LA Loots | Costco Canada +Booze | H-E-B/Art

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LA erupts into chaos following Dodgers’ World Series victory as ‘hostile’ mob burns bus, looters raid Nike store at NY Post. “Los Angeles descended into chaos Wednesday night as belligerent baseball fans set a bus on fire while others clashed with cops and looters ran amok following the Dodgers’ World Series victory…” Read more/Pics

 

U.S. economy grew at 2.8% pace last quarter, powered by consumer spending at CBS News. “Forecasters expected the country’s gross domestic product…to come in at 2.6%…” Read more

 

Floor & Decor Holdings, Inc. Q3 comp sales down 6.4% Press release

 

Mastercard’s Earnings Top Estimates as Consumers Keep Spending at Bloomberg. “The company posted adjusted earnings per share of $3.89 in the third quarter, topping analyst predictions for $3.73. Global purchase volume climbed 11% from a year earlier on a local-currency basis…” Read more

 

Target’s Holiday Deals Guide Press release

 

The great indoors: After pandemic, study finds people don’t want to go outside anymore at StudyFinds. “Imagine a world where people spend nearly an hour less each day outside their homes compared to just a few years ago. This isn’t just a temporary blip — it’s a profound shift in how Americans live, work, and interact, researchers say.” Read more | Study

 

Ontario’s 41 Costco locations can sell alcohol starting today at CBC

 

Sprouts Farmers Market, Inc. Q3 comp sales up 8.4% Press release

 

Temu’s low cost marketplace faces formal probe in EU over raft of DSA compliance concerns at TechCrunch. “Enforcers of the online governance framework will now dial up their oversight of Temu. The bloc’s suspicions are focused on concerns about the sale of illegal products, which may include things like toys and cosmetics that could potential harm consumers by not complying with EU standards…” Read more

 

eBay Q3 revenue up 3% Press release

 

…eBay stock sinks after lackluster Q4 guidance at CNBC. “EBay CEO Jamie Iannone said in an interview following the earnings report that the weak guidance was due to a number of “one-time factors.” He cited the prevalence of hurricanes at the beginning of the quarter and shoppers being distracted in the run-up to the U.S. presidential election in November. He also pointed to the shorter holiday shopping season…” Read more

 

H-E-B’s Charles Butt putting art collection on view across Texas at Chron. “American Modernism from the Charles Butt Collection” will premiere Sept. 7, 2025, at the Amon Carter Museum of American Art in Fort Worth and later make its way to Houston…” Read more/Pics

 

PriceSmart Q4 comp net merchandise sales up 6.2% Press release

 

CANADA – Loblaw, Empire call for end to property controls amid Competition Bureau probe at Financial Post. “Empire would be pleased to see government eliminate real estate exclusivity clauses, across all retail businesses, including those selling food or pharmacy-related products,” said Michael Medline in a statement.” Read more

 

Here are the price-matching policies for Best Buy, Walmart, and others at The Verge

 

The New Small-Town Economic Engine: Halloween at WSJ. “While travel to the usual haunts such as Salem, Mass., and New Orleans is surging, many lesser-known locales are reporting record visitation as adult revelers take the holiday over from trick-or-treaters. Those visitors are pumping millions into local economies, in some cases helping prop up businesses still recovering from the pandemic years.” WSJ subs. 

 

Meme stock trader known as Roaring Kitty had sold his stake in Chewy at AP

 

Jimmy Fallon slammed for ‘barely concealing his contempt’ during awkward interview with viral stars Costco Guys at Daily Mail

 

Contact: info@eyeonretail.net

ACSI: Sam’s Passes Costco | Boot to Ross | Newsom Opposes

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ACSI:  Sam’s Club surges past Costco in customer satisfaction:

Top performers include:

Department stores: Macy’s (82)
Discount stores: TJX (Marshalls, TJ Maxx) (82)
Hypermarkets: Target (80)
Warehouse clubs: Sam’s Club (Walmart) (85)

Press release

 

Boot Barn Holdings, Inc. Q2 comp sales +4.9% Press release

 

…Boot Barn CEO takes CEO job at Ross Stores “…since 2012, James Conroy has served as President and CEO of Boot Barn…Prior to joining Boot Barn, Mr. Conroy served in various executive roles at Claire’s Stores, Inc. from 2007 to 2012…” Press release

