Data exposure flaw on Walmart.ca revealed personal customer information at CTV News. “Customers’ names, shipping and billing addresses, order dates, methods of payment and the last four digits of the credit cards used were on full display for orders of a $1,500 laptop computer in Ontario, a $700 spin bike in Saskatchewan, and more than $1,100 worth of baby gear in B.C. These are just a few samples of Walmart.ca orders CTVNews.ca was able to call up on the retailer’s website Tuesday…” Read more

 

Albertsons is laying off employees and replacing them with gig workers, as app platforms rise at Washington Post via Seattle Times. “The grocery chain Albertsons is laying off delivery workers and replacing them with gig and contract workers, a change that labor advocates and union representatives say is a direct result of the new California law that companies like Uber, Lyft and DoorDash sponsored last year.” Read more

 

PriceSmart Q1 net comp merch sales increase by 3.6% Press release

 

Shopify pulls Donald Trump stores off its platform at TechCrunch. “It’s a reversal of policy for the company, which had previously defended the rights of any customer to use the platform and a refusal to engage in what chief executive Tobias Lütke termed censorship.” Read more

 

Retailers, Beware: Shoppers Don’t Like to Be Watched Online at The Wall Street Journal. “The reason is that consumers dislike being observed while deliberating—to the point that many may react by not making a purchase if they think their shopping is being monitored, or by avoiding retailers that they know will watch them browse. That’s the gist of a recent paper published in the Journal of Consumer Research by Yonat Zwebner…” WSJ subs.

 

Instacart Announces Nick Giovanni Is Joining The Company As CFO “Before joining Instacart, Giovanni spent more than 20 years at Goldman Sachs…” Press release

 

U.S. Suspends Plan to Impose Tariffs on French Luxury Goods at Morningstar. “The suspended tariffs would have targeted a narrow list of French products, including handbags, soap, and cosmetics such as lipstick and nail polish.” Read more

 

**A message from Comfy Sacks bean bag chairs – stuffed with furniture-grade memory foam that cradles your body and resists compression. The premium bag category has seen amazing growth! Booklet | Video | Website | Request sample bag: info@eyeonretail.net

 

Wayfair to Pay All U.S. Employees a Minimum of $15 Per Hour Press release

 

Harris Teeter revamps fees for online shopping, adds incentives “Harris Teeter will waive the service fee on all ExpressLane orders over $100 and offer a tiered fee structure based on the online order value; minimum order must be $25.” Press release

 

New rules requiring travelers to have proof of a negative COVID-19 test before getting on a plane to Canada went into effect this week at Vancouver Sun. Read more

 

Best Buy Health VP, Sarah Jones, talks what’s next for senior tech in 2021 at Mobi Health News. “I know I work in digital heath, but I’m bearish on the idea that we have crossed the chasm, and we are never going to go back on these levels of adoption. If you look at the adoption rates of virtual from March to October you will see actually a downward trend.” Read more

 

The Buckle December comp sales +17.9% Press release

 

Rental home construction climbs as purchase prices surge at Fox Business. “…more than 50,000 houses were built specifically to serve as rentals during the 12 months ended Sept. 30, according to John Burns Real Estate Consulting. That tally — well above the 31,000 average over the past four decades — is likely low since it misses one-offs in which end use isn’t specified by building permits…” Read more

 

Tipsheet Extra

Costco opens new operations center in Oklahoma City, to bring 1,500 jobs

Walmart updates APIs, offers advice for marketplace sellers

There has been ‘10 years of innovation in 10 months,’ retail body says

New Senate majority jolts K Street

Smithfield Foods shakes up management team under new CEO

Read Tipsheet Extra Stories

 

**

Eye on Retail Tipsheet is must-read material for retail execs every weekday morning. Tipsheet stories are carefully curated bright and early every morning to ensure fresh and unique content.

 

Subscribe to Eye on Retail Tipsheet here

 

Contact us: Put your product or service in front of the most powerful retail execs in the world, send advertising inquiries to info@eyeonretail.net

 

Website: eyeonretail.net