“Game on: Why Walmart is ranking suppliers on sustainability” by Mark Gunther at Green Biz.  “So Walmart is asking lots of questions of its suppliers. Among them: How can wheat be grown with less water and fertilizer? How can chemicals of concern be removed from toys? What mining practices were used to extract copper, gold and silver for computers or jewelry? What percentage of your televisions sold last year were Energy Star certified? Do the grapes in a bottle of wine come from a farm with a biodiversity management plan? How much water was needed to produce those polyester pants?  If this sounds like a massive and fiendishly complicated undertaking, well, it is. It has been in the works since 2009, when Walmart unveiled The Sustainability Consortium, a nonprofit coalition led by the University of Arkansas and Arizona State University.  Read more:  https://www.greenbiz.com/blog/2013/04/15/game-why-walmart-ranking-suppliers-sustainability

 

“If Lowe’s Wants to Get Serious About Home Depot, It’ll Have to Man Up” by Pam Goodfellow at Forbes.  “So what’s wrong with Lowe’s?  At first glance, the big box seems to be holding its own, having climbed in customer preference share over the past few years, as Home Depot has remained relatively stagnant. Upon closer inspection, though, it’s apparent that Lowe’s most loyal customers are consistently dominated by females, while Home Depot maintains a more even mix of shoppers. This is significant because men, on average, tend to spend upwards of 35% more per month on home improvement supplies than females. In other words, two male shoppers are worth about three female shoppers”  Read more:  https://www.forbes.com/sites/prospernow/2013/04/15/if-lowes-wants-to-get-serious-about-home-depot-itll-have-to-man-up/

 

“Walmart Announces New Commitments To Dramatically Increase Energy Efficiency And Renewables”  “Walmart’s six-fold increase in renewable energy projects is expected to be equal to eliminating the need for roughly two U.S. fossil fuel power plants. Based on external estimates of projected energy costs and other factors, the two new commitments are anticipated to generate more than $1 billion annually in energy savings once fully implemented.”  Read more:  https://media.prnewswire.com/en/jsp/latest.jsp?resourceid=6659016&access=EH

 

“Amazon Launches New Health Store” at Fox Business.  “Amazon billed its “50+ Active and Healthy Living Store”–featuring nutrition, wellness, exercise and fitness, medical, personal care, beauty and entertainment items–as a place where customers above the age of 50 can “easily discover hundreds of thousands of items that promote active and healthy living.”  The new site can be found at www.amazon.com/50activeliving. Items for sale include vitamins and supplements, nutritional drinks and bars, activity monitors, videos on active living, exercise equipment, athletic apparel, diabetes management items, and blood pressure monitors.”  Read more: https://www.foxbusiness.com/news/2013/04/15/amazon-launches-new-health-store/#ixzz2Qcf9y7PH

 

Online retail sales rise 16% y-o-y to March (in UK) by Ava Szajna at My Retail Media.  “Growth in sales from mobile devices including smartphones and tablets managed to pull back up to the impressive rate of growth seen in 2012, with sales up 243 per cent year-on-year.” Read more:  https://www.myretailmedia.com/blog/8647/online_retail_sales_rise_16_y-o-y_to_march.php

 

“Google boss: Entire world will be online by 2020” by Doug Gross at CNN.  “Everybody in the world will be on the Internet within seven years. That’s what Google Executive Chairman Eric Schmidt said this weekend in public comments that inspired everything from excitement to incredulity.  “For every person online, there are two who are not,” Schmidt wrote Saturday on his Google+ account. “By the end of the decade, everyone on Earth will be connected.”  He followed up with a related thought on Sunday.  “Think about how great the internet is with 2B users. Now think about how amazing it will be when 5B come online in a decade.”  Read more:  https://www.cnn.com/2013/04/15/tech/web/eric-schmidt-internet/

 

“Teens Abandoning Social Networks, Study Says” by John Hermann at Buzz Feed.  “Facebook is the “most important” social media site for about 10% fewer teenagers than it was a year ago, according to a new PiperJaffray survey of over 5,000 teenagers. The teens surveyed are less interested in Twitter, YouTube, Google+, Flickr, and Tumblr too. Of the major sites included in the survey, only Pinterest has grown.  Read more:  https://www.buzzfeed.com/jwherrman/are-teens-abandoning-social-networks

 

