Tipsheet: Buc-ee’s #1 Outside TX | WM Confirms +2K Tech | Dick’s CEO Podcast

 

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 making only 40% of their purchases online this year (vs. 46% LY)…“It’s also noteworthy that men are more likely than women to be frequent Amazon shoppers [53% vs. 45%]” Tiered subs.

 

Retailers are wasting their time on tech that looks exciting but isn’t useful by Sarah Halzack at Bloomberg via LA Times. “Innovation that isn’t actually an improvement is quite common in retail…Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc., for instance, is touting a test of digital cooler doors that can serve targeted ads. Great, just what every shopper has always wanted…” Tiered subs.

 

The nicest Sears you’ve ever seen isn’t owned by Sears by Andrea Navarro & Jonathan Roeder at Bloomberg via Seattle Times. “Have you time traveled back to the 1980s? Nope: You’re in Mexico…Mexican Sears, controlled by billionaire Carlos Slim, is completely unrelated to the U.S. company…currently operates nearly 100 Sears stores across Mexico.” Tiered subs.

 

Caribou Coffee Names Longtime Target Executive John Butcher as CEO by Nick Brown at Daily Coffee News. Read more

 

Buc-ee’s opens first store outside the state of Texas by John Sharp at AL.com. “The Alabama Buc-ee’s is believed to be the largest travel station in the state at 52,235-square-feet or more than 21 times the size of the average convenience store. It features an eye-popping 120 fuel pumps.” Read more

 

**A message from 2019 Sweets & Snacks Expo – See the category innovation of 2019 all in one place! Items selected during the Sweets & Snacks Expo’s Most Innovative New Product Awards go on to enjoy sweet success – see the 2018 New Product winners here. Chicago’s McCormick Place, May 21-23. Exhibitors | Website/Register

 

Amazon.com starts direct sales of merchandise in Brazil after delays at Reuters. “Amazon, which some rivals had expected to kick off direct sales of items beyond books as soon as the Christmas selling season, said it will directly sell 11 categories of merchandise from over 800 suppliers from L’Oreal to Black & Decker as of Tuesday.” Read more

 

‘Fill or kill’: the three weeks that saved Sears at Reuters. Read more

 

Four on trial in Paris over horsemeat scandal at France 24. “Supermarkets across Europe pulled millions of suspect food products like frozen lasagne and meatballs from their shelves in 2013 in a scandal that deepened wariness about the meat industry and food safety on the continent.” Read more

 

Dollarama opens its online store in Canada – allows customers to buy products in bulk at CTV News. Read more

 

Amazon Go, One Year Old, Has Attracted a Host of Cashierless Imitators by Matt Day & Spencer Soper at Bloomberg. “Venture capital firms backed U.S. companies working on store automation with $111 million in 2018, a record in Pitchbook data going back to 2003. About half of that sum went to Standard Cognition.” Tiered subs.

 

Billion-dollar sneaker startup Allbirds to open store number four by Taylor Soper at GeekWire. “Allbirds logos and an “opening soon” tagline adorn the outside of a space previously occupied by Starbucks-owned Teavana…the San Francisco-based startup and maker of simple wool shoes is now valued at $1.4 billion after a recent $50 million Series C investment.” Read more

 

Dick’s Sporting Goods CEO Ed Stack on leadership and service at NRF. Podcast

 

Postmates’ quest to design a delivery robot that people don’t hate by Mark Wilson at Fast Company. “It’s funny, we took inspiration from a variety of regions, and what kind of carrier devices humanity used in the past–like carts in Africa and the Middle East, or saddle bags” says Amit. “And so some of the prototypes looked more like a Tonka truck. One was even something like a llama.” Read more

 

Japan’s 7-Eleven bans pornographic magazines in run-up to Olympics by Justin McCurry at The Guardian. Read more

 

Shares of eBay surge as Elliott Management reveals $1.4 billion stake, recommends portfolio review at CNBC. “Elliott’s stake, which represents more than 4 percent of eBay’s shares, comes with an extensive letter of recommendations for the company’s future. The fund’s “Enhance eBay Plan” suggests the company spin off StubHub as well was eBay’s “portfolio of Classifies properties.” Read more

