Amazon Union Broke | Target Stanley Firings | WM Greeter “On the Door”

 

The Labor Union That Defeated Amazon Is Fighting for Survival at WSJ. “The union’s financial position is one of its most pressing obstacles. The organization is “pretty much broke,” said Michelle Nieves, its vice president…The Amazon Labor Union’s momentum from its victory quickly faded. The group lost two subsequent votes at other Amazon warehouses and has failed to unionize another Amazon facility.” WSJ subs.

 

Gucci owner pays nearly $1B to scoop up tower on red-haute Fifth Avenue at NY Post. “… it could mean the boot for rival fashion house Armani from its flagship location. Gucci’s parent Kering scooped up the 115,000 square-foot, three-level retail space at 715-717 Fifth Ave., at East 56th Street, which sits at the base of a 28-story office tower known as the Corning Glass Building.” Read more

 

Target Workers Are Being Fired For Buying Limited-Edition Stanley Cups at Delish. “A number of stories have surfaced on a Target subreddit from people who have been fired or have witnessed others being terminated for buying the limited-edition cups. One Reddit user recalled having a conversation with a coworker about shifts not being picked up, only to find out that several people had been fired.” Read more

 

…Parents reportedly spent $3,000 to get their 16-year-old every variety of Stanley Cup – she now has 67 in various styles and colors acquired over the past year at Yahoo

 

Macy’s rejects $5.8B takeover bid from Arkhouse Management, Brigade Capital Management at AP. “Arkhouse and Brigade offered $21 for each of the remaining shares in Macy’s they don’t already own. Shares of New York-based Macy’s rose 3.6% Monday to close at $18.26.” Read more

 

Alibaba co-founders buy more than $200 million worth of shares, sending stock up at CNBC

 

French regulator fines Amazon $35 million over its surveillance system of warehouse workers at TechCrunch. “Indicators tracking the inactivity time of employees’ scanners were put in place. The CNIL ruled that it was illegal to set up a system measuring work interruptions with such accuracy, potentially requiring employees to justify every break or interruption,” the French regulator wrote.” Read more

 

Driver used fake Amazon van to move black-market marijuana at The Oklahoman

 

TikTok usage is starting to slow — is TikTok Shop to blame? at TechCrunch. “Personally, I’m starting to get really annoyed by how almost every other video on my [For You Page] is someone overhyping a product from the Shop feature to try to get it to go viral and make a lot of commissions,” wrote Redditor u/megg-salad-sammich…A search across Reddit finds many more threads complaining of the same thing throughout last year…” Read more

 

Chicago migrants wait outside of Home Depot store for $5/hour jobs at WBEZ Chicago. “They don’t know that is not a living wage,” said Mauricio Huertas, of the Latino Union, which advocates for immigrant workers. “And part of the conversation around that is telling them like, ‘OK, sure, right now you have these transitional benefits to get you set up. But how do you expect to pay for housing … when you’re earning $5 an hour?’” Read more

 

Loblaw backs away from plan to end 50% discount on food nearing best-before date at CBC News

 

Amazon Hopes to Dominate the World of Streaming Ads. It Faces Some Challenges Along the Way. at WSJ. “Much of Amazon Prime’s success will rely on buy-in from so-called nonendemic brands, meaning those that don’t already sell products on Amazon. “What is yet to be seen is how they win over brands not selling in the marketplace. Will brands like Mercedes, Chipotle and Allstate be as excited?” said Jared Belsky, chief executive of marketing firm Acadia.” WSJ subs.

 

Amish horse and buggy stolen from Walmart parking lot at Fox 17

 

Amazon’s birthplace is back on the market: Visitors flock to the house ‘where it all started’ at GeekWire. “I just wanted to see where it all started,” said Manan Patel, an Amazon employee who was one of numerous people with connections to the company who were among the steady stream of visitors at the open house. The listing team made sure that the home’s history was clear to anyone who visited.” Read more | Daily Mail pics

 

Jeff Bezos 60th birthday bash featured replica of his first Amazon office with his original chair at The Sun

 

Applebee’s date night passes sell out in 1 minute at NY Post

 

