No-tariff shipments popular with Shein, Temu hit US customs speedbump at Reuters. “U.S. Customs and Border Protection announced late last week it suspended “multiple” brokers from an expedited clearance program for those duty-free, direct-to-consumer imports partly over concerns that contraband was being brought into the country this way. While the agency did not specify a number, customs experts they were aware of up to six suspended companies.” Read more

 

Costco May comp sales +6.4% Press release

 

Costco plans to stop selling books year-round at NY Times/Seattle Times. “Beginning in January, the company will stop stocking books regularly, and will instead sell them only during the holiday shopping period, from September through December. During the rest of the year, some books may be sold at Costco stores from time to time, but not in a consistent manner, according to the executives, who spoke anonymously in order to discuss a confidential business matter that has not yet been publicly announced.” Read more

 

Bentonville is booming, and getting more expensive at CNBC. “The population of Bentonville shot up from 36,000 in 2010 to 58,000 in 2022, and it’s on track to grow to 200,000 people by 2050, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. The town has more cranes per capita than any other U.S. city, according to Cushman & Wakefield/Sage Partners.” Read more

 

Dollar Tree, Inc. Q1 comp sales: Dollar Tree +1.7%; Family Dollar +0.1%; Enterprise +1.0% Press release

 

…may sell off struggling Family Dollar Press release

 

Costco’s Japan wages provide pathway to firing up nation’s low pay, economy at Reuters. “When Costco Wholesale opened its warehouse in a rural Japanese town not far from Tokyo last year offering hundreds of jobs at eye-popping pay, a nearby noodle shop chain took a drastic step: it hiked hourly wages by a third…it has Costco to thank for the influx of shoppers into town, contributing to a 40-50% jump in its revenues.” Read more

 

Walmart offers bonus program to about 700,000 hourly US store workers at Reuters. “Both part-time and full-time associates will be eligible for a financial bonus of up to $1,000 a year…” Read more

 

Influencers Are Driving a New Category of Unionizing: Pharmacists at WSJ. “With social-media handles like “The Accidental Pharmacist,” “RxComedy” and the hashtag #PizzaIsNotWorking, a small group of social-media influencers late last year co-founded the Pharmacy Guild, a union affiliated with the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers…To date, four CVS Health-owned pharmacies have filed to unionize. Last month, workers at two Rhode Island CVS stores voted overwhelmingly to join the Guild.” WSJ subs.

 

Chairman and CEO of Chipotle elected as Director of Walmart Board Press release

 

…Walmart shareholders elect new board, bid Rob Walton farewell at Talk Business. “Rob is the last Walton to have inside experience as an employee early on and then board chairman for more than two decades,” said Alan Ellstrand, associate dean of the Sam M. Walton College of Business at the University of Arkansas. “He is also likely the only director to have longtime meaningful interactions with Sam.” Read more

 

Amazon’s Project PI AI looks for product defects before they ship at The Verge

 

lululemon Q1 comp sales +6.0% Press release

 

Workers at TJ Maxx and Marshalls are wearing police-like body cameras at CNN. “TJX is one of the only retailers speaking publicly about body cameras and posting job openings with specific details of the cameras in the job description. The primary responsibilities of one job at a Marshalls in Miami Beach, Florida, are to maintain a “proper and professional stance” at the front of the store, act as a “visual deterrent to prevent potential loss/dishonesty” and wear a company-issued body camera.” Read more

 

The most patriotic brands in America (Walmart #6, Amazon #10, Target #34) at Brand Keys. Top 100 list

 

REVERSE ATM – Want to Pay Cash? That’ll Cost You Extra at WSJ. “It has been a pretty wild shift,” said Will Pymm, senior vice president at RedyRef, a New Jersey-based company that supplies reverse ATMs to carnivals, restaurants and stadiums. “Probably one of the biggest we’ve seen for a specific product, in such a short amount of time.” RedyRef said it more than doubled its shipments of reverse ATMs in the first five months of the year compared with the same period in 2023.” WSJ subs.

 

Lego thefts across Southern California leave police trying to piece together clues at LA Times. “…two suspects have allegedly stolen more than $100,000 in Lego merchandise from six Bricks & Minifigs stores…” Read more

 

Work on Walmart Inc.’s new Bentonville HQ nearing the finish line at Arkansas Democrat Gazette. “Walmart Inc.’s new headquarters will be ready for workers to start moving in around the first of the year…” NWA Online subs.