years at PR Week. Tiered subs.

 

Cimpress, the owner of Vistaprint.com, to acquire web-only office supplies retailer BuildASign.com for $280 million at Internet Retailer. Read more

 

Amazon just rolled out its Whole Foods grocery delivery service in these cities – service is now available in 48 cities at CNBC. Read more

 

J. Crew plans to unveil a new brand aimed at younger women at Bloomberg via Internet Retailer. “CEO Jim Brett said: “It is aimed at women, and it’s younger than any of our existing brands.” Read more

 

Shipping’s New Arctic Routes Won’t Thaw Cold Economic Reality by Costas Paris at Wall Street Journal. WSJ subs.

 

Shopify CEO Says Amazon Is Encroaching on Its Turf by Natalie Wong & Spencer Soper at Bloomberg. “They are creating products now that help small businesses market their products better which is frankly the space we are in,” Tobias Lutke, chief executive officer of Ottawa-based Shopify, said in an interview with BNN Bloomberg TV at a tech conference in Toronto.” Read more

 

Inside Walmart’s Dot-com Transformation – Walmart.com has added approximately 1,100 brands since last April by David Moin at WWD. WWD subs.

 

Billboards — yes, billboards — are having a heyday in a digital world by Rani Molla at Recode. “That’s the fastest-growing non-internet ad media besides cinema, which is drastically smaller — making percentage gains easier — and where the growth is mostly in China.” Read more

 

Captain Walmart isn’t make-believe, he’s a real superhero at Herald Net. “Tara Aston, Walmart corporate spokeswoman in Arkansas, said she doesn’t know of any other worker who kept wearing the cape after the 2017 gig. “He’s the only one rocking it on the regular,” Aston said. Owens has only one cape. It is fraying and thinning. He doesn’t know what he’ll do when he wears it out.” Pic/Read more

 

Tipsheet Extra Stories

DoorDash customers say their accounts have been hacked

PetSmart fires back after news report links grooming to 47 dog deaths

West Virginia First to Offer Mobile Voting

The World’s Most Valuable Sports Agencies 2018

Mom fears kidnappers targeted her baby at Costco

Walmart store evacuated amid report of man wearing bomb vest

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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.

 

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Tipsheet: Snapchat/Amazon Team | McKenna Close-Up

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Snapchat is partnering with Amazon to let users shop through their smartphone cameras by Sam Dean at LA Times. “This partnership marks Snap’s first venture into point-and-shoot shopping…The new feature is rolling out to only a small percentage of U.S. users as an initial trial run.” Tiered subs.

 

SAN DIEGO – Whole Foods backs out of downtown hotel-office project by Lori Weisberg at San Diego Union-Tribune. “Although approved two years ago, the $400 million 7th & Market development has been on hold since last year when labor union interests filed suit alleging that city approvals relied on an outdated 2006 environmental analysis for all of downtown instead of a specific impact report analyzing just the development.” Tiered subs.

 

Meet the Woman Running Walmart’s Biggest Deal Ever by Beth Kowitt at Fortune. “Judith McKenna and her team bear a Walmart-size responsibility with Walmart-size consequences. In reprioritizing the company’s global footprint, they are effectively placing bets on the future of retail. “We’ve made no secret that in certain markets we’ll do no more bricks and mortar,” McKenna says—a striking admission from a company that built its U.S. fortunes on the back of big-box retailing.” Read more

 

Sam’s Club CEO: The 63 Stores We Closed Are Fueling E-Commerce Growth by Phil Wahba at Fortune. “For years, Sam’s Club mistakenly believed that roughly half its sales came from small businesses and the other half from everyday consumers. But in reality, it turned out that personal purchases accounted to closer to 85% of sales—since some of its business shoppers were actually buying items for home use.” Read more

 

Why you won’t see ClickList at Kroger anymore by Alexander Coolidge at Cincinnati Enquirer. “Kroger will now simply call the operation “Kroger Grocery Pickup.”…”Moving forward, we are being more descriptive of the service to help our customers better understand our offerings: You will now see Pickup, Delivery and Ship as the methods to receive your grocery orders,” Kroger says.” Read more

 

Walmart, Sam’s Club to put food products on blockchain by next September at Reuters. Read more

