Admired: Costco #6/WM #8 | T.Supply +0.6% | Amazon -27K ’22/’23

 

GDP grew at a 2.3% pace in the fourth quarter, vs. expected 2.5% growth at CNBC. “Consumer spending rose at a robust 4.2% pace…initial unemployment claims totaled 207,000 for the week ending Jan. 25, a sharp decline of 16,000 from the prior period and well below the forecast for 228,000.” Read more

 

Tractor Supply Q4: Net Sales +3.1% / Comp Store Sales +0.6% / Comp Average Transaction +2.3% Press release

 

H&M’s fourth-quarter sales dented by late Black Friday at Reuters. “H&M reported weaker-than-expected fourth-quarter sales…due in part to a late Black Friday, but said sales were up 4% in December and January…” Read more

 

2025 World’s Most Admired Companies at Fortune/Korn Ferry

  1. Apple
  2. Microsoft
  3. Amazon
  4. Nvidia
  5. Berkshire Hathaway
  6. Costco Wholesale
  7. JPMorgan Chase
  8. Walmart
  9. Alphabet
  10. American Express

 

Floor & Decor Appoints Bradley Paulsen as President “Prior to Rentokil, Mr. Paulsen served as CEO of Rexel USA…previously served as COO of HD Supply…He also spent nine years with The Home Depot in leadership and merchandising roles.” Press release

 

Amazon is laying off a “small number” of employees in its communications and sustainability units at CNBC. “The company laid off more than 27,000 employees in 2022 and 2023 and has continued making smaller cuts.” Read more

 

Glassdoor’s Best Places to Work 2025 (HEB #21, Trader Joe’s #30…) Full list

 

**A message from Su Salsa – A hint of lime and cilantro with a jalapeno kick. All-natural, blended and smooth for easy pour. Female owned. Bright label colors stand out on shelf.  Learn more | Sample: info@eyeonretail.net

 

Walmart’s Plus membership is growing according to Morgan Stanley survey at NWA Online. “…the survey found the Plus program has about 26.5 million members. That number could be about 17.2 million after adjusting for potential over-counting, the survey said.” Read more

 

A 13-year-old and 15-year-old are accused of killing CVS security guard at USA Today

 

Bezos vs. Bezos: Amazon sues WA state over Washington Post request for Kuiper records at GeekWire

 

Amazon has picked the North England town of Darlington as the first site for its planned U.K. drone-delivery expansion at TechCrunch

 

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Tiffany ‘Forced Joy’ | Red Sea Email | Sam’s #1 Satisfaction

 

CVS Wants to Help You Spend Less Time in CVS at WSJ. “The new features include a bar code that lets pharmacists quickly look up a prescription and receive a payment, a way for customers to view prescription status and costs, and—in pilot mode at three stores…an app feature that lets loyalty program members unlock those ubiquitous cabinets from their phone…Mandadi said the pilot is going well and the next step will be to expand to 10-15 stores, with the ultimate goal of full-scale deployment.” WSJ subs.

 

ACSI online retail customer satisfaction: Sam’s Club, Chewy, Pet Supplies Plus, Publix, and Trader Joe’s shine Press release

 

Tiffany Workers Mock Forced ‘Joy’ That Exacerbated Staff Exits at Bloomberg. “When Tiffany & Co. executives were looking for ways to boost staff morale, they rolled out an internal app called “Tiffany Joy.” They asked workers to post photos celebrating couples getting engaged, colleagues’ big sales and other meaningful moments at stores. It didn’t take long to turn into a chore. Executives started telling US staff they weren’t posting frequently enough and asking workers to “like” posts more quickly. Within a few months, by early 2024, some US employees had given the app a nickname: “Forced Joy.” Bloomberg subs.

