Tipsheet: Amazon @ Coachella | REI CEO Out | Wegmans ‘PB Smooth’ Wrestler

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CVS Health shows off new HealthHUB store design in Houston at CNBC. “The three new pilot stores in Houston, Texas have been redesigned with much more space devoted to services to help customers manage chronic conditions like diabetes, hypertension and asthma.” Read more/Pics

 

REI CEO steps down following revelation of outside personal relationship by Charisse Jones at USA Today. “An outside law firm had been looking into Stritzke’s relationship –described by REI as “personal and consensual” with the head of another group that operates in the outdoor space.” Read more

 

Amazon to place package lockers at Coachella music festival by Taylor Soper at GeekWire. “Concert-goers can order from a custom Coachella storefront on Amazon…There is no extra charge to use the lockers.” Read more

 

Kroger to close 90-year-old bakery – 411 workers affected by Mark Williams at The Columbus Dispatch. “For as long as I’ve been working there, the old-timers would say they’ll close the place down any day now,” said Santry, who worked on the loading dock. Early Monday, Kroger gathered workers at the Greater Columbus Convention Center and gave them the news.” Read more

 

Hobby Lobby closing Hemispheres furniture chain by Clint Engel at Furniture Today. “Malora Spurlock, president of Hemispheres, with two stores in Oklahoma and six in Texas, emailed vendors Monday noting the retailer “will no longer be issuing purchase orders for new or additional merchandise,” according to copies of the email obtained by Furniture Today.” Read more

 

Macy’s Names Patti Ongman Chief Merchandising Officer “Ongman has been with Macy’s for more than 30 years. In her most recent role as EVP, general business manager, for Home, Ongman was responsible for all aspects of the Macy’s Home business.” Press release

 

Walmart Owes $95.5M For ‘Backyard’ TM Loss, Jury Says at Law 360. “Walmart Stores Inc. should pay more than $95.5 million for infringing a smaller chain’s “Backyard” trademark by selling “Backyard Grill” products, a North Carolina federal jury found Tuesday.” Law 360 subs.

 

**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 | Register Now

 

RaceTrac Announces New Leadership Structure at Convenience Store News. “Leading the company now is Max McBrayer, who has been promoted to CEO…Bart Stransky has been promoted to vice president of merchandising.” Read more

 

Hudson Group opens Empire State Building store Press release

 

J.Jill appoints Elliot Staples as SVP of Design “Prior to joining J.Jill, Staples held Vice President of Design positions at both Maurices and The Limited, as well as senior design roles at The Gap and Adrienne Vittadini.” Press release

 

Groupon Q4 revenue -8.0% Press release

 

Millennial brides force David’s Bridal, fresh out of bankruptcy, to try something new at CNBC. “One significant change not in the works is cutting away at its store base. Unlike many retailers that enter bankruptcy to help get rid of bad leases and trim their footprint, David’s Bridal emerged with roughly the same 300 or so stores it had…” Read more

 

Pharmacy execs debut new site to challenge Blink Health at NY Post. Read more

 

Gucci creative head breaks silence over ‘blackface’ sweater at AP. “Alessandro Michele, a design force at the Italian fashion house, lamented in a letter to employees both his own pain and “that of the people who saw in one of my creative projects an intolerable insult.” Read more

 

Lampert reveals plans for Sears after bankruptcy: WSJ at Reuters. “Sears will sell or sublease some of the 425 stores of the retail chain and open smaller stores with more focus on tools and appliances than on apparel, said Chairman Edward Lampert in an interview with the Wall Street Journal.” Read more | WSJ article (subs.)