“Facebook Seeks 7-Figure Price Tag for Summer Debut of Video Ads” by Cotton Delo at Ad Age.  “Facebook is hoping that its hotly anticipated video-ad units can be a more-than-$4-million daily business out of the gate — if its asking price is met.  The social network still hasn’t finalized the format of the video ads, but it’s been shopping the product around to agencies, looking to lock down commitments for the first available slots in June or July, according to three executives briefed on the product.”  Read more:  https://adage.com/article/digital/facebook-seeks-1-million-price-tag-video-ads/240901/

 

“Majority of Americans See Organic Label as an Excuse to Charge More” from The Harris Poll.  “Concern for the current state, and future, of the environment is on the rise in 2013 (38 percent vs. 31 percent in 2012), just as economic indicators point to all time stock market highs and a solid housing market recovery. However, as Americans start to feel better about reaching into their pockets, they still may not be ready to dish out the extra green on organic items. Turns out that more than half (59%) agree that labeling food or other products as organic is just an excuse to charge more.”  Read more:  https://media.prnewswire.com/en/jsp/latest.jsp?resourceid=6655836&access=EH

 

“Start Your Mowers: Lowe’s Lawn Evangelism” by Sarah Mahoney at Marketing Daily.  “Despite a chilly start to the season that has pressured retailers, Lowe’s, the Home Depot and Ace Hardware are all upping the spring-sprucer-upper ante.  Lowe’s is spreading its promotions across the digital landscape, reminding consumers that nothing boosts curb appeal like green grass and bright flowers.”  Read more: https://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/197958/start-your-mowers-lowes-lawn-evangelism.html#ixzz2QclFMJDi

 

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“Target Takes Guests to Prom at Kate Young Collection Preview” by Jim Shi at BizBash.   ” To celebrate the launch of the Kate Young for Target collection, the Minneapolis-based retail giant, along with its longtime event production partner ExtraExtra, created a spring-fling-themed evening that was in alignment with the Hollywood stylist’s lineup of party-occasion dresses. “To toast Kate, we went through a couple of different concepts, but we kept coming back to the idea of a spring fling—“Pretty in Pink”—but in a very chic way,” said Target spokesperson Joshua Thomas.”  Read more: https://www.bizbash.com/target-takes-guests-to-prom-at-kate-young-collection-preview/los-angeles/story/25883#sthash.4WAoIV2E.dpuf  – See more at: https://www.bizbash.com/target-takes-guests-to-prom-at-kate-young-collection-preview/los-angeles/story/25883#sthash.4WAoIV2E.dpuf

 

“HD Supply files for $1 billion IPO” at Reuters.  “Industrial and construction supplies distributor HD Supply Holdings Inc, a former division of Home Depot Inc, filed for a $1 billion initial public offering of its shares to take advantage of the rebounding U.S. housing market…Home Depot continues to hold a 12.4 percent stake in the company, according to HD Supply’s prospectus filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on Friday.”  Read more:  https://in.reuters.com/article/2013/04/12/us-hdsupply-ipo-idINBRE93B0EF20130412

 

“Rite Aid’s Profit Is First in Six Years” by John Kell at WSJ.  “The No. 3 U.S. drugstore chain by sales, behind Walgreen Co. and CVS Caremark Corp., swung to the black in fiscal 2013 due to two quarters of profitability in the back half of the year after 5 1/2 years of losses. In fourth-quarter results, posted Thursday, profit also was boosted by an inventory-accounting benefit.”  Read more:  https://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887324240804578416353364150198.html

 

“How Walmart Wants Brands to Fuel Its Content Engine” by Jack Neff at Ad Age.  “In particular, earth’s biggest retailer is preparing an enhanced “Print Plus” program pairing digital “liquid content” from brands with its 80-million-circulation weekly circular. Brands will supply such things as recipes and how-to videos customers will see as they pass their smart phones over the print ads…As he detailed how Walmart churns out more content in an April 9 presentation, Clint McClain, senior director-marketing communications platforms at Walmart, said, “I’d be surprised if 15% of the content comes from us,” adding that he expects supplier will furnish “at least 90%.”  Read more:  https://adage.com/article/cmo-strategy/walmart-brands-fuel-content-engine/240803/

 