 

Whole Foods CEO’s role expands to oversee Amazon’s entire worldwide grocery initiatives at GeekWire. “Jason Buechel will expand his role to oversee Amazon’s Worldwide Grocery Stores business, including Amazon Go convenience stores and Amazon Fresh physical and online stores, while also continuing to serve as Whole Foods Market CEO.” Read more

 

Workers at Philadelphia Whole Foods vote to form first union at CNN. “The union said 130 workers voted in favor and 100 workers voted against the move…the union local chapter (claimed) the workers faced anti-union pressure and intimidation from Amazon in the lead-up to the vote.” Read more

 

Attorneys general in 19 states are warning Costco “to end all unlawful discrimination imposed by the company through DEI” policies at Fox News

 

Dick’s, Home Depot and Dollar Tree earn “Gold” status in Brand Keys loyalty study Report/List

 

***A message from Sensi: Sensi named a “Best Smart Thermostat of 2024” by CNET noting its simple and intuitive display, which allows you to make changes easily. Website | Contact: info@eyeonretail.net

 

Shippers Wary of Red Sea Routes Despite Houthi Pledge to End Targeting at WSJ. “In an email to shippers, the Houthis said they wouldn’t attack U.S. and British vessels while a cease-fire was in effect…The rebels, however, said they would still target Israeli vessels.” WSJ subs.

 

Walmart makes several leadership changes ahead of new fiscal year at Talk Business. “Megan Crozier will leave Sam’s Club and return to Walmart as executive vice president of general merchandise…Julie Barber will become chief merchandising officer (at Sam’s), replacing Crozier. Diana Marshall will take on a new position as chief experience officer at Sam’s Club leading membership, product, design, marketing and advertising businesses.” Read more

 

Costco switches up food court sodas from Pepsi to Coca-Cola at USA Today

 

CANADA: Metro Q1 sales up at Toronto Star. “Food same-store sales were up 1.0 per cent compared with a year earlier and up 2.4 per cent after adjusting for a shift of two significant pre-Christmas shopping days to the second quarter. Pharmacy same-store sales were up 5.1 per cent…” Read more

 

BJ’s Wholesale Club Announces Ohio Distribution Center Press release

 

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Buc-ee’s ~ Elvis | Costco Pokemon Brawl | Amazon #1 Trust

 

Forget Factories, Small US Towns Want Buc-ee’s Gas Stations at Bloomberg. “To hear some locals tell it, the arrival of a supermarket-size gas station with pumps for 120 cars is the biggest thing to hit West Memphis, Arkansas, since Elvis Presley had his broadcast debut at the local radio station in 1953…Sixty miles north of Atlanta, the line of cars leading into Buc-ee’s from Interstate 75’s two exit ramps sometimes stretches a mile long. And a future store near Gulfport, Mississippi, is projected to draw 5 million people a year, about the same visitor count as Yellowstone National Park…” Bloomberg

 

Some Walmart Managers Get a Raise, Lifting Their Max Pay Above $600,000 at WSJ. “…regional managers responsible for clusters of a dozen Walmart stores—a role known as a market manager—will be able to earn between $420,000 and $620,000 if they get their full bonuses this year. That total is up from a range of roughly $320,000 to $570,000 last year. Stock grants for market managers will increase to $100,000 a year, up from $75,000, while potential annual bonuses will rise to 100% of base pay, up from 90%, a Walmart spokeswoman said.” WSJ subs.

 

Costco shoppers brawl over coveted Pokémon cards at NY Post. “A California Costco turned into a fight club when a ravenous crowd of adults brawled over Pokémon cards as they cleared the store’s shelves within seconds, risking limb for an easy payout…One suspected reseller…wrapped himself around a younger man who was carrying two boxes in a battle for the box set. The younger man viciously elbowed his attacker in the face while a female shopper yelled at him.” Read more

 

Fanatics is opening first trading card store, in London, to give the sports collectibles a boost in Europe at CNBC. “According to Fanatics, there are less than five Topps-partner hobby shops in the United Kingdom, and less than 30 in all of Europe. Leiner said that also unlike in the U.S., there are less cards in big box retailers and often cards are found in the magazine aisle in smaller stores or grocery stores, if at all. “It’s tough to find these products,” he said.” Read more

