Tipsheet: Wayfair +45% | Target HQ RTW Fall | Ellen Applauds H-E-B | B.Buy +12.6%

 

Best Buy Q4 enterprise comp sales +12.6% Press release

 

…Best Buy’s Q4 earnings beat Wall Street’s expectations, but fell short on revenue at CNBC. “Chief Financial Officer Matt Bilunas said same-store sales are expected to range from a drop of 2% to a gain of 1% this year.” Read more

 

Wayfair Q4 net revenue +45% Press release

 

Gap to invest $140 million to build Texas warehouse as online sales swell at CNBC. “The Longview, Texas, warehouse will be able to process 1 million packages per day. Gap plans to derive half of its sales from the internet by 2023, as more Americans shift their spending online.” Read more

 

Orders for U.S. durable goods climb 3.4% in January (triple what economists had expected) at AP. Read more

 

Best Buy Workers Powered Through Covid-19 Pandemic. Then They Lost Their Jobs. at Wall Street Journal. “Some store workers said layoffs seemed counterintuitive after a few quarters of strong growth and difficult conditions for employees. “The last six months, it’s been rough,” said Richard Canepa, a 23-year-old who has worked at Best Buy in Louisiana for five years, most recently as a full-time sales adviser.” WSJ subs.

 

Camping World Holdings Q4 revenue +17.5% Press release

 

**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 | Sample: info@eyeonretail.net

 

Target to add ‘enhanced Apple shopping experience’ to select stores, online. at USA Today. “…a new “enhanced Apple shopping experience” debuts online and will begin rolling out this month to 17 stores across the country and is scheduled to arrive in additional stores by the end of fall.” Read more

 

Lowe’s Q4 Earnings Call Transcript

 

Best Buy tests smaller shopping areas to focus on e-commerce at BNN Bloomberg. “The company plans to shift stores in one or two more markets to the new setup, reducing square footage used for shoppers to about 15,000 square feet from an average of 27,000 square feet, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the move hasn’t been announced.” Read more

 

Nearly 60% of more than 30,000 U.S. adults polled would like to have an Amazon Go in their area at Supermarket News. Read more

 

Sports retailer Fanatics enters China via venture with Hillhouse Capital at Reuters. “China has been a market we followed for a while, and we’ve been meeting with multiple partners in China trying to figure out how we approach it in the best way,” Zohar Ravid, Fanatics’ head of international corporate development, told Reuters. “The interest overall in the country around European football, and American sports, is growing.”” Read more

 

Ellen applauds H-E-B’s $1 million donation to Texas food banks in storm aftermath at My San Antonio. Read more

 

Amazon reportedly told workers to ‘Vote NO’ in a historic union election and to drop ballots in a USPS mailbox that recently appeared at their Alabama warehouse at Business Insider. “One worker told Motherboard that she feels as though Amazon is telling them to vote at the mailbox so higher-ups “can monitor us and gauge how many people are using” it.” Read more

 

Target postpones return to downtown Minneapolis HQ until fall Star Tribune subs.

 

Walmart to Louis Vuitton: Woman spent $250K COVID loan on shopping spree, feds say at Charlotte Observer. “If convicted, prosecutors said she faces up to 30 years in prison and a $1 million fine on the wire fraud charges and 30 years in prison and a $250,000 fine on the fraud charges.” Read more

 

Tipsheet Extra

Barber offering free haircuts to H-E-B employees

Texas party store selling piñatas depicting Ted Cruz on trip to Cancun

Krebs: Checkout Skimmers Powered by Chip Cards

Arkansas Innovation Hub partners w/Best Buy to launch first Teen Tech Center in state

Shopper study: Private brands purchased because they’re preferred

Amazon donating $15M to Code.org to create AP computer science course with inclusive focus

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Tipsheet: Lowe’s +28.6% | Most Trusted Brands ’21 | TJX -3.0% | Tariff Memories

 

Lowe’s Q4 U.S. comp sales +28.6% Press release

 

