Marimekko for Target was no Lilly Pulitzer, but still signs it was a success by Kavita Kumar at Star Tribune. “Ecommerce analytics firm Slice Intelligence says the merchandise helped bring new customers to Target.com and increase spending on the site. About 38 percent of those who shopped the collection online had not shopped Target.com in the previous six months.” Read more

 

J.C. Penney flips home sales focus from furniture to appliances by Maria Halkias at Dallas Morning News. “(J.C. Penney) is moving forward into the major home appliance business and will be adding kitchen and laundry showrooms to 500 of its stores by this fall and online later this summer. Also, Penney has two more home department tests in the works: It will sell flooring with national carpet and flooring company Empire Today.” Read more

 

…What Sales Problem? J.C. Penney Profit Still on Track by Phil Wahba at Fortune. “J.C. Penney said on Monday that its profit in the first fiscal quarter came in higher than expected, providing reassurance to investors worried that its turnaround may be stalling and subtly refuting a media report last week saying weak April sales were hurting its bottom line.” Read more

 

AMAZON’S WORKFORCE NEARLY A QUARTER OF A MILLION – Full-time jobs at Amazon grow at rapid pace in first quarter by Angel Gonzalez at Seattle Times. “The employment data, disclosed on a website Amazon dedicates to portraying its economic impact in the U.S., comes at a time of rapid expansion at the tech and retail giant, which in the quarter added a net 14,400 full-time and part-time employees to an international workforce that now reaches 245,200. That represented a 6.2 percent increase from the end of December.” Read more

 

Retired Kroger Exec to Address Xavier Students by Erin Caproni at Cincinnati Business Courier. “Recently retired Kroger Co. group vice president of corporate affairs and current executive director of the Child Poverty Collaborative Lynn Marmer will address the 709 undergraduates who will receive degrees at 9 a.m. on Saturday.” Read more

 

Gap’s Bloodbath Continues As April Sales Plummet by Phil Wahba at Fortune. “The Gap brand’s comparable sales fell 4% last month, while at Old Navy the drop was 10%, and at Banana Republic it was 7%. That compares to analyst expectations for Gap rising 0.5%, a tiny 0.1% drop at Old Navy, and a 5.9% decline at Banana, according to Consensus Metrix.” Read more | Press release

 

FDA Seeks to Redefine ‘Healthy’ by Annie Gasparro at WSJ. “What’s healthier than a Pop-Tart? Not almonds, according to today’s regulatory rules…The FDA said in a statement to The Wall Street Journal that in light of evolving nutrition research and other forthcoming food-labeling rules, “we believe now is an opportune time to reevaluate regulations concerning nutrient content claims, generally, including the term ‘healthy.’ Read more (subscription)

 

**A message from 2016 Sweets & Snacks Expo – The Expo is Only Two Weeks Away!  The 2016 Expo is sold out and will set an all-time record in volume of confectionery and snack products with more than 720 companies showcasing nearly four acres of product innovation. Don’t miss the one place where more confectionery and snack retailers and manufacturers come together to get inspired, make connections and find new best sellers. See this year’s exhibitors | 2016 New Exhibitors | Retail execs on the taste panel | Website

 

The Container Store co-founder and CEO Kip Tindell steps aside by Maria Halkias at Dallas Morning News. “Sharon Tindell will become president in addition to her current job of chief merchandising officer. She’s practically a co-founder, and over the years has discovered more storage and organization products and adapted them for the consumer market than anyone in the industry.” Read more

 

Lumber Liquidators sales sink 10.2% amid struggle to reassure customers via CNBC. “Sales at the company’s stores open at least a year fell 13.9 percent in the first quarter. Analysts on average had expected a 12.6 percent drop, according to research firm Consensus Metrix.” Read more

 

Q&A with Brian Tilzer, chief digital officer of CVS Health by Mark Brohan at Mobile Strategies. “18.8 million people have enrolled in text messaging and in 2015 CVS sent 300 million prescription text messages reminders to customers and generated 13 million mobile visits per month, accounting for 3 million weekly visits on average.” Read the Q&A

 

To combat image issues, Walmart bets big on its own newsroom by Shareen Pathak at Digiday. “Next: It’s working on a podcast about Walmart…Since becoming more proactive, Mitchell said there has been a 15 percent lift in reputation for the company — mostly in a change in how people perceive Walmart’s treatment of employees.” Read more

 

Report: Dick’s Sporting Goods could get 180 stores out of Sports Authority auction via MarketWatch. “Canaccord analysts believe Dick’s could “quickly take over 80 stores,” but they believe the sporting goods chain could acquire up to 180 leases.” Read more

 

Ex-Lowe’s Exec Joins Dollar Tree Board “At Lowe’s, (Gregory) Bridgeford was promoted to chief customer officer in 2012, after serving as executive vice president of business development since 2004. Bridgeford joined Lowe’s in 1982.” Read the release

 

Q&A with Hudson Bay President Liz Rodbell by Craig Dowden at Financial Post. “One of the more challenging pieces of feedback I received was one of the best and I got it shortly after I started working with Lord & Taylor. I was very results driven, as I am today, but I didn’t understand the full perspective of the company. The guidance was about stepping back and looking at the bigger picture and realizing that it wasn’t just about my results.” Read the Q&A

 

Amazon Sets the Table for Its Own Meal Kit Delivery Service by Eugene Kim at Business Insider. “Tyson Foods CEO Donald Smith reaffirmed in its earnings call on Monday that it’s working with Amazon Fresh on a new “chef-inspired, meal kits service” called Tyson Taste Makers for launch this fall.” Read more

 

Ingles Markets Q2 Comp +1.6% Read the release

 

Dollar General plans Georgia DC and 500 jobs via Atlanta Business Chronicle. Read more | Press release

 

Record-Breaking Container Ship Ends Brief U.S. Service by Erica E. Phillips at WSJ. “In February, CMA CGM…named Shelley McMillon, wife of Wal-Mart Stores Inc. Chief Executive Doug McMillon, “Godmother” of the vessel. At the time, CMA CGM founder and Chief Executive Jacques Saadé told the crowd that the company was so confident in the U.S. economy and the demand for freight capacity that the carrier planned to launch six more vessels of the same size…” Read more (subscription)

 

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