 

Amazon closing all 7 Quebec warehouses, laying off more than 1,700 workers at CTV News. “Bobbie-Jo Vaughan, who worked for Amazon for three years…(said) she she was completely shocked by the news…When she got to work Wednesday, she saw news crews outside the DXT6 warehouse, which wasn’t unusual with the unionization efforts that were underway…But Vaughan says as soon as she saw her coworkers’ faces, she knew something was wrong.” Read more

 

REI CEO Retiring “Mary Beth Laughton, a former REI Board Director…will join REI as president on February 3, 2025…Laughton has held leadership roles at Nike, Athleta, and Sephora.” Press release

 

**A message from Sensi: Sensi named a “Best Smart Thermostat of 2024” by CNET noting its simple and intuitive display, which allows you to make changes easily. Website | Contact: info@eyeonretail.net

 

Brand Finance: 500 Most Valuable Global Brands (Amazon #4, Walmart #5, Home Depot #17, Costco #26) Full list

 

Dollar General cuts 60 employees at HQ at the Tennessean. “While Dollar General said the layoffs affected a “small percentage” of corporate employees, impacted jobs included three vice president positions, senior managers, mid-level engineers and analysts and several assistants…Several had worked at the company for a decade or longer.” Read more

 

Buc-ee’s sues Texas gas station over alleged logo infringement at My San Antonio. “…a newer chain has hit the market in the greater Dallas area, Super Fuels, which has a logo of a dog-like figure wearing a red cape with a blue circle behind it.” Read more

 

Newsweek/BrandSpark: Most Trusted Brands in the U.S. for 2025  (Walmart – Groc. Customer Service, Home Depot – Home Improvement, Bass Pro – Hunting/Fishing) Full list

 

The Fresh Market announces Brian Johnson as new President and CEO “Johnson has served as Chief Operating Officer at The Fresh Market since 2020…Previously, Johnson served as Division Vice President at Brookshire Grocery Company in Texas.” Press release

 

Amazon, Costco, and UPS Rank Highest in Caliber’s U.S. Trust & Like Poll “Top 10: Amazon, Costco UPS, FedEx, Lowe’s, The Home Depot, Kroger, CVS Health, Target and Walmart.” Press release

 

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BJ’s 250th | WM HQ Pics | Teamsters/Costco 1/31

 

Costco union that represents 18,000 workers authorizes nationwide strike at ABC. “Our members have spoken loud and clear — Costco must deliver a fair contract, or they’ll be held accountable,” Teamsters General President Sean M. O’Brien said…”From day one, we’ve told Costco that our members won’t work a day past January 31 without a historic, industry-leading agreement. Costco’s greedy executives have less than two weeks to do the right thing…” Read more

 

Canada’s annual inflation rate drops to 1.8% in December on sales tax relief at Reuters

 

Walmart opens new 350-acre corporate campus at Talk Business. “Walmart CEO Doug McMillon said the new campus has come a long way from the first conversations he and Board Chairman Greg Penner first had in 2017 about the possibility of a new corporate campus. McMillon thanked Penner, the board and the Walton Family for supporting the investment. “They did not ask us to go shop other regions for the project and I am very grateful for that…” at Talk Business.” Read More | And More

 

BJ’s Wholesale Club Celebrates 250th Club and 21st State with Grand Opening in Louisville Press release

 

Kohl’s Shoppers Want Its New CEO to Undo What the Last One Did at WSJ. “(Ashley) Buchanan, who spent more than a dozen years at Walmart before becoming the CEO of crafts retailer Michaels, will face a conundrum at Kohl’s that has tripped up other department-store leaders: how to attract new, younger customers without alienating the existing shoppers who account for the bulk of sales.” WSJ subs.

