Tipsheet: B.Buy/Dick’s Beat | 39% Shop & Drive | WM’s 50K Personal Shoppers

/in

 

Best Buy Q3 comp sales +1.7% “Best Buy is updating its full-year FY20 financial outlook to the following: Enterprise comparable sales growth of 1.0% to 2.0%, which compares to prior guidance of 0.7% to 1.7%.” Press release

 

…Best Buy shares surge after beating expectations and raising forecast ahead of the holidays at CNBC. “Reported vs. expected, based on a survey of analysts by Refinitiv: Earnings per share, adjusted: $1.13 vs. $1.03 expected. Revenue: $9.76 billion vs. $9.70 billion expected. Same-store sales growth: 1.7% vs. 1.3% expected.” Read more

 

Dick’s Q3 comp sales +6.0% “Edward Stack, Chairman and CEO:  ‘As we head into the holiday season, we remain very enthusiastic about our business, and we are pleased to increase our full year sales and earnings outlook for the third time this year.'” Press release

 

…Dick’s Sporting Goods soars after raising earnings outlook at Fox Business. Read more

 

Dollar Tree Q3 enterprise comp sales +2.5%. By segment: Dollar Tree +2.8% / Family Dollar +2.3% Press release

 

They Can See You Typing When You’re Shopping Online at NY Times. “It is one thing to think, ‘O.K., somehow my clicks are being recorded somewhere,’” said Christine Bannan, a consumer protection lawyer at the Electronic Privacy Information Center. “But to think of an individual sales rep watching all of your clicks, I think it will resonate with people that this sort of tracking is so prevalent and what it really means. It makes it less abstract.” Tiered subs.

 

Famous Footwear Q3 comp sales +2.5% Press release

 

**A message from Home & Outdoor cookware – High quality cookware made for the cabin, camping, and the great outdoors. 3X stain and scratch resistance. Retail ready packaging. Sales deck | Samples: info@eyeonretail.net

 

Ruthless Quotas at Amazon Are Maiming Employees by Will Evans at The Atlantic. “When a maintenance worker was crushed to death by a forklift there, state officials in Indiana, which then was jockeying for Amazon’s second headquarters, sided with the company over their own investigator. “When you order something from Amazon and you’ve worked inside Amazon, you wonder, ‘Hey, is ordering my package going to be the demise of somebody?’” said one former safety manager, who had worked at multiple Amazon facilities.” Read more

 

EBay is selling off StubHub in a $4 billion deal at CNN. Read more

 

Walmart SVP Tom Ward shares insights from online grocery business by Kim Souza at Talk Business. “Ward said the secret sauce of the program’s success is the personal shoppers who do the order picking. These employees are the “cream of the crop,” and they have the closest contact with customers, he added. …“We will soon hire our 50,000th personal shopper, which is a huge milestone given the job didn’t exist three years ago.” Read more

 

Ad business a boon for Amazon but a turn-off for shoppers at AP. “After David Sinclair’s book on aging went on sale in September, colleagues told him that when they typed his name on Amazon, they saw ads for vitamins and supplements above his book. The supplement makers had selected Sinclair’s name as a keyword, hoping to get the attention of people who wanted to buy his book, “Lifespan: Why We Age — and Why We Don’t Have To.” Read more

 

Zappos settles major data breach lawsuit with 10% discounts for customers through end of year by Monica Nickelsburg at GeekWire. Read more

 

Tesco Follows Amazon, Netflix Playbook With Paid Loyalty Card by Rebecca Smith at Bloomberg. “Britain’s largest retailer this month introduced Clubcard Plus, a subscription-based loyalty plan where customers pay a monthly fee to receive special deals. It expands on Tesco’s existing points-based system with a business model more in line with Amazon Prime, Costco Wholesale Corp. or even Netflix Inc.” Tiered subs.

 

Close to two out of every five of Americans have shopped on their mobile devices while driving at Fast Company. Read more

 

Arts and crafts chain A.C. Moore will close its 145 stores, its parent company Nicole Crafts announced in a news release Monday. Up to 40 of the closing locations will become Michaels at USA Today. Read more

 

Allbirds tells Amazon it forgot to steal the most important part of its shoe by Nick Statt at The Verge. “We are flattered at the similarities that your private label shoe shares with ours, but hoped the commonalities would include these environmentally-friendly materials as well,” (Allbirds co-CEO) writes.” Read more

 

