FreshDirect shopping itself after Bronx move fail: sources by Lisa Fickenscher at NY Post. "Amazon and Walmart recently vetted FreshDirect’s financial and performance data...In the past, FreshDirect brass have consistently brushed aside overtures — rebuffing offers from Amazon and Walmart in 2010 for $2.3 billion and $2.6 billion, respectively, according to a former executive with direct knowledge of those offers...but now JPMorgan...wants out of its investment, sources said." Read more   Jeff Bezos’s Master Plan by Franklin Foer at The Atlantic. "To better understand him, I spent five months speaking with current and former Amazon executives...In the course of [...]

  Target’s Mark Tritton will become Bed Bath & Beyond’s new president and CEO effective Nov. 4. at CNBC. "Shares of Bed Bath & Beyond spiked more than 21% in extended trading on Wednesday." Read more   ...Target said it will not search for a new chief merchant at this time. Instead, two current executives — Christina Hennington and Jill Sando — will assume interim leadership of the merchandising organization. by Kavita Kumar at Star Tribune. Tiered subs.   Target Names Michael Fiddelke Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer "In more than 15 years at Target, Fiddelke has served [...]

  Lidl will offer medical benefits to all 1,200 of its part-time US employees at CNBC. "We want our team to have the peace of mind knowing they have healthcare coverage,” said Lidl U.S. Chairman Roman Heini in a statement." Read more   Rent the Runway back up after operational glitch at Reuters. "The issue had forced the company to stop allowing new subscribers to the platform and halted its services for 11 days, starting Sept. 27, Rent the Runway said." Read more   Amazon held its first big ad conference last week at CNBC. "Last week in Seattle, Amazon [...]

  Company making Costco pajamas flagged for forced labor by Martha Mendoza at AP. "In an interview with the AP, Costco officials said “we believe (the baby sleepers) were made in a factory other than the one that was the subject of the CBP detention order. As the facts develop, we’re prepared to consider what action we should take relative to the issue of a supplier to our supplier owning factories that may have problems.” Read more   Tiffany removes advert over Hong Kong controversy at Yahoo. "Tiffany & Co. have removed a tweet showing a woman covering one eye [...]

  US adds modest 136,000 jobs, lowering unemployment to 3.5% at AP. "All told, the September jobs report is likely to keep the Federal Reserve on track to cut rates later this month for the third time this year to try to help sustain the expansion." Read more   Costco Q4 comp sales +5.1% / Ecom +19.8% Press release   ...Costco earnings call: Richard Galanti on new China store - "200,000 shoppers are now members, which is well above the 68,000 average for a Costco warehouse." at Fox Business | Call transcript via Seeking Alpha   Chip and Joanna Gaines [...]

  Bed Bath & Beyond Q2 comp sales -6.7% Press release   ...Bed Bath & Beyond increases projected store closures to 60 by Kelly Tyko at USA Today. "...up 20 from the April estimate of 40 stores...Forty of the stores closing will be Bed Bath & Beyond stores and 20 will be stores in the company's other concepts." Read more   Kroger is looking to lay off several store employees holding middle management roles at Fox Business. Read more   Walmart to test programs for U.S. workers to cut its healthcare costs at Reuters. "In Colorado, Wisconsin and Minnesota, Walmart [...]

  Amazon is in talks to bring its cashierless Go technology to airports and movie theaters at CNBC. "The company has been in talks to bring Go equipment into OTG’s CIBO Express stores at airports and Cineworld’s Regal theaters, one of the people said. Another person said Amazon is looking at concession stands in baseball stadiums." Read more   How PetSmart Swallowed Chewy—and Proved the Doubters Wrong by Miriam Gottfried at Wall Street Journal. "Chewy went public in June, and its shares have climbed nearly 20% since then in what has been a busy year for initial public offerings and [...]