Tesla Supercharger catches fire at a Wawa store in New Jersey at CNBC. "In August 2019, Wawa announced plans to increase the number of stores that feature Tesla Supercharger stations from 16 to more than 30 locations by the end of 2020." Read more   Amazon adds new ‘Amazon Pharmacy’ branding to PillPack at CNBC. "Another signal of PillPack’s growing importance: The company’s CEO TJ Parker got a promotion over the summer after impressing high-ups with his pharmacy knowledge, three people familiar with the move told CNBC." Read more   Molson Coors Chases Young Adults—And Not Just With Beer [...]

  Walmart earnings beat estimates, shares rise on higher outlook ahead of holidays at CNBC.  "U.S. same-store sales: up 3.2% vs. growth of 3.1% expected...e-commerce sales were up 41%, thanks to “strong growth” in online grocery...average ticket in the U.S. grew 1.9% compared with a 1.8% increase a year ago. Transactions were up 1.3% in the latest quarter, slightly lower than growth of 1.6% this time last year." Read more   ...Sam's Club Q3 comp sales +0.6% / Ecom +32% Walmart earnings release   ...Walmart hires off-duty officers ahead of El Paso reopening at AP. "Walmart plans Thursday to reopen [...]

  Nike will stop selling its sneakers and apparel directly on Amazon’s website, ending a pilot program that began in 2017 at Fortune. "Nike reportedly struggled to control the Amazon marketplace. Third-party sellers whose listings were removed simply popped up under a different name. Plus, the official Nike products had fewer reviews, and therefore received worse positioning on the site." Read more   US consumer prices up 0.4% in October; gasoline prices surge at AP. "Excluding volatile energy and food prices, so-called core consumer inflation rose just 0.2% in October. Overall consumer prices rose 1.8% over the past year, just [...]

  Inside Walmart’s Corporate Culture Clash Over E-Commerce by Matthew Boyle at Bloomberg. "The digital divestments suggest that the online crew is losing the struggle, but the traditionalists have suffered as well. Walmart’s U.S. stores chief, Greg Foran, last month gave up one of the most powerful jobs in retail to run an airline in his native New Zealand. Foran, according to people who worked with him, had grown frustrated with the amount of time and money spent on things that didn’t matter to him, like Store No. 8, an internal incubation arm that promises to “transform the future of [...]

  Costco October comp sales (ex. gas & f/x) +6.3% (US +6.8% / Canada +6.5% / Other Int'l +3.0%) Press release   Lumber Liquidators Q3 comp sales -3.6% Press release   Facing shorter holiday season, U.S. retailers rev up faster delivery, early deals at Reuters. "The last shortened shopping season was in 2013 - a year when retail chains and delivery companies scrambled to get packages to shoppers in time for Christmas. Retailers’ urgency to avoid a repeat of 2013 is on full display..." Read more   Rent-A-Center Q3 comp sales +4.5% Press release   Mystery shop: Buying alcohol from [...]

  Kroger Debuts New Logo and Launches Brand Transformation Campaign "Fresh for Everyone is Kroger's brand ethos...The Kroji (Kroger + emoji) animation features a loveable cast of characters to represent Kroger customers, associates and communities...Kroger's 20+ retail banners across America will continue to operate under their existing names..." Press release | Brand campaign   CVS Health third-quarter profit rises 10% on Aetna sales at CNBC. "Earnings per share: $1.84, adjusted, vs. $1.77 expected. Revenue: $63.81 billion vs. $62.99 billion expected. CVS reported third-quarter net income of $1.53 billion, or $1.17 per share, up 10% from $1.39 billion." Read more   [...]

  Kroger's 2020 profit, same-store sales estimates top expectations at Reuters. "The company forecast adjusted profit between $2.30 and $2.40 per share in 2020, and identical sales growth, excluding fuel, to be greater than 2.25%." Read more   ..."We are confident that Restock Kroger is the right strategic framework for business growth in 2019 and 2020, and to position Kroger for long-term growth in the future," said Rodney McMullen. Press release   Target’s First Loyalty Program Failed. Here’s How It Built a Better One by Diana Pearl at Adweek. "On stage at Adweek’s annual Brandweek summit, (Rick) Gomez said that [...]

  China’s Shoppers May Boycott U.S. Brands on Singles’ Day at Bloomberg via Fortune. "More than three-quarters of Chinese consumers surveyed said they’ll reconsider buying from American companies during the Singles’ Day shopping event on Nov. 11...“U.S. brands can expect some disruption because of the consequences of the US-China trade war on consumer sentiment,” the report said." Read more   Mastercard SpendingPulse: U.S. retail sales excluding automobiles to grow 3.1% from Nov. 1 to Dec. 24. That’s compared to 5.1% growth during the same period in 2018. at CNBC. Read more   Walmart’s Strategy When Wading Into Culture Wars: Offend [...]