Friday Tipsheet: 8 Worst Things @ T.Joe’s | Lowe’s Lab | Target Mtg: 1 Stroller

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“Whole Foods’ CFO dishes on the early days” by Colleen Leahey at Fortune.  “What was the atmosphere like when you first started? We were just about to open stores seven and eight [Richardson, TX, and Palo Alto, CA], so the company was very small. [Co-founder] John Mackey actually did the financial plan on a spreadsheet on one of those Mac computers—what were the first ones called? Those little square television-looking ones.”  Read more

 

“Why Lowe’s is Working with a Team of Science-Fiction Writers” by Natalie Zmuda at Ad Age.  “Mr. Nel declined to comment on budgets for either the Holoroom or Lowe’s Innovation Labs, though he pointed out that his is a small team of only about 10 people. “We’re small on purpose. We’re focused more on growing our partnerships rather than growing a large bureaucracy of innovation,” he said.”  Read more

 

“8 Worst Things to Buy at Trader Joe’s” at Kiplinger.  “Whole Foods beat Trader Joe’s price on a gallon of organic milk by a whopping $2.30…both Kroger and Walmart beat Trader Joe’s price per pound on (organic chicken) breasts. The savings was 50 cents per pound on organic chicken breasts at Kroger but a more substantial $2 per pound at Walmart.”  See the List

 

“Moms Demand Action Protest Draws 12 People at Target Meeting” at Truth Revolt.  “Although it was called the “stroller jam,” Dallas News reported only one woman showed up with a stroller and her granddaughter.”  Read more

 

“Apple Offers Sneak Peek Inside New Japanese Retail Store Ahead of Opening” by Mikey Campbell at Apple Insider.  “Among the architectural features of Apple’s soon-to-open store is a “green curtain” of foliage that drapes over the rear concrete wall, put in place to cut down on energy needed to cool the box-like structure during the day.”  Read more / See the video

 

“Wal-Mart tests health care clinics with $4 office visits for its employees” by Maria Halkias at Dallas News.  “Wal-Mart is testing healthcare clinics in three Texas stores that will charge its own employees $4 a visit if they are covered by Wal-Mart’s health insurance.  The charge for everyone else, including customers, is $40.”  Read more

 

“Grocers sue Vermont over law requiring labels on genetically modified food” by Wilson Ring at Star-Tribune.  “Maine and Connecticut also have adopted GMO label laws, but their laws require neighboring states to follow suit before their requirements go into effect. New York lawmakers are working on a GMO labeling bill, as well. And if it becomes law, Connecticut’s law would automatically take effect.”  Read more

 

“Green Bay: Mayor’s alternative to Walmart? Downtown baseball stadium” by Scott Cooper Williams at Press-Gazette.  “Schmitt has floated the stadium idea privately to several aldermen and other civic leaders as an alternative to Walmart’s planned retail superstore in the Broadway shopping district.”  Read more

 

“Sources:  Crafts retailer Michaels looks to long-awaited summer IPO” at Chicago Tribune.  “The U.S. crafts retailer is likely to begin marketing shares to potential investors in the next several weeks, according to the sources, who declined to be named because the matter is private.”  Read more

 

Britain: “Aldi wins ‘Oscar’ for best grocer” by Sean Poulter at Daily Mail.  “It is the second year in a row that the discount chain, which has led a charge on middle Britain families with the result sales are rising 35 per cent a year.” Read more

 

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About Eye-on-Retail

Eye-on-Retail is a daily tipsheet that is must-read material for thousands of Retail Merchants/Executives every weekday morning. Eye-on-Retail is unique because it’s timely, smart and fun. It’s created bright and early every morning and delivered around 7 am CST. We love data, earnings reports, executive presentations and stories off the beaten path that get at what’s really happening in the world of retail. Enjoy!

Send story tips, news releases, comments & questions to: info@shiftmarketinggroup.net

 

 

Thursday Tipsheet: Lowe’s New ‘Holoroom’ | Target’s Quick Mtg | Rest. Hard. Shines

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“Amazon to take on Angie’s List/Home Depot/Lowe’s by connecting patrons with service providers” by Deepa Seetharaman at Reuters via Columbus Dispatch.  “Amazon.com Inc. plans to launch a marketplace this year for local services, a broad term that encompasses anything from baby sitters to handymen, people familiar with the matter said…at least one of the startups contacted by Amazon focuses on home repair.” Read more

 

“Target Wastes No Time With an Extremely Brief Annual Meeting” by Susan Berfield at Businessweek.  “Wait—that was it? Target’s annual meeting Wednesday afternoon in Dallas seemed to be over before it really began.  Apparently about 100 shareholders were in the audience for the 30-minute event, which resulted in the reelection of the entire board of directors.” Read more

