Costco April comp sales +5.6% Press release   Organized retail theft ring that targeted Macy’s, other retailers is charged in New York at CNBC. "Two New Yorkers were charged with possessing more than $1 million in stolen goods and reselling them through their business, Rehana’s Cosmetics, a perfume and cosmetics store in Midtown Manhattan, the borough’s district attorney Alvin Bragg said at a press conference. About $212,000 of the merchandise was stolen from Macy’s..." Read more   Insiders reveal why Walmart pulled the plug on Sam Walton’s dream to ’get the hospitals and doctors in line’ at Fortune/Yahoo. "While [...]

  Amazon launches a Prime-free marketplace in South Africa, its first on the continent at TechCrunch. "Amazon is launching in South Africa without its famous Prime membership program...initially it plans to sell international brands and local products spanning some 20 product categories..." Read more   Target treks off the beaten path - by selling its own-brand products at other retailers at Fortune/Yahoo. "...plans to expand its Cat & Jack children’s clothing line across 85 Hudson’s Bay Co. Canadian department stores, adding outerwear and shoes to the brand’s 1,400 items...Since the partnership launched in March, the brand has been incredibly popular [...]

  Wayfair shares surge 17% after furniture retailer cuts losses by more than $100 million at CNBC. "Sales fell to $2.73 billion, down more than 1% from $2.77 billion a year earlier. The steepest drop-off came from Wayfair’s international segment, where sales declined nearly 6%..." Read more | Press release   Sprouts Q1 comp sales +4.0% / +7 new stores = 414 stores total Press release   Publix Q1 comp sales +2.8% Press release   Loblaw Q1 revenue +4.5%, as Reddit group's boycott kicks off at CBC   DoorDash Q1 total orders increased 21% year-over-year Press release   NLRB judge [...]

  Walmart Takes On Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods With New Premium Brand at WSJ. "...introducing a line of premium food called Bettergoods this year, aiming to attract new, often higher income shoppers more frequently...The new brand took years to develop and will include foods such as cardamom rose raspberry jam for $5.24 and curry chicken empanadas. Walmart plans to add more than 300 Bettergoods items to shelves this year—many of which will cost $5 or less." WSJ subs.   ...products will fit within one of three major areas...items with more of a culinary flair...items that are plant-based...or items that [...]

  Tractor Supply Q1 comp sales +1.1% Press release   Amazon aggregator Thrasio loses CEO, other top execs as company works through bankruptcy at CNBC   Home Depot and Walmart US CEOs say 'employers should value skills above degrees' in WSJ op-ed at Fox Business. "The American dream isn’t dead, but the path to reach it might look different for job seekers today than it did for their parents," Decker and Furner wrote. "While a college degree is a worthwhile path to prosperity, it isn’t the only one." Read more   ...WSJ op-ed Subs.   ...President and CEO of Walmart US, [...]

  Amazon launches low-cost grocery delivery subscription plan in US at Reuters. "...unlimited grocery delivery at $9.99 per month on orders over $35 from Whole Foods Market, Amazon Fresh, and other local grocery and specialty retailers on the platform, including Save Mart, Bartell Drugs, Rite Aid and Pet Food Express...available in over 3,500 cities...SNAP (individuals) would...pay a reduced $4.99 fee per month for the same perks and do not require a Prime membership..." Read more   Walmart-backed fintech One introduces buy now, pay later as it prepares bigger push into lending at CNBC. "Walmart’s majority-owned fintech startup One has begun [...]

  Inside Amazon’s Secret Operation to Gather Intel on Rivals at WSJ. "For nearly a decade, workers in a warehouse in Seattle’s Denny Triangle neighborhood have shipped boxes of shoes, beach chairs, Marvel T-shirts and other items to online retail customers across the U.S. The operation, called Big River Services International...is an arm of Amazon that surreptitiously gathers intelligence on the tech giant’s competitors...Big River uses its sales across multiple countries to obtain pricing data, logistics information and other details about rival e-commerce marketplaces, logistics operations and payments services, according to people familiar with Big River..." WSJ subs.   Amazon exec [...]

  Look inside Amazon’s gigantic new Oregon warehouse, its biggest in the Northwest at The Oregonian. "Five stories tall, 105 feet high, it’s the company’s largest fulfillment center in the Northwest and one of its largest anywhere in the world...Amazon expects to employ around 1,500 at the Woodburn site when it opens late this year or early in 2025. As operations ramp up, the company expects it could have 2,800 working on site before long, and as many as 3,500 Woodburn employees during busy periods. Some neighbors in the small community eye the 3.8 million-square-foot facility with apprehension..." Read more/Pics [...]