Tipsheet: Cabela’s -9.3% | Rite Aid Bear | WM Joins Chemical Project | C.Store -1.2%

 

Wal-Mart Puts Chemicals in Spotlight by Joining New Program by Lauren Coleman-Lochner & Taylor Cromwell at Bloomberg. “Walmart is participating in the Chemical Footprint Project, which seeks to help companies root out dangerous substances from the products they sell. Two dozen companies have joined the effort, including Johnson & Johnson, HP Inc. and Staples Inc., according to a report on Wednesday. The idea was to create a standard modeled on carbon-footprint scores.” Read more

 

Thousands show up for jobs at Amazon warehouses in US cities via CNBC. “Amazon said it received “a record-breaking 20,000 applications” and hired thousands of people on the spot, and will hire more in the coming days. That number represented fewer than half of the 50,000 people it had said it planned to hire.” Read more

 

Cabela’s Q2 Comp Sales -9.3% “U.S. comparable store sales decreased 9.7% as compared to the same quarter a year ago. Firearms and shooting related products were responsible for nearly half of the overall comparable store sales decline.” Press release

 

Nordstrom shares fall on report that buyout discussions are ‘informal’, nothing but ‘talks’ by Lauren Thomas at CNBC. “Those bankers who were “hoping to funnel billions of debt into the deal are getting anxious because the window to do a deal this year is narrowing,” WWD said. For a deal like this to happen, Nordstrom would need to be out of the market by early November, one banker said. “That means you have to basically have a deal announced by the beginning of October.” Read more

 

Cook County soda tax causing frustration in the aisles by Ally Morotti, Grace Wong and Greg Trotter at Chicago Tribune. “I think it’s ridiculous, especially since it’s only for Cook County,” the 42-year-old said. “If you’re on a money crunch or something and you have a budget, 20 cents is still 20 cents.” Read more

 

Amazon is roping in cabbies and private-hire car drivers to make Singapore deliveries by Zoey Chong at CNET. “Under our regulations, taxis and private-hire cars are meant to carry passengers for hire and reward, and cannot be used solely for the conveyance of goods,” Singapore’s Land Transport Authority told local media The Straits Times. “However, passengers who hire a taxi or a private-hire car are allowed to carry goods with them.” Read more

 

TAX HOLIDAY WEEKEND – New Mexico, Florida, Louisiana, Missouri, South Carolina and Virginia will allow tax-free shopping this weekend by Bruce Krasnow at Santa Fe New Mexican. Read more

 

Container Store Q1 Comp Sales -1.2% “Net Sales up 3.2%; 0.7% of Comparable Store Sales Decline Attributable to Easter Shift. Comparable Store Sales Slightly Positive in June; Continuing Positive in July.” Press release

 

Amazon’s new refunds policy will ‘crush’ small businesses, outraged sellers say by Ari Levy at CNBC. “Marketplace sellers who ship products from their home, garage or warehouse — rather than using Amazon’s facilities — were told this week by email that starting Oct. 2, items they sell will be “automatically authorized” for return.” Read more

 

Costco and Sam’s Club Are Now Discounting Stuff on Groupon by Michelle Lodge at The Street. “The recent Costco deal on Groupon, which is still active, gives subscribers new to Costco a $20 Costco cash card, coupons worth $36 for specific products, $25 off an order of $250 and $75 off Costco-sponsored travel to specific locales, if they sign up for the $60-a-year Gold Star membership.” Read more

 

**A message from Pirola – Italian made, designer-inspired ironing boards add spice to any home. Exclusively made in Italy for 45 years, these high-quality boards bring design and excitement to the category. Featuring the Arco board from the Design Line and the Luna board from the Plus Line. Custom colors and designs available. Website. Request samples at info@shiftmarketinggroup.net. Made in Italy product connection

 

A Robot Can Be a Warehouse Worker’s Best Friend by Jennifer Smith at Wall Street Journal. “For example, the robots can slash the number of steps workers take to fulfill an order. But they don’t grab objects off shelves, a task that is simple for humans but tricky to automate, though developers are getting close.” Read more (subs.)

 

Amazon’s Hollywood spending soars – Wall Street analysts estimate Amazon’s spending on content will have tripled to more than $4.5 billion by the end of this year from 2014 by Jeffrey Dastin at Reuters. Read more

 

No sour grapes for merch firm owner left off Wal-Mart’s preferred list by Kim Souza at Talk Business. “With (Walmart) now also mandating a cost range the chosen providers can charge suppliers, it is essentially capping the costs. A supplier consultant recently told Talk Business & Politics the retail giant is seeking more visibility into what its suppliers pay for the services they hire to facilitate their Wal-Mart business, which takes away a bargaining chip during price negotiation.” Read more

 

Tanger Factory Outlet Centers said Wednesday that weakness at its 43 shopping centers will keep it from raising rents this year by Lisa Fickenscher at NY Post. Read more

 

Target Techstars graduate Branch Messenger expanding with $6.8 million round of funding by Kavita Kumar at Star Tribune. “In terms of capital raised, that makes Branch Messenger the most successful to date among the 10 start-ups that participated last year in the inaugural class of Target’s Techstars retail accelerator, a three-month boot camp at the retailer’s Minneapolis headquarters.” Read more

 

…Plans to Rethink America’s Malls Can’t Keep Up With Retail’s Collapse by Sarah Mulholland at Bloomberg. Read more

 

73% of larger retailers in North America paid little or no bonuses to executives for last year’s performance by Courtney Reagan at CNBC. “Korn Ferry data shows historically about half of retailers achieve their profit plans and subsequently pay executives normal bonuses. But this year, only 15 percent have met or beat their profit plans.” Read more

 

Amazon Picks Melbourne as the Location For Its First Warehouse in Australia via Fortune. Read more

 

Advertisers Need to Stop Chasing Engagement and Get Back to Focusing on Awareness by Brian Sheehan at Adweek. “Today, awareness matters because of a preponderance of content and advertising clutter, buffeted by the usual suspects: fragmentation, social media and native advertising. People are seeing and hearing advertising messages from an almost unlimited number of products and brands all day long.” Read more

 

Avon CEO Sheri McCoy to step down at Fox Business. Read more

 

STANDING-ROOM-ONLY CROWD COMES TO HEAR ABOUT “RITE AID BEAR” at Idyllwild Town Crier. “The arrival of the Banning Rite Aid bear in Idyllwild has aroused the interest and curiosity of a large local audience…Audience stretched through the Community Room door into the library all the way to the circulation desk.” Read more

 

…TAUNTS HOMEOWNER – Officials think it’s the same bear that gobbled up homeowners prized koi fish at NBC 4 Los Angeles. “It jumped into her pond and quickly gobbled up three of her prized koi fish before she says she chased it up a tree. “He sat up there with my fish in his mouth. I was so upset,” Ringgold said.” Read more

 

Tipsheet Extra Stories

Woman buys bag of charcoal from this grocery store – finds pound of marijuana inside

Former Walmart executive joins Bernhard Capital Partners

Popular HGTV brothers partner with Lowe’s to offer décor furniture

Walgreens takes minority stake in $1.4 billion purchase of pharmacy provider

CVS employee, 76, arrested for killing his manager and leaving his body by the store’s dumpster

‘Miami Vice’ Reboot From Vin Diesel in the Works at NBC

Antenna sales back on the rise as millennials are shocked to discover broadcast TV is free

Ikea begins selling solar panels and home batteries in the UK

Read Tipsheet Extra Stories

 

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