“Rain or sleet or snow, I’m on the door” at KNOE 8. “John Terry, a 76-year-old Walmart greeter in Monroe has captured the hearts of over two million TikTok viewers after a post of him expressing his dedication to his job went viral. They call him “Mr. John.” Video/Read more

 

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Target Mgmt Changes | “Egg King” Survives Hit | Costco Bday Party

 

Target Announces Michael Fiddelke as Chief Operating Officer “Additionally, Target announced the upcoming retirement of chief legal and compliance officer Don Liu…Rick Gomez, currently Target’s chief food & beverage officer, will oversee the retailer’s frequency categories as chief food, essentials & beauty officer…Jill Sando, currently the retailer’s chief merchandising officer, will oversee Target’s discretionary categories as chief merchandising officer of apparel & accessories, home and hardlines.” Press release

 

…Five Questions with Michael Fiddelke “From a young age, my parents inspired both a strong work ethic and a taste for business. I grew up on a farm in Iowa. It was a small farm, but my dad made sure I had chores to do every morning before I headed to school. That’s where the work ethic set in.” Press release

 

China launches a security review of Shein at CNBC. “The review squarely positions Shein as a Chinese company despite its many efforts to distance itself from the country where it was founded. To move forward with its IPO, Shein will need the blessing of both Washington, D.C., and Beijing.” Read more

 

CANADA SUSPICIOUS – Loblaw discount reduction not evidence of grocery collusion: competition expert at Toronto Star. “In a letter to the competition commissioner Tuesday, MacGregor called for an investigation into potential anti-competitive practices in the grocery industry. MacGregor said that comments by Loblaw indicated they changed their discount to align with their competitors, and that this was cause for suspicion.” Read more

 

Americans Are Ditching Weeknight Fun. Can They Be Tempted Back? at WSJ. “The midweek slowdown could be an early crack forming in consumers’ willingness to spend on experiences—a key corner of the economy that has helped offset slowing spending on goods.” WSJ subs.

 

J.Crew Group CEO Libby Wadle On What 2024 Has In Store at Forbes

 

Eggs in short supply in Russia – “The Egg King” survives assassination attempt at WSJ. “Authorities also launched antitrust investigations into egg and chicken producers, including the Tretyakovskaya poultry farm in the Voronezh region, owned by Gennady Shiryaev, the Egg King. On Dec. 27, after news of the probe became public, a shooter fired at least twice on Shiryaev’s Volkswagen  SUV, though Shiryaev escaped unscathed.” WSJ subs.

 

Amazon Business leader taking leave of absence; Devices exec will step in to fill role at GeekWire

 

Target store in Denver has raised eyebrows for charging a 1 percent ‘public improvement fee’ at Daily Mail. “It is not the first Target to be found to apply the surcharge. Last March, flight attendant Holly Teska went viral on TikTok after claiming she was slapped with a extra 2.5 percent charge on every item she bought from a Target.” Read more

 

Thief steals more than $39K worth of merchandise from Target stores across Southern California at NY Post

 

Alphabet’s Wing supersizes delivery drones to tow big orders at TechCrunch. “Walmart said last week that a quarter of the items in its larger Supercenter stores don’t meet the current size and weight requirements for delivery by drone…Wing’s current drones can only handle packages weighing up to a modest 2.5 pounds. Wing’s larger drones, however, will handle “up to 5 pounds in a standard cardboard box,” the company told TechCrunch.” Read more

 

Uniqlo sues Shein over alleged copy of its popular ‘Mary Poppins bag’ at AP News

 

Woman throws epic Costco-themed birthday party with food samples, employee badges and photo booth at Fox News. “Tony Huynh also said his wife replicated the Costco supervisor vest, put price tags around items on their home…Guests at the party played Costco trivia and “guess the price” games…A recap video of the party made by a friend has over 373,000 Instagram likes.” Pics/Read more

 

Lobbying World: Schumer, Amazon alum Lucy Panza to join Crossroads Strategies at The Hill

 

China widens South America trade highway with Silk Road mega port at Reuters. “The $3.5 billion deep water port, set to start operations late this year, will provide China with a direct gateway to the resource-rich region. Over the last ten years, Beijing has unseated the United States as the largest trade partner for South America, devouring its soy, corn and copper.” Read more

 

Shoppers sue Target, saying they were rammed by kids on electric scooters at Philly Inquirer

