By Jason Long, jlong@eyeonretail.net

 

Walgreens to Acquire Rite Aid for $17.2 Billion in All-Cash Transaction “Walgreens will hold a one-hour conference call to discuss its fourth quarter results and today’s acquisition announcement beginning at 8:30 a.m. Eastern time 28 October 2015.” Read the release

 

Walgreens Q4 Comp Sales Increase “Total sales in comparable drugstores increased 6.5 percent compared with the same quarter a year ago. Comparable retail sales increased 0.4 percent in the fourth quarter with an increase in basket size partially offset by lower customer traffic.” Read the release

 

Target CEO says fancier in-store presentation is giving sales a major boost by Phil Wahba at Fortune. “We realized we were making them [customers] work too hard,” Cornell told the WWD Apparel and Retail CEO Summit in New York on Tuesday…Cornell told the audience that sales of items worn by mannequins, which are now at 1,400 of Target’s nearly 1,800 stores, have increased by 30%.” Read more

 

Target hiring 1,400 workers for newly created in-store position by Nick Halter at Minneapolis/St.Paul Business Journal. “The new positions are called visual merchandising leaders. The job descriptions posted on Target’s career webpage say the new hires must stay up on the company’s omnichannel efforts to make sure products are in the right place.” Read more

 

Walgreens expands virtual doctor visits via Pager platform by James Covert at NY Post. “Beginning this week, patients can log onto a newly designed landing page on Walgreen’s Web site that gives them the option of talking to a US board-certified physician for common illnesses.” Read more

 

Kroger expands its newly branded online ordering service by Steve Watkins at Cincinnati Business Journal. “Kroger also added Nashville, Tenn., this week as the fifth market, including Cincinnati, where Kroger is offering the service. It now provides online ordering and customer pickup service at 19 stores.” Read more

 

Teen surprises mom and toddler with good deed at Target by Jennifer Earl at CBS News. “Shufflebarger repeated the story for her hundreds of friends on Facebook, sharing a photo of the young man posing with Kinley, who had a “sweet little shocked smile” on her face…After more than 55,000 shares, someone tagged the little girl’s hero in the post: Tario Fuller II, a freshman football player for Purdue University.” Read more

 

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Dick’s to Open Store #646 in New Mexico Read the release

 

Kroger reveals just how many billions in organic foods it sells each year by Steve Watkins at Cincinnati Business Journal. “Kroger Co.’s natural and organic product sales now total more than $11 billion a year…It’s the first time Kroger has publicly stated how much its fast-growing natural and organics business generates in sales. That totals about 10 percent of Kroger’s annual sales, which topped $108 billion last year.” Read more

 

…Kroger Investor Conference Webcast

 

Deloitte: Free shipping trumps fast shipping during the holidays by Matt Linder at Internet Retailer. “87% say free shipping is more important than fast shipping, and many (60%) expect retailers to offer free on-time shipping as late as Dec. 17. “ Read more

 

…41 percent of shoppers who will use a smartphone this season said they will use it to make a purchase via CNBC. Read more

 

Ex-Amazon Prime Now Delivery Drivers Sue Over Contractor Classification by Jason Del Rey at Recode. “Four former Amazon Prime Now delivery drivers in Orange County, Calif., are suing the company, arguing that they should have been classified as employees instead of independent contractors.” Read more

 

As Retailer Digital Exchanges Proliferate, Will They Become the New Trade Promotion? by Jack Neff at Ad Age. “Newer entrants range from big national players like Target, Dollar General and Family Dollar to regional supermarket players such as Safeway/Albertson’s, ShopRite, H.E.B., Food Lion and Meijer, according to Anthony Acerra, director-digital strategy at WPP’s Rockfish. And he believes that number could easily grow to 20 within a year.” Read more

 

Pittsburgh Steelers surprise kids with shopping trip at Dick’s by Sheldon Ingram at WTAE News 4. See the video

 

Grocery Store Refuses to Sell Eggs to Minors Ahead of Halloween Due to ‘Safety Concerns’ by Liz Klimas via The Blaze. “Come on. Really? I mean, it’s an egg,” Wayne Mackiewicz told the news station. ”Yes, it’s a little bit of a bugger to clean up and yes if you don’t wash it off the car right away it can leave a little mark, but it washes off.” See the video / Read more

 

Tipsheet Extra

NY Times: Sweeping Away Gender-Specific Toys and Labels

Shotguns have ‘virtually sold out’ in Austria as citizens rush to buy arms amid fears of a massive influx of migrants

BJ’s Wholesale Club Reveals Holiday 2015 Top Ten Toys

Walmart Withdraws Hooked ‘Sheik Fagin’ Nose From Halloween Store

Man dressed as Target employee accused of stealing $50K worth of cellphones

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