Tipsheet: Instagram Tests Shopping | Cleaning Trophies | Academy Tests Investors

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Instagram is adding more shopping features at CNBC. “Instagram will start testing shopping through its short-form video feature Reels later this year. Instagram will also add shopping to IGTV, where users can watch longer videos, starting Monday. Monday’s move will appeal to creators and brands who routinely look to monetize their efforts on the app.” Read more

 

Pandemic pushes start of holiday shopping earlier than ever at AP. “Joel Bines, who runs the retail practice at AlixPartners, thinks the earlier shopping will stick even when the pandemic is over…“This is here to stay,” Bines said. “The new holiday season is October through January.”…Meanwhile, delivery company DHL is advising retailers to avoid holding big sales in December, since delivery could be delayed.” Read more

 

CLEANING TROPHIES – For some, finding Clorox wipes has become like winning the lottery at NY Times. “…one day in mid-September when the 41-year-old mother of two teenagers stopped at her local Target in San Antonio, she stumbled across what she had long been stalking: Clorox disinfecting wipes. “My daughter and I started screaming in the store, ‘Oh, my god! Oh, my god!’” Ms. Vanegas said. “I had given up looking for them in the last month. I had lost all hope.” Read more

 

Academy Sports Tests Investor Appetite for Retail at Wall Street Journal. “Shares of Academy Sports & Outdoors Inc. fell in their market debut Friday, even after the company lowered its asking price…(Academy), owned by private-equity firm KKR & Co., set a price of $13 for the 15.6 million shares expected to begin trading on Friday. At that price, the company would raise about $203 million at a valuation of roughly $1.1 billion….” WSJ subs.

 

Walmart signs trio of drone deals as it races to play catch-up with Amazon at CNBC. “It’s teamed up with Flytrex to deliver groceries and household essentials in Fayetteville, North Carolina. It plans to launch another pilot project with Zipline…for on-demand deliveries of health and wellness products early next year. And it’s testing deliveries of at-home Covid-19 test kits with Quest Diagnostics and DroneUp in Las Vegas and Cheektowaga, a suburb of Buffalo, New York.” Read more

 

**A message from Readywise, the leader in emergency food supplies – Consumers are looking for emergency food supplies – are you offering the selection they want? Up to 25-year shelf life. High quality and great taste. Website | Catalog | Request a sample: info@eyeonretail.net

 

Inside Amazon’s “whirlwind courtship” of Whole Foods at Business Insider. “The idea of approaching Amazon founder and CEO Jeff Bezos came to Mackey that spring, after a “restless” night…What happened next, Mackey described as the business world’s version of “love at first sight.”…The Whole Foods CEO and his three top executives met with Bezos and his team at his Seattle boat house. The meeting — on April 30, 2017 — ended up lasting three hours…” Read more

 

Alibaba plans to acquire a stake of up to 9.99% in Swiss duty free group Dufry at Reuters. Read more

 

Amazon is trying to crack down on fraudulent reviews. They’re thriving in Facebook groups. at The Verge. “One, called “Amazon Review Group Only USA” had a member named Douglas Meeks, nearly identical to the name of the number four reviewer on Amazon, Douglas C. Meeks. Meeks has reviewed products on Amazon that appear similar to those listed in the Facebook groups, including a razor from a Chinese company which he rated five stars.” Read more

 

Protesters march outside Jeff Bezos’ Beverly Hills mansion to demand the Amazon billionaire pay more taxes at Daily Mail. “At one point, members of the artivist troupe, Red Rebel Brigade Manifesto, wore red ensembles during a performative piece aimed at highlighting the global environmental crisis. As the group of determined protesters drew near Bezos’ mansion, they chanted ‘tax Bezos’ while someone played the drums.” Pics/Video/Read more

 

Tipsheet Extra

The plastic pandemic – Covid-19 trashed the recycling dream

University of Washington studies future of urban package delivery

Chick-fil-A still has slowest drive-throughs – and the most popular

Costco pays $4.25 million for two-acre lot in Hawaii for employee parking

American Express to open largest Centurion Lounge in JFK airport, and the first with 2 floors

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Tipsheet: H.Depot Promotes | Snoop @ WM Open Call | Sam’s CEO Iview