 

“Wal-Mart Reconfiguring Electronics Space” by Kim Souza at The City Wire.  “Electronics are a challenging industry,” (Stephen) Quinn said. “The new sets in our local stores adjust our space-to-sales ratio better and we are leaning in toward the growth areas.”  Wal-Mart said wireless devices, tablets and mobile connectivity items will have more dominant presentation space in its stores. The space also will include bigger brand presentations, and newer and more popular brands. Those brands will be featured in more prominent store locations to better ensure customer awareness.”  Read more

 

“Restoration Hardware Shares Shine on 200% Earnings Jump” by Samantha Sharf at Forbes.  “The company reported $366.3 million in first quarter revenue, up 22% from the same period last year. Adjusted net income came in at $7.2 million, up 217% from last year and far ahead of Wall Street analysts’ $4.1 million consensus estimate. ” Read more

 

“Lowe’s 3-D ‘Holoroom’ makes remodeling a (virtual) reality” by Krystina Gustafson at CNBC.  “Lowe’s announced on Wednesday that it will transform the in-store experience by building a 30-by-30 virtual reality room that enables customers to view a 3-D representation of their renovation projects before they start with demolition…The Holoroom will debut later this year in two of the company’s Toronto stores…The initial launch will be limited to bathroom remodeling, but over the next 12 to 18 months, Lowe’s plans to add new categories and rooms such as kitchen, living and outdoor spaces.”  See the video / Read more

 

***A message from Lock-it Block-it: Keep the Bad Guys Out and the Good Guys In. Adjustable window security bar blocks criminals from entering a home through open windows and prevents children from falling out. Windows can be open AND homes remain secured. Easy installation! Grow category sales with a truly unique product. See the video. www.lockitblockit.com  Contact info@shiftmarketinggroup.net for more information.

 

“Kroger to build $250M Distribution Center in Atlanta” by Steve Watkins at Cinc. Bus. Courier.  “Kroger completed a deal with the city on Tuesday to build the center. It plans to open it by September 2015.”  Read more

 

“Imagining a more modern grocery store” by Jessica Wohl at Chicago Tribune.  “Industry experts at this week’s FMI Connect conference at McCormick Place are trying to prepare for what they see as the retail experience of the future…For example, a store’s glass entryway doors could lift up on a weekend morning to provide space for a farmers’ market.”  Read more

 

“Ouch:  Analyst Downgrades Radio Shack Stock to Zero” by Danielle Abril at Dallas Bus. Journal.  “We think a turnaround is nearly impossible for the company at this point, and think liquidation value is minimal,” Tilghman wrote in the note he released Wednesday. “Based on recent and expected cash burn, working capital and debt are likely to be at best, offsets to one another.” Read more

 

“Forget Target, your health care info is more at risk” by Shelley DuBois at The Tennessean.  “While no single breach was as widespread as Target’s, health care-related data breaches accounted for 43 percent of all major breaches in 2013, according to the Identify Theft Resource Center. It marked the first time in more than a decade that health care-related attacks surpassed other business sectors.” Read more

 

“It’s an Amazon.com economy, now” by Stephen Gandel at Fortune.  “Amazon most likely falls into a government category called non-store retailers. As of May, the government said there were just under 500,000 people employed in that category. Amazon itself says it has 124,600 employees, up from 91,300 a year ago, or about 1 out of every 4 workers in the category, though not all of Amazon’s employees are based in the U.S.”  Read more

 

“Goldman Sachs Misses Out on Big Alibaba Payoff” by Alexandra Stevenson at NY Times.  “In October 1999, Goldman Sachs led Alibaba’s first round of investment, which raised $5 million…The investors in that round secured a 40 percent stake in the company, according to news reports…One Western executive who has known Jack Ma, Alibaba’s founder, for more than a decade, said: “At that time, Jack’s company was relatively undistinguished. No one would lend him any money or provide capital for the business.” Read more

 

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About Eye-on-Retail

Eye-on-Retail is a daily tipsheet that is must-read material for thousands of Retail Merchants/Executives every weekday morning. Eye-on-Retail is unique because it’s timely, smart and fun. It’s created bright and early every morning and delivered around 7 am CST. We love data, earnings reports, executive presentations and stories off the beaten path that get at what’s really happening in the world of retail. Enjoy!