‘Star Wars: Rise of Skywalker’ Script Ended Up on eBay at Variety. “One of our actors, I won’t say which one — I want to, but I won’t — left it under their bed and it was found by someone who was cleaning their place,” Abrams said. “It was then given to someone else who went to sell it on eBay.” Read more

 

Tipsheet Extra

How LVMH’s whirlwind courtship sealed $16 billion Tiffany deal

Boston bans menthol cigarettes from c-stores

Amazon awards shine spotlight on third-party sellers

Musk promises Cybertruck vs. Ford F-150 rematch after controversy

Nike is the latest company to offer 3% cash back to Apple Card users

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: Put your product or service in front of the most powerful retail execs in the world, send advertising inquiries to info@eyeonretail.net

 

Website: eyeonretail.net

Tipsheet: Opioids = Shrink | BJ’s +1.1%

/in

 

Gap Q3 comp sales -4.0%: Old Navy global -4.0% / Gap global -7.0% / Banana Republic global -3.0% Press release

 

BJ’s Wholesale Club Q3 comp sales (excluding gas) +1.1% Press release

 

Walmart’s Jet to Cease Its New York City Fresh Grocery Business by Matthew Boyle at Bloomberg. “The retailer will close a warehouse in the Bronx it was using to prepare orders and also let some drivers go, resulting in the loss of between 200 and 300 jobs, according to a person familiar with the decision. Jet — which will continue to sell dry groceries like cereal and other general merchandise…” Tiered subs.

 

Walgreens Boots Alliance group VP Gulden Mesara-Dogan is set to exit the company at the end of this year at PR Week. Tiered subs.

 

Retailers have been competing over fast, convenient delivery for years. Next up? Returns. by Lauren Zumbach at Chicago Tribune. “Paper Source and Happy Returns are also testing self-service kiosks at two stores in Los Angeles…Happy Returns will be testing shoppers’ honesty, and whether extra checks are needed to ensure customers actually leave their returns with the kiosks, Sobie said.” Tiered subs

 

Williams-Sonoma comp brand revenue +5.5%: Pottery Barn +3.4% / West Elm +14.1% / Williams-Sonoma -2.1% / Pottery Barn Kids & Teen +4.0% Press release

 

Inside Home Depot’s efforts to stop a growing theft problem at its stores by Courtney Reagan at CNBC. “I personally believe, this is driven by the opioid crisis,” Carol Tome, Home Depot’s then-chief financial officer said in a phone interview with CNBC in May…In Salt Lake City, the retailer worked with the state’s attorney general’s office over several years to close down a $1.5 million fraud case that involved seven pawnshops and a crime ring that was stealing and then reselling, the stolen goods.” Read more

 

**A message from EasyLock keyless locking deadbolt – An unlocked deadbolt is useless! EasyLock = no key required/twist to lock. Video | Sell sheet | Sample @ info@eyeonretail.net

 

Shoe Carnival Q3 comp sales +3.5% Press release

 

Kroger Dials Back Overhaul as Sales Sputter by Jaewon Kang at Wall Street Journal. “Kroger laid off nearly 1,000 managers and other employees last month to cut costs…“There is a certain pace you can go at and there are only so many things you can do at one time,” Gary Millerchip, Kroger’s chief financial officer since April, said in an interview.” WSJ subs.

 

Nordstrom Q3 total company net sales -2.2%: Full price -4.1% / Off-price +1.2% / Digital +7.0% (digital is 34% of business) Press release

 

Amazon unveils new Dash Smart Shelf that automatically reorders items when supplies run low by Nat Levy at GeekWire. “The Dash Smart Shelf is a WiFi-enabled scale for office supplies. When common supplies like printer paper, pens, or coffee are running low, the shelf can automatically re-stock them or send a notification to put in a manual order.” Read more

 

Ross Stores Q3 comp sales +5.0% Press release

 

Top retail brands in the U.S. based on social influence by Engagement Labs: Amazon #1, Kohl’s #4, Target #8, Costco #9 Top 10 list/Press release

 

Victoria’s Secret 2019 Fashion Show Is Now Officially Cancelled at Fortune. “…the decision was part of a move to “evolve the messaging of [the company]”…Burgdoerfer told analysts on an earnings call that the company was pulling back on more extravagant marketing methods.” Read more

 

Macy’s Q3 comp sales -3.9% on an owned basis / -3.5% on an owned plus licensed basis Press release

 

Shoppers Try Walmart’s New, Siri-Powered Voice Order Service by Field Agent. “Sixty percent of participants (N = 139) said they would be either completely or very likely to use Siri to shop with Walmart again in the future, and 83% said they were at least moderately likely to do so.” Read more