…Lowe’s tops earnings estimates as same-store sales jump 28%, warns that some DIY trends could fade at CNBC. “Lowe’s reported fourth-quarter net income of $978 million, or $1.32 per share, up from $509 million, or 66 cents per share, a year earlier.” Read more

 

TJX Companies, Inc. Q4 open-only comp sales -3.0%: Marmaxx (U.S.) -7.0% / HomeGoods (U.S.) +13.0% / TJX Canada -8.0% / TJX Int’l (Europe & Australia) -2.0% Press release

 

BigCommerce customers can now sell on Walmart’s online marketplace at TechCrunch. “The two companies are incentivizing adoption of the deal amongst BigCommerce customers by waiving certain fees for a month for retailers that sign up to sell on Walmart; Clementz described it as the first time that his company had offered a “new-seller discount.” Read more

 

Prices lurch higher as Home Depot, other importers battle surging cargo, commodity costs at Reuters. “As I think about all that’s going on now, I reflect back to the tariffs and… long for (when) that was our biggest issue,” Home Depot President Edward Decker said on a webcast on Tuesday.” Read more

 

Key Amazon exec Jeff Blackburn officially leaving, hinting at new role elsewhere at GeekWire. “Blackburn “has kept me in the loop on his next chapter, and I can assure you it’s a very exciting one!” Bezos wrote in his response, also posted Tuesday to the Amazon intranet. “I predict that Jeff will be every bit as amazing in his new role as he’s been in all his roles at Amazon…” Read more

 

BrandSpark Most Trusted Brands 2021 (Kroger: Loyalty Program / Ecom Grocery Delivery: Walmart / Ecom Home Improvement: Home Depot) Lists

 

**The Sweets & Snacks Expo is a can’t-miss event for thousands of confectionery and snack retailers, manufacturers and suppliers for a reason – here you’ll find all the product innovations, insights and industry connections you need to build a world-class in-store or online experience that will delight your shoppers. Show overview | Most Innovative New Product Awards | Destination Retail: Innovations in Merchandising

 

Biden to order a review of US supply chains for vital goods at USA Today. “The order being signed Wednesday will include sectoral reviews to be completed within one year for defense, public health and biological preparedness, information communications technology, energy, transportation and food production.” Read more

 

Walmart’s Flipkart said on Wednesday it will deploy more than 25,000 electric vehicles in its supply chain by 2030 at TechCrunch. Read more

 

Home Depot is focused on eco-friendly cordless power tools for spring at MarketWatch. “As our customers continue to spend more time at home, they’re telling us that project lists are growing,” Decker said on the call. “After completing the project, we see many of our DIY customers take on additional and oftentimes more complex projects with a renewed sense of confidence.” Read more

 

Home Depot, Inc. Q4 Earnings Call Transcript at Seeking Alpha. Transcript

 

Tipsheet Extra

The U.S. offshore wind boom will depend on these ships

Fry’s Electronics is shutting its doors for good

USPS reveals its new mail truck after a years-long competition

CVS shoppers pick their favorite store brands

The cash-flush amateurs hunting game cards, handbags and art

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Tipsheet: H.Depot +25% | Ethical: B.Buy & Kohl’s | Bezos Eyes NFL Team

 

Home Depot Q4 U.S. comp sales +25.0% “…if the demand environment during the back half of fiscal 2020 were to persist through fiscal 2021, it would imply flat to slightly positive comparable sales growth and operating margin of at least 14 percent,” said Richard McPhail, executive vice president and CFO.” Press release

 

…In year of pandemic, Home Depot became supplier to millions at AP. “Neil Saunders, the managing director of GlobalData, calculated that in 2020 the equivalent of every single person in the United States spent $402 at Home Depot. “It is easy to look at Home Depot’s numbers and chalk up its success to the pandemic,” Saunders said Tuesday. “However, sustaining three quarters of growth above 20% is extremely difficult in terms of the pressure it puts on the whole operation from supply chains to stores.” Read more