Send story tips, news releases, comments & questions to: info@shiftmarketinggroup.net

Wednesday Tipsheet: Target: Mtg, Strollers & Liquor | HD Sup.+6% | Wgreen VC Fund

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“Michael Bloomberg Backed Moms in Action Take Their Fight to Target Shareholder Meeting”  “Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America today announced that it will host a “Stroller Jam,” a gathering of moms and children with their strollers, outside of Target Corp.’s annual shareholder meeting in Dallas on Wednesday to continue its call on Target Corp. to prohibit the open carry of guns in Target stores.”  Read the release

 

Today in Dallas:  Target Annual Meeting of Shareholders   Webcast at 1:30 PM CST

 

“Sozzi:  Carl Icahn Knows That Your Local Family Dollar is a Mess”  “An activist investor such as Carl Icahn doesn’t magically appear on the doorsteps of publicly traded companies for no good reason…Family Dollar is in a state of operational disarray says CEO of Belus Capital Advisors Brian Sozzi.”  See the video / Read more

 

“Online grocery a tough sell despite all the buzz” by Krystina Gustafson at CNBC.  “A new study from PwC found that only 1 percent of consumers said online shopping is their primary way to purchase groceries. That’s despite the fact that the vast majority of the 1,000-plus respondents have access to the option.”  Read more

 

“eBay: We’re not killing our same-day delivery service (but not expanding as planned)” by JP Mangalindan at Fortune.  “eBay Now isn’t going anywhere for the foreseeable future. “We’re still focused on the 4 cities we’re in right now,” he adds…they no longer have plans to expand to 25 U.S. cities by the end of 2014 — an about-face from the ambitious goal they stood by as recently as late last year.”  Read more

 

“HD Supply Q1 Sales +6%”  “Adjusted EBITDA increased $25 million, or 15 percent, to $190 million for the first quarter of fiscal 2014 compared to $165 million for the first quarter of fiscal 2013.”  Read the release

 

****A message from Pro-Chlor Septic Tabs.  Use it or be fined.  Aerobic septic systems require chlorine tabs for cleaning. Mandated system inspections ensure compliance.  Aerobic systems are commonly found in Southern states but expanding nationwide due to low installation cost.  Consumers are buying aerobic septic tabs – are they buying them from you?  High profit margin – drives retail footsteps.  Contact info@shiftmarketinggroup.net for more information.  www.gwtcinc.com

 

“Target Hands A Big Victory To Low-Wage Janitors In Minnesota” by Dave Jamieson at HuffPo.  “That sort of measure, sometimes referred to as a labor peace agreement, could very well pave the way for subcontracted janitors in Target’s Minneapolis-area stores to unionize.”  Read more

 

“Walmart & Costco Condemn Slave Labor in Prawn Supply Chain” by Felicity Lawrence at The Guardian. “Walmart said: “We are actively engaged in this issue and playing an important role in bringing together stakeholders to help eradicate human trafficking from Thailand’s seafood export sector…Costco told us it required its suppliers of Thai shrimp “to take corrective action to police their feedstock sources”.  Read more

 

“Walgreens:  The big name in startup funding you don’t know” by John Pletz at Crain’s.   “For the past few years, it has been operating one of metro Chicago’s largest venture-capital funds. Walgreen won’t put a figure on its Well Ventures unit, but multiple sources who have had discussions with the company say it has more than $150 million available. Only a handful of local players, such as Pritzker Group Venture Capital and Lightbank, have bigger war chests.” Read more

 

“Finally:  Minnesota Target Store Will Sell Liquor this Summer” by John Ewoldt at Star-Tribune.  “Later this summer, the Otsego SuperTarget will open a liquor store adjacent to its main location as part of a pilot program Target is launching in Minnesota…The retailer has been selling wine, beer and spirits since 1996 and offers them in 1,300 of its 1,800 locations nationwide. Minnesota is one of the last states where Target doesn’t sell alcohol.”  Read more

 

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About Eye-on-Retail

Eye-on-Retail is a daily tipsheet that is must-read material for thousands of Retail Merchants/Executives every weekday morning. Eye-on-Retail is unique because it’s timely, smart and fun. It’s created bright and early every morning and delivered around 7 am CST. We love data, earnings reports, executive presentations and stories off the beaten path that get at what’s really happening in the world of retail. Enjoy!

