Tipsheet: Retail Sls -16.4% | Ahold’s Robots | Can. Home Sls -56.8%

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Retail sales plunge a record 16.4% in April at CNBC. “Economists surveyed by Dow Jones expected the advanced retail sales number to fall 12.3%…clothing and accessories -89.3%…Furniture stores also got clobbered (-66.5%) as did electronics and appliances (-64.8%), sporting goods (-48.9%) and restaurants and bars (-48.7%). The sole bright spot was grocery stores, which rose 13.2%.” Read more

 

Amazon may be on the prowl for more Fairway grocery stores at NY Post. “After forking over $1.5 million for two of Fairway’s grocery stores in March, the online shopping giant has been kicking the tires at other Fairway locations, including in the Douglaston neighborhood of Queens; in the Long Island town of Westbury and in Harlem, sources told The Post.” Read more

 

Ahold Delhaize Accelerates Automation as Coronavirus Pressures Workforce at Wall Street Journal. “Ahold Delhaize’s AI team is also focusing on improving the robotic arm’s ability to identify and hold different products without damaging them. “Fruits are extremely challenging for a robot to handle because they’re very fragile and have an unusual shape,” Mr. Voorn said.” WSJ subs.

 

A seventh Amazon employee dies of COVID-19 at The Verge. Read more

 

Sephora awards $250M North American media account to Publicis Groupe at MediaPost. “The new partnership will be led by Digitas, and it’s believed assisted with data from its sister shop Epsilon. The U.S. portion covers media strategy, planning and buying for all media channels with the exception of addressable TV.” Read more

 

**A message from Comfy Sacks bean bag chairs – You have to sit in it to believe it! Filled with superior quality furniture grade foam for incredible comfort. High-growth category is on-trend with stay at home comfort. Request a sample bag @ info@eyeonretail.net | Booklet | Video | Website

 

JC Penney is planning to file for bankruptcy as early as Friday at CNBC. Read more

 

Coronavirus to Slow U.S. Meat Production for Months, CEO Says at Wall Street Journal. “JBS USA Holdings Inc., which slaughters 23% of the country’s cattle and produces nearly one-fifth of its pork, is revamping plant operations to space workers farther apart while about 10% of its workforce has been sent home because of their higher risk from Covid-19, Chief Executive Andre Nogueira said.” WSJ subs.

 

Mall of America to reopen June 1 at The Hill. Read more

 

A fever is 100.4 in Ohio; it’s 99.5 in Minnesota at MSN. “At Walmart, a temperature above 100 degrees is enough for a worker to be sent home. At Amazon, it’s 100.4. “Where do you set the bar? Well, what is your threshold for risk?” said Steven Lawrence, an infectious disease specialist and professor at Washington University in St. Louis.” Read more

 

Canadian home sales plunge 56.8% in April as lockdowns bite at Reuters. Read more

 

IKEA’s shopping malls arm Ingka Centres plans U.S. entry in major play at Reuters. “IKEA’s shopping malls business, one of the world’s biggest, is looking to enter the United States in the next couple of years and is in talks to snap up central properties in major cities, its boss told Reuters.” Read more

 

Office Depot To Cut 13,100 Jobs As It Focuses On IT Services at CRN. Read more

 

Tipsheet Extra

The Brit Trying to Fix Facebook’s Global Image

FDA Warns Abbott Coronavirus Tests Could Be Inaccurate

Amazon files lawsuit over ‘widespread tech support fraud’

Belgian Trappists reopen tap for beer sales

One in 4 restaurants won’t re-open, study says

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.

 

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Tipsheet: FedEx Caps Retailers | Katz to Neiman? | Bed Bath New Brand Officer

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Shoppers begin to shift from stockpiling to penny pinching at the grocery store at CNBC. “As this drags on, you are going to see a lot more recessionary behavior coming up,” said Krishnakumar Davey, president of strategic analytics at IRI. “We are just seeing the beginnings of it.” Read more

 

FedEx, Strained by Coronavirus, Caps How Much Retailers Can Ship From Stores at Wall Street Journal. “Kohl’s, Abercrombie & Fitch among two dozen companies asked to limit shipments…The limits vary at each location and will last until at least Tuesday. A FedEx spokeswoman said the limits are similar to what the company does during busy shipping seasons like Christmas.” WSJ subs.