 

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Kroger Delays | Diamond Prices Slashed | BJ’s Likes M&Ms

 

Washington state sues to block proposed merger of Kroger and Albertsons grocery chains at AP. “In a statement Monday, Kroger said it was pushing back its timeline for closing the deal due to ongoing dialogue with regulators, including state attorneys general and the Federal Trade Commission. It now anticipates the closure may occur in the first half of its fiscal year, which ends in mid-August.” Read more

 

Canada’s December inflation rose 3.4% – dashes hopes of early rate cut at Reuters

 

De Beers’ slashes diamond prices by as much as 25% at NY Post. “The hefty price reductions come as natural diamonds lose market share to their lab-grown counterparts…Lab diamonds are typically 60% to 85% cheaper than mined diamonds…” Read more

 

Hasbro’s shift from China is no child’s play at Reuters. “India accounted for only 1% of U.S. and EU toy imports over the past five years, according to Panjiva’s data. “The issue in India is really the gridlock of moving even from one state to another. There are so many crazy regulations,” MGA Entertainment CEO Isaac Larian told Reuters.” Read more

 

BJ’s Wholesale Club aligns with Mars at NRF. “I challenge you to find better product than peanut M&M’s, by the way,” said Bob Eddy, BJ’s chairman and CEO. The 62-ounce jar of the candy is not just a Halloween bonanza; it was the club’s second-best selling SKU last year, with strong sales all year long. It’s also Eddy’s favorite, as well as his family’s.” Read more

 

Shoppers Prefer Staying Outdoors. That’s More Trouble for Malls. at WSJ. “You know where your customer is buying and where they live,” said Scott Lipesky, chief financial and operating officer for Abercrombie & Fitch. “We’re looking at this digital shipping data, and we just plop a store down in the middle of it.” WSJ subs.

 

Another ship comes under fire in Red Sea, disruption seen pushing up prices at Reuters. “The U.S.-led coalition meant to safeguard commercial traffic in the Red Sea is weak because regional powerhouses Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt have not taken part, Yemen’s vice president said on Tuesday.” Read more

 

How Walmart is fighting back against gift card scams at Fox Business. “…with Redemption, Walmart can spot red flags for gift card fraud and effectively stop the crime during the transaction. “Where we really invested was creating a technology to try to spot gift card risk at the time of the transaction so that we could freeze the funds in the gift card process so the bad actors wouldn’t get their money,” Lundeen said.” Read more

 

Loblaw ends 50% discounts on food nearing expiration date – will now offer 30% off at Financial Post

 

Former Dick’s Sporting Goods CEO defends stance on gun restrictions at Fox Business. “Stack spoke candidly at NRF 2024: Retail’s Big Show in New York City on Monday, saying he firmly believed it is important for the sporting goods retailer, in certain issues, “to really step up and make a statement.” Read more

 

Costco stores in Las Vegas add new item to food court menu – A double chocolate chunk cookie at Las Vegas Review-Journal

 

Tencent sees a future where everyone gets by with just a swipe of the hand at CNN. “In the southern Chinese province of Guangdong, more than 1,500 7-Eleven stores have rolled it out. At Supermonkey, a trendy Chinese gym chain, about 2,000 users have signed up to use palm scanning to check in and out of facilities for workouts…” Read more

 

FedEx announces its own commerce platform for merchants at TechCrunch. “The company said that FDX is currently in private preview with plans for a wider launch in fall 2024. Businesses can register their interest in trying it out through a form. The company didn’t mention any brands that are part of the pilot program.” Read more

 

Underwear and socks are the latest items to be locked up in shoplifting crackdown at Daily Mail

 

Crop-killing weeds advance across US farmland as chemicals lose effectiveness at Reuters. “We’re in for big problems over the next 10 years for sure,” said Ian Heap, director of the International Survey of Herbicide Resistant Weeds, a group of scientists in over 80 countries that maintains a global database. “We are in for a real shake-up.” Read more

Top 10 Grocers | Target Office Auction | WM Health Center Pics

 

Inflation rose 0.3% in December from the previous month, more than expected at Fox Business

 

Shipment rates soar 4x after Red Sea attacks: CEO at Yahoo Finance

 

