Tipsheet: WM New Board Member | Big Lots +7.9% | Deliveroo IPO Soon

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GameStop shares jump after retailer taps Chewy co-founder Ryan Cohen to lead e-commerce shift at CNBC. “Cohen is serving as chairman of a special committee formed by GameStop’s board to help its transformation. Board members Alan Attal, Chewy’s former top operations executive, and Kurt Wolf, chief investment officer of Hestia Capital Management, also serve on the committee.” Read more

 

Big Lots Q4 comp sales +7.9% Press release

 

Amazon-backed Deliveroo reveals it lost $309 million in 2020 ahead of IPO at CNBC. “A date for Deliveroo’s initial public offering has not been officially announced but it is likely to be in the next few weeks, and the company could be valued at up to $10 billion. Goldman Sachs and JP Morgan Cazenove have been appointed as the joint global coordinators.” Read more

 

Inside Jeff Bezos’s failed attempt to make Amazon “cool” like Apple and Nike “Ficklin worked for months under clandestine conditions he had never experienced before: inside a faraday cage, or an electrified room, with walls that blocked wireless signals. This level of security ensured no wireless signals could go in or out to leak information on the product. Eight perfectly clean human bodies, working on laptops that were required to stay in that room over the course of months, eventually permeated the space with an unavoidable biological odor. When his team visited Amazon’s Seattle offices, they were banned from taking Ubers, which could theoretically be tracked, or even from entering the building through the same entrance, lest an eagle-eyed reporter notice.” Fast Company subs.

 

PriceSmart February net merchandise sales +1.3% 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 Amazon landed a key role in ‘Nomadland’ at GeekWire. “McDormand told THR that one downside of Amazon letting her in was that “some people got some packages that I packaged that were pretty bad.” “Nomadland” cinematographer Joshua James Richards told The Wrap that it was great to show Fern working in an actual Amazon FC, that the company was “totally accommodating” and that McDormand did real work.” Read more

 

Bezos Scores $218K Fees After ‘Overstaffed’ Legal Team’s Win Law 360 subs.

 

Walmart adds former AT&T chairman to board of directors at Talk Business. “Randall Stephenson, 60, retired in January 2021 as executive board chairman of AT&T after a 38-year career with the company…” Read more

 

H-E-B’s Stephen Butt shares the grocers new plans Dallas Morning News subs.

 

UK’s Tesco commits to healthy food sales target after shareholder pressure at Reuters. “…committed to increase its sales of healthy food to 65% of total sales by 2025 following pressure from some shareholders to set targets…would represent a jump from the current level of 58%…” Read more

 

Tipsheet Extra Stories

Savion lands purchase agreement with Target for huge solar project

Shopify takes a shot at Amazon over alleged copycat products

Albertsons testing remote-controlled delivery

Dolce & Gabbana seeks over $600M damages from two U.S. bloggers

Sprouts provides a peek at its new store format

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Tipsheet: Costco Bacon Demand +45% | Saks Splits | Canada Will Probe Grocers/Suppliers

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Costco comp sales (ex-gas & f/x): Q2 +13.0% / February +13.8% Press release

 

…Costco bacon demand jumps 45% at Fox Business. “(CFO) Galanti, who is skilled at explaining Costco’s hits and misses in plain speak, ballparked the inflationary uptick. “Some categories are in that 2-4% range, some like meat and pork a little higher than that, produce is flat” he detailed in response to a question. However, overall inflation is flat to up 1-1.5% he clarified.” Read more

 

Costco Wholesale’s Q2 Earnings Call Transcript Seeking Alpha

 

Greg Smith, head of Walmart supply chain, exits to Medtronic at Talk Business. “(Furner) said Walmart is beginning a search for a new chief supply chain officer. “We’re also conducting an internal process to fill a supply chain chief Operating officer (COO) role under that position, and this new COO role will have responsibility for leading our distribution centers, fulfillment centers and transportation fleet…” Read more

 

CANADA – Government probe into ongoing grocer-supplier dispute confirms rift ‘needs attention’ at Financial Post. “The minister leading an investigation into the Canadian grocery sector says he is now certain something must be done to ease tensions between the major supermarket chains and their suppliers.” Read more

 

Activist investor group says Kohl’s earnings show ‘best of worst’ in retail, continues push for change at CNBC. “The group of activists looking to seize control of Kohl’s board published a letter saying the retailer’s latest quarterly financial results were lackluster. ″[Kohl’s] board seems to be content performing just slightly better than the worst companies in retail,” the group said in a letter sent to Kohl’s shareholders.” 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

 