 

eBay Frowns on Orders Wrapped in Amazon Boxes by Ina Steiner at eCommerce Bytes. “For a decade or more, eBay tolerated a selling practice known as “Amazon drop-shipping” that left some buyers confused or upset when their orders arrived in Amazon boxes…But with no advance warning, eBay is now prohibiting the controversial practice, and it has yet to notify sellers.” Read more

 

Ozzy Osbourne Commemorates Bat-Biting Anniversary With Detachable Head Toy by Daniel Kreps at Rolling Stone. “Despite the web exclusive plush doll’s $40 price, the first batch of toys have already sold out; fans can preorder the Ozzy Osbourne Plush Bat now at the singer’s webstore.” Read more

 

Tipsheet Extra Stories

CVS to open health-focused concept stores in February

Starbucks expands delivery services to 6 more cities

Laser appears pointed in Tom Brady’s face during AFC title game

EU fines Mastercard 570 million euros over cross-border barriers

Thief robs kids of nearly $1,200 in Girl Scout cookie money at mall

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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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Website: eyeonretail.net

Tipsheet: DTC Brands Spurn Amazon | County No to Costco | Space Billboards | Oreo Slapped

 

‘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 Ratings Inc. downgraded its debt one notch closer to junk. One of Penney’s most actively traded bonds, the 6.375% notes due 2036, were trading last week at 37 cents on the dollar, down from 69 cents in March, according to MarketAxess.” WSJ subs.

 

Jeff Bezos sits down for fireside chat at aviation awards ceremony by Alan Boyle at GeekWire. “If somebody is telling you how many children you can have, and how much energy you can use, that doesn’t sound like freedom to me,” Bezos said. “What sounds like freedom to me is moving out into the solar system, where we have, for all practical purposes, unlimited energy, unlimited resources.” Read more/Pics

 

Products made of threatened African wildlife sold at US expo at AP News. Read more

 

FDA threatens to pull e-cigarettes off the market by John Bowden at The Hill. “Speaking at a public hearing Friday in Silver Spring, Md., FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb said he could see the entire category of e-cigarette and vaping products removed from store shelves if companies don’t stop marketing such products to youth.” Read more

 

Dodge County, Nebraska says no to large Costco poultry farm at Lincoln Journal Star. Read more

 

**A message from PaintPincher – Save up to a cup of paint per gallon! Ingenious paint can spatula recovers paint, stain, adhesives and more from gallon and quart cans, leaving them 99.9% clean. Video/Website | Request sample: info@shiftmarketinggroup.net

 

Glowing space billboards could show ads in the night sky by Trevor Mogg at Digital Trends. “The plan, as demonstrated in a StartRocket video, is to use the satellites to light up different messages for up to six minutes at a time, with the constellation located between 250 and 310 miles above Earth.” Video/Read more

 

These Are Canada’s Top Employers For Young People And New Grads In 2019 (Canadian Tire, Labatt) at Mediacorp/Globe & Mail. Read more

 

Non-alcoholic mocktails are creating lots of buzz by Zlati Meyer at USA Today. “Dry January is the most “in” month since Movember started grizzling men’s upper lips in November…”It’s been frustrating for me. My husband still drinks. When we go out, he gets to partake and my choices are limited,” (National Mocktail Week founder) Clark said. “I had a bad virgin mojito and thought, ‘I can’t believe nobody’s fixed this.'” Read more

 

Oreo slapped with a complaint by rival for ‘hiding’ its cookies at Fox Business.”The Oreo guys saw us as a threat, so they started hiding our cookies on shelves to get us discontinued” (trademark owner) Kassoff said. Read more

 

Amazon warehouse workers are getting utility belts that ward off robots by James Vincent at The Verge. “Employees can wander into the robot enclosure whenever they need rather than having to mark out a safe zone beforehand. Amazon says the RTV has been introduced to more than 25 sites over the past year, and claims it’s been a “huge success.” Read more

 

Chinese accuse McDonald’s of supporting Taiwan independence at AP News. Read more

 

