Tipsheet: Dick’s Earnings Beat | WM New CTO | Amazon Seaport Office

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Dick’s Sporting Goods Q1 comp sales flat “The Company expects to deliver positive consolidated same store sales beginning in the second quarter…expects to open seven new Dick’s Sporting Goods stores…in 2019.” Press release

 

…CNBC: Dick’s Sporting Goods shares soar on earnings beat “The sporting goods retailer’s stock was up as much as 6.2% in premarket trading on the news, having climbed about 18% over the past 12 months.” Read more

 

Abercrombie & Fitch Q1 comp sales +1.0% (Hollister +2.0% / Abercrombie +1.0%) Press release

 

…Reuters: Abercrombie & Fitch misses quarterly same-store sales estimates, shares fall Read more

 

Walmart poaches ex-Google, Amazon exec Suresh Kumar for new CTO role by Lauren Thomas at CNBC. “…Kumar will now sit directly on McMillon’s leadership team. Kumar will also oversee technology at Sam’s Club and internationally, and will lead Walmart’s Global Business Services division.” Read more

 

Amazon breaks ground for Seaport Boston office by Jonathan Ng at Boston Herald. “…will house 2,000 new jobs in machine learning, cloud computing and robotics engineering…will occupy 430,000 square feet of new office space at 111 Harbor Way — a 17-story tower built off Congress Street — by 2021.” Tiered subs

 

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

 

The Shockingly Large Business Behind the Iconic Smiley Face by Jacob Gallagher at Wall Street Journal. “We have now globally close to 300 licensees and the value of the smiley products selling globally is over $400 million,” per year said Mr. Loufrani, adding that clothing generates 60% of its revenue.” WSJ subs.

 

Bed Bath & Beyond to add four new directors in settlement with activist trio by Thomas Franck at CNBC. “It also agreed to form a committee that will explore the potential sale or spin-off of underperforming businesses, a source familiar with the situation tells CNBC.” Read more

 

Amazon shoots down reports of reduction in bulk orders from small wholesale suppliers by Nat Levy at GeekWire. “(Amazon) issued the following statement: “We informed Bloomberg prior to publication of their article that their story and sources are wrong. We review our selling partner relationships on an individual basis as part of our normal course of business and any speculation of a large scale reduction of vendors is incorrect.” Read more

 

J.C. Penney shareholders refrain from asking hard questions of CEO Jill Soltau by Maria Halkias at Dallas Morning News. “About 21% of Penney’s merchandise comes from China, which is low for a company that sells apparel, shoes, soft home goods and toys, and that is a testament “to a great sourcing team” she inherited, Soltau said.” Tiered subs.

 

DHL brings Africa eShop to 20 African countries by Jake Bright at TechCrunch. “There’s a competitive e-commerce scenario brewing between (DHL and Jumia)…DHL Africa e-Shop touts itself as “Africa’s Largest Online Shopping Platform.” Jumia said “We believe that our platform is the largest e-commerce marketplace in Africa,” in its SEC S1 filing.” Read more

 

MacKenzie Bezos promises to give away half her fortune by Monica Nickelsburg at GeekWire. “MacKenzie Bezos has signed The Giving Pledge, a commitment that hundreds of wealthy people have made to donate more than half of their money to philanthropic causes.” Read more

 

Eddie Lampert trying to back out of an agreement to pay up to $43M for the severance of the retailer’s laid-off employees at USA Today. Read more

 

De Blasio says NYC is ‘very jaded’ about Amazon by Julia Marsh at NY Post. “Mayor Bill de Blasio is giving Amazon the cold shoulder, saying the e-tailing giant won’t get any help from the city if they close on plans to move to Manhattan’s West Side.” Read more

 

Tipsheet Extra Stories

China ready to hit back at U.S. with rare earths

Bare shelves plague Cuba as U.S. sanctions sharpen economic woes

Cannabis terpenes are about to hit big

Snake in Walmart shopping cart bites man removing it

The 10 big companies that treat their employees the best

Read Tipsheet Extra Stories

 

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Eye on Retail Tipsheet is must-read material for retail execs every weekday morning. Tipsheet stories are carefully curated bright and early every morning to ensure fresh and unique content.

