“Target Canada employees issue mea culpa in new video” by Hollie Shaw at Financial Post.  “A company video shared in social media by president Mark Schindele carries an apologetic tone and a commitment to turn things around…“Certainly, we think that we have disappointed our Canadian guests,” says Damien Liddle, senior corporate counsel, echoing a promise to do better voiced by multiple employees in the two-minute clip.”  See the video / Read more

 

“@WalmartLabs Grabs Its First ‘Silicon Alley’ Startup With Acquisition of Fashion App Stylr” by Sarah Perez at TechCrunch.  “The app, which helps consumers find clothes they love in nearby stores, will be shut down. It will be pulled from the iTunes App Store by the end of this month. Terms of the deal were not disclosed, but we understand it was more of an “acqui-hire” related to bringing the talent of the founders, Eytan Daniyalzade and Berk Atikoglu, to Walmart.”  Read more

 

“A Rare Peek Inside Amazon’s Massive Wish-Fulfilling Machine” by Marcus Wohlsen at Wired.  “The first thing I saw when I walked into Amazon’s Phoenix warehouse was a man riding on a giant tricycle. Behind him, yellow plastic tubs the size of office recycling bins whizzed by on a conveyor belt. On the wall above, six massive words called out to the 1,500 workers who pass through metal detectors each day as they enter this million-square-foot cavern of consumerism: “work hard. have fun. make history.” Read more

 

“NY:  Big Retailers Agree to List Unit Prices on Websites” by Elizabeth Harris at NY Times.  “Major retailers including Walmart, CVS and Costco have agreed to the deal, brokered by the office of New York’s attorney general, Eric T. Schneiderman.  Mr. Schneiderman had aimed even wider but was rebuffed by one online retailing giant, Amazon. “Amazon refused to participate in this consumer-oriented initiative,” Mr. Schneiderman’s office said in a statement.”  Read more

 

“Target Wants to Go to College With Your Kids and Your Money” by Chris Katje at The Street.  “Target is taking the “millennial” market head-on with the beta launch of a college registry. Target launched beta testing for its new college registry, which will complement the retailers’ wedding and baby registries. Target is offering categories like bedding, bath, kitchen & dining, furniture, decor, storage & organization, and electronics.” Read more

 

Nielsen Study:  55% of global online consumers across 60 countries say they are willing to pay more for products and services provided by companies that are committed to positive social and environmental impact.  Read the release

 

“Lowe’s Makes a Radio Run at Home Depot” at Radio Ink.  “Even with 20,000 fewer spots (44,446) during the week of June 11, the Home Depot was still able to maintain its number one position on the Media Monitors weekly spot chart. Lowe’s climbed into the top 10, reaching number three (28,141).” Read more

 

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“Garden Ridge Changes Name to At Home” by Maria Halkias at Dallas News.  “After testing a couple of stores in Michigan and one in St. Louis, Garden Ridge is officially changing its name to At Home. It will spend $20 million this year to convert all of its 71 stores in time for the holiday shopping season…The company plans to open 200 At Home stores by the end of the decade and has the potential to open more than 500 (CEO Lee) Bird said.”  Read more

 

“JCPenney’s behavior ‘childish,’ ‘sophomoric’ in Martha deal” by James Covert at NY Post.  “The sneaky deal that JCPenney cut with Martha Stewart behind Macy’s back was such a disaster that the sheer public embarrassment of it is punishment enough. That’s what a New York judge effectively said in a long-awaited decision Monday.”  Read more

 

“Wal-Mart tests its own health clinics to shave insurance costs” by Kim Souza at The City Wire.  “For now the three pilot clinics in Texas consist of two in the Dallas-Fort Worth area and one is outside of Waco. Wal-Mart declined to confirm that there is a clinic planned locally in the Walmart Supercenter at Pleasant Grove Road in Rogers, Ark. However, there is a sign in that Rogers Walmart that says “Another Wal-Mart Concept Coming Soon.” Read more

 

‘I just want to see my son, I just want to shake his hand and have him acknowledge that I’m his father’: Desperate plea of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos’s ailing biological father” by Laura Collins at Daily Mail.  “Speaking from his home in Glendale Mr Jorgensen said: ‘I don’t think he will come to me now. I haven’t heard a word for him or had any sign that he wants to connect with me. I hoped with the publicity it might happen but I can’t blame him. I guess I wasn’t a very good father.’ ” Read more

 

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