“With Eco-Friendly Building Supplies, Green Depot Thrives in the Construction Rebound” by Nick Leiber at Businessweek.  ““Sustainability has become a competitive measurement,” says Ron Jarvis, a Home Depot (HD) vice president in charge of environmental innovation. “If you’re the producer of the purple widget that pollutes the most and uses the most energy, your competitor will use that against you, and you’ll be out of business before long.”  Still, Jarvis dismisses niche players such as Green Depot: “If you go into any of the boutique shops or the green shops and look at the products they have and compare them to the Home Depot products, we have the same products, and in most cases a better product, and in almost every case at a better price.”  Read more:  https://www.businessweek.com/articles/2013-04-11/with-eco-friendly-building-supplies-green-depot-thrives-in-the-construction-rebound

 

“Canadian Tire Launches The Canadian Way, the Next Evolution of Its Digital Customer Experience” by Knowlton Thomas at Tech Vibes. “After years of struggle, Canadian Tire is finally making ground in digital innovation.  Recently, the retailing giant inked a deal with Communitech, a startup incubator in Waterloo: there are five Canadian Tire employees at Communitech on a permanent basis…Now the company has launched The Canadian Way, which was made in collaboration with Tribal DDB Toronto and is described as “the next evolution in Canadian Tire’s digital customer experience.” It’s a slick online product catalogue that includes interactive videos, social sharing and commenting, and user-generated content. All this from a company that at one point shut down its own online store just as e-commerce in Canada exploded.”  See the digital catalog here:  https://catalogue.canadiantire.ca/

 

“ShopSmart Finds Target, Walmart Offer Lower Prices, Bigger Savings on Over-The-Counter Drugs than CVS, Walgreens”  “ShopSmart’s secret shoppers compared prices of common name- and store-brand nonprescription medications available at CVS, Walgreens, Target, Walmart and supermarkets and found that Target and Walmart beat the drugstore chains every time. Walmart had the lowest prices on 26 items, the most of any of the retailers.”  Read more:  https://media.prnewswire.com/en/jsp/latest.jsp?resourceid=6638896&access=EH

 

“UMKC: Costco founder among entrepreneur honorees” at St. Louis Post Dispatch.  “The founder of Costco is among the entrepreneurs who will be honored at an awards celebration this fall at the University of Missouri-Kansas City…The dinner is planned for Oct. 21 at the new Henry W. Bloch Executive Hall for Entrepreneurship and Innovation.”  Read more:  https://www.stltoday.com/news/state-and-regional/missouri/umkc-costco-founder-among-entrepreneur-honorees/article_872ce0de-3f24-547e-bdc9-989a4f81b361.html

 

“Nearly One-Third of U.S. Homeowners Feel Motivated to Make Home Renovations Due to Improving Economy, Finds New CouponCabin.com Survey”  “A new CouponCabin.com survey reveals that nearly one-third (32 percent) of U.S. homeowners feel the improving economy is motivating them to make home improvements that they wouldn’t have done during the recession. Overall, more than six-in-ten (64 percent) U.S. homeowners report they are at least somewhat likely to make home renovations or improvements like re-tiling a floor, installing new carpet or re-doing a bathroom in the next 12 months.”  Read more:  https://media.prnewswire.com/en/jsp/latest.jsp?resourceid=6639215&access=EH

 

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“Walmart Canada launches glossy magazine” by Linda Barnard at The Star.  “We’ll take your flyer, Target, and raise you a glossy Walmart magazine…Produced for Walmart by Rogers Media’s Custom Content division, Walmart Live Better will appear six times a year at Walmart Supercentres in English Canada, as well as through online platforms with regularly updated content. With a press run of 1 million copies per issue, it automatically becomes Canada’s largest-circulation magazine, according to Rogers.”  Read more:  https://www.thestar.com/life/2013/04/08/walmart_canada_launches_glossy_magazine.html

 

“How Walmart Trains Better Leaders” by JP Donlon at Chief Executive.  “In 2009, Walmart U.S. CEO Bill Simon—a former naval aviator—engaged Damian McKinney—a former commando with Britain’s Royal Marines who runs a consulting business helping companies execute their strategy— to assist Walmart in accelerating the preparedness of leaders and to cultivate managers fast enough to meet rising demand. (Simon had met McKinney earlier in both men’s careers when they were colleagues at Diageo.)…Normally a publicity-shy company, Walmart doesn’t volunteer much apart from the fact that, to date, 496 of its executives have gone through the Academy.”  Read more:  https://chiefexecutive.net/how-walmart-trains-better-leaders

 