 

Stage Stores Q3 comp sales +17.4% “Net loss was $15.9 million compared to net loss of $31.4 million in the third quarter 2018…“Our outstanding third quarter results give us further confidence in our decision to convert the entire company to an off-price business model,” commented Michael Glazer, CEO.” Press release

 

A Georgia woman has filed a federal lawsuit against Target claiming the retail giant stole her trademark when it launched its Good & Gather flagship food brand in September. at USA Today. Read more

 

Tipsheet Extra

America’s Top 50 Givers

Target employee died on the job but store remained open for business

‘Baby Yoda’ merch from ‘The Mandalorian’ is on its way

The top 10 touring acts over the last decade

DoorDash continues to lead in the food delivery wars with 35% share

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: Put your product or service in front of the most powerful retail execs in the world, send advertising inquiries to info@eyeonretail.net

 

Website: eyeonretail.net

Tipsheet: Target +4.5% | Lowe’s +3% | Macy’s Breach | Jelinek #9 Biz Person

/in

 

Target Q3 comp sales +4.5% “Third quarter comparable digital channel sales grew 31 percent, on top of 49 percent last year. Same-day fulfillment services (Order Pick Up, Drive Up and Shipt) accounted for 80% of Target’s digital comparable sales growth.” Press release

 

…Target shares surge after company crushes earnings and raises forecast at CNBC. “Earnings per share: $1.36, adjusted, vs. $1.19 expected. Revenue: $18.67 billion vs. $18.49 billion expected. Same-store sales: growth of 4.5% vs. up 3.6% expected.” Read more

 

Lowe’s Q3 comp sales +3.0% “…(will) close 34 underperforming stores in Canada (and) undertake a process to simplify multiple Canadian store banners to drive efficiency and reduce operational complexity…” Press release

 

…Lowe’s raises earnings outlook, shares jump at Fox Business. “Improved execution and strong earnings-per-share growth enabled the company to raise its full-year earnings forecast to $5.63 to $5.70 a share.” Read more

 

Macy’s said hackers stole customer credit cards – again by Zack Whittaker at TechCrunch. “Macy’s said the breach lasted a week, between October 7 and October 15. The retail giant did not say how many customers were affected, but the breach is likely to affect thousands of customers.” Read more

 

Walmart CEO Doug McMillon: ‘We could go away at any minute’ at CNBC. “Walmart is not arrogant,” CEO Doug McMillon said at CNBC’s Evolve Summit in Los Angeles on Tuesday morning. “We could go away at any minute. I think most of us act that way every day. If you’re not willing to fail — and we are failing at some things — you’re going to go away.” Read more/27:58 video

 

Costco’s Craig Jelinek #9 on Fortune’s Businessperson of the Year list Top 20 list

 

Alibaba raises up to $12.9 billion in landmark Hong Kong listing at Reuters. “The price means Alibaba will raise at least HK$88 billion ($11.3 billion) – a symbolic total because the number 8 is associated with prosperity and good fortune in Chinese culture.” Read more

 

**A message from Home & Outdoor cookware – High quality cookware made for the cabin, camping, and the great outdoors. 3X stain and scratch resistance. Retail ready packaging. Sales deck | Samples: info@eyeonretail.net

 

TJX Q3 comp sales +4.0% Press release

 

Amazon Is Planning to Open Cashierless Supermarkets Next Year by Matt Day at Bloomberg. “The new store formats and licensing initiative could launch as soon as the first quarter of 2020, according to a person familiar with the project. Amazon is testing a supermarket equipped with Go technology in a 10,400-square-foot retail space in Seattle’s Capitol Hill neighborhood.” Tiered subs.

 

Home Depot Q3 earnings call transcript at Seeking Alpha. Transcript

 

Lowe’s workers have complaints about new scheduling policies by Aine Cain at Business Insider. “One of the primary issues 10 of these workers spoke about had to do with changes to the scheduling policies for full-time employees. The old four-week rotation for full-time employees was replaced with a new system billed as “customer-centric scheduling,” which workers say has brought about less predictability and negatively affected their work-life balance.” Read more

 

Casey’s names Tractor Supply exec Chief Human Resources Officer Press release

 

Usain Bolt’s Next Impossible Goal: Finishing a Sam’s Club Run in 3 Minutes by Kathryn Lundstrom at Adweek. “Sam’s Club wants its customers to know they can get all their shopping done in a jiffy…In the bulk retailer’s latest spot produced by MONO, Usain Bolt flies down the aisles to check off all 20 items…” Tiered subs.

