Tipsheet: No Pay Payless | Target Groc Growth CLT | RH Flat

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H&M shares surge as turnaround gathers pace by Dominic Chopping at MarketWatch. “The Swedish company posted a net profit of 803 million Swedish kronor ($86.4 million) for the quarter ended Feb. 28…beat an analyst forecast by FactSet that pointed to a profit of SEK525 million.” Read more

 

Dollarama Q4 comp sales +2.6% Press release

 

RH Q4 net revenue flat (vs. +14% LY) Press release

 

Netflix Ranked as No. 1 Fastest-Growing U.S. Brand in 2019 at Brand Finance via Variety. “After Netflix, other companies that saw the biggest brand-value gains from 2018-19 on Brand Finance’s study were Taco Bell (+83.4%), American Express (+81.8%), Hampton Inn (+78.3%), Jacobs Engineering (+77.3%), General Dynamics (+74.9%), Nvidia (+73.3%), Dunkin’ (+73.0%), Pizza Hut (+72.8%) and Discovery (+70.6%).” Read more

 

Walmart/Walgreens/Amazon/Kroger get perfect score on 2019 Corporate Equality Index at Human Rights Campaign Foundation. Read more

 

Payless Still Hasn’t Paid the Agency Behind Its Viral ‘Palessi’ Stunt by Patrick Coffee at Adweek. “According to several sources with direct knowledge of the matter who spoke to Adweek on condition of anonymity, New York-based DCX, which produced and created the campaign itself, has seen only a small fraction of its due compensation…Multiple parties estimate the total amount owed by Payless to be approximately $500,000.” Tiered subs.

 

Brett Biggs, Walmart CFO, spoke to a group of investors Thursday (March 28) at the Evercore ISI retail summit in Atlanta by Kim Souza at Talk Business. “By the end of 2019, Walmart will offer online grocery pickup in 3,000 stores which is a milestone because of the halo effect this provides to the company’s overall performance. Online grocery shoppers tend to spend nearly two times more than traditional store shoppers.” Read more

 

Office Depot pays $35 million over claims it lied to customers about malware infections at The Verge. “…if (customers) answered yes to any of the four questions about crashes, pop-ups, slow speeds, or viruses. The program would then provide a “view recommendation” prompt, offering tech services from Office Max and Support.com to fix the “problems,” which could cost up to hundreds of dollars.” Read more

 

Target has gained the most grocery sales in Charlotte over the last year by Katherine Peralta at Charlotte Observer. “The other big retailer that gained market share was Publix…grew its market share to 8.9 percent from 7.1 percent over the year.” Read more/Market share

 

**A message from Real Coconut Water – 100% Pure Coconut Water in bottles, cans, and Tetra Pak. PL & Branded. Sell sheet | Website | Samples: info@eyeonretail.net

 

Bed Bath & Beyond lays off nearly 150 of its 65,000 employees at CNBC. “Those (50) employees were largely in the field support team that helps staff its stores…A round of layoffs also hit the company’s Christmas Tree Shops (where) fewer than 100 of its department and store managers were let go.” Read more

 

She was denied miscarriage medication at Meijer. Now the company is making changes by Kristen Jordan Shamus at Detroit Free Press. “Meijer: ‘We recognize the right of a pharmacist to abstain from filling a prescription based on his or her religious beliefs, but the pharmacist is required to have another Meijer pharmacist fill the prescription.'” Read more

 

Drew Barrymore launches home decor line at Walmart by Lisa Fickenscher at NY Post. “The 200-plus items include a wicker cat bed with pointy ears for $74, a framed painting of a “human dog” in a tuxedo for $59, a “hand woven macrame” basket set for $70, and an $899 velvet pink Parisian sofa.” Read more

 

Woman pays for others’ cakes at Publix bakery on late child’s birthday by Eric Hilt at Newschannel 5 Nashville. “It was overwhelming,” Harris said. “I just kind of speechless and I just kind of walked around Publix for the next few minutes processing…It was a beautiful gesture, it truly was.” Read more