Send story tips, news releases, comments & questions to: info@shiftmarketinggroup.net

Tuesday Tipsheet: Target CEO Moves Execs | F. Dollar Poison | D. Gen. to 43 States

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“At Target, board vote should be 6 yes, 1 no” by Lee Schafer at Star-Tribune.  “(James) Johnson is no more responsible for Target getting hacked than any of the others, but he should have long since been gone from this board because of his disastrous turn as CEO of Fannie Mae. While he’s managed to remain a statesman, he is as responsible as anybody for putting in motion the practices that led to the 2008 economic collapse while collecting Wall Street levels of compensation to do it.”  Read more

 

“Why a Publix-Whole Foods deal makes sense — and why it doesn’t” by Margie Manning at Tampa Bay Bus. Journal.  “All this talk is ramping up focus on this year’s United Fresh Show in Chicago, which will feature a keynote address by Ed Crenshaw, Publix CEO, on Wednesday.”  Read more

 

“Family Dollar board approves ‘poison pill’ “ by Jennifer Thomas at Charlotte Bus. Journal.  “In a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, the Matthews-based company says the board approved a “poison pill” measure Sunday to protect shareholders if a stockholder buys as much as a 10 percent stake in Family Dollar.”  Read more

 

“Dollar General to expand to 43 states by adding stores in Maine, Rhode Island and Oregon”  “The major discount retailer will begin construction on stores in Maine and Rhode Island this fall with plans to expand into Oregon in early 2015.”  Read the release

 

“Target CEO Moves Top Execs to Same Floor to Fight Bureaucracy” by Paul Ziobro at WSJ.  “All across Target, we need more ‘leadership’ and less ‘committee,’” Mr. Mulligan said in the letter reviewed by the Wall Street Journal.  The top executives like Chief Marketing Officer Jeffrey Jones and Chief Information Officer Rober DeRodes will be relocating to the 26th floor in Target Plaza South, where Mr. Mulligan and Executive Vice President Kathryn Tesija currently have their offices. The floor will be getting a more open plan than its current layout of office and hallways, aimed at fostering greater collaboration.”  Read more

 

***A message from Dig It® Handwear.  Revolutionary garden glove protection for manicured female hands!  Patented line of high-quality gardening gloves provides unique “pillow-top” protection for female gardeners.  Nationally distributed in Canada…Shark Tank’s Kevin O’Leary is an investor…now being offered to US Retailers for the first time.  View the line at www.digithandwear.com.  Peggable gloves merchandise easily–see the off-shelf display. Contact info@shiftmarketinggroup.net to get started.

 

“Home Depot Stays at #1 in Radio (Walgreens #5, Kohl’s #10)” at Radio Ink.  See Last Weeks Top 10 Radio Advertisers

 

“Why Walmart could be good for NYC” by John Burnett at NY Post.  “Like most New Yorkers, I found it pretty nutty when many City Council members and their cohorts demonstrated last week against Walmart’s donations to local New York City charities. But the fact is that the deep, longstanding hostility to any Walmart presence in the city is just as crazy.”  Read more

 

Report:  “Target Tried to Get more Cyberattack Insurance” by Nicole Perlroth & Elizabeth A. Harris at NY Times.  “At the time of its breach, (Target) had cobbled together $100 million in coverage, on top of a $10 million deductible… The coverage, which came from multiple carriers, will barely compensate for the $1 billion in losses some analysts are forecasting.   Since the breach was discovered, the company has incurred $88 million in breach-related expenses, its filings say, and it expects insurance to cover $52 million of that.”  Read more

 

“Walmart.com CEO Joel Anderson to Step Down” by Alistair Barr at WSJ.  “Fernando Madeira, who is currently president and CEO of Latin America at Walmart will replace Mr. Anderson and take on a broader role to lead Walmart.com in the U.S., Latin America and other growth areas.”  Read more

 

“Amazon fills up another four office buildings” by Sanjay Bhatt at Seattle Times.  “Amazon.com has finalized long-rumored office leases for more than 546,000 square feet in three Seattle buildings, and inked yet another deal for 26,000 square feet in the newly renovated historic Supply Laundry Building, public records show.”  Read more

 

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About Eye-on-Retail

Eye-on-Retail is a daily tipsheet that is must-read material for thousands of Retail Merchants/Executives every weekday morning. Eye-on-Retail is unique because it’s timely, smart and fun. It’s created bright and early every morning and delivered around 7 am CST. We love data, earnings reports, executive presentations and stories off the beaten path that get at what’s really happening in the world of retail. Enjoy!

Send story tips, news releases, comments & questions to: info@shiftmarketinggroup.net

Monday Tipsheet: H.Depot to expand HQ? | Wmart ‘profoundly sorry’ | Target on Wed.