Amazon’s $60 Alexa microwave not a hit at GeekWire offices by Kurt Schlosser at GeekWire. “Frank Catalano, contributing writer: “It was just too distracting. Every time someone used it, they spoke to it, sometimes a little too loudly, as though Alexa was an elderly grandparent. There’s enough noise in a kitchen area without adding shouting at a small appliance.” Read more

 

Tipsheet Extra Stories

Trading Cards Continue To Trounce The S&P 500 As Alternative Investments

Costco-style membership for hay aims to modernize handshake deals

Big League Chew is now selling pouches with female packaging

NYC’s beloved Westsider Books to remain open after crowdfunding campaign raises $50k

MIT and Stanford Professors Are Designing a Cryptocurrency to Top Bitcoin

Cub Foods founder’s daughter opens fair-trade store to help stamp out poverty

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

 

Website: eyeonretail.net

Tipsheet: WM Eyes CEO for ‘Stealth Co.’ | Tiffany -2% | Blue Nile CEO Out

 

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 be responsible for “building a business from scratch,” the job listing says…” Tiered subs.

 

Walmart abandons plans for “Middle America” video streaming service and will focus instead on Vudu at CNBC. “…opted not to move forward with a new streaming product after talks with veteran media executive Mark Greenberg fell apart last year…Greenberg, meanwhile, has held talks with several other retailers, including Costco, about building out a service geared toward average Americans, but no agreement has been reached.” Read more

 

Blue Nile CEO (and Ex-Target E-com Exec) Jason Goldberger out by Taylor Soper at GeekWire. “…third exec to leave online jeweler since acquisition in 2017.” Read more

 

Coinstar brings bitcoin to the grocery store by James Thorne at GeekWire. “…bitcoin is available for purchase at select Coinstar kiosks in Safeway and Albertsons stores in California, Texas and Washington. …The companies did not say how many of the Coinstar’s 20,000 kiosks would allow bitcoin purchases.” Read more

 

Walmart has partnered with Point Pickup, Skipcart, AxleHire and Roadie to expand its grocery delivery program across four states at TechCrunch. “Other Walmart grocery delivery partners include Postmates, Deliv, DoorDash and others.” Read more

 

Investors are suing Wayfair, claiming the company’s executives misled them about the company’s value and actions by Sean Philip Cotter at Boston Herald. Read more

 

**A message from the Megaphone sound enhancing phone case – Boosts sound 2X and filters the sound for a smoother “stereo” listening experience. Website/Video | Sample

 

How Bloomingdale’s Is Reinventing The Beauty Shopping Experience by Pamela N. Danziger at Forbes. “I met with Francine Klein, vice chairman and GMM for shoes, handbags, fashion accessories, fashion and fine jewelry, cosmetics and outlets, and Stacie Borteck, vice president and DMM for cosmetics, to discuss the new face of beauty at the 59th Street flagship store. Klein and Borteck are hoping their dream will become a nightmare for competitors.” Pics/Read more

 

Signet Jewelers comp sales -1.3%…shares tank…hints at store closings at CNBC. Read more

 

Target Foundation signals change in aid to nonprofits by Marianne Combs at MPR News. “In a letter to the nonprofits, the foundation said it is creating a fund to help these organizations wean themselves off the grants over the next three years. It also said the foundation will pay for training to help these nonprofits build their skills around fundraising and other forms of revenue development.” Read more

 

At Home Appoints Joanne Crevoiserat, COO of Abercrombie & Fitch, to Board Press release

 

Jeff Bezos is launching a new conference dedicated to AI, optimism, and Amazon at The Verge. “The new event will be held in Las Vegas between June 4th and 7th later this year. The earlier, semi-secret conference known as MARS will continue as before, but the public conference, dubbed re:MARS will be an “extension” of the former.” Read more

 

Walmart can’t register the phrase “Investing in American Jobs” as a trademark Law 360 subs.

 

Drugmakers Raise Prices Amid Shortages, Recalls by Peter Loftus at Wall Street Journal. “Of the nearly 120 drugs listed by the Food and Drug Administration as currently or recently in shortage, about one-third had price increases after the shortages started, according to a Wall Street Journal review of pricing data…” WSJ subs.

