T.Supply -0.5% | Pallet Thieves | Shoplifting +24%

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Shoplifting skyrockets by 24% across US even as most other crimes fall to pre-pandemic levels at NY Post. “The study reviewed crime statistics from 23 cities across the US, finding shoplifting has steadily been on the rise since the country began emerging from the COVID-19 pandemic around 2022.” Read more

 

Tractor Supply Q2 comp store sales down 0.5% Press release

 

Walmart’s chief technologist reveals how Gen Z habits will define the next great retail transformation at Fortune/Yahoo. “Earlier this year, Walmart chief technologist Suresh Kumar argued that the 62-year-old retailer is in the process of transforming the industry through a framework his company dubbed “Adaptive Retail.”…Now Kumar – who previously worked a combined 20 years for Amazon, Google and Microsoft – and fellow Walmart leaders have the research that they believe backs up their vision.” Read more

 

…Walmart Releases First Annual State of Adaptive Retail Report

 

When This Supply-Chain Essential Goes Missing, It’s Time to Bring in the ‘Pallet Detectives’ at WSJ. “When the world’s biggest supplier of wooden pallets tries to recover its lost property from junkyards and hard-to-find lots, things can get ugly. “If you’re in Europe, it goes relatively easily. If you’re in Alabama, unfortunately sometimes a guy comes out with two dogs and a shotgun,” said Graham Chipchase, chief executive of Brambles, which owns and rents reusable pallets to companies including manufacturers, suppliers and retailers.” WSJ subs.

 

Are schools asking too much for back-to-school shopping? Many parents say yes. at USA Today. “More than…70%, believe that schools ask them to buy too much during the back-to-school season…Eighty-six percent of parents think the cost of education is out of control…52% of those surveyed, also expect to pay more for back-to-school shopping this year than last year.” Read more

 

Sam’s Club MAP Launches Display Ads in Sam’s Club Mobile App’s Unique Scan & Go Feature “Sam’s Club MAP is the first and only retail media platform to integrate ads in a mobile, self-checkout app experience…” Press release

 

Home goods retailer Conn’s files for bankruptcy, to close over 70 stores at Fox Business

 

Loblaw, George Weston to settle class action over bread price-fixing for $500 million at CTV. “The class-action case was brought against a group of companies that includes Loblaw and the Weston companies, Metro, Walmart Canada, Giant Tiger and Sobeys and its owner Empire Co. Ltd.” Read more

 

…Loblaw faces privacy probe over customers’ claims they can’t delete PC Optimum accounts at Financial Post

 

Best Buy Introducing ‘Spokeshologram’ at Adweek

 

Walmart’s New Campaign Gives Farmers a Voice at Progressive Grocer. “I saw that we had a perception issue in produce,” Evan Gaetano, manager of site merchandising-grocery e-commerce at Walmart and one of the architects of the campaign, exclusively told Progressive Grocer…To remedy this situation, Walmart launched the American Farmers campaign on Walmart.com, which “highlights our growers and puts them front and center on our shoppable pages,” noted Gaetano.” Read more

 

Boxed.com relaunch Press release

 

Hibbett announces completion of acquisition by JD Sports Fashion Press release

 

***Eye on Retail Tipsheet will return August 6th. Thanks for reading!

Contact: jlong@eyeonretail.net

B. Buy “Imagine That” | Buc-ee’s Hot | Alexa Not | Amazombies

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Inside Best Buy’s push to get back to sales growth, cash in on AI craze at CNBC. “Best Buy on Tuesday announced new plans to try to reverse a two-year sales slump…said it would add trained sales teams to key parts of its stores, create more YouTube videos to pique customers’ curiosity and kick off a marketing campaign with a fresh tagline: “Imagine that.”  In an interview with CNBC, CEO Corie Barry said customers told Best Buy that retailers’ store experiences and the technology they offer have “lost a bit of [their] sparkle.” Read more

 