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“Wal-Mart Shareholders recap: Customers and new tech are the focus” by Kim Souza at The City Wire.  “(Doug) McMillon said the goal (of Click & Collect) is to adopt something like he saw at ASDA recently. He said the grocery order was placed online to pick up at the store. But on the way to the store, the shopper remembers three or four items left off the online order. When arriving at the store, the shopper can run inside and gather the three items left of the list and have them packaged with their online order and loaded in their vehicle.” Read more

 

“Pharrell Brings Happy Dance to Walmart Shareholders Meeting” by Tom Gara at WSJ.  “Pharrell put things more simply. “Put your hands together for Wal-Mart, guys,” he says at the end of his first performance, “for making the world a happier place.”  Read more

 

Walmart’s Bill Simon on Small Format Stores:  “If there are 300 of these small stores in the universe it’s not very exciting, but if there is 2,000 (his vision) it gets much more interesting,” Simon said.”  Read more via The City Wire

 

Report:  “Home Depot Looks to Expand Atlanta Area HQ” by Douglas Sams at Atlanta Bus. Journal (Subscription).  “Home Depot, whose 1.7 million-square-foot headquarters sits northwest of Atlanta in Vinings, could seek up to 300,000 square feet of additional office space near the campus, according to two real estate executives familiar with the plans.  In recent weeks, Home Depot executives and its real estate broker have floated the requirement to building landlords along the northwest Perimeter.” Read more

 

“Target’s annual meeting is on Wednesday, and there’s plenty to talk about” by Kavita Kumar at Star-Tribune.  “Annual meetings are often scripted, placid affairs that don’t result in big outcomes. But this shareholder gathering could prove more contentious…Jason Long, a retail consultant with Shift Marketing Group, said the shareholders meeting will obviously be closely watched, but in some ways, the retailer has already been letting some air out of the balloon leading up to it.”  Read more

 

“Costco under fire from dog lovers for continuing to sell pet jerky treats from China” by Kathy Tomlinson at CBC News Canada.  “(Costco) sent Wirsche an email, saying Costco is sorry Rosie died, but because the treats are tested, it sees no problem. “There’s no way Costco can test for something when they don’t know why the dogs are dying from these treats. Even the FDA doesn’t know why they are dying,” said Wirsche.”  Read more

 

“Walmart ‘profoundly sorry’ for Tracy Morgan crash” at CNBC.  “A Wal-Mart truck driver has been charged with death by auto and four counts of assault by auto in connection with the Saturday morning accident that critically injured actor Tracy Morgan and killed a fellow comedian.  The driver, 35-year-old Kevin Roper, of Jonesboro, Georgia, apparently failed to slow for traffic ahead and swerved at the last minute to avoid a crash, the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s office said.”  Read more

 

“Walmart’s Bill Simon Issues Statement on Morgan Accident”  “The facts are continuing to unfold. If it’s determined that our truck caused the accident, Walmart will take full responsibility.”  Read the release

 

“Investor Carl Icahn takes 9.4 percent stake in Family Dollar” by Jennifer Thomas at Charlotte Bus. Journal.  “Icahn intends to have conversations with members of Family Dollar’s senior management and board of directors “to discuss the Issuer’s business and strategies to enhance shareholder value, which may include the pursuit of operating initiatives or the exploration of strategic alternatives.”  Read more

 

Target’s Next CEO:  “Sam’s Club CEO Rosalind Brewer could be on the short list” by Brian Sozzi at The Street.  “Sam’s Club CEO Rosalind Brewer shined on stage, once again. From her background as a former 22-year executive at Kimberly Clark, to running over 1,000 Walmart stores, to now infusing the tech revolution into Sam’s Club to fight back against Amazon, Brewer is a highly impressive executive destined for bigger things.”  Read more / See the video

 

“Aretha Franklin Walks in Super Walmart Stores to Stay in Shape” by Billy Heller at NY Post.  “I have a walking regimen — about three times a week, at least a mile or so. I walk the super Walmarts, the biggest ones. If people are in the aisle and the store happens to be crowded that day, I go to other aisles.”  Read more

 

“Amazon expands middleman role in latest online payments push” by Deepa Seetharaman at Reuters.  “Amazon has been testing the new service over the last several months with start-ups including Ting, a mobile phone company that is part of Tucows Inc. Those who used recurring payments by Amazon spent 30 percent more on Ting’s website.”  Read more

 

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About Eye-on-Retail

Eye-on-Retail is a daily tipsheet that is must-read material for thousands of Retail Merchants/Executives every weekday morning. Eye-on-Retail is unique because it’s timely, smart and fun. It’s created bright and early every morning and delivered around 7 am CST. We love data, earnings reports, executive presentations and stories off the beaten path that get at what’s really happening in the world of retail. Enjoy!

Send story tips, news releases, comments & questions to: info@shiftmarketinggroup.net

 

Friday Tipsheet: H.Depot: TP & Lead Singers | Wmart & Fountain Drinks | CVS Cig Free in Oct.

