Target: We didn’t ‘crash’ on Cyber Monday by Daphne Howland at Retail Dive. “Target was insistent Monday that its site hadn’t crashed, but rather that the retailer had resorted to a tactical metering of traffic that allowed customers to “stay in line” to complete their shopping expedition.” Read more

 

Walmart: Nearly half of our orders since Thanksgiving have been placed on a mobile device “…that’s double compared to last year… Mobile is making up more than 70 percent of traffic to Walmart.com.” Read the release

 

Target Canada creditors unsatisfied with recovery plan’s details by Marina Strauss at The Globe & Mail. “Some creditors of the failed Target Canada, including landlords and pharmacists, are uncertain about what its proposed recovery plan will mean for them, raising questions about whether it will win quick creditor approval.” Read more

 

Michigan Avenue Black Friday protests cost stores 25-50 percent of sales by Kim Janssen at Chicago Tribune. “If anything the police were kind of encouraging (protesters who blocked the entrance to the store) by allowing it,” she said. However, she added that if police had been too heavy-handed, “people might have rioted.” Read more

 

Sam’s Club CEO attends Breakfast of Corporate Champions by Moira Forbes at Forbes. “…women in HR roles have not been considered for board seats in the past…Get that talent and skills expansion in the right seats and talk about marrying that with growth of the company.” Read more

 

Neiman Marcus recovering from untimely website outages by Maria Halkias as The Dallas Morning News. “Asked if the outages, which included one that lasted 12-hours, had anything to do with an outside deliberate attack, Neiman Marcus vice president Ginger Reeder said, “We have seen no reason to suspect outside interference or sabotage, however the exact cause of the outage has yet to be determined.” Read more

 

Holiday Shopping Is Chilly for ‘Buy’ Buttons at Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest by Jason Del Rey at Recode. “Then there’s Pinterest…the company says more than 10,000 merchants have joined the program…but at least one of these big partners is seeing fewer than 10 purchases a day on Pinterest, according to a person with direct knowledge of the sales figures.” Read more

 

Williams-Sonoma laying off 85 at Arlington facility by James Osborne at The Dallas Morning News. “Williams-Sonoma is laying off 85 workers from its new Arlington facility, after deciding to close a new custom furniture operation.” Read more

 

Dick’s Sporting Goods takes another go at Houston market by Laura Furr at Houston Business Journal. “In 2007, Dick’s first announced that it planned to enter Houston with a two-story, 83,000-square-foot store at Interstate 10 and Bunker Hill. However, the chain called off the deal about a year later…” Read more

 

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Will Kroger speed up acquisitions? by Alexander Coolidge at The Cincinnati Enquirer. “While Kroger has avoided turnaround acquisitions, Mushkin said the company might consider more if it can fix Roundy’s. “It’s what they need to start doing,” Mushkin said. “This could prove their business model is superior and transferable.” Read more

 

REI’s move to close Black Friday pays off with 26 percent hike in online traffic by Molly Brown at GeekWire. Read more

 

Toymakers are tracking more data about kids — leaving them exposed to hackers by Andrea Peterson at The Washington Post. “Companies are increasingly producing and marketing high-tech toys that link dolls and games to the Internet — as well as information about the kids playing with them. But the V-tech breach shows this data isn’t always being guarded well.” Read more

 

Supermarket Chain Food Lion Roars for Doner by David Gianatasio at Ad Week. “For Doner, the win constitutes a much-needed reversal of fortune. This year, the shop bid farewell to JCPenney and AutoTrader, and also closed its Atlanta office.” Read more

 

The Declining Importance of Black Friday in One Chart by Phil Wahba at Fortune. See the chart / Read more

 

Are These Star Wars Sweaters Ugly Enough for Christmas? by Caroline Winter at Bloomberg. “The problem is that none is very ugly—at least by the standards of ugly Christmas sweaters. It’s not Hajjar’s fault. “With Star Wars, nothing offensive will get approved,” he explains.” Read more / See the designs

 

Tipsheet Extra

Gawker Hits Target: Target Employees “Treated Like Second Class Citizens by Employers and Customer Alike”

Forbes: On Cyber Monday Eve, Home Depot Drops The Digital Ball

Animal activists protest SF Castro Whole Foods

Home Depot employees present Christmas tree, ornaments and toys to girl who’s wheelchair was stolen

Carol Meyrowitz sells 64,086 company shares on November 30, 2015, with market value around $4,584,764

Woman sues Costco, California supplier in E.coli outbreak

Read Tipsheet Extra Stories

 

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Contact Jason Long, jlong@eyeonretail.net