 

Lenders want Neiman Marcus CEO canned after bankruptcy plan at NY Post. “The push…has even resulted in a list of replacement candidates, including Raemdonck’s predecessor and longtime Neiman CEO Karen Katz, the source said. Other contenders on the interim-CEO list include ex-Neiman President Jim Gold, former Saks Fifth Avenue Chief Executive Stephen Sadove, and Chris Sim, Neiman’s current chief operating officer, the source said.” Read more

 

Bed Bath & Beyond names Cindy Davis new Chief Brand Officer and President Of Decorist “Ms. Davis will join the Company from L Brands, where she currently serves as EVP and Chief Digital Marketing Officer…Previously she was EVP, Consumer Experience, at Disney/ABC Television, prior to which she held strategic leadership positions at…Walmart (and) Sam’s Club…” Press release

 

Jeff Bezos could become world’s first trillionaire by 2026 at NY Post. Read more

 

Casey’s General Stores hires Ena Williams as chief operating officer and Steve Bramlage as chief financial officer “Williams spent a decade at 7-Eleven and served as senior vice president and head of international.” Press release

 

**A message from Gusto kitchenware. Created for young enthusiasts looking for quality, color and affordability. From the #1 cookware brand in Mexico. Program details | Retailers request samples: info@eyeonretail.net

 

5% to 10% of pre-Covid-19 retail demand could be decimated permanently, as “lost store volume can’t entirely be made up online”: Wells Fargo at CNBC. Read more

 

TV Shopping Avoids Media’s and Retailers’ Woes at Wall Street Journal. “Qurate Retail, the parent company behind QVC and Home Shopping Network, last Thursday reported over 10% viewership growth on its networks from late March through the end of April year over year. Viewership of its live and original content also is up 100% across social platforms.” WSJ subs.

 

Amazon calls on Congress to create anti-price gouging law at TechCrunch. Read more

 

BJ’s Wholesale Club Campaign Depicts Chaos Of Family Meals at MediaPost. “The digital and television campaign also promotes the company’s burgeoning buy online, pickup in-club option—BOPIC, in BJ’s corporate parlance—and same-day, home-delivery service.” Read more | See spot

 

Amazon Warns Sellers to Standardize Sizes in Apparel at eCommerce. Read more

 

Bizarre clothing rules for lockdown baffle South Africans at Bloomberg/Gulf News. “South African stores can only sell shoes if they are “closed toe,” and short-sleeved shirts if they are promoted or displayed to be worn under jackets or jerseys, according to the latest list of government rules that spell out what’s allowed during a nationwide lockdown.” Read more

 

Amazon is designing and building face shields to sell to frontline workers at CNBC. Read more

 

Tipsheet Extra

Lidl Brings New Prototype to Atlanta

HBO teams with Scener to give subscribers the ability to watch TV together

Walmart Fights Prescription Opioid Misuse

Kidney injury seen in more than a third of hospitalized COVID-19 patients

Houseparty to expand its service to co-watching live video with friends

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

 

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Tipsheet: Container Store -3.6% | Wgreen Agency Search | CBS Hits Amazon

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Fired Amazon employees say company “silenced” them for speaking out about warehouse worker safety at CBS News. “In their first U.S. television interview, two former Amazon employees tell “CBS This Morning” co-host Tony Dokoupil they were fired for their activism on behalf of Amazon warehouse workers.” 6:09 video

 

The Container Store Group Q4 prelim comp sales -3.6% Press release

 

JC Penney in talks for $450 million loan as it eyes Friday bankruptcy filing at CNBC. “The company is planning to file for bankruptcy as soon as Friday, though that timing could still be delayed, one of the people said. It is working on a plan that would contemplate closing 180 to 200 stores while in bankruptcy. The retailer had 846 department stores as of February and employed roughly 90,000 full-time and part-time employees.” Read more

 

J.C. Penney’s board approves awards totaling $9.9 million to keep CEO Jill Soltau and her team at Dallas Morning News. “CEO Jill Soltau, chief financial officer Bill Wafford, chief merchant Michelle Wlazlo and chief human resources officer Brynn Evanson will get prepaid cash incentive awards tied to their pay and performance goals for the rest of this year.” Tiered subs.

 

Walgreens starts global search for marcomms agency at PR Week. Subs.