 

Subscribe to Eye on Retail Tipsheet here

 

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

 

Website: eyeonretail.net

Tipsheet: Target Acquire Ad Firm? | Lowe’s Tech Hub Dallas or Charlotte | WM 200B Cyber Events

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BJ’s Q1 comp sales +1.9% (ex-fuel) Press release

 

Hibbett Sports Q1 comp sales +5.1% Press release

 

Target Looks to Acquire WPP’s Retail Ad Firm Triad by Alexandra Bruell at Wall Street Journal. “Triad sells ad space on retail websites and other digital properties. It also helps brands create digital ad campaigns. The talks are preliminary and could break down, according to the people. WPP’s digital ad-buying group Xaxis acquired Triad from private-equity firm Rockbridge Growth Equity LLC in 2016 for roughly $300 million, in an effort to capitalize on retailers’ growing ad businesses.” WSJ subs.

 

Ross Stores Q1 comp sales +2.0% Press release

 

The Buckle Q1 comp sales -1.3% Press release

 

Forbes: The World’s Most Valuable Brands 2019 (Amazon #4, Walmart #26, Home Depot #32, CVS #45) Top 100 list

 

**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

 

Cato Q1 comp sales -1.0% Press release

 

Camping World CEO Marcus Lemonis: American flag won’t come down under any circumstance at Fox Business. “The city of Statesville filed a lawsuit against Gander RV and its parent company, Camping World, for violating a city ordinance by flying a 3,200-square-foot American flag.” Read more/Video

 

Lowe’s considers Charlotte & Dallas for new 2,000-employee tech hub by Katherine Peralta at Charlotte Observer. “We are building up a base of 2,000 software engineers, infrastructure engineers and data analysts to support our focus on improving technology capabilities and solutions across our business. The bulk of our hiring for these roles will begin once the location for our tech center has been determined,” Godbole said.” Tiered subs.

 

Rapper Ice-T gets Amazon’s attention after saying he ‘almost shot’ a delivery driver by Kurt Schlosser at GeekWire. “Ice T: ‘Message To Amazon: Now that you have regular people making your home deliveries.. Maybe they should wear a Vest with AMAZON DELIVERY on it….. I almost shot a MF creeping up to my crib last night…. Just sayin.'” Read more

 

Walmart cybersecurity team handles over 200 billion events annually by Kim Souza at Talk Business. “Walmart recently held its third annual Sp4rkCon (pronounced “Spark Con”) Information Security conference in Bentonville at the David Glass Technology Center. About 1,000 people attended the full-day conference, the majority of whom did not work for the retail giant.” Read more

 

Best Buy Q1 comp sales +1.1% Press release

 

Amazon real estate chief: ‘I want to change the way that people work within the four walls’ by Taylor Soper at GeekWire. Read more

 

Jeff Bezos, can you take my return? Inside one of the most unusual Amazon annual meetings ever by Todd Bishop at GeekWire. “We’ll get that return taken care of,” Bezos vowed, asking her to stick around to the end of the meeting. “…We’ll also look into the root cause of why that happened. Anybody else have anything they need to return?” Read more

 

100 Most Creative People in Business 2019 at Fast Company. List

 

Amazon is reportedly building a wellness device that senses emotions in your voice at TechCrunch. Read more

 

Tipsheet Extra Stories

Young people blame climate change for their small 401(k) balances

Rotten Tomatoes to link audience ratings to ticket purchases

Would you let Amazon 3D-scan your body for a $25 gift card?

PETA is trying to stop aquarium from opening in N.J. mall

Sears pins its future on small stores selling appliances, mattresses.