Saks Fifth Avenue Owner to Separate E-Commerce and Stores Units at Wall Street Journal. “Insight Partners has put up $500 million for a minority stake in Saks.com, valuing the business at $2 billion…Few changes will be visible to customers…Shoppers will be able to buy online and pick up in stores. They will also be able to make returns and exchanges and use their Saks credit cards either at the stores or online. The online business will oversee the marketing and merchandising for both channels.” WSJ subs. | Reuters

 

Kroger ups average pay to $15.50 per hour as digital sales top $10 billion at Cincinnati Enquirer via USA Today. Read more

 

Bed Bath & Beyond CEO Mark Tritton @ CNBC Yesterday at CNBC. “Customers are open to new brands, exploring new brands, from trusted resources and retailers that they have a great relationship with,” Tritton said.” Video/Read more

 

Kroger Q4 Earnings Call Transcript Seeking Alpha

 

Gap CEO predicts spending spree post-pandemic at Fox Business. “We’re quite optimistic,” Chief Executive Sonia Syngal said in an interview. “We do think there’s going to be this peacocking effect that happens, as people emerge from Covid.” Read more

 

BJ’s Wholesale Club Earnings Call Transcript Seeking Alpha

 

Tipsheet Extra

A sand shortage? The world is running out of a crucial commodity

Freshly adds Amazon private brand exec

Kroger’s Ocado facility delivers first load

Betty Crocker, Barbie launch science-based baking lab to encourage girls

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Tipsheet: Kroger +10.6% | Costco #1 Trust | Burlington Eyes 2K Stores

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Kroger Q4 identical sales (ex-fuel) +10.6% Press release

 

BJ’s Wholesale Q4 comp sales (ex-gas) +15.9% “Adjusted EBITDA increased 36.1% year-over-year to $204.5 million, for the fourth quarter of fiscal 2020.” Press release

 

Burlington Stores, Inc. Q4 comp sales flat “Michael O’Sullivan, CEO, stated, “We saw comparable store sales improve sequentially as the quarter progressed, starting with a double digit decline in November, improving to flat in December, and then accelerating to double digit growth in January.” Press release

 

…Burlington has increased its long-term store target to 2,000 stores, up from its previous store target of 1,000 stores…The Company operated 761 stores as of the end of the fourth quarter of 2020.

 

Walmart’s Flipkart in early talks for U.S. listing via SPAC deal – sources at Reuters. “…although a traditional stock market listing is much more likely, people familiar with the matter said. The talks for a deal with a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) are at a very early stage and could fall apart as no plans have been finalized yet, said the people, who declined to be named as the information is confidential.” Read more

 

The Buckle, Inc. February comp sales up 5.3% Press release

 

Disney to close at least 60 Disney Stores in North America before end of year at USA Today. “That amounts to about one-third of the stores in North America; there are about 300 worldwide.” 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 on about 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.

 

Bed Bath & Beyond bets on in-store brands to revitalize business at Fox Business. “Bed Bath & Beyond CEO Mark Tritton, who employed a similar strategy during his stint as a merchandising executive at Target, said the plan represented the “most significant transformation of our product assortment in a generation.” Read more

 

Amazon in Talks to Carry Many NFL Games Exclusively on Prime Video at Wall Street Journal. “Fox Corp.’s annual average fee for its Sunday afternoon games is expected to jump to around $2 billion from the current $1.1 billion, the people familiar with those negotiations said. ViacomCBS Inc. likely will see its average fee per season of Sunday afternoon games go from $1 billion to the $2 billion range, the people said.” WSJ subs.

 

Walmart says it will spend an additional $350 billion on American-made products over the next decade at CNBC. Read more

 

Gap Inc. appoints former Disney exec Salaam Coleman Smith to its Board of Directors Press release

 

Costco, Amazon and Apple Take Top Spots in Verint Retail Customer Satisfaction Study “Costco received the highest score related to trust (86.5) and company recommendations (87.4). Amazon received the highest satisfaction score for online purchases (87.7) and returns online (87.7), while Apple came in third for satisfaction (85.1). Costco also received the highest NPS ranking and scored well in multiple satisfaction drivers, including service, price and merchandise.” Press release

 

Lowe’s Announces Stores will Close on Easter Sunday, April 4, for a Second Year Press release

 

The first Home Depot proposed for Mission Valley, CA is facing opposition at San Diego Union-Tribune. “Bruce Coons, leader of the Save Our Heritage Organisation , said his group lobbied city officials to preserve the Bowlero building, which was a popular bowling alley from 1957 to 1964. “A lot of people have fond memories of it,” said Coons.” Read more

