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

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

 

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

 

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

 

Macy’s Q4 comp sales -17.1% Press release

 

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

 

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

 

Dillard’s Q4 comp sales -17.0% Press release

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

Tipsheet Extra

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

10 grocers earn perfect scores for LGBTQ+ equality

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

JPMorgan Chase taps $30B to advance racial equity

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

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

**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.

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

Tipsheet Extra

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

Outdoor NHL game turns into a nightmare for players

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

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

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

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

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

Tipsheet Extra

Giant’s Philadelphia flagship readies opening

Yeti is bringing its indestructible product savvy to luggage

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

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

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

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

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

Blue Apron Q4 net revenue +22% Press release

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

Tipsheet Extra

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

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

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

Accenture to hire 150 moms for ‘highly coveted roles’

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

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

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

Tipsheet Extra Stories

Home Depot co-founders create mental health network for veterans

Ahold Delhaize USA to Build Philadelphia AutoStore Facility

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

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

Disney+ Subscribers to Exceed Netflix Users in 2026: Analyst

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

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

 

CVS Health Q4 revenue up nearly 4% Press release

 

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

 

Advance Auto Parts Q4 comp sales +4.7% Press release

 

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

 

US Foods Q4 net sales down 11.5% Press release

 

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

 

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

 

**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 | 2021 Awards | Destination Retail

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

Tipsheet Extra

Q&A: Kroger diversity plan takes action

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

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

Electric Aircraft Demand Seen Growing for Deliveries

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

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

/in

 

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

 

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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

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