Today’s Tipsheet: U.S. Probes Wmart | Beacons not Big | No Target 50% Off Coupon
U.S. Probes Possible Wal-Mart Misconduct in Brazil by Aruna Viswanatha & Sarah Nassauer at WSJ. “Federal prosecutors are examining $500,000 in payments that they believe ultimately went to an individual hired to obtain government permits the company needed to build two stores in Brasília, Brazil’s capital, between 2009 and 2012, an investigative document shows.” Read more (subscription)
…Walmart spokesman Greg Hitt told the Journal that the retailer is cooperating fully with the government but declined to divulge any details via International Business Times. Read more
Apple’s Failed Retail Revolution: Beacons Still Won’t Be Big on Black Friday by Joshua Brustein at Bloomberg. “A survey conducted by Forrester earlier this year found that only 3 percent of retailers use beacons; just 16 percent had plans to try the technology in the foreseeable future.” Read more
Amazon and JetBlue team up to let Prime members binge watch at 35,000 feet for free by Jacob Demmitt at GeekWire. “And we’re not stopping at video; our relationship with Amazon offers opportunities to delight our customers in ways that have never been done before,” JetBlue vice president Jamie Perry said.” Read more
How Walmart Keeps an Eye on Its Massive Workforce by Susan Berfield at Bloomberg. “The details of Walmart’s efforts during the first year it confronted OUR Walmart are described in more than 1,000 pages of e-mails, reports, playbooks, charts, and graphs, as well as testimony from its head of labor relations at the time.” Read more
No, Target Is Not Giving You A 50% Off Everything Coupon For Liking A Page On Facebook by Chris Morran at Consumerist. “If it sounds too good to be true, it is. A rep for Target HQ confirms to Consumerist that there is no such coupon and this is a fake.” Read more
L.L. Bean again leads e-retailers in customer service by Don Davis at Internet Retailer. “Behind L.L. Bean in the overall ranking were The Net-A-Porter Group LLC, Shopbop, Mr. Porter and Burberry Ltd.” Read more
What It’s Like to Manage a Target on Black Friday by Caroline Cunningham at The Washingtonian. “…This is great news, but for Michael Yost, how his employees perform over the next few days will be even more crucial. As the store team leader (Target-speak for general manager), everything the fluorescent lights touch is his domain…” Read more Video via Washington Business Journal
Menards division plans $25M plant in Kansas by David Schuyler at Milwaukee Business Journal. “Under the plans announced by the Economic Development Corporation of Lawrence & Douglas County, Menard Inc. subsidiary Midwest Manufacturing will create 100 jobs.” Read more
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Target Expands Inventories to Repair Stock-Outs by Erica E. Phillips at WSJ. Read more (subscription)
CDC: E coli linked to Costco sickens at least 19 people via CNBC. “The majority of the illnesses have been reported in the western United States, with five people hospitalized, though no deaths reported, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said.” Read more
Jet.com Lands $350 Million in Funding, With $150 Million More Coming by Jason Del Rey at Recode. Read more
This Is How Macy’s Will Target Its Facebook and Instagram Ads for the Holidays by Lauren Johnson at Adweek. See the spots / Read more
Amazon Studios Decides Plastering Trains With Nazi Symbols Isn’t Such a Great Idea, After All by Noah Kulwin at Recode. Read more
Some Malls Pressure Retailers to Open on Thanksgiving by Drew Fitzgerald at WSJ. Read more (subscription)
Tipsheet Extra Stories
Coca-Cola exec retires after health research controversy
Retailers Scrambling Against Latest Credit Card-Stealing Malware
Amazon worker contacts Massachusetts Attorney General to check on legality of Amazon being open Thanksgiving
Target expands LED customer tracking to 100 stores
Coca-Cola’s ‘Share a Coke’ Campaign Gets Festive With Holiday Names on Bottles
Contact Jason Long, jlong@eyeonretail.net
