Hasbro, Lego launch online services in Toys ‘R’ Us’ absence by Lisa Fickenscher at NY Post. “We are rethinking the way we go to market,” Scott Stroud, Hasbro’s vice president of e-commerce and direct-to-consumer businesses, told The Post. “We have the ability to provide the quality, access and make sure that this is the premier way to buy” Hasbro products, he said.” Read more

 

Several companies have suspended advertising on YouTube, including Nestle, Epic, and reportedly Disney and McDonald’s by Catherine Shu at TechCrunch. “YouTube creator Matt Watson posted a video and in-depth Reddit post describing how pedophiles are able to manipulate the platform’s recommendation algorithm to redirect a search for “bikini haul” videos, featuring adult women, to exploitative clips of children.” Read more

 

…On YouTube, a network of paedophiles is hiding in plain sight by K.G. Orphanides at Wired. “Comments beneath scores of videos appear to show paedophiles sharing timestamps for parts of the videos where exposed genitals can be seen, or when a child does the splits or lifts up their top to show their nipples.” Read more

 

Neighborhood Goods raises $14.5 million and is opening a store in New York at CNBC. “Since its inception and grand opening in Texas, Neighborhood Goods has been a buzz in the retail industry. Tennis superstar Serena Williams launched her new clothing line there. Many people keeping up with retail…view Neighborhood Goods as a model of where the industry is headed.” Read more

 

Stitch Fix’s radical data-driven way to sell clothes–$1.2 billion last year–is reinventing retail by Lauren Smiley at Fast Company. Read more

 

Amazon Reportedly Has Lord of the Rings Writers in a Locked Office With a Guard and Fingerprint Scanner by Tom McKay at Gizmodo. Read more

 

Cable shopping channel Evine hires Target exec Theresa Schmidt by Jackie Crosby at Star Tribune. “…as vice president of its fashion and accessories division. Schmidt spent more than 12 years moving up the ranks at Target…She started as senior buyer and for the past year has managed a $16 billion division as the retailer’s vice president of planning, apparel and accessories.” Tiered subs.

 

SpartanNash Q4 Net Sales +0.6% Press release

 

Amazon exec says A.I. in health care is finally moving beyond hype at CNBC. “AI is medicine is not a new concept,” Kass-Hout said…He noted that the past year has seen a massive uptick in research papers that use “prediction and natural language understanding” in a variety of new ways. Despite that, he also cautioned that AI tools have been overhyped.” Read more

 

Loblaw profit beats expectations at Financial Post. “The company said retail same-store sales, both in the food and drug segments, grew 1.7 per cent in the quarter.” Read more

 

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Walmart is quietly taking charge of its rail operations by Rachel Premack at Business Insider. “Walmart is taking control of their supply chain through a pilot program in which the $500 billion retailer uses name-brand freight containers designed in-house. The pilot is only in Southern California.” Read more

 

Serena Williams joins online retailer Poshmark’s board of directors at CNBC. Read more

 

Walmart’s ‘Baby Savings Day’ event is Saturday at these stores List

 

JD.com’s drones take flight to Japan in partnership with Rakuten by Jon Russell at TechCrunch. Read more

 

Duke’s Zion Williamson blows out his shoe, injures knee, and Nike gasps in horror at MarketWatch. Read more

 

Target will extend its trendy kids’ clothing line, Art Class, to toddlers at A Bullseye View. Read more

 

Tipsheet Extra Stories

Much hand-wringing over new nail salon’s unsubtle name

Driver runs over eight people — twice — outside a 7-Eleven store killing pregnant woman

Canadian shelves ‘would run dry’ if U.S. imports drugs

Chuck & Don’s 45 pet stores bought by PE firm

Walmart shift from ‘people greeters’ to ‘customer hosts’ threatens disabled man’s job

Read Tipsheet Extra Stories

 

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