 

Tipsheet Extra

Overtime is starting a basketball league for 16-to-18-year-olds that pays at least $100K a year

Square, Inc. is buying a majority stake in Jay-Z’s streaming service Tidal

Kate Spade announces new structure for creative organization

Downstream, which helps brands with their Amazon ads, acquired by Jungle Scout

Alamo Drafthouse Files for Chapter 11

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Tipsheet: Michaels Sold | D. Tree Inc +4.9% | H-E-B No Mask

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Michaels Companies to be bought by Apollo Global in $5 billion deal at CNBC. “Apollo will commence a tender offer to acquire all outstanding shares of Michaels for $22.00 per share in cash. The purchase price represents a 47% premium to the closing stock price on February 26, 2021 (the last trading day prior to press speculation about a potential transaction involving Michaels).” Press release

 

Dollar Tree, Inc Q4 comp sales: Enterprise +4.9% / Family Dollar +8.1% / Dollar Tree +2.4% Press release

 

…Big-box competition hits Dollar Tree sales, shares fall at Reuters. “Net sales rose 7.2% to $6.77 billion but missed estimates of $6.79 billion, according to IBES data from Refinitiv.” Read more

 

Walmart sweetens pay for most U.S. hourly workers on the coasts at Reuters. “The world’s biggest retailer also said it has seen a slight increase in job applications for digital and stocking roles, mostly internally. “(This) tells us that we’re becoming more competitive for this type of work,” said Drew Holler, Walmart’s head of people operations.” Read more

 

Nordstrom Q4 net sales down 20% Press release

 

…Nordstrom shares fall as shipping delays boost retailer’s inventory heading into 2021 at CNBC. “Nordstrom reported fourth-quarter sales and earnings that topped analysts’ estimates…But the company cautioned that it has been recently impacted by shipping delays…” Read more

 

Ross Stores Q4 comp sales down 6% Press release

 

**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. Indianapolis June 23-25, 2021. Show overview | Most Innovative New Product Awards | Destination Retail

 

Amazon is set to open its first U.K. Amazon Go supermarket in Ealing, west London at Eater. “The supermarket is set to open this week, joining the 27 Amazon Go supermarkets across the U.S. It’s reportedly been in the planning since 2017, when Amazon applied for trademarks on some doozy marketing lines: “No Lines, No Checkout. (No, Seriously),” and “No Queue, No Checkout. (No, Seriously).” Read more

 

Instacart raises $265M at a $39B valuation at TechCrunch. “The new funding, which, like its past few rounds, isn’t assigned a Series alphabetical designation, pushes the company’s valuation to $39 billion — more than double its $17.7 billion valuation when it raised its last financing, a $200 million venture round in October 2020.” Read more

 

Amazon appoints Laura Sutphen as director of corporate communications PR Week subs.

 

Best Buy Appoints Steven E. Rendle – Chairman, President and CEO of VF Corp – to Board of Directors Press release

 

Amazon tweaks cardboard box tape in new app icon after some saw Hitler’s mustache in the design at GeekWire. “The new icon changes the look of the tape above Amazon’s smile logo — which some thought looked a little too much like the German dictator’s mustache — and changed it from a jagged edge to a folded look.” Pics/Read more

 

Target Announces 2021 Strategic Investments “Following 30 store openings in 2020, including adding a record 29 new small-format stores in a single year, Target plans to accelerate the pace and open 30-40 new stores each year to meet community needs in urban centers, college campuses and dense suburban cities across the country.” Press release

 

H-E-B will require workers to wear masks, can only ask customers to do the same at KSAT. Read more

 

Emerging Europe.com bolsters defences as Amazon enters Poland at Reuters. “As Amazon sets its sights on central and eastern Europe, the e-commerce giant will need to convince long-time Allegro shoppers like Elzbieta Modrakowska to click away from the region’s leading online marketplace.” Read more

 

Tipsheet Extra

HBR: How Employers Can Reduce Vaccine Hesitancy

Payroll/HR Giant PrismHR Hit by Ransomware?