 

Apple reportedly demanding a staggering 50 percent of revenue for its news subscription service at The Verge. Read more

 

Amazon and GM May Invest in Electric Pickup-Truck Manufacturer Rivian at Fortune. Read more

 

‘PB SMOOTH’ – Wegmans employee excels in rough-and-tumble pro wrestling by Victor Fernandes at Erie Times-News. “Manager Hayden Grack: “One would only know of Pretty Boy Smooth if they followed him or saw a match highlight. His in-ring persona is quite the opposite (compared to) seeing Paul walk our customers to their car or offer help loading their groceries.” Read more

 

Tipsheet Extra Stories

Los Angeles Becomes Biggest U.S. City to Ban Fur

Bathroom warning mistaken for bomb threat at Home Depot

The US government is about to put a dog tag on your drone

Lego launches clothing line for adults that you can only buy on Snapchat

Ex-Walmart exec says ‘fairy-tale’-like Amazon Go won’t win the future of retail

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Tipsheet: WM/Deliv Dead | F.Locker +Goat | Barney’s CBD Shop | Amazon Birth Home 4 Sale

/in

 

Walmart and Deliv end online grocery partnership by Nandita Bose at Reuters. “Deliv…served the retailer with a 90-day termination notice, and the two companies stopped working with each other in late January…(Walmart) said it still partners with seven delivery firms, including DoorDash and Postmates.” Read more

 

Foot Locker gains digital expertise with $100 million investment in Goat Group at CNBC. “The partnership with Goat, which was seen as a threat to the footwear industry, marries the leading sportswear retailer with the largest secondary marketplace for authentic sneakers, Goat Group’s Eddy Lu said.” Video/Read more

 

Retailers look to ramp up advertising opportunities by Matthew Boyle at Bloomberg via Chicago Tribune. “Walmart, Target Corp. and grocery chains Kroger Co. and Ahold Delhaize are quietly courting big brands with a sales pitch that goes something like this: Facebook might know what your customers like, and Google might know what they want, but only we know what they actually buy.” Tiered subs.

 

Amazon’s new streamlined packaging is jamming up recycling centers by Kristen Millares Young at Washington Post via Seattle Times. Tiered subs.

 

Kroger Seeks Its First Creative Agency of Record by Doug Zanger at Adweek. Adweek subs.

 

Toy sellers skeptical of Toys ‘R’ Us execs’ comeback plan by Lisa Fickenscher at NY Post. “I’m certainly skeptical when I read a statement like ‘new management team,’ ” said Jay Foreman, chief executive of Basic Fun, which lost roughly $6 million in the bankruptcy. “These are the same leaders and same financial partners that were around for the demise of the company.” Read more

 

Target and UC San Diego are negotiating the terms of a lease for a small-format Target venue in place of the campus bookstore by Jennifer Van Grove at The San Diego Union-Tribune. 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

 

Whole Foods Prices Are Going Back Up on Hundreds of Items at Fortune. “A company email sent in December and viewed by The Wall Street Journal listed 550 items that would see increases. The company said that it has been forced into the move by suppliers charging more due to inflation. The average increase for items on the list was 66 cents.” Read more

 

NRF: Only 51% of Americans plan to celebrate Valentine’s Day, down from 55% last year and a high of 63% in 2007. by Kim Souza at Talk Business. Read more

 

Former Amazon Executive Emerges as Foe of Jeff Bezos by Sara Randazzo at The Wall Street Journal. “Jon Fine, the National Enquirer attorney at the center of what Jeff Bezos is calling a blackmail attempt, used to have a much different relationship with the billionaire founder of Amazon.com. For nine years, Mr. Bezos was his boss…” WSJ subs.

 

Walmart adds Chairman of NBCUniversal Telemundo to Board Press release

 

Report: We face a 14% higher risk of early death with each 10% increase in the amount of ultraprocessed foods we eat. at CNN. Read more

 

U.S. mall owner Simon is about to open more than 100 shops selling products infused with CBD at CNBC. Read more

 

…Barney’s said it will be opening a “cannabis lifestyle shop” in its Beverly Hills store next month, promising more locations to come. The retailer said the space, known as “The High End,” will sell an exclusive vaporizer pen, pastilles and other CBD-related items.

