Tipsheet: Target CMO Q&A | F.Dollar’s ‘Scheme to Kill’ | F.Below +2.6% | RH +9%
Five Below Q1 Comp Sales +2.6% “Net sales increased by 20.8% to $232.9 million from $192.7 million in the first quarter of fiscal 2016.” Press release
Forbes Q&A with Target CMO Rick Gomez by Jennifer Rooney. “Rooney: How have you helped the organization navigate the transition after the departure of (Jeff) Jones? Gomez: I have the utmost respect for Jeff. I have learned a lot from him. I think I had a bit of an advantage in that I had been at this company for four years. I had a jumpstart. I understand the culture and the brand, and the culture is constantly changing and evolving.” Read more
Wal-Mart testing use of employees to offer final mile delivery by Kim Souza at Talk Business. “One store in Northwest Arkansas and two and in New Jersey were used to conduct the tests for about four weeks. They delivered dozens of packages to customer homes, most often the day after they were ordered online.” Read more
…raises insurance liability question by Michael Tilley at Talk Business. “How do you know when that 25-year old driver forgets to pay his premiums … and doesn’t tell Wal-Mart about it, and it just cancels out in the middle of the year?” Clark explained.” Read more
Restoration Hardware Q1 Comp Sales +9.0% Press release
Fred’s May Comp Sales +0.8% “Fred’s total sales for the month decreased 3.1% year-over-year to $160.1 million from $165.2 million in May 2016. The decrease in sales is related to the closure of 39 underperforming stores in the first quarter.” Press release
Family Dollar’s ‘scheme to kill’ Dollar Express cost thousands of jobs, suit says by Katherine Peralta & Rick Rothacker at Charlotte Observer. “Had Dollar Express known defendants’ true intentions, Dollar Express never would have purchased the stores,” the suit reads. “Similarly, defendants’ false representations enabled them to obtain the pre-merger approvals from the (Federal Trade Commission) required to consummate the merger.” Read more
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Lululemon Q1 Comp Sales -2.0% Press release
…Lululemon To Close Most Tween-Focused Ivivva Stores by John Kell at Fortune. “…close about 40 of the company’s 55 ivivva-branded stores and convert half of the remaining stores to Lululemon-branded shops. It will also close all of the ivivva showrooms and other temporary locations.” Read more
Senior lenders at odds with J.Crew over debt restructuring by Josh Kosman at NY Post. “Instead of gaining a quick legal remedy to its financial problems as hoped, J. Crew is facing a drawn-out court battle and a possible 2018 trial. By then, however, it may run out of cash — and other options, sources said.” Read more
How Panera Solved Its ‘Mosh Pit’ Problem by Julie Jargon at Wall Street Journal. “Today, online orders make up more than a quarter of its company-owned restaurant sales, and the average time customers spend waiting in line to order food has shrunk to one minute.” Read more (subscription)
China: Online sales for physical goods account for 12.4% of retail sales by Frank Tong at Internet Retailer. Read more
Blue Apron’s big post-IPO challenge: Making more money from existing customers by Jason Del Rey & Rani Molla at Recode. “In the filing, the company claims its cost to acquire each customer…is $94…If you want a more recent number like, say, over the last 12 months, you get cost per customer of around $460 — not $94 — if you divide marketing costs over that timeframe by customers added during that period.” Read more
Walmart’s 2017 Shareholder Meeting is Underway… Webcast
Gen Z Power List: Meet the Brands, Platforms and Creators That Teens Love (Forever 21, Brandy Melville…) at Adweek. Read more
Office Depot Announces Deal to Sell Operations in Mainland China Press release
Macy’s Promotes Yasir Anwar to Executive Vice President, Chief Technology Officer “Mike Robinson has been named executive vice president, product management and customer experience…Prior to joining Macy’s, Anwar was the head of engineering at Walmartlabs, where he built next generation platforms for Walmart Global eCommerce. Previously, Anwar was the head of engineering for Samsclub.com.” Press release
Canada Goose posts smaller-than-expected quarterly loss via CNBC. “Direct-to-consumer sales surged more than 174 percent to C$36.5 million in the quarter.” Read more
Walmart’s insurance company is demanding Tracy Morgan be grilled under oath by Karen Ruiz at Daily Mail. “(The insurance company) is even demanding a list of medicines he was prescribed after the crash, any records of physical or mental examinations and documents related to his appearance on Saturday Night Live and The Emmys – and information regarding his ability to drive a Lamborghini after the accident.” Read more
Tipsheet Extra Stories
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ShopRite signs on for five more years as LPGA tourney sponsor
$153 million sale gives Costco and Microsoft a new landlord in Issaquah
Sherwin-Williams closes on deal for Valspar
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