Tipsheet: Michaels -0.4% | DSW +5.3% | HD Supply +7.4% | Shopko Shutter
Michaels Q4 comp sales -0.4% “On a calendar shifted basis, comparable store sales increased 1.4%…For fiscal 2019, the Company expects comparable store sales to increase between 0% and 1%.” Press release
HD Supply Q4 organic sales growth +7.4% Press release
DSW Q4 U.S. comp sales +5.3% “For the fifty-two week period, comparable sales increased by 6.1% compared to last year’s 0.4% decrease.” Press release
StarKist Reaches Tuna Price-Fixing Settlement With Kroger & 32 Other Retailers by Maria Armental at Wall Street Journal. “Financial terms weren’t disclosed…The Walmart settlement was worth $20.5 million, based on a combination of cash and favorable commercial terms, StarKist said at the time.” WSJ subs.
Amazon’s private-label products do not pose a threat to retailers at Bloomberg via Internet Retailer. “Ecommerce research firm Marketplace Pulse examined 23,000 products and found that shoppers aren’t more inclined to buy Amazon brands even when the company elevates them in search results.” Read more
America’s Best Midsize Employers at Forbes. “L.L. Bean #9, Lands’ End #21, Heinen’s Grocery Store #78…” Ranked list
Instagram adds new feature to let U.S. users shop via app at Reuters. “…adding a ‘checkout’ feature on items tagged for sale…Instagram said it has partnered with more than 20 brands, including Adidas and H&M, on the new feature.” Read more
Flower delivery company FTD could go out of business this summer by Ben Winck at Crain’s Chicago Business. “…could shrink its operations or go out of business this summer if it doesn’t obtain additional funding by June, according to a regulatory filing.” Read more
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Jeff Bezos generates new rounds of buzz at Amazon’s mysterious MARS conference by Alan Boyle at GeekWire. “Lindy Elkins-Tanton, a planetary scientist at Arizona State University, has emerged as the most reliable tweeter about the MARS goings-on. She’s the one who tweeted out a video clip of Bezos keeping watch amid a crowd of attendees as a robo-dragonfly flitted around the conference grounds.” Read more
Shopko bankruptcy plan now calls for all stores to close by summer via USA Today. “The closings list was expanded Monday to include the 120 stores that Shopko had hoped to keep, according to a document filed Monday.” Read more | Press release
Why sending back too much stuff may get you blacklisted at CBS This Morning. “Best Buy discloses its tracking policy in fine print on the customer’s receipt, but some stores don’t. You likely won’t know if you’ve returned too much until a seller refuses to take it back.” Video/Read more
Barnes & Noble Appoints Joe Gorman as Executive Vice President, Operations Press release
Walmart Japan’s new CEO: Seiyu ‘absolutely’ not for sale at Japan Today. “Thanks to this article I did thoroughly discuss Walmart’s intentions,” he said, adding that officials in Bentonville, Arkansas, assured him that he was being hired to grow, rather than sell, the Japanese business.” Read more
WSJ report reveals National Enquirer paid $200K for Jeff Bezos’ racy texts by Taylor Soper at GeekWire. Read more | WSJ article (subs.)
Tipsheet Extra Stories
Chief of Starbucks’ high-end initiative takes a ‘coffee break’ leave
Elizabeth Warren slams Amazon for promoting its own brands on rivals’ pages
Rolling Stone: SXSW 2019 – 30 Best Artists We Saw in Austin
These are the top beauty brands dominating Amazon
The Brazilian butt lift was the hottest growing plastic surgery procedure last year
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