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Subscribe to Eye on Retail Tipsheet here

 

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

 

Website: eyeonretail.net

 

Tipsheet: Target +4.8% | Lowe’s +4.2% | WM Pitches Ad Buyers

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Target Q1 comp sales +4.8% “…traffic growth of 4.3 percent…comp digital channel sales grew 42%, on top of 28% last year. Comp digital sales contributed 2.1 percentage points to Target’s overall comparable sales growth. Same-day fulfillment services (Order Pick Up, Drive Up and Shipt) drove well over half of the Company’s digital sales growth.” Press release

 

…AP: Target’s online game is on target “The retailer exceeded first quarter expectations on just about every level…” Read more

 

Lowe’s Q1 U.S. comp sales +4.2% Press release

 

…CNBC: Lowe’s reports mixed fiscal first-quarter earnings “Earnings per share: $1.22 adjusted, vs. $1.33 estimated. Revenue: $17.74 billion, vs. $17.66 billion estimated. Comp sales: up 3.5%, vs. up 3.2% estimated.” Read more

 

…“This is the first quarter in a while that Lowe’s clearly out comped Home Depot,” Oppenheimer’s Brian Nagel told CNBC’s Squawk Box.

 

Nordstrom Q1 net sales: Full-Price business -5.1% / Off-Price business -0.6% / Digital +7.0% Press release

 

Urban Outfitters Q1 comp sales +1.0%: +2% at Free People / +1% at the Anthropologie Group / flat at Urban Outfitters Press release

 

Walmart to make first direct pitch to big corporate ad buyers at New York event by Nandita Bose at Reuters. “Walmart Inc will meet large consumer goods companies and advertising firms for the first time in New York next week to pitch its advertising business…It is likely to be attended by hundreds of companies ranging from Procter & Gamble, Unilever and Coca Cola to Mattel, Glaxosmithkline and NBC Universal…” Read more

 

Stein Mart Q1 comp sales -1.7% Press release

 

…Stein Mart will install Amazon Hub lockers in nearly 200 stores as soon as next month by Sarah Perez at TechCrunch. “Stein Mart shares jumped 45% after the Amazon deal was announced.” Read more

 

**The 2019 Sweets & Snacks Expo is Happening Now! More than 800 exhibitors, including 200+ first time exhibitors. Press release

 

Jeff Bezos shows enthusiasm for auto industry at all-hands meeting by James Thorne at GeekWire. “If you think about the auto industry right now, there’s so many things going on with Uber-ization, electrification, the connected car — so it’s a fascinating industry,” Bezos said according to a recording of the meeting CNBC has heard. “It’s going to be something very interesting to watch and participate in, and I’m very excited about that whole industry.” Read more

 

Ex-Macy’s Chief Merchandising Officer Named Express CEO “(Timothy) Baxter was most recently Chief Executive Officer of Delta Galil Premium Brands…Prior to that, he spent 26 years with Macy’s, Inc. and the former May Department Stores in various roles…” Press release

 

Kohl’s cutting prices and increasing promotions to preserve market share by Rick Rommel at Milwaukee Journal Sentinel via USA Today. “We know our customers are driven by value, and so we’re going to make the necessary changes to pricing and promotion to help drive that,” Bruce Besanko, Kohl’s chief financial officer, told analysts on a conference call. “We’re not going to lose out, as a consequence of pricing, to competitors.” Read more

 

Brazil’s Natura and Avon confirm deal talks at Reuters. “In the discussions, that have been ongoing for some months, Natura would buy Avon’s now private North American business, in addition to the London-headquartered publicly traded Avon, the source added.” Read more

 

Dillard’s CEO at last weekends annual company meeting: “Our job is to be open next year. We’re going to be one of the leaders and still get to play tomorrow.” Read more

 

Home Depot Is Betting That America’s Miserable Movers Will Make Good Customers by Robert Klara at Adweek. “Home Depot has set up a mover’s landing page,and select stores have scheduled live workshops to teach attendees how to change those locks (and patch those walls, and apply til, and put down new flooring, etc.). The retailer has also dispatched some of its popular influencers to the workshops to bring the smarts to a broader audience.” Tiered subs.