 

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Here are the products and companies most at risk from Trump’s tariff plans at CNBC

 

The Battle for Recovery Supplies Is On in a Disaster-Strewn America at WSJ. “You’re going to have a Hunger Games-style competition for materials and labor,” said Sean Burton, chief executive at the Los Angeles-based multifamily development firm Cityview…Burton thinks that the government, homeowners and contractors should buy appliances and building materials in bulk to reduce costs and expedite the redevelopment effort in Southern California, even if that means storing some of that supply in vacant warehouse space.” WSJ subs.

 

Amazon pauses drone deliveries – Oregon test crash ‘not the primary reason’ at GeekWire. “Bloomberg reported that two of Amazon’s MK30 drones crashed during flights at the company’s Pendleton, Ore., testing facility, and one caught fire on the ground. “The company later discovered a software issue was to blame, related to the light rain the aircraft were flying through at the time,” Bloomberg reported.” Read more

 

Davos: Trump to appear via videolink on Thursday at CNBC

 

The Alcohol Industry Is Hooked on Its Heaviest Drinkers “A fifth of adults account for an estimated 90% of alcohol sales volumes in the U.S., according to an analysis published in 2023 by equity research firm Bernstein. “Heavier drinkers are obviously where the money is,” said Philip Cook, a professor emeritus at Duke University…” WSJ subs.

 

Amazon bought more renewable power last year than any other company at TechCrunch

 

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Target Leader Changes | Wgreen Fridge Fiasco | Sam’s Agency Review

 

Target says its holiday sales were better than expected — but its profits weren’t at CNBC. “Target raised its fourth-quarter sales forecast Thursday…now expects comparable sales in the fiscal fourth quarter to grow by about 1.5%. That’s better than its most recent outlook that the metric would be approximately flat.” Read more

 

…Target Provides Holiday Sales Update, Announces Leadership Team Changes “During November and December combined, total sales increased 2.8 percent, comparable sales increased 2.0 percent…Mark Schindele…will be retiring…Adrienne Costanzo (named) as its next chief stores officer…Brett Craig…will retire…Prat Vemana…will take on the role of chief information and product officer…Sarah Travis…will be promoted to executive vice president and chief digital and revenue officer and join the leadership team.” Press release

 

Albertsons announces layoffs at Boise HQ at 2 Idaho News. “Several of the jobs lost appear to be moving overseas. “We have been on a multi-year journey to balance our onshore and offshore activities, and we have grown an offshore hub with associates and contract workers supporting an array of administrative operations….” Read more

 

Walgreens Replaced Fridge Doors With Smart Screens. It’s Now a $200 Million Fiasco at Bloomberg. “On Dec. 14, Avakian’s team secretly cut the data feeds to more than 100 Walgreens stores in the Chicago area. The dozen or so smart doors affected in each of these stores either glazed over with white pixels or blacked out altogether…By the time Walgreens caught on and persuaded a judge to issue a temporary restraining order against Cooler Screens forcing it to restore the data feeds, the doors had been offline for a week. Before, it had been annoying for some screens to occasionally black out; it was much more painful for hundreds of them to crash simultaneously.” Bloomberg subs.

 

Apple, Amazon fight off $600 million UK lawsuit over alleged ‘collusion’ at Reuters

 

Why Costco Isn’t Joining the Backlash Against DEI at WSJ. “…some conservative activists encouraged followers to boycott the retailer, but they acknowledged Costco’s loyal following. That group includes the social-media agitator Robby Starbuck, who has pushed other companies to disavow some of their DEI, environmental and LGBTQ-community-support policies. “They are not the worst of the worst, so they weren’t my focus,” said Starbuck. He added that it would take more than a shareholder proposal to spur change at Costco and that he might target the company in the future. “You better have your ducks in a row before you go after a beloved company,” he said.” WSJ subs.

 

Michaels Announces 3-Member Interim CEO Team Press release

 

***A message from Comfy Sacks – Our 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 shoppers something fun and unique! Website | Program details: info@eyeonretail.net

 

Sam’s Club has launched a comprehensive agency review, according to people familiar with the matter, with incumbents Arnold and Horizon Media defending their accounts, and rival holding companies expected to participate. Ad Age subs.