 

Amazon tells senator it’s considered face-scanning doorbells at ABC News. Read more

 

Customers claim Ulta’s Beautyfest was full of empty promises by Lisa Fickenscher at NY Post. “The retailer told eager consumers last week that its 1,200 stores would open one hour earlier than usual — at 9 a.m. — on Saturday and Sunday…But customers quickly flooded social media with complaints that some stores failed to open their doors on time and that they waited in freezing temperatures for chintzy freebies.” Read more

 

Tipsheet Extra

Hollywood’s Top 25 Marketing Masterminds of 2019

Here’s Jeff Bezos’ portrait that just made it into the Smithsonian

Capital One partners with OpenTable on exclusive access to premium reservations

FDA to start testing romaine lettuce on heels of Ecoli outbreaks

Warby Parker is launching Scout, its own line of contact lenses

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: Put your product or service in front of the most powerful retail execs in the world, send advertising inquiries to info@eyeonretail.net

 

Website: eyeonretail.net

Tipsheet: H.Depot & Kohl’s Miss | 27% Gift Headphones | Bezos @ Gala

/in

 

Home Depot Q3 comp sales +3.6% / US comp +3.8% Press release

 

…Home Depot cuts 2019 forecast after sales miss, shares crater at CNBC. “Earnings per share: $2.53, adjusted, vs. $2.52 expected. Revenue: $27.22 billion vs. $27.53 billion expected. Same-store sales growth, global: 3.6% vs. 4.7% expected.” Read more

 

Kohl’s Q3 comp sales +0.4% “(Kohl’s) now expects adjusted annual earnings per diluted share to be $4.75 to $4.95…compared to its prior guidance of $5.15 to $5.45.” Press release

 

…Kohl’s cuts annual profit forecast after disappointing results; shares slump at Reuters. “…analysts on average had expected same-store sales to increase 0.76%, according to IBES data from Refinitiv. On an adjusted basis, the retailer earned 74 cents per share in the third quarter ended Nov. 2. Analysts were expecting a profit of 86 cents per share.” Read more

 

Tiffany CEO says millennials are buying diamonds — just not the way their parents did by Lauren Zumbach at Chicago Tribune. “CEO: ‘The way a millennial lives, he meets the person he loves, they go on a trip overseas, they love each other, they come back and have a home together. They have a dog, maybe later they have a kid. At that point they buy a diamond ring.'” Q&A

 

Campbell’s secures prime real estate at Walmart in deal with Hallmark Channel by Jeanine Poggi at Ad Age. “As part of the deal, Walmart will host in-store cooking demos featuring Campbell’s products. Campbell’s products will make appearances in two original Hallmark holiday movies and be featured on the network’s “Home & Family” show.” Tiered subs.

 

**A message from Real Coconut Water: Sweet, 100% pure coconut water. Specializing in private label, organic Tetra Pak. Sell sheet | Website | Samples: info@eyeonretail.net

 

AmEx Is Paying Up to Get Businesses to Accept Its Cards by AnnaMaria Andriotis at Wall Street Journal. “A small number of big merchants have received payments of around $450,000 since last year, according to people familiar with the matter. It also has offered to waive the swipe fees for a small number of businesses for six months, according to an internal document titled “Parity Push Project.” WSJ subs.

 

The Hyper-Organized Christmas Shopper by Anne Marie Chaker at Wall Street Journal. “Ms. Schwork, a 31-year-old consultant in Silver Spring, Md., aims to be finished by Thanksgiving. She keeps track of gift ideas and completed purchases on a spreadsheet for the 25 people on her list. She watches for deals and picks up items along the way, such as new towels for her sister.” WSJ subs.

 

Three dead in murder-suicide in parking lot of Duncan, Oklahoma Walmart at CBS News. Read more

 

Here’s How Walmart’s Self-Service Ad Platform Stacks Up Against Amazon’s by Lisa Lacy at Adweek. “Walmart is developing a self-service ad platform and API in a move straight out of Amazon’s playbook. The retailer confirmed the news, but declined to share additional details. However, agencies familiar with the beta program said they expect the platform to roll out in 2020.” Tiered subs.

