Tipsheet: Target’s Marimekko = Slow Start | H.Depot #5 Online | Amazon to Buy German Airport? | JCP Web Traffic +31%
Target’s Marimekko Collection Gets More Tepid Response on Launch by Phil Wahba at Fortune. “The majority of items in the 200 item collection, which feature Marimekko’s distinctive patterns and bright colors ranging from $7.99 to $499.99, were still available for sale online on Sunday mid-afternoon, Eastern time. About 50 are now sold out.” Read more
…WSJ: Early crowds at three New York-area stores were sparse, and many of those shopping were Europeans more familiar with the brand than Americans by Khadeeja Safdar. “Robert Bates, 29, listed some items from the Marimekko collection on eBay for a few dollars more than the original price. He noticed a more muted response than in prior years…He went to his local Target store in Barboursville, W.Va., 10 minutes before it opened on Sunday. “No one even knew what was going on,” he said. “We got what we wanted.” Read more (subscription)
How Terry Lundgren plans to end Macy’s slump by Tom DiChristopher at CNBC. “In an interview on the sidelines of the Global Retailing Conference in Tucson, Arizona, Lundgren laid out several growth strategies…Lundgren said Macy’s would compete…with several new “lower price, great value” lines, but would maintain a “certain quality standard” to set them apart.” See the video interview / Read more
Sport Chalet will close all stores and stop online sales by Nancy Rivera Brooks & Dan Weikel at LA Times. “On Saturday, the struggling sporting goods chain began going-out-of-business sales at its 47 stores and closed its online sales operation.” Read more
Five top performers in online retail (Home Depot #5) by Kat Fay at Internet Retailer. “It receives 12.2% of its traffic from social networks, which is five times higher than the Top 500 average. Its closest competitor in home improvement retailing, Lowe’s, gets 0.9% of site traffic from social networks.” Read more
Amazon takes on Netflix with new monthly Prime membership programs by Taylor Soper at GeekWire. “(Amazon) will sell a monthly Prime membership for its video streaming service at $8.99 per month…along with a $10.99 per month option that includes other benefits of Prime…” Read more
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Consumers aren’t buying retailers ‘out of sync’ clothing by Lisa Fickenscher at NY Post. “Nearly 40 percent of consumers are not planning to shop for spring clothing this season…“It’s a buy now, wear now environment,” said Gabriela Santaniello, founder of retail consultancy A-Line Partners. “And no one needs to buy shorts now at 30 percent off when next week or the week after they’ll be discounted by 60 percent.” Read more
REI funds the construction of disaster relief center in Nepal by Coral Garnick at Puget Sound Business Journal. “Helicopters flew in pieces of the structure, while bags of dry cement were carried by workers on their back, who were employed for the construction.” Read more
Amazon reportedly considering purchase of German airport by John Cook at GeekWire. “…is considering the purchase of the Frankfurt-Hahn airport. The German paper Sueddeutsche Zeitung reported that discussions between Amazon and the airport had taken place, and that the airport planned to decide between three possible bidders soon.” Read more
Traffic to JC Penney Website Soars as Company Recovers by Douglas McIntyre at 24/7 Wall Street. “…rose 31% to 11.6 million unique visitors in March compared to the same month the year before, according to research firm Compete.” Read more
Japanese supermarket shelves are left completely empty as panic buying takes hold after deadly earthquake by Sinead MacLaughlin at Daily Mail. “With around 180,000 people seeking shelter, some evacuees said that food distribution was a mere two rice balls for dinner. Many shelters in Kumamoto were unable to keep up with food supplies, as shelves in stores and supermarkets remained empty of food.” Read more / See the pics
Theranos CEO ‘devastated’ amid lab testing issues by Fred Imbert at CNBC. “We’ve stopped testing and we’ve taken the approach of saying ‘let’s rebuild this entire laboratory from scratch so that we can ensure it never happens again,'” Holmes told NBC’s “TODAY” show.” Read more
Tipsheet Extra Stories
Loss of McCormick Place East could be blow for large trade shows
Meijer CEO: Grocer’s Minneapolis expansion ‘four or five years’ out
Fruit Sold at Costco Has Been Linked to a Hepatitis Outbreak
Tomorrow: Serena Williams to appear on panel hosted by Dick’s Sporting Goods
Coachella’s tiny post office struggling to cope with fans trying to file their tax returns from the music festival
Mars Food tells customers to go easy on the pasta sauce (only eat once a week)
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