Jeff Bezos slams NY Post report on automated Amazon grocery stores by Kurt Schlosser at NY Post. “Bezos tweeted at the Post and said that the paper’s anonymous sources, whomever they might be, “mixed up their meds!” Read more

 

Publix no longer offers you that free slice of meat at the deli counter by Laura Reiley at Tampa Bay Times. “I confirm with the clerk. Yes, there has been a policy change. As of two weeks ago, deli technicians are no longer offering the free slice, she says, and they don’t, strictly speaking, even need to show that first slice to you…” Read more

 

Whole Foods Now Has a ‘Produce Butcher’ to Chop Your Fruit and Veggies by Aric Jenkins at Fortune. “The service does not come without a price, however. The cost is set at $1 per pound for bulk items and an additional $1 for any individual items, according to Gothamist, a popular New York City blog.” Read more

 

Kroger’s acquires Murray’s Cheese and first retail location in New York by Steve Watkins at Cincinnati Business Courier. “Kroger gains Murray’s Cheese’s flagship location on Bleecker Street in Manhattan’s Greenwich Village as part of the deal.” Read more

 

Thieves turn their attention online as chip cards cut into store fraud at Bloomberg via Internet Retailer. “The use of stolen card data to pay for merchandise on websites, in mobile apps and by dialing call centers surged 40% last year, according to a recent report from Javelin Strategy & Research.” Read more

 

TJX stands to gain big-time from planned Macy’s, Kmart closures by Don Seiffert at Boston Business Journal. “T.J. Maxx saw a 47 percent gain in its market share following the closures (of nearby Kmart stores) and Walmart had an 8 percent gain,” wrote Foursquare’s editor-at-large Sarah Spagnolo in the study.” Read more

 

…When Macy’s Closes A Store, Dillard’s Local Market Share Doubles by Deborah Borchardt at Forbes. Read more

 

Michael Kors shares slump on handbag sales hit at NY Post. “Sales at stores open for more than a year fell 6.9 percent in the third quarter ended Dec. 31, falling for the seventh time in eight quarters. Analysts had expected a 4.9 percent decline.” Read more

 

Bon-Ton expands in-store Close to Home concept by Melanie Lawder at Milwaukee Business Journal. “Earlier this fall, Bon-Ton rolled out its Close to Home shops — which feature locally sourced and themed products specific to each store’s geographic location — at roughly 45 stores. By mid 2017, the company hopes to have the Close to Home shops at roughly 150 stores.” Read more

 

**A message from Fabe – Italian hand-crafted pillows help prevent neck and back pain. Fabe’s Ergo Praxis pillow supports and aligns the head and neck to prevent cervical pain. Created in cooperation with Ludes University in Switzerland – it gets the body in the right position for a good night’s sleep. 100% Made in Italy. Ergo Praxis Specs | Fabe Website | Retailers request samples at info@shiftmarketinggroup.net. Italy to America product connection

 

HD Supply to explore sale of Waterworks unit by Greg Roumeliotis at Reuters. “A divestment of Waterworks, which could fetch more than $2 billion, would allow HD Supply to pay down some of its $4.1 billion debt as it positions its construction and facilities maintenance businesses to benefit from U.S. President Donald Trump’s emphasis on infrastructure spending and tax reform.” Read more

 

Aldi is the ‘clear price leader’ compared to Wal-Mart by Kim Souza at Talk Business. “When looking at only private label SKUs (30 items), Aldi’s price advantage grew further,” Trussell noted. “The private label basket was on average 21.4% more expensive at Walmart than at Aldi.” Read more

 

The Best Places to Live in the U.S. in 2017 at U.S. News Top 25 list

 

Container Store Q3 Comp Sales -3.9% Press release

 

IS THE HASHTAG OVER? Researchers reveal Super Bowl ads have abandoned them (and Facebook and Twitter) for URLs by Stacy Liberatore at Daily Mail. “Out of 66 ads only 30% of them had a hashtag – while 41% included a URL. This year had a 15% decrease in number of hashtags used in commercials. Twitter handles were only shown in 5 commercials and Facebook in 4.” Read more

 

Pier 1 Imports Reiterates Financial Guidance “Strong execution across the board enabled us to achieve slightly positive comparable sales growth of 0.6% quarter-to-date through January.” Press release

 

Calif. High Court Mulls Nordstrom’s Rest Day Policy by Cara Bayles at Law 360. “The California Supreme Court put the state’s labor code under a microscope at a hearing Monday, in an effort to determine whether statutory language that forbids working “more than six days in seven” means Nordstrom makeup counter employees can’t work more than six consecutive days, or whether the clock restarts every Sunday.” Read more (subscription)

 

Walmart to pay $875,000 in settlement over alleged misleading environmentally-friendly labels by Andrea Figueroa Briseno at Fresno Bee. “The case claimed Walmart was distributing items falsely labeled “biodegradable” or “compostable” in violation of California law.” Read more

 

Under Armour Settles Suit Over ‘Puppy Armour’ by Kelly Knaub at Law 360. Read more (subscription)

 

H-E-B places K-9 units in several San Antonio store parking lots by Andrea Martinez at KENS. “Bobby Contreras said he usually does the shopping at his house. “My wife doesn’t feel comfortable coming by herself,” he said. “A presence of a K-9 unit would make my wife feel a little more comfortable.” Video/Read more

 

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