Archive for month: May, 2019

 

Walmart fights back against Amazon with one-day shipping in some U.S. markets at Reuters. “The Walmart deal will be available to online shoppers in Phoenix and Las Vegas and then expand to Southern California in the coming days, the head of its U.S. ecommerce service, Marc Lore, told Reuters in an interview…plan to reach approximately 75% of the U.S. population this year, which includes 40 of the top 50 U.S. metro areas, Lore said.” Read more

 

Walmart International CEO Says It’s Moving On After a Major U.K. Setback by Phil Wahba at Fortune. “Life moves on fast, and that’s really what it’s all about for us now,” McKenna said at the World Retail Congress in Amsterdam on Tuesday…“That was a bold move. We genuinely believed that creating this combination from a unique, one-off opportunity would have allowed us to accelerate lowering prices for all our customers,” said McKenna.” Read more

 

Williams-Sonoma CEO Laura Alber on ‘Mad Money’ at CNBC. “Laura Alber said Monday that the company shuffled its operations over the past year in anticipation of high tariffs on imports from China…“And so we’re hiring (in the U.S.)… 500 people, and we’ve got 140 right now in Tupelo. We need to hire more, and we need to hire more on the coasts, as well.” Video/Read more

 

Trader Joe’s opening first South Side Chicago location in Hyde Park at Crain’s Chicago Business. “…will take over part of the former Treasure Island Foods location in the Hyde Park Shopping Center.” Read more

 

Ex-Family Dollar CFO Takes Charge for Now at Bed Bath & Beyond at CNN. 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. Register Now | Website

 

Amazon is rolling out machines to automate a job held by thousands of its workers: boxing up customer orders at Reuters. “Amazon has considered installing two machines at dozens more warehouses, removing at least 24 roles at each one, these people said…That would amount to more than 1,300 cuts across 55 U.S. fulfillment centers for standard-sized inventory.” Read more

 

Teens Smuggle Burner Phones to Defy Parents by Julie Jargon at Wall Street Journal. “All the sudden she’d stop asking for her phone back and we’d be like, ‘That’s weird,’” said her dad, Patrick, who runs a recruitment firm. “In almost every high school across the country there is a kid who sells burner phones from their locker,” said Rich Wistocki, a retired detective.” WSJ subs.

 

Walmart Thursday Earnings Call: Wall Street expects comp sales of 3.1% overall with Walmart U.S. producing comp sales growth of 3.4%. by Kim Souza at Talk Business. Read more

 

U.S. retailers revamp loyalty schemes for Amazon era at Reuters. “(Beroe’s) report “Loyalty Big Picture” based on an international survey of 1,200 loyalty plan providers and some 4,500 members said 69 percent of executives reported a rise in spending on royalty schemes over the past two years, and 55 percent expected a further increase in investment in the next two years.” Read more

 

Amazon employees who quit their jobs to start their own package delivery companies will be eligible for up to $10,000 and three months pay at GeekWire. Read more

 

Doug McMillon speaks at Arkansas’s 2019 Stock Market Game awards luncheon in Little Rock at Arkansas Business. “The second lesson (Ray) Hobbs taught him was to double stack thin paper cups in the cafeteria that held coffee, so as to not burn his hand, McMillon said. But the third lesson really stuck…Ray told me a very important principal about being a business leader and about being a buyer for Walmart, both. And that is: You’re responsible for everything,” he said.” Read more

 

Petco to Open First In-Store Health and Wellness Kitchen for Dogs in NYC at NBC 7 San Diego. Read more

 

The two-year quest to rebrand Ikea for the digital age by Katharine Schwab at Fast Company. “This new logo system, called Fönster, which is Swedish for “window,” maintains the lettering and iconic oval inside a rectangle form of the Ikea logo but abandons its color scheme. Instead, an all-white version of the logo sits on top of any video or photo…” Video/Read more

 

Tipsheet Extra Stories

Will political correctness kill classic movies?

