Albertsons Q2 comp sales +13.8% “Digital sales growth of 243%…Net income of $284.5 million
Adjusted EBITDA of $948.4 million, an increase of 67% compared to the second quarter last year.” Press release

 

NORDICTRACK @ LOWE’S – Lowe’s bets on new categories this holiday season at CNBC. “We thought that home fitness was one of those areas that we could play in as it relates to home improvement and we still feel that way,” (Bill Boltz) said. “The pandemic has just kind of escalated that.” During the holidays, he said Lowe’s wants to make shopping on its website “a little bit of a treasure hunt.” It will feature products like Razor scooters, Melissa & Doug toys, Serta pillows and NordicTrack exercise equipment.” Read more

 

Walmart cranks up advertising drive, with or without TikTok at Reuters. “The refocused strategy was born early last year when Walmart cut ties with its external advertising partner…The shift has been paying off, according to one source briefed on the company’s plans who said Walmart Media Group was on track to earn nearly $1 billion of advertising sales this year, more than double the amount it brought in last year.” Read more

 

Justice Department seizes websites used to trick Amazon customers into buying device tech support at GeekWire. “The phony technicians charged customers — $99 for a two-year plan or $149 for a four-year plan — for otherwise-free and unnecessary steps like registering the Alexa software or providing network security.” Read more

 

DELOITTE HOLIDAY STUDY – Consumers planning to visit just 5.2 retail stores on average…down from seven last year, 6.9 in 2018 and 5.7 in 2017. It marks a record low for the survey.” at CNBC

 

Alibaba Group will spend about $3.6 billion to take a controlling stake in Sun Art, one of China’s largest big-box and supermarket chains at TechCrunch. Read more

 

This ace engineer powered Amazon through the COVID crisis at Fortune. “As someone who knows what it’s like to be the only woman or the only Black person in a room, (Alicia Boler Davis) also wants to bring people like her up through the company. “It can be hard being the only one. Whether you’re carrying it around on your shoulders or not, it’s the reality,” she says.” Read more

 

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Amazon’s healthcare job postings reveal interest in buying provider networks, expanding Amazon Care at GeekWire. Read more

 

Saks pushing back its Barneys relaunch plans, CEO says at NY Post. “Barneys…had been slated to make a splashy comeback in September…But Saks is pushing back those plans until spring…And next year’s Barneys’ relaunch will be limited to Saks’ New York flagship and a small stand-alone store in Greenwich, Conn. as it postpones plans to open Barneys boutiques at other Saks locations in the US and Canada.” Read more

 

Sam’s Club and Synchrony Extend Strategic Credit Card Program Collaboration with Multi-Year Agreement Press release

 

Whole Foods Market Forecasts Top 10 Food Trends for 2021 (Chickpeas Are the New Cauliflower) Press release

 

Kohl’s Partners with Cole Haan “The Kohl’s assortment of Cole Haan footwear will include styles across all categories…will be available in 200 stores starting spring 2021, with an expanded assortment available online at Kohls.com.” Press release

 

Instacart Appoints New Execs to Leadership Team – Christina Hall as CHRO & Ariel Bardin as SVP of Product Press release

 

DELI AFTER HOURS – Man found living in Raley’s store rafters after foot crashes through ceiling at NY Daily News. “…he’d been climbing an exterior ladder to the roof, then down into the store’s rafters, where he had carved out a little living space, stealing provisions from the deli…They sent a police dog up there, but it fell into a shaft and got stuck…” Video/Read more

 

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Microsoft’s Windows 10 is breaking PCs

Read Tipsheet Extra Stories

 

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