Lumber Liquidators to pay for safety testing of flooring by Michael Felberbaum at San Jose Mercury News. “Lumber Liquidators said the indoor air quality test kits that customers will receive are the same quality used by federal officials to test workplace exposure. So far, less than 1,000 customers have requested the testing kit. If tests show high levels of formaldehyde, the company said it will pay for further testing and may pay to reinstall flooring.” Read more

 

Iconic Target design partner Michael Graves dies by Jim Hammerand at Minn./St.Paul Business Journal. “Graves and Target started working together in 1998 with a line of housewares, but Graves said he had never stepped foot in a Target store before the partnership.” Read more

 

February Retail Sales Disappoint, As Winter Chill Cooled Shopper Spending by Barbara Thau at Forbes. “But there were some bright spots. February sales at sporting goods, hobby, and book and music stores rose 2.3% from January, and increased 3.3% year-over-year.” Read more

 

Tractor Supply Company CEO Greg Sandfort on creating the ‘Home Depot’ for farmers at Fox Business.  See the video

 

Shoppers complain Target Canada jacked prices ahead of sales by Jamie Sturgeon at Global News. “It’s not fair, you don’t raise prices then tell people it’s 10 to 30 per cent off, when it’s not,” Brzezinski said. “It’s probably a deceptive consumer practice.” Read more

 

Is Walgreens about to go shopping again? at Fortune. “The next big one will probably be in the U.S. because it is such a big market. It is a fascinating market,” (Stefano) Pessina, acting chief executive of Walgreens Boots, told the Retail Week Live conference.” Read more

 

Lowe’s: Kyle Nel, VP of Innovation Labs, Presents at SXSW Today  “Topic – How SciFi Drives Marketing In the Exponential Age.” See the schedule

 

Alibaba scoops up Seattle-area Amazon employees by Emily Parkhurst at Puget Sound Business Journal. Read more

 

Dollar General to Add 730 Stores this Year by Phil Wahba at Fortune.  Read more

 

Loblaw launches Naturally Imperfect program to sell undersized, blemished produce at Financial Post. “Bags of Naturally Imperfect apples and potatoes are already being sold in select grocery stores across Ontario and Quebec and cost up to 30% less than other fruits and vegetables.” Read more

 

Ontario: Large grocers will get wine, beer under Liberals’ plan by Martin Regg Cohn at Toronto Sun. “Grocery executives have been called in by a government-appointed panel to discuss “liberalizing the distribution of beer and wine in this province,” according to David Wilkes, a vice-present at the Retail Council of Canada. The discussions made it clear the government wants to “enhance choice and enhance convenience.” Read more

 

CVS says biotech drug copies may bring price cuts of 40-50 pct at CNBC. “The comments by CVS Health Chief Medical Officer Troyen Brennan suggest U.S. drug benefit managers will be pressing for much steeper discounts on new biosimilar drugs.” Read more

 

Hibbett Sports Q4 Comp +5.4%  Read more

 

Walt Disney announces ‘Frozen 2’ by Daniel Miller at LA Times. “No release date was revealed….Fans looking for a “Frozen” fix will have a chance to see their favorite characters on the big screen starting Friday. A new short film, “Frozen Fever,” will screen ahead of all showings of Disney’s live-action remake of “Cinderella.” Read more

 

…’Star Wars: Episode VIII’ snags a May 2017 release date at SF Gate. “Episode VIII” will take place after the events of “Star Wars: The Force Awakens,” which opens Dec. 18.” Read more

 

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