 

Alibaba finds strong demand for its Hong Kong shares despite turmoil in the city at CNN. Read more

 

Survey: Which Electronics Will Be Given This Christmas? at Field Agent. “More than a quarter of respondents (27%) expect to give headphones/earphones this holiday season. Additionally, some 16% said they plan to give a tablet to someone, while 13% anticipate giving a phone, video game console, and/or smart watch/fitness tracker.” Read more

 

Hacked Disney+ accounts are reportedly being sold for as little as $3 at CNBC. Read more

 

Jeff Bezos Among Honorees at American Portrait Gala at The Hollywood Reporter. “Despite the nonpartisan stance of the Smithsonian, there was an inescapable political element in the crowd. “Where else could you be where you have two former First Ladies in the room on a school night?,” said the evening’s emcee Gayle King, giving a shout-out to attendee Hillary Clinton.” Read more

 

Home Depot holds on to #1 for radio spots at Radio Ink. “Last week the Depot ran a whopping 62,390 ads, beating out old rival GEICO which came in second with 44,973 ads. Completing the top five were Vicks (32,645), State Farm (31,942), and Indeed (29,487). CVS rose to sixth place with 28,237 spots after being unranked the previous week.” Read more

 

‘Meth. We’re on it’ campaign rolls out in South Dakota to confusion, ridicule at Fox News. “The $1.4 million campaign, featuring people saying, “Meth, I’m on it,” in coffee shops, and on a football field, paid nearly $500,000 to Broadhead Co., the Minnesota-based ad agency that created the tagline.” Read more

 

Tipsheet Extra

Minneapolis teens’ bath bomb company hits $20M in sales

Parcel Guard smart mailbox launches in Seattle

Jeff Bezos to visit India in January, may meet PM Narendra Modi

Target Reaches 500 Solar Installations

‘Lord of the Rings’ Series Renewed by Amazon for Season 2

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: Put your product or service in front of the most powerful retail execs in the world, send advertising inquiries to info@eyeonretail.net

 

Website: eyeonretail.net

 

Tipsheet: Buffett Likes RH | Wawa Fire via Tesla | Payment Holidays

/in

 

Tesla Supercharger catches fire at a Wawa store in New Jersey at CNBC. “In August 2019, Wawa announced plans to increase the number of stores that feature Tesla Supercharger stations from 16 to more than 30 locations by the end of 2020.” Read more

 

Amazon adds new ‘Amazon Pharmacy’ branding to PillPack at CNBC. “Another signal of PillPack’s growing importance: The company’s CEO TJ Parker got a promotion over the summer after impressing high-ups with his pharmacy knowledge, three people familiar with the move told CNBC.” Read more

 

Molson Coors Chases Young Adults—And Not Just With Beer by Jennifer Maloney at Wall Street Journal. “The brewer has bought a large stake in a nonalcoholic beverage incubator called L.A. Libations to expand Molson Coors’ portfolio with high-end, better-for-you drinks. Financial terms weren’t disclosed, but Molson Coors is taking a 49% stake, according to people familiar with the matter.” WSJ subs.

 

Socialist leader co-hosts demonstration protesting an Amazon executive’s fundraiser for Joe Biden by Monica Nickelsburg at GeekWire. Read more

 

TikTok tests social commerce at TechCrunch. “…it has started to allow some users to add links to e-commerce sites (or any other destination) to their profile biography as well as offer creators the ability to easily send their viewers to shopping websites.” Read more

 

RH shares surge after Berkshire Hathaway reveals new stake in furniture retailer at CNBC. “Berkshire’s new stake in RH is worth $206.3 million as of Sept. 30, making it the fourth biggest stakeholder in RH, according to FactSet.” Read more

 

**A message from Home & Outdoor cookware – High quality cookware made for the cabin, camping, and the great outdoors. 3X stain and scratch resistance. Retail ready packaging. Presentation | Samples: info@eyeonretail.net

 

Sam’s Club has a new chief executive. Kathryn McLay, who was EVP of Walmart U.S. Neighborhood Markets by at Arkansas Democrat Gazette. Read more

 

FDA sends Dollar Tree warning letter for selling ‘potentially unsafe drugs’ from Chinese suppliers by Kelly Tyko at USA Today. “The FDA is asking Dollar Tree to “provide a detailed plan to ensure you do not receive or deliver adulterated drugs in interstate commerce” and a plan to audit suppliers.” Read more

 

Paying for the holidays in six easy payments. by Susan Tompor at Detroit Free Press via USA Today. “Silicon Valley start up Affirm — which is working with Walmart — has point-of-sale financing partnerships with a variety of retailers that sell online, including Shinola, Casper, Warby Parker, Delta Vacations, the RealReal, StockX, American Girl and Ring.” Read more