 

Walmart giving second round of cash bonuses to hourly employees at The Hill. “Full-time hourly associates will receive a one-time bonus of $300 and part-time and temporary employees will get $150…The bonuses, which will add up to $390 million…will go to employees in stores, clubs and offices, as well as drivers.” Read more | Press release

 

Kroger to end ‘Hero Pay’ coronavirus bonus on May 16 at Fox Business. Read more

 

**A message from Comfy Sacks bean bag chairs – Consumers want to be comfy at home – especially now! Sales on premium bean bags filled with superior quality furniture grade foam are up sharply. See why Apple chose Comfy Sacks to outfit their corporate HQ. Booklet | Video | Website | Request sample bag: info@eyeonretail.net

 

U.S. e-commerce sales jumped 49% in April, compared to the baseline period in early March before shelter-in-place restrictions went into effect at TechCrunch. Read more

 

Patagonia, Quick to Close, Could be Last to Reopen at NY Times. “Patagonia does not anticipate opening any locations for in-store shopping until June at the earliest and it’s prepared to wait until the fall or even early winter. Even then, it may decide to limit operations to curbside pickup, which it plans to begin offering at 10 stores on May 20.” Tiered subs.

 

Amazon launches a new $90 Fire tablet at CNBC. Read more

 

Costco’s Kirkland and other store brands are having a moment at CNN. “Since the start of the pandemic in the US, private-brand sales grew 29%, outpacing regular-branded product sales, which grew by 24%, according to the most recent data from Nielsen.” Read more

 

Neiman Marcus creditor calls for deal with Saks Fifth Avenue at Fox Business. “The letter, reviewed by Reuters, suggests that combining the two luxury retailers would create between $2.8 billion and $4.7 billion of value. That could ultimately be achieved by Neiman Marcus using bankruptcy proceedings to permanently close at least 22 stores in nearby or overlapping locations to its rival.” Read more

 

World’s biggest shipper expects 25% drop in container demand in Q2 Read more

 

Founder of Borders Bookstores Returns with Dreams of Beating Amazon at Food Delivery at Forbes. “I’ve always been attracted to really big problems, and this has been a really big problem for a long time,” says Borders, whose eight-year-old company, Home Delivery Service, finally came out of stealth mode on Tuesday. “And here it is still today, not really solved.” Read more

 

Tipsheet Extra

California’s state university system cancels classes for the fall semester

Kansas county orders businesses to track customers

Food delivery companies turn to K Street as industry scrutinized

Never miss a shot again with this robotic basketball hoop

France’s bookstores fight for survival after coronavirus lockdown

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Tipsheet: Apps Serve 80% of Minors Alcohol | 65% Reticent to Try on Clothes

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Target CEO: We are taking ‘enormous’ market share in cosmetics at Yahoo Finance. “One of the areas we have really focused on is beauty,” Cornell says. “It’s one of our fastest-growing categories and where we are taking enormous market share each and every week. “It’s coming from certainly department stores, but I think we are also starting to win against specialty.” Video/Read more

 

Sixty-five percent of women said they will not feel safe trying on clothes in dressing rooms, due to the Covid-19 crisis at CNBC. “More permanent options are being explored, such as a sanitizing system made by Indiana-based Global Ozone Innovations, which promises to clean garments using ozone-based technology within one hour…Killing Covid-19 with ultraviolet light is another option retailers are looking at…” Read more

 

Say Amazon actually buys AMC Theatres. What would that be like? at Fortune. “AMC’s Stubs A-List program, in which subscribers can see up to three movies a week for a monthly fee, would make plenty of sense within Amazon Prime, which already offers free two-day shipping, weekly deals at Whole Foods, and of course, access to Amazon’s video streaming library.” Read more

 

Czech billionaire and pro soccer team owner looking to shake up Macy’s by Lisa Fickenscher at NY Post. “A Czech billionaire and professional soccer team owner has purchased a 5-percent stake in Macy’s with apparent plans to reshape the struggling company, according to a regulatory filing on Monday.” Read more

 

PepsiCo has bought the domain Snacks.com and PantryShop.com for their new DTC websites at Fast Company. Read more

 

Simon Property Group says it plans to have roughly 50% of its malls and outlet centers reopened again within the next week at CNBC. Read more

 

***A message from SPS Commerce. Are you ordering more product than you actually need or running out of inventory when you need it most? SPS Commerce can help you order exactly what you need with confidence by getting real-time order status from your vendors. More than 3,000 organizations rely on our proven process for automating data exchange with vendors. Get the data you need to reduce inventory by up to 20%! Visit our website for details or contact us at 866-245-8100.

