Amazon/Disabled Dispute | Japan Fights for 7-11 | Blind Box Buzz
Wholesale prices rose 0.2% in October, in line with expectations at CNBC. “…up one-tenth of a percentage point from September…On a 12-month basis, headline wholesale inflation was at 2.4%. Excluding food and energy, core PPI rose 0.3%, also one-tenth more than September and also matching expectations. The 12-month rate was at 3.1%.” Read more
US weekly jobless claims fall; unemployment rolls shrink at Reuters. “Initial claims for state unemployment benefits dropped 4,000 to a seasonally adjusted 217,000 for the week ended Nov. 9… Economists polled by Reuters had forecast 223,000 claims for the latest week.” Read more
Amazon shuts down secret project to develop fertility tracker at CNBC. “It was a costly endeavor and required significant upfront investments for lab research and development, in addition to the high salaries for scientists and engineers, the sources said, adding that the team’s weekly overhead was roughly $1.5 million.” Read more
China’s Latest Livestream Sensation: Shopping With a Game of Chance at NYT. “Trinkets identical to the ones bought on blind box livestreams are usually cheaper if purchased directly on Taobao, one of China’s biggest e-commerce sites. But the experience is not the same. “Buying directly from online stores doesn’t offer the same emotional value,” Ms. Xu said, “I can feel my adrenaline skyrocketing when the streamer unseals the bag.” NYT subs.
The Fight for 7-Eleven Isn’t Just About Money at WSJ. “In what would be the largest leveraged buyout of all time, corporate Japan circles the wagons to protect a national gem…The Japanese take-private offer tops Couche-Tard’s by about 23%. Still, the reported price tag isn’t crazy relative to Seven & i’s earnings.” WSJ subs.
Dollar Tree Leadership Changes “Steve Schumacher promoted to EVP and Chief People Officer. Jocelyn “Jocy” Konrad named Chief of Dollar Tree Stores…Jason Nordin named President of Family Dollar Stores…” Press release
Tapestry and Capri call off merger Press release
BJ’s Wholesale Club Announces Black Friday Event / Buy One, Get One 50% Off Toys Press release
Kantar names Walmart top retail partner “Target and Kroger switched places to number two and number three respectively…Costco and Amazon traded places to number four and number five respectively.” Press release
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Ever wanted to rent a food delivery robot? Now you can. at TechCrunch. “Kiwibot notes that it has already partnered with AWS to pilot mobile advertising. It was a small pilot, with five robots over the course of a week, during Tech Week in New York City.” Read more
Startup led by ex-Walmart executive nears deal to buy Grubhub at Yahoo Finance
You Haven’t Glamped Until You’ve Glamped at a Racetrack With a Pop-Up Walmart at WSJ. “We didn’t pack any food, so the first stop was the campground Walmart. Yes, there’s a pop-up Walmart. It’s no superstore, but stocks everything a camper could need, from charcoal to cases of beer. (No hard liquor.) You can even buy a cruiser bike to traverse the grounds.” WSJ subs.
AMAZON HAUL – Amazon’s new $20 and under store is here to challenge Shein and Temu at The Verge. “Amazon (is) offering discounts of five percent off orders over $50 or 10 percent off orders of $75 or higher…Shipping costs $3.99 and is free on orders over $25, but will take one to two weeks to arrive…” Read more
Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work For 2024 (Wegmans #6, Sheetz #60, Target #65, Publix #81, Walmart #97) Ranked list
Luxury Leaders Gather at the Neiman Marcus Awards to Honor Leonard A. Lauder Press release
Amazon Makes It Harder for Disabled Employees to Work From Home at Bloomberg. “The company recently told employees with disabilities that it was implementing a more rigorous vetting process, both for new requests to work from home and applications to extend existing arrangements. Affected workers must submit to a “multilevel leader review” and could be required to return to the office for monthlong trials to determine if accommodations meet their needs.” Bloomberg subs.
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