“At Target, shoppers scramble for 3.1 Phillip Lim bags” by Tiffany Hsu at LA Times.  “Shoppers quickly swooped in to a tight circle around the pile, hovering, agitated, as workers loaded the purses on the display and barked at those who got too close.  As soon as the OK was given, fashionistas by the fistful swarmed toward the bags, creating a 30-second scramble of shouting and flailing arms before the crowd picked the rack clean.  “It was out of control,” (a shopper) said of the throng. “This was painful. It was crazy.”  Read more / See the video

 

“Home Depot CEO Talks (& Demos) Tools” by Wendy Bounds at WSJ via Nasdaq.  “Home Depot CEO Frank Blake shows how innovation is changing traditional tools — from Rust Oleum’s NeverWet to a leaf blower & drill powered by the same Lithium Ion battery, and a flashlight that can be submerged in water and dropped from 30 feet.”  See the video

 

“Savvy shoppers figuring out retailers’ price codes” by Susan Salisbury at Cox Newspapers.  “Target marks down items every week in set increments, starting at 15 percent, then 30 percent, 50 percent, 70 percent and so on up to 90 percent, according to the Krazycouponlady.com. The tiny number in the price tag’s upper right corner indicates the percentage of markdown.  For the Target-obsessed, here is what Krazycouponlady says is its markdown schedule…”  See more retailer codes

 

“Walmart Launches New Instagram Page”  Follow them

 

“House GOP takes step forward on Internet sales tax legislation” by Bernie Becker & Brendan Sasso at The Hill.  “House Judiciary Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-Va) is expected to release his own set of principles on the issue in the next week or two, according to sources who are closely watching the legislation.  The principles are a sign of fresh momentum for online sales tax legislation after Goodlatte and other top Republicans in the House — including Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) — voiced deep skepticism about the Senate-passed Marketplace Fairness Act.”  Read more

 

“Walmart Is Making Its Suppliers Reveal And Phase Out Toxic Chemicals” by Ariel Schwartz at Fast Company  “While Walmart refuses to reveal the chemicals on its list, we can guess what some of them may be based on other recent high-profile announcements. Last week, Procter and Gamble announced that it will eliminate triclosan (a carcinogenic antibacterial) and pthalates (a group of chemicals that mimic hormones) from its products. And in 2012, Johnson and Johnson announced a plan to remove triclosan, pthalates, parabens (another kind of hormone disrupter), and formaldehyde from all personal care products.”  Read more

 

“CVS Caremark Showcases Obamacare Program”  “CVS/pharmacy will also be hosting approximately 5,000 in-store events with health insurance experts, including representatives of state exchanges and local health plans. In addition, in September, representatives from Get Covered America will be available at CVS/pharmacy Project Health free health screening events.”  Read more

 

“Dick’s Sporting Goods Opens 532nd Store”  “The El Paso, TX location will be the retailer’s 20th store in the state of Texas and its 532nd nationwide. The new store will feature over 40 in-store services performed by DICK’S certified PROS in Golf, Bike, Hunting, Fishing, Team Sports and more.”  Read more

 

“13-Year-Old Makes $100K Reinventing the Scooter Wheel” by Gabrielle Karol at Fox Business News.  “Over a year ago, the entrepreneurial eighth-grader began researching manufacturers who could reinvent the wheel, so to speak. He says he finally located a manufacturer in California to make a durable, polyurethane wheel that would be tougher than the breakable plastic wheels found on most scooters.  “I made a step-by-step design with all of the dimensions and they did it,” says Pinto, who borrowed $2,000 from his parents to create 500 wheels, bringing his fledgling company LB Scoots to life.”  Read more

 

“World population to peak at 8.7 Bil by 2055;  Decline to 8 Bil by 2100” by Kiran Moodley at CNBC.  “”The world is approaching a major turning point in its demographic trajectory and we think that the shift is likely to be sooner and sharper than mainstream projections suggest,” said Deutsche’s global strategist, Sanjeev Sanyal.”  Read more

 

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