Home Depot buying equipment rental company for $265M by David Allison at Atlanta Business Chronicle. “Fort Mill, S.C.-based Compact Power Equipment has been a business partner of Home Depot’s since 2008. The companies’ partnership began with three pilot equipment centers at Charlotte, N.C., stores, and by 2015 had grown to 1,000 Home Depot stores across the U.S. and Canada.” Read more

 

Wal-Mart de Mexico Sales Pick Up in June via Fox Business. “Same-store sales in Mexico rose 7.2% in June, thanks to 0.2% more customers who spent on average 7% more per visit. Newly opened stores contributed another 1.4 percentage points to sales growth. In Central America, same-store sales rose 6.1% and total sales were 10.4% higher in local currency terms.” Read more

 

Prime Day details from Amazon Press release

 

Sears Canada files motion to suspend retiree benefits by Erica Alini at Global News. “Sears said it will seek court approval to suspend $3.7 million worth of monthly payments toward the defined benefit component of the Sears Registered Retirement Plan. The company is also hoping to temporarily stop pouring money into its post-retirement health and dental benefit plan, which costs approximately $800,000 a month on average before tax, and its post-retirement life insurance premiums, for which payments amount to $245,000 monthly plus tax.” Read more

 

Actually, Amazon now says it’s not developing its own wines by Jason Del Rey at Recode. “11 hours after publication, Amazon now says that the winery’s press release was incorrect (it has now been updated) and that Amazon had no hand in the development of the wine; Amazon.com is simply a retail sales channel for the new wine brand at launch.” Read more

 

Meijer Bringing Store-to-Door Delivery to Chicago and Rockford “Shipt memberships are available for an annual fee of $99 and members have access to free delivery on all orders over $35. For orders under $35, there is a $7 delivery fee.” Press release

 

Nike’s plan to sell shoes via Instagram could spark a 20% rally in the stock, analyst says by Tae Kim at CNBC. “The analyst cited how Nike “has by far the largest number of followers” on Instagram versus its competitors. He added the firm’s social media interactions with customers are more than four times higher than Adidas.” Read more

 

Emerald Expositions selects Denver for the site of all Outdoor Retailer tradeshows Press release

 

Amazon Prime memberships jump nearly 35% year over year in the US by Matt Linder at Internet Retailer. “CIRP’s data shows that Prime members, on average, tend to spend nearly twice as much per year ($1,300) on Amazon as non-Prime members ($700).” Read more

 

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French grocer’s YouTube video takes un petit jab at Amazon Go by Angel Gonzalez at Seattle Times. “The parody was a good opportunity for Monoprix — a subsidiary of the retail giant Casino that specializes in relatively small-format stores located in city centers across France — to draw attention to a feature it launched many years ago. The parodywas “very well received,” reaching some 27.1 million people, the spokeswoman said.” Video/Read more

 

Amazon is opening another pickup location in Chicago near DePaul University by Karis Hustad at Chicago Inno. Read more

 

So Long, Hamburger Helper: America’s Venerable Food Brands Are Struggling by Annie Gasparro & Saabira Chaudhuri at Wall Street Journal. “A lot of what’s crept into big companies is internal focus, bureaucracy, PowerPoint presentations—the antithesis of agility,” said Sean Connolly, chief executive of Conagra Brands Inc., maker of Hunt’s ketchup, Peter Pan peanut butter and Chef Boyardee.” Read more (subs.)

 

Amazon is the most popular destination for shoppers searching for products online by Monica Nickelsburg at GeekWire. “29% of respondents said they begin looking for products on Amazon, compared to 15% who said search engines.” Read more

 

The 10 most valuable brands in the world at MarketWatch. List

 

Amazon ‘Bring Your Kids to Work Day’ attracts 8,000 children to Seattle campus by Kurt Schlosser at GeekWire. Video/Read more

 

Cato Reports June Same-Store Sales Down 16% Press release

 

Forget an IPO, Coin Offerings Are New Road to Startup Riches by Paul Vigna at Wall Street Journal. “Two obscure companies with no sales raised nearly $400 million combined in recent days from outside investors. How did they do it? Via a new, unregulated fundraising method that has no connection to Wall Street and is based in the world of cryptocurrencies.” Read more (subs.)

 

L Brands shares fall after reporting bigger-than-expected sales miss in June at CNBC. “The operator of stores such as Victoria’s Secret and Bath & Body Works said same store sales fell 9 percent last month, worse than the 7 percent decline expected by analysts in a Thomson Reuters survey.” Read more

 

Ocean Beach residents not sold on new Target Express store by Abbie Alford at CBS 8. “I am going to die inside if that really happens,” said Chapter One Tattoo Owner, Cash Scott. Another Ocean Beach resident, Landon DeBano said, “it’s too corporate for OB.” Video/Read more

 

Tipsheet Extra Stories

Teens’ backyard target practice led to death of Fred’s employee

HuffPo smacks down Smithfield and Big Bacon (side shot at Costco)

Milwaukee Summerfest sues Red Lobster over chain’s promotions

Drunk driver plows into garden center at Walmart store

Nirvana’s 1988 Radio Shack Performance Has Surfaced Online: Watch

N.J. anglers get staggering $2.8M for giant tuna following court decision

He shot him in the chest — then took him to Walmart, not the hospital

Read Tipsheet Extra Stories

 

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