"Wal-Mart Weighs Matching Online Prices" by Shelly Banjo at WSJ. "Wal-Mart executives are discussing whether to go ahead with the price-matching program, which would expand its one for local brick-and-mortar competitors, according to spokeswoman Deisha Barnett. Under consideration is how much Wal-Mart might lose if the program were to go nationwide, people familiar with the matter said." Read more (Subscription)   "Black Friday Deals Start Saturday" by Krystina Gustafson at CNBC. "Although many consumers plan to extend their Halloween celebrations past Friday, Wal-Mart on Saturday will shift its focus from orange and black to red and green, when it kicks off [...]

  "Target Lays Off 80 at HQ" by Kavita Kumar at Star-Tribune. "In addition to the layoffs, another 40 open positions at Target will not be filled, said Molly Snyder, a company spokeswoman. “We routinely evaluate our business to ensure we are positioned for profitable growth,” Snyder said in a statement. “As we open fewer general merchandise stores nationwide and focus more on smaller formats, we have made the decision to centralize our architecture, construction, engineering and facilities management teams to best meet the needs of the business going forward.” Read more   "How Home Depot CEO Frank Blake kept [...]

  Deloitte: 56% of consumers will do holiday shopping at retailers that have experienced a data breach at CNBC. "The consumer's now somewhat desensitized [to breaches]," said Rod Sides, principal at Deloitte Consulting. This is particularly true among higher-income households, according to the CreditCards.com report...only 31 percent of households earning $75,000 or more annually said they were likely to avoid affected stores, compared with 56 percent of those with an annual income of less than $30,000." Read more   Time: "This Is How Walmart Can Win Its War With Apple" by Jacob Davidson. "Apple Pay supporters have a point. CurrentC is clunky—at [...]

  "Lowe’s to open two stores in New York City next year" by Ken Elkins at Charlotte Bus. Journal. "It plans to open the two Manhattan stores during the second half of 2015. Each will measure about 30,000 square feet...The stores will be located at 2008 Broadway at West 68th Street and at 635 Sixth Ave. at West 19th Street." Read more   "Lowe's ranked the best, Home Depot the worst in "fake hack" contest" One major retailer actually listed their employee schedule on Instagram. Of course, this type of information would allow for a very personalized attack on staff. One contestant [...]

  "Why CVS and Rite Aid are blocking Apple Pay" by Phillip Elmer-DeWitt at Fortune. "I don’t know that CVS and Rite Aid disabling Apple Pay out of spite is going to drive customers to switch pharmacies” writes Gruber. “But I do know that CurrentC is unlikely to ever gain any traction whatsoever.” Read more   ....Apple Pay Down to 25 Retail Partners by Jim Edwards at Business Insider. "A quick look at Apple's website explaining the service highlights just 34 retail partners that support the system. Eight of those are different flavors of Foot Locker. One is Apple itself." [...]

  "Walmart Unveils New Shopper Marketing Framework" by Patrycja Malinowska at Path to Purchase. "Andy Murray called on brands to retire the “stop, hold and close” approach to in-store activation. Instead of disrupting shoppers, he said brands should seek to inspire and engage them. In terms of displays and PDQs, the retailer wants more value-added messaging at the shelf. P-O-P materials should have a very clear value proposition. Beyond just communicating value, they should create it, actually delivering a benefit." Read more   "Wal-Mart global operations are a testing lab for Walmart U.S. stores" by Kim Souza at The City Wire. "Walmart [...]

  "Target Canada to experiment with overstocking in turnaround effort" by Marina Strauss at Globe & Mail. "The chain is quietly experimenting with ordering more merchandise than its systems think it needs for five of its best performing stores while “over-investing” in strong selling inventory at its top 20 outlets, Mr. Schindele said during a tour of Target’s Toronto Stockyards mall location, one of its premier stores." Read more   "Analyst: Target could sell Canadian assets to Wal-Mart" by Marina Strauss at Globe & Mail. "Will troubled discounter Target Canada stay in Canada or leave? That’s the burning question that [...]

  "Target puts focus back on 'cheap-chic' with eye on winning back holiday shoppers" by Phil Wahba at Fortune. "If we go back during the last few years, during those recessionary periods, we probably played harder on the ‘pay less’ side than on the ‘expect more’ side, ” Brian Cornell, Target CEO since August, told Fortune. “We’re going to continue to focus on bringing that balance to life.” Read more   ....Faux Fur Vest for Under $35 by Matt Townsend at Bloomberg. "At a design studio in Manhattan, Kathryn Tesija, executive vice president of merchandising, highlighted the goods that the company [...]