 

Tipsheet Extra Stories

Power Lawyers 2019: Hollywood’s Top 100 Attorneys

Why everyone hates the Vessel at Hudson Yards

Boston Dynamics’ latest robot is a mechanical ostrich that loads pallets

Martha Stewart Snoop Dogg commercial recreates famous Titanic scene

Ikea’s next big thing is self-care

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Website: eyeonretail.net

Tipsheet: China Deliv War | F.Below +4.4% | Simon Online Platform

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Five Below Q4 comp sales +4.4% Press release

 

Instacart rolls out an Instant Cashout feature for shoppers by Sarah Perez at TechCrunch. “Previously, workers would have to wait a week to get paid. With Instant Cashout, they can instead opt to have their pay immediately transferred to a debit card.” Read more

 

Sportsman’s Warehouse Q4 net sales -0.2% Press release

 

Amazon says it will bring 800 new tech jobs to Austin at CNBC. “The new employees will join the more than 6,600 workers Amazon already has in the Austin area, which already includes over 1,000 corporate-level workers.” Read more

 

lululemon Q4 comp sales +16% Press release

 

Simon Property Group Inc. is testing an online shopping platform by Alexandria Burris at Indy Star. “We launched (Shop Premium Outlets) because we identified a void for an online marketplace dedicated to outlet shopping, based on our research with consumers,” Achara said.” Read more

 

Walgreens will sell CBD products in nearly 1,500 stores by Kelly Tyko at USA Today. Read more

 

Some not happy with shuttered Sam’s Club store that is now an e-com fulfillment center by Sara DiNatale at Tampa Bay Times. “In our opinion, Sam’s has breached the agreement,” Gries said. “It has been unfortunate but necessary to go to court over the matter. There’s a requirement in the agreement to operate as a retail operation, which it has now elected not to do.” Read more

 

PVH forecasts 2019 above estimates on Tommy Hilfiger boost at CNBC. 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

 

Walmart CEO Doug McMillon visits Israel by Yasmin Yablonko at Globes. “This is not the first time McMillon has been in Israel since he became CEO in 2013 but he has previously been able to keep his visits out of the media limelight.” Read more

 

Casper adds Ex-Neiman CEO & Canada Goose CEO to Board Press release

 

The world’s greatest delivery empire made it cheaper to eat in than go out at Bloomberg. “…it’s a fight between Meituan and Alibaba…Alibaba and its various subsidiaries dominate the country’s online retail market for physical goods, but Meituan is leading the way in services. Its namesake app, a sort of mashup of Grubhub, Expedia, MovieTickets.com, Groupon, and Yelp, has 600,000 delivery people serving 400 million customers a year in 2,800 cities.” Tiered subs.

 

Barneys New York CEO on opening luxury cannabis lifestyle shop at CNBC. 7:38 video

 

eBay Expands Retail Revival Program to Greensboro, North Carolina at eCommerce Bytes. “Each partner city works with eBay for a 12-month period, during which participating businesses receive training, support and resources to start and scale their businesses on eBay.” Read more

 

Funko teams up with AT&T to sell Game of Thrones figurines in telecom giant’s stores by Nat Levy at GeekWire. Read more

 

Stage Stores accelerates expansion of off-price store conversion strategy “The 35 second quarter conversions, which were previously planned for back-to-school, will now be completed in June…” Press release

 

Tommy Hilfiger joins Gap, Ralph Lauren and Lord & Taylor in closing its Fifth Ave flagship store at Fox Business. Read more

 