Have sex marathons daily, Jack Ma tells Alibaba employees

CEOs name Game of Thrones their top TV guilty pleasure

Juror Tells Roundup Weedkiller Lawyer to ‘Get Up and Drink It’

Macy’s strike ‘could happen at any time,’ union says

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Costco April comp sales +5.4%: U.S. +7.7% / Canada -1.9% / Other Int’l +0.9% / Ecom +23.6% Press release

 

Hudson’s Bay to pay C$4.5 mln to settle with Canada’s competition watchdog at Reuters. “Hudson’s Bay offered sleep sets at “inflated regular prices” and then advertised deep discounts on these prices, suggesting significant savings to consumers, the bureau said.” Read more

 

Etsy Q1 gross merchandise sales growth +18.9% Press release

 

Amazon Hit by Extensive Fraud With Hackers Siphoning Merchant Funds by Jonathan Browning at Bloomberg. “Amazon believes it was the victim of a “serious” online attack by hackers who broke into about 100 seller accounts and funneled cash from loans or sales into their own bank accounts, according to a U.K. legal document. The hack took place between May 2018 and October 2018…” Tiered subs.

 

Vitamin Shoppe Q1 comp sales -3.5% Press release

 

Walmart managers take home an average of $175,000 a year by Kelly Tyko at USA Today. “55% of Walmart’s total U.S. workforce is female and 43% of management is female.” Read more

 

**A message from Real Coconut Water: Brazilian coconuts = Sweeter taste. 100% pure coconut water. PL or branded organic in Tetra Pak. Sell sheet | Website | Samples: info@eyeonretail.net

 

Camping World Q1 revenue +0.6% Press release

 

Non-compete limits, modified by Amazon, signed into law in Washington state at AP via Seattle Times. “The contracts, which bar a worker from joining a competitor after leaving a job, are set to be prohibited for workers making less than $100,000 annually.” Read more

 

Office Depot Q1 retail comp sales -4.0% Press release

 

Denver votes to become first city to decriminalize ‘magic mushrooms’ at NBC News. “It appeared late Tuesday night that the decriminalization would fail with 52 percent of voters rejecting it, but late final ballot counting inched it just above passing.” Read more

 

Shaving upstart Harry’s is selling for $1.37 billion to the company that owns Schick razors at CNBC. Read more

 

Home Depot promotes Stephen Holmes to comms head by Diane Bradley at PR Week. “One of the biggest comms efforts we have is around our $11.1 billion in investments over the next three to four years,” said Holmes, who oversees 100-plus staffers.” PR Week subs.

 

Sears unveils a new logo at CNBC. Pic/Read more

 

Amazon Slammed For Putting Kids At Risk With ‘Blatant Violation Of Privacy Laws’ by Zak Doffman at Forbes. “The most disturbing allegation is that “Amazon retains children’s data even after parents believe they have deleted it.”…”Parents,” CCFC states, “not Jeff Bezos, should be in charge of children’s data. The FTC must hold Amazon accountable for blatantly violating children’s privacy law and putting kids at risk.” Read more

 

Walmart, Sam’s Club raise age to buy tobacco to 21; won’t sell flavored nicotine to minors by Charisse Jones at USA Today. “The new age requirement will kick in on July 1…and will apply to the sale of e-cigarettes as well. But even adults will no longer be able to buy the electronic nicotine systems that taste like desserts or fruit, with Walmart saying it plans to phase out those products.” Read more

 

Amazon’s Blink unveils new security camera with ‘exclusive’ chip and two-year battery life by Todd Bishop at GeekWire. Read more

 

Cause Marketing Isn’t Working for Young People by Josh Sternberg at Adweek. ““We all want to save the planet so long as it’s utterly without any sacrifice,” Goodwin said. “The sad truth is most young people are too crippled by student debt, worried about the brain chemistry being affected by mobile phones, to have vital brain power taken up by whether this brand of bleach helps build schools in Sub-Saharan Africa.” Tiered subs.

