Earnings Week: Dick’s, Home Depot, Walmart, Lowe’s, Target, etc. report this week.  Stay tuned for “Heard on the Call” earnings call highlights all week…

 

NY Times Hits Amazon: “Nearly every person I worked with, I saw cry at their desk.” by Jodi Kantor & David Streitfeld at NY Times. “The internal phone directory instructs colleagues on how to send secret feedback to one another’s bosses. Employees say it is frequently used to sabotage others…“You walk out of a conference room and you’ll see a grown man covering his face,” he said. “Nearly every person I worked with, I saw cry at their desk.” Read more

 

…Bezos responds in employee memo by John Cook at GeekWire. “…if you know of any stories like those reported, I want you to escalate to HR. You can also email me directly at jeff@amazon.com…He adds later, “I strongly believe that anyone working in a company that really is like the one described in the NYT would be crazy to stay. I know I would leave such a company.” Read more  Read the full memo via Recode  Bezos said read this instead

 

Facebook troll comes to Target’s defense on gender-neutral labeling by Tim Nudd at AdWeek.  Read the posts

 

…Target posts picture of two trolls by David Murphy at PC Mag. “After a post that said Melgaard “was not speaking on behalf of Target,” (Target) later posted a picture of two troll dolls on its Facebook page with the caption: “Remember when Trolls were the kings of the world? Woo hoo! They’re back and only at Target stores.” Read more

 

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Sam’s Club Aims to Be Less Like Wal-Mart by Sarah Nassauer at WSJ. “Kantar data shows that 81% of Sam’s shoppers say they also shopped at Wal-Mart in the past four weeks, compared with a 15% overlap with Costco, says Ms. Al-Tukhaim.” Read more (Subscription)

 

J.C. Penney’s plan to catch up in the e-commerce wars by Phil Wahba at Fortune. “To catch up, Penney’s investments in tech will amount to 29% of its capital expense budget this year, compared to 22% historically. “We are admittedly behind the retail industry in our omni-channel strategy,” Ellison said on the call, using the industry term for the integration of stores and digital commerce.” Read more

 

Indiana mayor declares local Walmart a public nuisance by Justin L. Mack at Indy Star. “As a public nuisance, Wal-Mart can be assessed fines when officers are needed there. To Beech Grove Mayor Dennis Buckley, it’s one of the only remaining options. “We’re better than that, our community is better than that…Buckley said.” Read more

 

Target Merchandising Executive Jose Barra Exits at Fox Business. “Jose Barra, an executive vice president who headed up merchandising for a number of large categories including beauty, electronics and grocery, is leaving Target for a new position, a company spokeswoman said.” Read more

 

JCPenney CEO Marvin Ellison Attends Forum with Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel  See the pic

 

Tipsheet Extra

Oregon woman receives Target catalog with unsettling message

Target’s Carolyn Sakstrup on shifting consumer trends

Panera debuts delivery service in its second market

Former Pastor Glad Walmart Will Take Down Church

$19-an-Hour Waiters Are One of the Hurdles to Growth in Australia

Read Tipsheet Extra Stories

 

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Eye-on-Retail Tipsheet is created early every weekday morning and read by retail merchants and executives worldwide. We love data, earnings reports, executive presentations and stories off the beaten path that get at what’s really happening in the world of retail. See our website at www.eyeonretail.net