 

December home prices rose 10.4%, the biggest gain in 7 years, Case-Shiller says at CNBC. “Prices in Phoenix rose 14.4% year-over-year price. In Seattle, they rose 13.6% and San Diego saw a 13.0% increase…’These data are consistent with the view that Covid has encouraged potential buyers to move from urban apartments to suburban homes…,’ added Lazzara.” Read more

 

Macy’s Q4 comp sales -17.1% Press release

 

…Macy’s forecasts upbeat 2021 sales on stimulus checks, online shoppers at Reuters. “Macy’s Inc forecast 2021 sales largely above Wall Street estimates on Tuesday as the retailer bets on its growing online business and on the COVID-19 vaccine rollouts allowing customers to return to its department stores after pandemic curbs.” Read more

 

Dollar General takes steps to find possible CEO successor, sources say at CNBC. “While no decision has been made about (CEO) Vasos stepping down, Dollar General has started conversations with headhunting firms and is considering candidates, the sources said. Dollar General has been looking within its ranks…Dollar General Chief Operating Officer Jeff Owen is under consideration, one of the sources added.” Read more

 

Dillard’s Q4 comp sales -17.0% Press release

 

Jeff Bezos Linked to Washington Football Team Sales Talk at Front Office Sports. “Bezos’ attorney spoke with Baltimore-based sports investment banking firm Moag & Co., which led the effort to sell a chunk of the team, according to court documents obtained by Front Office Sports.” Read more

 

**A message from SPS Commerce. More than 90% of companies are not receiving essential information they need from their vendors. Without this critical information, they’re unable to properly measure vendor performance and experience sub-optimal fill-rates and receive late shipments. To learn how you can identify areas of improvement and enhance vendor performance, visit our website, or contact us at 866-245-8100.

 

Walgreens Launches Nationwide Rollout of Same-Day Delivery with Instacart Press release

 

MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell says he expects to lose $65 million in pillow revenue this year because of retailer boycotts at Business Insider. “I lost 20 retailers, and it’s cost me $65 million this year that I won’t get back, OK?” Lindell told Insider. “There’s your story. Print it right. Don’t try and twist this.” Read more

 

The 2021 World’s Most Ethical Companies® Honoree List (Best Buy, Kohl’s) at Ethisphere. List

 

Observant Jewish vendors squeezed by Amazon’s 6-day-a-week shipping requirement at The Times of Israel. “Orthodox sellers make up a disproportionate share of third-party sellers, according to a 2019 Buzzfeed report that explored the connections between Amazon’s marketplace and Orthodox communities.” Read more

 

Best Buy, UnitedHealth partners in $1M marketing fellowship program to boost diversity Minneapolis Star Tribune subs.

 

Retailer Century 21 planning comeback bid both nationally and internationally at Fox Business. “The 60-year-old retailer — whose lower Manhattan flagship famously survived the 9/11 terrorist attacks, only to be shuttered last fall as the coronavirus forced the company into bankruptcy — is plotting a return to its hometown of New York City, as well as a nationwide expansion that could result in a footprint that’s bigger than before.” Read more

 

Tipsheet Extra

Meijer’s small format Detroit store sets goal of 2,000 local items upon opening

10 grocers earn perfect scores for LGBTQ+ equality

Businesses complain about Chick-fil-A’s massive drive-thru lines

JPMorgan Chase taps $30B to advance racial equity

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Tipsheet: Kroger Hack | Activists Get Kohl’s | Best Loyalty Programs

 

Kohl’s shares soar as activist investor group looks to add 9 directors to board at CNBC. “The group is hoping to drive the stock price more than two times higher than current levels, through a sale-leaseback program for $3 billion worth of real estate, and a major share repurchase program, it explained in a letter sent to Kohl’s stockholders on Monday.” Read more

 

…A group that includes activists Macellum Advisors GP LLC, Ancora Holdings Inc. and Legion Partners Asset Management LLC, as well as 4010 Capital LLC, controls a combined 9.5% stake in Kohl’s and earlier this year nominated nine people to its now-12-person board, the people said…The group’s slate of nominees include Macellum Chief Executive Officer Jonathan Duskin and former Burlington Stores Inc. CEO Thomas Kingsbury.” WSJ subs.