 

Google is buying Fossil’s smartwatch tech for $40 million by Brian Heater at TechCrunch. Read more

 

Tipsheet Extra Stories

Inside a ‘Making a Murderer’ Lawsuit & the Hidden Dangers of TV’s True-Crime Craze

Grammy Awards Performers Announced

Michigan is the third state to allow digital license plates

The 50 Best Workplaces in Technology

Lowe’s stock is a hair from breaking a key support level

This Ikea kitchen is incubating the robots of the future

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

 

Website: eyeonretail.net

Tipsheet: HBR Staffing Strategy | Amazon ‘Owns’ Publishing | Target CFO Non-Compete?

 

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, Hometown stores, Shopko Express and Shopko Optical locations.” Read more

 

Retailers Are Squandering Their Most Potent Weapons at Harvard Business Review. “The root of the problem is that most retailers don’t know how to determine the optimal amount of staffing and training for individual stores. In this article we’ll lay out a method for doing that. When applied systematically, it can add as much as 20% to the revenues of existing stores, we’ve found.” Tiered subs.

 

Outgoing Target CFO Smith will stay on at full pay through May 2020 by Jackie Crosby at Minneapolis Star Tribune. “The retailer also will pay Smith $1.5 million in two cash installments if she signs a two-year non-compete and non-solicitation agreement.” Tiered subs.

 

‘They Own the System’: Amazon Rewrites Book Industry by Marching Into Publishing by Jeffrey A. Trachtenberg at Wall Street Journal. “They aren’t gaming the system,” literary agent Rick Pascocello said. “They own the system.”…Amazon commands some 72% of adult new book sales online.” WSJ subs.

 

Inside Neiman Marcus’s private dinner for Best Dressed Hall of Famers and March of Dimes by Amber Elliot at Houston Chronicle. Pics/Read more

 

Save-A-Lot lays off workers a month after move to new HQ by Jacob Barker at St.Louis Post-Dispatch. “The person estimated that around 80 headquarters employees were laid off based on conversations with former colleagues and others waiting for termination meetings at the office…“It’s just pretty brutal after they took the time to have the nice press write-ups about the new headquarters…” the person said.” Tiered subs.

 

Amazon is on a hiring spree in India, even as new restrictions on foreign sellers loom at CNBC. “Amazon currently has 660 open positions in Bengaluru (formerly known as Bangalore), which is the second most worldwide after Seattle. The southern city of Hyderabad has the eighth-most with over 450 job openings, according to its career site.” 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 & more. Catalog | Website | Contact

 

Why Buy From Amazon When You Can Buy From Your Friends? by Brittain Ladd at Forbes. “There’s a Robin Hood feel to the platform,” says Eric Senn, founder and CEO. “You can buy new products directly from people you know. The money that would typically go to a company like Amazon or Macy’s now goes to the person you buy it from. And there’s no markup on the products.” Read more

 

GameStop completes sale of Spring Mobile Division – Spring Mobile owns and operates 1,284 AT&T wireless stores Press release

 

Amazon, Flipkart seek more time to comply with new India policy at The Economic Times. “Amazon and Walmart-owned Flipkart have asked the government to extend the February 1 deadline to comply with recently announced changes…” Read more

 

DoorDash Becomes First On-Demand Destination To Offer Delivery In All 50 States Press release

 

Gymboree files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection (again) by Steve Coogan at USA Today. Read more

 

Weis accelerates shipments of items in demand by food stamps recipients – getting ready for the early arrival of their February benefits by Becky Metrick at Penn Live. Read more

 

Love’s plans to open more than 40 new locations, bringing store count to more than 500 nationwide Press release

 

Woman admits in court that attack at Canadian Tire store was ‘for ISIS’ at Global News. Read more

 

Home Depot store shelters kids after fire reported at nearby day care by Thomas Novelly at Louisville Courier Journal. “The staff had been advised to bring them to the Home Depot,” Chief Marlin Howard with the Okolona Fire Department told the Courier Journal. “They did an excellent job taking count of the children.” Video/Read more

 

