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

McLay #9 Power | Publix #22 Tech | Target/’Wicked’

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2024 100 Most Powerful Women in Business (Lynch #2 / McLay #9 / Campbell #50 / Barry #58) at Fortune. “The list features women from six continents, 19 countries and territories, and 14 different industries, proving there is no one-size-fits-all approach to reaching the pinnacle of business.” Read more | Press release

 

Sneak Peek of Prime Big Deal Days (Starting October 8th) Press Release

 

Ship queue grows at US ports at Reuters. “At least 45 container vessels that have been unable to unload had anchored up outside the strike-stricken East Coast and Gulf Coast ports by Wednesday, up from just three before the strike began on Sunday, according to Everstream Analytics.” Read more

 

…Coffee containers pile up at US ports at Reuters. “Prices for coffee held in U.S. warehouses are already rising due to the delays, said one coffee trader with containers stuck in ports. “We have some 40 containers waiting to be moved,” said the head trader of one of the largest coffee importers in the U.S.”. Read more

 

Striking Dockworkers Are Top Earners—When They Work at WSJ. “Dockworkers say that behind the outsize pay demand and the ranks of high-earning union members, especially in the New York region, are thousands who earn far less loading and unloading cargo at ports in places like Virginia, Florida and Texas, where pay scales are lower and ports aren’t as busy.” WSJ subs.

 

Union boss who threatened to ‘cripple’ economy lives in luxe 7,000-square-foot mansion at NY Post.  “Photos taken by drone on Tuesday show the (Bentley)…outside what appears to be a five-car garage that’s connected to his 7,136-square-foot, Tudor-style home by a covered skyway. The hulking, two-story mansion — located on a 10-acre property in Sparta, a leafy enclave 50 miles west of New York City — encircles a spacious backyard patio with an amoeba-shaped pool.” Read more/Pics

 

***A message from Sensi Smart Thermostats. Sensi is continually voted as one of the best smart Wi-Fi thermostats available. With over 100 years of HVAC experience and made by Copeland, Sensi is a brand you can trust to put on your wall. Website | info@eyeonretail.net

 

Best Employers for Tech Workers (Publix #22 / Home Depot #27 / Big 5 #28 / Costco #30) at Forbes. Full list

 

CRAMER: Oppenheimer thinks Costco could get a short-term bump in sales from customers stocking up on goods due to the port strike. This view was based on their checks at a Northern New Jersey store.

 

QVC to add USA Pickleball to its home shopping experience at CNBC. “…will mix the shopping experience with the live matchups. As part of the partnership, QVC will also be the exclusive retail industry partner of USA Pickleball.” Read more

 

Target partners with ‘Wicked’ costume designer Paul Tazewell on 150+ movie-inspired products Press release

 

Thousands of shipping containers have been lost at sea. What happens when they burst open? at AP News. “Russ Lewis has picked up some strange things along the coast of Long Beach Peninsula in Washington state over the years: Hot Wheels bicycle helmets with feather tufts, life-size plastic turkey decoys made for hunters, colorful squirt guns. And Crocs — so many mismatched Crocs…More than 20,000 shipping containers have tumbled overboard in the last decade and a half.” Read more

 

Walmart employees to get expanded cancer treatment options with the Mayo Clinic at AP/ABC. “Walmart’s cancer program had been offering employees and their dependents help from the Mayo Clinic on breast, lung, colon, prostate, pancreatic and blood cancers. It is now expanding the coverage to include most other cancers.” Read more

 

Costco now sells platinum bars — but some financial pros say they aren’t a sure bet at MarketWatch

 

Why Target’s Good & Gather Line Hit the Mark at Progressive Grocer. Conlin Q&A

 

Mooresville, N.C. Worries There’s Danger Lurking Under Its Lawns at WSJ. “Coal ash, which contains arsenic, heavy metals and radioactive elements, is stirring unease in this town of 50,000…North Carolina records show 350,000 tons of coal ash under a Lowe’s, 100,000 tons under a daycare center and 54,000 tons under apartments next to a high school.” WSJ subs.

