Tipsheet: How Bezos Beat the Tabloids | Polar Pop Subs. | Best Retail Worker Attire

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Circle K launches beverage subscription program for $5.99 per month at CNBC. “Starting Wednesday, U.S. customers who pay $5.99 per month can have one tea, coffee, Froster slushy or Polar Pop fountain drink of their choosing every day. Circle K’s Sip & Save program looks to build loyalty and coax people into its stores again on a regular basis.” Read more

 

The Untold Story of How Jeff Bezos Beat the Tabloids at Bloomberg. “‘Raise your hand if you think you’ve had a harder week than I’ve had.’ It was Feb. 14, 2019, in the early afternoon, and for perhaps the first time in the 25-year history of Amazon.com Inc., Jeff Bezos was prepared to explain himself to his employees…As the sun set over the Olympic Mountains, casting a golden glow into the conference room, executives started furtively glancing at their phones and responding to texts from their significant others. Finally, at 7:30, Senior Vice President Jeff Blackburn spoke up and said what everyone else was thinking: “Hey Jeff, how long do you think this meeting is going to go? A lot of us have plans.” It was, after all, Valentine’s Day.” Tiered subs.

 

Gap to sell its Intermix designer clothing brand to the private equity firm Altamont Capital Partners at CNBC. Read more

 

Amazon is polling drivers about their bathroom breaks. Drivers say the survey is missing a key answer. at Business Insider. “Several Amazon delivery drivers shared a screenshot of the survey with Insider on Monday. It asked, “Are you able to find open restrooms for use while making deliveries?” And had four options for answers. “The funny part about this screenshot is that they don’t provide an option for ‘Do not have time to use the restroom,’ which is the main problem,” one Amazon driver told Insider.” Read more

 

Bed Bath & Beyond CEO Mark Tritton @ CNBC’s Mad Money tonight at 6PM ET

 

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

 

NYC mayoral candidates pledge more restrictions on Amazon at Politico. “Attorney Maya Wiley, City Comptroller Scott Stringer, and former non-profit executive Dianne Morales all agreed to the platform, which calls for making it more difficult for Amazon to open warehouses in the five boroughs. Lesser-known candidate Paperboy Prince also signed the pledge.” Read more

 

Canada authorizes Pfizer vaccine for age 12 and older at AP. Read more

 

MEXICO – Despite controversy, Costco will continue to review buyer tickets at Entrepreneur. “…the Federal Consumer Prosecutor’s Office exhorted self-service stores from Twitter to stop reviewing purchase receipts. The agency pointed out that after buying the product, it becomes the property of the consumer, so they should not subject it to this type of practice.” Read more

 

Peloton recalling all treadmills after safety concerns and one death at NBC News. “Customers should stop using the product and contact Peloton for a full refund “or other qualified remedy,” the New York-based exercise equipment company said in a joint statement with the CPSC. Shares sank by more than 8 percent on the news.” Read more

 

What Retail Workers’ Attire Communicates to Customers at Harvard Business Review. “Research from before the Covid-19 crisis found that 90 percent of customers would rather leave a store empty handed than ask for assistance…Participants in our studies were almost twice as likely to interact with a formally dressed employee (a hair salon employee wearing a white lab coat) as one who was informally dressed (white polo). When we explored why this was, we learned that participants viewed formally dressed employees as having more expertise than their casually dressed peers.” Read more

 

Tipsheet Extra

Costco and 23 More Companies With Surprisingly Great 401(k) Plans

Porch pirate who dressed as Amazon worker arrested on his bicycle

Report: how shelf-stable food categories rebounded in a big way in 2020

Lucky rebrands, readies to open flagship store in Calif.

