Thursday Tipsheet: Wmart Realigns | Costco Call Highlights | Target’s Ramsey Downplays Apple Pay

  “Wal-Mart realigns small-store format management, adjusting ‘on the fly’” by Kim Souza at The City Wire. “(Mike Moore) said the team is lean with five senior vice presidents that report to him with specific duties. The team, which had its first meeting this week, are: Larry Mahoney – logistics; Marc Lieberman – vice president of […]

Wednesday Tipsheet: Costco Q4 Comp +6% | FTC/F.Dol. on Friday | N.Marcus’ Fantasy Gifts

  “Costco Q4 Comp Sales Jump 6%” “Net sales for the fourth quarter were $34.75 billion, an increase of nine percent from $31.77 billion in fiscal 2013. Net sales for the fiscal year were $110.21 billion, an increase of seven percent from $102.87 billion last year.” Read the release   “Costco Beats Street – Q4 […]

Tuesday Tipsheet: ‘Curbside’ Pickup at Target | iPAD #1 Brand w/Kids | 8-11% Holiday Online Growth

  “Curbside Powers Same-Day Pickup at Target, Raises $8 Million” by Liz Gannes at Recode. “That’s the premise of Curbside, a startup that’s officially launching today with significant funding and a beta test with 10 San Francisco Bay Area Target stores…Under Curbside’s current business model, retailers pay Curbside a customer acquisition fee. Customers pay neither […]

Monday Tipsheet: Wmart: Ends BOGO Match in FL; Beats Amazon by 10% | Wayfair’s 52% Awareness

  “Amazon feels the pricing heat from Walmart.com and Target.com” by Thad Reuter at Internet Retailer. “The report focuses on four main product categories: clothing and shoes; electronics; housewares; and health and cosmetics. The report finds that Amazon “largely remains the retail price leader for like-to-like items, but Wal-Mart and Target have lower online prices […]

Friday Tipsheet: Wmart’s E-com Chief Pokes Amazon | Target Appeases Blogger | Wayfair +30%

  CNN: Could this ‘chemist’ be the next boss of Walmart? by Poppy Harlow & Sheena McKenzie. “Could the 64th most powerful woman in the world (Rosalind Brewer), according to Forbes, one day have the top job at Walmart? “Oh boy, that is a good question,” she says, laughing a little nervously. “If ever I was afforded […]

Thursday Tipsheet: Costco’s Reciprocity | Amazon’s Tom & Jerry Warning | Wayfair Eyes $319M IPO

  “The Psychology Behind Costco’s Free Samples” by Joe Pinsker at The Atlantic. “When we compare it to other in-store mediums … in-store product demonstration has the highest [sales] lift,” says Giovanni DeMeo of the product-demonstration company Interactions, a department of which handles Costco’s samples…Interactions’ beer samples at many national retailers on average boosted sales […]