Surging online orders slow Wal-Mart delivery network by Eric M. Johnson & Nandita Bose at Reuters. “With massive volume going through our system, there were some orders that took extra time, much like other major e-commerce sites,” Wal-Mart spokeswoman Danit Marquardt said of the week of Thanksgiving. “A vast majority of orders are shipping on time now,” she added.” Read more

 

Dollar General reveals 2,000 store plan – Q3 comp sales +4.3% “For fiscal 2018, we have plans to execute approximately 2,000 real estate projects comprised of 900 new stores, 1,000 store remodels and 100 store relocations.” Press release

 

Gift card crime fueling opioid addiction across the US by Contessa Brewer & Scott Zamost at CNBC. “When you’re suffering from addiction, any length means any length,” said Kristen Booth, 23, who has been arrested twice for retail return fraud in connection with gift cards. Booth was among four patients who candidly spoke to CNBC at Gateway Community Services, a drug rehab center in Jacksonville, Florida.” Read more/Video

 

Adobe: U.S. shoppers have spent $65.15 billion so far from Nov. 1 to Dec. 5, up 14.7 percent from last year by Taylor Soper at GeekWire. Read more

 

…Smartphone shopping represents 40.3 percent of total e-commerce traffic thus far (8.5 percent came from tablets), and 22.3 percent of revenue (10.1 percent from tablets) Read more

 

Walgreens takes 40% stake in leading Chinese retail-pharmacy by Gina Hall at Chicago Business Journal. “GuoDa was formed in 2004, is headquartered in Shanghai, and operates more than 3,500 retail pharmacies across 70 cities…The region is currently the world’s second-largest pharmaceutical market.” Read more

 

Walmart Changes Its Legal Name to Reflect How Customers Want to Shop Press release

 

Home Depot CEO says mortgage deduction changes ‘not as big a deal’ as people think by Courtney Reagan at CNBC. “Only about 20 percent of Americans deduct mortgage interest, and the numbers show less than 5 percent of folks have a mortgage greater than $500,000,” (Craig Menear) said.” Read more (subs.)

 

**A message from the sink that reduces E-coli & Staph bacteria by 99%! Infused with Silver Ions, the i-on inhibits growth of millions of germs. Addresses need for foodborne illness solutions. Install in restaurants, hospitality, schools, hospitals, home & utility to create a Handwashing Only Zone. Sell sheet | Request sample @ info@eyeonretail.net

 

Amazon is killing Walmart in paid search, study says by Jade Scipioni at Fox Business. “Analysis from Adthena, showed that Amazon’s share of ad spend on desktops sits at just over 15.35%, the largest among other retailers studied, including Walmart and Target.” Read more

 

Demise of athleisure greatly exaggerated as Lululemon sales surge by Hollie Shaw at Financial Post. “Total comparable sales were up 8 per cent in the quarter, while online revenue climbed 26 per cent.” Read more

 

The Recode 100 – The people in tech, business and media who mattered in 2017 (Bezos #1, Lore #19) List/Read more

 

Dollarama Q3 Comp Sales +4.6% Press release

 

Jos. A. Bank sales decline slows in third quarter by Holden Wilen at Baltimore Business Journal. “Comparable sales at Jos. A. Bank increased 4.9 percent primarily due to an increase in transactions and average-unit retail…Jos. A. Bank has 493 stores, 57 fewer than a year ago.” Read more

 

NRF Foundation Announces 25 People Shaping Retail’s Future 2018 List of 25

 

Wal-Mart de Mexico November Comp Sales +7.6% by Anthony Harrup at Wall Street Journal. “Walmex, served 1.2% more customers who spent on average 6.4% more per visit. Same-store sales in Central America rose 6.9% from a year before.” Read more (subs.)

 

Sonos and Ikea are collaborating on sound products for the home by Fitz Tepper at TechCrunch. “In typical corporate fashion there’s no concrete details about what specific types of products the two will collaborate on. And since the products won’t launch until 2019, it may be a while before we know what exactly will result from the collaboration.” Read more

 

What’s Driving Walmart’s Digital Focus? Paranoia, Top Exec Says by Brian O’Keefe at Fortune. “For us, a big part of it is being paranoid,” said Walmart chairman Greg Penner on Thursday at the Fortune  Global Forum in Guangzhou, China. “We’re at our best when we’ve got a competitor that’s really challenging us.” Read more

 

Acosta: More shoppers are choosing at which store to shop based on how much they like the store brand (53 percent of shoppers versus only 34 percent in 2011) Press release

 

It’s Amazon’s World—But Do You Want to Live There? by Katherine Bradley at Wall Street Journal. “It’s 5:30 p.m. on a Saturday and I’m on Day Six of my Amazon diet. An Amazon diet is when you use as many products and services from Amazon as possible and live in an apartment that looks like what would happen if Jeff Bezos’s brain threw up.” Read more (subs.)

 

Tipsheet Extra Stories

Saks Fifth Avenue owner admits summer layoffs sparked chaos

San Fran supervisor proposes ban on delivery robots – settles on a permitting system

Apple Is Leading a Revolution in Office Chairs

Walmart parking lot shooting leaves cop injured, 2nd person dead

Ford recruits Alibaba to help break into China’s electric vehicle industry

Read Tipsheet Extra Stories

 

**

Eye on Retail Tipsheet is must-read material for retail execs every weekday morning. Tipsheet stories are carefully curated bright and early every morning to ensure fresh and unique content.

 

Subscribe to Eye on Retail Tipsheet here

 

Contact us: Send story tips, press releases and advertising inquiries to info@eyeonretail.net

 

Website: www.eyeonretail.net