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Home Depot names Ted Decker president and chief operating officer, effective October 5, 2020 “Ann-Marie Campbell named EVP of U.S. stores and international operations…Jeff Kinnaird promoted to EVP of merchandising…Michael Rowe has been promoted to president of The Home Depot Canada…Richard McPhail, EVP & CFO, will assume the additional responsibility for the company’s corporate strategy and strategic business development.” Press release

 

Sam’s Club CEO Kathryn McLay speaks with Fortune “McLay, an Australian who became Sam’s Club CEO in November after a few years at Walmart, recalled that it was on a March tour of a store in Chicago that she realized how serious the COVID crisis would be, noting anxiety on customers’ faces as they panic-shopped. It was so hectic, she found herself helping bring carts back to the front of the club, as the chain calls its stores, in an all-hands-on-deck moment.” 2:18 video/Read more

 

Walmart sells Asda to billionaire British brothers and TDR for $8.8 billion at Reuters. “The new owners want to drive growth at Britain’s third-biggest supermarket chain by expanding its presence into smaller neighborhood shops to add to its large supermarket format, bringing it more in line with competitors Tesco and Sainsbury’s which offer both.” Read more

 

…Walmart expects to post $2.5 billion non-cash loss on Asda sale at Reuters. Read more

 

Amazon says 19,000 employees tested positive for COVID-19 at GeekWire. “(Amazon) compared rates to the general population…Amazon said that if the rate would have been the same among its employees as it is for the general population, it would have seen 33,952 cases among the workforce. Instead, its figure of 19,816 was 42% lower.” Read more

 

**A message from SPS Commerce. Changing consumer shopping preferences have disrupted your business. We’ve implemented 500,000 replenishment order solutions for more than 3,000 buying organizations. Now is the time to update your supply chain practices so you can stay one step ahead of the competition. Visit our website for details or contact us at 866-245-8100.

 

Walmart’s Open Call event held yesterday – number of applicants increased 44% this year at Talk Business. “If Open Call is any indication, then ingenuity is alive and well in the U.S. as the number of applicants increased 44% this year to 4,800 and we scheduled 67% more meetings because we were not constrained by space. We value entrepreneurs. We were founded by one,” McMillon said in his opening remarks.” Read more

 

…Snoop Dogg had a cameo plug for his Indoggo “Gin and Juice” – coming soon to Walmart stores Read more

 

Lack of oversight and transparency leave Amazon employees in the dark on Covid-19 at NBC News. “On the evening of Sunday, Aug. 9, workers at the MKE1 Amazon fulfillment center in Kenosha, Wisconsin, received an alert from the company via text message: More of their colleagues had tested positive for the coronavirus…The next day, the National Weather Service issued a tornado warning for the county. Managers ushered hundreds of employees into windowless rooms where they huddled shoulder to shoulder for half an hour, waiting for the storm to pass.” Read more

 

What Robots Can Do for Retail at Harvard Business Review. “Consider a hypothetical scenario of a retail robot scanning grocery store aisles and detecting that supplies of sugar-free peanut butter are diminishing at twice the rate of regular peanut butter. That real-time discovery then triggers an automated order…That’s not unlike what happens in high-frequency trading, which uses algorithms to detect and capitalize on small, momentary discrepancy in stock prices, which can aggregate into huge profits over time.” Read more

 

Amazon can’t be held responsible for teen’s powdered caffeine death, court rules at NY Post. Read more

 

Walmart vs. Amazon Prime food deliveries: TODAY puts them to the test at NBC News. “NBC investigative and consumer correspondent Vicky Nguyen set out to see which does better in terms of value, variety and speed.” 4:44 video

 

Tipsheet Extra

The Apple Watch heart monitor sends too many people to the doctor

Casey’s General Stores unveils new logo

Gadgets for groceries: coronavirus sparks Philippines online barter trade

It’s costing parents almost $800 to have their children learn remotely

Purple Heart veteran receives free car at Walmart ceremony

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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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Website: eyeonretail.net