Tipsheet Extra Stories

Kroger’s Jody Kalmbach, VP digital experience, gives presentation

New cars in Europe will be prevented from speeding

The first reviews for ‘Dumbo’ are in – and it’s not looking good

Regis moving HQ to Minneapolis, to lease space in former Target building

Going viral: Dad shares awe and excitement after first trip to Costco

This pop-up bike rack is designed to take over a parking space

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Website: eyeonretail.net

Tipsheet: H.Depot #1 App | Costco #7 Brightest Future | Target’s Climate Goals

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Ollie’s Bargain Outlet Q4 comp sales +5.4% “Fiscal 2019 outlook: Opening 42 to 44 new stores, with no planned relocations or closures.” Press release

 

Top 50 large and small companies that have the brightest futures at Comparably.com via USA Today. “Costco #7, Home Depot #21, Amazon #32.” Ranked lists

 

Shoe Carnival Q4 comp sales +4.7% Press release

 

Food Lion and five sister U.S. grocery chains will use AI for food suppliers by Jennifer Smith at Wall Street Journal. “The technology provides “one logical view of inventory across the brands,” allowing buyers to aggregate demand across thousands of stores, said Chris Lewis, executive vice president of supply chain at Retail Business Services LLC, Ahold’s U.S. business services company.” WSJ subs.

 

At Home Q4 comp sales +2.1% Press release

 

…At Home Promotes Peter Corsa to President Press release

 

Forrester says Home Depot has top retail app by Sarah Mahoney at MediaPost. “While Home Depot was far out in front, the report also singles out Sephora, Walmart and Target for their mobile capabilities, noting that all four are able to add customer value beyond m-commerce.” Read more

 

Fortune 500 Employment Brand Rankings (Walmart & CVS #34, Amazon #44, Target #60) by WilsonHCG Download report

 

PetSmart Lenders Said to Push Back on Proposal to End Chewy Rift at Bloomberg Law. “Lenders holding more than half of the company’s loan told Wilmington Trust, the administrative agent, they they don’t consent to a proposed amendment to the debt, the agent said in the memo.” Subscription

 

JCPenney hires CFO Bill Wafford from The Vitamin Shoppe Press release

 

Costco Auto Program Exceeds 650,000 Vehicles Sold in 2018 “…an increase of more than 25 percent compared to 2017; significantly outpacing total industry sales, which increased 0.6 percent, according to Automotive News.” Press release

 

Amazon opens its curated storefront for the 2019 Coachella Music Festival Press release

 

Grocery Shopping with Gen Z Report by Field Agent. “More Gen Zers (48%) said they’re currently shopping at Walmart than 40-60 year olds (39%)… For all the talk of how Gen Z will be relatively more prone to shopping their values and less prone to brand loyalty, such differences aren’t meaningfully reflected in the results of this survey.” Download report

 

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Columbia Sportswear elects Kevin Mansell, Ex-Kohl’s CEO, to its Board of Directors Press release

 

How Best Buy shifted from being retail-led to customer relationship driven by Nadia Cameron at CMO. “Measuring commercial success in retail must shift away from traffic and conversion rates to how many customers you have relationships with and how you retain those customers in a way that’s relevant to them. That’s the view of Best Buy CEO, Hubert Joly, who took to the stage at this year’s Adobe Summit…” Read more

 

Target announces new climate goals at A Bullseye View. “…committing that 80 percent of our suppliers will set science-based reduction targets on their Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 2023.” Read more

 

Sears ends retirees’ life insurance benefits by Lauren Zumbach at Chicago Tribune. “Olbrysh said the retirees’ association was under the impression that life insurance benefits would be secure as long as Sears had not fully wound down its business.” Tiered subs.