 

**A message from BK Resources – The Best Kept secret for commercial and food service kitchen equipment. Leading supplier of stainless steel: commercial faucets, sinks, work tables, bar equipment, ice bins and more. Catalog | Website | Contact

 

Publix set to open fifth GreenWise Market in Atlanta at AJC. Read more

 

Shoppers Love Rewards Credit Cards. Retailers Hate Them. by AnnaMaria Andriottis at Wall Street Journal. “Large merchants including Amazon, Target,  and Home Depot Inc. are pushing for the right to reject some rewards credit cards…They are likely to opt out of a roughly $6.2 billion settlement Visa, Mastercard and several large banks recently reached with merchants and continue to make their case in court, according to people familiar with the matter.” WSJ subs.

 

Merger of Marathon Petroleum Corp. and Andeavor approved at MarketWatch. Read more

 

‘We will not screw this up’: Sobeys parent to buy beloved Farm Boy in $800M deal by Armina Ligaya at Canadian Press via Toronto Star. “…in a bid to expand its reach in Ontario, particularly in the greater Toronto area….aims to “turbocharge” the Ottawa-based chain — which it values at $800-million — and double its business and footprint from its current base of 26 stores across the province over the next five years.” Read more

 

Millennials are nesting, so Madewell has started selling home goods by Elizabeth Segran at Fast Company. Read more

 

H&M tests new store to get back in vogue by Anna Ringstrom at Reuters. “The H&M store in the upmarket Karlaplan neighborhood of the Swedish capital offers a smaller range of selected clothes, displayed on airy shelves and tables in color-coordinated sections – as well as espressos and invitation-only events. H&M planned the layout and ranges with affluent local customers in mind…” Read more

 

Walmart, Dick’s and others want to increase voter turnout by Samantha McDonald at Footwear News. Read more

 

Starbucks to cut corporate staff as it shakes up its organization at CNBC. “The company also plans to reduce the number of new licensed stores in 2019 by about 100 stores.” Read more

 

OBVIOUS – Time is running out for Sears, CEO warns at CNN Money. Read more

 

Does ‘Made in America’ Still Matter? Footwear Brand Allen Edmonds is About to Find Out by Jacob Gallagher at Wall Street Journal. “The poll revealed that while 70% of Americans find it “very important” or “somewhat important” to buy American-made goods, only 21% said they would pay 10% more for an American-made product and only 7% said they would pay 50% more.” WSJ subs.

 

Kirkland’s names Crate and Barrel President new CEO Press release

 

FIRST OF ITS KIND – Firm plans robotic indoor farm to supply Whole Foods by Barrett J. Brunsman at Cincinnati Business Courier via CNBC. “Cincinnati-based 80 Acres Farms revealed Friday that it plans to build a large, fully automated indoor farm in Hamilton, which will produce specialty greens to supply Fairfield-based Jungle Jim’s International Market, Dayton-based Dorothy Lane Markets and national heavyweights such as Whole Foods and U.S. Foods.” Read more

 

Tipsheet Extra Stories

Study: Women rank better than men at these leadership traits

Krebs: Beware of these Hurricane Florence relief scams

Pana residents plan rally to protest Walmart closure

Deal gone bad – Suspects arrested for shooting at Target Cafe

H-E-B employee goes viral for ‘taking his job to another level’

Nordstrom’s $530 distressed sneaker called out as trashion

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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: Powerful Women | McMillon Hosts Ivanka | EEOC Hits WM

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Doug McMillon gives Ivanka Trump tour of Mesquite Walmart store by Brooke Rogers at CBS DFW. “Ivanka Trump visited…to learn about the company’s workforce training program…met with members of Walmart Academy, a training curriculum for supervisors and managers…tried out the training herself via virtual reality.” Video/Read more

 

Carrefour denies takeover talks with rival Casino at MarketWatch. “Casino Group, said late Sunday its board had rejected entreaties from Carrefour SA about a possible combination. But Carrefour, the French grocery giant, denied having solicited Casino, accusing the rival of “untimely, misleading and groundless communications.” Read more | WSJ article (subs.)