 

…Home Depot is doubling down on tool rentals in a bid to win over pro builders by Aine Cain at Business Insider. “…several years ago, only about one out of 10 pros rented from us,” Home Depot CEO Craig Minear told investors…”Today, that number has improved to one out of four, yet there remains opportunity for further growth as we continue to invest in our tool rental experience.” Read more

 

…Home Depot Q1 2019 Earnings Call Transcript via Seeking Alpha. Transcript

 

PVH Corp. Names Stefan Larsson to Newly Created Role of President “Mr. Larsson was most recently Chief Executive Officer of Ralph Lauren Corp.” Press release

 

Costco Will Reportedly Stop Selling Roundup by Eric Todisco at People. “…according to Zen Honeycutt, the founder of Moms Across America who created a petition for the big box store to stop selling Roundup…“I called the headquarters, and after two days of messages and calls, I did finally confirm with three people that Costco was not ordering Roundup or any glyphosate-based herbicides for the incoming spring shipments,” she wrote.” Read more

 

Tipsheet Extra Stories

Pricey engagement rings a no-go for younger Americans

What It’s Like to Work an Entry-Level Job at Madewell Corporate

How work became the millennial religion of choice

Layaway loans are back, with a new look

Credit cards have more germs than a urinal

Kroger and Loop will pilot new reusable packaging system

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Eye on Retail Tipsheet is must-read material for retail execs every weekday morning. Tipsheet stories are carefully curated bright and early every morning to ensure fresh and unique content.

 

Subscribe to Eye on Retail Tipsheet here

 

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

 

Website: eyeonretail.net

 

Tipsheet: Bernie @ WM Mtg | Costco #1 Hot Dog | TJX +5%

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Home Depot Q1 U.S. comp sales +3.0% Press release

 

…Home Depot same-store sales misses on wet weather, lumber prices at Reuters. “Home Depot Inc reported its slowest growth in quarterly same-store sales in at least three years on Tuesday, missing Wall Street estimates, as the home improvement chain was hurt by wet weather in February and a steep fall in lumber prices.” Read more

 

TJX Companies Q1 comp sales +5.0%  Press release

 

Kohl’s Q1 comp sales -3.4% (vs. expected -0.2%) Press release

 

…Kohl’s, JC Penney earnings disappoint, sparking selloff of department store shares at CNBC. “Shares of Kohl’s and Penney were both down more than 10% in premarket trading.” Read more

 

Bernie Sanders will attend Walmart’s annual meeting to push for higher pay and other labor reforms at CNBC. “If hourly workers at Walmart were well represented on its board, I doubt you would see the CEO of Walmart making over a thousand times more than its average worker,” Sanders told The Washington Post, which first reported the news.” Read more

 

AutoZone Q3 comp sales +3.9% “During the quarter…AutoZone opened 35 new stores in the U.S…(total worldwide store) count of 6,287.” Press release

 

JCPenney Q1 comp sales -5.5% Press release

 

…JCPenney Announces Shawn Gensch as Chief Customer Officer “Gensch joins JCPenney from Sprouts Farmers Market where he served as chief customer officer.” Press release

 

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

 

Urban Outfitters to Start Renting Its Clothes by Khadeeja Safdar at Wall Street Journal. “…launching an $88 monthly service in the summer that allows shoppers to borrow six items…The new business, called Nuuly, will be run as a separate entity by David Hayne, chief digital officer at Urban Outfitters and son of the company’s co-founder and CEO.” WSJ subs.

 

U.S. Postal Service Starts Testing Self-Driving Trucks at TechCrunch. “TuSimple announced Tuesday that it was awarded a contract to complete five round trips, for a two-week pilot, hauling USPS trailers more than 1,000 miles between the postal service’s Phoenix and Dallas distribution centers. A safety engineer and driver will be on board throughout the pilot.” Read more

 

Nordstrom’s massive department store for women set to open this October in New York at CNBC. “The grand opening will be Oct. 24 for the more than 300,000-square-foot space, a spokeswoman told CNBC. Nordstrom opened its first full-price store for men in Manhattan, on West 57th Street, in April 2018. The women’s space is now under construction right next door.” Read more

 

Dressbarn plans to shut all 650 stores at CNBC. “…(Ascena will) focus on its more profitable brands. Ascena, which also owns apparel chains Ann Taylor and Loft, said the decision wasn’t an easy one…” Read more

 

SpartanNash Q1 retail comp sales -0.3% Press release

 

Flipkart founder: How I sold my business to Walmart for $16 billion at CNBC. “When we started Flipkart, we were really focusing on books, just one category and focusing on getting the customer experience right for our books,” said Bansal…That differed from the dominant approach in 2007, when the company started and several other businesses were trying to cash in on India’s growing appetite for e-commerce.” Read more

