“Amazon Is Testing Taxis for Deliveries” by Greg Bensinger at WSJ. “Amazon.com Inc. this fall tested package delivery by licensed cab in San Francisco and Los Angeles using taxi-hailing mobile app Flywheel, according to people familiar with the matter. Amazon is studying the broader use of taxis as delivery vehicles, the people said…The Flywheel deliveries were typically done in the early morning when the cabs had fewer fares and were less likely to be noticed by customers and competitors, said the people familiar with the matter.” Read more (Subscription)

 

…Drivers are picking up multiple packages that are all headed to the same area and are being paid about $5 per package by Emily Parkhurst at Puget Sound Bus. Journal. Read more

 

“Home Depot planning delivery-from-store service” by David Allison at Atlanta Bus. Chronicle. “The home improvement giant has filed to trademark the name “Home Depot Delivers.”…Stephen Holmes, a Home Depot spokesman, said in an e-mail that “Home Depot Delivers” is a generic term the company is reserving for all customer delivery options, whether online or from the store. “It’s not specific to any certain project,” he said. Read more   See the trademark application

 

“Should Breakr really be claiming credit for ‘Alex from Target’?” by Teresa Novellino at L.A. Biz. “Adding that Target could have capitalized on this deal but has not, Leonares told CNET that he is trying to negotiate a deal with the Minneapolis-based retailer now. Good luck.” Read more

 

“The Surprising Benefit Of Having A Wal-Mart In Your Neighborhood” by Kriston Capps at CityLab via Business Insider. “The study, performed by Devin G. Pope at the University of Chicago and Jaren C. Pope at Brigham Young University, claims to be the first peer-reviewed investigation of the effect of Walmart on housing prices.” See the Residual Plot of Log Price Regression Before & After Walmart Opening

 

***New Product Spotlight:  Juicebar JamBar delivers a refreshing burst of audio and power that lets consumers entertain on the go and recharge their smartphone at the same time!  Just plug the device directly into the built in 3.5mm audio prong and amplify your favorite music, videos and other media and boost talk time up to 16 hours.  Compatible with virtually any USB device and ready for use right out of the box.   See the sell sheet.  See the video. www.juicebarchargers.com

 

“Costco Said to Weigh Dropping AmEx as U.S. Card Partner” by Elizabeth Dexheimer & Matt Townsend at Bloomberg. “Costco is seeking bids for both an issuer and a payments network for its U.S. cards, the people said, requesting anonymity because the matter hasn’t been made public.” Read more

 

“Walmart Brings Product Search To The In-Store Experience” by Greg Sterling at Search Engine Land. “Walmart’s search My Store allows in-store shoppers to use keywords or product names to search real-time inventory, which then returns a list of products, pricing and the precise in-store location where the products can be found. The company claims in-store product search “puts Walmart light-years ahead of other brick & mortar retailer apps.” Read more

 

“Report: Best Buy swapping credit card partnership from MasterCard to Visa” by Nick Halter at Minn./St. Paul Bus. Journal. “The My Best Buy reward credit cards will make the switch next year, ending an eight-year run with MasterCard, according to a Bloomberg article citing sources briefed on the matter.” Read more

 

“Whole Foods Beats Street, Q4 Comp Sales +3.1%” “FY 15 targets: Comparable store sales growth in the low to middle single digits and
square footage growth of 9% to 10% based on 38 to 42 new stores, including five to six relocations.” Read the release

 

“Walgreen October Front End Comp Sales +2%” “Customer traffic in comparable stores decreased 1.9 percent while basket size increased 3.9 percent.” Read the release

 

“Pint-size toy reviewers become YouTube stars” by Anne D’Innozenzio at AP via Seattle Times. “Leading the pack of pint-size YouTube personalities is Evan, 8, who has dimples and a few missing teeth. With more than 1 billion views among his three channels, he’s YouTube’s most popular kid. He gets more than 800 million views from EvanTubeHD, where he reviews the toys.” Read more

 

“Retired Walmart CEO sells waterfront Sarasota mansion at nearly $1 Mil loss” by Ashley Gurbal Kritzer at Tampa Bay Bus. Journal. “The Scotts paid $6.65 million for the home in 2010, Sarasota County property records show. The 7,550-square-foot home, which fronts the Gulf of Mexico, has six bedrooms, five bathrooms and three half-bathrooms. It includes a chef’s kitchen, butler’s pantry, formal dining room and temperature-controlled wine cellar.  See the pic / Read more

 

“Forbes’ 2014 Ranking of the World’s Most Powerful People (Walmart’s McMillon Only 28 Spots Behind Putin)” Read the release  Forbes article

 

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