 

On-demand food delivery apps are letting minors order alcohol at The Verge. “ABC officials ordered about 200 alcoholic beverages…on-demand apps (provided alcohol to minors) four out of every five, or a staggering 80 percent failure rate.” Read more

 

Mail-Order Drug Delivery Rises During Coronavirus Lockdowns at Wall Street Journal. “CVS Health Corp. saw a 10-fold increase in pharmacy home deliveries during the first-three months of this year, mostly since waiving fees in early March, a spokesman said.” WSJ subs.

 

Former Amazon Executive Stefan Haney Joins Canopy Management Press release

 

Looking for toilet paper, disinfecting wipes or hand sanitizer? Try bartering on Facebook and Nextdoor at USA Today. “I guess before it was just so easy to go to the store or click a button and have an item you needed delivered within a day. Now that stores are closed or crowded and deliveries are backed up, we learn to be resourceful,” Victoria says.” Read more

 

Kroger CEO and other food executives met with VP Mike Pence – just hours after a Pence staffer was revealed to have tested positive for the new coronavirus at Cincinnati Enquirer. Read more

 

Coming Soon: Theaters Go Back to the Future With $2 Retro Blockbusters at Wall Street Journal. “For such older titles, studios are planning to take as little as 30% of ticket revenue, according to people familiar with the matter, a discount from the typical 50-50 split on new films…Some venues will also turn back the clock on prices, charging as little as $2 to $5 a ticket, some theater owners said.” WSJ subs.

 

‘Dengue kills too’ – Latin America faces two epidemics at once at Reuters. “The Pan-American Health Organization (PAHO) expects 2020 to be marked by high rates of dengue, which can fill intensive care units and kill patients even absent the pressures of COVID-19, the respiratory disease caused by the novel coronavirus.” Read more

 

Luxury stores test the water in a Paris devoid of tourists at Reuters. “At an Hermes store on one of Paris’s swankiest streets, shop assistants greeted customers through face masks on Monday with sanitiser gels and a polite refrain: “May I refresh your hands?” Read more

 

Tipsheet Extra

Feds: Arsenal found in the home of Walmart threat suspect

60 Minutes shows Amazon’s virus-killing robot

Old Navy is selling the cheapest cotton masks we’ve seen

Walmart’s Marc Lore sells another $10.3 million of company stock

Ikea hit with class action suit over deadly dressers

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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

 

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Tipsheet: Target Eyes Deliv | WM #32 Diversity | Can. Tire +0.7%

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Canadian Tire Q1 retail comp sales +0.7% Press release

 

PriceSmart April net merchandise sales -10.9% Press release

 

Target in talks to boost its same-day delivery ambitions by buying pieces of startup Deliv at CNBC. “The aspect of the technology that interests Target is its ability to pool multiple orders and route them to a similar place, according to a source familiar with the deal who was granted anonymity to discuss it.” Read more

 

The 2020 DiversityInc top 50 companies for diversity (Target #13, CVS #24, Walmart #32, JCP #41) Read more

 

Businesses Struggle to Lure Workers Away From Unemployment at Wall Street Journal. “Ilona Luce-Fina, who was laid off from her job as a bartender at the airport in Ithaca, N.Y., said she hopes her boss doesn’t call her back too soon. “I was crying at work to leave, but then as time went on and I did receive benefits, it was like, wow, I’m getting more than when I worked there,” Ms. Luce-Fina said.” WSJ subs.

 

Camping World Q1 revenue -3.5% Press release

 

Levi’s CFO Picks Up the Phone to Remind Retailers to Pay Their Bills at Wall Street Journal. “I’m the chief debt collector,” said Harmit Singh. “I am calling the big retailers, saying, ‘You are owing me money; when are you paying me?’…“My feedback to all of them is I need a little bit of money every week.” WSJ subs.