Tipsheet: Bed Bath is Back | Dick’s +11 Stores | Holiday Spend -$100

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Amazon cozies up to Biden camp with cash and connections at Reuters. “Amazon appears to have taken an early lead making in-roads with the Biden camp, according to data gathered by Reuters from OpenSecrets and campaign finance records, along with interviews with over a dozen stakeholders including anti-monopoly groups, lobbyists, congressional aides, competitors and lawmakers.” Read more

 

Bed Bath & Beyond posts same-store sales gain for the first time since 2016 at CNBC. “Same-store sales rose 6%…Analysts had been calling for a decline of 2.1%, according to FactSet. Online sales helped drive the gains, with digital comparable sales surging roughly 89%.” Read more

 

U.S. weekly jobless claims fall; consumer spending solid in August at Reuters. “A separate report on Thursday from the Commerce Department showed consumer spending rose 1.0% in August after increasing 1.5% in July. Economists had forecast consumer spending, which accounts for more than two-thirds of U.S. economic activity, advancing 0.8% in August.” Read more

 

On average, consumers plan to spend about $540 on holiday shopping this year — a nearly $100 drop from last year at CNBC. “This holiday season, shoppers aren’t planning on glitzy and gift-oriented celebrations. Instead, many are preparing for smaller gatherings, reining in spending and directing more of their dollars toward retailers that share similar values during the coronavirus pandemic, according to a new survey by Accenture.” Read more

 

H&M plans to close 250 stores next year as the coronavirus pandemic pushes its customers online at NY Post. Read more

 

German privacy watchdog fines H&M $41M for spying on workers at AP. “Hamburg’s data protection commissioner said in a statement that the Swedish company collected private information about employees at a customer service center in Nuremberg, “ranging from rather harmless details to family issues and religious beliefs.” Read more

 

Our first-hand experience with Amazon’s new palm reader at GeekWire. “I’m sure it could have been less than 15 seconds if I hadn’t juggled my phone in one hand to get the picture above, or chatted up the security guard to let him know why I was taking a picture, or deliberated over which flavor of sparkling water to buy…” Read more/Pic

 

**A message from the Kitchenology 4-In-1 Scrub Bar™ – Don’t settle for a lightweight sponge that can’t scrub the dirtiest dishes! Introducing the Scrub Bar – the kitchen sponge that tackles every dirty dish in the sink. A different abrasive strength on each side!: regular sponge, medium-duty, heavy-duty & super-duty. See it | Samples: info@eyeonretail.net

 

More robots coming to the aisles of Schnucks stores at St.Louis Post Dispatch. “The added robots means a Tally will be in 62 stores — more than half of the chain…Schnucks said benefits of Tally include 14 times more out-of-stock detection and at least a 20% reduction in out-of-stock items in stores using Tally.” Read more | Press release

 

Amazon says rising injury rates are due to generous recuperation time at The Verge. Read more

 

The American Dream megamall in New Jersey reopens – has been dark for almost seven months during the coronavirus pandemic at CNBC. Read more

 

Pandemic stalls U.S. fast-food drive-thru times: study at Reuters. “Average drive-thru times at major fast food chains got 29.8 seconds slower in 2020, a survey showed on Thursday…” Read more

 

Amazon Transparency Launches in Japan, Australia “Transparency allows brands to uniquely identify each unit they produce through the application of unique codes on the product or its packaging. These codes allow Amazon to inspect and authenticate every unit enrolled in Transparency proactively…” Press release

 

Dick’s Sporting Goods Announces Grand Opening Of 11 Stores “…(opening) six Dick’s Sporting Goods stores, two combination Dick’s and Golf Galaxy locations and three Dick’s Sporting Goods Warehouse Sale locations in October.” Press release

 

Tipsheet Extra

California could start its own line of generic drugs

Walmart’s new store design proves browsing is dead

Working from home could become a legal right in Germany

Target donated $225M last year

The secret to Costco’s blueberry success story

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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: WM+ @11% | Clothing Glut | B.Lots +Mid Teens | PVH Q&A

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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. “We are reaching the point where our warehouses are completely full,” Antonio de Carvalho, boss of a textile recycling company in Stourbridge, central England, wrote to a client in June, asking for a price cut for clothes he collects. De Carvalho pays towns for clothing collected in his containers then sells it on at profit to traders overseas.” Read more