“Target CEO: ‘We want to be a penny higher than Wal-Mart'” by John Vomhof Jr. at Minneapolis/St.Paul Bus. Journal.  “Speaking at a Economic Club of Minnesota luncheon on Monday, Target CEO Gregg Steinhafel said his company isn’t interested in an all-out “price war.” Rather, its goal is to be within 2 percent of Wal-Mart’s prices.  “We want to be a penny higher than Wal-Mart,” he said. “So, if they have bananas for 48 cents, we want to have bananas for 49 cents. If it’s a $10 item, the difference might be a nickel.”  Read more:  https://www.bizjournals.com/twincities/news/2013/04/08/target-ceo-we-want-to-be-a-penny.html

 

“Apps Emerge as Key Walmart Strategy” by Carol Angrisani at Supermarket News.  “Walmart plans to launch Print Plus, a mobile app that brings its print ads to life, an executive of the chain said during an educational session on day two of the Shopper Marketing Summit.  The app, to be launched this year, allows shoppers to view content — such as recipes and product information — when they scan a Walmart ad with their smart phones.  “We’re working on bringing liquid content off of our print pieces,” Ken Mantel, Walmart’s senior director of marketing, said.”  Read more:  https://supermarketnews.com/marketing/apps-emerge-key-walmart-strategy#ixzz2Q1UyYdVP

 

“eBay’s CEO: Retailers finally are responding to the commerce revolution” by Don Davis at Internet Retailer.  “While Donahoe did not give specific store-based retailers, he said some merchants are experimenting with screens in store windows that let consumers shop at night when the store is closed…In a sign of eBay positioning itself to work closely with retail chains—many of them increasingly fearful of eBay rival Amazon—Donahoe emphasized that, despite eBay’s online roots, he doesn’t believe bricks-and-mortar stores will disappear. “A lot of people really like shopping,” Donahoe said in an interview. “It’s entertainment, a social experience. I don’t believe in the demise of the store.”  Read more:  https://www.internetretailer.com/2013/04/09/ebays-ceo-retailers-respond-commerce-revolution?cid=2013

 

“Ten retailers urged to pull potentially toxic products” by Wendy Koch at USA Today.  “Health and environmental groups will launch a national campaign Thursday to prod 10 major retailers — including Walmart, Target and Costco — to clear store shelves of products containing hazardous chemicals.  Advocates say these companies have done some “retail regulation” but argue more needs to be done and the U.S. government isn’t stepping up. They list 100-plus chemicals used in hundreds, possibly thousands, of products including wrinkle-free clothes, vinyl flooring, shampoos, sofa cushions and food packaging.”  Read more:  https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/04/09/retailers-products-toxic-chemicals/2067113/

 

“Wal-Mart funds supplier training after Bangladesh fire” at Reuters.  “Wal-Mart Stores Inc, the world’s largest retailer, is making its biggest push yet to try to improve conditions at factories that produce its clothing after a fire at a Bangladesh factory last year killed 112 people.  The company also said Tuesday it would donate $1.6 million to help start a new Bangladesh training academy, and outlined its efforts to regain control over the complex and far-flung web of factories that make its products.”  Read more:  https://www.reuters.com/article/2013/04/09/us-walmart-bangladesh-factories-idUSBRE9380LG20130409

 

“PriceSmart: Waiting For A Discount On This ‘Costco Of The Caribbean'” by Alan Brochstein at Seeking Alpha.  “The company opened its first stores in 1995 through licensees and then opened its first operated club in Panama in 1996…Today, PSMT operates 30 clubs in 12 countries and 1 U.S. Territory…After entering Colombia in 2011, PriceSmart is about to open its third unit early this year. It is contemplating its 6th unit in Costa Rica, which could open late in the year. Most recently, it announced that it will be opening its third club in Honduras in early 2014.”  Read more:  https://seekingalpha.com/article/1297641-pricesmart-waiting-for-a-discount-on-this-costco-of-the-caribbean?source=email_rt_mc_related_2

 

“Walmart Takes Its TV Fight Local” by Jack Neff at Ad Age.  “It’s part of a plan that will see Walmart produce an eye-popping 1,500 TV ads in 2013. That’s more than double the 615-plus it ran in all of 2012, which itself was up substantially from a year earlier, when new local ads up 79%, according to Advertising Benchmark Index, which tracks consumer response to most new ads in the U.S.”  Read more:  https://adage.com/article/news/walmart-takes-tv-fight-local/240732/