 

Coty and Kylie Jenner Announce Strategic Partnership “Under the terms of the agreement, Coty will acquire a 51% ownership in the partnership for $600M.” Press release

 

Mexican shoppers ‘not afraid’ to return to El Paso Walmart at Fox 5. “There is more violence in Mexico — in Juarez — right now than there is in El Paso. The violence here is minimal,” said Antonio Garcia, a Juarez resident who on Thursday brought his wife and children to shop at the Walmart near Cielo Vista Mall.” Read more

 

Picard drops in on Amazon HQ by Alan Boyle at GeekWire. “Jeff Bezos dropped in at the Seattle office where comedy writers come up with bon mots for Alexa … with Patrick Stewart, who plays Captain Jean-Luc Picard, at his side.” Read more/Pics

 

Tipsheet Extra

13-year-old girl sells bows at Target 5 years after starting own company

Au naturel trend a problem for cosmetics sector

FedEx CEO challenges NYT publisher to public debate after tax story

Jeff Bezos-backed vertical agriculture startup ‘hibernates’ plans for Seattle farm

How Joker’s gritty logo was created with wood type letterpress

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: Put your product or service in front of the most powerful retail execs in the world, send advertising inquiries to info@eyeonretail.net

 

Website: eyeonretail.net

Tipsheet: WM +3.2% | Sam’s +0.6% | H.Dep Trending @ TikTok

/in

 

Walmart earnings beat estimates, shares rise on higher outlook ahead of holidays at CNBC.  “U.S. same-store sales: up 3.2% vs. growth of 3.1% expected…e-commerce sales were up 41%, thanks to “strong growth” in online grocery…average ticket in the U.S. grew 1.9% compared with a 1.8% increase a year ago. Transactions were up 1.3% in the latest quarter, slightly lower than growth of 1.6% this time last year.” Read more

 

…Sam’s Club Q3 comp sales +0.6% / Ecom +32% Walmart earnings release

 

…Walmart hires off-duty officers ahead of El Paso reopening at AP. “Walmart plans Thursday to reopen the store where the attack happened and amid ongoing lawsuits over safety…The reopening will happen unceremoniously, Walmart spokeswoman Delia Garcia said, and will follow a brief meeting with employees.” Read more

 

Jack Ma: Alibaba’s Singles Day sales missed expectations because it was ‘hot’ and fell on a Monday at CNBC. “The Alibaba co-founder said he hoped the government would give people a half day off of work for future Singles Day events.” Read more

 

Amazon HQ2, one year later: How the search for a 2nd home changed the company, and the country by Nat Levy & Monica Nickelsburg at GeekWire. “In many ways, the entire country is becoming HQ2. Amazon is expanding significantly not just in Northern Virginia but also in many of the cities that ostensibly didn’t win the competition.” Read more

 

…A Year After Amazon Scrapped New York HQ2 Plan, Residents Get Their Say by Katie Honan at Wall Street Journal. “Folks in city government are skittish,” said Bishop Mitchell G. Taylor, the CEO of the nonprofit Urban Upbound, who is working as a consultant with Your LIC, a consortium of three real-estate development firms who control some of the sites. “They don’t know where this is going.” WSJ subs.

 

…A year later, the median (home) listing price in Arlington County is $863,000 as of October 2019, up 33% year-over-year, according to Realtor.com. The median sales price in Manhattan, meanwhile, has dropped 15% in that same time to $1.04 million. at MarketWatch. Read more

 

Loblaw Q3 comp sales: Food retail (Loblaw) +0.1% / Drug retail (Shoppers Drug Mart) +4.1% Press release

 

Defeated challenger to Seattle’s socialist City Council member blames Amazon donations by Monica Nickelsburg at GeekWire. “As Orion implied in his concession speech, Amazon’s record spending on the election appears to have backfired. Just two of the seven Amazon-backed candidates were elected last week.” Read more

 

Canada Goose Q2 revenue +27.7% Press release

 

**A message from Real Coconut Water: Sweet, 100% pure coconut water. Specializing in private label, organic Tetra Pak. Sell sheet | Website | Samples: info@eyeonretail.net

 

Buc-ee’s plans first Georgia location in Warner Robins at 13 WMAZ Read more

 

Disney+ has already attracted over 10 million subscribers at TechCrunch. “To put it in perspective, Netflix recently reported 158 million subscribers.” Read more

 

Wayfair’s app adds 3D visualization tools by Sarah Perez at TechCrunch. Read more

 