 

US private employers add 749,000 jobs in September, topping the 650,000-job increase that economists surveyed by Refinitiv had expected at Fox Business. Read more

 

Fortune Interview: Ann-Marie Campbell, EVP of U.S. Stores at Home Depot &  Judith McKenna, president and CEO at Walmart Int’l “Campbell says (customers are) doing “a lot” more research before buying and are more inclined to substitute if there’s a brand the retailer doesn’t have. “That has implications around assortment and how you narrow the assortment to drive more simplicity and consumer satisfaction,” she said. “Those are some of the things we think are going to stay.” 4:18 video/Read more

 

Big Lots estimates Q3 comp sales will increase in the mid-teens Press release

 

At Calvin Klein and Tommy Hilfiger, a New CEO Adapts to How We Shop Now at Wall Street Journal. “WSJ: You were one of the first brands to sell directly on Amazon. How did you arrive at that decision?… Mr. Chirico: It was always an easy decision for me. We did a lot of analysis, but the key is, Amazon has the eyeballs. Consumers love shopping on Amazon. It didn’t make any sense not to be there. Core products like Calvin Klein underwear and socks sold unbelievably well. The question was whether consumers would get more comfortable buying fashion online. That is happening.” WSJ subs.

 

Shooting breaks out at Amazon fulfillment center in Florida, killing 1 at Fox Business. “Authorities believed those involved may have been in a relationship.” Read more

 

**A message from SPS Commerce: Successful order fulfillment is impossible without vendor collaboration. SPS partners with you to automate information exchange with your supplier community, resulting in a multi-million dollar business impact for many buying organizations. Video | Contact | 866-245-8100.

 

Shopify shuffles C-suite as longtime executive Craig Miller departs at Financial Post. “CEO Tobi Lütke will “step into the role of leading product” after the exit of Craig Miller, who joined the firm in September 2011 from Kijiji and led marketing for nearly seven years.” Read more

 

Amazon starts offering virtual classes and sightseeing tours via new Explore platform at The Verge. “Amazon says the video is one-way, meaning only the host is on camera during the virtual experience, but the audio is two-way so you can ask questions and make requests…These include relatively cheap sessions like a $10, 40-minute virtual shopping experience in Ridgeland, USA, to a 45-minute virtual tour of a mansion in Lima, Peru for $70, or a $129 bagel cooking class.” Read more

 

Costco CFO Juggles Managing Inventory For Products in High, Low Demand at Wall Street Journal. “The supply chain continues to improve, but it will still take six to nine months on some categories or products,” Chief Financial Officer Richard Galanti said.” WSJ subs.

 

Report: 11% of Americans have already subscribed to Walmart Plus within two weeks of its launch at PIPLSAY. Read more

 

Nordstrom to ban fur, exotic skins in its stores at NY Post. “The upscale department store’s announcement comes a year after Macy’s and Bloomingdale’s said they will no longer sell fur. But it goes a step further by banning products made from the skins of alligators, crocodiles, pythons, kangaroos and ostrich, according to the Humane Society of the United States, which has been working with the department stores.” Read more

 

Investigation into Amazon warehouse safety finds higher rate of injuries at robotic facilities at GeekWire. Read more

 

Tipsheet Extra Stories

Duracell’s new coin batteries have a bitter coating that makes them taste terrible

Amazon’s ‘Lord of the Rings’ series resumes filming in New Zealand

Bed Bath & Beyond taps former Target exec for new role

Liquid Death canned water raises $23 million more

Rare Harry Potter book could be worth $65G after it was found ‘sitting on a shelf’

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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

 

Website: eyeonretail.net

Tipsheet: NRF: Shop Early | Shanghai Club Fight | Home Prices +4.8%

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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% gain, up from 2.8% in the previous month. The 20-City Composite rose 3.9% annually, up from 3.5% in June.” Read more

 

Consumer confidence posts solid gain to 101.8 in September at AP. “The Conference Board reported Tuesday that its consumer confidence index rose to a reading of 101.8, up from 86.3 in August.” Read more

 

