Tipsheet: Home Rush Regret | Retail Sales +8.1% TY | My Pillow -18

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Amazon seller blasts the company’s forced arbitration policy in congressional hearing on antitrust at CNBC. “Jacob Weiss, founder and president of home goods retailer OJ Commerce, told the House Judiciary subcommittee on antitrust that he, like many other e-commerce business owners, relies on Amazon to survive…“Amazon’s forced arbitration clauses have made it impossible to get a fair shake,” Weiss told the subcommittee.” Read more

 

GNC leadership changes: Josh Burris will assume the role of CEO and and Cam Lawrence will assume the role of CFO Press release

 

Coles, Woolworths introduce purchase limits as panic buying begins in Melbourne at News.com.au. “Coles and Woolworths have introduced purchase limits across Victoria after the announcement of a five-day lockdown sparked mass panic buying across the state.” Read more

 

These people rushed to buy homes during COVID. Now they regret it. at Fox Business. “…they were able to buy a four-bedroom house they loved in the East Bay, paying about $100,000 over the $1.89 million asking price…When they returned a few weeks later to move in, “we see all these holes in the siding,” Mr. Weiss said. On closer inspection, they found that the wood on one side of the house was “absolutely devastated,” with some 90 holes in it. It turned out that the culprits were acorn woodpeckers…the only permanent solution is to replace the home’s wooden siding with cement at a cost of roughly $150,000.” Read more

 

Poshmark launches a ‘pets’ category so you can buy Fido that ascot he needs at Fast Company. Read more

 

**2021 Sweets & Snacks Expo Registration Is Now Open! 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/Register

 

My Pillow’s Mike Lindell dropped by 18 vendors at Washington Times. “Mr. Lindell said Dollar General notified him it was dropping My Pillow during a call Wednesday. He said that he told them he will refuse to do business with the company should they ever reconsider. “I will never take them back,” Mr. Lindell said. “I’m standing my ground. If they do something so idiotic and succumb to this cancel culture, [then] they don’t get to come back.” Read more

 

TreeHouse Foods Q4 net sales +3.3% Press release

 

Amazon sues New York attorney general to preempt a state COVID lawsuit at Reuters. “In a complaint in Brooklyn federal court, Amazon accused James of overstepping bounds by legally threatening the company and demanding remedies like its surrender of profit. Federal labor and safety laws preempt those of the state, from which Amazon is seeking injunctive relief, its suit said.” Read more

 

Retail sales will grow by 8.1 percent this year — the fastest pace this century — to a record $4.3 trillion, according to Customer Growth Partners at NY Post. “The retailers that will continue to drive most of the spending this year or account for 12.1 percent of the pie will be those who offer home goods, including big box stores like Target, Lowes, Walmart and Home Depot followed by sporting goods which will account for 9.8 percent of spending…CGP predicts while spending at department stores and other apparel retailers will be down 12.1 percent and 8.7 percent respectively.” Read more

 

‘It’s like Christmas on steroids every day’: high school grads open a surplus bin store at Akron Beacon Journal. “On Fridays, the bin prices at Bada Bins is $10 per item. The price tag drops to $7 on Saturdays and $5 on Sundays before reaching the rock-bottom price of $1 on Tuesdays.” Read more

 

Tipsheet Extra

Texas is the envy of the world thanks to H-E-B’s big box of zipper bags

New East Bay Costco “mega” gas station approved

Albertsons teases own brands awards, launches family packs

United Supermarkets Promotes Sidney Hopper to CEO

Amazon Fresh Opens Third Chicagoland Location

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Tipsheet: McMillon/Ellison @ White House | WM Surprise Scholarship | B.Buy Cuts

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Retail CEOs meet with President Biden at White House at Washington Post. “The meeting also included Doug McMillon, the CEO of Walmart; Sonia Syngal, chief executive of Gap; Marvin Ellison, chief executive of Lowe’s; and Tom Donohue of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. Vice President Harris and Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen also took part. The meeting with the business executives came as the White House accelerates its push for Biden’s $1.9 trillion relief proposal…” Read more