 

Amazon Prime Boss Named CEO of Google-Backed Quantum Computing Startup by Robert Hackett at Fortune. Read more

 

Watchdog group sues Walmart for selling “nonsense” homeopathic remedies by Rina Raphael at Fast Company. “The reason we are bringing these lawsuits is because the two bodies that regulate the drug industry–the FDA and the FTC –simply aren’t doing enough [in regard to homeopathy],” says Little. “If Tylenol, for example, put on its packaging, ‘will help regrow limbs after amputation,’ it would get closed down by the FDA.” Read more

 

McConnell introduces bill making the legal smoking age 21 by Andrew Siddons at Roll Call. “I recognize that I might seem like an unusual candidate to lead this charge,” he said. But he argued that Kentucky farmers had the same interest as anyone else in making sure their children don’t become addicted to nicotine. “Youth vaping is a public health crisis,” he said.” Read more

 

Walmart, Target, Bed Bath must face lawsuit over fake ‘Egyptian’ cotton at Reuters. “According to the complaint, the retailers sold Welspun’s “Egyptian” cotton well into 2016 even though Target and Bed Bath & Beyond had known for several months, and Walmart had known as early as 2008, that the cotton was mislabeled.” Read more

 

Postmates workers want minimum delivery guarantees and at least $15 per hour at TechCrunch. “Up until this past weekend, Postmates  guaranteed its delivery workers at least $4 per job. Postmates has since gotten rid of that minimum job guarantee and changed the base rate per job, as well as changed the per-mile rate in some markets.” Read more

 

Amazon a winner as Supreme Court sides with Post Office on package delivery prices at Fox Business. Read more

 

Coca-Cola is bringing back New Coke in honor of ‘Stranger Things’ at CNN Money. “The third season of the show takes place during the summer of 1985 — when Coca-Cola debuted a new recipe…Bringing New Coke back is a way for Coca-Cola to “not take ourselves too seriously,” Stuart Kronauge, president of Coke’s sparkling business unit and SVP of marketing for Coca-Cola North America, told CNN Business.” Read more

 

What’s the best hot dog in America? Costco’s by Maura Judkis at Washington Post via Seattle Times. “They were universally loved by our tasters for their “solid salt and garlic balance,” “a very beefy hot dog with a lot of seasoning” and “good size, pretty good snap and well-balanced taste.” Top 15/Read more

 

Tipsheet Extra Stories

Whole Foods is ditching plastic straws

Stinky new corpse flower is set to bloom at Amazon Spheres

Why boomers aren’t downsizing homes as they age

Amazon Studios has returned Woody Allen’s movie

Health care is the top issue for Americans, according to a new poll

The world’s 50 most valuable brands—ranked

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Eye on Retail Tipsheet is must-read material for retail execs every weekday morning. Tipsheet stories are carefully curated bright and early every morning to ensure fresh and unique content.

 

Subscribe to Eye on Retail Tipsheet here

 

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

 

Website: eyeonretail.net

Tipsheet: WM New HQ | Lowe’s Acquires | Lidl +25 E. Coast

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Kohl’s lands deal with Fanatics to sell its licensed sports gear online at CNBC. “The partnership will make Fanatics the exclusive distributor of all licensed sports apparel and accessories — for men, women and kids — for Kohl’s.” Read more

 

Walmart unveils plans for its sprawling new home office in Bentonville by Lauren Thomas at CNBC. “Walmart is one step closer to moving into a new home office for more than 14,000 people, which will be outfitted with fitness centers for employees and their families, a child-care facility, more diverse dining options like food trucks, trails for hiking and biking, and tons of windows — yes, more windows. Walmart’s current home office is notorious for lacking natural light.” Pics/Read more

 

…(Dan) Bartlett did not disclose a construction cost Friday. One real estate executive in Benton County has previously estimated Walmart’s investment could be close to $1 billion. by Kim Souza at Talk Business.  Read more

 

Amazon Bets on Kohl’s as Its Own Brick-and-Mortar Efforts Falter by Spencer Soper & Jordyn Holman at Bloomberg. “One Chicago-area Kohl’s store accepts more than 1,000 Amazon returns a day, according to an employee who works there. Most of the shoppers are handed a coupon offering 25% off of any product from Kohl’s.” Tiered subs.