Target won’t be left out of this year’s Prime Day at CNN. “On October 13 and 14, Target is holding Deal Days (the same days as Amazon’s Prime Day event). The retailer promises that this year’s sales extravaganza will have “nearly 1 million more deals” than last year and will serve as a revamped kick-off to the key holiday shopping season.” Read more | A Bullseye View

 

Amazon unveils biometric ID, touting convenience and testing customer trust at GeekWire. “Amazon has developed a new biometric ID system that works by scanning the palms of participating customers, planning to ultimately let people make in-store payments, gain access to office buildings, and move quickly through stadium turnstiles by holding out a hand.” Read more

 

U.S. Retail Bankruptcies, Store Closures Hit Record in First Half at Wall Street Journal. “This year is on pace to rival 2010, when 48 retailers filed for bankruptcy in the wake of the 2007-09 recession, BDO said. Retail bankruptcies in 2020 have already surpassed the 22 such filings recorded last year.” WSJ subs.

 

**A message from Comfy Sacks bean bag chairs – Give consumers what they want – stay at home comfort! Comfy Sacks are filled with superior quality furniture grade foam. Offer your consumer something unique & comfortable. Booklet | Video | Website | Request sample bag: info@eyeonretail.net

 

Walmart looks to join hands with Tata group in retail push at Mint. “Tata group is in talks with Walmart for a deal entailing a strategic investment by Walmart in the super app platform business. The Walmart investment could touch $20-25 billion eventually for a large stake in the proposed super app to be hosted under a Tata Sons subsidiary,” one of the two people said on condition of anonymity.” Read more

 

United Natural Foods Q4 comp sales +8.0% Press release

 

LVMH files countersuit against Tiffany & Co. claiming ‘blatant breach’ amid breakdown of huge deal at Fox Business. Read more

 

Amazon launches a $4.99-per-month ‘personal shopper’ service for men’s fashion at TechCrunch. “At launch, the new men’s personal shopping service will include brands like Scotch & Soda, Original Penguin, Adidas, Lacoste, Carhartt, Levi’s, Amazon Essentials, Goodthreads and more…” Read more

 

Gabriel Arreaga joins Kroger Family of Companies as SVP of Supply Chain Press release

 

Bed Bath & Beyond teams with Shipt and Instacart for same-day delivery before holidays at CNBC. “The option will be available to customers in eligible ZIP codes at a flat-rate fee of $4.99 for orders of more than $39 at Bed Bath & Beyond and buybuy Baby.” Read more

 

Kroger and Ocado Announce Location of High-Tech Customer Fulfillment Center in Michigan Press release

 

NRF tells consumers this holiday season to shop ‘safe and early’ at CNBC. “The National Retail Federation announced Tuesday the debut of its new ad campaign, “Shop safe, shop early.” “In a year that has been full of uncertainty, we encourage consumers to avoid the last-minute stresses of the holiday season like long lines and shipping delays,” NRF President and CEO Matt Shay said in a statement.” Read more

 

Tipsheet Extra

Molson Coors to launch Coca-Cola’s first alcoholic beverage in the U.S.

Home Depot is selling a new Google Chromecast that hasn’t been announced

Cardi B trademarking ‘WAP’ for lines of clothing, shoes, beverages

Google, Fitbit deal set to win EU okay after fresh concessions – sources

Yale’s Smart Delivery Box doesn’t yet solve the porch pirate problem

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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

 

Website: eyeonretail.net

Tipsheet: CDC Hits B.Friday | ‘Pandemic Pallets’ | N.Marcus CEO Mansion

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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 Prime members a $10 credit to use on Prime Day when they spend $10 on items sold by select small companies. It is also spending $100 million on promotional activities to help them increase sales and reach.” Read more

 

Grocers Stockpile, Build ‘Pandemic Pallets’ Ahead of Winter at Wall Street Journal. “Southeastern Grocers LLC secured holiday turkeys and hams over the summer, months before it normally starts inventory planning…Associated Food Stores recently started building “pandemic pallets” of cleaning and sanitizing products so it always has some inventory in warehouses.” WSJ subs.