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“Target tries to win hearts and clicks of Gen Y” by Hadley Malcolm at USA Today.  “Millennials aren’t smitten with Target, and the company knows it.  Last fall, Target learned that to Millennials, the company is nothing more than a big-box store. Buy from Target online? Who does that?  Not Millennials, apparently.” Read more

 

“Walmart:  Fountain Drinks Coming Back to Stores?” by Kim Souza at The City Wire.  “(Bill) Simon added that the learnings from the Walmart to Go convenience store format in the past 90 days have been huge. On area is in the fountain beverages from milkshakes to coffee and soda. “We took these fountains out of our supercenters and we are now evaluating the feasibility of bringing them back,” Simon said.”  Read more

 

Happening Now:  Walmart Shareholders Meeting 2014  Live Webcast

 

“Rite Aid Front-End Comp Sales +.5% in May”  “Total drugstore sales for the five-week period increased 2.5 percent to $2.484 billion compared to $2.423 billion for the same period last year. Prescription sales accounted for 68.0 percent of drugstore sales.” Read more

 

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“CVS to be tobacco-free by October” by Peter Frost at Chicago Tribune.  “CVS is on track to remove all tobacco products from its 7,600 stores by Oct. 1, the president of its pharmacy division said Thursday.”  Read more

 

“CVS Doubles Up Walgreen In Retail Clinics As Obamacare Patients Seek Care” by Bruce Japsen at Forbes.  “Tom Charland of Merchant Medicine, a health care consulting firm that tracks retail clinic growth, said CVS now has 836 of its Minute Clinics opened in 28 states, compared to just 388 clinics for Walgreens in 19 states. Meanwhile, CVS also continues to open clinics up at a much faster rate.”  Read more

 

“Home Depot, the Place to Go for Toilet Paper?” by Shelly Banjo at Serena Ng at WSJ.  “Home Depot’s push into consumer staples came almost by accident, said the company’s U.S. retail president, Craig Menear. Employees in the garden department noticed cleaning supplies would boost the division’s sales in the winter, when customers weren’t buying potting soil and shrubbery, and suggested giving them more space. The company worked with Procter & Gamble Co. to understand how to add cleaning supplies that would appeal to general consumers in addition to its professional customers. “Once we made it more visible, it became a growing category for us,” Mr. Menear said.”  Read more

 

“Former Home Depot Credit Manager Now Lead Singer for 70s Mega Band Boston” by Michael Solender at Charlotte Observer.  “I grew up as a teen listening to Boston,” said DeCarlo, 49, who was working as a credit manager at a local Home Depot when he joined the band in 2008 after its original lead singer, Brad Delp, took his own life.”  Read more

 

“Sears’ Lampert met Ford’s Mulally for restructuring advice” by Nadia Damouni at Reuters. “One of the sources said that Mulally, who is due to retire from Ford in July, was left with the impression that Lampert was gauging whether Mulally might be open to the possibility of becoming Sears’ next CEO.”  Read more

 

“Missouri will act as “baby sitter” for Walgreen stores for 3 years” at KMOV 4 – St. Louis.  “The announcement comes less than a year after Missouri filed a lawsuit in Jackson County accusing the Chicago-based drugstore chain of deceptive pricing.  “Having a baby sitter over a major national corporation is an unprecedented penalty,” Koster said. “To do it for three years has never been done before that I’m aware of in the country.”  Read more

 

“Back-to-school deals before the year even ends” by Krystina Gustafson at CNBC.  “Back-to-school is going the way of Christmas, as retailers such as Lands’ End are beginning to push next year’s school necessities before many children have closed the book on the current semester.”  Read more

 

“Fred’s Comp Sales -.4% in May”  “Fred’s total sales for the month were $151.9 million, approximately flat with $152.3 million in May 2013.”  Read the release

 

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About Eye-on-Retail

Eye-on-Retail is a daily tipsheet that is must-read material for thousands of Retail Merchants/Executives every weekday morning. Eye-on-Retail is unique because it’s timely, smart and fun. It’s created bright and early every morning and delivered around 7 am CST. We love data, earnings reports, executive presentations and stories off the beaten path that get at what’s really happening in the world of retail. Enjoy!