 

Best Buy Is Cutting Some Store Workers’ Jobs, Reducing Hours at Wall Street Journal. “Jordan Diaz, 27 years old, quit working at Best Buy on Wednesday. “I was told I would be capped at 28 hours, which is not full time and thus losing my insurance,” he said. The Denver resident previously worked around 30 to 40 hours a week, earning health insurance for himself and his wife, he said. Some of his co-workers were laid off Wednesday, he said.” WSJ subs. | USA Today

 

Walmart’s Janey Whiteside Discusses Marketing as an Investment, Not Just Spend at Adweek. “From the physical and digital products to launching Walmart+, their ever-growing membership program, Janey oversees all that surrounds and powers the core business. Most importantly, she works closely with the CMO, who she believes is critical to driving growth for the company.” Adweek subs.

 

Hibbett Sports Q4 comp sales +21.9% Press release

 

Jeff Bezos & MacKenzie Scott lead list of top U.S. philanthropists for 2020 at GeekWire. “…the Amazon wealth generated by Bezos and Scott accounted for more than half of the big donor money tracked as part of The Philanthropy 50 list. In total, the magazine tracked $24.7 billion donated by the top 50 donors. That compares to $15.8 billion donated in 2019.” Read more | Donor list (registration required)

 

How GameStop missed out on capitalizing on the Reddit rally at Reuters. “GameStop decided it was restricted under U.S. financial regulations from selling shares because it was in possession of significant information about its finances that was not yet available to the public, the sources said. The SEC requires companies to have released such information when conducting stock sales.” Read more

 

Amazon inks another sports deal as AWS will power NHL’s digital transformation and in-game analytics at GeekWire. “Jassy joined NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman to discuss the new partnership before the broadcast of Wednesday night’s Boston Bruins vs. New York Rangers game.” Read more

 

PVH Corp. names Trish Donnelly, former CEO of Urban Outfitters Group, as CEO of PVH Americas Press release

 

**A message from SPS Commerce. Consumers expect a seamless experience, whether they shop online or in-store. Without the right data from your suppliers, it’s impossible to deliver a consistent shopping experience. SPS partners with you to automate data exchange with your suppliers, so you can meet the expectations of your consumers, no matter where they shop. Visit our website for details or contact us at 866-245-8100.

 

Animal rights group targets Costco poultry farm in Nebraska at Lincoln Journal Star. “Lincoln Premium Poultry spokeswoman Jessica Kolterman did not dispute the video, saying it depicts “normal and uneventful livestock activity.” Mortality is common in the livestock industry, and animals routinely get sick or injured and die, she said, noting that as much as 4%-5% of livestock can die prematurely at operations of all sizes.” Read more

 

Costco Wholesale Commits $1 Million to Venture Capital Firm Fearless Fund to Support Women of Color Founders Press release

 

Lowe’s saw a $47.82 increase in monthly spending by rewarding customers in stock “…along with an additional .84 visits per month. The average reward-spend-ROI for Lowe’s was 69.5x, thanks to the 62% of customers who changed their behavior after becoming an owner.” Press release

 

Yeti Q4 net sales +26% Press release

 

CVS and Walmart Decide Who Gets Leftover Covid-19 Vaccine Doses at Wall Street Journal. “The companies say they are determined that no doses will go to waste, and are compiling wait lists and putting their own workers on standby in case extra shots become available. Some 6,500 pharmacies in all 50 states…will get 1 million doses from the federal government starting Thursday.” WSJ subs.