Guy Fieri called out Jeff Bezos for not donating to his restaurant worker relief fund

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Tipsheet: CVS Beats | Publix +2.4% | Skeptical @ Amazon Stats

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CVS Health earnings top estimates at CNBC. “Same-store sales across its pharmacy and front store combined were up just 0.4% compared with growth of 9% a year earlier. Same-store sales for the front store fell 11.4%.” Read more

 

Camping World Q1: Revenue increased by $530.5 million to $1.558 billion / Gross profit increased by $217.8 million to $520.5 million Press release

 

Publix Q1 comp sales up 2.4% Press release

 

Walmart and Sam’s Club Now Administering Walk-Up COVID-19 Vaccines at 5,100+ Pharmacies Nationwide Press release

 

Q&A with former Amazon exec Jeff Wilke at GeekWire. “Wilke’s interests are decidedly less celestial – investing in underrepresented founders and restoring American manufacturing. It is full circle for Wilke, who grew up in Pittsburgh, where he saw once-prosperous factories shutter their doors. “I watched the decline of industry and the effect that it had on the people of Pittsburgh and it really left a mark on my life,” he said.” Q&A/Read more

 

Pandora takes a shine to lab-made diamonds at CNBC/Reuters. “Prices of lab-grown diamonds have fallen over the past two years following the U-turn by De Beers in 2018 and are now up to 10 times cheaper than mined diamonds, according to a report by Bain & Company. Pandora’s new collection of lab-grown diamonds will be launched initially in the United Kingdom and will be available in other key markets next year, it said.” Read more

 

**A message from Comfy Sacks – Shredded foam bean bag sales continue their meteoric sales growth! Grab your share of this high growth category and add some “wow” and high dollar ring to your assortment. Easy onboard / Retail ready. Website | Sample: info@eyeonretail.net 

 

Amazon’s Thursday Night Football deal will start early – starting with the 2022 season at The Verge. “Now Amazon gets its exclusive rights even sooner and for even longer thanks to a new 11-year contract…” Read more

 

CVS, Walgreens have wasted more Covid vaccine doses than most states combined at NBC News. “The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recorded 182,874 wasted doses as of late March, three months into the country’s effort to vaccinate the masses against the coronavirus. CVS was responsible for nearly half, and Walgreens was responsible for 21 percent, or nearly 128,500 wasted shots combined.” Read more

 

Berlin’s Razor Group raises $400M to buy and scale Amazon Marketplace merchants at TechCrunch. Read more

 

Amazon employees say you should be skeptical of Jeff Bezos’s worker satisfaction stat at Recode. “The 94 percent number was gleaned from an employee survey program at Amazon called Connections, which asks Amazon employees to answer a single question each day before they can start working on their company computer or their warehouse workstation…employees told Recode that many Amazon employees do not answer Connections questions honestly because they fear their responses are not truly anonymous, and they fear retaliation if they give negative feedback.” Read more

 

7-Eleven Franchisees Seek Relief from 24-hour Mandate Press release

 

Q&A with President of Shopify at The Verge. “While a marketplace may rent you their customers for a period of time, they are never going to be your customers. In fact, in some cases, if the marketplace sees you’re making too much money, they may set up a white-label version of what you’re doing. So, that’s what I mean when I say we are on a different side of the table than a lot of other technology companies or marketplaces, because we only do well when these merchants do well independently.” Read more

 

Tipsheet Extra

Top RV rental company sees record growth amid COVID pandemic

Skittles owner sues THC-laced copycat Zkittlez for trademark infringement

Under Armour hikes full-year outlook, sees demand returning

Why Shoppers Drug Mart is recruiting doctors

‘Simpsons’ writer spills show secrets in rare interview

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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: Shaw’s Trucker Strike | Biden Eyes Food Stamp Bump | Macy’s App Commission

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Shaw’s, Star Market truckers go on strike in New England at AP. “Truck drivers for Shaw’s supermarkets represented by the Teamsters went on strike Monday, stopping shipments to Shaw’s and Star Market grocery stores in New England. The drivers are responsible for delivering grocery store staples to more than 100 supermarkets across the region…” Read more

 

Amazon knew seller data was used to boost company sales at Politico. “An internal audit seen by POLITICO warned Amazon’s senior leadership in 2015 that 4,700 of its workforce working on its own sales had unauthorized access to sensitive third-party seller data on the platform — even identifying one case in which an employee used the access to improve sales.” Read more

 

Macy’s store employees score victory in challenging self-checkout in mobile app at CNBC. “An independent arbitrator ruled last week that Macy’s violated its bargaining agreement and said the company must find a way to credit employees for sales through the app or exclude departments, such as men’s suits and cosmetics, that have commission-based pay.” Read more

 

