Amazon’s secretive drive-up grocery store in Seattle looks ready to open soon by Nat Levy at GeekWire. “A recent report suggested the online retail giant’s pick up grocery locations in Seattle could open by the end of the year, and the Ballard store looks like it’s on track based on a recent visit to the site. The project just this week received a temporary certificate of occupancy from the city, which means major construction aspects of the project are done, and Amazon can begin to occupy the building even though there is still some work left to do.” Pics / Read more

 

Cyber Monday eats Black Friday as Wal-Mart takes holiday mash-up one step further by Krystina Gustafson at CNBC. “For the first time this season, the world’s largest retailer will kick off its Cyber Week deals the day after Thanksgiving—a time typically reserved for in-store door busters. The online sale begins at 12:01 a.m. Eastern on Black Friday, with deals including a Samsung 60-inch HD smart TV for more than $1,000 off.” Read more

 

Tyson Foods Sales Drop 12.8%; CEO to Step Down at Fox Business. “The company said its president, Tom Hayes, will succeed (Donnie) Smith as chief executive.” Read more

 

At the center of debate over Costco plant in Fremont: How 17 million chickens will affect the area by Barbara Soderlin at Omaha World-Herald. “Opponents of the chicken plant that Costco wants to build in Fremont have sounded an alarm about its effect on the region’s air and water quality, even suggesting it could harm drinking water in Omaha, 25 miles down the Platte River…” Read more

 

Build-A-Bear pursuing growth in smaller spaces, licensing deals by Lisa Brown at St.Louis Post Dispatch. “We don’t think of ourselves anymore as a mall retailer,” CEO Sharon John said in an interview. Instead, Build-A-Bear is making changes to ensure it’s where its consumers are…“It’s not that malls aren’t going to be an important part of our portfolio,” John said, adding the chain is looking at adding more stores-within-stores. “You might see us in Carnival ships, or shop-in-shop stores at select Macy’s or Toys R Us stores.” Read more

 

**A message from the 2017 Philadelphia Gift Show – See emerging artists and gift, home décor, and color trends! Get a sneak peak in our Product Spotlight, and see our list of unique exhibitors. Sweetening the pot, this all-category gift show runs concurrently with the Philadelphia National Candy, Gift & Gourmet Show. See it all January 6-9, 2017, at the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center, in Oaks, PA. Register now | Website

 

Cabela’s execs collect bonuses, despite missing profit goals by Russell Hubbard at Omaha World-Herald. “The executives failed to achieve the financial goals that were laid out ahead of time to qualify for the bonuses. So the company just changed the objectives after the fact to bring the goals in line with actual performance — essentially rigging the bonus game in favor of the bosses. They employed no subterfuge, openly describing it all in the SEC document.” Read more

 

Wal-Mart controller Steve Whaley to step down December 31 at The City Wire. “Wal-Mart Stores announced Friday (Nov. 18) that Senior Vice President and Controller Steve Whaley, 57, is resigning, effective Dec. 31…Whaley will be replaced by David Chojnowski, effective Jan. 1, 2017. Chojnowski, vice president and controller of the Wal-Mart U.S. since October 2014, will report to Chief Financial Officer Brett Biggs.” Read more

 

Amazon’s Marketplace merchants get help ‘poking the dragon’ for profit by Angel Gonzalez at Seattle Times. “McCabe is part of a growing industry of consultants, in many cases former Amazonians, who purport to offer insight into the mysteries of the Seattle colossus. “It’s become a big thing” in the past three years or so, says Rhonda Schneider, the organizer of the Sellers’ Conference for Online Entrepreneurs, a twice-yearly gathering for online merchants, about the consultants.” Read more

 

Advertisers Search for Middle America by Alexander Bruell & Suzanne Vranica at Wall Street Journal. “Every so often you have to reset what is the aspirational goal the public has with regard to the products we sell,” said Harris Diamond, McCann’s CEO. “So many marketing programs are oriented toward metro elite imagery.” Marketing needs to reflect less of New York and Los Angeles culture, he said, and more of “Des Moines and Scranton.” Read more (subscription)

 

Toys R Us CEO Sits Down with Fortune 42 minute audio interview

 

More store closures may be ahead for Abercrombie & Fitch by Krystina Gustafson at CNBC. “Roughly 50 percent of the retailer’s 745 U.S. leases are up for renewal over the next 18 months, the company said Friday….”I would not be surprised if half of those [locations up for renewal] end up closing,” Garrick Brown, Cushman & Wakefield’s vice president of retail research for the Americas, told CNBC.” Read more

 

Here’s Why Gun Shops Probably Won’t Set a Black Friday Sales Record via Fortune. “I’m not expecting it to be any slower than our normal Black Friday,” said Kellie Weeks, owner of Georgia Gun Store in Gainesville, Georgia. “But if Hillary had won, we would have sold out already.” Read more

 

Sabra hummus recalled for possible Listeria contamination via CNBC. Read more

 

Amazon partners with Fiat Chrysler to sell cars online in Italy by Taylor Soper at GeekWire. “Italian buyers will be able to purchase three Chrysler models — the 500, the Panda and the 500L — on Amazon with an “additional discount”…Amazon will contact buyers after they click online and help them finalize the purchase at a physical dealership…The entire process takes two weeks, Reuters reported.” Read more

 

Australia: Brisbane 7-Eleven caught forcing workers to pay back their wages in cash to managers – as stores ‘threaten to sack them if they don’t because they can’t afford award rates’ at Daily Mail. “She said her bosses told her they cannot afford to pay staff at government rate and if she refused to return a portion of her wage, she could ‘go find another job,’ The ABC reported.” Read more / See video

 

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Amazon appears to tweak Donald Trump with a new Prime ad promoting religious tolerance

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Walmart Foundation Donates $500K to Washington Regional’s Newest Women Center

Molson Coors CFO Mauricio Restrepo resigns because of “personal conduct”

Less than 3% of cars sold in the U.S. have manual transmissions

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