Tipsheet Extra Stories

Metallica, Miley Cyrus perform at Chris Cornell tribute

Costco Taiwan apologizes for selling spicy hotpot one year past expiration date

Newborn found dead in a restroom trash can at Amazon DC

Why Salesforce, Gap, Bloomberg, and others are teaming up to buy solar

Netflix, Amazon Take Different Sides on Self-Censorship in India

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

 

Website: eyeonretail.net

Tipsheet: Big Y #23 Diversity | Amazon #6 Remote Jobs | Home Sales -11%

 

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, Price Growth at 6-Year Low by Prashant Gopal at Bloomberg. “The median home price rose to $289,800 in December, a gain of 1.2 percent, the slowest monthly pace since March 2012. Sales dropped by almost 11 percent, the biggest decline for any month since 2016.” Tiered subs.

 

The Best Employers For Diversity 2019 (Big Y #23, IKEA #95) by Vicky Valet at Forbes. List

 

Shippers Worry They Will Face Increasing Delays as Shutdown Drags On by Erica E. Phillips at Wall Street Journal. “As the backlog of unresolved problems increases, the amount of them is going to build exponentially,” said Brandon Fried, executive director of the Airforwarders Association, a Washington-based group representing freight-shipping agents.” WSJ subs.

 

Neiman Marcus innovation lab founder Scott Emmons writes about why he left the retailer by Maria Halkias at Dallas Morning News. “Emmons said the three main roadblocks are a poor strategy that rushes out innovations “largely pressured to create PR moments,” inadequate buy-in that leaves sales associates untrained, and a lack of resources behind pilots, leaving them to fail.” Tiered subs.

 

Walmart On Campus store at University of Arkansas adds pickup lockers, grocery delivery by Kim Souza at Talk Business. “The store is also equipped with a complete pharmacy that delivers medications on campus twice daily. Store manager Randy Sterling said the display modulars in the store were also lowered to give shoppers better sight lines throughout the store.” Read more

 

The Top 100 Companies For Remote Jobs (Amazon #6, Williams-Sonoma #11, #92 HD Supply) at FlexJobs at Forbes. List

 

**A message from 2019 Sweets & Snacks Expo – See the category innovation of 2019 all in one place! Items selected during the Sweets & Snacks Expo’s Most Innovative New Product Awards go on to enjoy sweet success – see the 2018 New Product winners here.  Chicago’s McCormick Place, May 21-23. Exhibitors | Website/Register

 

Bringg, a delivery platform used by Walmart and DoorDash, has raised $25 million to expand its business by Ingrid Lunden at TechCrunch. Read more

 

You can lace Nike’s Adapt BB shoes with a smartphone app, but that’s just the beginning at CNBC. “Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum has been the guinea pig secretly testing the Adapt behind the scenes. Tatum will wear the Adapt BB in the shoe’s professional debut Wednesday night when the Celtics play the Toronto Raptors. The shoe is available to customers beginning Feb. 17.” Read more

 

Joe McFarland, EVP at Lowe’s, talks leadership skills by Lizann Lightfoot at Task & Purpose. “When he left the military in August 1993, he knew that his technical skills were not relevant: “No one was looking for someone to fire a .50-cal out of a door. My technical skills weren’t as important as my people skills.” Read more

 

Omaha couple who hoped to host Costco chicken plant is trying for another chicken farm by Aaron Sanderford at Omaha World-Herald. Read more

 

Shopper sues Whole Foods, security firm over supermarket spat at NY Daily News. “I started to go to Trader Joe’s,” she said. “One, it’s better on my budget. Two, nobody punched me there.” Read more

 

How Illinois bet on video gambling and lost at Chicago Sun Times. “Illinois now has more locations to legally place a bet than Nevada. But the meteoric rise of video gambling has proven to be little more than a botched money grab…far from helping pull the state out of its financial tailspin, the legalization of video gambling accelerated it and saddled Illinois with new, unfunded regulatory and social costs.” Read more

 

Tipsheet Extra Stories

Americans spend 7,956 days during their lifetime looking at screens

Government employees turning to pawn shops to feed their families

Minnesota family makes world’s largest spinning ice carousel

Amazon is officially hiring at New York ‘HQ2’

Robot hotel lays off half the robots after they created more work for humans

Rihanna Sues Her Dad for Trademark Misuse

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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/CVS Clash | Wgreen/Msoft Team | FDA Restarts | “Cut the Wire” Out