 

Mom on desperate drive to find discontinued waffles for son with autism at Vancouver Sun. “Nature’s Path maple cinnamon waffles are the only thing Jenna Roman’s autistic son, who has extreme oral aversion and complex eating challenges, will eat.” Read more

 

WHAT IT’S ALL ABOUT – Watch an Oklahoma State player get surprised with scholarship while working at Walmart at Sportskind/USA Today. “Dee Mitchell took on a full-time job at Walmart just to help his mom make ends meet, all while attending Oklahoma State University and being a fixture on the Cowboys’ basketball team…” Video/Read more

 

Tipsheet Extra

United Airlines: Small electric air taxis will zip people to airports

Amazon’s new Virginia headquarters building compared to a poop emoji

Woman scammed out of $10,000 at Costco parking lot

Almost 4 in 10 adults said they plan to skip Valentine’s Day altogether 

“He can’t wear a mask’: father of child with autism speaks out about Costco policy

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Tipsheet: SoCal Cargo Choked | Chubb Beats Target | Justo +$65M

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TikTok sale to Oracle, Walmart is shelved as Biden reviews security at Fox Business. “Discussions have continued between representatives of ByteDance and U.S. national security officials, the people said. Those discussions have centered on data security and ways to prevent the information TikTok collects on American users from being accessed by the Chinese government, they said.” Read more

 

America’s Best Mid-Sized Employers (Build-A-Bear #4, True Value #73) 2021 at Forbes. Read more

 

U.S. consumer prices increase steadily in January at Reuters. “The Labor Department said on Wednesday its consumer price index increased 0.3% last month after climbing a revised 0.2% in December. In the 12 months through January the CPI rose 1.4% after gaining a revised 1.3% December. Economists polled by Reuters had forecast the CPI rising 0.3% and increasing 1.5% year-on-year.” Read more

 

About 60% of nursing home staff declined Covid vaccines, Walgreens exec says at CNBC. Read more

 

Target’s Paying Frontline Team Members to Get the COVID-19 Vaccine at A Bullseye View. “…providing up to four hours of pay (two hours for each vaccine dose) to our hourly team members when they get their vaccines. We’ll also provide all U.S. team members with free Lyft rides (up to $15 each way)…” Read more

 

Shipping Companies Look at Sailing Away From Choked Southern California Gateways at Wall Street Journal. “The backups have tied up inventories for weeks in some cases as ships wait to reach berths while cargo that has been offloaded sits for long periods at packed freight terminals, where operations have slowed as dockworkers have coped with an outbreak of coronavirus cases.” WSJ subs.

 

Jüsto, an online supermarket based in Mexico City, announced Tuesday it has raised $65 million in a Series A round at TechCrunch. Read more

 

**A message from SPS Commerce. Consumers expect a seamless experience, whether they shop online or in-store. Without the right data from your suppliers, it’s impossible to deliver a consistent shopping experience. SPS partners with you to automate data exchange with your suppliers, so you can meet the expectations of your consumers, no matter where they shop. Visit our website for details or contact us at 866-245-8100.

 

Seafood rides the wave of sales increases during the pandemic at Fox Business. “In just the past year, frozen seafood sales overall saw a 25% uptick compared to 2019, according to market research firm IRI. During the holiday season of 2020, seafood sales at U.S. supermarkets and other food retailers jumped 26% from a year prior, following a year of robust sales compared with grocery store sales as a whole.” Read more

 

Walmart and Sam’s Club pharmacies will begin administering COVID-19 vaccines through the U.S. Federal Retail Pharmacy Program on Feb. 12, 2021 Press release

 

Adults are acting like children and ruining the Pokémon 25th anniversary McDonald’s Happy Meal promotion at Fast Company. Read more

 

Louis Vuitton Cartoon Characters Touch Down at Beverly Hills Pop-Up Store at Hollywood Reporter. “Atop the building, located at 468 North Rodeo Drive, sits an inflatable dragon character in a green shirt, while windows are covered in vinyl red, black and white graphics, including huge QR codes. Fans of LV can scan the codes to enable a Snapchat filter that brings the cartoon characters to life as people enter the building.” Read more

 

Heineken to cut 8,000 jobs – nearly 10% of its global workforce at Fox Business. Read more

 

Target loses coverage bid in fight with Chubb over data breach settlements at Westlaw. “A Minnesota federal judge sided with an insurer in a dispute with Target Corp related to settlements over its 2013 data breach, finding the retail company didn’t meet the burden for showing coverage under its insurance policies.” Read more