Neiman Marcus CEO says there’s ‘no need’ to sell the business as Saks takeover rumors swirl at CNBC. “Some people close to the companies have told CNBC a merger between the two is inevitable, and is a matter of when, not if. But Neiman’s CEO Geoffroy van Raemdonck said there is currently “no process to sell the company.” Read more

 

H-E-B Holds Top Spot in dunnhumby’s Annual Grocery Rankings “Amazon (2) and Costco (3) round out the top three grocers in the U.S. for a second year in a row. The seven other retailers in the top 10 are: 4) Market Basket, 5) Sam’s Club, 6) Wegman’s, 7) Aldi, 8) Shoprite, 9) Walmart Neighborhood Market, 10) Walmart.” Press release

 

Target is trying to offload furnishings as it exits City Center offices at Minneapolis Star Tribune. “The auction this week includes hundreds of items from four of the upper floors that Target once used in City Center. Target occupied 37 of the 50-plus floors of City Center, according to Target spokesman Brian Harper-Tibaldo. It vacated the building in May 2021.” Read more

 

Amazon Is About to Eat the TV Universe at Hollywood Reporter. “On Jan. 29, Prime Video will make its ad tier the default for its tens of millions of subscribers…The move will instantly turn Amazon into a streaming-ad juggernaut, and the largest ad-supported subscription streaming platform in the marketplace with tens of millions of users, leapfrogging the likes of Netflix in the process.” Read more

 

Walmart ready to open new Whole Health fitness center on corporate campus at Talk Business. “Walmart is set to open on Friday (Jan. 12) its new 360,000-square-foot Walton Family Whole Health & Fitness center on its new home office campus – which is still under construction – in the heart of Bentonville.” Read more

 

…Walmart hopes associates get fit at new whole health center at NWA Online. “Walmart and Sam’s Club associates are able to access the Rest and Restore area regardless of membership. This area has cryotherapy chairs, a massage therapist and a registered dietitian.” Read more/Pics/Video

 

Lowe’s launches DIY rewards loyalty program Press release

 

Walmart Expands Drone Delivery in Dallas as It Races Amazon at WSJ. “In Dallas, Walmart will partner with Wing, a unit of Alphabet, and Zipline, a global drone delivery company that works with healthcare providers and others. Walmart is currently offering drone delivery in a limited way in Dallas. After the expansion, drone delivery from Walmart will be available to about 75% of the Dallas-Fort Worth population…” WSJ subs.

 

Wolverine World Wide sells Sperry to Authentic Brands Group in shoe retail deal at CNBC

 

As Retailers Cite Rising Theft and Shrinkage, Analysts Want More Details at WSJ. “We want them to talk about what the heck is going on, what are you doing about it, and how should we bake this into their models?” Rosenblum said. Retailers calculate shrink differently, and often don’t disclose exact figures to show the impact to their financials.” WSJ subs.

 

Amazon’s Twitch, Prime Video, MGM Studios units lay off hundreds at GeekWire

 

Walmart experiments with AI to enhance customers’ shopping experiences via San Antonio Express News. “…provided a glimpse into “InHome Replenishment,” which aims to use AI to learn consumers’ shopping habits and keep them stocked on their favorite groceries, as well as a beta platform that allows customers to create outfits virtually and get feedback from their friends…(At) Sam’s Club…Instead of stopping at a cashier to show the receipt, cameras at the stores’ exits take a picture of what’s in shoppers’ carts to confirm purchases. This camera technology is available in 10 clubs so far.” Read more | WM press release

 

Amazon is deploying its Just Walk Out cashierless technology in hospitals and other healthcare facilities at CNBC

 

Big Y Appoints New President/CEO and COO at Progressive Grocer. “…the roles of president and CEO will transition to Michael P. D’Amour, and those of EVP and COO will move to Richard D. Bossie.” Read more

 

***Advertising inquiries, new product searches, comments, questions, etc…contact Jason Long at jlong@eyeonretail.net

 

 

Crozier Close-Up | Pepsi Hits Carrefour | Shein Taps Lobbyist

 

CES 2024: Everything revealed so far, from Nvidia and AI to Samsung’s Ballie robot at TechCrunch. “French startup Neoplants is showing off its progress with its houseplants that work as air purifiers designed for the home. The bio-engineered plants can, according to the company, replace 20 “regular” houseplants, as measured by how many pollutants the plants can remove from the air.” Read more