 

Sen: Elizabeth Warren is requesting answers from Stop & Shop after a Boston youth group revealed higher prices at store in low-income neighborhood Warren Letter

 

Contact us: info@eyeonretail.net

C-store Top 10 | CVS Cuts 2.9K | Ace #5 | NC Mules

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A historic strike is underway at U.S. ports at CNBC. “Danish shipping giant Maersk has warned that just a one-week shutdown could take four to six weeks to recover from…” Read more

 

…Can West Coast ports absorb East and Gulf Coast import volumes? at Fox News. “I don’t think we’re going to see a lot of re-routing. I do think that the ports on the West Coast are preparing for some increase in volume associated with that. But their ability to absorb nearly 50% of the import volume is not even a remote possibility,” (EVP @ ASCM) Kent said.” Read more

 

CVS explores options including potential break-up at Reuters. “The plan to potentially split the company’s pharmacy chain and the insurance business has been discussed with the board of directors, which is yet to decide on the best course of action for CVS to pursue.” Read more

 

…CVS to lay off nearly 3,000 employees at The Hill

 

Supplies arrive by plane and mule to North Carolina as Helene death toll tops 100 at Politico. “Several dozen people gathered on high ground in Asheville, where they found one of the city’s hottest commodities — a cell signal. “Is this day three or day four?” Colleen Burnet asked. “It’s all been a blur.” Read more

 

…Home Depot and Lowe’s join Hurricane Helene relief efforts

 

Consumers have crowned Wawa the nation’s No. 1 c-store chain at CNBC

These are the ACSI’s top scoring c-store chains: 

  1. Wawa 
  2. QuikTrip
  3. Buc-ee’s
  4. Murphy USA 
  5. Casey’s General Stores 
  6. Sheetz 
  7. Kwik Trip 
  8. BP 
  9. Cumberland Farms 
  10. Speedway 

 

PetSmart CEO J.K. Symancyk is stepping down immediately. Alan Schnaid, who has served as the Company’s CFO since 2017, will serve as interim CEO until a successor is in place. Press release

 

The Franchise Times Top 400 (7-Eleven #2, Ace Hardware #5) Full list

 

As big supermarkets pursue profits, new research shows growing exploitation of shrimp farmers at AP News. “The analysis of the industry in Vietnam, Indonesia and India, which provide about half the shrimp in the world’s top four markets, found a 20%-60% drop in earnings from pre-pandemic levels as producers struggle to meet pricing demands by cutting labor costs.” Read more

 

When the dollar store closes, US families on food benefits lose a lifeline at Reuters

 

San Jose’s record sixth Costco getting closer to reality, and not everyone is happy at Fox News. “The location is inappropriate,” Julie Reynolds, president of the high school’s Parent Teacher Student Association, said, according to the Spotlight. “It’s less than 50 feet from long-established homes, close to several parks, across from assisted living centers and 1,000 feet from a high school.” Read more

 

Amazon workers ‘rage apply’ for other jobs after RTO mandate adds hours to commute: ‘I will not go back’ at NY Post

 

Mexico antitrust regulator to rule on Walmart unit in coming days says at Reuters. “Mexican antitrust regulator Cofece…had alleged that Walmart de Mexico was imposing prices and terms on its suppliers or distributors…” Read more

 

2-year-old child is OK after getting stuck playing in Amazon package locker at GeekWire

 

How Walmart Is Connecting Shoppers With Jobs at Progressive Grocer. “Manpower recently opened two job “hubs” in Walmart stores, in Sturtevant, Wis., and High Point, N.C., and plans to unveil four more within the coming weeks at locations in Texas, Minnesota and North Carolina.” Read more

 

Why Do All These 15-Year-Old Boys Want to Smell Like the 1990s? at WSJ. “About 44% of boys ages 12 to 14 and 57% ages 15 to 17 use fragrance, according to market-research firm Mintel. Fragrance is the fastest-growing beauty category in 2024, up 15% since January, according to market-research firm Circana.” WSJ subs.