 

Lowe’s acquires retail analytics platform from Boomerang Commerce “The platform provides a retail analytics solution that processes product and pricing data sets to convert them to insights and actions. The acquisition is designed to assist in modernizing and digitizing Lowe’s approach to pricing.” Press release

 

Sears’ Seven Decades of Self-Destruction by Geoff Colvin & Phil Wahba at Fortune. “After closing more than 3,500 stores over the past 14 years and filing for bankruptcy last fall, Sears could use some genuine good news. A Sears spokesman says the post-bankruptcy business “has many assets and advantages that position the company for success.” Read more

 

Amazon leads $575M funding round for Uber Eats competitor Deliveroo by Nat Levy at GeekWire. 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 is this week! Join us at Chicago’s McCormick Place May 21-23 to discover the latest innovations in products, merchandising and retail solutions. Register Now | Website

 

Ikea invests in Livspace, a one-stop platform for interior design based in India by Jon Russell at TechCrunch. “Livspace…is aimed at taking the hassle out of interior design. The company’s platform connects homeowners with designers and the supply chain to go through ideas, chose a plan and implement it.” Read more

 

CVS boosts beauty sales by discouraging airbrushing by Laura Entis at PR Week. PR Week subs. 

 

‘Playing Catch-Up in the Game of Life.’ Millennials Approach Middle Age in Crisis by Janet Adamy & Paul Overberg at Wall Street Journal. “…millennial households had an average net worth of about $92,000 in 2016, nearly 40% less than Gen X households in 2001, adjusted for inflation…Gen X men working full time and who were heads of households earned 18% more than their millennial counterparts, and baby boomer men earned 27% more, when adjusting for inflation, age and other socioeconomic variables.” WSJ subs.

 

Lidl to open 25 new stores across the East Coast by Spring 2020 Press release/Location list

 

America’s Busiest Port Gets Ready for Robots at Bloomberg via Yahoo Finance. “The International Longshore and Warehouse Union, which represents dockworkers across the West Coast, has gathered support from local, state and federal politicians for its effort to prevent the municipal board running the port from letting the company proceed with its plans.” Read more

 

Morgan Stanley upgrades ‘retail survivor’ Target at CNBC. “The firm upgraded the stock to equal-weight from underweight and reiterated its $67 price target.” Read more

 

Tipsheet Extra Stories

Amazon gives sneak peek inside plans for its new HQ2 in Virginia

Inside the Innovation Labs of 3 Fortune 500 Companies

UN health agency struggles with travel abuses

Impossible Foods adds meatless sausage to Little Caesars pizza

Global pork prices rise amid China’s pig disease outbreak

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Eye on Retail Tipsheet is must-read material for retail execs every weekday morning. Tipsheet stories are carefully curated bright and early every morning to ensure fresh and unique content.

 

Subscribe to Eye on Retail Tipsheet here

 

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

 

Website: eyeonretail.net

Tipsheet: Sam’s +0.3% | WM +3.4% | Gap #9 Citizen | Costco #14 F500

/in

 

Walmart Q1 U.S. comp sales +3.4% (vs. +3.3% expected) at CNBC. “Walmart earnings for the first quarter top analysts’ estimates…Walmart’s e-commerce revenues during the quarter grew 37%.” Read more

 

Walmart says higher tariffs on China goods will increase prices for U.S. shoppers at Reuters. “Walmart Chief Financial Officer Brett Biggs told Reuters that…(Walmart) will seek to ease the pain, in part by trying to obtain products from different countries and by working with suppliers’ “costs structures to manage higher tariffs.” Read more

 

Sam’s Club Q1 comp sales +0.3% (ex. fuel) Press release

 

Dillard’s Q1 comp sales flat Press release

 

SoftBank Doubles Down on Indian Grocery Venture by Newley Purnell at Wall Street Journal. “Grofers India Pvt. said Wednesday that it received just over $200 million in a funding round led by the Vision Fund, which SoftBank Chief Executive Masayoshi Son is using to invest in cutting-edge technologies.” WSJ subs.