 

‘You’re fired’: Heartless prank brings Walmart employee to tears at ABC 13. “Leones is still crying. The reason: her husband, Eduardo…Leones is the only one making money, and her husband relies on her health insurance. “I don’t think it’s good to play on someone else’s emotions,” Leones said.” Video/Read more

 

Tipsheet Extra Stories

Top 10 most successful new products in the c-store channel last year

Weight gain in rural areas is responsible for a lot of the global rise in obesity

Chef stopped at Los Angeles airport with 40 frozen piranhas

Facebook auto-generates videos celebrating extremist images

Why every US co. has a stake in Bed Bath & Beyond’s heated boardroom war

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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

 

Walmart is opening dozens of veterinary clinics in its stores and launching an online pet pharmacy at CNBC. “…(Walmart) already operates 21 veterinary clinics in its stores across six states, but over the next 12 months it will growth that number to 100…Walmart also will launch an online pet pharmacy, WalmartPetRX.com, rivaling PetSmart’s e-commerce business, Chewy.com.” Read more

 

Save-A-Lot to seek buyer or investor at Reuters. “Save-A-Lot has about 1,230 stores and is the second largest “hard” discount grocer in the United States after Aldi.” Read more

 

How the Apple Store Lost Its Luster by Mark Gurman & Matthew Townsend at Bloomberg. “In interviews, current and former Apple employees blame a combination of factors. They say the stores have become mostly an exercise in branding and no longer do a good job serving mission shoppers… Meanwhile, they say, the quality of staff has slipped…The Genius Bar, once renowned for its tech support, has been largely replaced with staff who roam the stores and are harder to track down.” Tiered subs.

 

Hudson’s Bay is pursuing strategic alternatives such as a sale or merger for its department store Lord & Taylor via NY Post. Read more

 

Alexa has been eavesdropping on you this whole time by Geoffrey A. Fowler at Washington Post. “I listened to four years of my Alexa archive and found thousands of fragments of my life: spaghetti-timer requests, joking houseguests and random snippets of “Downton Abbey.” There were even sensitive conversations that somehow triggered Alexa’s “wake word” to start recording, including my family discussing medication and a friend conducting a business deal.” Read more

 

Amazon says small business owners earn $90,000 a year, on average, from selling in its stores by Dalvin Brown at USA Today. Read more

 

Fifth Avenue Losing Luster as Vacancies Climb, Rents Fall by Esther Fung at Wall Street Journal. “Average ground-floor asking store rents between 49th and 60th streets were $2,779 a square foot in the first quarter, down by 11% from its peak during the first quarter of 2017, according to brokerage firm Cushman & Wakefield.” WSJ subs.

 

REI names Eric Artz president and CEO “He joined REI in 2012 as chief financial officer and was promoted to chief operating officer in 2014…Previously, he was CFO at Urban Outfitters.” Press release

 

Amazon Go opens for the first time in New York. And the cashier-free store will accept cash at CNBC. “…is opening to the public this week at Brookfield Place in downtown New York, on the second level of the enclosed shopping mall.” 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. Register Now | Website

 

Grocery startup BigBasket becomes India’s newest unicorn with new $150M investment by Manish Singh at TechCrunch. “Alibaba, which also led the Series E round in BigBasket last year, is the largest investor in the company, with about 30% stake, a person familiar with the matter said.” Read more

 

Amazon wants to pay the New York Times and BuzzFeed to expand so it can reach more shoppers outside the US by Peter Kafka at Recode. Read more

 

84.51° Expands Chicago Presence with Move to Redeveloped Old Post Office Press release

 

Alibaba is releasing its own typeface called Alibaba Sans by Katharine Schwab at Fast Company. “While an Alibaba spokesperson says that the aim is not to homogenize the design of the small brands on the platform, Alibaba Sans does seem like a way for the company to offer a more streamlined visual experience to shoppers while elevating the design of its site as a whole.” Read more

 

Kroger and Home Chef Launch Pilot for Three New Retail Meal Solutions Press release

 

Hayneedle lays off 239 workers in Omaha by Henry J. Cordes at Omaha World-Herald. “180 workers were in the firm’s call center in Sarpy County and 59 in its headquarters building…“This was not a Walmart decision; it was a decision made by Hayneedle,” (director of comm Wilson) said.” Read more

 

Office Depot Announces Stephen M. Mohan as EVP of the Business Solutions Division Press release

 

Kraft’s will cover your babysitting expenses up to $100 on Mother’s Day by Alvin Brown at USA Today. “Kraft will reimburse a total of $50,000 and parents are limited to one submission per person, email address or household. The offer ends at 11:59 pm ET on May 19, or while funds remain available.” Read more

 

Why Amazon Is Gobbling Up Failed Malls (5:42 video) WSJ subs.

