Walmart looks to airports as inspiration of new store layout at AP. "(Walmart) said that the look, which includes signs with bold dimensional typeface spotlighting sections, is currently in one store. It will be rolled out to 200 stores by early next year. with plans to add another 800 stores by early 2022. Walmart says it was working on a new store layout a year ago. But the pandemic accelerated those efforts as customers are increasingly focused on contactless shopping amid safety concerns." Read more   CLOTHING GLUT - Clothes mountains build up as recycling breaks down at Reuters. [...]

  Alibaba’s Freshippo opens first membership-only store in Shanghai, challenging Costco and Sam’s Club at South China Morning Post. "Freshippo opened its first bricks and mortar store in Shanghai in 2016. Two years later, it launched the X membership plan with an annual fee of 258 yuan (US$38) in the same city and then gradually expanded its footprint to Beijing, Xi’an and Chengdu in 2019. By the end of June, there were 214 Freshippo stores across China." Read more   Home prices rose 4.8% in July, according to Case-Shiller index at CNBC. "The 10-City Composite annual increase showed a 3.3% [...]

  As holidays approach, CDC puts shopping at crowded stores on Black Friday in high-risk category at CNBC. "The CDC is also discouraging other common holiday rituals that could become public health threats amid a pandemic. Among them, it warned of the risks of participating in Turkey Trots or other crowded races, attending crowded parades and gathering for large indoor events with extended family or friends." Read more   Amazon Prime Day set for Oct. 13-14 after pandemic-related delay at GeekWire. "The company is using this year’s Prime Day to show support for small businesses. Amazon said it will give [...]

  Costco Q4 comp sales (ex-fuel & f/x) +14.1% / Ecom +91.3% "Net income for the fourth quarter was $1.389 billion, or $3.13 per diluted share, compared to $1.097 billion, or $2.47 per diluted share last year." Read more   Costco not planning curbside grocery pickup at Fox Business. "We don’t have our head in the sand on it, we look at it, we have people here who study it, maybe we’ll surprise you one day but at this juncture, we are not prepared to do that,” (CFO Galanti) said during the Q&A portion of the company’s earnings call Thursday." [...]

  Will this former Safeway store in Bellevue be a future Amazon retail location? at GeekWire. "The company has so far confirmed eight Amazon Fresh grocery stores: five in Southern California, and three in Illinois. For the record, Amazon declined to comment Wednesday when we asked about the Bellevue site." Read more   Patagonia’s new CEO talks about the future of the beloved brand at Fast Company. Q&A   Amazon appeals product liability ruling to CA Supreme Court, citing ‘potentially vast blast radius’ at GeekWire. "The company’s petition for review, filed Tuesday, argues that the appeals court took an “unprecedented [...]

  Walmart Took Its Eye Off Black Managers While Women Advanced at Bloomberg. "Walmart Inc. isn’t the only retailer with a poor track record on race: At Target Corp., its cheap-chic rival, only three of the top 54 executives are Black. Costco had no Black senior executives as of 2018, according to the most recent data available, and the leadership team at electronics retailer Best Buy Co. is also dominated by White faces." Tiered subs.   Amazon Prime Day will begin October 13th, multiple sources say Amazon Prime Day will begin October 13th, multiple sources say at The Verge. "An [...]

  UK: Panic buying is back as people fear second lockdown at DorsetEcho. "Reduced-price food aisles and hygiene sections at some stores were left depleted in scenes familiar to March and early April, after the Government warned of rising coronavirus cases across the UK." Read more   Ralph Lauren to cut thousands of jobs and beef up online business at Reuters. "The company had a total workforce of 24,900 as of March end and based on that, the plan could impact more than 3,700 jobs." Read more   Lawmakers Call Amazon Warehouse Unsafe After Surprise Visit at Bloomberg. "Representatives Rashida [...]

  Walmart expands fashion focus with new private clothing label for men and women at CNBC. "Walmart is launching Free Assembly, a private label of men’s and women’s clothing, which will sell online and in stores...Walmart has a new opportunity to grab market share from apparel retailers like J.C. Penney that have filed for bankruptcy protection and others, such as Kohl’s and Macy’s, that have seen sales drop." Read more   Tropical Storm Beta forecast to make landfall Monday in hurricane-weary Gulf Coast at USA Today. "No longer expected to gain hurricane strength, forecasters also decreased estimated rainfall totals from [...]