 

**A message from Gusto kitchenware – Colorful kitchenware for young enthusiasts seeking quality and affordability. From the #1 cookware brand in Mexico. Program Ppoint | Retailers request samples: info@eyeonretail.net

 

Seattle City Council’s ‘Amazon Tax’ will be tabled while Washington state remains under its stay-home order by Monica Nickelsburg at GeekWire. Read more

 

Bain & Company: Global luxury sales could collapse up to 60% in the second quarter at CNBC. “McKinsey & Company also issued a report in April which said global revenue for the personal luxury goods market is expected to contract between 35% to 39% in 2020, compared to the previous year.” Read more

 

JCPenney and Sephora Reaffirm Partnership Press release

 

Fourth Amazon warehouse worker dies from coronavirus at NY Post. “(Amazon) has not provided an official tally of employees infected or killed by the virus. But workers have reported about 300 cases to United for Respect, a nonprofit that’s tracking the disease among Amazon staff.” Read more

 

The Buckle April total net sales -80.8% Press release

 

High Times owner hires Victoria’s Secret, cannabis vet as CEO at NY Post. “The company, which owns stoner magazine High Times, has appointed Peter Horvath, most recently CEO of Green Growth Brands, to replace Stormy Simon, who resigned Monday after four months on the job.” Read more

 

Officer uses “take-down” maneuver on Walmart shopper not using mask at USA Today. “Video of the confrontation at a Birmingham Walmart circulated widely on social media. The video shows the officer picking the woman up and throwing her to the ground. It appears he was attempting to handcuff her.” Read more

 

Tipsheet Extra

Amazon heads into regulatory whirlwind

Neiman Marcus has been the heart of downtown Dallas for 113 years

Ohio firm buys former Walmart distribution center in Fort Smith

Murphy Oil relocating corporate HQ from south Arkansas to Houston

Brawl breaks out at Atlanta mall on day it reopens after coronavirus lockdown

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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: Costco Apr -0.5% | Target Helps MN | Ingles +17.5%

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Costco April comp sales (excluding gas & f/x) down 0.5% “Costco reported net sales of $11.39 billion for the retail month of April, the four weeks ended May 3, 2020, a decrease of 1.8 percent from $11.60 billion last year.” Press release

 

…Costco’s sales fall for first time in over a decade at Fox Business. Read more

 

Ingles Q2 comp sales (excluding gas) +17.5% Press release

 

Target sharing its COVID-19 safety tool kit to help other Minnesota businesses open up by Kavita Kumar at Star Tribune. “Last week, Target began offering (10,000 infrared thermometers) at wholesale cost to businesses across the state after finding a supplier of the high-demand products. And Target continues to offer technical support to the state of Minnesota after it jumped in to help set up an inventory management system and configure warehouses where N-95 masks and other personal protective equipment are stored before being distributed to hospitals and clinics across the state.” Tiered subs.

 

Etsy Q1 total revenue +34.7%  Press release

 

Amazon and T-Mobile will help the FAA design Remote ID drone tracking system at GeekWire. “Remote ID would require drone manufacturers to make their products capable of sending out ID codes and location data during operation in national airspace. The rules would apply to all drones heavier than 8.8 ounces…” Read more

 

Rite Aid picks Jeff Olson to lead communications by Diana Bradley at PR Week. “Olson is a veteran of ICF Next, McDonald’s, Golin and FleishmanHillard.” Subs.

 

**A message from Comfy Sacks bean bag chairs – You have to sit in it to believe it! Filled with superior quality furniture grade foam for incredible comfort. High-growth category is on-trend with stay at home comfort. Request a sample bag @ info@eyeonretail.net | Booklet | Video | Website

 

Kroger CEO: Customers will have meat during the coronavirus pandemic, so long as they are ‘flexible’ at CNBC. “Kroger CEO Rodney McMullen said the supermarket chain is working with new meat suppliers and diverting meat that would have gone to restaurants to try to stay in stock. He said customers may not find the meat they want, but will find something to buy if they’re “flexible on eating between chicken, pork and beef.” Read more

 

Rent-A-Center Business Q1 comp sales up 1.7% Press release

 

Field Agent: Exploring the Reported U.S. Meat Shortage “In many stores, meat selections looked pretty darn skimpy—offering, perhaps, a foreboding sign of things to come. Case-in-point: In 57% of audited stores, sections designated for pork chops were reported to be no more than half stocked. It was a similar story for fresh chicken (54%), frozen chicken (49%), and ground beef (49%).” Read more

 

Sally Beauty Q2 comp sales -7.1% Press release

 

J.Crew bankruptcy leads to profits for buyout firm by Josh Kosman at NY Post. “Texas-based TPG, headed by billionaires David Bonderman and Jim Coulter, has made a fortune off the preppy retailer using various financial tactics — including charging the company for buying it and managing it — even as the business steadily deteriorated under its watch, documents show.” Read more

 