 

UPS Begins Using Drones to Transport Medical Samples at North Carolina Hospitals at Fortune. Read more

 

GameStop is doubling down on its investment in surging esports industry at CNBC. “Among them is the establishment of the GameStop Performance Center in Frisco, Texas, which will serve as the headquarters of Complexity Gaming, an esports team owned by Jerry Jones of the Dallas Cowboys and real estate investor John Goff. The 11,000-square-foot center will open in May and will share a location with the Dallas Cowboys headquarters.” Read more

 

Tipsheet Extra Stories

Fearful of fake news blitz, U.S. Census enlists help of tech giants

McDonald’s wants to become the Amazon of fast-food

Women are running ‘Rings’ around men on the Billboard Hot 100 in 2019

Monster catfish caught in Cabela’s King Kat Tournament

Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants: Winners Announced for 2019

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Tipsheet: Wayfair Store #1 | N.Marcus Gets 3 Yrs | Dick’s Develops Software

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Activists at Bed Bath & Beyond are trying to replace its entire 12-person board – stock soars 20% at CNBC. Read more

 

Dick’s to develop software in house by Sara Castlellanos at Wall Street Journal. “CTO Paul Gaffney is spearheading the effort after taking a similar approach at his previous employer, Home Depot. “In a lot of retail, there’s been a tradition that tools were designed at headquarters and inflicted on the store [employees]. We’ve been trying to turn that around,” said Mr. Gaffney, who joined Dick’s in late 2017.” WSJ subs.

 

Lenders give Neiman Marcus three years to grow out from overwhelming debt by Maria Halkias at Dallas Morning News. “The next hard chapter now begins as Neiman Marcus tries to fix its balance sheet by growing the company. Two leveraged buyouts within 10 years left the company with what credit analysts call an unsustainable level of debt. The retailer’s almost $5 billion in debt equals its annual revenue.” Tiered subs.

 

CVS and Walmart poised to cut back on greeting cards by Nathan Bomey at USA Today. “It’s not all bad news for greeting cards. For example, it’s a myth that young people aren’t buying them…Lovepop has sold more than five million of its handmade luxury pop-up cards since launching in 2014…The cards typically cost more than $10, but recipients often view them as a keepsake…” Read more

 

Wayfair Expands to Physical Retail with First Brick & Mortar Store “To be located in the Natick Mall in Natick, Massachusetts…will open four pop-up shops later this summer.” 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 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

 

Petco pledges to remove artificial ingredients from its cat and dog food in new ad campaign by Adrienne Pasquarelli at Ad Age. “You’re going to see a very different voice and posture for the brand,” says Tariq Hassan (chief marketing officer)…he was tasked with “the need to really establish how we differentiate ourselves, not only from other big-box competitors, but also to start to define ourselves as the true national independent player that we are.” Tiered subs.

 

Amazon to Whole Foods Online Delivery Customers: We’re Out of Celery, How’s Kale? by Heather Haddon at Wall Street Journal. “Some of the problems customers like Ms. Hills have experienced are often amplified because daily operations at the two companies are still largely separate…Technology that tracks Whole Foods’s inventory is old, and officials have discussed updating it for years.” WSJ subs.

 

Supreme Court rejects Zappos’ appeal in long-running data breach dispute by Nat Levy at GeeiWire. “The case has major implications across the business world…Significant data breaches are becoming common occurrence, and the Zappos case will go a long way toward deciding how much liability corporations will have if customer data is exposed, regardless of how it is used.” Read more

 

Charlotte Harris Teeter store is dropping traditional checkout lines by Katherine Peralta at Charlotte Observer. “The average transaction in the grocer’s uptown store is “significantly smaller than our traditional stores,” spokeswoman Danna Robinson said.” Read more

 

Apple’s new credit card will feature a one-time unique dynamic security code by Zack Whittaker at TechCrunch. Read more

 

…The Apple Card is Apple’s thinnest and lightest status symbol ever by Vlad Savov at The Verge. “People around you at the supermarket or restaurant don’t need to know the particular credit rating requirements you had to pass to get an Apple Card, they just see the debossed Apple logo and the minimalist design and immediately recognize that you’re a person with disposable income.” Read more

 

Men Ditch Suits, and Retailers Struggle to Adapt by Suzanne Kapner at Wall Street Journal. “Oliver Chen…wears stretchy pants from Lululemon to the office. He pairs them with a blazer, button-down dress shirt and sneakers…adding that he can wear the pants not only in the office but also to his boot camp class. “They are a man’s fantasy,” he said.” WSJ subs.