Amazon issues rare apology in India

Experts sound the alarm on declining birth rates among younger generations

Universal set to resume construction of Epic Universe park in Florida

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Subscribe to Eye on Retail Tipsheet here

 

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Tipsheet: Target Bucks Satisfaction Trend | Macy’s Ends COO Role | Traffic Light Timing

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Target Q4 comp sales +20.5% “…comparable traffic growth of 6.5 percent and a 13.1 percent increase in average ticket. Store comparable sales increased 6.9 percent. Digital comparable sales grew 118 percent…More than 95 percent of Target’s fourth quarter sales were fulfilled by its stores.” Press release

 

Kohl’s Q4 net sales fell to $5.88 billion from $6.54 billion a year earlier, topping the $5.86 billion forecast by analysts at CNBC. Read more

 

Customer Satisfaction in Retail Falls to Lowest Point Since 2015, ACSI Data Show “For 2020, online retail loses the most ground among all retail categories, tumbling 3.7% to an ACSI score of 78. Nordstrom captures the industry lead despite retreating 1% to 81. In second place, Costco (down 1%), Etsy (down 2%), and Newegg (down 1%) are all deadlocked at 80. Former industry leader Amazon tumbles 5% to an all-time low score of 79. With a stable score of 78, Target is the only e-commerce retailer to buck the downward ACSI trend.” Press release

 

Amazon Workers’ Union Drive Reaches Far Beyond Alabama at NY Times. “In this charged atmosphere, even routine things have become suspect. The union has raised questions about the changing of the timing of a traffic light near the warehouse where labor organizers try to talk to the workers as they are stopped in their vehicles while leaving the facility.” Read more

 

…Inside Joe Biden’s decision to dive into the Amazon union drive at Politico. “Democrats approached Biden advisers early this year to voice support for the factory workers. Discussions between White House Chief of Staff Ron Klain, unions, and allied operatives took further shape in early February and continued through recent weeks.” Read more

 

AutoZone Q2 comp sales +15.2% Press release

 

Abercrombie quarterly sales fall 5% at Reuters. “Net sales fell to $1.12 billion from $1.18 billion a year earlier, in line with analysts’ average estimate of $1.12 billion, according to Refinitiv IBES data.” Read more

 

Macy’s, Inc. Announces Changes to Its Senior Leadership Team “John Harper, chief operations officer, will depart the company effective August 1, 2021. Subsequently, the role of chief operations officer will be eliminated…Laura Miller has been appointed chief information officer…” Press release

 

Kroger Announces Retirement of EVP and COO Mike Donnelly Press release

 

**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.

 

Walmart drops the $35 order minimum on its 2-hour ‘Express’ delivery service at TechCrunch. Read more

 

CVS, Walgreens Look for Big Data Reward From Covid-19 Vaccinations at Wall Street Journal. “Every one of these customers is coming through our digital front end, so we have their email, we have their text message, and we have the ability to communicate with them regularly,” said Jonathan Roberts, CVS chief operating officer. CVS executives say they plan to stay in touch with vaccine recipients beyond receiving their second shot…” WSJ subs.

 

Czech on-demand grocery delivery startup Rohlik bags $230M to expand across Europe at TechCrunch. Read more

 

Instacart checks out another Amazon ad sales exec as hiring spree continues at Ad Age. “Instacart announced that it hired (Ryan) Mayward as VP of ad sales. Mayward was a sales director at Amazon for nearly a decade, where he helped Amazon grow its agency relationships and advertising technology business. At Instacart, Mayward rejoins Seth Dallaire, chief revenue officer, who left Amazon as head of its global ad sales team in 2019.” Read more

 

SpartanNash has promoted Amy McClellan to Vice President, Fresh Merchandising, effective March 8 Press release

 

Tipsheet Extra

What if USPS delivered local produce in the mail?

The brutal truth you must accept to write well, according to Jeff Bezos

To go electric, America needs more mines. Can it build them?

Tensions over vaccine equity pit rural against urban America

Apple says all 270 US stores open for first time since pandemic began

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Subscribe to Eye on Retail Tipsheet here

 

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Tipsheet: WM Poaches Goldman | Giant Eagle #1 w/Greenpeace | CA City: No New Gas Stations

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Goldman Consumer Head Is Leaving to Run Walmart Fintech at Wall Street Journal. “Mr. Ismail, who first joined Goldman nearly 20 years ago, was among a group of executives who came up with a strategy to expand into digital banking services in 2014. By the end of last year, that business generated $1.2 billion in annual revenue, had amassed $97 billion in deposits and held $8 billion in consumer-loan balances.” WSJ subs.