Kors Emails Exposed | Kwik Trip Cult | 1 Decides Port | Boar’s #10

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The Addiction to Discounting at Michael Kors Is Exposed in Court at WSJ. “Michael Kors and the executives who ran his fashion label knew they had a serious problem: Many of the handbags were selling for less than $100, far from the regular price of $450. The designer complained in emails that were revealed in a recent court hearing that the once-hot brand was chasing down-market and unfashionable customers. In one message, Kors wrote the brand was pursuing an old-fashioned customer who wasn’t sleek and definitely not jet set.” WSJ subs.

 

The looming dockworkers strike is mostly up to 1 fiery union leader at Politico. “The decision to strike is largely in the hands of the mercurial and tough-as-nails head of the dockworkers union, Harold Daggett, a native New Yorker who’s been accused of having mob ties…The union’s constitution allows Daggett to call a strike without a vote of his members.” Read more

 

…Shippers scramble for workarounds ahead of looming US East Coast port strike at Reuters. “Ronnie Robinson, chief supply chain officer at DSW parent company Designer Brands, normally routes about 20% of the company’s shoe imports through the East Coast. He shifted about half of those goods to the West Coast. And, he paid ten times more than a typical ocean transit to fly in a small shipment of leather boots and dress shoes from Brazil.  Robinson (said) his company cannot risk late deliveries to clients like Macy’s, Nordstrom, and Dillard’s.” Read more

 

Adobe expects U.S. online sales to hit $240.8 billion this holiday shopping season (Nov. 1 to Dec. 31), representing 8.4% growth year-over-year Full report

 

H&M abandons 2024 margin target as costs hurt profit at Reuters. “H&M scrapped its margin target for 2024 as higher discounting, costs and fierce competition hurt operating profit in the third quarter, denting shares in the world’s second-biggest listed fashion retailer.” Read more

 

PayPal to allow cryptocurrency buying, holding and selling for US merchants at Reuters

 

Promises of ‘passive income’ on Amazon led to death threats for negative online review, FTC says at CNBC. “Jamaal Sanford received a disturbing email…The message, whose sender claimed to be part of a “Russian shadow team,” contained Sanford’s home address, social security number and his daughter’s college…The sender said Sanford…would only only be safe if he removed a negative online review. “Do not play tough guy,” the email said. “You have nothing to gain by keeping the reviews and EVERYTHING to lose by not cooperating.” Read more

 

Salt Life apparel brand to close 28 retail stores after bankruptcy auction at Fox Business

 

American Eagle sues Amazon over alleged ‘knock-offs’ of Aerie products at CNBC. “American Eagle said it didn’t authorize Amazon to sell products from its Aerie line…Clicking on a link leads to an Amazon webpage that “displays only knock-offs and ‘dupes’” of Aerie products…notified Amazon “over a month ago” of the infringing products, but says they were relabeled with misspellings of its Aerie trademarks, including “Aeries,” “Arie” or “Aries.” Read more

 

Kroger’s Wellness Festival is this weekend in Cincy “175+ sponsors engaging and educating attendees through live activations and sampling.” (+ Third Eye Blind!) Event schedule

 

Former JCPenney Executives Ask $30 Million for Their Colorado Estate at WSJ. “For years, no one wanted to buy a roughly 38-acre Colorado parcel overlooking the Rocky Mountains because it was filled with old buildings, a railroad caboose and a metal sculpture of an airplane…But in 2020, former JCPenney executives Peter McGrath and his wife, Janet Fox (spent) over $17 million to clean up the property and build a roughly 5,750-square-foot ranch-style home on it. Now they are putting the estate, known as Sage Ridge, on the market for $30 million.” WSJ subs.