Send story tips, news releases, comments & questions to: info@shiftmarketinggroup.net

Thursday Tipsheet: Costco May Comp +6% | JD Power: Ace Wins | Wmart Lab Sneak Peek

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“Costco Comp Sales +6% in May”  “Costco reported net sales of $8.78 billion for the month of May, the four weeks ended June 1, 2014, an increase of eight percent from $8.13 billion during the similar four-week period last year.”  Read the release

 

“Walgreens Front-End Comp Sales +2.6% in May”  “Walgreens had May sales of $6.57 billion, an increase of 6.0 percent from $6.19 billion for the same month in fiscal 2013.”  Read the release

 

“J.D. Power Reports: Ace Hardware #1 in Customer Satisfaction among Home Improvement Retailers (Menards Beats Home Depot and Lowe’s)”  “Nearly one-fifth (17%) of customers purchase merchandise online from their primary home improvement retailer.” See the Top 6 List

 

“Sneak Peek Inside Walmart’s Innovation Lab” by Kim Souza at The City Wire.  “Items revealed included 3-D digital printers in stores that allow shoppers to replicate their own images for wedding cake toppers and digital watermarks in print circulars that allow shoppers to scan the item on the page into their phone to glean a host of additional product information including reviews.” Read more

 

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“Walmart to Expand Savings Catcher Nationwide” by Anne D’Innocenzio at AP via Charlotte Observer.  “Wal-Mart also plans to offer thousands more products, from general merchandise like TVs and shirts to veggies and other produce…Wal-Mart says since it rolled out Savings Catcher in March in Charlotte, North Carolina, Huntsville, Alabama, Minneapolis, Lexington, Kentucky., Dallas, San Diego and Atlanta, nearly one million receipts have been processed through the tool.”  Read more

 

Not Bad:  “Bed, Bath & Beyond CEO’s 2013 comp: $50 million” by Gary Strauss at USA Today.  “Temares received compensation valued at $19.1 million, including $3.8 million in salary, $13 million in stock and stock options and nearly $1.8 million in deferred compensation. That’s up 20% from $15.9 million in 2012.”  Read more

 

“Cabela’s Announces Plans for Three New Stores”  “Cabela’s announced today plans to introduce the unique Cabela’s retail experience to three new markets – Huntsville, Ala.; Oklahoma City, Okla.; and Woodbury, N.Y.”  Read the release

 

“Houston: Five Below Opens Eight New Stores Friday”  “The grand openings mark Five Below’s first foray into Houston.  The company currently has 15 stores in the Dallas and Austin markets.  Last year, the Philadelphia-based retailer opened 60 new stores, and has plans to open approximately 60 stores this year.  With the Houston openings, there will be 338 Five Below stores in 20 states throughout the country.”  Read the release

 

“Online retailers Bonobos and Warby Parker open stores in Dallas” by Maria Halkias at Dallas News.  “On Friday, men’s apparel retailer Bonobos  is opening what it calls a guideshop at 1901 N. Henderson Ave…A block away, Warby Parker opens in two weeks at 2008 N. Henderson. The online prescription eyeglass retailer’s 1,050-square-foot store will be hard to miss, with a sculpture of a pencil sticking out of the roof.”  Read more

 

 

“Home Depot’s Kevin Hoffman – President-Online, Presents at Goldman Sachs Dotcommerce Conference “

 

Highlights:

 

We have a very-very healthy bath business online, a very-very healthy and big growing flooring business online, of course appliances, patio, power equipment, power tools, those things are kind of the mainstays of the home improvement online business.

 

We’re not transacting a lot and shipping a lot of 60 pound bags of concrete, you know we sell a 60 pound bag of concrete for $3, people aren’t buying that online and having it showing up to their doorstep, but there’s a ton of price checking, inventory look up.

 

We have about 35% of all of our online orders; for example, get filled out of our store locations.

 

Later this year we’ll offer a much-much more improved capability to have buy online and deliver from the store, won’t be same day, but it’ll be pretty accurate and within a couple hour window next day or scheduled delivery to your home.

 

We feel like we’ve got a pretty good full buffet of fulfillment options for our customers and that’s what we’re investing in and that’s what we’re building on.

 

90% of all of our online returns actually happen through the convenience of our store.

 

10% of all of our online orders are originating in the store with the customer and the associate engaging each other.

 

We watch (Amazon) closely. We watch them arguably just as closely, if not more closely than some of our traditional competitors you would think of.

 

Our pro app is only three or four quarters old, it’s had very good reception 400,000 downloads.

 

Pro Extra has got 1.5 million sign ups to it.

 

Read the full transcript via Seeking Alpha

 

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About Eye-on-Retail

Eye-on-Retail is a daily tipsheet that is must-read material for thousands of Retail Merchants/Executives every weekday morning. Eye-on-Retail is unique because it’s timely, smart and fun. It’s created bright and early every morning and delivered around 7 am CST. We love data, earnings reports, executive presentations and stories off the beaten path that get at what’s really happening in the world of retail. Enjoy!