Casey’s Darren Rebelez Named Convenience Store News’ 2020 Retailer Executive of the Year Read more

 

‘Today’s norm to tomorrow’s everyday routines,’ CVS CEO says the pandemic will change customers’ shopping, health-care habits at CNBC. “He said in a Wednesday earnings call that CVS is starting to see “a new normal emerge.” “We expect that elements of today’s new norm will become part of tomorrow’s everyday routines,” he added.” Read more

 

Shopify becomes Canada’s most valuable company after quarter beats expectations on back of pandemic at Financial Post. Read more

 

Tipsheet Extra Stories

H-E-B holding ‘Texas-Sized Graduation’ celebration for Class of 2020

33 million have sought US unemployment aid since virus hit

We have hit peak pandemic advertising, and now they’re all just annoying

Gap Inc. to reopen up to 800 stores by the end of this month

No one’s going out for breakfast anymore. That’s a problem.

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Tipsheet: CVS +9% | Walton Hits Trump | Lord & Taylor Liquidate

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CVS Health Q1 comp sales +9% at CNBC. “Earnings per share: $1.91 cents, adjusted… Revenue: $66.8 billion…Wall Street anticipated earnings per share of $1.63 cents on revenue of $64.01 million.” Read more

 

Lord & Taylor to liquidate its stores as soon as they reopen at Reuters. “Lord & Taylor has lined up liquidators to help it run the “going out of business” sales and is girding to permanently close all its stores once the merchandise is sold, some of the sources said. The retailer had been exploring filing for bankruptcy among other options…” Read more

 

Walmart Billionaire Christy Walton Among Biggest Donors To Anti-Trump Republican Group at Forbes. “Walton donated $20,000 to the group in January. Forbes estimates that she is worth $9.1 billion. She inherited a stake in Walmart when her husband, John Walton (one of founder Sam Walton’s sons), died in a 2005 plane crash.” Read more

 

Office Depot Q1 total sales -2.0% Press release

 

Here’s how Nordstrom is preparing to reopen its stores at CNBC. “It will, meantime, shut some of its dressing rooms and clean them in between uses. Nordstrom added that any merchandise that is tried on, or returned, will be held “for a period of time” before it goes back to the rack or shelf.” Read more

 

Man who wiped nose on clerk’s shirt at Dollar Tree arrested at M Live. Read more

 

Booze bonanza for shops masks beer and spirits downturn at Reuters. “In the United States, “on-trade” drinking at bars and restaurants accounts for about 20% of spirits sales and 25% for beer, so off-premise drinking would need to keep growing by 25-30% to compensate…While U.S. stores’ alcohol sales are up a quarter since early March, the rate of growth slowed to 16% in the week to April 18, according to market research firm Nielsen.” Read more

 

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

 

Walgreens to Resume Standard Store Operating Hours Press release

 

Instacart Wasn’t Ready to Become an Essential Service Overnight at Bloomberg. “Every day, we would see that the volume was 20% higher than the last day,” (CEO) Mehta says. “In a matter of a couple of weeks, we were already ahead of our end-of-year goal. A week later, we were ahead of our 2021 goals, and a few days after that, we were ahead of our 2022 goals…” Tiered subs.

 

UNFI Names Stacey Kravitz President of Canadian Division Press release

 

Kroger CEO Rodney McMullen scheduled to appear later today @ CNBC

 

How grocery bills skyrocket even as food becomes scarcer at CNBC. “The average household spends an extra $69 each week on food, as the average grocery run has risen to $155 per week…Some people are spending even more: Just under a quarter said they spend between $100 and $200 extra each week.” Read more

 

Tipsheet Extra

Fiskars is entering the world of high fashion, with a clothing and accessory line

44 million U.S. adults are “mooching” a streaming service subscription today

An Amazon warehouse worker in New York has died of COVID-19

America’s most passionate sports fans 2020

Your phone is an ‘adult pacifier’ that lulls you into oversharing personal information

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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

 

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Tipsheet: Wayfair +20% | Amazon’s Fashion a ‘Bore’ | Carter’s -12%

/in

 

Wayfair Q1 Net Revenue Growth of 20% Year over Year to $2.3 billion Press release

 

JC Penney goes to court to try to stop Sephora from pulling out of the troubled chain’s stores at CNBC. “Sephora and Penney have had a joint enterprise operating agreement since Feb. 1, 2009, according to the April 27 court filing. Sephora was found to have “threatened imminent termination” of the contract, which would cause Penney to suffer “irreparable injury,” including a loss of business opportunities, the filing said.” Read more

