Tipsheet: NY Probes CVS | WM/Synchrony Tussle | Amazon Apparel Weakness
Single ticket in South Carolina wins record $1.6 billion Mega Millions jackpot at CNN. “The magic numbers drawn Tuesday night were 5, 28, 62, 65, 70, and the Mega Ball was 5. Mega Millions announced the historic win in a statement early Wednesday.” Read more
State regulators probe CVS drug price fluctuations by Lisa Fickenscher at NY Post. “It’s like dealing with the mob,” D’Angelo told The Post, declining to give his pharmacy’s name for fear of retaliation. “I can leave my business and return the next day to learn that I’m being paid 70 percent less for the same drug I sold just 24 hours ago.” Read more
Amazon Branded Women’s Apparel Sales Languish, Report Finds by Spencer Soper at Bloomberg. “Women’s fashion, which makes up most of the company’s clothing brands, is struggling the most, with more than 4 of 5 Amazon women’s clothing brands selling fewer than 100 items per month, according to the report.” Tiered subs.
The $10 Billion Tussle over Walmart’s Credit Cards by AnnaMaria Andriotis at Wall Street Journal. “When Synchrony approached Walmart last fall to renew its contract, Walmart executives balked, according to people familiar with the matter. Synchrony revised its offer, but Walmart issued a formal request for other bids late last year, the people said. It was the first time Walmart had done so, they said.” WSJ subs.
UPS reports a 20% rise in quarterly profit at CNBC. Read more
Target’s two-day holiday shipping option beats Amazon, Walmart at Reuters. “(Target) will offer free two-day shipping on hundreds of thousands of items from Nov. 1 to Dec. 22 with no order minimum or membership required…Target will also expand its Drive Up Service (including) nearly 1,000 stores by the end of October, ahead of schedule.” Read more
Amazon opens pop-up fashion shop in central London by Sarah Butler at The Guardian. “The Baker Street pop-up is the first of its kind in Europe. It will be open for a week, during which time it will host events including denim customisation by Pepe Jeans, beauty trend discussions with Vogue’s Jessica Diner, yoga sessions from Deliciously Ella founder Ella Mills and live music from singer-songwriters Tom Grennan and Nao.” Read more
Amazon adds new perks for its Business Prime program, headlined by a new credit card offered with American Express by Nat Levy at GeekWire. “The credit card has no annual fee and includes the choice of 5 percent back or 90-day interest free payments for Business Prime members on purchases from Amazon Business, Amazon Web Services, Amazon.com and Whole Foods stores.” Read more
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Amazon’s move off Oracle caused Prime Day outage in one of its biggest warehouses, internal report says at CNBC. Read more
BYOD – Walmart employees can now use their cell phones during work by Hayley Peterson at Business Insider. “Walmart will allow store employees to use their cell phones on the sales floor to clock in, check inventory and prices, scan products, review sales data, and perform other work-related tasks…Employees who participate in the new program, which Walmart is calling “bring your own device,” or BYOD, will get a discount on their cell phone bills, the company said.” Read more
FDA targets 465 websites that illegally sell potentially dangerous, unapproved versions of opioid, oncology and antiviral prescription drugs Press release
Zappos wants the deaf and hard-of-hearing to listen to music — here is the technology for it at CNBC. “Zappos…invited a group of 150 deaf and hard of hearing people to the Life Is Beautiful music and arts festival in Las Vegas on September 21, then outfitted them with a product that allowed them to enjoy the music of American rock band Greta Van Fleet.” Read more
Amazon execs already donating for 2020 at CNBC. “Bezos and his wife, MacKenzie, each wrote checks worth $5,400 to (Colorado Sen. Cory) Gardner’s campaign committee; that amount is the most an individual is allowed to give to those seeking public office. Bezos was joined by eight other Amazon representatives, including Jeffrey Wilkie.” Read more
@DelRey: Two interesting nuggets from press briefing with Target CEO today: 1. Target isn’t accelerating current timeline of hitting $15/hr base wage by 2020 despite Amazon’s recent move. 2. Target is accelerating store remodeling in areas where competitor chains are going bankrupt.
Record numbers of West Nile virus cases reported in parts of US by Oliver Milman at The Guardian. “Cases of West Nile virus have been reported in every US state except Hawaii so far this year, leading to deaths in Georgia, surging numbers of patients in Pennsylvania and record numbers of infections in Massachusetts. Texas is also set for an unusually large number of cases.” Read more
Post Malone is Postmates’ most dedicated customer … ordering nearly 3,000 items on more than 660 deliveries spanning 52 cities nationwide at TMZ. Read more
Tipsheet Extra Stories
Outdoor retailing giant apologizes for using predominantly white models to sell its wares
Lego’s Overwatch Line Leaks On Target’s Registry App
Walmart Invests in Startup Founded by Former Leaders of Israel’s Top Intelligence Unit
Verizon’s advertising business is getting eclipsed by Amazon
Planters is Dropping a Mr. IPA-Nut Beer this Month
Google is making it easier to wipe out your search history
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