Kroger begins testing drone deliveries for baby products and s’mores at The Verge. “(Kroger) is partnering with Drone Express to deliver items like baby products, over-the-counter medications, and picnic supplies weighing up to about five pounds from a test store in Centerville, Ohio.” Read more

 

Here’s why Amazon is moving Prime Day to earlier in the summer at CNBC. “The two-day shopping extravaganza originally has been held in July, but Amazon said it will now take place in its second quarter, implying a June event…“There’re a number of factors,” Olsavsky said about why Amazon is moving the event up. Among those reasons, the CFO cited the Olympics taking place in July, as well as it being a “vacation month” for many families.” Read more

 

**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. Most innovative new products 2019 & 2018 | Register now

 

Tiffany & Co. is selling men’s engagement rings for the first time in its 184-year history at CNN. Read more

 

California appeals court finds Amazon responsible for third party sellers’ products at The Verge. “It’s the second major case in California where an appeals court has rejected Amazon’s long-held position that it is merely an intermediary between buyers and its third-party sellers.” Read more

 

Starbucks Reserve — one of four in the world — opens in downtown Naperville; serving pizza, beer and wine at Chicago Tribune. “Its alcoholic drinks menu includes signature cocktails such as a seasonal pineapple rum float, an espresso martini and a whiskey cloud; wine by the glass or bottle; and beer that can be taken home in a growler.” Pics/Read more

 

Canadian Covid outbreaks challenge Tim Hortons’ turnaround and may hide its progress at CNBC. Read more

 

Biden Quietly Preparing for Food Stamp Increase Without Congress at Newsmax. “James Ziliak, director of the Center for Poverty Research at the University of Kentucky, said the re-evaluation “could result in an upward adjustment of 20% or more in the benefits.” That would amount to roughly a $136-a-month increase in the maximum benefit for a family of four, which was $680 before the temporary pandemic-related increase.” Read more

 

Tipsheet Extra

Amazon plans to install smaller Elephant Car Wash sign outdoors on its campus

Zulily co-founder’s SPAC raises $300 million

Walmart’s expanded in-home delivery is timely

Weis to invest $135M in growth in 2021

Billionaire is buying up small Colorado town—and locals are freaked

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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: Kohl’s +100 EV Stations | US Econ. +6.4% | Amazon Pay Bump

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US economy accelerated at a robust 6.4% rate last quarter at AP News. “Thursday’s GDP report showed that consumer spending, which accounts for more than two-thirds of the economy, surged at a 10.7% annual rate in the January-March quarter, a significant acceleration after spending had slowed to a 2.3% annual gain in the final three months of last year. Business investment rose at a strong annual rate of nearly 10%, reflecting a burst of spending on equipment.” Read more

 

Pending home sales rose less than expected in March as prices soared at CNBC. “Pending home sales, a measure of signed contracts on existing homes, rose 1.9% in March compared with April, according to the National Association of Realtors. Forecasters had expected a 5% gain.” Read more

 

Amazon to spend $1B to boost pay for 500k operations workers by as much as $3 an hour at GeekWire. “Darcie Henry, Amazon’s VP of People eXperience and Technology, Worldwide Consumer, posted on the company’s website that the annual pay review for Customer Fulfillment, Delivery, Package Sortation, and Specialty Fulfillment teams was being moved up from fall to mid-May through early June. Amazon currently offers workers in these positions a starting wage of at least $15 an hour…” Read more

 

USA Today 10 Best 2021: Best Supermarket in USA

  1. The Fresh Market
  2. Hy-Vee
  3. Lidl
  4. Market Basket
  5. ALDI
  6. Stew Leonard’s
  7. Publix
  8. Sprouts Farmers Market
  9. Wegmans Food Markets
  10. Trader Joe’s

Read more

 

Judge won’t dismiss Amazon’s claim that Trump interfered with $10B cloud contract at GeekWire. Read more

 

**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. Most innovative new products 2019 & 2018 | Register now

 

U.S. FDA proposes ban on menthol cigarettes at Reuters. “The ban is likely to take years to implement amid possible legal challenges from the tobacco industry, which has repeatedly went up against the FDA to try and block anti-tobacco regulation.” Read more

 