 

LVMH, Rihanna close Fenty luxury fashion line at Reuters. Read more

 

Dick’s Sporting Goods Announces Grand Opening of Five Stores in Five States in February Press release

 

Tipsheet Extra

Ex-Amazon board member reviews the new book, ‘Working Backwards’

3D audio could be the next big podcast trend

EPA again orders Amazon to stop selling illegal pesticides

Q&A with HMart’s Vince Colatriano

Former Dollar General CEO’s mansion on the market for $12.9M

Kroger’s Simple Truth is adding a line of beauty products

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Tipsheet: Russia Investigates H&M | Ocado +35% | Simon Eyes Kohl’s & Dick’s

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H&M Faces Russian Criminal Investigation Over Customs Duties at Bloomberg. “Russian authorities opened a criminal investigation into clothing retailer Hennes & Mauritz AB for allegedly avoiding 3.1 billion rubles ($42 million) of customs duties.” Read more

 

‘We Are Forgotten’: Grocery Workers Hope for Higher Pay and Vaccinations at NY Times. “Brookings found that 13 of the largest retail and grocery companies in the United States earned $17.7 billion more in the first three quarters of 2020 than they did a year earlier, but most stopped offering extra compensation to their associates in the early summer.” Read more

 

The NFL’s 2021 Super Bowl attracted 96.4 million viewers at CNBC. “Brady’s last Super Bowl win in 2019 while with the Patriots generated roughly 98.2 million viewers; the lowest since 97.5 million tuned into the 2008 Super Bowl…“All things considered, the fact this game got played is nothing short of a miracle,” Cohen added.” Read more

 

Online grocery shopping drives up sales at Ocado at AP. “Ocado, one of the biggest internet-only grocery retailers, said Tuesday that sales rose 35% during the last fiscal year as the COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the shift toward internet shopping.” Read more

 

Simon Property Group is expecting this year to be better than last at CNBC. “(CEO Simon) listed Kohl’s, Dick’s Sporting Goods and Primark as three examples of retailers that his team is in talks with for new locations. However, he cautioned, “it’s going to take some time” to get back to 2019 levels.” Read more

 

DoorDash acquires salad-making robotics startup, Chowbotics at TechCrunch. “It’s not entirely clear how the company’s technology will fit into the delivery service’s current offering, though DoorDash notes it will “improve consumer access to fresh and safe meals, and enhance our robust merchant offerings and logistics platform.” Read more

 

** 2021 Sweets & Snacks Expo Registration Is Now Open. 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. Who’s Exhibiting? | Show Overview | Register Now

 

In Florida city, hackers try to poison the drinking water at AP. “Fortunately, a supervisor saw the chemical being tampered with — as a mouse controlled by the intruder moved across the screen changing settings — and was able to intervene and immediately reverse it, Gualtieri said. Oldsmar is about 15 miles (25 kilometers) northwest of Tampa…Oldsmar officials have since disabled the remote-access system.” Read more

 

Kohl’s Announces Partnership with Eddie Bauer Press release

 

Malls Spent Billions on Theme Parks to Woo Shoppers. It Made Matters Worse. at Wall Street Journal. “Pyramid and Triple Five have gone much further than other mall owners in adding grand spectacles to their biggest U.S. properties, racking up debt they are now having trouble repaying. Last year, three of their four big U.S. malls defaulted on some CMBS debt, according to Trepp; the fourth mall is delinquent on some local-government bills.” WSJ subs.