 

VF Corp Q2 Revenue: The North Face down 3% / Vans down 11% Press release

 

11-year-old stuns pharmacist at shuttering Walgreens with $6,000 gift at CBS News. “During the Saturday celebration, a young girl gave a handmade card to Hesselberg, who people in the community call “Pharmacist Bob.” “You walk in, he not only greets you by name, but he wants to know how your family is, and how is that medication you had last time, and how are you doing? And he means it,” customer Carol Ott said.” Read more

 

Walmart workers say its impossible to lock yourself in oven like one where employee, 19, was roasted to death at Daily Mail

 

Amazon grocery exec will join Marc Lore’s Wonder at GeekWire. “Tony Hoggett, the Amazon SVP overseeing the company’s worldwide grocery stores business, is joining Wonder, a delivery- and takeout-focused restaurant chain based in New York led by longtime e-commerce entrepreneur Marc Lore…Hoggett will be Wonder’s chief operating officer.” Read more

 

Walmart unveils Black Friday deals Press release

 

**A message from Su Salsa – Lime flavored chips are too lime-y. Put the flavor in the dip, not the chip. Su Salsa Mild hits with a hint of lime and cilantro with a kick of jalapeno at the end. Shake up your salsa set with the label that pops on shelf. The Program | Sample: info@eyeonretail.net

 

Talk of a 7-Eleven Takeover Has Japan Worried About the Rice Balls at WSJ. “At a factory outside Tokyo, workers cook bowls of chicken and eggs one by one in small pots. The eggs are from hens raised on special feed so the yolk is dark in color and richer in flavor. The closely guarded recipe is prepared only for 7-Eleven convenience stores in Japan.” WSJ subs.

 

Walmart Hopes Black Friday Shoppers Binge 10-Episode Ad Campaign That Emulates TV Favorites at Variety. “Walmart has tapped actors including Taye Diggs, Lisa Rinna, Ian Somerhalder, Anthony Ramos, Chad Michael Murray Jake Shane and Walton Goggins to take part in vignettes that are likely to remind viewers of video favorites such as “Bridgerton,” “Yellowstone,” “Friday Night Lights” or “Vampire Diaries.” Read more

 

Fortune Best Workplaces for Women 2024 (Wegmans #30, Sheetz #33, Publix #47) Top 100 list

 

Neiman Marcus quietly bans ‘Christmas’ from iconic 98-year-old gift catalog at NY Post. “The name change has raised hackles inside the luxury chain’s Dallas headquarters, where veteran employees have chafed under CEO Geoffroy van Raemdonck, whose restructurings and layoffs they fear are wiping out the last vestiges of the 117-year-old retailer’s institutional history.” Read more

 

Swedish economy in recession, preliminary data shows at Reuters

 

Newsom touts state retail theft effort, restates opposition to heavily favored Prop. 36 at The Mercury News. “Newsom said at the news conference that he “can’t in good conscience support it,”…He then pointed to a report by the nonpartisan Legislative Analyst’s Office estimating that Proposition 36 would raise state costs by “several tens of millions of dollars” at a minimum, and up to “the low hundreds of millions of dollars” by increasing the prison population.” Read more

WM IP Chief Q&A | Costco + San Jose | Schnucks Drops Boar’s

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Amazon sets ultra-low pricing plans for Temu rival store at The Information/Reuters. “The company’s price limits include $8 for jewelry, $13 for guitars and $20 for sofas, according to the report…Amazon plans to ship orders to U.S. customers directly from a facility in Guangdong, China…” Read more

 

Sri Atluri, Chief IP Counsel at Walmart, discusses strategies for reducing IP risks and protecting innovations at Clause 8. “On patent enforcement: “If we’re not protecting the innovation that we are spending our money on developing, then we’re essentially donating our R&D dollars to our competitors.”…“It is a hundred percent worth our time and money to enforce our patents, when we see our technology being infringed, I think we have an obligation to protect it.“ 44:24 podcast

 