 

Kroger warns pharmacy customers’ personal data may have been stolen in hack at AP/ABC. “Kroger Co. says personal data, including Social Security numbers of some of its pharmacy and clinic customers, may have been stolen in the hack of a third-party vendor’s file-transfer service…it believes less than 1% of its customers were affected — specifically some using its Health and Money Services — as well as some current and former employees because a number of personnel records were apparently viewed.” Read more

 

Alexa-enabled printer, Amazon’s first product from Kickstarter-like program Build It, hits preorder goal at GeekWire. “The other two products, Smart Nutrition Scale ($35) and Smart Cuckoo Clock ($80), are at 42% and 37% of their goals, respectively. Unlike Kickstarter and Indiegogo, which display a total dollar amount or total number of preorders as their goals, Build It campaigns only show a percentage progress bar.” Read more

 

U.S. Hiring Alliances Help Tens of Thousands Find Jobs by Wall Street Journal. “Albertsons says it has recruited at least 1,400 staffers from 23 corporate partners, including Hilton, MGM Resorts International, Regal Cinemas and Inspire Brands Inc…Walgreens estimates roughly 6,200 employees arrived from 50-plus partners, including retailer Kohl’s Corp., Hilton, Gap and the Chicago Cubs. Walgreens plans to keep hiring this way for the indefinite future “because it has been so successful,’’ says Chief Human Resources Officer Hillary Leisten.” WSJ subs.

 

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America’s Best Loyalty Programs 2021 at Newsweek. “Supermarkets: H-E-B #1 / Club stores: Costco #1 / Pharmacies: Giant Eagle #1.” Full list

 

Canadian Tire is closing its 18 National Sports stores at Global News. “Canadian Tire Corp. Ltd. says it’s closing all National Sports stores to reduce overlap in the company’s sporting goods assortment after an internal evaluation.” Read more

 

Shops, haircuts return in April as UK lifts lockdown slowly at AP. “…those longing for a haircut, a restaurant meal or a pint in a pub have almost two months to wait, and people won’t be able to hug loved ones that they don’t live with until May at the earliest.” Read more

 

Stacey Abrams joins push for historic union vote at Amazon’s Alabama facility at AJC. “The Georgia Democrat posted an online video Saturday urging the employees at the online retailing giant’s Bessemer, Ala. facility to form a union to “make your jobs safer, stronger and more secure.” Read more

 

Parents found 5,000 fentanyl pills inside stuffed toy purchased from thrift store at The Hill. “In a tweet, the Phoenix Police Department warned its followers to “inspect all opened and used items” and said that over 5,000 pills had been discovered in the green, apparently unbranded “glow worm” toy purchased by the family.” Read more

 

Tipsheet Extra

German brewers forced to throw away beer, seek state aid like pubs

Outdoor NHL game turns into a nightmare for players

LVMH’s Moet Hennessy buys in to rap star Jay-Z’s champagne brand

Apple reclaims global smartphone lead ahead of Samsung for first time since 2016

Toast Inc. planning IPO that could value company at $20M

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Tipsheet: Sam’s 1st Agency | Michaels CEO Q&A | WM Can. Defends Fees

 

Walmart’s CEO says Americans urgently need another stimulus check at CNBC. “Doug McMillon said more customers spent their recent stimulus checks on necessities, such as groceries, rather than big-screen TVs. He said the spending patterns indicate that more families are hurting and need help.” Read more

 

Lights come back on in Texas as water woes rise in the South at AP. “Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner said residents will probably have to boil tap water in the fourth-largest U.S. city until Sunday or Monday.” Read more

 

Michaels Stores’ Strategy for Keeping the Covid Bump Alive at Wall Street Journal. “MR. BUCHANAN: I toured a lot of stores before I joined the company, and what I saw was stores out of stocks, kind of a cluttered presentation. The website, I would not say it was great. It was really more around promotions, coupons, quite like a flea market. But the store was crowded, despite what I thought was perhaps mismanagement. I’ll never forget one customer who said, “I love it here, you all just make it really hard to love it.” Q&A WSJ subs.

