‘Work is a Beautiful Thing’:  Mike Rowe Narrates a Powerful new Walmart Ad you Won’t Want to Miss” by Oliver Darcy at The Blaze.  “Former “Dirty Jobs” host Mike Rowe narrates a powerful new commercial released Thursday and it contains one powerful message: “Work is a beautiful thing.”  Who’s it for? Walmart.”  See the ad / Read more

 

“Interview: Canadian Tire’s CEO on Beating Back Target in Canada” by Chris Sorensen at Maclean’s.  “Q: There were concerns that retailers such as Canadian Tire were going to get creamed by U.S. competition, particularly Target. But the opposite seems to be happening. How did you manage that?  A:…So, as long as we understand who we are and what we have to do— in our main categories of living, playing, fixing and automotive—and stay focused on it, I can’t see how anybody is going to beat us.”  Read more

 

“More Than 100 Line Up to See Aerosmith Drummer at Costco” by Dean Balsamini & Frank Donnelly at Staten Island Advance.  “Garbed in a black collarless long-sleeve shirt, black jeans, black boots and a black vest with a white pattern, Kramer seemed in his element, shaking hands, signing everything from coffee packages to cymbals and patiently posing for photos.  “He’s a helluva nice guy,” said Lenny Rotkowitz, 39, a bass player from New Springville. “It was nice to meet someone that I’ve looked up to over the years.”  See the pics / Read more

 

“Walmart Buys 126 Acres Of Bentonville Land For $4 Million” by Shain Bergan at 5 News.  “Giles said the new acquisition could be among the first of several at the location, which could turn into a hub for businesses in the near future after the planned Interstate 49 corridor is built and runs through the area.  Giles could not release what kind of Walmart facility would be built on the land.” Read more

 

“How My Company Blinds.com Got Acquired by Home Depot” by Jay Steinfeld at Inc.  “The experience has been the stuff entrepreneurial dreams are made of–from the early days of working in my garage at night to the exciting welcome of Home Depot’s CEO into a 150+ person crowd of safety orange-wearing Blinds.com employees.  While it’s hard to fully explain the hours of hard work (although I bet you know all about that already), the failures and the happy moments along the way since 1996, here are some takeaways that helped us get where we are today…”  Read more

 

“Former Wal-Mart CEO David Glass receives Sam Walton Award” by Kim Souza at The City Wire.  “Glass said they snuck the award in when he wasn’t looking, but he was deeply honored by the gesture.  Earlier in the evening, Glass took the stage as the keynote speaker. He said the last time he spoke at the same function, he joined then Gov. Bill Clinton and Sam Walton who each shared the podium that evening.  “It went on and on and by the time we finished, the place was nearly empty,” Glass recalled. “That won’t be the case tonight.”  Read more

 

“Costco Takes Heat from Seniors; Center Could be Bulldozed in California to Make Way for New Store” by Richard Chang at Merced Sun-Star.  “A proposed Costco that would occupy 16 acres of the Placer County Government Administrative Center in north Auburn has riled some community members, who are upset that a World War II-era theater and a longstanding senior center could be bulldozed to make way for the warehouse retailer.”  Read more

 

“RadioShack can succeed, but not because of its Super Bowl ad” by John Jannarone at CNBC.  “Slimming down on stocked items has multiple benefits. Less clutter in the stores should help customers find products they need, just as Apple has done with its wildly successful store layouts. RadioShack can also focus on higher-margin merchandise that resonates with customers.”  Read more

 

“A Mysterious New Coffee Shop Called ‘Dumb Starbucks’ Is Baffling Los Angeles” by Ashley Lutz at Business Insider via SF Gate.  “A parody coffee shop mocking Starbucks opened this weekend in Los Angeles and is quickly becoming a sensation on social media.  The shop, “Dumb Starbucks,” looks nearly identical to the real Starbucks—with the exception of the word “dumb” being prefixed to the title and menu items.  A Starbucks spokesman told the Wall Street Journal that the company has nothing to do with the new shop, but is looking into it.”  See the pics / Read more

 

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