Tapestry, Inc. appoints Scott Roe CFO & Head of Strategy “Mr. Roe joins from VF Corporation, where he…served as CFO since April 2015.” Press release

 

A fired Amazon worker is trying to unionize four NYC-area facilities at The Verge. “The company has responded by posting anti-union messages on TV screens at JFK8, the fulfillment center where Smalls used to work. “KNOW THE FACTS BEFORE YOU SIGN A UNION CARD,” reads one of the messages obtained by Motherboard. “If someone asks you to provide your personal information or sign a union card, do not release your personal information without knowing all the facts.” Read more

 

Kohl’s will bring 100 EV charging stations to 50 additional Kohl’s stores this year “With this expansion, Kohl’s customers will have access to 275 charging stations at more than 150 Kohl’s locations across 22 states.” Press release

 

People is working with CVS Health and Walmart to help consumers find convenient places to get immunized against COVID-19 at MediaPost. Read more

 

Tipsheet Extra

7-Eleven’s $70M branding campaign highlights ‘attitude’

BJ’s moving to a downsized corporate headquarters

Surging U.S. crop prices reverse fortunes in rural Iowa

More than 25% of all Starbucks orders in the U.S. are now paid for with a smartphone

Krebs: Task force seeks to disrupt ransomware payments

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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: Cornell +$77.5M | Gas Outage Summer? | Amazon #1 Best Workplace

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Coming this summer: Gas stations running out of gas at CNN. “Not that there’s a looming shortage of crude oil or gasoline. Rather, it’s the tanker truck drivers needed to deliver the gas to stations who are in short supply. According to the National Tank Truck Carriers, the industry’s trade group, somewhere between 20% to 25% of tank trucks in the fleet are parked heading into this summer due to a paucity of qualified drivers.” Read more

 

LinkedIn Top Companies 2021: The 50 best workplaces to grow your career in the U.S.

  • Amazon #1 / Walmart #9 / CVS #15 / Target #28 / Home Depot #48 List

 

Walmart Expands Delivery to Your Fridge at Bloomberg. “Pets must be kept out of the way, although Walmart is testing letting them roam free in one market. The service costs $19.95 a month with a 30-day free trial…Mumbi Mundia-Howe, a mother of five living in the Pittsburgh suburbs, likes that she gets the same delivery staff on each order. One unexpected benefit: The $20 fee is less than she tipped her regular grocery delivery people each month.” Read more

 

Target CEO Brian Cornell says George Floyd’s murder pushed him to do more about racial equity, diversity at CNBC. “He spoke in a wide-ranging interview with Ulta Beauty CEO Mary Dillon, which was hosted by the Economic Club of Chicago…As a young boy, Cornell grew up in a diverse neighborhood of Queens, New York, and was raised by a single mom. As an adult, he and his family lived in Asia and Europe.” Read more

 

Target CEO Brian Cornell’s total compensation rises to $77.5M at Fox Business. “The majority of Cornell’s compensation came from long-term equity awards that were either vested or exercised in 2020, which had a combined worth of $70 million. About $40.8 million came from restricted stock that was vested in 2020, while another $29.2 million came from options that were exercised.” Read more

 

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

 

Walmart’s latest strategy to get your stuff to you faster at CNN. “Walmart announced Wednesday that it will add dozens of 20,000 square-foot to 30,000 square-foot automated fulfillment centers in the coming years, either in the backrooms of its stores or next to them.” Read more

 

U.S. auto sales to more than double in April – J.D. Power, LMC Automotive at Reuters Read more

 

Target teams with Hilton Carter on a plant-focused home décor line at A Bullseye View. “Searches for plants on Target.com have increased by more than 300% over the last year — a clear indicator that guests want to bring some of the outdoors inside to brighten up their space,” says Jill Sando, executive vice president and chief merchandising officer, Target.” Read more

 

Elon Musk taunts Jeff Bezos over Blue Origin’s challenge to SpaceX’s contract for lunar lander at GeekWire. “Musk twisted the knife a bit on Twitter, using a phrase with sexual overtones to note that Blue Origin hasn’t yet launched a rocket to orbit. “Can’t get it up (to orbit) lol,” he wrote.” Read more

 