 

2019 Fortune 500 (Walmart #1, Amazon #5, CVS #8, Costco #14) List

 

**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

 

Instacart and Whole Foods officially part ways at CNBC. “Whole Foods was also once Instacart’s largest partner, but a person close to the company tells CNBC that today it accounts for less than five percent of total revenue.” Read more

 

Macy’s Q1 comp sales +0.6% owned / +0.7% owned + licensed Press release

 

Kohl’s explores acquisition of At Home Group at Reuters. “Kohl’s recently started conversations with At Home Group to explore a deal, the sources said. At Home Group has been exploring a sale for the last three months, and is already in advanced deal negotiations with private equity firms, including Hellman & Friedman LLC, the sources added.” Read more

 

100 Best Corporate Citizens (Gap #9, CVS #28, Best Buy #67) at CR Magazine. List

 

Boxed Partners With Lidl by Chloe Sorvino at Forbes. “(Boxed) now offers delivery to Lidl customers in parts of both New York and Georgia…Boxed customers in those areas will now also have access to fresh meat and produce delivery for the first time…“This is just the first test,” says Chieh Huang, CEO and cofounder of Boxed. “But as the partnership gets deeper, we can bring a lot more to the table.” Read more

 

The world’s 20 fastest growing retailers (Wayfair #2, Duluth Trading #8) at USA Today. Read more

 

Online Luggage Retailer Away Lands $1.4 Billion Valuation as It Plots Expansion by Katie Roof at Wall Street Journal. “Away, which said its 2018 sales totaled $150 million, is planning to use some of the new capital to expand into apparel, wellness and lifestyle accessories. Co-founders Jen Rubio and Steph Korey, both previously with Warby Parker, said they are considering adding businesses like skin care, supplements and comfortable yet fashionable clothes for wearing on a plane.” WSJ subs.

 

Petco offering a free upgrade to artificial-free pet food by Kelly Tyko at USA Today. “This weekend, bring in any can or bag of dog or cat food with artificial ingredients to one of the retailer’s 1,500-plus locations and get a free artificial-free upgrade…(Petco) stopped selling dog and cat food with artificial ingredients on May 1.” Read more

 

Jeff Bezos moves some earth to break ground on new $1.5B Amazon Prime Air hub near Cincinnati by Kurt Schlosser at GeekWire. “…new 3-million-square-foot air cargo hub at Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport. The $1.5 billion project, which is scheduled to open in 2021, will reportedly create 2,000 jobs.” Read more

 

Alibaba invests about $635M in Red Star Macalline, one of China’s largest furniture sellers by Catherine Shu at TechCrunch. Read more

 

What do Google Chrome’s new privacy customization options mean for retailers? by Katie Evans at Bloomberg via Internet Retailer. “Leon Rbibo, president of online jewelry retailer LagunaPearl.com, says he is taking a wait and see approach. “Initially it was shocking to hear the news from Google, especially as we do quite a bit of display advertising and this could potentially impact who gets served ads and when.” Read more

 

Tipsheet Extra Stories

Jeff Bezos honors his Cuban immigrant father at new Statue of Liberty museum

Stranger Things’ amazing Lego set takes the Upside Down literally

Brewery offered free beer as reward for finding stolen van. It was back in 42 minutes

This retailer is the ‘poster child’ for tariff risk, according to Credit Suisse

Taco Bell is opening a hotel and resort

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Eye on Retail Tipsheet is must-read material for retail execs every weekday morning. Tipsheet stories are carefully curated bright and early every morning to ensure fresh and unique content.

 

Subscribe to Eye on Retail Tipsheet here

 

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

 

Website: eyeonretail.net

 

Tipsheet: McMillon @ Luncheon | W.Sonoma CEO @ CNBC | WM 1 Day

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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

 

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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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Eye on Retail Tipsheet is must-read material for retail execs every weekday morning. Tipsheet stories are carefully curated bright and early every morning to ensure fresh and unique content.