 

HBC closes sale of the Lord & Taylor Fifth Avenue building to WeWork for $850 million Press release

 

FDA targets illegally marketed dietary supplements at CNN. “The FDA vowed to update its policies on dietary supplements, promising “one of the most significant modernizations of dietary supplement regulation and oversight in more than 25 years,” according to a statement by FDA Commissioner Dr. Scott Gottlieb.” Read more

 

Amazon acquiring mesh WiFi startup eero, doubling down on smart home by Nat Levy at GeekWire. Read more

 

Under Armour earnings, sales top Wall Street expectations at CNBC. “Sales during the quarter rose 1.5 percent to $1.39 billion, again ahead of expectations for $1.38 billion. In the U.S., Under Armour said sales fell 6 percent during the fourth quarter to $965 million, while international sales climbed 28 percent.” Read more

 

Sears’ ex-chairman closes deal to buy the company, keeping 425 stores open at USA Today. Read more

 

DoorDash is reportedly raising $500M at a $6B+ valuation by Megan Rose Dickey at TechCrunch. Read more

 

Amazon’s birthplace for sale: Home where Jeff Bezos started company listed for nearly $1.5M by Todd Bishop at GeekWire. “Open houses are scheduled from noon to 2 p.m. Wednesday and 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, and you never know who might show up. Offers are set to be reviewed a week from today.” Read more

 

Tipsheet Extra Stories

Bloomingdale’s is pulling a “Fake News” T-shirt from its shelves

30 acres in Illinois once owned by Abraham Lincoln head to auction

Wayfair outlet in Cincinatti-area open for business on Feb. 15

Researchers tackle carbs, gluten in bread

Katy Perry shoes pulled from online stores after blackface controversy

Hollywood’s 100 Favorite Movie Quotes

Campus vending machines offer emergency contraception without the stigma

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Tipsheet: WM ‘Galentine’s Day’ @ 1,011 | Target Creative +450 | Inside Apple’s ‘Black Site’

/in

 

Shoplifter extortion case against Walmart, other retailers is dismissed at Reuters. “U.S. District Judge Lucy Koh in San Jose, California, found no proof of a nationwide conspiracy to steer accused shoplifters into paying $400 up front or $500 in installments for the classes from Utah-based Corrective Education Co, and admitting guilt, to avoid prosecution.” Read more

 

Target, Best Buy’s in-house creative shops part of wave reshaping ad industry by Nicole Norfleet at Star Tribune. “Target Creative, which was officially formed when (Todd) Waterbury joined the company in 2013, has grown to become a 450-person content engine with about 300 local team members at its offices on two floors of Target Plaza III and its SuperTarget-sized North Loop production studios.” Tiered subs.

 

‘Nobody Likes Valentine’s Day Anymore.’ Retailers, Florists Cash In on ‘Galentine’s Day’ by Anne Marie Chaker at Wall Street Journal. “Women across the country are embracing a ladies-only spin on Valentine’s called Galentine’s Day, a celebration of female friendship marked by brunches, pink drinks—and each other…Walmart has been expanding its Galentine’s Day offerings, putting products on display at 1,011 stores this year, spokeswoman Tara House says.” WSJ subs.

 

Walmart launches private-label furniture brand “Featuring nearly 650 items across every room in the house, MoDRN provides the elevated look and feel that you would typically find at a specialty store, without the elevated price tag.” Read more/Video

 

Household Products May End Up Costing You Even More at Fortune. “Church & Dwight Co. recently increased prices on 30% of its products, including Arm & Hammer baking soda and cat litter, OxiClean products, Pampers and Huggies diapers, and Charmin and Scott toilet papers, among others, The Wall Street Journal reports.” Read more

 

IKEA accelerates services drive as competition stiffens “In the first readout on TaskRabbit’s activity since IKEA bought it, executives told Reuters the number of jobs done by TaskRabbit handymen had more than doubled and 10 percent of the tasks were furniture assembly, up from 2 percent before.” Read more

 

Payless ShoeSource prepares for bankruptcy that could come within weeks at CNBC. “If it cannot find buyers, it may need to shutter the majority, if not all, of its North American stores, the person said.” Read more

 

Newly launched Amazon Live shopping streaming service looks to take on QVC by Sarah Perez at TechCrunch. “On the live shows, hosts talk about and demonstrate products available for sale on Amazon, much like they do on QVC. Beneath that sits a carousel where shoppers can browse product details and make purchases.” Read more

 

