Walmart using ‘Star Wars’ to start Christmas push in August by Lisa Fickenscher at NY Post. “The discounter will kick off its Christmas marketing plans on Friday with a Toy Week that will feature plenty of items tied to “Star Wars: The Force Awakens.” It’s the earliest Walmart has ever kicked off its holiday push.” Read more

 

Report: Amazon lays off “dozens” in hardware group as it rethinks Fire Phone by Jacob Demmitt at GeekWire. “The group also is reportedly slowing down development of some of its most ambitious projects, like a large-screen tablet. The company had once planned a less feature-packed version of the phone, but that project has been postponed indefinitely, according to the WSJ.” Read more

 

Jobs cuts likely in the Wal-Mart supplier community by Kim Souza at The City Wire. “The City Wire has learned that some of the Wal-Mart HQ job reduction is coming in the marketing department…One of the hardest jobs to fill in the local supplier community is that of replenishment manager. These jobs also have the highest turnover rate, according to local recruitment specialist Scott Crossett of Cameron Smith & Associates.” Read more

 

Amazon Curtails Development of Consumer Devices by Greg Bensinger at WSJ. “In recent weeks Amazon has dismissed dozens of engineers who worked on its Fire phone at Lab126, its secretive hardware-development center in Silicon Valley, according to people familiar with the matter. The layoffs were the first in the division’s 11-year history, these people said.” Read more (Subscription)

 

Wayfair building massive distribution center near Cincinnati airport by Tom Demeropolis at Cincinnati Business Courier. “A joint venture between Dermody Properties, a national industrial development and operating company, and Hillwood Investment Properties will develop an 898,560-square-foot facility for Wayfair (NYSE: W) on a 52-acre site at 1600 Donaldson Road. “ Read more

 

Walmart Bars Sales Of AR-15s, Self-Defense Shotguns by Christian Lowe at Grand View Outdoors. “According to Walmart spokesman Kory Lundberg, the massive retailer will replace ARs and self-defense and competition shotguns with budget-oriented bolt guns, rimfire rifles and pump-action shotguns. The spokesman denied that politics had anything to do with the decision.” Read more

 

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CVS partners to explore virtual medicine by Jessica Barlett at Boston Business Journal. “CVS is hoping to make telehealth available through CVS Health’s digital properties, and would explore enabling its 1,000 MinuteClinics to consult with physicians.” Read more

 

Judge Scolds Wal-Mart For Doc Dump in Dukes Sex Bias Suit by Aaron Vehling at Law 360. “Wal-Mart Stores Inc. has nonsensically submitted “countless” documents in connection with multiple pre-trial summary judgment motions in the long-running Dukes gender bias suit, a California federal judge said Wednesday, ordering the retailer to share in the expense of shredding hundreds of folders worth of documents.” Read more (Subscription)

 

I’m fed up with retailers ‘body shaming’ plus-size women like me by Andrea Kuchinski at Fortune. “After the tears, I thought: There has to be another option. I quickly found that there wasn’t. The plus-size workout clothes I came across looked as if they had been designed for grandparents.” Read more

 

Tentative settlement reached in RadioShack gift card dispute at Dallas Morning News. “…some holders of RadioShack gift cards would be paid in full for their outstanding balances. Others who hold the electronic retailers’ gift cards, however, would be left with pennies on the dollar, if anything.” Read more

 

Lowe’s Brings Sci-Fi Driven Innovation to Bangalore “Lowe’s is expanding its network into Bangalore by launching a startup accelerator focused on developing priority technologies including augmented and virtual reality, 3D scanning and printing, and robotics.” Read the release

 

Woman who battled cancer as a new mom at Amazon offers feedback to Jeff Bezos by Taylor Soper at GeekWire. “I was nervous and excited to return to work, and I showed up that first day back with a big smile and a phone full of baby pictures to share…I was taken to lunch by a woman I barely knew. Over Cobb salad she calmly explained that all but one of my direct reports — the people I had hired — were now reporting to her…Not long after that I resigned.” Read more

 

Tipsheet Extra

New Bentonville project near Wal-Mart HQ will be ‘huge enhancement’

Former Target exec buys Bootleggers building

Vanilla Ice wants to open furniture store in Miami

Ad of the Day: Target Celebrates the Wonderfully Real Moments of Being a Star Wars Fan

Costco reps plead case at town gathering

Wayfair Announces Speakers for Inaugural Heart Home Conference

Amazon Prime Video Follows Netflix Into Japan

Read Tipsheet Extra Stories

 

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Eye-on-Retail Tipsheet is created early every weekday morning and read by retail merchants and executives worldwide. We love data, earnings reports, executive presentations and stories off the beaten path that get at what’s really happening in the world of retail. See our website at www.eyeonretail.net