Why the Home Depot Theme Song Is the Unifying Masterpiece Taking Over the Internet by Melissa Locker at Time. “…at least some people on the internet knew the (Home Depot theme) song existed and have been using it to soundtrack their TikToks so frequently that the song has topped the app’s charts…“#homedepot” has consistently trended on the app for about three weeks straight…” Read more

 

Tipsheet Extra

Americans’ Improving Views Of Women’s Competence

Budweiser’s new ad encourages you to drink water in between beers

TX congressional candidate calls for DOJ to investigate Walmart over Dean bankruptcy

Neiman Marcus Axes Nearly 100 Jobs

12-year-old attempts to carjack woman at gunpoint outside Kroger store

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: Put your product or service in front of the most powerful retail execs in the world, send advertising inquiries to info@eyeonretail.net

 

Website: eyeonretail.net

Tipsheet: Rona Not ‘Proudly Canadian’ | Amazon Locker Audit | Advance Auto +1.2%

/in

 

Nike will stop selling its sneakers and apparel directly on Amazon’s website, ending a pilot program that began in 2017 at Fortune. “Nike reportedly struggled to control the Amazon marketplace. Third-party sellers whose listings were removed simply popped up under a different name. Plus, the official Nike products had fewer reviews, and therefore received worse positioning on the site.” Read more

 

US consumer prices up 0.4% in October; gasoline prices surge at AP. “Excluding volatile energy and food prices, so-called core consumer inflation rose just 0.2% in October. Overall consumer prices rose 1.8% over the past year, just below the Federal Reserve’s 2% target. Core prices increased 2.3%.” Read more

 

A look inside Starbucks’ largest-ever store in Chicago at CNBC. “The largest-ever Starbucks, housed inside Crate & Barrel’s former flagship location on Michigan Avenue, will open its doors on Friday. The Reserve Roastery’s 35,000 square feet and five floors house three coffee bars, a cocktail bar and an artisan bakery and cafe.” Read more/Pics

 

Rona ordered to stop saying its stores are ‘Proudly Canadian’ at Montreal Gazette. “Lowe’s “strongly disagrees” with the ruling, a spokesperson told CTV News Nov. 11. The U.S. company said it couldn’t appeal the verdict further because Ad Standards does not have such a mechanism.” Read more

 

Advance Auto Parts Q3 comp sales +1.2% Press release

 

Alibaba readies $13 billion Hong Kong listing before the end of November at CNBC. “The Chinese e-commerce giant will issue 500 million new ordinary shares plus 75 million “greenshoe” options, the source, who wished to remain anonymous because they are not authorized to speak publicly, said.” Read more

 

Famous Footwear Opens Newest Flagship Store in NYC Press release

 

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

 

Field Agent audits 90 Amazon Hubs across 11 metro areas and 26 different companies “Altogether, 51% said they were “completely” or “very likely” to use the hub they audited to retrieve future packages, while 73% said they’d be at least “moderately likely” to do so.” Read more

 

Neiman Marcus Borrowed to Cover Summer Cash Burn at Wall Street Journal. “Neiman reported burning $170 million in cash and drawing down about the same amount from its revolving credit facilities during the quarter ended Aug. 3, according to a J.P. Morgan analyst report and the person familiar with the matter.” Subs.

 

Tim Cook to host Donald Trump at Texas Apple factory, per report at The Verge. Read more

 

How Wegmans and H-E-B survived Amazon’s onslaught by Nathaniel Meyersohn at CNN. “Michelle Atwood, who started an “I Heart Publix” Facebook page more than a decade ago that has grown to 116,000 followers, said she valued that Publix stores were “clean, well stocked, and filled with associates who are friendly and super helpful.” Read more

 

Tipsheet Extra

Kanye West to take stage at Joel Osteen’s church Sunday

How ‘VSCO Girls’ Are Killing Makeup Sales

The Average Age of a Successful Startup Founder Is 45

Highest-Paid Country Acts 2019

‘Dancing With the Stars’ ratings boosted 25% by Sean Spicer exit

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: Put your product or service in front of the most powerful retail execs in the world, send advertising inquiries to info@eyeonretail.net

 

Website: eyeonretail.net

Tipsheet: Barneys Stiffs | WM Clash | Rich Santa

/in

 

Inside Walmart’s Corporate Culture Clash Over E-Commerce by Matthew Boyle at Bloomberg. “The digital divestments suggest that the online crew is losing the struggle, but the traditionalists have suffered as well. Walmart’s U.S. stores chief, Greg Foran, last month gave up one of the most powerful jobs in retail to run an airline in his native New Zealand. Foran, according to people who worked with him, had grown frustrated with the amount of time and money spent on things that didn’t matter to him, like Store No. 8, an internal incubation arm that promises to “transform the future of retail” by exploring things like virtual reality.” Tiered subs.