Listeria outbreak linked to deli meat leaves 2 dead, 28 hospitalized in 12 states at USA Today. “The agency said the sick people’s samples were collected between May 28 and July 5. During interviews, 16 of 18 said they ate meat sliced at a deli counter, most commonly deli-sliced turkey, liverwurst, and ham.” Read more/Map

 

Albertsons Companies, Inc Q1 ID sales +1.4% Press release

 

Target store employees’ new helper? A generative AI chatbot to answer their questions at Star Tribune. “Now in the testing phase, when Store Companion is rolled out chainwide in August, Target will be the first major retailer to employ a generative AI tool widely.” Read more

 

…Target Employees Hate Its New AI Chatbot at Forbes. “The retail company, which has seen slow sales, has made AI part of its growth strategy. But staff said that ‘Help AI’ is a poorly designed tool and a waste of resources.” Forbes Subs.

 

Alexa Is in Millions of Households—and Amazon Is Losing Billions at WSJ. “A decade later, the payoff for Echo hasn’t arrived. While hundreds of millions of customers have Alexa-enabled devices, the idea that people would spend meaningful amounts of money to buy goods on Amazon by talking to the iconic voice assistant on the underpriced speakers didn’t take off. Customers actually used Echo mostly for free apps such as setting alarms and checking the weather. “We worried we’ve hired 10,000 people and we’ve built a smart timer,” said a former senior employee.” WSJ subs.

 

Newsweek: America’s Best Retailers 2024

  • Costco #1 Superstores
  • Buc-ee’s #1 C-store (#3 overall!)
  • Bass Pro #1 Outdoor Gear
  • Tractor Supply #1 Home Improvement

Read more/See all categories

 

Returns of the ‘Amazombies’: Unwanted packages are a retail nightmare at Washington Post/Yahoo. “When Amazon signed deals to turn brick-and-mortar retail stores into Amazon drop-off points, it was supposed to be a win-win: easier returns would mean happier customers while bringing more foot traffic into ailing retail locations. But store employees say the “Amazombies” have become a plague on their working lives, wasting staff time without increasing revenue while creating long lines, frayed tempers, and mounting piles of boxes and plastic waste. Some UPS Store and Kohl’s locations have had to allocate additional staff just to handle the workload.” Read more

 

Padres pitcher Yu Darvish autographs paint mixer stick at Home Depot at Sports Illustrated

 

Back-to-school shopping comes earlier at Talk Business. “A recent survey by JLL found parents plan to spend 21.8% more on back-to-school shopping this year…JLL also found consumers plan to start shopping early this year to spread out the costs over multiple pay periods.” Read more

 

…Today: NRF Back-to-Class Webinar at 1pm ET Register

 

Amazon partners with Better Business Bureau in its first joint lawsuit against fake review brokers at GeekWire. “Amazon and the Better Business Bureau filed a lawsuit…against a business called ReviewServiceUSA.com that allegedly facilitated the sale of fake, positive reviews on Amazon product listings and Better Business Bureau profile pages.” Read more

 

Federal Reserve fines Walmart-linked Green Dot Corp $44 million after customers lost access to funds at NBC News

 

Drug Middlemen Push Patients to Pricier Medicines, House Probe Finds at WSJ. “The pharmacy-benefit managers, or PBMs, have devised formularies of preferred medicines that encouraged use of higher-priced drugs over lower-priced alternatives…PBMs have also made patients pay more to use their local pharmacy rather than a mail-order pharmacy affiliated with the manager, according to a committee report reviewed by The Wall Street Journal.” WSJ subs.