 

Walmart Canada defends controversial new supplier fees as sales soar at Financial Post. “Since announcing the fees last July, Walmart has been relatively tight-lipped as tensions mounted in the sector. But Barbeito on Thursday laid out exactly why he believes the new fees — up to 6.25 per cent of the cost of goods sold to Walmart — are fair. He said retailers now deal with a “customer that’s channel agnostic,” after an unprecedented shift to online ordering during the pandemic. That kind of customer is more expensive to deal with.” Read more

 

Sam’s Club name VMLY&R its first agency of record after review at Ad Age. “The move follows a review, conducted entirely over Zoom and handled by Select Resources International, that included five agencies that Senior VP-Chief Member Officer Tony Rogers declined to name…“We were blown away by the caliber of the agencies showing up,” Rogers says. “Sometimes, even internally, you think of us as a subsidiary of Walmart. And then you put an RFP out there, and you see the market realizes how big Sam’s Club is.” Ad Age subs.

 

Portland cops guard Fred Meyer dumpsters as scavengers rummage through mountains of food thrown out after freezers fail at Daily Mail. Read more/Pics

 

**A message from SPS Commerce. Product demand in 2020 heightened the need to reduce vendor onboarding timelines, place orders quickly and receive product in a timely manner. Hear from a customer on how SPS helped them add products quickly and expand their product assortment through enhanced vendor onboarding. Visit our website for details or contact us at 866-245-8100.

 

Biden privately tells governors: Minimum wage hike likely isn’t happening at Politico. “I really want this in there but it just doesn’t look like we can do it because of reconciliation,” Biden told the group, according to a person in the room. “I’m not going to give up. But right now, we have to prepare for this not making it.” Read more

 

California eclipses Washington as Amazon’s biggest state for jobs, with 153k employees and counting at GeekWire. Read more

 

Trader Joe’s reveals hottest products in freezer case at Winsight Grocery Business. “We definitely saw trends that we were not expecting. Overall frozen has seen great growth,” said Trader Joe’s category manger for frozen, identified as Mary Ann. “Appetizers—huge growth there—more than just double-digit growth. Everything from items we’ve carried every day for many years, like the Mac and Cheese Bites, our Samosas, and new favorites like the Buffalo Chicken Poppers. [And] breakfast items—our croissants, our Chocolate and our Almond Croissants, especially.” Read more

 

Walmart’s Mexico unit posts 12.2% rise in Q4 net profit at Reuters. Read more

 

These store brands were among the 2021 Product of the Year winners at Store Brands. “Chosen by 40,000 American shoppers in a national survey conducted by Kantar each of the winning products has been awarded as the most innovative in their category by Product of the Year.” List of winners

 

Walmart U.S. CEO John Furner sends letter to associates Read letter

 

Girl Scouts releasing cookie-inspired sneakers with K-Swiss at Fox Business. “”Girl Scout x K-Swiss Court 66″ is set to be released next month and will be available at K-Swiss, the Girl Scouts online store and Foot Locker, according to Good Morning America.” Read more

 

Tipsheet Extra

Giant’s Philadelphia flagship readies opening

Yeti is bringing its indestructible product savvy to luggage

Best Buy settles price-inaccuracy allegations by paying $633K to four CA counties

‘H-E-B for governor’: Texans praise H-E-B for winter storm response

Ideoclick Extends E-Commerce Platform Support to Instacart, Walmart and Target

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Tipsheet: WM U.S. +8.6% | Sam’s +10.8% | Winco HQ Revamp | Ahold U.S. +11.2%