 

Tire Study: Go-to tire retailer – Discount Tire 33.8%, Walmart 17.7%, Costco 16.9%…Costco took the crown for overall brand ranking…Sam’s Club faced the highest rate of customer-reported issues.” Press release

 

LinkedIn Top Startups 2024: The 50 U.S. companies on the rise List

 

How Kwik Trip created a cult-like following in the Midwest at Minneapolis Star Tribune. “That personal touch, replicated in 850 stores and growing, has made the La Crosse, Wis.-based convenience store chain a cultural icon in its region…Kwik Trip — and its Iowa counterpart, Kwik Star — has won the type of cult following common among regional convenience store brands. East Coasters love their WaWa, Texas has Buc-ee’s, and Great Plains folk swear by Casey’s General Store pizzas.” Tiered subs.

 

NOT SHOCK POLL – Survey by Blind finds 91% of Amazon employees not happy about return-to-office policy at GeekWire

 

Harris Says She Will ‘Go After’ Companies Engaged In ‘Price Gouging,’ In First Solo Interview As Democratic Nominee at Forbes

 

Walmart’s 11th annual Open Call at Talk Business. “Walmart opened its doors to more than 500 entrepreneurs on Tuesday (Sept.24) at the retail giant’s 11th annual Open Call. Jason Fremstad, Walmart head of supplier development and sourcing, said merchants will hold 800 meetings on Wednesday with the supplier hopefuls. He said Walmart continues to source products made or assembled in the U.S. but also wanted to stretch the focus by inviting export buyers from Canada and Mexico.” Read more

 

CDC: Tenth death reported in listeria outbreak linked to Boar’s Head meats at USA Today

 

A Shoplifter Gets Shot Stealing Candy at Walgreens. Who’s to Blame? at WSJ. “More than a year after the killing, the official answer is no one; even San Francisco’s mayor backs a state ballot measure to stiffen shoplifting penalties.” WSJ subs.

 

Reuters speaks to nine current 7-Eleven franchisees in Japan, almost all voiced disapproval of Seven & i’s strategy  and welcomes the proposed buyout by Circle K owner Couche-Tard Read more

 

Ulta Beauty Announces Partnership with Wicked  Press release

 

CHECKS IN THE MAIL – $500K Target gift card scheme lands East Coast man behind bars at Mercury News. “In his plea agreement, O’Brien admitted the goal was $1,077,100…In addition to the (5-year) prison term, Judge Beth Labson Freeman ordered O’Brien to serve three years of supervised release and repay the retailer, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.” Read more

Daggett Decides | Kwik Trip Cult | Boar’s Head #10

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The looming dockworkers strike is mostly up to 1 fiery union leader at Politico. “The decision to strike is largely in the hands of the mercurial and tough-as-nails head of the dockworkers union, Harold Daggett, a native New Yorker who’s been accused of having mob ties…The union’s constitution allows Daggett to call a strike without a vote of his members.” Read more

 

…Shippers scramble for workarounds ahead of looming US East Coast port strike at Reuters. “Ronnie Robinson, chief supply chain officer at DSW parent company Designer Brands, normally routes about 20% of the company’s shoe imports through the East Coast. He shifted about half of those goods to the West Coast. And, he paid ten times more than a typical ocean transit to fly in a small shipment of leather boots and dress shoes from Brazil.  Robinson (said) his company cannot risk late deliveries to clients like Macy’s, Nordstrom, and Dillard’s.” Read more

 

Adobe expects U.S. online sales to hit $240.8 billion this holiday shopping season (Nov. 1 to Dec. 31), representing 8.4% growth year-over-year Full report

 

H&M abandons 2024 margin target as costs hurt profit at Reuters. “H&M scrapped its margin target for 2024 as higher discounting, costs and fierce competition hurt operating profit in the third quarter, denting shares in the world’s second-biggest listed fashion retailer.” Read more

 

PayPal to allow cryptocurrency buying, holding and selling for US merchants at Reuters

 

Promises of ‘passive income’ on Amazon led to death threats for negative online review, FTC says at CNBC. “Jamaal Sanford received a disturbing email…The message, whose sender claimed to be part of a “Russian shadow team,” contained Sanford’s home address, social security number and his daughter’s college…The sender said Sanford…would only only be safe if he removed a negative online review. “Do not play tough guy,” the email said. “You have nothing to gain by keeping the reviews and EVERYTHING to lose by not cooperating.” Read more