 

What products contain Red 3 dye? at AP

 

Jeff Bezos’ New Glenn rocket reaches orbit on first test flight at AP. “Bezos took part in the action from Mission Control and Blue Origin employees erupted in cheers once the craft successfully reached orbit 13 minutes later, a feat that drew praise from SpaceX’s Elon Musk.” Read more

 

Home Depot requiring white-collar employees in some departments to come into the office four days a week starting in June AJC subs.

 

Walmart bolsters position in Chile with $1.3 billion investment at Talk Business. “After exiting Argentina and Brazil, Chile remains the retailer’s sole asset in South America…The expansion includes 70 new stores in underserved regions, which will extend Walmart’s reach into areas that have traditionally been difficult to reach.” Read more

 

At 100 years old, JoCleta Wilson still works and drives herself to her job at Home Depot at Today

 

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Bourbon Boom Over | Arcade Retail | Coyote On-Shelf

 

Wholesale prices rose 0.2% in December, less than expected at CNBC. “…(rose) less than the 0.4% increase in November and below the Dow Jones consensus estimate for 0.4%…Excluding food and energy, so-called core PPI was flat compared to the forecast for a 0.3% rise. Excluding food, energy and trade services, the measure rose just 0.1%.” Read more

 

Retailers post early holiday results at CNBC. “Lululemon now expects sales to grow between 11% and 12% to between $3.56 billion and $3.58 billion, up from a previous range of $3.48 billion and $3.51 billion…Abercrombie…nudged up its net sales growth outlook to a range of between 7% and 8%, compared with previous guidance of between 5% and 7%.” Read more

 

America’s Bourbon Boom Is Over. Now the Hangover Is Here. at WSJ. “Sales volumes of U.S. whiskey—including bourbon, Tennessee and rye—dropped 1.2% in 2023, marking the first fall since 2002, according to industry tracker IWSR. That drop steepened last year, with volumes down 4% in the first nine months of 2024.” WSJ subs. 

 

Walmart Introduces Updated Look and Feel “Walmart is excited to announce a comprehensive brand refresh…The wordmark is inspired by Sam Walton’s classic trucker hat…” Press release

 

Burlington Sees the Future of Retail. It Looks Much Smaller at WSJ. “…Burlington is aggressively expanding. It is taking aim at its larger competitors, Ross Stores and TJX…Underpinning Burlington’s transformation is an overhaul of its real estate, which is getting much, much smaller even as the company works to open 400 net new stores over the next four years.” WSJ subs.

 

How Target’s people-first culture and leadership programs are driving success at NRF. “When Target CEO Brian Cornell runs through the recent growth of his company, highlighting revenue, remodeling, new stores, new team members and the tripling of digital business, he notes that it didn’t happen in a boardroom…” Read more

 

**A message from Su Salsa – Put the lime in the dip, not the chip. Su Salsa Mild hits with a hint of lime and cilantro and a kick of jalapeno at the finish. All-natural, blended and smooth for easy pour. And the label that pops on shelf.  Learn more | Sample: info@eyeonretail.net

 

Advance Auto Parts Appoints Shweta Bhatia as Chief Technology Officer “Most recently, Ms. Bhatia served as senior vice president of technology at Dollar General…Ms. Bhatia also served as the vice president of technology at both Walmart…and Kohl’s Corporation.” Press release

 

Kohl’s is closing 27 stores in 15 states at Fox Business

 

How Dick’s Sporting Goods Made Billions Killing Their Own Stores at Forbes. “For 40 years, Ed Stack has been consumed with figuring out ways to stay ahead of competitors. These days that means doubling down on bigger-than-ever Dick’s Sporting Goods stores.” 11:58 video

 

Family Dollar Chief Merchandising Officer Lawrence Gatta Jr. will leave the company at Supermarket News/Yahoo

 

Why Adults Are Hitting the Arcade in Search of a $3,600 Hermès Bag at WSJ. “Gatcha may be the only place on Earth where patrons can score an Hermès bag for $50. The only requirement is a lightning-fast reaction time. At the 9,000-square-foot arcade in Queens, N.Y., a $3,600 Hermès Picotin bag, $600 Chanel wallet, and $549 Apple AirPods Max headphones are among the prizes players can take home if they’re quick with a button.” WSJ subs.