 

Tipsheet Extra Stories

The 60 Best Workplaces in Finance and Insurance

Family behind Krispy Kreme, Panera Bread admits to Nazi ties

Judge orders man to not drink Pepsi for four years while he is on probation

For millennials, this is the greatest hurdle to homeownership

Merchants Rate Top Online Marketplaces

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Website: eyeonretail.net

Tipsheet: Tiffany -1% | Hibbett Shutter 95 | CVS CBD

/in

 

Tiffany Q4 comp sales -1.0% (vs. estimated +0.8%) Press release

 

…CNBC: Tiffany shares fall as holiday-quarter sales miss expectations “Tiffany has typically been reliant on Chinese shoppers to boost sales. But uncertain and ongoing trade talks between the U.S. and China have posed a larger threat…” Read more

 

Subtle changes are coming to Lowe’s stores by Katherine Peralta at Charlotte Observer. “The whole effort here is about letting product be king. It’s not about a bunch of fluffy fixtures, but more about how you can simplify it, make it easier for them to shop, both on the pro side of the store and the DIY side, so that she wants to come in and look around.” (Bill) Boltz said. Tiered subs.

 

Walmart Builds a Secret Weapon to Battle Amazon for Retail’s Future by Sarah Nassauer at Wall Street Journal. “Walmart is using Jetblack’s army of human agents to train an artificial intelligence system that could someday power an automated personal-shopping service, preparing Walmart for a time when the search bar disappears and more shopping is done through voice-activated devices, said Jetblack CEO Jenny Fleiss.” WSJ subs.

 

Judge “strongly” advises Lampert’s firm to pay back millions swiped from Sears by Lisa Fickenscher at NY Post. Read more

 

Amazon to Launch Mobile Ads by Spencer Soper at Bloomberg. “Amazon has been beta testing the ads on Apple Inc.’s iOS platform for several months, according to people familiar with the plan. A similar product for Google’s Android platform is planned for later this year.” Tiered subs.

 

Hibbett Sports Q4 comp sales +3.8% / Closing 95 stores Press release | CEO retires | Street applauds

 

Walmart is reportedly looking into launching its own cloud gaming service by Stefan Etienne at The Verge. Read more

 

GameStop names George Sherman as its new CEO by Jeff Grubb at VentureBeat. “Prior to Victra, Sherman worked as an executive at Advance Auto Parts, Best Buy Services, Home Depot, and Target.” 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

 

CVS to sell cannabis-based products in 8 states by Chris Mills Rodrigo at The Hill. “The products will be available in 800 stores in Alabama, California, Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland and Tennessee, according to NBC.” Read more

 

…CVS CEO Larry Merlo talks with CNBC’s Jim Cramer 2:27 video

 

Cato Q4 comp sales -2.0% Press release

 

Avon, After Breakup, Explores Deal That Would Put It Back Together by Sharon Terlep at Wall Street Journal. “Natura approached Avon about a potential takeover last year, The Wall Street Journal reported in September, but the talks weren’t serious at the time. Like Avon, Natura sells cosmetics via a direct sales force, though it also owns the Body Shop retail chain.” WSJ subs.

 

Google will open new Seattle campus this summer, just across the street from Amazon’s HQ by Nat Levy at GeekWire. Pics/Read more

 

Nike Q3 revenue +7.0% Press release

 

UPS eyes in-home health services with U.S. vaccine project at Reuters. “Workers in UPS’…healthcare complex at Worldport will package and ship the vaccine to one of the more 4,700 franchised U.S. UPS stores. A home health nurse contracted by UPS’ clinical trial logistics unit known as Marken will collect the insulated package, transport it the “last mile” to the patient’s home and administer the vaccine…” Read more

 

Q&A with Petco’s chief marketing officer Tariq Hassan by Paul Talbot at Forbes. Read more