 

…CES 2024: all the TVs, laptops, smart home gear, and more from the show floor at The Verge

 

PepsiCo, Carrefour Bicker Over Who Dumped Whom at WSJ. “Regrettably, Carrefour has mischaracterized the chain of events,” a PepsiCo spokesman said Monday. “Given the lack of agreement on a new contract, we stopped supplying to Carrefour at the end of the year, something they were aware could happen. We hope we can agree on terms soon so our products can be back on their shelves for consumers to enjoy.” In response, Carrefour said Monday: “We, at the Carrefour Group, have taken this decision.” WSJ subs.

 

Albertsons Companies Q3 identical sales +2.9% Press release

 

Shein’s revenue is ‘a lot more’ than $30 billion annually, key retail partner says at CNBC. “…do they do 40 billion? Do they do 35 billion? I’m not going to tell you exactly what they do, but I can tell you they do a lot more than $30 billion,” Salter continued in an apparent reference to Shein’s annual sales.” Read more.” Read more

 

Schnucks installs anti-theft liquor cabinets in at least 40 stores. They open by cellphone. at St. Louis Post Dispatch. “We would put this in the innovative category,” Hayes, of the Loss Prevention Research Council, said of the cabinets. “How can we leverage technology to maintain security and in-stock (merchandise) and good customer experience?” In addition to the Freedom Cases, Schnucks has expanded its shopping cart technology, Rocateq, to 76 stores. This technology enables grocery carts to leave the store only once they have passed through the checkout.” Read more

 

Shein hires Ex-Tractor Supply & Home Depot lobbyist at Politico. “Kent Knutson, the former longtime head of Home Depot’s D.C. office, is joining the retailer, which is now headquartered in Singapore, as its chief U.S. government affairs officer. Knutson was most recently vice president of government relations at Tractor Supply Co. Before that, he led Home Depot’s public policy team for more than 16 years…” Read more

 

The Home Depot is trying to make its own smart home ecosystem happen at The Verge. “An old-school hardware store has been quietly building out one of the most complete lines of smart home products on the market. At CES this week, it’s adding a smart thermostat, smart hose timer, smart bathroom fan, smart freezer, and smart security system to its more than 150 connected products. You probably know the brand (and maybe even shopped there before): The Home Depot.” Read more

 

Indigo workers at unionized stores facing increased battles with retailer, union says at Financial Post

 

Engineering internship led to retail career for Sam’s Club chief merchant Megan Crozier at Talk Business. “Crozier did not foresee her path to merchandising until she encountered a buyer who was making multimillion-dollar back-to-school decisions. “I walked up to ask him a question about something else, but then asked, ‘What are you doing?’ He was planning for back-to-school and which laptop he was going to buy,” she said. “He was looking at all the competitors from the previous year trying to pick which item he wanted to put in print in the circular for the back-to-school ad. And I was like, ‘They let you do that?’ He just laughed at me and said, ‘Of course they let me do that. That’s what my job is.’ “I remember going back to my desk and thinking, ‘Wow, they let people make really big decisions in this company, and I think I want to be a merchant one day.” Read more

 

German retail giant Galeria insolvent in wake of Signa collapse at Reuters

 

Sweethearts limited-edition ‘situationship’ candy boxes full of ‘blurry’ messages fly off shelves at Fox News. “The newly designed release showcases blurry and misprinted heartshaped candies that are intentionally difficult to read — just like some Gen-Z relationships.” Read more

 

Dollar General gets new executive vice president, store operations at Supermarket News

 

Millennials are moving to ‘the most boring places in the world’ at Business Insider/MSN. “John Natale, a real-estate agent based in Wall Township, New Jersey, calls this phenomenon “drive till you qualify.” He says it used to be that he could find his clients a home in their price range in whichever county they wanted to be in…Rafay Qamar, a real-estate agent in Chicago, says many of his millennial clients who left the city to buy homes in the suburbs in recent years are trying to come back.” Read more

 

Tropicana is one company that’s ditching AI at CNN. “Tropicana, the top-selling orange juice maker, is releasing limited-edition bottles that removes the letters “A” and “I” from its name (“Tropcn”) to bring attention to its natural ingredients.” Read more