 

Fortune’s 2018 Most Powerful Women (McKenna #14, Campbell #16, Hanlon #41, Foulkes #46) List of 51

 

An Arizona city wants a Costco so bad that it threw the company a birthday party by Jen Fifield at Arizona Republic via USA Today. “By sending Costco fun notes, Surprise hopes to stand out in a crowd and build a relationship with the company, Jerkovic said. “Whatever business you’re in,” she said. “You’re in the people business. Having them get a sense that we want to welcome them — that’s so important.” Read more

 

SiriusXM to buy Pandora in all-stock deal valued at $3.5 billion at CNBC. Read more

 

EEOC accuses Walmart of pregnancy discrimination in lawsuit at Reuters. “The EEOC…said Walmart’s distribution center in Menomonie, Wisconsin, has discriminated against pregnant employees since 2014. Federal law requires employers to accommodate workers’ pregnancies in the same way as physical disabilities.” Read more

 

eBay to install fencing at San Jose HQ to protect employees by Emily Deruy at Mercury News. “While (nearby resident) Cooley said she understands the need for employee security, she has mixed feelings about the proposed fencing, and thinks eBay treats the neighborhood as its “personal fiefdom.” Tiered subs.

 

AT&T opens its first ‘Lounge’ concept – a high-tech retail, coffee and hangout space in Seattle by Kurt Schlosser at GeekWire. Pics/Read more

 

**A message from the Megaphone sound enhancing case: Don’t tolerate average smart phone sound – get Loud + Clear Megaphone sound! No wires or batteries, boosts sound 2X and filters the sound for a smoother “stereo” listening experience. Website/Video | Sample

 

Debt investor says Neiman Marcus may be in default and insolvent at CNBC. “Marble Ridge Capital condemned Neiman Marcus for transferring its crown jewel e-commerce business, MyTheresa, away from the grasp of its bondholders and into its parent company.” Read more

 

Shoppers Drug Mart gets medical pot license from Health Canada via Vancouver Sun. “Shoppers’ parent company, Loblaw Companies, is also looking to sell recreational pot in Newfoundland and Labrador once it is legal nationally on Oct. 17.” Read more

 

Michael Kors will reportedly take control of Italian fashion house Versace at CNBC. “The deal values the fashion house, known for its Medusa head logo, at no less than $2 billion, two of the sources added.” Read more

 

Toys ‘R’ Us store was ‘complete chaos’ during closing by Lisa Fickenscher at NY Post. “Just after Memorial Day this year, the manager of a Toys ‘R’ Us store in Oregon decided to use up his vacation days…leaving uniformed shift managers in over their heads to run the show…it was a disaster, according to recent interviews with ex-workers.” Read more

 

Lowe’s reaffirms it does not plan to return to Nascar by Dustin Long at NBC. Read more

 

Apple wants to make scripted shows without violence, politics and risqué story lines by Tripp Mickle & Joe Flint at Wall Street Journal. “Apple has twice postponed the launch of its first slate of shows, moving it to March from late this year, agents and producers said. One leading producer with projects at Apple expects the date to be pushed back yet further.” WSJ subs.

 

The night JD.com’s founder was accused of rape in Minnesota at Reuters. “I was not willing,” she wrote in Chinese on the messaging application around 2 a.m. on August 31. “Tomorrow I will think of a way to escape,” she wrote, as she begged the friend not to call police.” Read more

 

Costco takes rotisserie chicken supply chain under its wing by Benjamin Romano at Seattle Times. Tiered subs.

 

Mosquitoes force high-speed chase suspect to surrender at ABC 13. “…man (stole) three bottles of Jagermeister…at a Piggly Wiggly grocery store…drove off and sparked a three-mile chase…ran into a cornfield…An hour later, Wilson put up his hands and surrendered, saying he couldn’t stand the swarming mosquitoes. “When we handcuffed him he asked us to wipe his forehead because he had 15-20 mosquitoes on his forehead at that time” Dornbrook said.” Read more

 

Tipsheet Extra Stories

It’s now free in every U.S. state to freeze and unfreeze your credit file

The secret life of teen scooter outlaws

Asian population growth spurs suburban Chinatown in Katy, TX

Even without Shop ‘n Save, St.Louis grocery business should remain competitive

Here’s how much more money married men in America are making than everyone else

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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