 

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“Target learns a second language as it expands to Quebec” by Thomas Lee at Star-Tribune.  “This month, Target Corp. will officially open its stores in Canada, its first reach beyond the United States. But if the Minneapolis-based retailer wants to truly master the art of operating in a foreign country, the province of Quebec offers the best chance to do so. Unlike the rest of Canada, French trumps English in Quebec, a reflection of the province’s deep attachment to its Quebecois culture and history.”  Read more:  https://www.startribune.com/business/201720981.html

 

“Investing in Africa – The hottest frontier” by Harare and Johannesberg at The Economist.  “When you are trying to keep a retail outfit afloat amid hyperinflation, it helps to have a sideline. “We had a business selling crocodile skins to Hermès and Gucci for shoes and handbags,” says John Koumides, chief executive of Innscor, a conglomerate based in Zimbabwe’s capital, Harare. The currency earned from this exotic export was a lifeline for the firm’s other arms”  Read more:  https://www.economist.com/news/finance-and-economics/21575769-strategies-putting-money-work-fast-growing-continent-hottest?fsrc=scn/tw_ec/the_hottest_frontier

 

“Costco: Things Are Looking Up” at Seeking Alpha.  “Two of Costco’s main competitors are BJ’s Wholesale and Wal-Mart’s Sam’s Club. But still, despite this competition, Costco remains dominant. Costco’s net sales are at about $97 billion, while Sam’s Club’s are at $56.4 billion. The privately-owned BJ’s has revenues that are only about one-tenth of Costco’s.”  Read more:  https://seekingalpha.com/article/1323771-costco-things-are-looking-up?source=email_rt_article_title

 

“Is Google Fiber coming to Austin?” by Marguerite Reardon at CNET.  “Google and Austin, Texas, have invited press and business leaders to a joint event in the city, which has some people speculating whether Austin might be the next place to get Google Fiber.  The event, which is to be held this Tuesday at 11 a.m., doesn’t specify what will be announced. It simply says that “the City of Austin and Google will make a very important announcement that will have a positive impact on Austinites and the future of the city.”  Read more:  https://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-57578226-93/is-google-fiber-coming-to-austin/

 

“Target releases flyer for Friday’s grand openings (in Canada)” by Carys Mills at Toronto Star.  “With Target’s grand opening of two dozen Ontario stores Friday, comes its first Canadian flyer.  The stores have been open since March but Target will make it official Friday, focusing on its flyer, Target Canada president Tony Fisher said last month.”  Read more:  https://www.thestar.com/business/2013/04/04/target_releases_flyer_for_fridays_grand_openings.html

 

Target’s first Canadian flyer:

https://f3.flyertown.ca/flyers/33387/5eb8c46fe765a501.pdf

 

“Sport Chalet joins Wal-Mart, Amazon in same-day-delivery parade” by Tiffany Hsu at LA Times.  “The La Cañada Flintridge-based company also does brisk business renting sports equipment to customers. And for those reluctant to haul the goods back to a Sport Chalet store themselves, the company said it will “drive to their home or office and retrieve the gear for them.”  Read more:  https://www.latimes.com/business/money/la-fi-mo-sport-chalet-same-day-delivery-20130404,0,1552114.story?source=email_rt_mc_body

 

“Macy’s, J.C. Penney Set to Resume Trial Over Martha Stewart” at Reuters via CNBC.  “Justice Jeffrey Oing last month ordered Macy’s, J.C. Penney and Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia Inc into mediation in the hopes of resolving the dispute while the non-jury trial was in recess because of scheduling conflicts.  But, as of Friday, no deal had been struck and witnesses were scheduled to testify on Monday and Tuesday, according to a person familiar with the case.”  Read more:  https://www.cnbc.com/id/100622926

 

“Retail chain sees value in Google Plus” by Adam Bender at Computerworld.  “Retail chain Dick Smith will use Google Hangouts to share best practices among its stores and bring employees closer together, according to the retailer’s IT director, Linda Venables.  The retailer plans to phase in Hangouts and other Google Apps starting with select staff next week, and will migrate the rest over the following several weeks, Venables said. The platform replaces a Microsoft environment.”  Read more:  https://www.computerworld.com.au/article/458183/retail_chain_sees_value_google_plus/

 

Thanks for reading…

 

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