 

***Advertising inquiries, new product searches, comments, questions, etc…contact Jason Long at jlong@eyeonretail.net

Pepsi Pulled @ Retailer | Target Cup Camping | Online +4.9%

 

Target Shoppers Are ‘Getting Trampled’ for a Limited Edition Valentine’s Day Stanley Cup at People. “…released two Target-exclusive Quencher H2.0 FlowState Tumblers. The tumblers come in Cosmo Pink and Target Red and are a part of the brand’s “Galentine’s Collection.”…Another video on TikTok filmed at a Target in Goodyear, Arizona explained that tumblers sold out in less than four minutes. The video showed people of all ages rushing to grab one from the store’s display stand.” Read more

 

Carrefour pulls PepsiCo products over price hikes at Reuters. “From Thursday, shelves for PepsiCo products at Carrefour stores in France, Italy, Spain and Belgium will carry signs saying the store will no longer be stocking the brands “due to unacceptable price increases”, a spokesperson for the French supermarket giant said.” Read more

 

Online holiday spending reaches record $222B, driven by BNPL at Fox. “The figure, up 4.9% year over year, marks a new record for online shopping throughout the holiday season…according to Adobe’s holiday spending report…(BNPL) accounted for $16.6 billion in online spending, up 14% on an annual basis, during the season.” Read more

 

Weekly US jobless claims at two-month low; labor market gradually easing at Reuters

 

Consumer Reports finds ‘widespread’ presence of plastics in food at Reuters. “Among tested supermarket foods, Annie’s Organic Cheesy Ravioli contained the most phthalates in nanograms per serving, 53,579, followed by Del Monte sliced peaches and Chicken of the Sea pink salmon.” Read more

 

Behind Cheap Stuff From Shein and Temu: A Hard Bargain With Suppliers at WSJ. “Some suppliers that spoke with The Wall Street Journal said they were grappling with razor-thin profit margins and intense pressure to cut prices. Others said they were drowning in unsold inventory and were questioning whether dealing with Shein and Temu would be sustainable in the long run.” WSJ subs.

 

Walgreens Q1 profits up on an adjusted basis, but slashes dividend at Yahoo. “…is cutting its dividend by 48% to $0.25 a share from $0.48 a share for the fiscal first quarter of 2024…first quarter sales for the period ending Nov. 30, 2023, rose 10% year over year totaling $36.7 billion, beating Wall Street expectations.” Read more | Press release

 

Jeff Bezos Bets on a Google Challenger Using AI to Try to Upend Internet Search at WSJ. “Started less than two years ago, Perplexity has fewer than 40 employees and is based out of a San Francisco co-working space. The company’s product, which it calls an answer engine, is used by about 10 million people monthly. Those ingredients were enough to persuade Institutional Venture Partners, Bezos and other tech executives to invest $74 million in the company, the largest sum raised by an internet search startup in recent years.” WSJ subs.

 

Why Costco’s response to the surprising Virginia union victory stands out at Fast Company. “Costco CEO Craig Jelinek and president Ron Vachris (emailed) employees a letter…“Last week, in a close vote, Costco employees in Norfolk voted in favor of representation by the Teamsters union,” it began. “To be honest, we’re disappointed by the result in Norfolk. We’re not disappointed in our employees; we’re disappointed in ourselves as managers and leaders. The fact that a majority of Norfolk employees felt that they wanted or needed a union constitutes a failure on our part.” Read more

 

The Buckle, Inc. December net sales decreased 5.8% Press release

 

TikTok Eyes $17.5 Billion Shopping Business on Amazon’s Turf at Bloomberg. “TikTok aims to grow the size of its US e-commerce business tenfold to as much as $17.5 billion this year, according to people familiar with the matter…The 2024 merchandise volume goal for the US version of TikTok Shop — which melds online entertainment with impulse buying — was discussed in internal meetings in recent weeks and may still change depending on how the business goes…” Bloomberg subs. required

 

Alimentation Couche-Tard completes acquisition of European assets from TotalEnergies at Financial Post

 

