Wednesday Tipsheet: Target Testing Beacons | #1 Brands: H.Depot/Costco/Dick’s | $6 Eggs | L.Liquidators Crashing
Target testing beacons to provide in-store shoppers coupons, recommendations by Kavita Kumar at Star-Tribune. “The experiment is Target’s first major foray into beacons. It is starting out with 50 stores in markets such as Denver, Chicago, Seattle and San Francisco as well as in 15 stores in the Twin Cities. In each of the stores, Target has placed anywhere between 20 and 50 beacons that transmit a signal about 20 feet away.” Read more
Target CFO John Mulligan Joins McDonald’s Board by Nick Turner at Bloomberg. “McDonald’s has faced criticism in the past for having an insular board staffed with Chicago business leaders…” Read more
2015 Harris Poll EquiTrend Brands of the Year: Mass – Target; Hardware – Home Depot; Club – Costco; Sporting Goods – Dick’s; Value – Dollar Tree. See the top brands in 120 categories
Sneak peek inside Cincinnati’s first Cabela’s store by Erin Caproni at Cincinnati Business Courier. See the 16 pics/Read more
Kellogg to stop using artificial products in cereals, snack bars via NY Post. “The 109-year old company, whose cereals have been a popular breakfast choice for decades, said on Tuesday it was aiming to stop using artificial colors and flavors in its cereal and snack bars by the end of 2018.” Read more
Safeway dumps program that gave more than $300 million to schools and nonprofits by Mark Calvey at San Francisco Business Times. Read more
Target to rebrand CityTarget, TargetExpress stores as just Target by Kavita Kumar at Star Tribune. “So what about SuperTarget? The name used to describe the retailer’s big-box stores with a full grocery assortment will remain — at least for now.” Read more
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Rite Aid Promotes Ken Martindale to Newly Created Position of CEO via EPR Retail News. Read the release
Harvard Business Review: How Target Is Taking Sustainable Products Mainstream by Andrew Winston. “Within Target’s “naturals and organics” category, sales grew 17% last year, four times faster than its total grocery sales.” Read more
Lumber Liquidators is crashing at Business Insider. “Comparable store net sales…fell 10% in the second quarter.” Read more
Neiman Marcus is gearing up for an initial public offering of stock (again) by Maria Halkias at Dallas News. “The filing for an IPO could be a signal that the new owners are also entertaining a sale of the company.” Read more
$6 eggs could be on the way by Katie Little at CNBC. “It’s almost scary to think about what could happen to egg prices,” Hundley said.” Read more
Tipsheet Extra
Too Racy? Retailers to Put Blinders on Cosmopolitan
30 Startups Pitch Obama at White House Demo Day
China’s Government Will Embed Police In Its Largest Tech Firms
Target Listens – Adds More Plus Size Jeans for “Bottom-Heavy” Girls
Amazon Studios Chief Addresses Woody Allen, ‘Top Gear’ Controversies in Awkward Panel
CVS banned tobacco. Now its sales are hurting
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Eye-on-Retail Tipsheet is created early every weekday morning and read by retail merchants and executives worldwide. We love data, earnings reports, executive presentations and stories off the beaten path that get at what’s really happening in the world of retail. See our website at www.eyeonretail.net