 

eBay is adding support for Google Pay by Dami Lee at The Verge. Read more

 

CA bill would ban cosmetics with toxic ingredients by Rina Raphael at Fast Company. “A new bill attempts to ban asbestos, lead, formaldehyde, and 17 other toxic chemicals in cosmetics. California lawmakers introduced the landmark bill on Tuesday…would be the first of its kind in the country.” Read more

 

Tipsheet Extra Stories

Pilots who fly for Amazon were worried about Boeing jet weeks before TX crash

LA County halts use of Roundup on county property

America’s 25 fastest shrinking cities

Costco is selling giant lobster claws and they’re freaking people out

American Dream mega-mall’s opening likely pushed back to the fall

Home Depot winding down roofing business nationwide

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Tipsheet: Starbucks $100M Fund | Used-Fashion to Skyrocket | Kingfisher CEO Out

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Customers outraged at Walmart for ending Savings Catcher price-matching program by Doreen Christensen at South Florida Sun-Sentinel. “…(Walmart) will end the Savings Catcher program on May 14….One Twitter user disputed Walmart’s claim, saying he saved more than $900 since joining the program, and using the hashtag #BoycottWalmart.” Read more

 

Eby-Brown to be bought by Performance Food Group at Crain’s Chicago Business. “Terms of the deal were not disclosed. Eby-Brown co-presidents Dick and Tom Wake and current management will continue to run the company, according to a representative.” Tiered subs.

 

Ford Explorer Owners Say Their SUVs Are Making Them Sick by Ryan Beene, Margaret Cronin Fisk & Allison McCartney at Bloomberg. “The claims aren’t easy to investigate. For one thing, hospitals and doctors seldom test patients for exposure to carbon monoxide—Henriksen’s test was rare. Also, the U.S. has no regulatory standard for how much of the odorless, colorless, toxic gas would create a health risk for drivers…” Tiered subs.

 

CVS fights rise in E-Cig use with $1 Million donation Press release

 

Starbucks Creates $100 Million Venture Fund Seeking Growth Ideas at CNBC. “Starbucks announced a $100 million investment in a new venture fund with Valor Equity Partners, which has previously invested in Tesla and SpaceX. The fund will give the coffee giant the first look at food and retail start-ups.” Read more

 

Alimentation Couche-Tard Q3 comp merchandise revenues: +4.9% in Canada /+4.5% in U.S. / +2.9% in Europe at Montreal Gazette. Read more

 

Kroger sells Turkey Hill business to private equity Press release

 

By 2028 the used-fashion market is set to skyrocket in value to $64 billion in the U.S., while fast-fashion will only reach $44 billion at CNBC. “By 2028, around 13 percent of the clothes in women’s closets are likely to be second hand (up from 6 percent in 2018)…items from chains such as Gap and J. Crew are likely to make up 14 percent of closets (down from 20 percent in 2018) while department store buys will also be squeezed from 14 percent in 2018 to 9 percent in 2028.” Read more

 

Canadian drivers can save about $25 on a gas tank fill-up by driving across the border to Blaine, Wash. at Vancouver Sun. Read more

 

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

 

Bag maker Hermes sees no changes to sales trend as profits rise at Reuters. “The French label, known for its squared silk scarves and Birkin handbags that sell for more than $10,000, posted a 15 percent rise in net profit for 2018.” Read more

 

All of Target Corp’s flagship coffee brand Archer Farms will be certified fair trade by 2022 at Reuters. Read more

 

Amazon Pay inks Worldpay integration by Ingrid Lunden at TechCrunch. Read more

 

Neiman Marcus wins against Marble Ridge as judge dismisses suit via SF Gate. “In the lawsuit filed in December, Marble Ridge alleged that the shuffle of MyTheresa constituted a “fraudulent transfer of assets totaling approximately $1 billion of value for no consideration.” Tiered subs.