 

Walgreens in talks with private equity firm KKR at CNN. “Walgreens reportedly wants to go private, and KKR is said to be interested in buying it. The acquisition would almost certainly be the largest private takeover in history.” Read more

 

Just 100: America’s best corporate citizens at Forbes. Etsy #53, Amazon #75, Starbucks #93. Top 100 list

 

Amazon to open its ‘first grocery store,’ with new format separate from Whole Foods and Amazon Go by Kurt Schlosser at GeekWire. “Amazon is touting it as its “first grocery store.” The footprint will be larger than the chain of small Amazon Go cashierless convenience stores, and will feature a conventional check-out experience. An Amazon spokesperson confirmed to GeekWire that the company is opening the grocery store in the Los Angeles neighborhood of Woodland Hills, Calif.” Read more

 

Barneys stiffs staff and loyal customers after bankruptcy filing by Lisa Fickenscher at NY Post. “The company’s meager severance policy was limited to one week’s pay for every two years of service, a formula that was capped at five weeks, former employees told The Post. Staffers who worked less than two years at the company got zilch…Meanwhile, customers who failed to spot a tiny smattering of articles informing the public that Nov. 7 was the last day to redeem gift cards were shocked to learn over the weekend that the money on their cards was worthless.” Read more

 

Future 50: Companies with the strongest long-term growth potential at Fortune. Alibaba #11, Amazon #31, Facebook #49. Top 50 list

 

**A message from Home & Outdoor cookware – High quality cookware made for the cabin, camping, and the great outdoors. 3X stain and scratch resistance. Retail ready packaging. Sales deck | Samples: info@eyeonretail.net

 

Generation Z shoppers, age 22 and below, are less likely than millennials and Generation X to shop online, according to a survey from The NPD Group. at CNBC. Read more

 

Retailer Orvis.com Leaked Hundreds of Internal Passwords on Pastebin at Krebs on Security. “Orvis, a Vermont-based retailer that specializes in high-end fly fishing equipment and other sporting goods, leaked hundreds of internal passwords on Pastebin.com for several weeks last month, exposing credentials the company used to manage everything from firewalls and routers to administrator accounts and database servers.” Read more

 

Alibaba’s Singles’ Day sales top $38 billion at TechCrunch. Read more

 

…Sales growth for (Singles’ Day) this year eased to 26%, the weakest since the event started in 2009, in a reflection of how e-commerce sales in China have been slowing. Analysts, however, said the growth rate had slightly beaten their expectations. at Reuters. Read more

 

Google’s ‘Project Nightingale’ Gathers Personal Health Data on Millions of Americans by Rob Copeland at Wall Street Journal. “Google began Project Nightingale in secret last year with St. Louis-based Ascension, a Catholic chain of 2,600 hospitals, doctors’ offices and other facilities..Neither patients nor doctors have been notified. At least 150 Google employees already have access to much of the data on tens of millions of patients, according to a person familiar with the matter and the documents.” WSJ subs.

 

Dean Foods, America’s biggest milk producer, files for bankruptcy at CNBC. “Walmart began processing its own milk in 2017. Walmart’s decision sparked upheaval, leading Dean Foods to cancel more than 100 milk contracts with dairy farmers across eight states. Compounding the company’s problems, grocery chain Food Lion cut ties with the milk producer in 2018.” Read more

 

Disney Plus Users Complain of Login Problems, Service Errors on Launch Day at Variety. Read more

 

Santa visits reserved for shoppers who spend over $2,500 at London’s famous Harrods store at CNBC. “However, according to The Guardian newspaper, Harrods agreed last week to host 160 lower-spending families in the grotto following anger from customers. The Guardian reported that wealthier families will still be given 96% of the available timeslots.” Read more

 

Tipsheet Extra

Jeff Bezos might be looking to buy an NFL team

Amazon exec to leave after leading massive push into physical retail

Google plans to give slow websites a new badge of shame in Chrome

Rare deer-like species photographed for first time in wild

Capsule living: a ‘cheap’ option for young people flocking to LA

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: Put your product or service in front of the most powerful retail execs in the world, send advertising inquiries to info@eyeonretail.net

 

Website: eyeonretail.net