"Wal-Mart closes loophole on PlayStation 4 scam" "We’ve updated our policy to clarify that we will match prices from Walmart.com and 30 major online retailers, but we won’t honor prices from marketplace vendors, third-party sellers, auction sites or sites requiring memberships." Read the release   "Nearly a year after breach, Target has its turnaround moment" by Kavita Kumar at Star-Tribune. "It feels like they’re getting back to what drove them in the ’90s and what has differentiated them from Wal-Mart and Amazon,” (Brian) Yarbrough said...“They are getting their mojo back,” (Jason Long) said. “It’s a big deal going into [...]

  "Lowe's Q3 Comp Sales +5.1%" "Sales for the third quarter increased 5.6 percent to $13.7 billion from $13.0 billion in the third quarter of 2013...For the nine month period, sales were$43.7 billion, a 4.6 percent increase over the same period a year ago, and comparable sales increased 3.5 percent" Read the release   "Lowe's earnings, revenue top expectations" by Terri Cullen at CNBC. "The company posted third-quarter earnings of 59 cents per share, up from 47 cents a share in the year-earlier period, on revenue of $13.70 billion. Analysts had expected the company to report earnings of 58 cents a share on $13.55 [...]

  "Home Depot Q3 Comp +5.2% (+5.8% in US)" "During the quarter we saw strong performance across all geographies led by growth in transactions and continued strength in the core of the store," said Craig Menear, CEO and president." Read more   "Home Depot 3Q earnings top expectations" by Terri Cullen at CNBC. "Earnings for America's largest home improvement company increased to $1.15 a share from 95 cents a share in the year-earlier period. Home Depot's quarterly revenue rose to $20.5 billion from $19.5 billion a year ago." Read more   Q3 2014 The Home Depot, Inc. Earnings Conference Call  Tuesday, [...]

  Busy Earnings Week - Highlights: 11/18: Home Depot 11/19: Lowe's, Target & Staples 11/20: Best Buy & Dollar Tree   "Target to offer primary care services in new clinic model" by Kavita Kumar at Star-Tribune. "The fact that Kaiser … will be staffing these clinics is a major departure for Target,” said Tom Charland, CEO of Shoreview-based Merchant Medicine, a retail clinic research and consulting firm. “Up until now, they felt their guests should be treated by Target employees.” Read more   "Bulk retailer Costco sees potential growth in demand for Australian produce in international outlets" by Catherine McAloon [...]

  "Walmart Stores Are Now Price-Matching Amazon.com" by Amit Chowdhry at Forbes. "Greg Foran, the president and CEO of Walmart U.S., said that the price-matching plan simply formalized what many of the stores were already doing. “About half of the stores were doing it anyway,” said Foran." Read more   Wal-Mart Q3 2015 Earnings Call Transcript  Read more   "Target Express plans worry people in South Park, San Diego" by Dominic Garcia at CBS 8. "South Park is really unique," resident John Moore said. So when he heard a big box chain was moving into the old Gala Market, "My [...]

  "Walmart Q3 Comp Sales +.5% in U.S." "Sam's Club comp sales, without fuel,1 increased 0.4 percent for the 13-week period ended Oct. 31. Sam's Club increased membership income 10.1 percent for the quarter, and grew operating income more than twice the rate of sales growth. E-commerce sales globally increased approximately 21 percent on a constant currency basis." Read the release   CNBC's Take: "Wal-Mart tops earnings estimates; shares climb" "The retail giant reported a profit of $1.15 a share on revenue of $118.01 billion. Wall Street had expected the company to post earnings of $1.12 per share ." Read more [...]

  NY Times: "Walmart Memo Orders Stores to Improve Grocery Performance" by Steven Greenhouse & Hiroko Tibuchi. "The memo — leaked for public use by a Walmart manager unhappy about understaffing — also tells stores to be sure to “rotate” dairy products and eggs, which means removing expired items and adding new stock at the bottom and back of display cases." Read more   "Walmart Spreads Black Friday Across Five Days" by Craig Giammona at Bloomberg. "The “New Black Friday” will include five days of sales on Walmart.com and in stores, starting at 12:01 a.m. online on Thanksgiving and running [...]

  Happy Veterans Day!   "Target joins the Black Friday early birds" by Kavita Kumar at Star-Tribune. "Black Friday shoppers, set your watches — err, smartphones — for 6 p.m. on Thanksgiving night. That time is shaping up to be the main event for the big shopping frenzy this year. On Monday, Minneapolis-based Target said it would open then, too, two hours earlier than last year." Read more   "AmEx Costco Card Seen as Crown Jewel Worth 15 Cents EPS" by Elizabeth Dexheimer at Bloomberg. "The lender’s exclusive role as the credit-card provider for Costco’s U.S. stores may generate 20 [...]