As holidays approach, CDC puts shopping at crowded stores on Black Friday in high-risk category at CNBC. “The CDC is also discouraging other common holiday rituals that could become public health threats amid a pandemic. Among them, it warned of the risks of participating in Turkey Trots or other crowded races, attending crowded parades and gathering for large indoor events with extended family or friends.” Read more

 

Amazon Prime Day set for Oct. 13-14 after pandemic-related delay at GeekWire. “The company is using this year’s Prime Day to show support for small businesses. Amazon said it will give Prime members a $10 credit to use on Prime Day when they spend $10 on items sold by select small companies. It is also spending $100 million on promotional activities to help them increase sales and reach.” Read more

 

Grocers Stockpile, Build ‘Pandemic Pallets’ Ahead of Winter at Wall Street Journal. “Southeastern Grocers LLC secured holiday turkeys and hams over the summer, months before it normally starts inventory planning…Associated Food Stores recently started building “pandemic pallets” of cleaning and sanitizing products so it always has some inventory in warehouses.” WSJ subs.

 

Walmart picks EG Group founders, TDR Capital as preferred bidders for Asda: Sky News at Reuters. “Walmart, whose attempt to sell Asda to UK rival Sainsbury’s for 7.3 billion pounds was thwarted by Britain’s competition regulator last year, said in July it restarted talks with potential buyers of a majority stake in the supermarket chain.” Read more

 

Amazon quietly introduces mail surveillance at CNET. “The $30 Mailbox Sensor snuck in with Ring’s other news on an under-the-radar announcement page. Orders open Oct. 8.” Read more

 

Neiman Marcus is notifying employees of a new round of staff cuts by Maria Halkias at Dallas Morning News via Chicago Tribune. “Significant staff cuts at both its Neiman Marcus and Bergdorf Goodman stores have started this week. The company didn’t say how many people are permanently losing jobs. “We plan to separate from selling and non-selling associates,” the Dallas-based luxury retailer said in emailed statement.” Read more

 

…Neiman Marcus emerges from Chapter 11 bankruptcy amid COVID-19 at NY Post. “Its restructuring plan eliminated more than $4 billion of debt and $200 million of annual interest expense. The luxury department store chain said it had a new board of directors, including former LVMH North America Chairman Pauline Brown and former eBay Chief Strategy Officer Kris Miller.” Read more

 

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Postmates posted a loss of just $32.2 million in Q2, compared to a loss of $73 million in Q1, nearly cutting its cash burning in half at TechCrunch. Read more

 

Amazon Announces Plans to Create 3,500 Jobs at Vancouver and Toronto Tech Hubs Press release

 

Neiman Marcus CEO shows off mansion while employees get pink slips at NY Post. “The 11-page PaperCity spread showcases the “1927 Italianate-style house” van Raemdonck shares with his interior-designer husband, Alvise Orsini, which is filled to the brim with expensive touches, including artworks by Andy Warhol, “silk cover walls” and 18th-century French and Italian furniture.” Read more

 

Cockroaches, porn and a bloody pig mask: How eBay harassed bloggers at CNN. “Although EcommerceBytes is a tiny trade publication aimed at eBay sellers, (CEO) Wenig hate-read it frequently. “We are going to crush this lady,” Wenig texted Steve Wymer, eBay’s former communications chief in April 2019, after one critical blog posted on EcommerceBytes’ website, the Times reported.” Read more

 

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