Tipsheet: CVS Hit in Pharma Study | Kroger HQ Buyouts | Green Wmart Saved $1B | Bezos ‘Voluble’ @ Trump Mtg
Who said what inside the Trump tech meeting by Kara Swisher at Recode. “Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos was apparently very voluble, and aimed many of his points at how U.S. companies had a hard time succeeding in China, and what the government could do about it…Overall, one source said, the meeting was “weird, but not as awkward as it could have been.” Another said Trump was “reasonable and fair the whole time.” Read more
PLEASE LEAVE – Kroger offers early retirement to 2,000 workers by Alexander Coolidge at Cincinnati Enquirer. “…the move is targeting mostly office personnel and middle management. The early retirement offer does not include store and district associates, senior officers and supermarket division presidents. Eligible employees have until March to decide whether to participate in the program and receive a severance package. About 650 workers in Downtown Cincinnati and Blue Ash are eligible for the program.” Read more
52% of pharmacies miss dangerous drug combinations by Sam Roe, Ray Long & Karisa King at Chicago Tribune. “In the largest and most comprehensive study of its kind, the Tribune tested 255 pharmacies to see how often stores would dispense dangerous drug pairs without warning patients. Fifty-two percent of the pharmacies sold the medications without mentioning the potential interaction, striking evidence of an industrywide failure that places millions of consumers at risk. CVS, the nation’s largest pharmacy retailer by store count, had the highest failure rate of any chain in the Tribune tests, dispensing the medications with no warning 63 percent of the time. Walgreens, one of CVS’ main competitors, had the lowest failure rate at 30 percent.” Read more
Amazon reportedly building app to connect truckers with shippers by John Cook at GeekWire. “…possibly removing inefficiencies in how goods get moved from point A to point B and perhaps eliminating the need for brokers who typically serve in this matchmaking role.” Read more
TOP DESTINATION – 26.2% of holiday shoppers say they’ve purchased most of their gifts from Amazon this year, increasing 10% from last year by Pam Goodfellow at Forbes. “Walmart ranks second place with holiday shoppers this year at 14.5%…Target, Kohl’s, Macy’s, Best Buy, JC Penney, Toys R Us, eBay.com, and Costco follow, respectively, with single digit percentage shares.” Read more
How Walmart saved $1 billion by going green: ex-chairman Rob Walton at CNBC. “Walmart is now one of America’s leading commercial solar and on-site renewable energy users, and gets about 25 percent of its global energy from renewable sources.” Read more
Golden tickets in Amazon Prime Now bags reward hundreds of customers with free stuff by Kurt Schlosser at GeekWire. “Actress Lea Michele, famous for her role on the Fox television series “Glee,” even got in on the act and did a surprise delivery. The moment was captured on Michele’s Instagram account, as she said she surprised some guy named Mitch with his golden ticket.” Read more
Why Build-A-Bear Is Now Selling Teddy Bears at Sea by Robert Klara at Adweek. “As part of a new partnership with Carnival, Build-A-Bear has eight locations plying the seas and expects to have its bears aboard 25 vessels by the summer of 2017.” Read more
**A message from Fabe – Pillows hand-crafted in Italy prevent and relieve neck and back pain. Fabe’s Ergo Praxis pillow supports and aligns the head and neck to prevent cervical pain. Created in cooperation with Ludes University in Switzerland – it gets the body in the right position for a good night’s sleep. 100% Made in Italy. Ergo Praxis Specs | Fabe Website | Retailers request samples at info@shiftmarketinggroup.net. Find more made in Italy products
GNC Goes Big With First Super Bowl Buy by Adrianne Pasquarelli at Ad Age. “We talked internally about how we wanted every man, woman and child to know immediately that GNC was new and different and this is the way to do it,” said Jeff Hennion, exec VP-chief marketing and ecommerce officer.” Read more
…GNC unveils new pricing, marketing effort to boost sales by Paul J. Gough at Pittsburgh Business Times. “GNC announced it would provide what it called a “dramatically improved experience” and single pricing online and in its more than 4,400 brick-and-mortar stores.” Read more
20 States Accuse Generic Drug Companies of Drug Fixing by Katie Thomas at NY Times. Read more
UGLY MONEY – Inside The Multimillion-Dollar Ugly Christmas Sweater Industry by Jared Lindzon at Fast Company. “In 2014 Hajjar told Fast Company that UglyChristmasSweater.com had raked in $3.5 million that year. He now adds that the site’s earnings grew to $4.8 million in 2015. “This year we’re projecting five to five and a half [million dollars in sales],” he says.” Read more
USDA says use-by labels aren’t really needed on foods by Kristen Leigh Painter at Star Tribune. “The department’s food safety division released new industry guidance that recommends that manufacturers use the phrase “best if used by” rather than “sell by” or “use by” when putting dates on food.” Read more
Will Macy’s trim its Cincinnati HQ? by Alexander Coolidge at Cincinnati Enquirer. Read more
P&G’s Gillette Swipes at Harry’s in New Ad Campaign by Sharon Terlep at Wall Street Journal. “Most guys leave Harry’s after trying it,” reads the main page of the site for Gillette’s “Welcome Back” campaign. The page features a cheery song (“Welcome back, we always could spot a friend”) and paid testimonials from men who tried Harry’s and other razors and found them lacking so switched back to Gillette.” Read more (subscription)
Wal-Mart and Green Dot announce consumer savings incentive program by Kim Souza at The City Wire. Read more
Ingles Markets Q4 Comp Sales (Ex-Gas) +1.6% Press release
Colorado’s new tax law raises questions for online retailers by Matt Linder at Internet Retailer. “Online-only retailers that sell in Colorado have a new law to follow, one that requires them to turn over the names and online purchase information of state residents, but retailers don’t know how the law will be executed or enforced, and Colorado officials aren’t yet saying.” Read more
Famous Footwear’s new ads seek to attract younger shoppers by Lisa Brown at St.Louis Post Dispatch. Read more
DELAYED AGAIN – Within an hour of becoming available, AirPods stock started to run low and shipping times slipped into 2017 by Chance Miller at 9 to 5 Mac. Read more
Sure, monthly razor deliveries sound great. But not all subscription retailers are going to last by Krystina Gustafson at CNBC. Read more
Tipsheet Extra Stories
Jimmie Johnson’s 2017 Lowe’s ride revealed
Canadian Tire Chair: Today’s Feminists Are Obstacles (Video)
Police investigating possible credit card skimmers at Walmart store
Americans who always say that they’re “busy” are actually seen as more important
How a Philly guy, fed up with crashes, built his own bike lane
‘The Honeymooners’ Reboot in the Works at CBS
‘Bold crooks’ storm Walmart Store shooting & leaving questions
Pitbull was paid $1 million to promote Florida, “sexy beaches”
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