Coronavirus cuts into Amazon profits despite sales gains at Fox Business. “Net sales increased 26 percent to $75.5 billion for the January-March quarter, compared to $59.7 billion during the same period a year earlier, Amazon announced.” Read more

 

…‘If you’re a shareowner in Amazon, you may want to take a seat’ — Amazon reports earnings, plans to spend all Q2 profits on coronavirus response at CNBC. “Beyond the results, the biggest news in Amazon’s report was that it plans to spend all of its profit from the second quarter — an estimated $4 billion — on responding to the coronavirus pandemic.” Read more

 

Walmart pays hourly staff nearly $180M in bonuses with ‘more to come’ at Fox Business. Read more

 

Amazon gives employees option to work from home until “at least” early October under new guidelines at GeekWire. “The move by the Seattle tech giant provides a potential bellwether for other companies in the larger discussion about when and how to bring teams back to the office when the COVID-19 outbreak starts to fade.” Read more

 

Walmart is piloting a pricier 2-hour ‘Express’ grocery delivery service at TechCrunch. “…promises orders in two hours or less for an upcharge of $10 on top of the usual delivery fee. The service has been in pilot testing across 100 Walmart stores in the U.S. since mid-April. Walmart says it plans to expand the service to nearly 1,000 stores in early May and it will be offered in a total of nearly 2,000 stores in the weeks after.” Read more

 

J.Crew’s weekend plans might include filing for bankruptcy at NY Post. “The company is working to secure $400 million in financing to fund operations in bankruptcy, the report added, cautioning that timing could still slip, and plans are not yet finalized.” Read more

 

Floor & Decor Q1 comp sales +2.4% Press release

 

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Bed Bath & Beyond taps new finance chief, head of stores and digital at CNBC. “The company has tapped Gustavo Arnal as chief financial officer, effective May 4, CNBC has learned. Arnal joins the company from beauty conglomerate Avon, where he served as chief of finance.” Read more

 

Dillard’s will re-open 55 locations beginning Tuesday, May 5th Press release

 

Target, Walmart workers and others plan ‘sickout’ protests over coronavirus safety at CNBC. “While it’s unclear how many Target employees, along with those working for other companies, will stay home, Ryan said there are at least 100 Target stores and distribution centers where at least one worker has agreed to a sickout pledge.” Read more

 

Amazon has grown to more than 935,000 employees worldwide, including 95,000 new hires in just the past few weeks at GeekWire. Read more

 

Field Agent asks parents: Are you spending more or less on your children in these categories? Report

 

Macy’s will survive. It has a role to play in American retail, CEO Jeff Gennette says at CNBC. “All of (the WFH) has changed Gennette’s perspective of work from home…“The work piece [for me] is easy. The mix between personal and professional life, is harder,” the CEO admitted. “When can I turn off and give my family a few hours? We don’t have that decompression time anymore.” Read more

 

Apple says ‘a few’ US retail stores could reopen in May at The Verge. Read more

 

The cash register has emerged as the most dangerous place in the store, according to public health and worker safety experts at CNN. “The plexiglass barriers companies have put up are of limited help, some cashiers say, because customers lean over or around the barriers to talk to them. “It doesn’t cover us properly,” said one Target cashier in Louisiana affiliated with the workers’ advocacy group Target Workers Unite.” Read more

 

Tipsheet Extra

Grocery store cashiers work inside plastic tents amid coronavirus

As meat plant infections rise, Canada lets packers choose when to close

Coronavirus quarantines lead to new restaurant membership program

Condom sales go limp as coronavirus keeps hookups on lockdown

In Venezuela eggs cost more than a month’s wages

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