Tipsheet Extra

Girl Scout cookies take flight in Virginia drone deliveries

Elizabeth Warren takes aim at FedEx, Nike, Amazon in push for corporate tax hike

AP analysis: The expected COVID baby boom may be a baby bust

Mass. Attorney General: Vaccines should be required for public employees

Workers could get 12 weeks of paid leave under Biden’s plan

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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: Lawton @ Mad Money | WM BTW 6/30 | Bitcoin @ Camping World | WM Blasts Kanye

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Tractor Supply CEO @ “Mad Money” at CNBC. “Many millennials are leaving dense urban centers to settle in more rural communities, and the relocation trend has been a boon for Tractor Supply, CEO Hal Lawton told CNBC Monday. “We’ve been gaining market share with our core customer, but also with the new customer: the millennial customer,” Lawton said in a one-on-one with Jim Cramer on “Mad Money.” “We’re really seeing a revitalization of rural led by millennials.” Video/Read more

 

Camping World will accept Bitcoin at Fox Business. “The recreational vehicle dealer announced the offering in a new partnership with BitPay, a cryptocurrency payment service provider, in which it will also accept Ethereum (ETH) and a few other cryptocurrencies as forms of payment for RV purchases.” Read more

 

Amazon expands service that delivers groceries inside your garage at GeekWire. “Amazon is expanding its Key In-Garage Grocery Delivery service to more than 5,000 U.S. cities and towns. It launched in November in five cities.” Read more

 

Albertsons Companies Q4 identical sales growth up 11.8% Press release

 

Walmart provides update on workforce, officer diversity at Talk Business. “The retail giant provided a look into its workforce hiring and promoting practices over the past year in the annual Better Together report filed Monday (April 26)…it hired more than 480,000 new U.S. employees last year and people of color represented 55% of those new hires.” Read more

 

British grocery sales get shot in the arm from vaccinated over-65s at Reuters. “Kantar said the four week period was the busiest in store for grocers in more than a year, and the number of trips made in April increased by 4% compared to March. “With much of the over-65 community now vaccinated, older shoppers accounted for nearly half of the increased footfall,” said Fraser McKevitt, head of retail and consumer insight at Kantar.” Read more

 

**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. Most innovative new products 2019 & 2018 | Register now

 

Walmart blasts Kanye West’s new logo as a ‘lookalike’ at NY Post. “The design, which West’s company said may be used in conjunction with sneakers, underwear, T-shirts, furniture, modular homes and even hotel services, consists of eight lines made up of three dots each that emerge from a circle to form “rays,” according to legal papers.” Pics/Read more

 

Volume continues to surge at UPS to start the year at AP. “A surge in the volume of deliveries that arrived with the start of the pandemic has not eased at UPS, where consolidated average daily volume jumped 14.3% in the first quarter.” Read more

 

Walmart’s Fight Against a $15 Minimum Wage Could Thrust It Into the Inequality Debate at Bloomberg. “Doug McMillon, who began work at Walmart as an hourly associate, said raising wages to a blanket $15 minimum would compromise a “ladder of opportunity” that encourages its employees to strive to earn more as they climb the ranks. “The alternative would be to invest all of that to try and get to $15 faster, but if we do that, then we wouldn’t be able to create this succession that we are committed to creating.” Read more

 

Camping World acquires online campground reservation system campgroundbooking.com Press release

 

Foot traffic at a representative sample of 50 malls in March was up 86% from same month last year at Fox Business. “While that foot traffic was 24% lower than in March 2019, mall owners are suggesting that their business has turned a corner.” Read more

 

Walmart is planning for up to 50% of its corporate employees to return to their offices by July at Talk Business. Read more

 

How Hubert Joly Changed Best Buy Without Everyone Hating Him at Wall Street Journal. “A company fighting with its founder seemed crazy to me. I greatly admired what (founder) Dick had accomplished and said so to our employees. I wanted to build a positive relationship with him. A month after my stint in St. Cloud, I headed to Dick’s foundation office a few minutes from Best Buy’s headquarters. I entered Dick’s office, wearing a suit and tie, and handed him my résumé. “Under normal circumstances, you would have interviewed me,” I explained. “So I wanted to introduce myself properly.” Dick later told me that my gesture had touched him.” WSJ subs.