 

Price Chopper and Tops Markets to Merge “Scott Grimmett, Price Chopper/Market 32’s President and CEO, will be CEO of and serve on the Board of Directors of the new parent company which will oversee the operations of nearly 300 Price Chopper, Market 32, Market Bistro and Tops Markets stores and collectively employ more than 30,000 teammates.” Press release

 

Ontario will slowly open the door to some non-essential retail in the coming weeks — but many businesses are frustrated at being left out at Toronto Star. “We’re encouraging businesses to just open completely, and now, I think more will be tempted to do it. They should be opening up at 100 per cent,” said Sobolev, who’s also an organizer of the antimask group Hugs Over Masks. Sobolev says at least 400 businesses across the country have vowed to take part in the protest Thursday, no matter what the state of COVID-related lockdowns are in their region.” Read more

 

Tipsheet Extra

Walton Family Foundation plans more than $2B in philanthropic support over next five years

Woman in Gorilla Glue hair horror may sue over ordeal

Star Wars saves Hasbro’s 2020 sales with ‘Mandalorian’ toys

‘Cobra Kai’ Overtakes ‘Bridgerton’ in Nielsen Streaming Rankings

Eli Lilly says CFO resigns after ‘inappropriate communication’ with staff

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Tipsheet: Clothes 2X Backlog | Target Brand Activewear $1B | Investor Exits Con. Store

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Target’s activewear brand hits $1 billion in sales, as retailer gains ground in apparel at CNBC. “We like to joke about this internally that it’s become our guests’ favorite work wear, not just workout wear,” said Jill Sando, Target’s chief merchandising officer for style and owned brands.” Read more

 

Container Store’s stock tumbles as biggest investor downsizes stake at NY Post. “Leonard Green & Partners has sold 5 million shares in the Coppell, Texas-based home- and office-furnishings chain, representing 9.9 percent of the company’s outstanding shares, according to a regulatory filing.” Read more

 

Food price spikes see inflation rear its head in emerging markets at Reuters. “Major wheat and corn exporters such as Russia or Argentina have introduced curbs or taxes to preserve domestic stockpiles, exacerbating pressures elsewhere. United Nations data showed food prices hit six-year highs in January after rising for eight consecutive months.” Read more

 

Amazon to buy half of the energy produced by huge offshore wind farm in the Netherlands at CNBC. “Amazon said the “Amazon-Shell HKN Offshore Wind Project” will be its largest single-site renewable energy project yet. The offshore wind farm is expected to be operational by 2023.” Read more

 

Clothes retailers cut orders while factories fight to survive at Reuters. “In an indication of the scale of the backlog, consultancy McKinsey says the value of unsold clothing worldwide, in stores and warehouses, ranges from 140-160 billion euros ($168-192 billion) – more than double normal levels.” Read more

 

Amazon Shares Data with Feds to Fight Fake Football Merch at eCommerce Bytes. “Amazon made a splash two days before big game by announcing it was expanding an operation in partnership with the US government to fight counterfeit Super Bowl merchandise, including sharing real time information with the Feds.” Read more

 

**2021 Sweets & Snacks Expo Registration Is Now Open. 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 | Destination Retail

 

How small businesses shifted to Etsy & Shopify for survival at USA Today. “If in January 2020 you told me that in two months’ time my shop would be selling nothing but I’d be making over $100,000 on Etsy, I’d tell you, you were nuts,” Jenner told me. “I had never even heard of Etsy.” Read more

 

Months after contracting COVID-19, some will try anything to regain their sense of smell at LA Times/Yahoo. Read more

 

CVS, Walgreens step up ‘bot’ defense ahead of COVID-19 vaccine appointment rush at Fox Business. “Much in the same way scalper bots in the past have scooped up the latest PlayStation or Microsoft Xbox consoles as soon as they hit the market…security companies have expressed concerns that these scalper bots could target pharmacies’ vaccine appointment slots in the same way, urging retailers to step up their defenses to ward off such attacks.” Read more

 

Amazon workers begin historic vote to unionize today at TechCrunch. Read more

 

Dropshippers can make millions selling cheap products on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok, but buyers beware at CNBC. “In an analysis of more than 124,000 Shopify stores, Fakespot found more than 25,000 that engaged in some form of fraudulent activity like counterfeits, privacy leaks, or buying fake reviews. Of those, almost 72% showed evidence of dropshipping tactics being used in their business.” Read more

 