 

CANADA – Walmart, Costco sign on to grocery code of conduct – all the major Canadian grocers are now on board at CTV

Shoplifter Shaming | WM Greeter Pens Book | Teen Workers Back

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More teens are working. Here’s why a job is ‘becoming more compelling’ for them, economist says at CNBC. “Last month, more than 5.7 million 16- to 19-year-olds participated in the labor market, Bureau of Labor Statistics data shows, marking the highest teen employment rate in June since 2007. While data shows that this is still far below the more than 8 million teen workers recorded in the late ’70s, the figures show that teen employment has steadily grown over the past decade.” Read more

 

Petco has named former Five Below CEO Joel D. Anderson as its new CEO at Pymnts. “Before joining Five Below, Anderson served for three years as the president and CEO of Walmart.com and for four years as a divisional senior vice president at Walmart stores.” Read more

 

US buyers spent $7.2B on the first day of Amazon’s Prime Day sales event at TechCrunch. “Consumer spend in the U.S. for the first day of Amazon Prime Day recorded 11.7% year-on-year growth according to data by Adobe Analytics.” Read more

 

Meta in Talks to Buy Stake in Eyewear Giant EssilorLuxottica at WSJ. “By acquiring a stake in Paris-based EssilorLuxottica, Meta is aiming to build on the momentum of the Ray-Ban Meta’s success and build more devices together, the people said.” WSJ subs.

 

Walmart Has a New Vice President of Beauty at WWD/Yahoo. “Vinima Shekhar has been named the retail giant’s new vice president of beauty, according to an internal memo dated Tuesday from Silvia Kawas, executive vice president of consumables, obtained by WWD. Shekhar succeeds Creighton Kiper, who was promoted to senior vice president of the retailer’s home business.” Read more

 

Businesses around Amazon HQ are bustling, a year after tech giant’s return-to-office mandate at GeekWire. “Business owners and workers said the three-day mandate has “made a big difference,” that South Lake Union is a vibrant neighborhood once again…Amazon is now starting to track individual hours spent in the office for some employees and requiring a minimum of two hours per visit, Business Insider reported this week.” Read more

 

Walmart greeter pens book about people he’s met on the job at Standard Democrat. “…when his first wife, Shirley, died…he became depressed and began journaling…Warner said as a Christian, he decided to pray about his talent…Two weeks later, Warner was checking out at Walmart when the idea occurred to him. “I looked up and thought, ‘They are all in here; everybody has a story in here,’” Warner said.” Read more

 

Costco Could Lose $389 Million A Year On Its Rotisserie Chicken Change at Seeking Alpha

 

Costco’s bold new plan for the California housing crisis at SF Gate. “An approved upcoming Costco location in South Los Angeles (the Baldwin Village/Crenshaw area specifically) is slated to open in the coming years…the build would encompass not only the Costco store (and necessary parking) but a whopping 800 residential units, including 184 set aside specifically for low-income tenants.” Renderings/Read more

 

Buc-ee’s first Ohio travel center set to break ground this summer at MRT

 

Trendy Brooklyn vintage shop hit by shoplifters fights back with art installation of thieves’ photos at NY Post. “It definitely helps stop the repeat shoplifters. Usually the people who are on the wall do not come back…Ryu, 40, said of the artsy wall of shame…The worst repeat offender is shown in a photo sporting a yellow cap next to the Sharpie-penned phrase,  “We got the winner!! If you know this person, you are the winner too!!” Read more/Pics

 

Bentonville apartments sell for $34 million to Walton brothers at Talk Business

 

Toys ‘R’ Us AI-generated ad sparks fear, fascination at Fox News. “In a move that’s turning heads in both the marketing and tech worlds, Toys “R” Us has partnered with creative agency Native Foreign to create a groundbreaking brand film. But this isn’t your average promotional video. It’s been crafted using OpenAI’s Sora, a text-to-video AI tool that’s pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in content creation.” Read more

 

2024 Best Places to Work for Disability Inclusion (Walmart/Target/Meijer/Etc.) List

 

Historic utility and high fashion. 80-year-old LL Bean staple finds a new audience as a trendy bag at AP. “The simple, sturdy canvas bag called the Boat and Tote is having an extended moment 80 years after its introduction, thanks to a social media trend in which they’re monogrammed with ironic or flashy phrases.” Read more