**A message from 2019 Sweets & Snacks Expo – 800+ exhibitors, 2,000+ new product launches, 45 new product awards. The can’t miss show of the year is nearly here! Join us at Chicago’s McCormick Place May 21-23 to discover the latest innovations in products, merchandising and retail solutions. Exhibitors | Register Now | Website

 

CEOs From Walmart, Sonos, Mattel Coming To Brainstorm Tech July 15-17 Read more

 

Jeff Bezos’ Journey From Private Family Man to Tabloid Sensation at Wall Street Journal. “One Saturday night last September, a crowd of celebrities, Silicon Valley titans and Hollywood executives gathered at television producer Mark Burnett’s Malibu mansion for a birthday party celebrating venture capitalist Vivi Nevo…Some people walking by seemed surprised to see (Bezos) in such a setting. “I just went, ‘Wow,’ ” the guest said.” WSJ subs.

 

Aldi Exec Heini Named Lidl US Chairman at Progressive Grocer Read more

 

What It’s Like To Work Inside Apple’s ‘Black Site’ by Joshua Brustein at Bloomberg. “This building is as bland as the main Apple campus is striking. From the outside, there appears to be a reception area, but it’s unstaffed, which makes sense given that people working in this satellite office—mostly employees of Apple contractors working on Apple Maps—use the back door. Workers say managers instructed them to walk several blocks away before calling for a ride home.” Tiered subs.

 

Ikea apologizes for leaving New Zealand off a world map at CNBC. Read more

 

Target changes pricing app after TV watchdog report at KARE 11 NBC. “Target changed its app Wednesday night after a KARE 11 investigation found certain prices on the app switched when customers entered the parking lot of Target stores. An updated version of the retailer’s app now clearly says either “online” or “in-store” next to the price of every product on the app.” Video/Read more

 

FDA: Walgreen’s has worst record on selling kids tobacco at Fox 5 News. Read more

 

Tipsheet Extra Stories

Best Buy employee, fired for tackling burglary suspect, to receive medal from sheriff

Trump to sign executive order promoting artificial intelligence

Target employee donates kidney to co-worker in need

Walmart removes lock from black hair care products case after complaints

This screen-printed poster connects to Wi-Fi and can tell you the weather

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Tipsheet: H.Dep Cuts Installers | JCP Cuts Appliances | Kmart Stiffs St.Jude $739K

/in

 

JC Penney will stop selling appliances at the end of this month at CNBC. “The company also said that furniture is soon only going to be available online and in select stores in Puerto Rico. It plans to use excess space in stores, moving forward, to focus on its “legacy” categories like apparel and certain home furnishings like curtains and bedding, which it calls out as “higher margin opportunities.” Read more

 

Home Depot Cuts Staff Across the Country in Installation Business by Kevin Curran at The Street. “After reviewing the installation business, we’ve decided it’s right to wind down our roofing, siding, insulation and gutters,” (Home Depot spokesperson Holmes) said. “[They are] just not going to be part of our focus moving forward.” But Holmes said the business is not entirely winding down, as many products — including doors and windows — will remain available for installation.” Read more

 

Walmart conducting pilot test of electronic shelf labels, LED strips by Kim Souza at Talk Business. “Walmart officials told Talk Business & Politics the company is testing two different types of shelf labels for the same concept which is to see if electronic shelf labels can be controlled through programming as quickly as price changes.” Pics/Read more

 

Amazon testing facial recognition tools for online sellers by Brett Samuels at The Hill. “BuzzFeed reported that an individual based in Vietnam who sells goods through the retail giant was prompted to record a five-second video of his face in order to sign up for a seller profile…the process may reflect a push for Amazon to use facial recognition software to prevent the creation of duplicate seller profiles, which would cut down on fake accounts.” Read more

 

SpartanNash names Lori Raya new Chief Merchandising and Marketing Officer “Ms. Raya joins SpartanNash following a thirty-one-year career with Safeway/Albertsons, most recently serving as Division President of Albertsons from 2015-2018.” Press release

 

Walmart’s online mattress brand has a new retail strategy: Tiny homes at CNN Business. “The “Allswell Tiny Home” is a rolling showroom that will start a cross-country tour on Wednesday. Beginning in New York, Allswell will head to major cities to introduce the brand to new customers and gain their feedback.” Read more

 

BDO: 54% of traditional retailers—including big box, department store, discount and specialty retailers— say they are just surviving headed into 2019 Press release

 

Kroger lets customers customize Home Chef meals, expands kits nationwide by Alexander Coolidge at Cincinnati Enquirer. “Kroger is expanding the availability of Home Chef meal kits to 500 more….(Kroger) acquired the popular meal kit brand last year and put them on shelves in 200 Midwest stores last fall.” Tiered subs.

