Amazon Inks Production Deal with Mattel to Greenlight American Girl Specials for Prime Video “…it has signed a multi-year, multimillion dollar production deal with American Girl…to produce four live-action specials and options to produce multiple seasons of episodic content.” Read the release

 

Consumer Spending Unchanged in December via Fox Business. “Economists polled by Reuters had forecast consumer spending, which accounts for more than two-thirds of U.S. economic activity, edging up 0.1 percent in December after a previously reported 0.3 percent gain in November.” Read more

 

…Reuters poll: Cheap oil won’t juice the U.S. economy this time by Jason Lange & Lindsay Dunsmuir. “The Reuters/Ipsos poll shows 75 percent of 3,068 Americans who answered questions on gasoline savings said the extra money helped them cover basic needs and the majority have not used their windfall to buy big ticket items. Over 40 percent of respondents said the savings had helped them pay down debts.” Read more

 

TJX Names Ernie Herrman CEO – Carol Meyrowitz Becomes Executive Chairman “Carol Meyrowitz commented, “… I look forward to continuing our 20-plus years of working together to support and maximize the growth potential of TJX.” Read the release

 

Amazon’s logistics costs zoom as outside sellers jump aboard by Angel Gonzalez at Seattle Times. “…third-party sellers…jumped in number by 50 percent in one year…Third parties sold 47 percent of all items shipped in the holiday quarter, up from 43 percent the previous year.” Read more

 

Sports Authority Lays Off 100 at HQ via Dow Jones. “The layoffs on Friday in Englewood, Colo., follow a decision earlier this month by the company to skip an interest payment on a $300 million secured term loan, sparking concern among vendors and industry-watchers.” Read more

 

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Lowe’s Names Cracker Barrel CEO To Board Of Directors “Cochran is on the board of directors of…Dollar General Corporation, and previously served on the board of directors of Books-A-Million.” Read the release

 

Online sales will reach $523 billion by 2020 in the U.S. by Matt Linder at Internet Retailer. “A new report from Forrester, titled “U.S. Cross-Channel Retail Forecast, 2015 To 2020,” predicts online sales will grow by an average annual rate of 9.32% over the next five years.” Read more

 

Amazon’s Audible makes a push towards podcasting with hiring spree by Clare McGrane at GeekWire. “Audible, the audio book platform which Amazonacquired for $300 million in 2008, is currently hiring for almost 100 positions…the majority of Audible’s new positions are in New Jersey.” Read more

 

E-retailers cut clicks to check out and make it easier to return in stores by Sandra Guy at Internet Retailer. “The retailers whose sites passed critical tests of customer service in all seven areas (Home Depot, REI…) See the list of eight

 

Ikea Wants You to Stop Throwing Away Your Ikea Furniture by Jessica Hullinger at Fast Company.  Read more

 

Macy’s completes partial sale of a flagship location by Andy Brownfield at Cincinnati Business Journal. “(Macy’s) is selling the top floors of its nine-story Brooklyn flagship store on Fulton Street to Tishman Speyer for $270 million. Macy’s will continue to own and operate the first four floors and lower level and will use $100 million of the proceeds from the sale to redevelop those floors.” Read more

 

Store known as the ‘Amish Walmart’ is for sale after 26 years by Jessica Chia at Daily Mail. “…the Schrocks will be close by for a helpful hand and a watchful eye. They live in a house across from the store’s parking lot, with an underground pipe connecting their home to the store. The pipe allows them to communicate between the two locations. Barbara said: ‘He can hear me from here no matter what part of the house he’s in.'” See the pics / Read more

 

Tipsheet Extra Stories

NY Times: A Little Walmart Gift Card for You, a Big Payout for Lawyers

When Robots Take Over, Y Combinator Says We’ll Just Give Everyone Money

Democrat Senators Pressure Grocers to Ban Open Carry of Handguns

Shop.ca hires an Amazon & Sears vet as its CEO

House-Hasson Hardware Co.’s growth connects new and old ways

Read Tipsheet Extra Stories

 

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