Trump takes to Twitter to support Home Depot: ‘Fight for Bernie Marcus and Home Depot!’ by Kelly Tyko at USA Today. “They don’t want people to shop at those GREAT stores,” Trump continues, because Marcus contributed “to your favorite President, me!” Read more

 

…A Home Depot representative told MarketWatch that Marcus retired from the company more than 15 years ago, and therefore “isn’t speaking on behalf of the company. In fact, as a standard practice, the company does not endorse presidential candidates.” Read more

 

Deloitte: Back-to-school spending will be relatively flat at CNBC. “Consumers shopping for back-to-school clothing, school supplies and electronics for children in grades K-12 are expected to spend $27.8 billion this year, up just 1.8% from 2018, the survey found.” Read more

 

Walmart CEO & other heavies arrive at Sun Valley Lodge for the exclusive Idaho conference at Daily Mail. “It’s at this annual meeting of the country’s wealthiest people that movers and shakers will discuss, establish and perhaps even unofficially close on deals that could have huge effects on the wider world…Jeff Bezos’ 2013 purchase of The Washington Post also took root at the gathering for film, tech, design, sports.” Pics/Read more

 

Lady Gaga to launch beauty line on Amazon as retailer targets cosmetics business at Reuters. “The brand, Haus Laboratories, will launch in September for shoppers in nearly a dozen countries, including the United States, Germany and Japan, Amazon said.” Read more

 

Walmart Got a $10 Billion Surprise After Buying Flipkart by Saritha Rai at Bloomberg via Yahoo Finance. “Flipkart’s board recently authorized the PhonePe Pvt Ltd. unit to become a new entity and explore raising $1 billion from outside investors at a valuation of as much as $10 billion, according to people familiar with the matter, asking not to be named because the discussions are private.” Read more

 

These beautiful electric charging points are the gas station of the future by Adele Peters at Fast Company. “At this new ultra-fast charging station for electric cars along a highway in Denmark, it takes 15 minutes to recharge a vehicle…The designers took advantage of those extra minutes: Unlike a gas station, this is a place where people actually want to spend time.” Read more

 

Amazon customer helpline not required, says Europe’s top court in boost for e-commerce at Reuters. “The court however said that Amazon is obliged to provide consumers with a means of communication allowing them to contact it quickly and to communicate with it efficiently. Amazon welcomed the decision, saying “We were always confident that our call back service is fast, efficient and customer focused.” Read more

 

Walmart remains the largest U.S. retailer (Amazon #2, Kroger #3, Costco #4) by Kim Souza at Talk Business. Read more

 

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Etsy sellers aren’t happy with the platform pushing them to offer free shipping by Dami Lee at The Verge. “Starting July 30th, Etsy will give priority placement in US search results for items that ship free and for shops that guarantee US buyers free shipping on orders of $35 or more…Implementing flat shipping fees in prices can pose a challenge to international sellers who ship worldwide.” Read more

 

Amazon expands Transparency anti-counterfeit codes to Europe, India and Canada by Ingrid Lunden at TechCrunch. Read more

 

Macy’s partners with Dick’s Sporting Goods for outdoor experience at Footwear News. “I think people may be surprised and intrigued by our partnerships, and that is exactly what we wanted,” said Rachel Shechtman, Macy’s brand experience officer and Storyfounder. “We want to show both consumers as well as businesses that collaboration is the new competition.” Read more

 

Build-A-Bear Workshop Launches New Record Label With Warner Music by Tatiana Cirisano at Billboard. “The Build-A-Bear branded label will release original albums, singles and playlists, including soundtracks from upcoming films, television shows and digital shorts, as well as sign and develop artists and their releases.” Read more

 

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Read Tipsheet Extra Stories

 

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