Sears Canada races to close more stores amid cost-cutting efforts by Marina Strauss at Globe & Mail. “The struggling Sears has instructed real estate firm CBRE to look for alternative uses for Sears’s weakest stores, such as its clearance outlets, Brandon Stranzl, executive chairman of Sears Canada, said in an interview this week…He said “everything and anything” is on the table…” Read more

 

As REI thrives, does it have members or merely shoppers? by Angel Gonzalez at Seattle Times. “Now, as members number in the millions, “It’s more about getting the discount than a relationship to the co-op. What’s the difference between an REI membership and the Safeway Club card or other preferred shopper cards they’re carrying in their wallets?” Read more

 

Gap Hires ‘Innovative’ Abercrombie & Fitch Veteran as Its New CMO by David Gianatasio at Adweek. Read more

 

Bezo’s Company is First to Land a Used Rocket by Jason Del Rey at Recode. “In a video that Bezos tweeted on Friday evening, the company says that its New Shepard rocket became the first used rocket to travel past the the Karman Line — which is about 62 miles above sea level and the de facto crossing into outer space — and land vertically.” See the video / Read more

 

Neighbors rally to stop Whole Foods proposed in Nob Hill by Laura Dudnick at San Francisco Examiner. “[Nob Hill] is a classic, unique San Francisco neighborhood,” Trennert said. “We call it a village in The City … There are a few smatterings of some corporate stores, but very few. We really watch out for that.” Read more

 

Inside Macy’s efforts to better measure online branding ads by Zak Stambor at Internet Retailer. “Consider the “Wish Writer” branding ad campaign the retailer ran during the 2015 holiday season…On Instagram alone, Macy’s presented the 15-second version of the ad to more than 20 million shoppers—a mix of its existing customers and consumers with similar demographics to that customer base—and it received nearly 3 million views—far more than Macy’s anticipated, (Serena) Potter says.” Read more

 

** Trade Show Spotlight – ASD Market Week is 9 Shows in 1 Location. The Widest Variety of Goods Anywhere! 

“I go to five different markets – if I had to give up a market this is the last one I’d give up” Retail chain owner. See retail buyer testimonial video. On February 28 – March 2, 2016, discover hot new products and stylish finds from over 2,600 vendors in categories including: fashion & accessories, beauty & fragrance, gift & home, toys & novelties and many more. See show category list | Register Now

 

Baltimore: Safeway Roof Collapses Under Weight of Snow at CBS 13 WJZ via MSN. See the video

 

Retail experts: Costco may take over Masters sites by Olivia Lambert at News.com.au. “Each store is an average of 13,000sq m in size. Its unfinished store in Nowra, NSW, for example, is worth an estimated $14 million.” Read more

 

Amazon wins bidding war, pays $10 million for Matt Damon-produced film by Tatiana Siegel at The Hollywood Reporter. “Manchester by the Sea made its world premiere at Sundance on Saturday night, drawing some of the strongest reviews yet of the festival. In his review for The Hollywood Reporter, Todd McCarthy called Manchester, “a wrenching family tragedy [that] is dramatized with the depth of a high-quality American stage piece.” Read more

 

Theranos Is Facing Yet Another Problem at One of Its Labs by Claire Zillman at Fortune. “The Wall Street Journal said that the CMS inspection results could prompt Walgreens to further reexamine its Theranos partnership. Walgreens did not immediately return Fortune‘s request for comment.” Read more | Wall Street Journal article (subscription)

 

The Insanely Complicated Logistics of Cage-Free Eggs for All by Jennifer Chaussee at Wired. “For starters, birds that live in cages can’t be transferred to a cage-free environment halfway through their lives. Farmers have to start with a new generation of chickens. “The chicken itself has to learn how to be in the environment and deal with things that they may not be used to in a caged environment,” says Jonathan Spurway of Rembrandt Foods, the third-largest egg supplier in the US.” Read more

 

Harvard is trying to build an AI as fast as the human brain by Emily Reynolds at Wired. “This is a moonshot challenge,” said project leader David Cox, assistant professor of molecular and cellular biology and computer science. “The scientific value of recording the activity of so many neurons and mapping their connections alone is enormous, but that is only the first half of the project.” Read more

 

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