“Shrinking Walmart stores will impact suppliers” by Kim Souza at The City Wire.  “As Wal-Mart Stores continues to focus on a smaller footprint for some of its stores, suppliers will see less shelf space and analysts say there is no time to waste in planning a survival strategy.  The Bentonville-based retail giant recently announced it would build 125 new supercenters this year at a cost of $2 billion. Total square footage on the new supercenter prototype is 140,000, shrinking from 169,000 in 2010. That’s 17% smaller than supercenters built four years ago.”  Read more:  https://www.thecitywire.com/node/27581#.UX-h6bWG3X4

 

“Home Depot signs on with Weather Channel Twitter effort” by David Goetzl at Media Post.  “The Weather Co. is pitching the opportunity to include a link within promoted tweets that allows immediate (in-tweet) video viewing.  The retailer will integrate its “Project of the Week” videos within the tweets, which can be targeted by location, passions and other characteristics. Twitter cards technology allows for the integrated video.  Read more:  https://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/199221/weather-channel-launches-twitter-effort.html#ixzz2RwbK2YA0

 

“Target Unveils Curated Gadget Assortment in Partnership with WIRED”  “Target Corporation and WIRED, a media brand and trusted source for the latest innovative technologies for consumers’ lifestyles, are offering WIRED Editors’ Picks for Target, a custom-curated assortment of consumer electronics and gadgets designed to simplify and enhance digital music streaming, photography, personal fitness and more. The assortment includes existing Target products as well as four products available for the first time at Target.”  Read more:  https://www.businesswire.com/portal/site/home/permalink/?ndmViewId=news_view&newsLang=en&newsId=20130429005587&div=-1245645151

 

“Kroger ending double coupon program at NC grocery stores” by Amy Dunn at News Observer.  “The grocery chain’s Facebook page was flooded over the weekend with mostly negative comments, with several posters referencing J.C. Penney’s problems…Kroger spokesman Carl York said in an email that stores in the chain’s Mid-Atlantic region would stop doubling coupons as of May 12…The decision to halt double coupons comes three months after Cincinnati-based Kroger discontinued the practice of doubling the value of coupons in its home market of Cincinnati, along with neighboring markets in Dayton and Northern Kentucky.”  Read more:  https://www.newsobserver.com/2013/04/29/2858816/kroger-ending-double-coupon-policy.html#storylink=cpy

 

“Woolworth’s/Lowe’s Australian Joint Venture Facing Losses up to $800 Million: Analyst” at Inside Retail.  “The report by Merrill Lynch analyst David Errington claims that Woolworth’s venture with US group JV Lowe’s could lose an average of $200 million a year for the next four years…”If our forecast earnings are correct an asset impairment would be highly probable,” said Errington, who has been critical of Wooloworths’ venture in the past.”  Read more:  https://www.insideretail.com.au/IR/IRNews/Report-predicts-Masters-blowout-8204.aspx

 

“Publix, Kroger Cite Social Media Challenges, Opportunities” by Mark Hamsta at Supermarket News.  ““Content is absolutely key,” said Irby, who is a member of the Coca-Cola Retailing Research Council, which presented the session. “Content means being able to talk with customers about a topic, about issues, about things that are on their mind. If you are not prepared to have conversations about those topics and add value to that conversation, without the conversation being all about you, then you are irrelevant in social media.  Read more:  https://supermarketnews.com/retail-amp-financial/publix-kroger-cite-social-media-challenges-opportunities#ixzz2RwdsRmyd

 

“Best Buy plans to exit Europe by selling stake to Carphone” at Reuters.  “The move is the latest sign the world’s largest consumer electronics chain is scaling back its overseas ambitions to focus on its mainstay U.S. business, which faces cut-throat competition from the likes of Wal-Mart Stores Inc and Amazon.com Inc.”  Read more:  https://www.reuters.com/article/2013/04/30/us-bestbuy-carphone-idUSBRE93T06820130430?feedType=RSS&feedName=businessNews

 

“Online Ads Can Now Follow You Home” by Spencer Ante at WSJ.  “Last summer, Expedia began a trial with mobile ad technology provider Drawbridge Inc., which uses a “triangulation” method to try to figure out when a mobile user is the same person as a desktop user.  Drawbridge sends cookies to desktop and mobile browsers to track the ads being requested by the devices. If the patterns show enough in common—using the same Internet address at similar times, for instance—the company figures there is a good chance they are from one anonymous user.”  Read more:  https://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887324482504578453223207072376.html?mod=pls_whats_news_us_business_f

 

“Safeway names new CEO” by Heather Somerville at Mercury News.  “Safeway named Robert Edwards, the company’s president, to replace outgoing CEO Steve Burd as head of the nation’s second-largest supermarket chain.  Safeway announced Monday that Edwards would become chief executive and join the board of directors after Burd’s official retirement in two weeks.”  Read more:  https://www.mercurynews.com/business/ci_23133401/safeway-names-new-ceo

 

“Staples’ First 3D Printing ‘Experience Centre’ goes live (The Netherlands), powered by Mcor Technologies”  “This is historic – it’s the first time a major mainstream retailer has provided 3D printing to the public,” said Mcor Technologies co-founder and CEO Dr. Conor MacCormack. “Staples Easy 3D and the Experience Centre, both using Mcor 3D printers, is a perfect way to introduce the world to the magic of 3D printing”  Read more:  https://media.prnewswire.com/en/jsp/latest.jsp?resourceid=6746814&access=EH

 

Thanks for reading…

 

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