An unleashed Jeff Bezos will seek to shift space venture Blue Origin into hyperdrive at Reuters. “NASA is expected to winnow the lunar lander contest to just two companies by the end of April, adding pressure as Blue Origin works through problems such as wasting millions of dollars on procurement, and technical and production challenges, the sources said.” Read more

 

Tipsheet Extra

Paul McCartney weighs in on JCPenney CEO search

How Bruce Springsteen Agreed to Do a Super Bowl Commercial for Jeep

Kroger’s Brad Studer shares innovation insights

Review: Book reveals roots of Amazon’s spectacular success

Florists have never seen a February like this one

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Tipsheet: Tiffany: Back to Office | Amazon Union Vote On | B.Pro 1st S.Bowl Ad

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Amazon loses effort to halt Alabama union drive, voting begins next week at CNBC. “On Friday, the NLRB denied Amazon’s appeal, saying it raised “no substantial issues warranting review.” “The Employer’s Motion to Stay the Election Pending Review is also denied as moot,” according to a filing.” Read more

 

LVMH tells Tiffany employees to return to office in March at Wall Street Journal via Reuters. “A month after acquiring Tiffany & Co, French luxury goods giant LVMH told employees at the U.S. jeweller to return to the office two days a week beginning March 1, the Wall Street Journal reported on Friday.” Read more | WSJ subs.

 

US employers add just 49K jobs as unemployment falls to 6.3% at AP. “The anemic jobs data could give further political impetus to Biden’s (stimulus) package. Early Friday, the Senate approved a budget measure that would let Democrats muscle Biden’s $1.9 trillion plan through the chamber without Republican support.” Read more

 

Ingles Markets Q1 net sales +10.4% Press release

 

Family Dollar taps Instacart to make same-day deliveries at CNBC. “The company will deliver online purchases to customers’ homes from the dollar store chain’s over 6,000 locations in as quick as an hour.” Read more

 

Walgreens’ ex-CMO lands at Silicon Valley startup Good Eggs “Good Eggs has appointed Vineet Mehra as the company’s Chief Growth and Customer Experience Officer.” Press release

 

The Buckle January 2021 comp sales +35.3% Press release

 

Some baby foods tainted with ‘dangerous levels of toxic heavy metals’, congressional report finds at Fox Business. “The subcommittee noted that Nurture, Beech-Nut, Gerber and Hain all cooperated with the investigation…Meanwhile, investigators claimed Walmart, Sprout Organic Foods and Campbell refused to cooperate.” 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 | Sample: info@eyeonretail.net

 

Shoe Carnival announces prelim Q4 results: comp sales up 6.4% Press release

 

Sally Beauty Holdings Q1 comp sales down 3.7% Press release

 

Walmart lawsuit against U.S. over opioids is dismissed at Reuters. “A federal judge has dismissed Walmart Inc’s lawsuit seeking to preemptively block the U.S. government from blaming the world’s largest retailer for its alleged role in fueling the nation’s opioid crisis…Walmart said on Friday it will appeal the decision.” Read more

 

Tapestry CEO says heart-shaped Kate Spade bag sold out after going viral on TikTok at CNBC. Read more

 

Amazon adding AI-equipped cameras to delivery vans to monitor safety, sparking privacy concerns at GeekWire. Read more

 

Pinterest beats estimates on ad spending recovery, strong user growth at Fox Business. “Total revenue soared 76% to $706 million, beating analysts’ estimates of $645.6 million, according to Refinitiv IBES data.” Read more

 

PayPal is shutting down its domestic payments business in India at TechCrunch. Read more

 

Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s unveil its first-ever Super Bowl commercial “Messaging reminds viewers that, “the great outdoors are wide open,” and “to get back to nature” and “connect with the ones we love the most.” Spot/Press release

 

Tipsheet Extra

Amazon delivers hope and concern to small California town

9 months on, Italian births fall 22 percent

Selling your wedding date: How some couples are trying to recoup thousands of dollars

China’s latest weapon against Taiwan: the sand dredger

Biden moving forward with additional food assistance ahead of stimulus

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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