 

Amazon Launches IP Accelerator in Canada to Help Small Businesses Secure a Trademark and Protect Their Brands Press release

 

Tipsheet Extra

Nestlé doesn’t have valid rights to water it’s been bottling, California officials say

ADT sues Ring over ‘virtually indistinguishable’ blue octagon design

Jessica Alba’s Honest Co targets $1.5 bln valuation in U.S. IPO

SpartanNash names Communications VP

Workers 4-5 times less safe outside their workplace than inside it: report

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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: Costco/PBM Partner | WM VP Tech Q&A | New Homes +20.7%

/in

 

New home sales surged 20.7% in March to 1.02 million at AP. “The big jump in new home sales stood in contrast to sales of existing homes, which fell for a second consecutive month in March, a drop that was blamed on a lack of supply which has pushed exiting home prices to new highs.” Read more

 

Costco Brings Its Low-Price Magic to Employer-Paid Drug Plans at Bloomberg. “(Costco) has become partners with Navitus Health Solutions LLC, a small pharmacy benefit manager based in Madison, Wis., on a strategy that could rewrite the complicated playbook for running prescription plans…Navitus’s 100% pass-through model saved the retailer millions of dollars on drug costs, according to Costco CFO Richard Galanti, while aligning with a core Costco strategy. “We’ve always been known for passing on as much savings as possible directly to our member, to our customer, whether it’s food and sundries or prescriptions,” he says.” Tiered subs.

 

Amazon tests tool that lets brands contact shoppers in departure from its tight control over customers at CNBC. “Last week, Amazon began piloting a tool that enables U.S. brands who are part of its Brand Registry program to email marketing materials to shoppers that have opted to “follow” their brand. Brands can then notify those shoppers when they launch a new product or promotion.” Read more

 

Amazon reportedly bringing cashierless tech to its larger grocery store format at GeekWire. “Bloomberg uncovered planning documents for an Amazon Fresh store under construction in Connecticut that show entry and exit gates and ceiling-mounted racks, which are used in Amazon’s smaller Amazon Go and Go Grocery stores and eliminate the need for physical cashiers.” Read more

 

Albertsons Companies names Danielle Crop as Chief Data Officer “Crop was most recently Chief Data Officer at American Express.” Press release

 

How Walmart adapted its IoT strategy to the pandemic at VentureBeat. “VP of technology Sanjay Radhakrishnan oversees Walmart’s IoT platforms and applications. Radhakrishnan sat down with VentureBeat to describe the giant retail chain’s long-term data strategy and how it’s changed since last March to accommodate changing store ecosystems across the U.S.” Q&A

 

Lowe’s acquires Stainmaster brand Press release

 

**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. Most innovative new products 2019 & 2018 | Register now

 

How A Home Depot Store Manager Became A Top CEO at Investor’s Business Daily. “Tom Taylor joined Home Depot at just 16 years old — and became its youngest store manager at 22.  And he’s tapped that early hands-on experience to be the Floor & Decor CEO…Early on, “(I) learned that a title didn’t make me any better or smarter than anyone else,” he said. “We have to get things done as a team.” Read more

 

Gymnast Simone Biles is leaving Nike to work with Gap’s Athleta brand at CNBC. Read more

 

US drop in vaccine demand has some places turning down doses at AP News. “Across the country, pharmacists and public health officials are seeing the demand wane and supplies build up. About half of Iowa’s counties have stopped asking for new doses from the state, and Louisiana didn’t seek shipment of some vaccine doses over the past week.” Read more

 

Home Depot Pays $21M To End EPA’s Lead Paint Safety Suit Law 360 subs.