 

**A message from 2019 Sweets & Snacks Expo – 800+ exhibitors, 2,000+ new product launches, 45 new product awards. The can’t miss show of the year is nearly here! Join us at Chicago’s McCormick Place May 21-23 to discover the latest innovations in products, merchandising and retail solutions. Exhibitors | Register Now | Website

 

Kmart stiffed St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital on donations by Lisa Fickenscher at NY Post. “St. Jude hasn’t seen an estimated $739,000 that Kmart had collected for a “Thanks and Giving” fund-raising drive over a 5-week period leading up to Sears’ Chapter 11 filing on Oct. 15, according to court papers.” Read more

 

QVC steps up mobile and social shopping experience Press release

 

Instacart CEO apologizes for tipping debacle by Megan Rose Dickey at TechCrunch. “Instacart says it will pay shoppers between $7 to $10 at a minimum for full-service orders (shopping, picking and delivering) and $5 at a minimum for delivery-only tasks. The company will also stop including tips in its base pay for shoppers.” Read more

 

Coke and CDC, Atlanta icons, share cozy relationship, emails show by Alan Judd at AJC. “It’s like regular, steady teamwork, as if this was what’s to be expected,” Ruskin said Wednesday. “If it were tobacco, it wouldn’t be OK. Why is it OK if Coke does it? It’s not.” Read more

 

Blue Apron is introducing a lower-cost version of its meal kits, initially only for Jet.com shoppers in the greater NYC metro area by Sarah Perez at TechCrunch. “The new kits, called “Knick Knacks,” still require refrigeration, but require customers to supply their own protein and produce…by dropping the two most expensive ingredients from the meal, the company has brought the price down to $7.99, compared with prices that ranged from $17 to $23 for the meal kits that launched on Jet last fall.” Read more

 

Washington Post untangles a complex web behind the National Enquirer’s Jeff Bezos exposé by Monica Nickelsburg at GeekWire. Read more

 

Book Shopping on Amazon? Don’t Be Duped Into Buying a Summary by Jeffrey A. Trachtenberg at Wall Street Journal. “Authors and publishers say they are concerned about a recent surge in summaries available on Amazon, some of which have covers that copy or mimic the original’s art and use the author’s name. Some consumers are mistakenly buying those summaries instead of the original works, they say, hurting their sales.” WSJ subs.

 

Toddler with Down Syndrome visits Kroger employee who also has Down Syndrome every Tuesday at USA Today. 3:03 video

 

Bail set at $1 million for woman accused of crashing into CVS at Fox 32. “She drove forward, nearly missing the officers who moved out of the way, and then rammed a squad car about eight or nine times, Dumyahn said. Allen drove over the curb and into a wall, but did not crash through until she rammed it another two times, Dumyahn said. The car stopped about 35 feet within the CVS.” Read more

 

Tipsheet Extra Stories

Scientists are racing to make pot like booze so you can drink it

Delta passengers creeped out by flirtatious Diet Coke napkins

Gucci apologizes for a Balaclava Sweater that looked like blackface

Paramount Puts Brakes on ‘World War Z’ Sequel

Walmart accused of racial discrimination for locking up beauty products

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Tipsheet: WM Revamps Jewelry | Target 3X Black Hist. Collection | CVS New Comms Head

/in

 

Apple’s retail chief Angela Ahrendts to leave the company in April at CNBC. “Deirdre O’Brien, who has worked at Apple for three decades, will take on an expanded role as a senior vice president of Retail + People, Apple said. O’Brien previously held the title of vice president of people, and Apple said she would continue to oversee functions related to that role, including talent development and employee relations.” Read more

 

Walmart revamps jewelry department, to add exclusive line by Kim Souza at Talk Business. “Walmart said it will continue to sell “fine jewelry” in stores where there is demand, but the glass cases in other stores will be removed…Since April 2018, roughly 1,000 stores have already undergone the redesign. About one-third of those stores did not have jewelry sales to justify keeping the glass cases.” Read more

 

CVS Health has named Kathryn Metcalfe as chief communications officer at PR Week. “Metcalfe has replaced David Palombi, CVS Health’s SVP and chief communications officer since August 2014. Palombi, who has left the company, could not be immediately reached for comment.” Subs.