 

Discount furniture retail chain Conn’s HomePlus is considering a Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing at The Street

 

Home Depot Halloween – 12-foot Skelly gets a pet dog at USA Today. “Home Depot also has a new multi-setting eye kit and a new lighting kit for Skelly…The new kits are compatible with older Skelly models…Lance Allen, Home Depot’s senior merchant of decorative holiday, said the retailer wanted to enable existing Skelly owners to upgrade their setup without having to repurchase any products. “We are really focused on affordability this year,” he said.” Read more/Pics

 

 

2/3 Hide Purchase | Used Diaper Tanks Biz | Fake Mahomes @ Walmart

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US retail sales unchanged in June, beating forecasts for slight drop at Reuters. “Economists polled by Reuters had forecast retail sales…falling 0.3% after a previously reported 0.1% gain in May.” Read more

 

Walmart retools its young adult clothing line in pursuit of fashion credibility at AP. “The company plans to relaunch its 30-year-old brand for teenagers and young adults on Tuesday with a new 130-piece fall collection aimed at Generation Z. The retooling of the No Boundaries label…includes of-the-moment styles like baggy jeans, cropped T-shirts, faux leather corsets and bomber jackets. Most items cost $15 or less. Some pieces are made from recycled fabrics to appeal to a generation that values sustainability. The size range was expanded to run from XXS to 5X to be more inclusive.” Read more

 

Amazon sold a used diaper. The review from a mom tanked the mom-and-pop business at Bloomberg/Orange County Register. “The Barons told Amazon repeatedly that they weren’t at fault and that the review should be taken down. Yet it remains on the site…The couple says they’re $600,000 in debt…Paul Baron: “Shoppers might think returning a poopy diaper to Amazon is a victimless way to get their money back, but we’re a small, family business, and this is how we pay our mortgage.” Read more

 

Gym Bags, Trunks, Back Doors: How Stealth Shoppers Hide Purchases at WSJ. “Nearly two-thirds of people who live with a spouse or significant other hid a purchase from their partner over the past year, according to a survey…“It delays the fight—because you can have two fights,” said the 63-year-old, who lives in Bedford, N.Y. “One when you bring the shopping bag into the house and one when the bill comes.” WSJ subs. 

 

Macy’s, Inc. Terminates Discussions with Arkhouse and Brigade Press release

 

Amazon sellers lose coveted buy box ahead of Prime Day after Target discount snafu at CNBC. “Target began running discounts across its site on July 7, as part of its Circle Week promotional event…this year, instead of listing his item as 25% off, Target showed the item’s actual sale price. That meant it was indexed by Amazon’s pricing algorithms, Fishman said, causing him to lose the buy box.” Read more

 

Whole Foods Market CEO Jason Buechel and 70 team members rang the Nasdaq opening bell yesterday Press release

 

Home Depot to pay $750K for violating California law on gift cards at CBS News. “…the retailer has been ordered to program registers to automatically cash out gift cards with balances under $10, to train employees about redeeming gift cards and to place notices in stores and on their website about the law.” Read more

 

New Balance partners with the WNBA as the brand looks to grow in women’s sports at CNBC. “New Balance joins Adidas, Nike, Puma and Under Armour as a league partner. The WNBA does not have an exclusive footwear partner, but only league sponsors are permitted to display their logos on court.” Read more

 

Some teens under 18 may have have access to TikTok Shop, despite adults-only policy at TechCrunch

 

Burberry CEO is out after company warns about its profit at CNN. “There is a sense that Burberry has been on the back foot and that Jonathan Akeroyd’s revitalization plans have largely failed to stop the rot,” Saunders told CNN. “A course correction has been needed for some time and Burberry is hoping a new CEO can deliver this.” Read more

 

