Retail sales fall 0.8% in January from December as shoppers pause after strong holiday season at Yahoo/AP. "Excluding sales at auto dealerships and gas stations, sales were down 0.5%. The decline was bigger than the 0.10% drop that economists expected and marked the lowest monthly figure since March of last year." Read more   Target's latest answer to inflation angst: A new brand with prices starting at $1 at Minneapolis Star Tribune. "Dealworthy will replace Smartly, a smaller private-label, low-cost brand Target started in 2018 ...Target is also revamping one of its larger and more popular owned brands, Up&up. [...]

  Kroger pledges to lower prices for consumers when its planned merger with Albertsons closes at MarketWatch. "Kroger Inc., facing regulatory pushback over its plan to merge with rival grocery chain Albertsons Cos. Inc. in a roughly $25 billion deal, said Tuesday it typically lowers prices for consumers after consummating a deal." Read more | Press release   NYC may ban detergent packs including Tide Pods in latest ‘green’ crackdown — with fines up to $1,200 for selling them at NY Post. "Polyvinyl alcohol, or PVA, is used as a film in pods that dissolves in water during a wash [...]

  Snoop Dogg, Master P allege Walmart, Post Foods hid their cereal in sabotage plot at CNBC. "Walmart said...“We will respond as appropriate with the Court once we are served with the complaint."...At a media briefing Tuesday announcing the lawsuit, Master P said the suit “is about minority-owned companies getting a fair share.” Snoop Dogg said, “We ain’t build this brand to sell it.” The rappers are being represented by high-profile civil rights attorney Ben Crump." Read more   Costco January comp sales (ex. gas & f/x) +3.4% "This year’s retail month of January had one less shopping day due to the [...]

  Costco Announces Richard Galanti Will Step Down as CFO, Names Gary Millerchip New CFO "Gary (served) as Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer at The Kroger Co. since April 2019. Gary spent 15 years at The Kroger Co., preceded by more than 20 years in banking...Richard will remain with the Company through January 2025, serving in an advisory role." Press release   ...Kroger names Todd Foley, group vice president, corporate controller and chief accounting officer, as interim CFO...will name a CFO successor at a later date Press release   Luxury Retailers Are Buying Out Their Landlords at WSJ. [...]

  Amazon Could Face Government Order Making It Liable for Third-Party Products at WSJ. "The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission is preparing an order that could classify Amazon’s online retail business as a distributor of goods, according to people familiar with the matter. That designation could give Amazon the same safety responsibilities as traditional retailers and potentially open Amazon up to lawsuits and extensive recalls over items sold through its website." WSJ subs.   Lululemon to launch first men’s footwear line as it chases growth in crowded athletic apparel space at CNBC. "The retailer is debuting its first casual sneaker, [...]

  Retail return fraud is rising as consumers send back purchases in droves at CNBC. "Retailers expect 16.5%, or $24.5 billion worth, of holiday returns to be fraudulent this year, according to a survey by Appriss Retail and the National Retail Federation." Read more   Prisoners in the US are part of a hidden workforce linked to hundreds of popular food brands at AP. "The goods these prisoners produce wind up in the supply chains of a dizzying array of products found in most American kitchens, from Frosted Flakes cereal and Ball Park hot dogs to Gold Medal flour, Coca-Cola [...]

  Retailers Return to Bringing in Inventory ‘Just in Time’ at WSJ. "The ratio of inventories to sales at general-merchandise retailers, which tracks how much companies have in stock compared with what they sell, fell to 1.36 in November from a pandemic-era peak of 1.5 in August 2022, according to the Census Bureau. That compares with 1.33 in November 2019. “We’re basically right back in line with where we were in 2019, which I think is where folks want to be,” said Jason Miller, a logistics professor at Michigan State University." WSJ subs.   Macy’s could get takeover bid from buyout [...]

  The Labor Union That Defeated Amazon Is Fighting for Survival at WSJ. "The union’s financial position is one of its most pressing obstacles. The organization is “pretty much broke,” said Michelle Nieves, its vice president...The Amazon Labor Union’s momentum from its victory quickly faded. The group lost two subsequent votes at other Amazon warehouses and has failed to unionize another Amazon facility." WSJ subs.   Gucci owner pays nearly $1B to scoop up tower on red-haute Fifth Avenue at NY Post. "... it could mean the boot for rival fashion house Armani from its flagship location. Gucci’s parent Kering scooped [...]