 

Walmart Lures Goldman Bankers in Bid to Fight Wall Street at Bloomberg. “David Stark, one of (Omer Ismail’s) top lieutenants at Goldman, will join him in the new venture, the people said, asking not to be identified as the moves haven’t been announced. “Our business has serious momentum and a deep and growing bench of talent,” said Andrew Williams, a Goldman Sachs spokesman. “We wish these two well.” Walmart didn’t immediately respond to calls seeking comment.” Read more

 

Biden urges workers to ‘make your voice heard’ as Amazon employees vote on union at Reuters. “Biden didn’t mention Amazon, but specifically referenced “workers in Alabama” in the video and a tweet introducing it. He said every worker should have a free and fair choice to join a union, and no employer could take that away. “It’s your right…So make your voice heard,” he said.” Read more

 

Could an Amazon union form in Iowa? The Teamsters say they’re organizing employees. by Tyler Jett at Des Moines Register via USA Today. “International Brotherhood of Teamsters Local 238 Organizing Director Buzz Malone said Friday that he has been recruiting workers to organize since November. He said the union has approached “400 to 500″ current or former employees, primarily tied to Amazon’s distribution centers in Grimes and Iowa City.” Read more

 

KKR and Rakuten Complete Seiyu Share Purchase from Walmart “With the completion of the transactions, KKR owns a 65% stake in Seiyu and Rakuten DX Solution owns a 20% stake in the Company. Walmart retains a 15% stake in Seiyu.” Press release

 

At-home fitness company Tonal to open shops within 40 Nordstrom stores at CNBC. “It’s found a new partner in Tonal, a company that sells a wall-mounted workout station for $2,995…The 50-square-foot shops will be located in Nordstrom’s active department next to workout apparel and other fitness accessories. Customers will be able to demo the Tonal device and speak with a Tonal employee.” Read more

 

Costco to raise minimum wage to $16 per hour starting next week at Fox Business. 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 on about 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.

 

Costco, Whole Foods rise in Greenpeace rankings of grocery chains’ plastic use at Seattle Times. “Giant Eagle was crowned the best performer on plastics use for its commitment to eliminate all single-use plastics by 2025. Aldi, Sprouts Farmers Market, Kroger — which owns Fred Meyer and QFC — and Albertsons were the next-best chains.” Read more/Top 10

 

Sprouts Q4 comp sales +3.7% Press release

 

‘Nomadland’ spotlights Amazon’s RV workforce — here’s what it’s really like at CNBC. “The CamperForce experience depicted in “Nomadland” is a fairly realistic portrayal of what Martinez-Machen and others experience each year. CamperForce draws nomads from all corners of the country, many of them elderly, but increasingly younger and with families in tow, to a growing number of Amazon warehouses…” Read more

 

…Golden Globes: ‘Nomadland’s’ Double Wins Put It in Driver’s Seat This Awards Season at Variety. Read more

 

UPS Boss Preaches the Power of No at Wall Street Journal. “Ms. Tomé is taking more of a retailer’s approach to UPS’s 1.9 million customers, viewing them as a portfolio that needs segmentation.”…“Home Depot didn’t make much money on lumber. They made more money on the attachments that they sold on lumber,” Ms. Tomé said. “As we look at our customer mix, we run it like a portfolio, much like retail.” WSJ subs.

 

Etsy CEO hopes to build more e-commerce market share no matter what happens with Covid at CNBC. “If I look at 2020, e-commerce grew at a crazy rate. E-commerce grew at over 40% year over year, and yet Etsy grew 2.5 times the rate of e-commerce,” he said. “I don’t know what e-commerce is going to do in 2021,” he acknowledged, but added, “I hope and believe that Etsy will be able to continue to outpace e-commerce overall.” Read more

 

Amazon’s Lack of Public Disclosure on SolarWinds Hack Angers Lawmakers at Wall Street Journal. “While cybersecurity experts say it is nearly impossible to prevent hackers from misusing cloud services, as is alleged to have occurred in this case, they also say that Amazon is likely sitting on critical information that could shed light on the scope of the attacks and the tactics used by the cybercriminals. U.S. authorities say the intruders are likely Russian intelligence agents.” WSJ subs.

 

This California city banned the construction of any new gas stations at Fast Company. “In the California city of Petaluma, which covers less than 15 square miles, there are currently 16 gas stations. But there will never be another one, even if one of the existing stations goes out of business.” Read more

 

Tipsheet Extra

Local pharmacies say they need more COVID vaccines

Virginia is the 16th U.S. state to legalize marijuana

Amazon Kids adds new browser setting control to give children access to more sites

Krebs: How $100M in Jobless Claims Went to Inmates

Twitch, owned by Amazon, pulls Amazon’s anti-union ads

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

/in

 

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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Eye on Retail Tipsheet is must-read material for retail execs every weekday morning. Tipsheet stories are carefully curated bright and early every morning to ensure fresh and unique content.

 

Subscribe to Eye on Retail Tipsheet here

 

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

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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

 

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