 

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 split also doesn’t involve Sam’s Club stores…CVS said it has asked Walmart to remain in its networks through April 30. If Walmart doesn’t agree, the split will take effect in early February, according to a person with knowledge of the matter.” WSJ subs. | MarketWatch

 

Stop & Shop/Giant/Martin’s get 500 robots so humans will know where to clean up by Melissa Locker at Fast Company. “…at 500 Giant, Martin’s, and Stop & Shop locations, you may run into a googly-eyed robot named Marty. The new robots with the not-at-all-suspicious name and face aren’t here to steal human jobs, but to alert customers to a cleanup-in-aisle-three situation.” Pic/Read more

 

Amazon ends expansion of Whole Foods 365 concept at SmartBrief. Read more

 

FDA to restart more food safety inspections affected by shutdown at Politico. “The FDA plans as soon as Tuesday to restart food safety inspections at facilities that handle riskier products like fresh-cut produce, as the partial government shutdown extends into its fourth week, FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb said Monday.” Read more

 

Survey finds more than half of D.C.-area workers would ditch their current job to work for Amazon at CNBC. Read more

 

**A message from 2019 Sweets & Snacks Expo – See the category innovation of 2019 all in one place! Items selected during the Sweets & Snacks Expo’s Most Innovative New Product Awards go on to enjoy sweet success – see the 2018 New Product winners hereChicago’s McCormick Place, May 21-23. Exhibitors | sweetsandsnacks.com

 

J.C. Penney, Awash in Inventory, Wants a Chief Merchant After All by Anne Riley Moffat at Bloomberg. “Just over a year ago, the retailer eliminated the position, citing a need to “streamline decision-making and promote greater agility within its merchandise buying teams.”…J.C. Penney (is also) adding a chief transformation officer, plus looking to fill a handful of other key senior management positions, from chief customer officer to senior vice president of planning and allocation.” Tiered subs.

 

Christopher & Banks holiday comp sales +3.0% Press release

 

NY Times: Walmart, Target pull game that had children defuse toy bomb at The Hill. “Cut the Wire,” a game recommended for children ages 6 and up, asks players to defuse a fake bomb before a timer runs out.” Read more

 

Petco taps Horizon Media as strategic media agency of record by Megan Graham at Ad Age. Subscription

 

CVS pledges $100 million for community health programs at CNBC. “The initiative, dubbed “Building Healthier Communities,” seeks to improve access to affordable health care, manage health challenges like chronic conditions and opioids and partner with communities.” Read more

 

Shoe Carnival expects fiscal 2018 comp store sales to increase approximately 4% (vs. +0.3% LY) Press release

 

Drone Deliveries May Arrive Sooner than Expected Thanks to New FAA Plan by Natasha Bach at Fortune. “Those under 55 pounds would be permitted to fly over people. To operate those above that weight over people, manufacturers would need to demonstrate that if the drone hit a person “the resulting injury would be below a certain severity threshold.” Read more

 

Tilly’s holiday comp sales +5.8% (compared to +0.4% LY) Press release

 

U.S. consumers still feel good, Target CEO says at CNBC. “I think we can all agree, 2018 was a really good year for retail,” Cornell said during a panel session at NRF’s Big Show. “Consumer confidence is still quite high. … The average consumer, they are looking at gas prices that have continued to decline.” “Will that continue forever? Probably not,” he cautioned.” Read more

 

Pier 1 is no longer in compliance with NYSE criteria that requires listed companies to maintain an average closing share price of at least $1.00 over a consecutive 30 trading-day period. Press release

 

Tipsheet Extra Stories

FDNY may re-open firehouse to serve Amazon boom in Queens

NY rapper tops Billboard charts after selling just 823 albums

Gillette faces backlash and boycott over ‘#MeToo advert’

Truck carrying 3,500 gallons of chocolate spills onto interstate

For $5,800 per year, Chief helps women reach the C-suite

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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: Joly Eyes ‘Happiness’ | Kroger CEO on Consumers

 

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 in New York City.” Tiered subs.

