Tipsheet: B.Pro CEO ‘Slimming Down’ | Ex-H.Depot CEO named Delta Chairman | Amazon C-Stores | Blue Apron’s ‘real fight club’
Here’s Why Walmart Is Upping Its Salaries for Entry-Level Managers via Forbes. “Wal-Mart raised salaries from $45,000 to $48,500 annually for employees including store management, spokesman Randy Hargrove said on Tuesday.” Read more
Amazon plans to introduce C-stores by Krystina Gustafson at CNBC. “According to The Wall Street Journal, the e-commerce giant plans to open convenience stores that sell milk, produce and other consumables, as well as drive-up destinations where shoppers can have their orders brought to the car. People familiar with the strategy told the newspaper that shoppers could use their smartphones or screens scattered around the shops to place their orders.” Read more
…Wall Street Journal: Amazon is drawing inspiration from discounters like Aldi and Lidl, as well as dollar stores, which are expanding in the U.S. with spartan stores, private-label inventory and few employees, according to the people familiar with the matter. Amazon’s convenience stores may take a year or more to open while the company scouts locations, and may be shelved because of financial or operational concerns, the people said.” Read more (subs.)
Bass Pro CEO says he won’t make ‘false promises’ that all jobs are safe at Cabela’s Sidney headquarters by Paige Yowell at Omaha World-Herald. “Johnny Morris made the remarks in closed meetings with Cabela’s employees. The World-Herald obtained an audio recording of the remarks. Morris also addressed a report in Saturday’s World-Herald that quoted finance and legal experts as saying that a Bass Pro pledge to keep “important bases of operations” in Nebraska isn’t legally binding…Morris took issue with the characterization. “We feel our word does have meaning,” he said, “and we don’t take that lightly….Still, he said, “there’s going to be change. There’s going to be some slimming down.” Read more
Blue Apron’s busy New Jersey facility a real fight club by James Covert at New York Post. “In one of the scuffles, a male worker in the warehouse’s refrigerated packing room shoved a co-worker’s head into a meal-kit box half-filled with ice, frozen meat and veggies, says Lowell Hensley Jr., who was working one assembly line over. “One had the other in a headlock — he was basically choking him in the box,” Hensley told The Post in a recent interview. “It went on for maybe about six seconds. Then everyone realized they weren’t playing, and some of the other employees broke it up.” Read more
Ex-Home Depot CEO Frank Blake takes on Chairman role at Delta Air Lines by David Allison at Atlanta Business Chronicle. Read more
FlexJobs: The 250 Companies Offering The Most Flexible-Time Jobs (Macy’s #53, Kroger #146, Whole Foods #218) Top 250 list
Amazon won’t accept Fulfillment by Amazon inventory from new clients until after Dec. 19th by Allison Enright at Internet Retailer. Read more
Bed Bath & Beyond Paid Just $12 Million for One Kings Lane by Dan Primack at Fortune. “One press report suggested a price tag south of $30 million, but it seems even that estimate was way too high.” Read more
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A second Amazon drive-up store in Seattle? Filings link tech giant to mystery project at Starbucks HQ by Todd Bishop & Nat Levy at GeekWire. “Amazon is remodeling the former Sears store at the Starbucks headquarters in Seattle with 40,000-square-feet of distribution space, a public retail lobby, and an outdoor canopy strikingly similar to the one going up at Amazon’s future drive-up grocery store in Seattle’s Ballard neighborhood.” Read more
Ralph Lauren promotes David Lauren to chief innovation officer at Matt Linder at Internet Retailer. Read more
Macy’s plans to open LensCrafters outposts in nearly 40 percent of its stores by the end of next year by Lauren Zumbach at Chicago Tribune. Read more
Cash register snafu wrecks Rent-A-Center stock by Richard Morgan at NY Post. “Rent-A-Center stock fell nearly 30 percent Tuesday after the rent-to-own retailer said same-store sales in the recently completed third quarter would tumble 12 percent because a new point-of-sale system seemingly blew up in its face.” Read more
Walmart donates $2 million towards Hurricane Matthew Relief and Recovery Efforts Press release
Food Lion completes $215M store renovation program in the Charlotte region by Ken Elkins at Charlotte Business Journal.” 32 pics / Read more
Dick’s Announces Addition of Carrie Underwood to its Houston Grand Opening Celebrations Press release
The startup side of Sears: Retail giant’s WallyHome sensor company grows rapidly after acquisition by Todd Bishop at GeekWire. “One of the people who sometimes jumps into the Slack channel for the Seattle-based WallyHome sensor company is a colleague named Eddie — offering support and guidance from his office in the Miami area. That would be Edward S. Lampert, CEO of Sears Holdings Corp., which acquired WallyHome a year ago.” Read more
Jo-Ann Promotes Sharyn Hejcl to Chief Merchandising Officer “Prior to joining Jo-Ann, Hejcl held roles of increasing responsibility with Big Lots, Sears Holdings, Kirkland Home and Bed, Bath & Beyond.” Press release
Tipsheet Extra Stories
Drive-thru grocery concept to open first Houston-area store
Tax sugary drinks to fight obesity and diabetes, World Health Organization says
Amazon offers streaming music services that cost less than $10 a month
This loyal J.C. Penney employee retires after 67 years
How artificial intelligence is changing online retail forever
Boeing may open Asia conversion site to quickly add 767s to Amazon’s cargo fleet
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