…Burberry must end emphasis on shock factor and focus on being loved again at The Guardian. “In recent seasons Burberry has taken the audience deliberately outside their comfort zone, with shows staged in huge tents in London parks with utilitarian stuffed bench seating and dark lighting. The vibe is one part explorers’ base camp, one part festival dance tent. The emphasis is on the shock – rather than the feelgood – factor.” Read more

 

WalMex, India’s PhonePe grow ecosystems inside Walmart International at Talk Business

 

Fewer than 4% of grocery stores have applied for Ontario’s new alcohol license — here’s why many don’t want one at Toronto Star. “Convenience stores are snapping up Ontario’s new alcohol-retailing licences in droves. Grocery stores? Not so much…Grocery industry insiders say the biggest reason is a requirement that any stores selling alcohol under the new licenses also have to accept bottle and can returns for recycling.” Read more

 

Whole Foods Market Explains the Impact of Real Estate Trends on Grocery Stores at Progressive Grocer. Christina Minardi Q&A

 

Lowe’s and Home Depot finished second and third in radio ad plays last week at Radio Ink

 

Fake Patrick Mahomes At Walmart Prank YouTube :34 video

 

…Struck earlier this year at Kansas City mall at The Kansas City Star

Ammo Vending @ Grocery | Costco +6.9% | Best Buy Burglar

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Costco June comp sales (ex. gas & f/x) +6.9% / Membership fees increase “…effective September 1, 2024, it will increase annual membership fees by $5…Executive Memberships in the U.S. and Canada will increase from $120 to $130 …the increases will impact around 52 million memberships, a little over half of which are Executive.” Press release

 

…is Amazon Prime next? at GeekWire

 

PepsiCo, After Years of Price Hikes, Sounds an Alarm on Consumer Spending at WSJ. “Shoppers are now less interested in buy-one-get-one-free promotions and want lower price points for single items, Caulfield added. Yet even as some consumers search for lower-priced products, PepsiCo’s healthier snack and soda options remain popular, Caulfield said. Those include Pepsi Zero Sugar, PopCorners and the Simply line of snacks.” WSJ subs.

 

Houston residents could be without power for a week at ABC 13. “On Wednesday night, CenterPoint Energy came up with a rough projection to restore 1.1 million homes, projecting 400,000 customers by Friday night and 350,000 by Sunday night. Another 400,000 customers could remain offline past Sunday…” Read more

 

Ammo vending machines debut in grocery stores at USA Today. “(CEO) Magers argues that keeping the ammo in 2,000-pound machines behind steel – and dispensing them only to verified shoppers – makes the rounds far more secure than buying them at gun shops. Thieves can pocket rounds like a “loaf of bread off the shelf,” he said, and online sellers only verify ages by requiring someone to put a check mark in a box.” Read more

 

Walmart is opening five automated distribution centers at CNBC. “Walmart has already built and tested the first of the five automated distribution centers for fresh food in Shafter, California. It recently opened the second one in Lancaster, Texas, which is near Dallas. It plans to open the three others in Wellford, South Carolina; Belvidere, Illinois; and Pilesgrove, New Jersey.” Read more

 

…See inside one of the high-tech refrigerated warehouses powering Walmart’s grocery dominance at Business Insider. Read more/Pics

 

Amazon’s carbon footprint shrank 3% last year — but AI-driven climate challenges loom at GeekWire. “Microsoft and Google both marked significant increases in their carbon emissions last year, with Microsoft’s footprint growing 20% and Google’s expanding 13%. They both pointed to higher energy use to power AI operations and data center construction…” Read more

 

Big Lots to close 35 to 40 stores this year amid ‘doubt’ the company can survive at USA Today. “The company also said it had “substantial doubt” about the ability of the company to continue operation, leading to speculation of a potential bankruptcy filing. The document did not disclose the locations at which stores would be closing.” Read more

 

Here’s how Amazon helps consumers avoid e-commerce scams at Chain Store Age. Q&A

 