San Jose leaders approve Costco amid resident uproar at San Jose Spotlight. “Since forming the grassroots organization last year, members of Save West Valley! have rallied against the proposed Costco — claiming the additional traffic will bring safety concerns to the neighborhood surrounding Prospect High School.” Read more

 

Police investigating death of Walmart employee found in store’s walk-in oven at CBS

 

…Family speaks out at Daily Mail. “Gurismran Kaur, 19, was working alongside her unnamed mother at the store in Halifax, Nova Scotia, on Saturday evening when she met the horrific fate….She ended up finding her daughter’s ‘charred remains’ inside the bakery oven…” Read more

 

Amazon adds gasoline discounts for Prime members, EV charging savings to follow at TechCrunch. “Prime members will receive a 10 cents per gallon discount at around 7,000 Amoco, AM/PM, and BP gas stations across the U.S…” Read more

 

PetSmart Names Ken Hicks as CEO “Ken Hicks previously served as CEO and Executive Chairman at Academy Sports…Prior to that, he served as CEO of Foot Locker.” Press release

 

***A message from Sensi Smart Thermostats. The smart thermostat category has moved into the mainstream. Mainstream consumers want a product they know and trust. Sensi is made by Copeland, a trusted company with over 100 years of HVAC experience. Sensi features a beautiful design, a top-rated app, data privacy and easy DIY install. Website | Details: info@eyeonretail.net

 

Sam’s Club CTO is reportedly resigning over the company’s return-to-office policy at Entrepreneur. “Cheryl Ainoa, chief technology officer of Sam’s Club, is departing the company after nearly five years rather than move to Arkansas citing “personal reasons.” Read more

 

Amazon to shut down speedy brick-and-mortar delivery service at CNBC. “Amazon is shutting down a service that offers same-day delivery from mall and brick-and-mortar retailers…Select retail partners will be able to continue fulfilling orders with Amazon Today through Jan. 24, 2025.” Read more

 

Credit card companies from big name retailers have been silently rolling out a fee of $1.99 if you wish to keep receiving paper statements at Fox Business

 

Schnucks will no longer be selling Boar’s Head products – will instead start offering Dietz & Watson at KSDK 5

 

Spirit Halloween bets on struggling real estate to fuel its growing business. Here’s how at CNBC. “Earlier this month, the company announced it would be rolling out a test concept of 10 Spirit Christmas stores. Eight of those stores will be in existing Spirit Halloween locations.” Read more

 

Contact: info@eyeonretail.net

Costco +Peloton | Amazon Ratings @ Search | Home Reno Surge?

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Peloton partners with Costco to sell Bike+ at CNBC. “Under the terms of the deal, Costco will offer Peloton’s Bike+ in 300 of its U.S. stores for $1,999, and on Costco.com for $2,199 between Nov. 1 and Feb. 15. It is a steep discount from the typical price of the Bike+, which is selling on Peloton’s website for $2,495.” Read more

 

Walmart Launches Nationwide Same-Day Pharmacy Delivery “The new offering is now live in six states: Arkansas, Missouri, New York, Nevada, South Carolina and Wisconsin. By the end of January 2025, Walmart’s Pharmacy Delivery is expected to be available in 49 states…” Press release

 

America Is Primed for a Home-Renovation Resurgence at WSJ. “The latest reading of a closely watched gauge of repair and renovation spending predicts a return to growth next summer. Spending should reach an annual rate of $477 billion by this time next year, Harvard University’s Joint Center for Housing Studies said last week. That would approach the record annual rate of $487 billion reached a year ago, before high rates took a toll.” WSJ subs.

 

Target Will Reduce Prices on More Than 2,000 Items “By the end of the holiday season, Target will have lowered prices on over 10,000 items during the year.” Press release

 

Retail Space Is Going Fast and Pushing Out Local Shops at WSJ. “Nearly six in 10 small businesses said their rent had increased over the past six months, and more than half of independent retailers couldn’t pay their September rent in full, according to a survey by the business-networking platform Alignable.” WSJ subs.