Ex-Home Depot CEO reveals why more retail stores will be locking up their items at Fox. “I was blessed at Home Depot, we got shrink under control, we installed cameras in every store. We had a dark room where our security team was monitoring high-shrink stores. But back then, it was not legal to steal $1,000 to get a paint sprayer or a nail gun or something and just walk out with it,” (Nardelli) said.” Read more

 

***Advertising inquiries, new product searches, comments, questions, hellos…contact Jason Long at jlong@eyeonretail.net

Furner’s People | Red Sea Decision Today | Shipt Pause Seattle

 

Maersk to decide on Red Sea route today after weekend attack at Reuters. “The container shipping giant on Sunday paused all Red Sea sailings for 48 hours following attempts by Yemen-based Houthi militants to board the Maersk Hangzhou. U.S. military helicopters repelled the assault and killed 10 of the attackers.” Read more

 

…Iranian warship enters Red Sea after U.S. destroys Houthi boats at CNBC

 

Where the CEO of Walmart U.S. Seeks Advice at WSJ. “Furner turns to (Univ. of Arkansas professor) Johnson for advice on management challenges …sometimes the two ride bikes together and chat, said Johnson. “I think he thinks of me more as a mentor than I think of myself as a mentor to him,” …(Former Home Depot CEO) Blake…said that if a leader doesn’t directly share thoughts with rank-and-file workers, workers “fill in the void and you won’t like what they fill it in with.” WSJ subs. 

 

Shipt to pause Seattle operations, blaming recently passed labor laws at GeekWire. “The ordinances aimed at app-based delivery platforms include a 10-cent per-order fee for online deliveries in Seattle starting in 2025, approved by the Council in November. The revenue generated by the fee will help pay for the implementation and enforcement of the City’s “PayUp” gig worker protection laws in Seattle.” Read more

 

Covid Slashed Consumer Choices. This Is Why They Aren’t Coming Back. at WSJ. “I don’t think any consumer would have noticed we went from 200 to 150” types of Yankee Candle, said Chris Peterson, chief executive of Newell Brands…Coca-Cola over the past few years reduced its brands to 200 from 400, cutting slow-growing as well as declining products…” WSJ subs.

 

Chinese factory activity slows in December in a third straight month of contraction at AP News

 

Millennials have found a way to buy houses: Living with mom and dad at Washington Post via MSN. “In 2022, the share of first-time buyers who moved directly from a friend’s or family member’s home and into their own hit 27 percent, according to the National Association of Realtors. That’s the highest share since the group started keeping track in 1989.” Read more

 

Amazon plans to make its own hydrogen to power vehicles at The Verge. “The electrolyzer will make fuel for around 225 fork lift trucks at the site, although Plug says it has the capacity to fuel up to 400 hydrogen fuel cell-powered forklifts. This is the first time Amazon has tried to make its own hydrogen on site, and it’s not likely to be the last.” Read more

 

China removes official after video games rules spark turmoil at Reuters. “Beijing cracked down heavily on its video gaming sector in 2021, setting strict playtime limits for under 18s and suspending approvals of new video games for about eight months, citing gaming addiction concerns.” Read more

 

Clocked-out trade talks will curdle supply of British cheese on Canadian shelves at Financial Post. “Dec. 31 will mark the end of a temporary arrangement in which Ottawa offered London a special quota of cheese that could be imported under low tariffs. While Canadians will still be able to buy Wensleydale, Stilton and Red Leicester, most of it will likely be taxed at a much higher rate.” Read more

 

Millions of Americans could lose internet aid months before the 2024 election at Politico. “The 56-year-old resident of mountainous Brevard, N.C., started receiving federal aid that helps low-income people pay for broadband internet while she was studying for her bachelor’s degree during the coronavirus pandemic. The criminal justice degree helped her get a job at a local courthouse — and she still receives the aid, which has effectively reduced her broadband bill to $0.” Read more

 

Academy Sports employees terminated after chasing thief who stole firearm: report at Fox News. “Because we did run out of the building, even though I and the other associate did stay on the sidewalk, it fell under [that] we left the front porch, as they call it,” Sutton explained.” Read more

 

***Advertising inquiries, new product searches, comments, questions, hellos…contact Jason Long at jlong@eyeonretail.net

Holiday Sales +3.1% | #1 Rent: 5th Ave | Return It: PA

 

