Tipsheet: Publix Deep Fryer Death | W.Foods CEO Outs “Greedy Bastards” | Kroger -0.2% | Kohl’s CEO @ Fox
Kroger Q1 comp sales (ex-fuel) -0.2% Press release
…Kroger Shares Slide as Grocer Is Battered by Price Fight by Austen Huffard at Wall Street Journal. “Shares of the company, which had fallen 12% so far this year through Wednesday’s close, dropped another 13% in premarket trading as the grocer also cut its forecast. Kroger had posted a 13-year streak of growing quarterly sales before the trend downward began.” Read more (subs.)
Whole Foods CEO John Mackey calls activist investor Jana ‘greedy bastards’ by Lauren Thomas at CNBC. “They’re putting a bunch of propaganda out there, trying to destroy my reputation and the reputation of Whole Foods, because it’s in their self-interest to do so,” Mackey said in an interview with TexasMonthly.” Read more
The Wegmans grocery chain is introducing delivery in partnership with Instacart by Jason Del Rey at Recode. “The partnership will start in the Washington, D.C., suburbs of northern Virginia and Maryland and expand to other markets including the Boston area in the near future. Within a few months, the partnership will cover a few dozen of Wegmans’ stores, an Instacart exec said.” Read more
Suit: Man died after falling into deep fryer at Publix store by Amanda C. Coyne at Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “Blount was standing with his left leg on the cover while he cleaned the vent. Suddenly, the fryer cover gave way and Blount’s left leg fell into the deep fryer, the suit says.” Read more
Amazon unveils $20 Dash Wand with Alexa for voice-enabled grocery ordering and home controls by Todd Bishop at GeekWire. “Say it or scan a barcode. It’s added to your shopping cart. Just say “paper towels.” Water-resistant, durable design, and magnetic so you can stick it on your fridge.” Video/Read more
Kohl’s CEO on border tax: Consumers will pay more at Fox Business. “Kohl’s CEO Kevin Mansell on the state of the retail sector and the potential impact of a border adjustment tax.” Video
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RIPPLE EFFECT? – Winn-Dixie ordered to update website for the blind by John O’Brien at Legal News Line. “In what is believed to be the first lawsuit of its kind to go to trial, a Florida federal judge has ruled for a blind man who has filed nearly 70 lawsuits alleging that various companies’ websites violate the Americans with Disabilities Act.” Read more
Wal-Mart exec talks about innovations tested abroad, consumer expectations rising ‘dramatically’ by Kim Souza at Talk Business. “(Scott) Price said Wal-Mart has delivered groceries in Mexico for 20 years…That moved online and the Superama…is making one hour deliveries in 98 Mexican cities. A challenge to online ordering is the low credit card penetration as just about 20% of consumers use them. To combat that challenge Wal-Mart has begun to set up kiosks around the cities where people can make cash payments for the online orders.” Read more
These are the 25 most attractive employers on earth, according to LinkedIn (Amazon #2) via CNBC. List
Analyst: “In our view, Amazon is likely to grow sales marginally faster than Walmart … and substantially faster than Costco” by Lauren Thomas at CNBC. “Tapping into the grocery industry remains one of the “largest and most under-penetrated markets” for the e-commerce giant, Nomura Instinet analyst Anthony DiClemente wrote to clients in a note. DiClemente has upped his target on Amazon’s stock to $1,100 from $975 a share.” Read more
Avon Chief Executive Sheri McCoy is expected to step down via NY Post. “Activist investor Barington Capital has been pressuring the cosmetics company to search for a new chief executive, saying Avon’s shares have suffered under McCoy.” Read more
Amazon Prime Now Brings One-Hour Delivery to Denver Press release
Nike Announces New Consumer Direct Offense “In the new alignment, the company will drive growth by deeply serving consumers in 12 key cities, across 10 key countries: New York, London, Shanghai, Beijing, Los Angeles, Tokyo, Paris, Berlin, Mexico City, Barcelona, Seoul, and Milan. These key cities and countries are expected to represent over 80 percent of Nike’s projected growth through 2020.” Press release
‘Amazonians for the day’: Tech giant hosting summer camp to turn students on to STEM by Kurt Schlosser at GeekWire. “But for the hundreds of Seattle-area students, ages 9 to 14, who will get the chance to participate in the “A to Z Experience,” this isn’t a camp with arts and crafts or the honing of sports skills. The kids will go through orientation just like any new hire and they’ll even get their own employee badge.” Read more
Gene Simmons trying to trademark “devil horns” hand gesture by Chris Perez at NY Post. ““The mark consists of a hand gesture with the index and small fingers extended upward and the thumb extended perpendicular,” he states in his application, which also features a drawing of his version for good measure.” Read more
Tipsheet Extra Stories
There is a 79-foot-tall Amazon Echo replica in New York City’s Times Square — here’s why
Costco removes homeless camp in Las Vegas
Inturn raises $22.5 million to help you buy clothes at a discount
CEO of ‘bed in a box’ start-up Casper on going from zero to a $500 million+ company in 4 years
Soup Nazi-inspired company Soupman Inc. files for bankruptcy
Former Mariano’s employee sues over fingerprint data
Apple is quietly working on turning your iPhone into the one-stop shop for all your medical info
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