“Walmart’s VP of Mobile/Digital:  “We’re not just going after the shiny object” by Donna Tam at CNET.  “We need to make sure we’re not just going after the shiny object,” Walmart Vice President of Mobile and Digital Wendy Bergh said when asked on Thursday about Amazon’s recently added image-recognition search feature. The feature, which Amazon added to its main shopping app, lets users search for products by taking a photo of the item.”  Read more 

 

“The 50 Most Powerful Women in Business: Global Ranking (Sam’s Rosalind Brewer #39…)” at Fortune.  “By pushing into new territories and inspiring women in their home countries, these globetrotters are, quite literally, taking on the world.”  See the Full List

 

“Meet Aerosmith Drummer Joey Kramer this Saturday at Staten Island Costco” by Dean Balsamini at Staten Island Advance.  “And you thought Aerosmith and Run-D.M.C. was a wild combination.  How about Aerosmith drummer Joey Kramer and Costco?  It’s true.  Kramer will promote his Rockin’ & Roastin’ organic coffee line at the Costco in New Springville Saturday from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m.”  Read more

 

“Costco to Pay $60,000 Fine for Selling Insect Killer in Long Island” by Gary Dymski at Newsday.  “The agency said it received a tip from a shopper in March of last year that Costco’s Holbrook store was selling Bayer Advanced Lawn Complete Insect Killer, despite a label that said it is “not for sale, sale into, distribution and or use in Nassau, Suffolk, Kings and Queens counties of New York.”  Read more

 

“Debit card users beware: Report your loss within two days or else” by Danielle Douglas at Washington Post via Star-Tribune.  “You are not liable for any charges if you report the loss or theft of your debit card to your bank immediately and the card has not been used. If you notify the bank within two business days, you are liable for up to $50. On day three, your liability jumps to $500. If 60 days pass and you say nothing, well, kiss all that money goodbye.”  Read more

 

“Loblaw shelves health store concept Nutshell that was set to take on Whole Foods” by Hollie Shaw at Financial Post.  “Potential conflicts with any future small-store concepts the grocery giant may be planning with its new subsidiary Shoppers Drug Mart were responsible for putting Nutshell on hold, according to sources familiar with the situation.”  Read more

 

“How To Use Color Psychology To Give Your Business An Edge” by Amy Morin at Forbes.  “People associate the color orange with a good value. The orange color in the Home Depot logo for example, helps customers view them as a low cost provider of valuable goods. Some high-end retailers have been able to overcome this association with orange and they’ve successfully incorporated orange into their brand.”  Read more

 

“NRF Forecasts 4.1% Increase in Retail Sales for 2014”  “NRF also announced today it expects online sales in 2014 to grow between 9 and 12 percent.”  Read the release

 

“Ray Nagin Takes Stand in Corruption Trial” by Mark Waller at NOLA.  “On another allegation involving Stone Age, that Nagin pressured Home Depot to accept the granite company as a vendor in exchange for helping the retailer avoid a neighborhood agreement requiring it to offer jobs and higher compensation to nearby residents, Nagin said that instead of trying to give concessions to Home Depot.”  Read more

 

“How Walmart/Target can offer a $10.50 Min Wage…use Walbucks/Targetcoin” by Edward Harrison at Seeking Alpha.  “Wal-Mart gives each employee Walbucks – credit to be used only at Wal-Mart stores or Wal-Mart’s website – in an amount equivalent to the difference between the worker’s average hourly wage and $10.50.  Walbucks (or Targetcoin) are simply a specific form of digital money, credit usable only in the Wal-Mart universe. And because they are secured with a Bitcoin type of algorithm, Walbucks are freely and securely transferable to anyone outside of the Wal-Mart employee universe.”  Read more

 

“Fred’s Comp Sales Up .6% in Fiscal 2013”  “Fred’s added a net total of 25 new locations, consisting of 11 new stores and 14 new Xpress pharmacies, which was offset by the closing of 25 store locations and eight Xpress pharmacies. The Company also opened 26 new pharmacies in 2013 and closed 17…Fred’s operates 704 discount general merchandise stores, including 21 franchised Fred’s stores, in the southeastern United States.”  Read more

 

Follow @retaileyeretail

 

Have a great weekend!