Tipsheet: Ahrendts Q&A | Spam Heists | S.Diego Hep A Outbreak | Target +325 Remodel
Apple’s Angela Ahrendts in Chicago to open the company’s new glass-walled flagship store along the Chicago River on Friday by Corilyn Shropshire at Chicago Tribune. “Q: What are some of the details in the new store? A: It was designed in partnership with Jony Ive and Foster + Partners — the same team that did Apple Park (in Cupertino, Calif.). We totally redid the entire plaza, putting stairs on the inside and outside. We’ve never done this before. The pavilion is totally glass, all the way around.” Full Q&A
Target will remodel more stores to compete with Amazon and Walmart by Kavita Kumar at Star Tribune. “CEO Brian Cornell told reporters on Thursday that the initial 70 or so remodels already completed this year, including its top-to-bottom overhaul of the Nicollet Mall store next to its headquarters, have been showing positive results, so the company will remodel another 325 stores in 2020. That means 1,000 of its 1,800 stores eventually will see makeovers.” Read more (tiered subs.) | Press release
…A look inside Target’s Herald Square store shows why the retailer is thinking small by Courtney Reagan at CNBC. Video/Read more
Stitch Fix has filed for an IPO, and the numbers look good by Matthew Lynley at TechCrunch. “…aside from the last two quarters, Stitch Fix posted a six-quarter streak of positive net income. We talk a lot about companies that are planning to go public that show pretty consistent (or even increasing) losses, but Stitch Fix looks like a company that has actually managed to build a healthy business.” Read more
Abercrombie & Fitch Puts Its Clothes Back On by Kim Bhasin & Lindsey Rupp at Bloomberg. “It’s definitely not the traditional Abercrombie,” Simeon Siegel, an analyst at Instinet LLC said of Abercrombie’s new look. The ad, he said, tells a good story, but he’s unsure it will win over shoppers. “The question is, does it resonate?” Read more
P&G’s profit beats Wall Street on higher sales of beauty, home care at Fox Business. Read more
Office Depot’s Chief Administrative Officer Michael Allison resigns – will take home a severance package totaling about $2.5 million by Keith Larsen at South Florida Business Journal. Read more
Shoppers find deals at Sears Canada liquidation sales underwhelming via Globe & Mail. “Sears Canada began its liquidation sales at its remaining stores across the country Thursday…While signs suggest discounts of 20 to 50 per cent off — with a note that exceptions apply — relatively few items at a Toronto store appeared to be offered at half off.” Read more
Walmart looks to see if digital shopping is better than the real thing at Washington Post. Read more (tiered subs.)
**A message from Black Flag® – We take no prisoners. In the battle against indoor and outdoor pests, it’s every man for himself. Arm yourself with Black Flag insect and rodent controls. Our tough, no-nonsense formulas are packed with a powerful punch to make short work of home insect invaders. Whether you’re battling crawling, flying or stinging insects or fending off mice, when the flag flies, pests die. Let it Fly. Facebook page
Carhartt Turns to 3-D Models to Speed Product Development by Steven Norton at Wall Street Journal. “Digital designs could also help Carhartt spot potential problems with clothes before they hit a physical store. In the past, issues with a piece of clothing, such as too much color in a particular area, wouldn’t be seen until it’s on the floor.” Read more (subs.)
Consumer report warns over safety of kids’ smartwatches by Natasha Lomas at TechCrunch. Read more
San Diego’s Hepatitis A outbreak has now killed 19 people – search is on for “patient zero” by Paul Sisson & Jeanette Steele at San Diego Union-Tribune. “A cookie convention slated to hold its event at the San Diego Convention Center in September chose to withdraw until the outbreak is deemed over…”It’s definitely on everyone’s mind,” he said. “I’m sure there are some people who just won’t come downtown because of hep A.” Read more
Backyard chicken trend causes spike in infections, 1 fatal by David Pitt at AP via ABC. “For a week, Dan and DeAnna Gabriele thought their son was dying until tests identified the cause: not cancer, but chickens — the ones he cared for at home. They had apparently infected him with salmonella that produced a severe abscess.” Read more
Amazon and Techstars host first-ever Alexa Accelerator Demo Day — here are the top pitches by Taylor Soper at GeekWire. Read more
Sign your receipt? MasterCard customers can skip it via CNBC. Read more
La Croix CEO Frustration Bubbles Over in Short Seller Blame Game by Kristy Westgard at Bloomberg. “A 23 percent slump in National Beverage Corp. shares from their Sept. 11 peak incited a tirade by its chief executive officer, Nick Caporella, in comments that are more often seen on Twitter than in a corporate press release.” Read more
Low pay, no bonus: U.S. retailers struggle with hiring at Reuters. Read more
The Limited returns as an online-only brand by Matt Linder at Internet Retailer. Read more
Spam is being kept locked in plastic cases in stores after several heists in Hawaii by Jessica Finn at Daily Mail. “The Honolulu Civil Beat found cans of Spam locked up in a case at a Walgreens this week, with a sign that says ‘Items electronically monitored for theft.’ There have been at least three reported major Spam thefts in recent months, with one of the heists thwarted and another ending in a $1,000 reward to capture the suspects.” Read more
Tipsheet Extra Stories
Babe Ruth will be a bad boy in new MLB TV series
Food Lion exec resigns amid child sex investigation
NYC mayor submits bid for Amazon but doesn’t want you shopping there
Elon Musk’s latest business venture: ‘The world’s most boring hat’ – 6,400 sold so far
Nike makes a shoe out of two NE Patriot Super Bowl footballs
Germans are going wild for a show set during the dawn of the Nazis
The super-secret Google X lab has hired its own lobbyists in the nation’s capital
**
Eye on Retail Tipsheet is must-read material for 20,000+ retail execs every weekday morning. Tipsheet stories are carefully curated bright and early every morning to ensure fresh and unique content.
Subscribe to Eye on Retail Tipsheet here
Contact us: Send story tips, press releases and advertising inquiries to info@eyeonretail.net
Website: www.eyeonretail.net