Tipsheet: D.Tree +1% | Amazon Sneaks Baby Ads | Inside Sam’s Club Now | WM Prints Teen’s #
Dollar Tree Enterprise comp sales +1.0%: Family Dollar -0.4% / Dollar Tree +2.3% Press release
Express Q3 comp sales flat Press release
Kirkland’s Q3 comp sales +1.4% Press release
SNEAKY – Amazon is sneaking ads into baby registries at Fast Company. “And the ads look so similar to actual products requested by parents that many of them have ended up buying the products that Amazon put on their list…The Wall Street Journal investigated the problem and found that Amazon charges $500,000 for registry ad placements, and sells three of them every quarter.” Read more | WSJ article (subs.)
Abercrombie & Fitch Q3 comp sales +3.0% Press release
…Abercrombie & Fitch names Kristin Scott as President, Global Brands – Currently serving as Brand President of Hollister Press release
Cash-Strapped Millennials Are Turning to Installment Plans to Pay for T-Shirts and Jeans by Olga Kharif at Bloomberg. “Afterpay Touch Group Ltd. caught on quickly with Australian millennials, many of whom abandoned credit cards after the 2008 recession…The company charges no interest, instead collecting a fee of as much as 6 percent of a sale from the retailer. Afterpay works with 20,000 merchants globally—including 1,000 now online in the U.S. where the company has signed up Urban Outfitters, Anthropologie and Free People.” Tiered subs.
Dick’s Sporting Goods is considering taking hunting supplies off its shelves in more of its 732 stores across the US at Daily Mail. Read more
…Firearms Industry Appears Stuck in the Doldrums – In October, slightly more than a million background checks of prospective firearms buyers were conducted…That’s 11.2 percent fewer checks than in the same month a year earlier by Tiffany Hsu at New York Times. Tiered subs.
BJ’s CEO, Kroger CEO & Nordstrom President headline speaker lineup at NRF 2019 Press release
**A message from the Megaphone sound enhancing case: Don’t Settle – Get Loud + Clear Megaphone sound. No wires or batteries, boosts sound 2X and filters the sound for a smoother “stereo” listening experience. Website/Video | Sample
Walgreens CEO Says Humana Relationship Could Take Many Forms by Bruce Japsen at Forbes. “Speaking at the Forbes Healthcare Summit in New York Wednesday evening, Walgreens executive vice chairman & CEO Stefano Pessina said…Walgreens and Humana are evaluating whether expansion will occur through a “joint venture, a commercial agreement” or another form of partnership. “You don’t have to go as far as full integration” with Humana, Pessina said.” Read more
Amazon’s deal with WeWork to test Alexa in the workplace has been paused, but internal Amazon pilot sees quick adoption at CNBC. Read more
4.8 OUT OF 5 STARS – Inside Look at The Sam’s Club NOW Cashier-Less Experience in Dallas by Field Agent. Videos/Data
How keeping Bonobos separate helps Walmart build online-only brands by Suman Bhattacharyya at Digiday. “On Cyber Monday at Bonobos’ New York City headquarters, over 100 staff members from across the company gather in the open-concept space to eat, drink and answer customer phone calls and chat conversations in a holiday shopping tradition the company calls “Ninjapalooza.” Though the company has 30 “Ninjas,” or customer service representatives, on staff, around 70 volunteers from other areas of company pitch in to deal with the seasonal rush.” Read more
Ace Hardware Q3 comp sales +1.8% Press release
Patagonia gives GOP tax windfall to environmental groups at NY Daily News. “Based on last year’s irresponsible tax cut, Patagonia will owe less in taxes this year — $10 million less, in fact,” Patagonia CEO Rose Marcario wrote…”…Our home planet needs it more than we do.” Read more
Amazon’s treatment of sellers comes under scrutiny in Germany at Reuters. Read more
Chiefs’ QB Mahomes surprises youth football team at Dick’s by Lynn Worth at Kansas City Star. “Adrion Roberson, the CEO and co-founder of KC United Youth Sports and Education Initiative had to fight back tears starting to form in his eyes. “Most of the time where we’re from, kids don’t get this, for kids who come from hard places to see that people care about them,” Roberson said between sniffles and working around a catch in his throat before trailing off.” Read more
Sheetz names new President and COO – Travis Sheetz will be the first COO in Sheetz history Press release
Amazon Makes Inroads Selling Medical Supplies to the Sick by Melanie Evans at Wall Street Journal. “The app, developed by a separate company called Xealth Inc., enables doctors to choose which supplies to recommend, then email the list of products to a patient. The email directs the patient to a website with photos of recommended products, descriptions and links for purchasing on Amazon.” WSJ subs.
Guess plunges after missing on earnings at CNBC. Read more
Payless Opened a Fake Luxury Store With $600 Shoes by Emily Price at Fortune. “The retailer recently took over a former Armani store, stocked it with Payless merchandise, and then invited fashion influencers…Influencers who attended the party paid between $200 and $600 for Payless shoes that are traditionally priced between $20-40, and many of the guests commented on how their purchases were “sophisticated” or “made with high-quality materials.” Read more
Altria is reportedly in talks to take a minority stake in Juul at CNBC. Read more
It’s now cheaper to order Whole Foods delivery on Instacart than on Amazon by Mary Hanbury at Business Insider. “Instacart is quietly slashing its prices. The company has cut its annual Instacart Express membership fee from $149 to $99. Non-Express delivery charges have been slashed from $5.99 to $3.99. It has also removed the 5% service fee for its Express members.” Read more
Walmart store accidentally prints teen’s phone number on all of its signs for store pickup by Bryna Zumer at Fox Baltimore. Pics/Video
SMELLY SITUATION – Woman passes gas at Dollar General store, then pulls knife on an offended customer by Howard Cohen at Miami Herald. “…the customer standing next to her, got into a verbal dispute “in reference to the defendant farting loudly,” according to the affidavit. Wilson allegedly pulled a small “lock back knife” from her purse, “opened the knife and told the victim she was going to ‘gut’ him,” the police report said.” Read more
Tipsheet Extra Stories
16 U.S. Postal workers took bribes to deliver cocaine in Atlanta
Limited-edition Selena bags return to H-E-B on Dec. 6
Jimmy Fallon & Home Depot Surprise a Family Affected by Two Hurricanes
Publix to close Greenwise store in Palm Beach Gardens
Santa Rosa police disband reclaimed homeless camp behind Dollar Tree store
Newspaper battles Ex-Pilot Flying J President Mark Hazelwood over sealed records
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