“Amazon Expands Same-Day Delivery to 12 Cities”  “City & order cut-off time:  Baltimore: 11:00 a.m.; Boston: 11:00 a.m.;  Chicago:  7 a.m.; Dallas: 12:15 p.m.;  Indianapolis: 11:30 a.m.; Los Angeles: 12:15 p.m.;  New York City (and parts of New Jersey): 8:00 a.m.; Philadelphia: 8:30 a.m.; Phoenix: 12:15 p.m.; San Francisco:12:15 p.m.; Seattle: 12:15 p.m.; Washington, D.C.: 11:00 a.m.”  Read more

 

“Amazon adds search filters for same-day delivery service” by Jay Greene at Seattle Times.  “Prime subscribers will need to pay $5.99 for the service; non-Prime members will pay at least $9.98 for rapid delivery…The online retail giant introduced its “Get It Today” search filter in Los Angeles, Phoenix, San Francisco, as well as Seattle. Amazon said the filter will be available in eight other cities where same-day deilvery is available “soon.”  Read more

 

Consumer Reports:  “What to buy at Costco and what to skip”  “Skip:  Toilet paper. Though it’s quite soft, Kirkland Signature toilet paper offers only so-so strength and tearing ease, making it an also ran in our toilet paper Ratings. Though it costs twice as much, White Cloud 3-Ply Ultra, a Walmart exclusive, combines superb strength and softness.”  Read more

 

“There’s a funny story behind Porch.com’s huge new deal with Lowe’s” by Teresa Novellino at Upstart Bus. Journal.  “The director of business development at Lowe’s, who had read about Porch.com in a small, niche trade publication for remodelers, reached out to the under-the-radar Seattle startup in a most unusual way. She applied for a job.  “It was the only way she had of connecting with us—we were in stealth mode,” Ehrlichman told me. “She couldn’t reach us any other way.”  Read more

 

“As Target upgrades credit cards, it may stand alone” by Krystina Gustafson at CNBC.  “But there’s another reason Riley doesn’t expect other retailers to follow Target’s lead: The fact that there is so much change under way involving new technologies in the payment category.  “In fact, if they do, I think it’s a little bit premature,” he said.”  Read more

 

“Publix:  Q1 Same-Store Sales +4%”  “Publix’s sales for the first quarter of 2014 were $7.8 billion, a 4.1 percent increase from last year’s $7.5 billion.”  Read the release

 

“Rite-Aid: April Same-Store Sales +5%”  “April front-end same store sales increased 4.7 percent, with 4.6 percent of the increase attributable to a shift in the timing of Easter.”  Read the release

 

“Ingles:  Q2 Same-Store Sales +2.5%”  “Comparable store sales excluding gasoline and extra Easter 2013 sales, increased 2.5% over the comparable quarters. The number of customer transactions (excluding gasoline) increased 0.5%.”  Read more

 

“Las Vegas Loses Amazon Same-Day Delivery” by Greg Bensinger at WSJ.  “While Amazon is expanding same-day delivery, it is ending the service in Las Vegas, an original site for the service and where Amazon operates a shipping warehouse just north of the city. A spokeswoman said that the company is always testing new services and delivery areas, but declined to discuss why Las Vegas is losing its same-day delivery.”  Read more

 

Canada:  “Loblaw plans to battle Amazon and Wal-Mart with online food operation” by Marina Strauss at Globe & Mail.  “By later this year, grocer Loblaw Cos. Ltd. will launch a test e-commerce site that will include fresh food, with a “click and collect” operation that will allow consumers to order groceries from its website and then pick them up at the stores after employees have packed the goods. The company anticipates an aggressive roll-out if the pilot works out.”  Read more

 

“Target bosses distance themselves from Celebrity Photog Terry Richardson” at Star Pulse.  “Bosses at U.S. retailer Target have joined editors at Vogue magazine in distancing themselves from celebrity photographer Terry Richardson following his recent sex scandal…Target spokesman Joshua Thomas says in a statement, “We worked with Terry on a campaign for one of our limited-edition collaborations. We have no plans to work with him in the future.”  Read more

 

“Google same-day shoppers order candy, baby food and climbing gear” by Heather Somerville at San Jose Mercury News.  “Most common purchase by city: San Jose: mayonnaise; Sunnyvale: baby food; Palo Alto: Nutella; Mountain View: climbing gear;  Menlo Park: candy;  San Mateo: coffee; Most popular days for orders: Sunday and Monday.”  Read more

 

“H-E-B exec spills beans on possible new plants and an online-grocery service” by Sanford Nowlin at San Antonio Bus. Journal. “McCullough says H-E-B also expects to announce an online-sales operation this year…He declined to discuss specifics about the online operation, however.  “It will be a world-class offering you’ll be very excited about,” McCullough adds.” Read more

 

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Have a great weekend!