 

Academy Sports + Outdoors Announces Steven P. Lawrence as EVP and Chief Merchandising Officer “Prior to joining Academy Sports + Outdoors, Steve was President and Chief Executive Officer at francesca’s.  From May 2012 to September 2016, he served as Chief Merchandising Officer at Stage Stores. Steve also spent nearly 12 years working in various merchandising leadership roles at J.C. Penney…” Press release

 

Container Store Q3 comp sales -0.8% Press release

 

NRF forecasts that retail sales during 2019 will increase between 3.8% and 4.4% to more than $3.8 trillion despite economic threats. Press release

 

Neiman Marcus Group Announces Exec Hires: David Goubert Appointed to EVP Stores and Retail Experience & Ginger Mollo Joins as SVP Retail Experience – West Coast Press release

 

**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

 

Employees take lead on Target’s expanded Black History Month collection by Jackie Crosby at Star Tribune. “Target tripled the number of stores carrying its Black History Month collection compared with last year and broadened the number of items, all of which are curated or designed by employees. Nationwide, 700 of its 1,850 stores will carry the items through the end of February. It also created a dedicated space on its website at target.com/celebrateblackhistory.” Tiered subs.

 

Boot Barn Q3 comp sales +9.2% Press release

 

Amazon HQ2’s future in NYC uncertain by Monica Nickelsburg at GeekWire. “The New York State Senate appointed Sen. Michael Gianaris to a little-known oversight board, one where each member has the ability to torpedo economic development deals with a single vote. Gianaris is a key opponent to the Amazon deal…“This deal is so bad that I don’t want to use this deal as the subject of a negotiation that we can tweak or amend and end up with a final product,” he said.” Read more

 

Saks Fifth Avenue Unveils New Main Floor, Latest Phase Of New York Flagship Grand Renovation Press release/Pics

 

Joann Stores Names Wade Miquelon President & CEO “Miquelon joined Joann as Executive Vice President & CFO in March 2016…Prior to Joann, Miquelon was Executive Vice President, CFO and President of International at The Walgreen Company…Matt Susz becomes CFO.” Press release

 

Ralph Lauren Q3 net revenue growth +5.0% Press release

 

First Buc-ee’s outside of Texas slapped with ‘predatory’ gas pricing lawsuit at ABC 13. “Oasis Travel center in Robertsdale, Alabama…claims Buc-ee’s broke Alabama law by selling gas for less than $2 per gallon.” Read more

 

Estee Lauder shares surge on strong sales in China by Lisa Fickenscher at NY Post. “Overall sales grew 7 percent to $4 billion while earnings grew dramatically to $573 million, up from $123 million a year ago.” Read more

 

Foot Locker Announces Global Realignment “…into three distinct geographical regions: Europe, Middle East and Africa; Asia Pacific; and North America…and to develop an infrastructure to support an expansion plan within the Asian market.” Press release

 

Tipsheet Extra Stories

Panera will end its pay-what-you-want test

Amazon commands 70% of the smart speaker market

Johnny Cash’s Kitchen & Saloon to open in Nashville

Target Begins Apple Pay Rollout at Select Locations

72% would reconsider a romantic relationship if the person had unsettled debt

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Tipsheet: Target Loyalty +5 | Amazon +Roz | OH CBD Raid | Amazon +$46M Sundance

/in

 

Amazon grocery service slowly returns in India after e-commerce disruption at Reuters. “New federal rules, which bar companies from selling products via vendors in which they have an equity interest, forced Amazon India to remove hundreds of thousands of products from its site last week.” Read more