 

Kingfisher to replace chief executive after ditching profit target at Financial Times. Read more

 

Target tests self-service grab-and-go ‘Snack Bar’ in stores by Alex Van Abbema at Minneapolis/St.Paul Business Journal. Subs.

 

EU hits Google with $1.7B fine for blocking rival ads at Fox Business. Read more

 

Tipsheet Extra Stories

The lawyers who took on Big Tobacco are aiming at Realtors and their 6% fee

Bullibone dog toy finds success on Walmart shelves

4G SIM cards fly off the shelves in Cuba

74% of consumers go to Amazon when they’re ready to buy something

Disney Closes $71.3 Billion Fox Deal

Woodstock 50 Announces Full Lineup

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Tipsheet: Michaels -0.4% | DSW +5.3% | HD Supply +7.4% | Shopko Shutter

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Michaels Q4 comp sales -0.4% “On a calendar shifted basis, comparable store sales increased 1.4%…For fiscal 2019, the Company expects comparable store sales to increase between 0% and 1%.” Press release

 

HD Supply Q4 organic sales growth +7.4% Press release

 

DSW Q4 U.S. comp sales +5.3% “For the fifty-two week period, comparable sales increased by 6.1% compared to last year’s 0.4% decrease.” Press release

 

StarKist Reaches Tuna Price-Fixing Settlement With Kroger & 32 Other Retailers by Maria Armental at Wall Street Journal. “Financial terms weren’t disclosed…The Walmart settlement was worth $20.5 million, based on a combination of cash and favorable commercial terms, StarKist said at the time.” WSJ subs.

 

Amazon’s private-label products do not pose a threat to retailers at Bloomberg via Internet Retailer. “Ecommerce research firm Marketplace Pulse examined 23,000 products and found that shoppers aren’t more inclined to buy Amazon brands even when the company elevates them in search results.” Read more

 

America’s Best Midsize Employers at Forbes. “L.L. Bean #9, Lands’ End #21, Heinen’s Grocery Store #78…” Ranked list

 

Instagram adds new feature to let U.S. users shop via app at Reuters. “…adding a ‘checkout’ feature on items tagged for sale…Instagram said it has partnered with more than 20 brands, including Adidas and H&M, on the new feature.” Read more

 

Flower delivery company FTD could go out of business this summer by Ben Winck at Crain’s Chicago Business. “…could shrink its operations or go out of business this summer if it doesn’t obtain additional funding by June, according to a regulatory filing.” Read more

 

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

 

Jeff Bezos generates new rounds of buzz at Amazon’s mysterious MARS conference by Alan Boyle at GeekWire. “Lindy Elkins-Tanton, a planetary scientist at Arizona State University, has emerged as the most reliable tweeter about the MARS goings-on. She’s the one who tweeted out a video clip of Bezos keeping watch amid a crowd of attendees as a robo-dragonfly flitted around the conference grounds.” Read more

 

Shopko bankruptcy plan now calls for all stores to close by summer via USA Today. “The closings list was expanded Monday to include the 120 stores that Shopko had hoped to keep, according to a document filed Monday.” Read more | Press release

 

Why sending back too much stuff may get you blacklisted at CBS This Morning. “Best Buy discloses its tracking policy in fine print on the customer’s receipt, but some stores don’t. You likely won’t know if you’ve returned too much until a seller refuses to take it back.” Video/Read more

 

Barnes & Noble Appoints Joe Gorman as Executive Vice President, Operations Press release

 

Walmart Japan’s new CEO: Seiyu ‘absolutely’ not for sale at Japan Today. “Thanks to this article I did thoroughly discuss Walmart’s intentions,” he said, adding that officials in Bentonville, Arkansas, assured him that he was being hired to grow, rather than sell, the Japanese business.” Read more

 

WSJ report reveals National Enquirer paid $200K for Jeff Bezos’ racy texts by Taylor Soper at GeekWire. Read more | WSJ article (subs.)

