Walmart confirms plans to add hundreds of tech jobs this year by Kim Souza at Talk Business. "There are roughly 2,000 more jobs to be added to its nine tech centers located across the globe this next fiscal year, according to Jenn Ericksen, a corporate spokeswoman with Walmart Labs...Walmart will hold its year-beginning meeting in Houston next week with employees from around the country." Read more   Study Reveals Shopping Behavior Convergence Between Men and Women by Arthur Zaczkiewicz at WWD. "Male survey participants felt that 41% of their purchases were being made online (vs. 38% LY)...“Women respondents reported [...]

  ‘They offered us everything but the kitchen sink’: Direct to Consumer brands are mostly spurning Amazon by Hilary Milnes at Digiday."Several brand founders told Digiday that Amazon has offered them special deals to get them to sell. Those deals include financial investments ranging from $500,000 to $1 million if the brand would commit to selling on the platform, $1 million worth of free advertising on Amazon, and free inventory management through Fulfilled By Amazon." Read more   J.C. Penney Struggles to Avoid a Fate Worse Than the Sears Scenario by Suzanne Kapner at Wall Street Journal. "Last week, Fitch [...]

  CVS, Walmart resolve pharmacy contract impasse at Reuters. "Evercore ISI analyst Ross Muken said the speed at which the dispute was resolved likely points to the negotiating strength of pharmacy benefit managers in contract discussions." Read more   Tiffany comp sales fell 2 percent during the holiday season at CNBC. Read more   Walmart Is Looking for a CEO for a ‘Stealth Company’ That Doesn't Exist Yet by Matthew Boyle at Bloomberg. "Walmart has posted an opening for a “CEO, Stealth Company” who would lead the latest startup housed inside its technology incubator, Store No. 8. The executive will [...]

  Target is making a bigger bet on baby by Lauren Thomas at CNBC. "In deciding to grow Cloud Island, (Mark) Tritton explained, "We like to see what customers buy with what... what they come back with frequency on. As they buy x, they buy y." He said many moms and dads come to Target to buy clothes or groceries, and they leave with a pack of wipes or baby formula." Read more   Shopko files for bankruptcy - will close 105 stores by Jeff Bollier at Green Bay Press-Gazette. "Shopko currently operates 367 stores in 25 states, including full Shopko stores, [...]

  Sears chairman prevails in bankruptcy auction for retailer with $5.2 billion bid at Reuters. "The billionaire’s proposal, made through his hedge fund ESL Investments Inc, will save up to 45,000 jobs and keep 425 stores open across the United States." Read more   Nordstrom says sales at some stores 'below expectations' this holiday season at CNBC. "... comp sales were up 1.3 percent overall for the nine weeks ended Jan. 5....off-price comp sales were up 3.9 percent during that time-frame...in-line with expectations. Full-price comp sales, however, were up just 0.3 percent." Read more   U.S. Home Sales Plunged in December, [...]

  Microsoft signs a huge deal with Walgreens at CNBC. "Walgreens is signing up more than 380,000 employees for its Microsoft 365 cloud apps offering, including Office 365, Windows 10, and mobility and security tools. The company will move most of its information technology workloads to Microsoft's Azure public cloud." Video/Read more   Walmart CTO Jeremy King excited about computer-vision technology - but stops short of declaring a pilot by Dennis Green at Business Insider. Read more   Walmart Expected to Leave CVS Caremark Pharmacy Networks Amid Dispute by Anna Wilde Mathews & Sarah Nassauer at Wall Street Journal. "...the [...]

  Gymboree expected to file for bankruptcy, with plans to close all 900 of its stores at MarketWatch. "While Gymboree is expected to liquidate, the fate of Janie and Jack stores is still up in the air, one of the people said." Read more   Kroger CEO Says Shoppers Wary About Future by Jordyn Holman & Anne Riley Moffat at Bloomberg. "It’s fascinating right now from a customer standpoint. They feel incredibly good about the economy but very nervous about where things are headed,’’ Kroger Co. CEO Rodney McMullen said in an onstage interview at the National Retail Federation’s annual trade show [...]

  SURGE - Target reports holiday same-store sales growth of 5.7%, maintains 2018 outlook at CNBC. "That's compared with growth of 3.4 percent a year ago...digital sales were up 29 percent during the holidays...It said the amount of online orders fulfilled through either in-store pick up or a curbside pick up services was up 60 percent from a year ago and accounted for roughly 25 percent of online sales during this past November and December." Read more   BEATS - Costco December comp sales +6.1% Press release   TRACKED - National Enquirer tracked Jeff Bezos and mistress for four months [...]