US retail sales grow 3.1% during holiday season – Mastercard report at Reuters. “The increase is lower than the 3.7% growth Mastercard forecast in September, and has slumped from last year’s 7.6% as higher interest rates and inflation pressured consumer spending…Ecommerce sales grew at a slower pace of 6.3% from last year’s 10.6%…apparel and restaurant categories rose 2.4% and 7.8%, respectively…while sales of electronics fell 0.4%.” Read more

 

Maersk to resume Red Sea voyages with Operation Prosperity Guardian in place at Fox News. “More details were expected to be released in the coming days, according to Maersk, adding it could very well revert to sending ships on other routes if conditions deteriorate.” Read more

 

…Hapag-Lloyd to decide on Wednesday about Red Sea routes at CNBC

 

Retailers Are Bracing for Their Postholiday Returns Hangover at WSJ. “Inmar Intelligence and its 300,000-square-foot warehouse is on the front lines of the business known as reverse logistics…Workers at the site, which sits in an Eastern Pennsylvania region filled with distribution centers that serve stores on the Eastern Seaboard, sift through as many as 950,000 goods a week from companies including fashion retailers, home-goods merchants, department-store chains and retail pharmacies.” WSJ subs.

 

U.S. home prices hit an all-time high in October, Case-Shiller says at MarketWatch. “The S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller 20-city house price index rose a seasonally adjusted 0.6% in October compared to the previous month. Home prices in the 20 major U.S. metro markets were up 4.9% in the last 12 months ending in October.” Read more

 

The Title of ‘World’s Priciest Retail Rent’ Resides in America at WSJ. “Rents averaged $2,000 a square foot on upper Fifth Avenue over the past year, according to real-estate firm Cushman & Wakefield. That was about 13% higher than the world’s next-most-expensive shopping destination, Via Montenapoleone in Milan. New York City displaced Hong Kong last year to top the chart for the first time since 2017. Fifth Avenue’s rent prices are still below prepandemic levels, but store availability has fallen as retailers ranging from Abercrombie & Fitch to Citizen Watch have opened new locations.” WSJ subs.

 

Zulily transfers assets to professional liquidator as failed retailer unable to issue refunds at GeekWire

 

Amazon sellers say misleading AI product reviews threaten sales at Bloomberg via Seattle Times. “A summary of Penn tennis balls says some reviewers were disappointed with the product’s smell. The $4 three-ball sleeve has a 4.7-star rating based on more than 4,300 ratings but only seven reviews mention an odor…An eight-pack of Mason jars had 4.5 stars based on more than 3,000 ratings. The AI-generated summary says: “However, some customers have reported issues with rusting lids.” Shoppers must click deeper into the product to see that just 16 customers complained about rust.” Read more

 

Canadian month-on-month retail sales grew by 0.7% in October but most likely were flat in November at Reuters

 

How a 40-ounce cup turned Stanley into a $750 million a year business at CNBC. “I felt like I was signing a mortgage,” (Influencer) LeSueur tells CNBC Make It of her purchase order for 5,000 Quenchers…Those Quenchers, however, sold out within days. When (new CEO) Reilly took charge, he embraced The Buy Guide as partners…“My experience at Crocs told me that that kind of influencer opportunity was just the magic that Stanley might need,” he says. “And we were right.” Read more

 

Amazon’s new Echo Frames can’t touch the Ray-Ban Meta at TechCrunch

 

Subscription-based care moves beyond peddling birth control and helping with hair loss at AP. “This Netflix-like approach promises help for two common difficulties in the U.S.: access to health care and prescription refills. But it also stirs concern about care quality…Hims has topped 1.4 million subscribers this year. It expects to pull in at least $1.2 billion in annual sales by 2025.” Read more

 

Newegg Q3 net sales down 16% Press release

 

Costco rumored to be discontinuing sweet treat from food court at Fox News. “My brother (Costco employee) just told me they were getting rid of the churros at the food court and replacing them with cookies,” a user near the Goleta, Calif. warehouse said…”It is true. They have found a company to make the cookies, agreements are finalized. They will be showing up in early 2024, along with chocolate ice cream which will appear before summer,” (another) user wrote.” Read more

 

***Advertising inquiries, new product searches, comments, questions, hellos…contact Jason Long at jlong@eyeonretail.net