 

Tipsheet Extra Stories

Chief of Starbucks’ high-end initiative takes a ‘coffee break’ leave

Elizabeth Warren slams Amazon for promoting its own brands on rivals’ pages

Rolling Stone: SXSW 2019 – 30 Best Artists We Saw in Austin

These are the top beauty brands dominating Amazon

The Brazilian butt lift was the hottest growing plastic surgery procedure last year

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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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Tipsheet: Ex-Sears CEO Eyed H.Dep./B.Buy | L.Liqu. +0.4% | Overstock -1.0%

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Kroger ends its unmanned-vehicle grocery delivery pilot program in Arizona by Russ Wiles at Arizona Republic via USA Today. “The companies now will start the next phase of the program — an autonomous-vehicle delivery service at two Kroger stores in Houston that will reach customers in four ZIP codes there.” Read more

 

Lumber Liquidators Q4 comp sales +0.4% Press release

 

Former Sears CEO says he tried to forge a deal with Home Depot & Best Buy by Suzanne Kapner at Wall Street Journal. “Arthur Martinez: ‘Best Buy’s expectations were so high that there was no favorable return on our investment. I think the stock was at $7 and founder Dick Schulze wanted in the high $20s. With Home Depot, the antitrust analysis indicated that there was competitive overlap and that federal regulators would demand the divestment of a significant number of stores, most of them Home Depot stores. Bernie Marcus and Arthur Blank could not countenance that as the founders. Every store is their baby.'” WSJ subs.

 

Overstock Q4 revenue -1.0% Press release

 

Amazon’s new Virginia headquarters get $23M in county incentives, despite protests via USA Today. Read more

 

Despite vote to strike, King Soopers is ready to keep negotiating with its employees by Eric Lupher at ABC 7 Denver. “The existing contract between the two sides ran out in January. King Soopers/City Market operates 152 stores. All but four are in Colorado.” Read more

 

San Diego’s second miniature Target is now open for business by Jennifer Van Grove at San Diego Union-Tribune. “The venue also features a CVS Pharmacy, as well as ChargeItSpot kiosks for guests who need to power up their mobile devices (at no cost) while visiting.” Tiered subs.

 

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Jeff Bezos’ invite-only MARS conference gears up by Alan Boyle at GeekWire. “We know that “Star Wars” star Mark Hamill is at MARS because he shows up in the background of a selfie tweeted out by gravitational-wave researcher Chiara Mingarelli.” Pics/Read more

 

41% of millennials say a damaged phone screen is worse than seeing their “check engine” light flash on in the car at Study Finds. “…about 3 out of 5 millennials (58%) feel life is more stressful right now than ever before.” Read more

 

Starbucks celebrates its 30,000th store Press release

 

Walmart installs five more online pickup vending machines in Houston area by Paul Takahashi at Houston Chronicle. “The new pickup towers join more than 145 others in Walmart locations across Texas.” Tiered subs.

 

Amazon Tests Pop-Up Feature Touting Its Lower-Priced Products by Jay Greene at Wall Street Journal. “The recent experiment, conducted in Amazon’s mobile app, went a step further than the display ads that commonly appear within search results and product pages. This test pushed pop-up windows that took over much of a product page, forcing customers to either click through to the lower-cost Amazon products or dismiss them before continuing to shop.” WSJ subs.

 

Author of ‘The Everything Store’ planning new book on Amazon and Jeff Bezos by Monica Nickelsburg at GeekWire. “Simon & Schuster plans to publish Brad Stone’s book in 2021.” Read more

 

Tipsheet Extra Stories

Gun shop sold rifles online to accused New Zealand shooter

Conor McGregor appearance riles up St. Patrick’s Day parade in Boston

85% of suppliers have not completed the supply chain digitization process

Feds seize 1 million lbs. of pork smuggled from China to N.J. port

New Target to replace Toys ‘R’ Us in Brooklyn

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