Thursday Tipsheet: Wmart Q4 Comp: US +1.5%, Sam’s +2.0% | Target Tests REDperks | B.Buy Tries Seattle

Walmart Q4 Comps:

US: +1.5%

Sam’s (no fuel): +2.0%

Neighborhood Market: +7.7%

Ecom Sales +22% for the year

Walmart: We’re giving 500,000 people a raise by Myles Udland at Business Insider. “Current and future associates will benefit from this initiative, which ensures that Walmart hourly associates earn at least $1.75 above today’s federal minimum wage, or $9.00 per hour, in April. The following year, by Feb. 1, 2016, current associates will earn at least $10.00 per hour.” Read more

…Doug McMillon: “The investment in these initiatives is more than $1 billion for this fiscal year.” Read the release

Target quietly launches REDperks rewards app by Nick Halter at Minn./St.Paul Business Journal. “If shoppers spend $500 at Target, they will get 5 percent off an entire trip to Target…REDcard users can combine their 5 percent discount with their REDperks discount…For now, REDperks is only available on Apple mobile devices in the Raleigh-Durham, N.C. market.” Read more

Happening Today: Wal-Mart’s Doug McMillon Speaks with CNBC’s Carl Quintanilla on “Squawk Alley” Read the release

Court awards Target Canada pharmacists $100,000 for legal proceedings by Marina Strauss at Globe & Mail. “The situation facing the pharmacists is not pleasant,” Justice Morawetz said in his ruling.” Read more

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Best Buy is opening a tech office in Seattle (a few blocks away from Amazon) by Kavita Kumar at Star-Tribune. “Best Buy’s 32,000-square-foot office will be on the top floor of the Seattle Times building, in the tech-centric neighborhood of South Lake Union. It will be the retailer’s first such office outside of Minnesota and will initially employ about 50 engineers, product managers and web developers. Down the road, Best Buy said it could have more than 100 employees there.” Read more

…WA kicked in $200,000 in incentives from Gov. Jay Inslee’s strategic reserve fund by Jon Talton at Seattle Times. Read more

Amazon Couture: Jeff Bezos Wants to Sell Fancy Clothes by Kim Bhasin & Lauren Sherman at Bloomberg. “What’s missing—what can be improved upon—is that there is theater involved in fashion,” says Ari Bloom, founder of New York-based A2B Ventures, a strategic advisory firm that works in fashion, food, and wellness. “Amazon’s brand positioning has really been about convenience and price. Fashion is often about experience.” Read more

…How Fashion Became the Fastest Growing Part of Amazon at Bloomberg. “Amazon Fashion President Cathy Beaudoin discusses Amazon Fashion, the fastest growing division at the company, what they offer and who their customers are.” See the video

Feds say Wal-Mart was biased against lesbians at Chicago Tribune. “(Walmart) said it expanded its policy in 2014 to include same-sex couples.”While we disagree with the finding of reasonable cause, we have notified the EEOC of our willingness to meet with them and Miss Cote to discuss resolving the matter,” spokesman Randy Hargrove said.” Read more

What’s next for Albertsons? by Nancy Luna at Orange County Register. “With the merger of Alberstons and Safeway complete, the Register asked company officials to weigh in on pending changes for the grocery giant…” Read more

NY Times: Same-Day Delivery Resurges, Adding Alcohol by Danielle Beurteaux. “(Drizly) had to trudge through some mud,” he said. “It was a fight to get consumers, it was a fight to get stores, it was a fight to get investors.” Read more

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