 

Walmart Q4 comp sales: Walmart U.S. +8.6% / Sam’s Club +10.8% / Int’l Net Sales +5.5% Press release | Earnings call presentation

 

…Walmart shares fall on earnings miss, retailer sees sales growth slowing in coming year at CNBC. “Walmart CEO Doug McMillon said it will boost the wage of U.S. workers, raising the average for hourly employees to above $15 per hour.” Read more

 

…Walmart rides soaring holiday demand to beat same-store sales estimates at Reuters. “Sales at U.S. stores open at least a year surged 8.6%, excluding fuel, in the three months ended Jan. 31, well above analysts’ expectations of a 5.6% rise, according to IBES data from Refinitiv.” Read more

 

Ahold Delhaize Q4 U.S. comp sales (ex-gas) +11.2% Press release

 

Pfizer study deals new blow to South Africa’s vaccine hopes at Reuters. “Scientists will meet on Thursday to advise South Africa’s government on its next steps after a study suggested the dominant local coronavirus variant may reduce antibody protection from Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine by two-thirds.” Read more

 

Shipping Container Shortage Gives Commodity Prices Extra Boost at Wall Street Journal. “At $4,709 per container, rates from Asia to the U.S. West Coast are almost four times higher than they were in March 2020. For taking goods to the East Coast, rates have more than doubled to $5,658 per container.” WSJ subs.

 

**Find the future of the candy and snacks industries at the Sweets & Snacks Expo’s Innovation Avenue! Innovation Avenue delivers the leading brands of tomorrow for retailers truly looking for something cutting-edge to wow their shoppers. Indianapolis, June 23-25 2021. 2019 award winners | 2018 award winners | Register now

 

Former AWS real estate managers, accused of taking millions in kickbacks at GeekWire. “Casey Kirschner, an AWS real estate manager, and Carl Nelson, Kirschner’s boss and mentor — were leading that physical expansion for Amazon. The third, Colorado developer Brian Watson, put himself forward as a person who could salve Amazon’s growing pains. In the ensuing 2-and-a-half years, the groundwork laid during the afternoon meeting at the West 8th building would support a $500 million data center building blitz, before allegations of secret kickbacks, bribery and double-dealing blew it apart.” Read more

 

Britain’s Asda sees sales rise 5.1% in Christmas quarter at Reuters. Read more

 

Indian trader group calls for ban on Amazon following damning report at TechCrunch. “The Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) on Wednesday “demanded” serious action from the Indian government against Amazon following revelations made in a Reuters story. “For years, CAIT has been maintaining that Amazon has been circumventing FDI [Foreign Direct Investment] laws of India to conduct unfair and unethical trade,” it said.” Read more

 

Blue Apron Q4 net revenue +22% Press release

 

Kroger will close more stores over hazard pay laws for workers at CNN. “”Unfortunately, Seattle City Council didn’t consider that grocery stores — even in a pandemic — operate on razor-thin profit margins in a very competitive landscape,” QFC said in a news release…With the additional hazard pay requirement, “it becomes impossible to operate a financially sustainable business.” Read more

 

US jobless claims rise to 861,000 as layoffs stay high at AP. “The figures underscore that the job market has stalled, with employers having added a mere 49,000 jobs in January after cutting workers in December. Nearly 10 million jobs remain lost to the pandemic.” Read more

 

Winco to revamp Boise headquarters building at BoiseDev. “Winco will spend $2.17 million to remodel the building on Armstrong Pl. off Emerald in West Boise, according to a building permit issued last month. The 71,964-foot office building will see new skylights, reconfigured walls and partitions, new exterior siding, new doorways, and a pair of exterior overhead doors. The building will also see updated interior finishes.” Read more

 

Tipsheet Extra

Most U.S. firms hit with Covid-19 safety fines aren’t paying up

U.K.: Nearly 4,000 Amazon staff given wrong Covid-19 test results

Workers from home beware – pay cuts might be the price of freedom

Accenture to hire 150 moms for ‘highly coveted roles’