 

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Tipsheet: Costco +15.9% | Kohl’s -10% | WM Acquires Ad Tech | Tapestry -7%

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BOOM – Costco January comp sales +15.9%: US +15.4% / Canada +15.2% / Other Int’l +19% / Ecom +106.7% “Costco reported net sales of $13.64 billion for the retail month of January, the four weeks ended January 31, 2021, an increase of 17.9 percent from $11.57 billion last year.” Press release

 

Union leaders backing Amazon election in Alabama discuss effort with White House at Reuters. “RWDSU President Stuart Appelbaum said labor leaders “connected to the RWDSU” spoke to the White House, but he declined to name who they spoke with. He also said another senior advisor to Biden has been tracking the Alabama effort.” Read more

 

Tapestry Q2 net sales fall 7% in holiday quarter: Coach down 4% / Kate Spade down 13% / Stuart Weitzman down 27% Press release

 

Kohl’s sees holiday-quarter revenue down 10% at CNBC. “Analysts had been calling for a revenue decline of 8.9%, according to a poll compiled by Refinitiv…Chief Executive Michelle Gass said digital sales represented more than 40% of net sales during the period, up more than 20% year over year.” Read more

 

PayPal profit tops estimates at Fox Business. “PayPal’s processed payments in the latest quarter rose 39% to $277.1 billion, with an additional 16 million net new active customers…Quarterly revenue rose about 23% to $6.12 billion, topping estimates.” Read more

 

Ebay earnings beat on pandemic-driven surge in online shopping at Reuters. “In the United States, one in 10 online shoppers bought something on eBay. In Germany, that number was one in seven and in the UK, it was one in four,” Iannone said on a conference call with analysts. EBay also projected first-quarter revenue in the range of $2.94 billion to $2.99 billion, above estimates of $2.53 billion, according to IBES data from Refinitiv.” Read more

 

Walmart will acquire technology from Thunder Industries, a company that uses automation to create digital ads at Wall Street Journal. “A skin care company could use the tool to create versions of an ad with models of different ages, for example, then use the technology to determine which performs best. The new self-serve display ad tool will launch later this year, the company said.” WSJ subs.

 

Amazon is testing Rivian electric delivery vans in Los Angeles at CNBC. “Now, Amazon says it will test the custom electric vehicles in as many as 16 different cities in 2021.” Read more

 

**A message from SPS Commerce. Consumers expect a seamless experience, whether they shop online or in-store. Without the right data from your suppliers, it’s impossible to deliver a consistent shopping experience. SPS partners with you to automate data exchange with your suppliers, so you can meet the expectations of your consumers, no matter where they shop. Visit our website for details or contact us at 866-245-8100.

 

Casper names Charles Liu Chief Operating Officer “Most recently, Charles was Vice President of Supply Chain for Walmart’s e-commerce division…” Press release

 

L Brands raises forecast, says CFO is retiring and Victoria’s Secret spinoff is still an option at CNBC. “It said it expects same-store sales to increase by 10% in the quarter, which includes a 22% increase at Bath & Body Works and a 3% drop at Victoria’s Secret.” Read more

 

Express, Inc. Regains Compliance With NYSE Listing Standards Press release

 

Ralph Lauren said it expects fourth-quarter fiscal 2021 revenue to fall by mid-to-high single digits, while analysts’ were expecting a 2.9% drop at CNBC. Read more

 

PriceSmart to Open Ninth Warehouse Club in Colombia, and Expects to Have 50 Clubs in Operation by Spring 2022 Press release

 

Tipsheet Extra

Krojis Go Viral as Kroger ‘Low’ Ads Become Memes

Anti-baldness drug Propecia has long trail of suicide reports, records show

Pot producer Canopy launches pet treats after Martha Stewart’s line takes off

Jeff Bezos’ $500M real estate portfolio: See all his luxury houses

Walgreens out to ‘supercharge’ owned brands

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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: Roz +$25M Bonus | Kroger’s Had It | Amazon Withheld Tips

