Tipsheet: Amazon Makes India Angry Again | Wmart +10K | A.Apparel -2.4K | HEB’s Butt +$100M
Wal-Mart to Create 10,000 U.S. Jobs in Nod to Trump by Sarah Nassauer at MarketWatch. “The jobs will come from previously planned store openings, store expansions and new e-commerce services, the company said Tuesday. The retailer said 24,000 additional construction jobs will be supported by those efforts.” Read more | Press release
Amazon Is Making India Angry Again, This Time with a Pair of Flip-Flops by Joseph Hincks at Fortune. “India’s Secretary of Economic Affairs Shaktikanta Das also weighed in, warning Amazon over Twitter that being indifferent to Indian symbols and icons would be “at your own peril.” Read more
We will stand for our values in trade and immigration, eBay CEO Devin Wenig says by Elizabeth Gurdus at CNBC. “It’s important for companies that have been built on trade and immigration like ours to stand for those values,” Devin Wenig said on “Squawk Box.” Read more
C-stores are increasingly a threat to fast-food chains like McDonald’s by Ashley Lutz at Business Insider. “The average food purchase at a convenience store is $2 less than at fast food chains, according to NRN.” Read more
Executive shuffle continues as Wal-Mart moves to be a ‘digital enterprise,’ corporate layoffs may begin this week by Kim Souza at The City Wire. “We need more speed and less bureaucracy” to better serve shoppers to save them money and time, McMillon noted in a recent memo to employees. In that same memo McMillon said in an effort “to stay lean and fast” some jobs are being eliminated, and new positions created.” Read more
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American Apparel starts mass layoffs as company winds down operations by Shan Li at LA Times. “…the company began laying off 2,400 workers in Southern California on Monday — kicking off its final chapter as the country’s largest garment maker.” Read more
Retailers haven’t perfected buy online, pick up in store yet by Matt Linder at Internet Retailer. “57.5% of all shoppers use the omnichannel service, but only 31.6% describe it as being a smooth process, according to a new report.” Read more
H-E-B’s Charles Butt pledges $100 million to train school leaders by Melissa B. Taboada at Austin American-Statesman. “The center’s organizers estimate that more than 3,000 education leaders will go through the program in its first 10 years at no cost to the districts.” Read more
Holiday sales at Macy’s Inc., Sears Holdings Corp., and J.C. Penney Co. were anemic and U.S. government data just confirmed it by Jordan Yadoo at Bloomberg. “The breakdown showed purchases at department stores fell 7.2 percent, marking the 23rd consecutive month of year-over-year declines in the beleaguered sector.” See chart/Read more
NRF launches training for entry-level job seekers by Anne D’Inncenzio at AP via Fox Business. “Trying to stem high turnover in store jobs, nonprofit groups and chains such as Wal-Mart, Home Depot and the Home Shopping Network are launching a program to help people develop the skills to land entry-level jobs and advance in a retail career.” Read more
NRF 2017: New report unwraps holiday web sales insights by Katie Evans at Internet Retailer. “…from May 2015-November 2016, Amazon increased the products for sale on its site (both products sold by Amazon directly and from marketplace sellers) by 14.4% to 419,576,537 SKUs from 366,775,466.” Read more
Amazon ‘eFairness’ bill could put $100 million into ‘future tax cuts’ for Arkansans, says Sen. Files by Aric Mitchell at The City Wire. “Files said in 2016, there were 270 payments of the use tax by individuals statewide, “and I’m thinking there were probably more than 270 items that were purchased online.” Read more
Behind the J.C. Penney campus deal: ‘Our bid was higher by design’ by Candice Carlisle at Dallas Business Journal. Read more
Alibaba cracks down on $1.7 trillion fake goods market by Marco della Cava at USA Today. “Alibaba announced Monday that it has formed a coalition that will leverage the power of big data to crack down on purveyors of fake goods, whose value in 2015 exceeded $1.7 trillion.” Read more
Facebook’s Sandberg Unveils ‘Startup Garage’ in Paris by Marie Mawad at Bloomberg. “One of France’s richest people, Niel spent 250 million euros ($268 million) to transform a former freight station into an incubator area, with some 3,000 desks for rent and numerous hangout areas.” Read more
MasterCard CMO: 75% of brands ‘could disappear and no one would care’ at New York Business Journal. Read more
Ralph Lauren employee busted in attempt to rip off company by Rebecca Rosenberg at NY Post. “Alexandra Bocon, 32, created two bogus businesses and linked them to Square Cash accounts, an app that allows companies to accept payment via credit card.” Read more
Tipsheet Extra Stories
Macy’s fires top executive in charge of growth – pays him $2.7M
Feds say scam netted $2.8 million from Lowe’s stores
America’s most hated companies (Sears #9, Walmart #11)
Gander Mountain to close 2 stores in Pittsburgh-area
Amazon manager joins Blucora as it exits the Seattle area
Randalls to close Houston-area store
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