 

Carter’s Q1 net sales -12% Press release

 

California to reopen many retailers Friday, loosen rules on rural counties at Politico. “As early as the end of this week you will have the capacity as a retailer” to carry out transactions through curbside pickups, Newsom said, citing clothing, bookstores, music, toys, sporting goods stores, florists with Mother’s Day coming up.” Read more

 

Lowe’s is the latest retailer requiring workers to wear masks during coronavirus at Charlotte Observer. “Lowe’s also is adding another $80 million in bonuses for hourly workers this month. Each full-time employee will receive $300, and part-time and seasonal workers will get $150.” Read more

 

**A message from Gusto kitchenware: Consumers want colorful kitchenware! From the #1 cookware brand in Mexico. See the line here | Retailers request samples: info@eyeonretail.net

 

3 charged in killing of Family Dollar store security guard over virus mask at AP. “Calvin Munerlyn was shot Friday at the store just north of downtown Flint a short time after telling Sharmel Teague’s daughter she had to leave because she lacked a mask…Teague, 45, argued with Munerlyn, 43, before leaving. Two men later came to the store.” Read more

 

…Slain Family Dollar security guard mourned at candlelight vigil at M Live. “He always liked to stay on the go all the time, so I called him Duper, super duper,” she said with a laugh during a candlelight vigil Sunday night that drew roughly 150 people.” Read more

 

Man wipes nose on Dollar Tree store worker’s shirt after being told to wear mask at Fox Business. “When the clerk told the man he needed (a mask), police said he walked over and said “Here, I will use this as a mask” before wiping his face and nose on the face of the clerk’s shirt.” Pic/Read more

 

Tractor Supply Beats Amazon to the Heartland at Bloomberg. “We’ve been working on this for the past couple of years, so we had infrastructure in place that allowed us to scale,” Robert Mills, Tractor Supply’s strategy and technology chief, told me. To pull it off, Tractor Supply partnered with Roadie, an Atlanta-based delivery platform with deep inroads in rural America.” Tiered subs.

 

Mall Owner That Spent Big to Modernize Faces Bill as Stores Sit Closed at Wall Street Journal. “Pyramid Management Cos. of Syracuse, N.Y., which owns and operates 14 properties in New York and Massachusetts, said it has invested hundreds of millions of dollars in recent years to make its retail centers about more than shopping.” WSJ subs.

 

Amazon VP says he quit over company ‘firing whistleblowers’ at CNN. “I quit in dismay at Amazon firing whistleblowers who were making noise about warehouse employees frightened of Covid-19,” Bray wrote in a lengthy blog post published on his website.” Read more

 

Shares of parent of Victoria’s Secret crater after effort to sell itself falls through at CNBC. “L Brands shares tumbled 15% in extended trading Monday after the company announced it struck an agreement with Sycamore Partners to terminate its Victoria’s Secret deal.” Read more

 

Germany to reopen all shops, allow soccer matches: sources at Reuters. “The state premiers are expected to give the green light for large shops to reopen, probably from May 11, the sources said. Smaller shops are already back to business in Europe’s largest economy…” Read more

 

Starbucks says 85% of its US stores will reopen this week

 

On Amazon’s ‘Making the Cut,’ Fashion Is a Total Bore at Wall Street Journal. “…“Making the Cut” is a predictable reality program, strategically edited to confound expectations. The contestant who limps her way through the challenge dramatically emerges as its victor, while the contestant who oozes ego and confidence falls on his face.” WSJ subs.

 

FreshDirect co-founder Jason Ackerman said surge in online grocery shopping has led to more venture capital deals at CNBC. “Grocers and delivery services, such as Instacart and FreshDirect, have struggled to ramp up to meet that sudden increase in demand. Ackerman said the challenges have underscored the need for more investments in infrastructure to speed up order fulfillment, lower costs and improve the experience for customers.” Read more

 

Tipsheet Extra

Meat Shortages Leave Wendy’s Diners Asking, ‘Where’s the Beef?’

Man who wore KKK hood at grocery store may be charged with hate crime

Kroger’s store brands know how to party

Walgreens Amps Up Drive-Thru Grocery Program

Winners of 2020 Pulitzer Prizes

Read Tipsheet Extra Stories

 

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