Send story tips, news releases, comments & questions to: info@shiftmarketinggroup.net

Wednesday Tipsheet: Target Gets Twitter Heat | NYC: No to Wmart’s Millions | Tesco Comp -3.7%

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“Target Gets Twitter Heat From Gun Control Group” by Christopher Heine at Ad Age.  “Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America, a Michael Bloomberg-backed organization in favor of more gun control, is applying notable pressure on Target via Twitter this evening. The activist group is drawing attention to an open-carry gun policy that the retail giant evidently has in place for locations in states where such an action is legal. ”  See the Twitter pics / Read more

 

“India likely to ease restrictions for foreign online retailers next month” at Reuters.  “India could allow global online retailers such as Amazon.com Inc to sell their own products as early as next month…The decision, which is likely to be announced in the budget, is one of the first tangible signs of economic reform by the business-friendly government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who was sworn in 10 days ago.”  Read more

 

Walmart Shareholder Week Shenanigans…

 

“NYC Council Members Tell Walmart to Stop Making Millions in Charitable Donations to Local Groups!” by James Covert at NY Post.  “We know how desperate you are to find a foothold in New York City to buy influence and support here,” says the letter, obtained by The Post and addressed to Walmart and the Walton Family Foundation.  “Stop spending your dangerous dollars in our city,” the testy letter demands. “That’s right: this is a cease-and-desist letter.”  Read more

 

“Walmart Protesters Head to Chairman Rob Walton’s Home in Arizona” by Matthew Hendley at Phoenix New Times.  “Most of the protesters who took to Walton’s home Monday were women, and their main message was calling for a minimum pay of $25,000 per year for full-time work to provide for their families.”  See the pics / Read more

 

***A message from Dig It® Handwear.  Revolutionary garden glove protection for manicured female hands!  Patented line of high-quality gardening gloves provides unique “pillow-top” protection for female gardeners.  Nationally distributed in Canada…Shark Tank’s Kevin O’Leary is an investor…now being offered to US Retailers for the first time.  View the line at www.digithandwear.com.  Peggable gloves merchandise easily – see the off-shelf display.  Contact info@shiftmarketinggroup.net to get started.

 

“Dollar General significantly increases the number of products available for between $1 and $5”  by Anna Prior at WSJ.  “Today, more than ever, given the economic environment that has lingered for quite some time, affordability has now become the focus of our core customer,” Chief Executive Rick Dreiling said on the company’s quarterly conference call.”  Read more

 

“Walmart’s ‘Made in USA’ push exposes strains of manufacturing rebirth” by James B. Kelleher at Reuters via Chicago Tribune.  “Cindi Marsiglio, the Walmart vice president overseeing the U.S. sourcing push, says the retailer and its existing suppliers have 150 active reshoring projects in various stages of development. For all too many, she says, finding U.S.-made component parts has emerged as a vexing problem.”  Read more

 

“Supermarkets add digital coupons, but response has been tepid” by John Ewoldt at Star-Tribune.  “In 2013, 52 percent of Internet users said they had redeemed at least one digital coupon that year. By 2016, that number is expected to rise to only 59 percent, according to eMarketer…“Digital is clunky,”…“Redeeming them should be flawless, quick and fun. We haven’t figured that out yet.”  Read more

 

“Tesco reports 3.7% drop in same-store sales” by Katy Barnato at  CNBC.  “Tesco Chief Executive Philip Clarke said on Wednesday that Tesco sales had been hit by the supermarket’s own price cuts. He warned investors in a news call not to count on sales improvements in the next few quarters and said he had “never seen sales fall like this before”.  Read more

 

RadioShack CEO:  ‘I don’t know if we can overcome this…’ by Danielle Abril at Dallas Bus. Journal.  “CEO Joseph Magnacca once was singing the praises for the comeback… But at Tuesday’s shareholders meeting, he wasn’t as optimistic as he tries to find areas to cut costs after lenders nixed plans to close 1,100 stores.  “I don’t know if we can overcome this impasse, but we’ll continue to work at it”  Read more

 

Report:  “Blue Light Emitted by Tablets ‘increases hunger’ “ by Emma Innes at Daily Mail.  “Results of the US study show that blue-enriched light exposure, compared with dim light exposure, was associated with an increase in hunger that began 15 minutes after light onset and was still present almost two hours after the meal.”  Read more

 

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About Eye-on-Retail

Eye-on-Retail is a daily tipsheet that is must-read material for thousands of Retail Merchants/Executives every weekday morning. Eye-on-Retail is unique because it’s timely, smart and fun. It’s created bright and early every morning and delivered around 7 am CST. We love data, earnings reports, executive presentations and stories off the beaten path that get at what’s really happening in the world of retail. Enjoy!

Send story tips, news releases, comments & questions to: info@shiftmarketinggroup.net