 

Salt Life apparel brand to close 28 retail stores after bankruptcy auction at Fox Business

 

American Eagle sues Amazon over alleged ‘knock-offs’ of Aerie products at CNBC. “American Eagle said it didn’t authorize Amazon to sell products from its Aerie line…Clicking on a link leads to an Amazon webpage that “displays only knock-offs and ‘dupes’” of Aerie products…notified Amazon “over a month ago” of the infringing products, but says they were relabeled with misspellings of its Aerie trademarks, including “Aeries,” “Arie” or “Aries.” Read more

 

Kroger’s Wellness Festival is this weekend in Cincy “175+ sponsors engaging and educating attendees through live activations and sampling.” (+ Third Eye Blind!) Event schedule

 

Former JCPenney Executives Ask $30 Million for Their Colorado Estate at WSJ. “For years, no one wanted to buy a roughly 38-acre Colorado parcel overlooking the Rocky Mountains because it was filled with old buildings, a railroad caboose and a metal sculpture of an airplane…But in 2020, former JCPenney executives Peter McGrath and his wife, Janet Fox (spent) over $17 million to clean up the property and build a roughly 5,750-square-foot ranch-style home on it. Now they are putting the estate, known as Sage Ridge, on the market for $30 million.” WSJ subs.

 

Tire Study: Go-to tire retailer – Discount Tire 33.8%, Walmart 17.7%, Costco 16.9%…Costco took the crown for overall brand ranking…Sam’s Club faced the highest rate of customer-reported issues.” Press release

 

LinkedIn Top Startups 2024: The 50 U.S. companies on the rise List

 

How Kwik Trip created a cult-like following in the Midwest at Minneapolis Star Tribune. “That personal touch, replicated in 850 stores and growing, has made the La Crosse, Wis.-based convenience store chain a cultural icon in its region…Kwik Trip — and its Iowa counterpart, Kwik Star — has won the type of cult following common among regional convenience store brands. East Coasters love their WaWa, Texas has Buc-ee’s, and Great Plains folk swear by Casey’s General Store pizzas.” Tiered subs.

 

NOT SHOCK POLL – Survey by Blind finds 91% of Amazon employees not happy about return-to-office policy at GeekWire

 

Harris Says She Will ‘Go After’ Companies Engaged In ‘Price Gouging,’ In First Solo Interview As Democratic Nominee at Forbes

 

Walmart’s 11th annual Open Call at Talk Business. “Walmart opened its doors to more than 500 entrepreneurs on Tuesday (Sept.24) at the retail giant’s 11th annual Open Call. Jason Fremstad, Walmart head of supplier development and sourcing, said merchants will hold 800 meetings on Wednesday with the supplier hopefuls. He said Walmart continues to source products made or assembled in the U.S. but also wanted to stretch the focus by inviting export buyers from Canada and Mexico.” Read more

 

CDC: Tenth death reported in listeria outbreak linked to Boar’s Head meats at USA Today

 

A Shoplifter Gets Shot Stealing Candy at Walgreens. Who’s to Blame? at WSJ. “More than a year after the killing, the official answer is no one; even San Francisco’s mayor backs a state ballot measure to stiffen shoplifting penalties.” WSJ subs.

 

Reuters speaks to nine current 7-Eleven franchisees in Japan, almost all voiced disapproval of Seven & i’s strategy  and welcomes the proposed buyout by Circle K owner Couche-Tard Read more

 

Ulta Beauty Announces Partnership with Wicked  Press release

 

CHECKS IN THE MAIL – $500K Target gift card scheme lands East Coast man behind bars at Mercury News. “In his plea agreement, O’Brien admitted the goal was $1,077,100…In addition to the (5-year) prison term, Judge Beth Labson Freeman ordered O’Brien to serve three years of supervised release and repay the retailer, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.” Read more