 

Home Depot to require corporate employees to work quarterly 8-hour retail shifts at NY Post. “Starting in the fourth quarter of this year even remote workers will have to schlep onto the grey floor and don the orange apron for four days a year.” Read more

 

***Comfy Sacks – The Best Bean Bag Chairs. Foam-filled, long-lasting and soft. From bean bag chairs for one person to bean bags big enough for the whole family. Offer shoppers something fun and unique! Website | Program details: info@eyeonretail.net

 

Amazon shows seller ratings on product search results in new test at GeekWire. “…adding seller ratings on product search results brings a new element to Amazon’s online shopping experience. Consumers typically have to click through to an item and then click on the seller’s profile to see a rating. Amazon’s experiment elevates the visibility of the rating in a substantial way.” Read more

 

‘Everybody loves a skeleton’: The origin story of Home Depot’s giant decoration at USA Today. “They settled on 12 feet so it would be “so big, the skeleton could be looking down on a basketball hoop,” Allen said. The upper edge of an NBA basketball hoop is 10 feet above the ground. “That was the inspiration behind the concept.” Read more

 

Raccoons Discovered Living Inside Artificial Tree in Bass Pro Shop at Whiskeyriff

 

BuyBuy Baby is closing all of its stores – again at CNN. “The brick-and-mortar resurrection of BuyBuy Baby, which once had as many as 120 locations across the United States, lasted less than 12 months. The second iteration was scattered across several eastern US states.” Read more

 

Walmart is selling a tiny house for less than $16,000 at CBS

 

Costco Connection is now the nation’s third largest magazine at NY Times. “Jimmy Kimmel swears he has never once asked his team to land him a lick of press — except for the time when he begged for the chance to be featured on the cover of Costco Connection. The host and comedian pleaded with his publicist to get him a feature. “His first question was, ‘Why?’” Mr. Kimmel said. “And I told him, ‘Because I love Costco.’” Read more

 

Bad news for trade-loving Gen Z: Electricians and construction workers are among the unhappiest at work (U.K.) at Fortune/Yahoo

 

Former Abercrombie CEO arrested in sex trafficking investigation at ABC. “The investigation involved whether the men sexually exploited and abused young men at parties they hosted in the United States and around the world, the sources said.” Read more

 

LA – Striking CVS Pharmacy employees are going back to work as contract talks are set to resume at LA Daily News

97″+ TVs Hot | WM CTO Pivot | Retail Sales +0.4%

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Retail sales rose 0.4% in September, better than expected at CNBC. “Excluding autos, sales accelerated 0.5%, better than the forecast for just a 0.1% rise. The numbers are adjusted for seasonal factors but not inflation, which rose 0.2% on the month as measured by the consumer price index.” Read more

 

Walmart’s CTO places bigger bets on generative AI as customer shopping habits evolve at Fortune/Yahoo. “The search bar is no longer the way to shop,” says Vasudev. That’s led Walmart to pivot by announcing this month that it’s starting to use predictive models and generative AI to offer a personalized version of walmart.com for every American shopper. The feature will fully roll out by the end of next year. “The way we’re thinking about applying AI and generative AI is to offer highly curated experiences and content,” says Vasudev.” Read more

 

The Old-School Spy Tactics Helping to Set Your Grocery Prices at WSJ. “It is common to send an employee across the street to a competitor three times a week to check prices on about 30 items. Neighboring stores might even recognize the rival price checker, but won’t stop them or throw them out because it is so common, McCann said. “If you kick them out, they’ll kick you out,” he said.” WSJ subs.

 

U.S. ecommerce sales for the first two weeks of October were up 3% over a year ago at Signifyd. “Grocery and apparel led the way, and electronics saw a notable decline in year-over-year sales. Discount use in early October was up by 22% over last year…” Press release

 

Best Buy hoping supersize TVs will get more holiday shoppers to splurge on electronics at Minnesota Star Tribune. “As prices fall and options grow, more Americans are gravitating toward XXL TVs, which have screens larger than 97″…So far this year, sales of XXL TVs have jumped nearly 900% while prices have dropped in half, according to Circana. On average, an XXL screen now costs about $3,100; Best Buy has one on sale for $2,000.” Read more

 

Ulta Beauty plans to open 200 net new stores over the next three years Press release

 