 

Coyote pulled out of shelves inside Chicago-area Aldi store at ABC 7 News. “A witness told ABC7 she saw the animal roaming the parking lot minutes earlier, and somehow, that coyote ended up inside the store’s produce section. It had been hiding in a cooler beneath a selection of fine cheeses.” Read more/Video

 

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REI Cuts 400 | Costco +9.9% | HEB #1 US Grocer

 

Amazon aims to expand advertising business by letting retailers use its ad tools on their stores at CNBC. “The service could provide Amazon with valuable data it can use to bolster its ad prediction and recommendation technology. The company said early customers include health and wellness retailer iHerb, Asian grocery startup Weee! and Oriental Trading Co., which sells toys, party and craft supplies.” Read more

 

Costco December comp sales (ex-fuel & f/x) +9.9%: US +9.8% / Canada +10.3% / Int’l +9.8% / Ecom +35.7% “E-commerce sales in December were positively impacted by an estimated 15 percentage points, due to Thanksgiving / Black Friday / Cyber Monday occurring a week later this year versus last year. Total and comparable sales were positively impacted by approximately one and one-half percent as a result of the shift in E-commerce sales.” Press release

 

REI to lay off over 400 employees in elimination of “Experiences” division at King 5. “The division includes adventure travel, day tours and classes…(CEO) Artz said the division costs “significantly” more to run than it makes, and REI is losing millions of dollars each year to operate Experiences.” Read more

 

Albertsons Companies, Inc. Q3 identical sales +2.0% Press release

 

dunnhumby RPI Ranks H-E-B as Top U.S. Grocer / Costco #3, Sam’s #8, Walmart #11 “The battle for first place that raged from 2017-2022, has now turned into a battle for second. In the last three years, H-E-B has separated itself from the rest of the top five…” Press release

 

Union dockworkers, port employers announce tentative deal at East Coast and Gulf ports at CNBC

 

Target Is Expanding Its Wellness Assortment with 2,000 New Items, More Than Half Under $10 Press release

 

***A message from Sensi: Sensi named a “Best Smart Thermostat of 2024” by CNET noting its simple and intuitive display, which allows you to make changes easily. Website | Contact: info@eyeonretail.net

 

Ottawa targets raft of U.S. goods, including steel products and Florida orange juice, for tariffs at Globe & Mail

 

7-Eleven owner’s CFO says buyout proposals lack detail at Financial Post. “We are considering all options, and whether they are feasible,” Maruyama said after the Japanese operator of 7-Eleven stores reported quarterly results Thursday. “Both proposals have hurdles to make an acquisition possible. We haven’t received details of those solutions, so the ball is on the side of those proposing buyouts.” Read more

 

Shein aims for London IPO by mid-year, sources say at Reuters

 

Flipkart hires co-founder of Indian delivery startup Dunzo, as the Walmart-owned e-commerce group expands its quick-commerce business in India at TechCrunch

 

Barnes & Noble sells ‘a better book’ than Amazon: CEO credits bookstore experience at GeekWire. “In a new segment on “PBS News Hour”, James Daunt said the once-mighty Barnes & Noble has come “back from the brink”…With a renewed focus on selling books instead of lots of other stuff, and buoyed by an increase in readers during the pandemic, Barnes & Noble opened nearly 60 stores around the country last year and it has plans for 60 more in 2025.” Read more/Video

 

EBay shares soar after Meta allows listings on Facebook Marketplace in U.S., Europe at CNBC

 

***Advertise your product, service or event in Eye on Retail Tipsheet to get in front of the most powerful retail decision-makers in the world. Contact: jlong@eyeonretail.net