 

Walmart picks EG Group founders, TDR Capital as preferred bidders for Asda: Sky News at Reuters. “Walmart, whose attempt to sell Asda to UK rival Sainsbury’s for 7.3 billion pounds was thwarted by Britain’s competition regulator last year, said in July it restarted talks with potential buyers of a majority stake in the supermarket chain.” Read more

 

Amazon quietly introduces mail surveillance at CNET. “The $30 Mailbox Sensor snuck in with Ring’s other news on an under-the-radar announcement page. Orders open Oct. 8.” Read more

 

Neiman Marcus is notifying employees of a new round of staff cuts by Maria Halkias at Dallas Morning News via Chicago Tribune. “Significant staff cuts at both its Neiman Marcus and Bergdorf Goodman stores have started this week. The company didn’t say how many people are permanently losing jobs. “We plan to separate from selling and non-selling associates,” the Dallas-based luxury retailer said in emailed statement.” Read more

 

…Neiman Marcus emerges from Chapter 11 bankruptcy amid COVID-19 at NY Post. “Its restructuring plan eliminated more than $4 billion of debt and $200 million of annual interest expense. The luxury department store chain said it had a new board of directors, including former LVMH North America Chairman Pauline Brown and former eBay Chief Strategy Officer Kris Miller.” Read more

 

**A message from Readywise, the leader in emergency food supplies – Consumers are looking for emergency food supplies – are you offering the selection they want? Up to 25-year shelf life. High quality and great taste. Website | Catalog | Request a sample: info@eyeonretail.net

 

Postmates posted a loss of just $32.2 million in Q2, compared to a loss of $73 million in Q1, nearly cutting its cash burning in half at TechCrunch. Read more

 

Amazon Announces Plans to Create 3,500 Jobs at Vancouver and Toronto Tech Hubs Press release

 

Neiman Marcus CEO shows off mansion while employees get pink slips at NY Post. “The 11-page PaperCity spread showcases the “1927 Italianate-style house” van Raemdonck shares with his interior-designer husband, Alvise Orsini, which is filled to the brim with expensive touches, including artworks by Andy Warhol, “silk cover walls” and 18th-century French and Italian furniture.” Read more

 

Cockroaches, porn and a bloody pig mask: How eBay harassed bloggers at CNN. “Although EcommerceBytes is a tiny trade publication aimed at eBay sellers, (CEO) Wenig hate-read it frequently. “We are going to crush this lady,” Wenig texted Steve Wymer, eBay’s former communications chief in April 2019, after one critical blog posted on EcommerceBytes’ website, the Times reported.” Read more

 

Tipsheet Extra Stories

Half a million sharks ‘could be killed for vaccine’

Walton Family Foundation creates chief strategy officer position

Indiana to be home to Walmart’s largest U.S. facility

People are making their own desks due to coronavirus shortage

No Meat, No Milk, No Bread: Hunger Crisis Rocks Latin America

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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: N.J. Bans Paper Bags? | Amazon Tips Disappear | Costco +14.1%

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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.” Read more

 

Rite-Aid Q2 revenues +11.5% “Retail Pharmacy Segment…same store sales from continuing operations for the second quarter increased 3.5 percent over the prior year period, consisting of a 4.6 percent increase in front-end sales and a 2.3 percent increase in pharmacy sales.” Press release

 

U.S. imports surge as pandemic worries have retailers stockpiling at Reuters. “U.S. imports leapt 5.9% to a record in August, the first year-over-year rise since September 2019, according Panjiva, the supply chain research unit of S&P Global Market Intelligence. It said imports of household appliances jumped 79.7%, and furniture imports increased 38.1%, fueled by orders from retailers like IKEA and Target.” Read more

 

Orders for big-ticket US manufactured goods up weak 0.4% at AP. “The Commerce Department reported Friday that the August advance marked the fourth consecutive increase but was far lower than the 11.7% surge seen in July.” Read more

 

Amazon is expanding its virtual care program, to become available to all of its employees in Washington state at Business Insider. Read more

 

**A message from SPS Commerce. Changing consumer shopping preferences have disrupted your business. We’ve implemented 500,000 replenishment order solutions for more than 3,000 buying organizations. Now is the time to update your supply chain practices so you can stay one step ahead of the competition. Visit our website for details or contact us at 866-245-8100.