Kids are sucking down baby food pouches at record rates. ‘We’re going to pay for it,’ experts say at LA Times/Yahoo. “Pouches are highly processed foods,” said Dr. Steven Abrams, a professor of pediatrics at the University of Texas at Austin Dell Medical School. “They certainly serve as a quick snack, but we need to make sure that pouches don’t make up too much of a toddler’s diet. We want kids to learn to chew and eat foods like meat, and fruits and vegetables that are not processed.” Read more

 

NRF: Holiday spending is expected to grow between 2.5% and 3.5% Press release

 

Bed Bath & Beyond brand will be available at Container Store locations at Fox Business. “Beyond Inc., which owns brands including Bed Bath & Beyond, Overstock and Zulily, said it’s investing $40 million in the Container Store Group.” Read more

 

‘Danger’ to children: Amazon among online marketplaces selling unsafe toys in Europe at CNN

 

Additive in oat and almond milk linked to colon cancer – and why dairy is popular again at Daily Mail

Target/Taylor Exclusive | BJ’s/H.Dep #2 Online | True Value Bankrupt

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Walgreens Boots Alliance Reports FY 2024 Earnings “Fourth quarter sales increased 6.0 percent year-over-year…Fourth quarter operating loss was $978 million…comparable pharmacy sales increased 11.7 percent in the fourth quarter…comparable retail sales decreased 1.7 percent.” Press release

 

…Walgreens to close 1,200 US stores over the next three years at AP. “… about 500 store closures will come in the current fiscal year…Walgreens operates about 8,500 stores in the United States and a few thousand overseas. All of the stores that will be closed are in the United States.” Read more

 

True Value declares bankruptcy and sells itself to Do It Best at CNN. “True Value said it will continue day-to-day operations of selling hardware and other homeware tools to its 4,500 independently operated locations during the Chapter 11 process, which includes a $153 million stalking horse bid from rival company Do it Best. True Value said its stores will remain open, because they are not part of the bankruptcy proceedings.” Read more | Press release

 

Newsweek: America’s Best Online Shops 2025 (Home Depot #2 – Garden & Craft / Wayfair #1 – Home Living / BJ’s #2 – General) Full list

 

’Ugly’ fruit company owners get Walmart’s attention at Talk Business. “I was hauling away so much ugly fruit that was perfectly fine to eat at the time, load after load going to compost. I was eating it, and then I remembered my grandmother, who was Swedish, used to take the over-ripen fruit, slice it up and dry it on the roof for our snacks. That got me thinking that might be a business for me,” he said.” Read more

 

Bath & Body Works pulls candle packaging that some said evoked Ku Klux Klan at AP

 

Walmart names Seth Dallaire as new growth officer, adds other duties at Talk Business. “Since joining Walmart in 2021, Dallaire has led Walmart Connect, Walmart Data Ventures and Walmart+ teams and his expanded management duties now include marketing, design and product oversight.” Read more

 

***A message from Sensi Smart Thermostats. The smart thermostat category has moved into the mainstream. Mainstream consumers want a product they know and trust. Sensi is made by Copeland, a trusted company with over 100 years of HVAC experience. Sensi features a beautiful design, a top-rated app, data privacy and easy DIY install. Website | Details: info@eyeonretail.net

 

We checked out all 15 ‘Just Walk Out’ cashierless food and apparel shops at Lumen Field in Seattle at GeekWire

 

Amazon is using tech from a Khosla Ventures-backed startup to run robot warehouses at Whole Foods at CNBC. “The facility relies on warehouse automation technology from Fulfil, a San Francisco-based startup that develops robotic systems for grocers and other retailers, according to a person familiar with the matter and other corroborating information.” Read more

 

Target Announces Exclusive Official ‘Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour Book’ Available on Black Friday Press release

 

US calorie intake may reduce by trillions by 2030, grocery sales report says at USA Today

 

Americans love TJ Maxx. Here’s why big brands do, too at CNBC. “For this to benefit the brands, selling to off-price stores must be done discreetly. One way that T.J. Maxx accomplishes this is by making designer brands unsearchable on its website. Siegel says that if a company sells its inventory to T.J. Maxx, there is less brand dilution than if it were advertising clearance sales in its own stores.” Read more/Video

 

SpartanNash Acquiring Fresh Encounter Inc., a 49-store supermarket chain serving Ohio, Indiana and Kentucky Press release

 

Costco Members Are Buying Platinum. Should You? at WSJ. “Physical platinum bars being snapped up—just like gold and silver—can be trickier to sell than ETFs. Investors can easily lose 10% of the metal’s value by selling to a dealer…That is because the dealer takes on a lot of risk by buying from retail investors.” WSJ subs.

