STRIKE VOTE AT RALPHS/ALBERTSONS – Grocery union reports high turnout for strike vote by Natalie Kitroeff at LA Times. “The results of the vote won’t be available until Tuesday night. But grocery workers historically have followed the union’s suggestion…said officials from the United Food and Commercial Workers union, which represents about 47,000 clerks, meat cutters and merchandise stockers across Southern California. The union advised members vote to authorize a strike.” Read more

 

Last-minute talks underway for many of Sports Authority’s stores by Mark Harden at Denver Business Journal. “The Wall Street Journal reports that Sports Direct International, the largest sporting-goods retailer in the United Kingdom, and privately held New York-based sporting-gear chain Modell’s Inc. are in talks about a potential joint bid for many of Sports Authority’s leases.” Read more | WSJ article (subs.)

 

Walmart’s $6 red wine named one of the best in the world via Fox News. “Asda has confirmed that sales of the wine have skyrocketed following the accolade; interest in it crashed the chain’s website — which now lists the La Moneda as out of stock.” Read more

 

TWIN CITIES – New Hy-Vee grocery store will carry clothing by John Ewoldt at Star Tribune. “…the head scratcher for some may be the F & F boutique, a 3,300-square-feet boutique with clothes, shoes and accessories for kids, women and men. The European brand is franchised mostly in Tesco supermarkets. This is Hy-Vee’s first franchise with the brand, which will be expanded in stores in Rochester, Minn., and Des Moines as well as Brooklyn Park.” Read more

 

Mayor of Paris isn’t happy about Amazon’s one-hour delivery service by Amar Toor at The Verge. “In a press release …, the office of Mayor Anne Hidalgo called on Amazon to guarantee that its Prime Now delivery service will not add to the city’s pollution problems and that it will preserve the “diversity” of Paris’ economy.” Read more

 

Study: Best 50 Corporate Citizens in Canada (Canadian Tire #41, Hudson’s Bay #43, Loblaw #49) at Corporate Knights. See the top 50 list

 

**A message from 2016 Sweets & Snacks Expo –The Expo set a new attendance record with 17,000+ industry professionals from 90+ countries! Attendees represented 80% of the buying power in the candy category and 75% of the buying power in the snack category. Hershey’s Reese’s Pieces Peanut Butter Cups received Best-In-Show new product award. See the post-show highlights. The 2017 Sweets & Snacks Expo is nearly 90% sold out and will take place May 23-25 at Chicago’s McCormick Place. See 2016 Expo Instagram pics #SSE16

 

Daughter of Publix founder to step down from board due to Alzheimer’s diagnosis by Justine Griffin at Tampa Bay Times. “Jenkins Barnett, 59, voluntarily decided to step down from the Publix board to focus on her health and spend more time with family.” Read more

 

Walmart’s Gloeckler & Furner Take Part in Panel Discussion by Kim Souza at The City Wire. “J.K. Symancyk, CEO of Academy Sports & Outdoors, said every year in the past there’s been some technology or format that everyone thought would dominate retail. That hasn’t happened. “The world doesn’t need another retailer it just needs better retailers. Customers don’t say they choose to shop this channel, they choose to do business with brands they trust and the same is true from a supplier and retailer standpoint,” Symancyk said.” Read more

 

ENERGY VAMPIRES – Kroger signs big deal to buy cutting-edge exit signs by Steve Watkins a Cincinnati Business Courier. “The exit signs glow in the dark and emanate light. They don’t require the maintenance or have lights that burn out that traditional exit signs do. “Nobody thinks of an exit sign as a cost center, but I do,” Green said. “We call them energy vampires.” Read more

 

Uniqlo’s struggles cause fashion chain to close stores by Lisa Fickenscher at NY Post. “Tokyo-based Uniqlo — a 1,700-store global chain with 43 US stores and big plans to grow its portfolio here — is the latest fast-fashion retailer to retrench amid slowing sales…Uniqlo has quietly closed five stores since January. They were all in suburban shopping malls.” Read more

 

Bloomberg: Whole Foods Is Getting Killed by Aldi. Is a Millennial Grocery Chain the Fix? by Joel Stein. “We were greeted outside with a sign that said “Free Air Guitars.” Walking in, we found a clean, well-lit, and colorful store, with exposed beams and ducts. There were no employees in sight, as if to say, “Shop, don’t shop, totally up to you, dude.” (What they’re actually saying is: fewer employees, less overhead, smaller costs to pass on.) Igor liked it immediately.” Read more

 

Facebook gives retailers more leeway to tell their stories by Zak Stambor at Internet Retailer. “Facebook today announced that, as of Wednesday, retailers and other marketers who operate brand pages on the social network will be able to use Canvases to create organic page posts. The HTML5 format was previously only available to advertisers.” Read more

 

Tipsheet Extra Stories

Shocked Amazon customer catches USPS driver chucking his package on the side of the road without even getting out of his van (pics)

Sam’s Club China will open a flagship store on JD.com

Downtown Calgary retail businesses rapidly closing as layoffs, oil prices take their toll

Detroit: Angry mom drop kicks birthday cake at Kroger

Ellen Degeneres to launch pet collection at PetSmart

Read Tipsheet Extra Stories

 

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