"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 small formats; Brian Hooper - real estate; David Norman - operations over the West; and Glenda Fleming - operations over the East...Moore said this week he received at least 24 requests from suppliers for meetings about Wal-Mart’s small formats. He assured the crowd it’s not [...]

  "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 Profits Rise 13%" by Michael Calia at WSJ. "For the fourth quarter ended Aug. 31, the company’s profit rose to $697 million, or $1.58 a share, from year-earlier earnings of $617 million, or $1.40 a share. Total revenue improved 9% to $35.52 billion. Analysts expected [...]

  "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 a pickup fee nor a markup on their items." Read more   "Target launches two new apps, updates others" by Kavita Kumar at Star-Tribune. "The changes include revamped iPhone and iPad apps that have been rebuilt from top to bottom..In total, Target is updating or [...]

  "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 than Amazon” in those four categories...the report notes that Wal-Mart, described as the “standout surprise,” has online prices approximately 10% lower than does Amazon as of August 2014." Read more   "Walmart stops matching Florida competitors' buy-one-get-one offers" by Susan Thurston at Tampa Bay Times. [...]

  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 the opportunity, surely I would step up to the challenge." Read more / See the video   "Walmart’s global e-commerce chief pokes at Amazon in rival’s backyard" by Blair Hanley Frank at GeekWire. "Is anybody selling the Fire phone?” he (Neil Ashe) said in response [...]

  "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 by 71 percent, and its samples of frozen pizza increased sales by 600 percent.” Read more   "Which States Make You Pay an Amazon Sales Tax" by Greg Bensinger at WSJ. “Amazon.com today begins collecting sales tax from purchasers in Minnesota and Maryland, marking the 22nd [...]

  Canada: "Target’s ‘sexist’ baby pajamas spark social media outcry" by Colin Perkel at The Canadian Press via Globe & Mail. "Hundreds of people have denounced Target for selling “sexist” baby pyjamas after a university professor posted a photograph of the clothing on social media. The boy clothing features a Superman logo and the line, “Future Man of Steel,” while the girl item has the same logo but the line: “I Only Date Heroes.” Read more   "Amazon.com, Disney Back at Peace" by Ben Fritz & Greg Bensinger at WSJ. "Amazon.com appears to be close to settling a nearly two-month [...]