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New Walgreens CEO to get nearly $25 million signing bonus at Chicago Tribune. “Brewer will receive a one-time cash bonus of $4.5 million, which is subject to repayment if she leaves without “good reason” or is terminated for cause within two years, the filing said. The signing bonus includes a $20.2 million long-term incentive award in Walgreens stock that will fully vest in three years. In addition to her $1.5 million base salary, Brewer will be eligible for an annual performance bonus of up to 200% of her eligible earnings, according to the SEC filing.” Read more

 

Amazon Unveils Outdoorsy New HQ2 at Wall Street Journal. “Phase two of the company’s development in Arlington, Va., calls for three 22-story office buildings and smaller retail buildings surrounded by woodlands, an outdoor amphitheater, a dog run and parking for around 950 bicycles. The centerpiece will be the site’s fourth and tallest tower, a 350-foot structure dubbed the Helix because it will feature two spiraling outdoor walkways with trees and plants from Virginia that twist to the building’s top.” WSJ subs.

 

…Amazon unveils design for ‘Helix’ office building at HQ2 — here’s what it will look like at CNBC. Pics/Read more

 

Britain is cracking down on the $3.7 billion ‘buy now, pay later’ industry at CNBC. “Such firms will be required to conduct affordability checks before lending to customers, the government said, while people will also be allowed to escalate complaints to the U.K.’s financial ombudsman.” Read more

 

Impossible Foods cuts faux meat prices by 20% at grocery stores at Reuters. “The suggested retail prices for Impossible Burger would drop to $5.49 in about 17,000 U.S. grocery stores, the company said in a statement…” Read more

 

Online shopping surge delivers record revenue for UPS at AP. “Revenue rose 21% to $24.9 billion in the three months ending Dec. 31, a record for the company…However, it posted a loss of $3.26 billion.” Read more

 

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Kroger says it must close two Long Beach stores due to hazard pay ordinance at LA Times. “This misguided action by the Long Beach City Council oversteps the traditional bargaining process and applies to some, but not all, grocery workers in the city,” Kroger said in a statement. “The irreparable harm that will come to employees and local citizens as a direct result of the City of Long Beach’s attempt to pick winners and losers, is deeply unfortunate…” Read more

 

Amazon will pay $61.7 million to settle claims it withheld tips from delivery workers at CNBC. “Rather than passing along 100% of customers’ tips to drivers, as it had promised to do, Amazon used the money itself,” said Daniel Kaufman, acting director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection, in a statement. “Our action today returns to drivers the tens of millions of dollars in tips that Amazon misappropriated, and requires Amazon to get drivers’ permission before changing its treatment of tips in the future.” Read more

 

Home Depot Bringing 1,500 New Jobs to Dallas-Fort Worth Metro with New Distribution Center “The 1.5 million square-foot distribution center is designed to meet customers’ delivery needs through multiple channels, whether delivering items directly to customers’ homes or for pickup at local stores.” Press release

 

Forbes Blockchain 50: Corporate America Cashes In On Bitcoin Mania at Forbes. “Bitcoin is suddenly getting respect in the C-suite. Here’s how PayPal, Square and the 48 other big companies on Forbes’ third annual Blockchain 50 are outpacing their competition using Bitcoin and the underlying blockchain.” Read more

 

Uber to buy Drizly on-demand alcohol company for $1.1 billion at MarketWatch. Read more

 

Alibaba beats quarterly revenue estimates at Reuters. “Revenue rose 37% to 221.08 billion yuan ($34.24 billion) in the three months ended Dec. 31, above estimates of 214.38 billion yuan, according IBES data from Refinitiv.” Read more

 

Tipsheet Extra

Playboy nears deal to acquire wellness chain

McDonald’s quietly rolls out McPlant burger in test markets

Meijer own brand hand weights lift category in unprecedented time

Ghost kitchens and delivery-only restaurants may be too popular for their own good

Sens. Booker, Schumer, and Wyden will advance cannabis legislation

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

 

Website: eyeonretail.net