 

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

 

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Tipsheet: Party City Closing 45 | WM IRL Tour | Shaq 3K @ Shoe Store

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US hikes tariffs on Chinese goods, Beijing vows retaliation at AP News. “The higher U.S. import taxes don’t apply to Chinese goods shipped before Friday. By sea, shipments across the Pacific take about three weeks, which gives negotiators a few more days to reach a settlement…” Read more

 

Party City says it is closing 45 stores amid a global helium shortage by Kelly Tyko at USA Today. “…did not release a list of affected stores…closures represent about 5% of locations. Local news outlets have so far reported closings in California, Illinois, Connecticut and Washington.” Read more

 

U.S. consumer prices rise; underlying inflation tame at Reuters. “Excluding the volatile food and energy components, the CPI edged up 0.1 percent as apparel prices dropped for a second straight month.” Read more

 

‘Why Is This So Cheap?’ Chinese Shopping App Falls for American Bargains by Natasha Khan & Allison Prang at Wall Street Journal. “ShopShops, which works on a commission basis with many of its partner stores, now hosts 220 streams a month—from various cities in the U.S., as well as a handful of others, including Dubai and London—averaging about $6,000 in sales each session. ShopShops then facilitates delivery to China.” WSJ subs.

 

Etsy CEO shrugs off ‘rocky’ start to Q1: ‘We feel really good’ at Mad Money/CNBC. “Q1 started out a little rocky as we said and then ended really strong,” he said in a one-on-one with the “Mad Money” host. “We raised guidance, so we feel really good about the start that we’re off to.” Video/Read more

 

Amazon pays $700K as part of pact with Washington state AG to crack down on toxic school supplies nationwide by Monica Nickelsburg & James Thorne at GeekWire. “The state found 15,188 purchases from Amazon.com that involved products with illegal levels of cadmium and lead.” Read more

 

The Buckle April comp sales +2.0% Press release

 

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Shoppers Tour Walmart’s New Intelligent Retail Lab at Field Agent. “Agents assigned the IRL an overall rating of 4.1 on a 5-star scale. Comparatively speaking, participants gave high marks to the lab for organization/layout, ambiance, and stock levels, yet relatively lower marks for customer service.” Video/Read more

 

Mother’s Day spending estimated to reach record of $25 billion, up 8.22% by Kim Souza at Talk Business. “Consumers are expected to dole out an average $196.47 for moms and other special women this year. NRF said 84% of consumers plan to celebrate the event this coming weekend.” Read more

 

Fears of an Amazon Drug Store Disruption Can Be Shelved, Evercore Says by Bailey Lipschultz at Bloomberg. “The findings showed that just 7% of U.S. households ordered over-the-counter drugs online instead of visiting a brick-and-mortar store, the survey of 2,500 adult consumers revealed.” Tiered subs.

 

Retailers Are Warned to Step Slowly Into One-Day Shipping by Jennifer Smith at Wall Street Journal. “Surveys indicate the price of an item is the biggest reason shoppers buy online with a particular merchant, Forrester’s Ms. Kodali said. Less than 10% say expedited shipping drives purchase decisions, although more than half cite free shipping as an incentive.” Read more

 

The average American hasn’t made a new friend in 5 years via NY Post “45 percent of those studied reveal they would go out of their way to make new friends if they knew how or had more opportunities.” Read more

 

Shaquille O’Neal buys 10 pairs of shoes for Georgia boy, 13, with size 18 feet after single mom admitted she was struggling to pay for his footwear at Daily Mail. “Shaq told CBS 46 reporter Sharon Reed he’s bought 3,000 pairs of shoes from Friedman’s over the last 30 years ever since the owner gave him a free pair of dress shoes for prom.” Video/Read more

 

Tipsheet Extra Stories

Brooke Shields sues major retailers over “Brooke S” eyebrow pencil

Guns N’ Roses Sues Brewery Over Rosé Ale

Student ‘geek squads’ maintain school devices, help teachers

Rep. Ocasio-Cortez and Sen. Sanders want to cap credit card interest at 15%

Musk pokes fun at Bezos’ new moon lander spacecraft with lewd tweet

Man catches massive 50-pound catfish, sets new state record

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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