 

Target, Ross, Marshalls, Drug Chains: The Vegas Strip Is Now A Strip Mall at Forbes. “The high-end luxury stores may get all the attention but the truth is that Las Vegas’s famed main thoroughfare has moved big-time from class to mass.” Read more

 

Mattel Q1 net sales up 47% Press release

 

VF Corporation appoints Matt Puckett as CFO “Puckett, 47, recently marked his 20th anniversary with VF. He joined the company in 2001 as a Senior Accountant in the finance organization.” Press release

 

Tipsheet Extra

FDA: N95 masks, now plentiful, should no longer be reused

Presumptive top NFL draft pick Trevor Lawrence announces deal with Gatorade

Judge approves $5M settlement over Walmart sales tax class action

60% opt for rapid delivery vs. eco-friendly consolidated shipments

Leevers Acquires 17 Save A Lot Stores Around Philadelphia

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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: WM Zaps Towers | T. Supply +38.6% | Costco Warns | Wayfair +3 Sites

/in

 

Walmart Is Pulling Plug on More Robots at Wall Street Journal. “…phasing out the hulking automated pickup towers that were erected in more than 1,500 stores to dispense online orders…“The customer told us they want one pickup spot, and they want that pickup spot to be outside,” said a Walmart spokeswoman.” WSJ subs. | Fox Business

 

Tractor Supply Q1 comp sales up 38.6% “…included an increase in comparable average transaction count and ticket of 21.0% and 17.6%, respectively. All geographic regions of the Company had positive comparable store sales growth of at least 30%.” Press release

 

First-time claims for unemployment insurance totaled 547,000 last week, below the 603,000 Dow Jones estimate at CNBC. Read more

 

Department stores are still Americans’ favorite place to buy shoes at CNBC. “37% of people said they’ve bought shoes on a department store retailer’s website since the start of the health crisis, while 33% said they’ve made a footwear purchase recently in a brick-and-mortar department store. Specialty footwear stores, like DSW and Foot Locker, came in second place, at 20%.” Read more

 

Costco warns customers about 13 online scams at Fox Business. “The company posted 13 screenshots of “prominent fraudulent emails, texts, and posts” that Costco says are currently circulating the internet.” Read more

 

**A message from Comfy Sacks – Shredded foam bean bag sales continue their meteoric sales growth! Grab your share of this high growth category and add some “wow” and high dollar ring to your assortment. Easy onboard / Retail ready. Website | Sample: info@eyeonretail.net 

 

Supermarkets’ Revival Skips the Top Store-Brand Supplier at Wall Street Journal. “We had built this supply chain designed for tremendous efficiency but very low volatility,” TreeHouse Chief Executive Steve Oakland said in an interview. “When the pandemic hit, we had complexity meet volatility.” The company faces pressure from an activist investor…” WSJ subs.

 

Metro Q2 comp sales: Food up 5.5% / Pharmacy down 0.8% Press release

 

Supermarket Industry Rallies for Virtual ‘Day in Washington’ Fly-In at FMI. “More than 230 supermarket retailers and wholesalers from 143 companies and food industry state association executives from across the nation connected virtually today with members of Congress…” Press release

 

Wayfair to open three new Engineering sites in San Francisco, Austin and Toronto “The company plans to hire approximately 1,000 technologists…expanding its Engineering footprint to locations outside of its technology hubs in Boston and Berlin for the first time…” Press release

 

Piper Sandler 2021 Teen Survey “56% of teens cite Amazon as their No. 1 favorite e-com site…Ulta gained 700 bps share Y/Y as No. 1 beauty destination with 46% share…88% of teens own an iPhone…Snapchat is the favorite social media platform (31% share) followed by TikTok (30%) & Instagram (24%, down 700 bps Y/Y).” Read more

 

Walmart Contributes To Search Ad Spend Rise To $61.69B In 2020 at MediaPost. “For the first time, eMarketer broke out search advertising revenue at Walmart. The company grew its share in 2020, and will account for 1.1% of net search ad revenue this year.” Register to read

 

Overtime raises $80M from Jeff Bezos, Drake and others at Wall Street Journal. “Overtime Sports Inc., which targets younger fans on digital and social platforms, has raised $80 million in funding to pursue plans including the launch of its own high-school basketball league, the company said. The sports media and entertainment venture also hopes to tap the broader interest in nonfungible tokens and sports betting.” WSJ subs.

 

Tipsheet Extra

Queen Elizabeth II’s brand recognition higher than Kim Kardashian, Oprah Winfrey

Tesla offers a rare apology in China after an angry customer’s unruly protest

Target’s retail media group integrates the CitrusAd platform

Former Heisman Trophy winner partners with Dick’s Sporting Goods

Postal Service ‘elite police force’ monitors social media posts for potential threats

Read Tipsheet Extra Stories

 

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