 

Tesla Optimus bots were controlled by humans during the ‘We, Robot’ event at TechCrunch

Food Prices +0.4% | Costco +8.9% | Amazon #3 Brand | IKEA -5%

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Consumer prices rose 0.2% in September, hotter than expected; annual rate increased 2.4% at CNBC. “Much of the inflation increase — more than three-quarter of the move higher — came from a 0.4% jump in food prices and a 0.2% gain in shelter costs, the Bureau of Labor Statistics said in the release. That offset a 1.9% fall in energy prices.” Read more

 

Costco September comp sales (ex-gas & f/x) +8.9% : US +9.3% / Canada +6.3% / Int’l +9.6% / Ecom +22.9% “…comparable sales for the retail month of September benefitted by approximately two percent in the U.S. and one and one-half percent worldwide as a result of the increased sales in the final week of the month due to abnormal consumer activity associated with Hurricane Helene and port strikes.” Press release

 

Amazon tests adding robot warehouses to Whole Foods so shoppers can pick up other orders at checkout at CNBC. “The company is building a micro fulfillment center attached to a Whole Foods location in the Philadelphia suburb of Plymouth Meeting, Pennsylvania. Once the facility is operational within the next year, shoppers can order items from Amazon’s website and its online grocery service, Amazon Fresh, while browsing Whole Foods and pick it up in store as they’re checking out.” Read more

 

IKEA sales fall 5% after price cuts at Reuters. “In all our markets we experienced a slowdown of the economy and a slowdown of the home furnishing industry, almost simultaneously,” said Jesper Brodin, CEO of Ingka Group. “We never experienced anything like that since 2008, to be honest.” Read more

 

Amazon’s new AI system to streamline deliveries at GeekWire. “The system…integrates with the vehicle’s navigation system to project a green “O” on packages to be delivered at a given stop, and a red “X” on all others in the back of a delivery van. This reduces the need to manually sort and organize packages between stops…” Read more

 

Porch Pirates Are Stealing AT&T iPhones Delivered by FedEx at WSJ. “The key to these swift crimes, investigators say: The thieves are armed with tracking numbers…“They know what’s getting delivered and the location,” said Detective Lt. Matt Arsenault from the Gardner Police Department in Massachusetts, which is investigating several recent thefts. “They meet the delivery driver at the front door and take it.” WSJ subs.

 

Interbrand: 2024 Top 100 Best Global Brands (Apple #1, Amazon #3, Ikea #28) Full list

 

***Comfy Sacks foam-filled bean bag chairs are long lasting, soft, and resist permanent compression.  From bean bag chairs for one person to bean bags big enough for the whole family. Offer your consumer something fun and unique! Website | Program details: info@eyeonretail.net

 

Seven & i Holdings to hive off underperforming businesses and focus on its c-store operations as they aim to fend off takeover bid from Canada’s Alimentation Couche-Tard at Reuters

 

Amazon’s Prime Big Deal Days was the Company’s Biggest October Shopping Event Ever Press release

 

Piper Sandler: Taking Stock With Teens Survey “Over 6,000 Generation Z U.S. teens surveyed…Nike remains the number one brand for all teens in both apparel and footwear… e.l.f. Beauty continues to dominate the (beauty) space…” Press release

 

Austin-based Favor Delivery launches new delivery service with H-E-B at KHOU-TV. “The new service aims to get customers up to 15 items in 45 minutes or less. “ Read more

 

Contact: info@eyeonretail.net

Sam’s Future Club | WM+5 Pet | Skelly Takes Heat | Rappi in 10

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Sam’s Club is opening a club in the Dallas area with no checkout lines at CNBC. “When shoppers walk into Sam’s Club’s newest store, they’ll soon see a shiny blue Mercedes-Benz SUV, a sectional sofa and zero checkout lanes…In the area typically reserved for cash registers, the company will display online-only items as wide-ranging as a 12-foot Christmas tree and a five-carat lab-grown diamond…“It’s kind of the physical manifestation of a journey we’re trying to go on as a company,” Sam’s Club CEO Chris Nicholas said, as he showed off the club before its grand opening.” Read more