‘Tens of thousands’ in losses after burglars sawed hole through roof of Bluffton Best Buy at The Island Packet/Yahoo. “In a “Mission: Impossible”-style operation, a group of burglars stole a fortune’s worth of electronics from the Best Buy store in Bluffton on a late night over the holiday weekend. The unidentified thieves reportedly sawed holes in the building’s roof so one suspect could descend into the store, accessing multiple security cages full of pricey products.” Read more

 

The Buckle, Inc. June comp sales down 5.7% Press release

Morris Lures R. Stones | Etsy Overrun | WM College Surprise

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Instacart’s AI-powered smart carts, which offer real-time recommendations and ‘gamified’ shopping, are coming to more U.S. grocery stores at Fortune/Yahoo. “Instacart expanded its Caper Cart technology… trialing the tool in Price Chopper and McKeever’s Market & Eatery grocery stores this week. Since Instacart first acquired Caper Cart for $350 million in 2021, 1,500 retail partners including Kroger and ShopRite have implemented the time-saving tech.” Read more

 

Even as prices stabilize, Walmart, Chipotle and others feel the heat from skeptical customers at CNBC. “Walmart, for instance, cut the number of sheets in its Great Value paper towel rolls from 168 to 120 but did not reduce the price. Company spokeswoman Tricia Moriarty said it’s not shrinkflation because Walmart reformulated the product to make each sheet more absorbent.” Read more

 

Bass Pro founder Johnny Morris lures Rolling Stones to small-town Missouri at Reuters. “When the Rolling Stones close out their North American tour…(they) will perform in Ridgedale, Missouri, with a population of less than a thousand, taking to the stage at the picturesque Thunder Ridge Nature Arena in the middle of the Ozark mountains. Set amid 1,200 acres of land and overlooking Table Rock Lake, the 20,000-seat amphitheatre opened in May and…was built by…Johnny Morris.” Read more

 

Alibaba bets on gen AI tools for overseas merchants, executive says at Reuters. “According to Zhang, Alibaba International Digital Commerce Group now has 300 million consumers yearly and over one million merchants around the world.” Read more

 

America’s biggest candy store is Costco-sized warehouse at Daily Mail. “…it’s an enormous big box store tucked away in a warehouse district in Downtown Los Angeles. Jack’s Candy, a sweet treats wonderland with over 90 years of history, fills its massive space with bulk candy from all over the world.” Read more

 

College credit for working your job? Walmart and McDonald’s are trying it at NPR. “…her adviser found the record showing she’d already taken the course…“But I didn’t,” Boop says. “And she said, ‘Yes, you got credit from Walmart Academy.’ And I said, what?”…At her rate of study, “that would have been two semesters’ worth,” Boop says. “I was like, wow!” Read more

 

Etsy CEO says company is escaping ‘race to the bottom’ and getting back to its artisan roots at CNBC. “Etsy has found itself overrun with mass-produced, generic items from resellers who have learned how to game the website and crowd out handcrafted products…(Etsy) is launching a major overhaul of the policies that govern its site to make it “crystal clear” to shoppers what products belong on Etsy.” Read more

 

Target stores will no longer accept personal checks for payments starting July 15 at USA Today

 

These are the 5 top performers in grocery ecommerce at Supermarket News. “Walmart and Target are leading the way in both delivery and curbside pickup, although several traditional supermarket operators, including Albertsons, Food Lion, and H-E-B, are also performing well in certain aspects of their ecommerce services.” Read more/Rankings

 

Sam’s Club Is Removing a Beloved Free Perk at Entrepreneur. “(Sam’s) emailed club members ahead of the holiday weekend and revealed that starting August 19, free shipping would no longer apply to Plus members’ orders, just orders over $50 or more.” Read more

 

Circle K leverages iPads, games for in-store training at Chain Store Age. “My Journey leverages gamified training software, delivered via in-store iPads, designed to get new hires learning on the floor in the flow of work to help retain them beyond the six-month mark. Circle K aims to save millions of dollars in annual training costs with this approach.” Read more