 

Flipkart founder says he’s ‘moved on’ after Walmart ouster at CNBC. “The former Flipkart chief executive has formed a team for his new project, xto10x Technologies…Bansal described it as an “AmazonWeb Services” for start-ups and said his long-term ambition is to help “10,000 early and mid-stage entrepreneurs.” Read more

 

Amazon names Starbucks COO Rosalind Brewer as director, diversifying previously all-white board by Taylor Soper at GeekWire. Read more

 

Target is taking its new loyalty program to more cities by Lauren Thomas at CNBC. “… to five new markets on Feb. 19: Charlotte, North Carolina; Denver, Indianapolis, Kansas City and Phoenix. The program is free to members…It offers perks like 1 percent back on all Target purchases to redeem later on, and will give out rewards on customers’ birthdays.” Read more

 

Officials in Ohio raid CBD sellers by Randy Tucker at Cincinnati Enquirer. “The Ohio Department of Agriculture is working with health departments and police agencies throughout the state to “embargo” products containing CBD, according to a statement from the Cincinnati Health Department.” Read more

 

DoorDash partners with food stamp startup mRelief by Megan Rose Dickey at TechCrunch. “First launched in 2014 as part of Silicon Valley accelerator Y Combinator, mRelief has helped people receive $65 million worth of food stamps across the nation.” Read more

 

**A message from Real Coconut Water – 100% Pure Coconut Water in bottles, bulk pack, cans, and Tetra Pak. Ask about our private label program. Sell sheet | Website | Samples: info@eyeonretail.net

 

How Amazon became the biggest spender in Sundance history by Steven Zeitchik at Washington Post. “…over the past week in the Utah snow, Amazon has spent $46 million — three or four times what even high-spending companies typically shell out at the event. It used to be big news if any one distributor paid more than $10 million for a movie at Sundance.” Tiered subs.

 

Saks Turns Prime Space Into a Handbag Emporium by Suzanne Kapner at Wall Street Journal. “The luxury retailer on Tuesday unveiled at its Fifth Avenue flagship store a remodeled ground floor that includes a handbag emporium featuring 50 brands, ranging from a $45 Saks tote to a $49,500 alligator bag from The Row.” WSJ subs.

 

Michaels Partners with Carnival Cruise Line “…the exclusive arts and crafts provider fleet-wide for guests sailing on the line’s 26-ship fleet.” Press release

 

Charlotte Russe to close 94 stores in bankruptcy at USA Today. Closing list

 

Walmart tweaks attendance policy for store employees by Kim Souza at Talk Business. “Walmart is incentivizing workers to show up on weekends and holidays because the new system penalizes them if they call in sick or don’t show up as scheduled, sources have told Talk Business & Politics.” Read more

 

The Vitamin Shoppe names new SVP, Retail Sales & Operations “Neal Panza was most recently at Williams-Sonoma where he was responsible for rebuilding a key market for the company.  Prior to that he was at Brookstone…” Press release

 

British economy ‘stalling’ amid intensified Brexit worries at AP. Read more

 

Most shoppers are still leery of buying their groceries online. But delivery in the US is set to ‘explode’ at CNBC. “In the U.S., a mere 3 percent of grocery spending takes place online today. A new study by Bain & Co. in collaboration with Google finds shoppers are still reluctant to try delivery services and often don’t stick with them.” Read more

 

Pier 1 Appoints Lance Wills as EVP, Chief Information Officer “Most recently, Mr. Wills served as Executive Vice President, Global Technology Officer for Toys”R”Us, Inc. from 2016 to 2018.” Press release

 

Tipsheet Extra Stories

Millennials getting obesity-related cancers at younger ages

The stores we know of coming to the American Dream mega-mall

USPS is launching a test of 15 electric delivery trucks

Kurt Cobain Remembered by Nirvana Co-Manager in New Book

UK music retailer HMV sold to Canada’s Sunrise Records

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Tipsheet: Costco Kickback Fine | Bezos in Goodell’s Box | WM U.K. Plan B