 

Now it looks like even paper bags will be banned from N.J. supermarkets at North Jersey. “The most wide-ranging ban on plastic products and paper bags in the U.S. is only a step away from becoming law in New Jersey…The Assembly and Senate passed a bill Thursday…It will now go to Gov. Phil Murphy, who signaled support for a statewide plastics ban two years ago…” Read more

 

Many Amazon delivery drivers say tips have disappeared at Seattle Times. “Many of Amazon’s contract delivery drivers were not paid tips from customers for grocery deliveries, some for as long as 10 days, leaving them out several hundred dollars. It’s the third time this year an apparent glitch in Amazon’s system has deprived perhaps tens of thousands of workers of the majority of their income from delivering groceries for the commerce giant.” Read more

 

Target Introduces New Approach to Holiday Staffing “Target will hire extensively, with seasonal team members receiving an industry-leading starting wage of $15 and coronavirus health and wellness benefits.” Read more

 

Amazon’s new Ring drone stops the world’s most hapless thief in new ad at The Verge. “Ring’s flying drone camera, the Always Home Cam, was easily the most surprising hardware announcement at today’s Amazon event. It won’t actually be available until next year, but the company has already put together a short ad…” Spot/Read more

 

Tipsheet Extra

Amazon’s fall hardware event: the 13 biggest announcements

Costco’s new hard seltzer has White Claw fans doing a double take

The Air Force now has its own tattoo shop

Retailers have started paying rent again but are still fighting with their landlords

Coronavirus has transformed how we think about dinner, these 3 trends will stick

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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: Amazon Bribery Scheme | Patagonia CEO Q&A | Bass Pro/19th Hole

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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 leap” when it found that Amazon was not shielded from liability for a replacement laptop battery that allegedly exploded several months after purchase, causing severe injuries to the plaintiff in the suit, Angela Bolger.” Read more

 

Amazon will make it easier to buy sustainable products with new climate label at The Verge. “Amazon is launching a new environmental program called Climate Pledge Friendly that will label certain products that meet one of 19 certifications for sustainability.” Read more

 

Four ex-eBay workers to plead guilty to cyberstalking at NY Post. “Four former eBay workers have agreed to plead guilty to participating in a cyberstalking campaign against a Massachusetts couple whose online newsletter they viewed as critical of the e-commerce company.” Read more

 

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Payne’s Valley: What went behind Bass Pro founder Johnny Morris’ design on the breathtaking 19th hole at Springfield News-Leader. “The course was designed by (Tiger) Woods, but the 19th hole was a special one designed by the Bass Pro Shops CEO…”I’m very proud of the last hole because it connects people to nature and it’s a lot of fun,” Morris told the News-leader.” Pics/Read more

 

Amazon Expected to Unveil More Alexa, Smart-Home Devices at Wall Street Journal. “Amazon on Thursday is expected to announce new devices aimed at expanding its home-security products and line of Echo smart speakers featuring its Alexa voice assistant. In view of the coronavirus pandemic, the tech giant is planning a virtual event for select viewers beginning at 1 p.m. ET in place of an event with an audience that has generally been held in the past at its Seattle headquarters.” WSJ subs.

 

How an Amazon Bribery Scheme Became a $100 Million Swindle at Bloomberg. “It sounds like the plot of a made-for-Netflix crime drama. A Brooklyn businessman stuffs $8,000 in cash in a suitcase and calls an Uber to send it to accomplices. Hundreds of thousands of dollars crisscross the globe via MoneyGram, PayPal, and foreign bank accounts in a plot to swindle more than $100 million from the world’s most valuable internet retailer and its customers. But it’s the real-life story of a small ring of e-commerce consultants and former Amazon.com Inc. employees who federal prosecutors say bribed Amazon workers…” Tiered subs.

 

Tipsheet Extra

Petco Opens 100th In-Store Pet Hospital

Procter & Gamble Will Negotiate Directly With TV, Media for Ad Buys

Helicopters, armed police swoop in to arrest ‘Russian Jesus’ cult leader

Olive Garden parent’s quarterly revenue falls by 28% as pandemic weighs on sales

Why this drive-through restaurant could be the future of fine dining

Read Tipsheet Extra Stories

 

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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