‘Spinning’ is trademarked, and Peloton isn’t happy about it

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Tipsheet: Target Exec Changes | T.Supply Buys Orscheln | China Online 52.1% | Ace +28.7%

 

Target Announces Updates to Executive Leadership Team “Christina Hennington named executive vice president and chief growth officer…Jill Sando will oversee buying for hardlines and softlines as executive vice president and chief merchandising officer…Rick Gomez named executive vice president and chief food and beverage officer…Cara Sylvester promoted to executive vice president and chief marketing and digital officer…Katie Boylan promoted to executive vice president and chief communications officer.” Press release

 

Retail sales jumped 5.3% in January, well ahead of the 1.2% expectation at CNBC. “Electronics and appliances saw the biggest increase, up 14.7% for the month, while furniture and home furnishing stores were up 12% and online spending at nonstore retailers jumped 11%.” Read more

 

Amazon documents reveal company’s secret strategy to dodge India’s regulators at Reuters. “Other company documents reveal equally touchy information: Two more sellers on the e-commerce giant’s India platform – merchants in which Amazon had indirect equity stakes – accounted for around 35% of the platform’s sales revenue in early 2019. That meant some 35 of Amazon’s more than 400,000 sellers in India at the time accounted for around two-thirds of its online sales.” Read more

 

Shopify Q4 revenue +94.0% at Financial Post. Read more | Press release

 

Tractor Supply Company Announces Agreement to Acquire Orscheln Farm and Home, a Farm and Ranch Retailer with 167 Stores in the Midwest “…an all-cash transaction for approximately $297 million, net of acquired estimated future tax benefits of $23 million.” Press release

 

Ace Hardware Q4 U.S. comp sales +28.7% Press release

 

Retail scene thrives in Palm Beach, FL as Americans head South at CNBC. “On Worth Avenue, a Rolls Royce lines up behind an Aston Martin behind a Porsche, as couples dip in and out of Tiffany, Chanel and Saks Fifth Avenue on a cloudless and balmy Saturday afternoon. The upscale shopping street, what some might call the Fifth Avenue of the South, has hardly any vacancies.” Read more

 

Permits connect Amazon to former New Seasons site in Seattle in latest physical retail expansion at GeekWire. Read more

 

**A message from SPS Commerce. Product demand in 2020 heightened the need to reduce vendor onboarding timelines, place orders quickly and receive product in a timely manner. Hear from a customer how SPS helped them add products quickly and expand their product assortment through enhanced vendor onboarding. Visit our website for details or contact us at 866-245-8100.

 

Analysts estimate 8.7% net income gain for Walmart’s fourth quarter at Talk Business. Read more

 

China is set to become the first country in history that will see a majority of its retail sales conducted online at Fast Company. “China is set to see 52.1% of all its retail sales conducted online at the end of 2021…South Korea is in second place (at) 28.9%…America is even farther behind. Its e-commerce retail sales will only account for 15% of all retail sales in 2021.” Read more/List

 

New York AG sues Amazon, accuses company of ‘flagrant disregard’ for health and safety of workers at GeekWire. Read more

 

House gears up for first GameStop stock hearing on Thursday at The Hill. “Executives from Robinhood, hedge fund Citadel, Melvin Capital and Reddit will seek to defend the heavily scrutinized ways they dealt with a surge in purchases of shares of GameStop and other struggling companies organized by an online community of traders.” Read more

 

Robbin Mitchell, a member of the Fashion & Luxury leadership team at the Boston Consulting Group, has joined Kohl’s Board of Directors Press release

 

Albertsons Companies Announces Winners of First Own Brands Associate Choice Awards Press release

 

Tipsheet Extra Stories

Home Depot co-founders create mental health network for veterans

Ahold Delhaize USA to Build Philadelphia AutoStore Facility

Amazon acquires Selz, a startup that helps e-commerce businesses

Jet co-founder is building a more sustainable e-commerce experience

Disney+ Subscribers to Exceed Netflix Users in 2026: Analyst

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Tipsheet: CVS +4% | Winter Hits WM | Advance Auto Parts +4.7%