 

Kohl’s closing its Dallas customer service center in early March and expanding locations in San Antonio and Milwaukee at MarketWatch. Read more

 

How Hubert Joly aims to turn Best Buy into a ‘happiness’ company by Jackie Crosby at Minneapolis Star Tribune. “Here’s the scoop,” Joly said this fall, sitting at a conference table in his sixth-floor office. “We’re not in the business of selling TVs and computers. We’re a company that’s in the happiness business.”…His goal, he said, is to make Best Buy into a company “that’s purpose-driven and is fueled by human magic.” Tiered subs.

 

Target CEO Brian Cornell spoke at NRF’s Big Show today at 9:00 am ET Meeting agenda

 

Amazon Dash buttons judged to breach consumer rules in Germany by Natasha Lomas at TechCrunch. “It complains that Amazon’s terms allow the company to substitute a product of a higher price or even a different product in place of what the consumer originally selected for a Dash push purchase…The Munich court has now sided with the group’s view that Amazon does not provide sufficient information to Dash consumers, per Reuters.” Read more

 

Petco closing its “Drs. Foster and Smith” operations, eliminating 289 jobs at the online business by Rick Barrett at Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. “Petco said the operations, with the exception of Live Aquaria, will shut down during a two-week period starting March 10. Petco said since it acquired Drs. Fosters and Smith in 2015, the pet supplies industry has changed at a rapid pace.” Read more

 

Trump Mocks Amazon Boss Jeff “Bozo,” Praises National Enquirer at Hollywood Reporter. Read more

 

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In the next several years, “the amount of returns is going to be over a trillion dollars a year” by Courtney Reagan at CNBC. “Many retailers end up throwing away over 25 percent of their returns,” Moore said. “Holistically, that ends up being over 5 billion pounds of goods that end up in landfills a year from returns.” He estimates over the next several years that could swell to 10 billion pounds of returns in landfills around the world.” Read more

 

Target plans RFP for strategic comms support by Thomas Moore at PR Week. Tiered subs.

 

CVS-Aetna Judge tells DOJ Attys to get on with it by Stephen Singer at Hartford Courant. “A federal judge has rejected the U.S. Justice Department’s argument citing the federal government shutdown as a reason to interrupt its review of the antitrust aspects of the $69 billion acquisition of Aetna Inc. by CVS Health Corp. U.S. District Judge Richard J. Leon on Friday ordered the Department of Justice to file public comments and its response by Feb. 15.” Read more

 

A new $100 million investment values Postmates at $1.85 billion ahead of its IPO at Recode. “The investment includes participation from a new backer, the prominent public-market investor BlackRock, as well as Tiger Global and other current shareholders.” Read more

 

Lowe’s wants documents in ex-executive’s bias case sealed at WITN NBC. “Michael Jones was chief customer officer until 2016 for (Lowe’s). His federal lawsuit alleges he was unfairly pitted against a white executive in a succession plan to take over for Robert Niblock as CEO. Jones wants $12.5 million, as well as other financial damages for emotional harm.” Read more

 

Why retailers are fleeing Fifth Avenue by Nathaniel Meyersohn at CNN Business. “Nordstrom is opening a store on the city’s West Side, while Nieman Marcus is opening a store in Hudson Yards, a developing district in western Manhattan. Westfield Oculus and Brookfield Place, two shopping areas at or near the World Trade Center, are also becoming popular for brands.” Read more

 

Yeti jumps 10% after raising guidance at CNBC. “For the fourth quarter, Yeti said it projects net sales climbed 19 percent to $241.2 million. That’s above the $226.5 million analysts had projected.” Read more

 

Amazon nears deal to lease space in Chrysler Building by Steve Cuozzo at NY Post. Read more

 

Walgreens Tests Digital Cooler Doors With Cameras to Target You With Ads by Lara O’Reilly at Wall Street Journal. “This new technology could provide brick-and-mortar stores with a marketplace similar to online advertising. Ice cream brands could duke it out to get the most prominent placement when it is 97 degrees outside; an older man could see ads for different products than a younger woman.” WSJ subs.