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Costco fined $7.2M for accepting illegal kickbacks by Timonthy Sawa at CBC. “Secretly recorded audio tapes obtained by The Fifth Estate showed a senior pharmacy executive from Costco asking for kickbacks. “As a minimum, I’d like to see somewhere around 3.6 million of support. That’s a minimum,” the executive can be heard saying.” Read more

 

Walmart’s Plan B for its U.K. Checkout by Carol Ryan at Wall Street Journal. “Walmart Inc.’s tidy-up of its overseas empire will hit a rough patch this month if trustbusters block the sale of its U.K. unit to a competitor. Fortunately, though, the division could still attract a private-equity buyer…Doug McMillan is rethinking the U.S. retailer’s sprawling international operations…Rather than opening its own stores overseas, Walmart wants to become a controlling shareholder in strong domestic players.” WSJ subs.

 

Casualties of Sears’ downfall will get their day in court today at CNBC. “Sears Holdings unsecured creditors will head to bankruptcy court in White Plains, New York on Monday, Feb. 4 to protest Eddie Lampert’s $5.2 billion bid to save the company.” Read more

 

Walmart Chief Data Officer says Northwest Arkansas could be data science hub by Kim Souza at Talk Business. Read more

 

Lowe’s is shutting down its Iris smart home platform at the end of March by Nick Statt at The Verge. “Lowe’s is calling it a “redemption” process, and not a refund, so it’s not clear how much money you’ll get, or if there are strings attached to the Visa prepaid card that stipulate how it can be used or if it has to be spent at Lowe’s.” Read more

 

Inside look – Kroger’s new digital shelves – 7 of 8 participants prefer digital shelves to traditional at Field Agent. Video/Read more

 

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Reeling from algorithm glitch, Instacart institutes $3 minimum fee for drivers by Sean Captain at Fast Company. “Tom shared his story with labor advocacy organization Working Washington…A January 27 blog post on the organization’s site titled, “Earn eighty cents an hour by delivering groceries with Instacart!” quickly went viral, lighting up heated online discussions on sites like Hacker News.” Read more

 

Savannah Guthrie, Marie Kondo Debut on Top TV Personalities Social Media Ranking by Kevin Rutherford at The Hollywood Reporter. Top 10 list

 

Jeff Bezos is spotted in NFL commissioner Roger Goodell’s box at the Super Bowl and at Robert Kraft’s Superbowl party at Daily Mail. Read more/Pics

 

…Bezos photographed with Fanatics mogul Michael Rubin: Rubin’s sports apparel giant Fanatics just did a deal with Walmart to bring its gear to stores, and sources wondered whether a pact with Amazon could be far behind. at NY Post. Read more

 

Warby Parker introduces virtual try-on to let shoppers select a pair of frames and instantly see how they look. by Jordan Crook at TechCrunch. “The tech was built on Apple’s ARKit, and the feature is only available to users on the Warby Parker  iOS app on an iPhone X or later.” Read more

 

“PHYGITAL” SPACE – Ikea Hopes You’ll Be Into Furniture Subscriptions by David Meyer at Fortune. “As reported in the Financial Times, the Swedish firm will soon start trialling a furniture-leasing program—initially targeting business customers—under which previously-leased goods will be refurbished and resold. According to Torbjörn Lööf, CEO at brand owner Inter Ikea, the move could pave the way for “scalable subscription services” in the future.” Read more

 

Target strikes deal to sell razors from Harry’s women’s shaving start-up at CNBC. Read more

 

Hawaii considers ban on cigarette sales at ABC 30. “Lawmakers are proposing that cigarette sales would effectively end by 2024. The ban would go into effect progressively, starting next year, by raising the minimum age for buying cigarettes from 21 to 30. Two years later, no one under 100 would be allowed to buy cigarettes.” Story link

 

Tipsheet Extra Stories

Costco’s 5-cheese wedding cake feeds up to 150 people

CDC: 40% of children ages 3-6 used too much toothpaste

Corn Farmers Were Not Amused With Bud Light’s Super Bowl Ad

Amazon shipping costs hit record $9B in latest quarter

Awkward postgame scrum nearly ruins Tom Brady interview with CBS

Minnesota man continues frozen pants movement thanks to the polar vortex

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