 

Walmart temporarily closes over 600 stores as winter storms pound parts of US at Fox Business. “As of 8 a.m. Tuesday, approximately 628 Walmart and Sam’s Club stores from Oregon to Florida have temporarily closed while the company’s emergency operations center monitors the storms and “other potential disasters.” Read more

 

CVS Health Q4 revenue up nearly 4% Press release

 

…CVS posts strong Q4 numbers, but pandemic weighs on results at AP. “CVS is reporting surprisingly strong profit and revenue numbers for the fourth quarter, though the pandemic dragged adjusted operating income down by 21.8%.” Read more

 

Advance Auto Parts Q4 comp sales +4.7% Press release

 

Vaccine delays leave grocery workers feeling expendable at AP. “Apparently we are not front-line workers when it comes to getting the vaccine. That was kind of a shock,” said Dawn Hand, who works at a Kroger supermarket in Houston, where she said three of her co-workers were out with the virus last week. She watches others getting vaccinated at the in-store pharmacy without knowing when she’ll get her turn.” Read more

 

US Foods Q4 net sales down 11.5% Press release

 

Walmart’s Covid-19 Vaccine Rollout Heads to Small Towns at Wall Street Journal. “Ann Jackson and her husband, Norman Jackson, 73 and 76 years old respectively, arrived for their vaccine appointment midmorning after waiting for weeks to get an appointment at the local hospital, said Ms. Jackson. Later, she added chips, bananas and T-shirts to her cart. “You never want to waste the trip to Walmart,” she said.” WSJ subs.

 

Chewy plans to hire several hundred at new Seattle-area office at GeekWire. “The online pet retailer will open a corporate office in the Seattle region by the end of this year and plans to hire several hundred for technology, product and merchandising roles.” Read more

 

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Tractor Supply Has a New Target: Pet Parents at Adweek. “Tractor Supply Company…is expanding its animal services—more commonly for horses, cows and chickens—by offering online pet prescriptions as well as on-demand veterinary advice on its app for dogs and cats.” Adweek subs.

 

Bluetooth Overlay Skimmer That Blocks Chip at Krebs on Security. “I was interested to hear from a reader working security for a retail chain in the United States who recently found Bluetooth-enabled skimming devices placed over top of payment card terminals at several stores. Interestingly, these skimmers interfered with the terminal’s ability to read chip-based cards, forcing customers to swipe the stripe instead.” Read more/Pics

 

Running through a pandemic with Jim Weber, CEO of Brooks Running at Reuters. “We just said, ‘You know what? We’re going to burn the boats on everything else, and just focus on people who run.’ People always tell us, ‘You guys are leaving a lot on the table – why don’t you focus on lifestyle, or basketball, or anything else?’ We have no trouble saying, ‘Nope.’” Read more

 

ByteDance to walk away from TikTok-Oracle-Walmart deal at Computing. “China’s ByteDance is now looking to restructure its US operations, the (South China Morning Post) claims, citing ‘sources familiar with the matter’.” Read more

 

Shopify’s Secret Weapon Is Thousands of New Business Owners at Wall Street Journal. “Most of Shopify’s more than one million customers are first-time entrepreneurs, said Harley Finkelstein, president of the Ottawa-based company, which will report fourth-quarter results on Wednesday. “Imagine a future where everyone is an entrepreneur. We’re moving in that direction,” he said.” WSJ subs.

 

Tipsheet Extra

Q&A: Kroger diversity plan takes action

US Postal Service planning to slow down first-class mail: report

The plastic bag is doomed. Here are better alternatives backed by Walmart and Target

Electric Aircraft Demand Seen Growing for Deliveries

Tesla charging cost magnified as Texas electricity auction system fuels price spike

Read Tipsheet Extra Stories

 

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