 

Walmart opens five more veterinary and grooming centers, as it makes bigger push in pets at CNBC. “The new locations in Arizona and Georgia will include veterinary care and grooming. Walmart opened its first pet services center last year in the Atlanta area.” Read more | Press release

 

US candy companies favor gummies, licorice over pricey Halloween chocolates at Reuters. “Consumers have been curbing their cravings for costly chocolate, and the candy companies have faced a double-whammy on their own costs for the treat, first from supply chain snarls during the COVID pandemic and now from a cocoa bean shortage.” Read more

 

At a Brooklyn Warehouse, Robots Are Reshaping the Grocery-Delivery Business at WSJ. “…the company behind this technology says shoppers will save nearly one-third on their grocery bills…Robotic arms pluck plastic bins filled with groceries and deliver them to dozens of robots on the ground. The robots send the items to workers, who pack them into grocery bags before handing them off to Uber drivers for delivery…It is the first location in New York City in more than 20 years for discount grocery chain Save A Lot…” WSJ subs. | Press release

 

7-Eleven, Circle K’s US cigarette sales at risk from vapes, cheap smokes at Reuters. “A Couche-Tard takeover of 7-Eleven owner Seven & i would position the combined convenience store chain to dominate U.S. cigarette sales and try to push tobacco companies for better prices and promotions…” Read more

 

Anything in 10 Minutes: $5 Billion Delivery App Sweeps Latin America at Bloomberg/Yahoo. “We’re not just the only ones in Latin America doing this,” CEO and co-founder Simón Borrero said from the company’s Bogotá headquarters. “We’re the only ones in the world.” That convenience has helped propel Rappi into a $5.25 billion enterprise ubiquitous from Mexico to Argentina.” Read more

 

***A message from Sensi Smart Thermostats. The smart thermostat category has moved into the mainstream. Mainstream consumers want a product they know and trust. Sensi is made by Copeland, a trusted company with over 100 years of HVAC experience. Sensi features a beautiful design, a top-rated app, data privacy and easy DIY install. Website | Details: info@eyeonretail.net

 

Rolls-Royce opens VIP showroom in NYC to cater to its top-tier clients. Take a look inside at CNBC. “Rolls-Royce calls its top level of personalization the “Bespoke” program. Creating a Bespoke Rolls can add hundreds of thousands of dollars to the sticker price…To get into the Private Office, customers press a black security screen outside an unmarked building and take a secure elevator to the top floor…” Video/Read more

 

Unsealed order in Amazon antitrust suit lets entire FTC case proceed, dismisses some state claims at GeekWire

 

SKELLY UNDER FIRE – The Battle Over the Halloween Craze That Won’t Die at WSJ. “For enthusiasts who keep the grinning ghouls up year-round, changes were needed, said Lance Allen, the Home Depot official who designed (Skelly). “All of the sudden Skelly is up in the middle of L.A., in the middle of Arizona, in the middle of summer, so we had to go back and retest,” said Allen. Skelly’s bones were updated to make them suitable for year-round elements, including heat.” WSJ subs.

 

Walmart Data Ventures to rebrand Luminate to Scintilla at Talk Business. “…more than 1,200 suppliers and buyers (met) to discuss how data insights can bolster sales.” Read more

 

Costco gold bars selling out quickly – 77% of stores surveyed by Bloomberg sold out of product within first week of October at Fox Business

 

Amazon bets on selling cashierless technology to retailers after pulling it from most U.S. stores at CNBC. “While it’s no longer featuring Just Walk Out as prominently in its own stores, Amazon says it has inked deals with a growing list of customers. More than 200 third-party stores have paid Amazon to install the cashierless system.” Read more

 

Best Buy Taps Disney’s Lisa Valentino as President of Its Ad Business at Adweek

 

Walgreens Appoints Jason Stenta as SVP and Chief Commercial Officer Press release

 

Contact us: info@eyeonretail.net