 

Tipsheet Extra Stories

Denver voters decide on ‘magic mushroom’ decriminalization today

Adam Sandler Struggled to Get Through Rehearsals for Chris Farley ‘SNL’ Tribute

Minnesota’s 122 page Amazon HQ2 proposal

Rolling Stone to Launch Its Own Music Charts in Challenge to Billboard

Inside The World Of Liquidated Amazon Merchandise

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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

 

Jobs surge in April, unemployment rate falls to the lowest since 1969 at CNBC. “The U.S. added 263,000 new hires in April, easily beating Wall Street expectations of 190,000. The unemployment rate fell to 3.6% vs. 3.8% expected.” Read more

 

Target ups its ad efforts with revamped media company, Roundel by Sarah Perez at TechCrunch. “According to AdWeek, Target wanted to announce Roundel at the NewFronts because it wasn’t only going to focus on display ads — it would also involve social, video and linear TV.” Read more | A Bullseye View story

 

Floor & Decor Q1 comp sales +3.1% (excluding Houston +7.1%…) Press release

 

Walmart is testing ways to trim the size of its store management staff at CNBC. “Walmart is looking to see if it can have fewer midlevel store managers overseeing workers, with these managers seeing both their responsibilities and their pay increase…The new structure is already in place at 75 of its stores, and will be expanding to departments across 50 other supercenter locations over the next month.” Read more | WSJ article (subs.)

 

Sprouts Farmers Market Q1 comp sales +1.4% Press release

 

Wayfair shares plunge 12% as losses widen at CNBC. “Wayfair’s revenue rose 39% to $1.94 billion in the first quarter of the year, compared with the $1.92 billion expected…it had 16.4 million active customers in the first quarter, 39% greater than the same period last year.” Read more

 

Dick’s Sporting Goods appoints: Ed Plummer – Chief Marketing Officer & Steve Miller (ex – Joann Stores) –  SVP Strategy & Analytics Press release

 

Yeti Q1 net sales +15% Press release

 

Starbucks is speeding up innovation at its Seattle research hub by Kate Rogers at CNBC. “At Tryer, employees are testing out new combinations for cold beverages, using rapid prototyping via 3D printer and even trying out delivery mechanisms for the company’s new partnership with UberEats for delivery. They’re surrounded by walls filled with sticky notes, and functional mock stores built on wheels, so they can be deconstructed and remodeled quickly.” Read more

 

Publix Q1 comp sales +1.9% Press release

 

**A message from X1 Ebike – Up to 37 miles on a single 4-hour charge! Folds into the size of a golf bag in 1 second. GPS tracking, VIN # & alarm for security. Video | Website | Contact

 

Texas bill aims to ban people from using food stamps to buy junk food by Aris Folley at The Hill. “Under the legislation, participants of (SNAP) would be prohibited from purchasing energy drinks, sweetened beverages containing artificial sweeteners, carbonated beverages, candy, potato or corn chips, cookies and other forms of junk food.” Read more

 

Office Depot gets SVP/Chief Accounting Officer Richard Haas from OfficeMax Press release

 

Murphy Oil profits down 76% amid change in strategic focus by Wesley Brown at Talk Business. “Total revenue, however, jumped 41.2% to $591 million, compared to only $347.7 million in the previous year.” Read more

 

2019 Top Women in Convenience at Convenience Store News Read more

 

Tipsheet Extra Stories

Gayle King pushes out Norah O’Donnell at ‘CBS This Morning’

Trump gets powerful new rival in Letitia James

Report: Facebook considering its own bitcoin for payments

Buffett: Berkshire Hathaway has been buying shares of Amazon

Woman pays it forward after finding $5 in book at Target

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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