 

Tipsheet Extra Stories

NASCAR lets go of 50 employees in round of layoffs

Costco sells out of 26 lb. mac & cheese tub with 20-year shelf life

SpaceX cuts about 577 positions – mostly at its CA HQ

Metallica and Stone Brewing have thrashed out a beer collaboration

West Elm snaps up prestigious independent design brand

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: eyeonretail.net

Tipsheet: Target +5.7% | Costco +6.1% | Kohl’s +1.2% | Macy’s +1.1%

 

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 “During a blockbuster four-month investigation, The Enquirer tracked Bezos…and secret lover Sanchez across five states and 40,000 miles, tailed them in private jets, swanky limos, helicopter rides, romantic hikes, five-star hotel hideaways, intimate dinner dates and “quality time” in hidden love nests.” Read more

 

Kohl’s holiday comp sales +1.2% – shares tumbled more than 6 percent in pre-market trading on the news at CNBC. Read more

 

Macy’s Nov/Dec comp sales +1.1% – shares tumble at Fox Business. Read more

 

Supplier says Shopko is expected to file for bankruptcy next week via Pioneer Press. “McKesson Corp. says it supplied Shopko with $67 million in drugs since Nov. 11 but has not been paid since early December…Shopko says it has more than 300 retail locations.” Read more

 

dunnhumby names Trader Joe’s top U.S. grocery retailer (Costco #2, Amazon #3, HEB #4, Wegmans #5) Top 13 list/Press release

 

Federal shutdown brings FDA cutbacks, fewer food inspections by Jorge L. Ortiz at USA Today. “Gottlieb added that he’s looking to bring back some of the 7,000 FDA employees who are on furlough…though they would initially have to work without getting paid…Gottlieb said foreign food inspections would continue, he acknowledged routine inspections of domestic facilities have halted.” Read more

 

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Bed Bath and Beyond soars more than 20% on improved 2019 earnings guidance at CNBC. “It also said that its fiscal 2019 earnings per share will be about the same as 2018’s, a big beat over Wall Street’s consensus, which projected a 21 percent decline…Same-store sales declined 1.8 percent during the quarter, more than the 0.3 percent decline that analysts had forecast.” Read more

 

Community celebration in honor of Blake Nordstrom to be held on Saturday at Seattle Times. Tiered subs.

 

Sears chairman submits new roughly $5 billion bid to save retailer at Reuters. “In a concession, Lampert agreed to assume tax and vendor bills Sears has incurred since filing for bankruptcy protection in October, the sources said…Lampert’s previous bid, which Sears had rejected, was valued at $4.4 billion.” Read more

 

Top 50 websites (Amazon #4, Walmart #19, Target #37, Best Buy #50) at SimilarWeb. List

 

Hipsters Are the New Hunters by Cameron McWhirter & Zusha Elinson at Wall Street Journal. “We didn’t lead with, ‘Hey, do you want to go shoot a deer?’ ” says Mr. Forester, a hunting programs manager at the Quality Deer Management Association, the group that sponsors Field to Fork. “If you’re talking about local, sustainable—I can’t certify organic—you can’t do better than white-tailed deer.” WSJ subs.

 

Amazon has hired Disney SVP Kyle Laughlin to head its Alexa Gadgets division by Brian Heater at TechCrunch. Read more

 

OPEN-BATHROOM HEADACHE – Starbucks is installing needle-disposal boxes in some bathrooms by Kate Taylor at Business Insider. “My primary fear when I worked there would be taking out the bathroom garbages,” the former employee, who quit in 2018, told Business Insider. “I was terrified that if I went to take the bag out, I would get poked by a needle I didn’t know was there.” Read more

 

Amazon to invest in French firm’s technology for self-driving forklifts at Reuters. Read more

 

Shoe Carnival Names McCann Agency of Record Press release

 

Tipsheet Extra Stories

Wee Willy’s gas station slowly falling into sinkhole

McKinsey: Blockchain’s Occam problem

John Lasseter’s hiring sends Hollywood execs & insiders reeling

Stephen Curry launches high school basketball tour for overlooked prospects

Scientists seek ways to finally take a real measure of pain

‘The Sopranos’ prequel movie is returning to where it all ended

Read Tipsheet Extra Stories

 

**

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