Mexico union threatens Home Depot strike at Reuters. “Spurred on by labor protections in the new North American trade deal, a top Mexican trade union has accused Home Depot of blocking union activity and threatened strikes next week if the U.S. home improvement chain does not improve pay and benefits for workers.” Read more

 

Peter Navarro puts Amazon and eBay on notice: The China trade deal cracks down on counterfeits at CNBC. “The Amazons and the Alibabas, Shopify, they have been facilitators of the Chinese counterfeiting. So, if we’re going to enforce this deal, it’s going to be a big part of that is scrutinizing this,” the White House trade advisor warned.” Read more

 

U.S. retail sales rise steadily; labor market tightening at Reuters. “The Commerce Department said retail sales increased 0.3% last month. Data for November was revised up to show retail sales gaining 0.3% instead of rising 0.2% as previously reported…Compared to December last year, retail sales accelerated 5.8%.” Read more

 

Advocate, the largest Chicago-area physicians group, is closing immediate care clinics at seven Walgreens pharmacies due to “unsustainable” patient volumes by Stephanie Goldberg at Crain’s Chicago Business. Read more

 

Amazon Sought $1 Billion in Incentives on Top of Lures for HQ2 by Shayndi Raice & Dana Mattioli at Wall Street Journal. “As Amazon.com Inc. began a search for a second headquarters in 2017, and billions in economic incentives that would go with it, Chief Executive Jeff Bezos and senior executives set another goal: to secure an additional $1 billion for other real-estate projects…The unusually large goal was due to high capital investment costs that year, said one of the people.” WSJ subs.

 

Bose is closing all of its retail stores in North America, Europe, Japan, and Australia by Chris Welch at The Verge. “That adds up to a total of 119 stores (closing), according to a spokesperson. “In other parts of the world, Bose stores will remain open, including approximately 130 stores located in Greater China and the United Arab Emirates; and additional stores in India, Southeast Asia, and South Korea,” the company told The Verge by email.” Read more

 

Groupon Names TBWA\Chiat\Day New York Creative Agency of Record Press release

 

**A message from Sweets & Snacks Expo. Save the date: May 19-21, 2020 at McCormick Place in Chicago. Your year starts here. Website/Register

 

India’s trade minister isn’t impressed with Amazon’s new $1 billion investment in the country by Manish Singh at TechCrunch. Read more

 

mcguffin: The 25 Best-Known Unicorn Brands: DoorDash #5 / Postmates #11 / Instacart #12 List

 

Amazon Picks Manchester Over London for New U.K. Corporate Office at Bloomberg/Yahoo. Read more

 

Payless ShoeSource emerges from bankruptcy—again at CNBC. “…with a renewed focus on its international operations…Payless is still operating in Latin America, Southeast Asia and the Middle East. It has more than 710 stores, including those with franchises, in more than 30 countries.” Read more

 

Amazon to open new ‘themed’ pop-up store at Seattle HQ by Nat Levy at GeekWire. “The Seattle location will be the sixth in a new generation of Amazon Pop Up stores… The website for the company’s retail stores calls the new Pop Up concept “a physical extension of Amazon.com,” with inventory regularly swapped out as part of rotating themes. The Las Vegas location is focused on cameras, for example, and other stores offer a Food Network theme.” Read more

 

NRF Welcomes Phase One Trade Deal with China but Says Remaining Tariffs Must End Press release

 

Sears Advisers Have Racked Up $200 Million in Fees as Vendors Await Payment by Soma Biswas at Wall Street Journal. “Of the more than $200 million in fees and expenses already billed by restructuring professionals, Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP, Sears’s main bankruptcy law firm where top partners charge $1,695 an hour, billed the estate more than $65 million through October. Paul Weiss, where top restructuring lawyers charge $1,560 an hour, billed Sears more than $20 million through October.” WSJ subs.

 

Jeff Bezos: Anyone who denies reality of climate change is ‘not being reasonable’ at CNBC. “We have sent robotic probes to every planet in the solar system — this is the good one,” he said. “There are no other good planets in this solar system. We have to take care of this one.” Read more

 

The merger of the National Grocers Association (NGA) and Retailer Owned Foods Distributors & Associates (ROFDA) falls through at Progressive Grocer. Read more

 

Publix promotes Norman Badger to VP of Product Business Development for Bakery and Meat Press release

 

Amazon’s Patrick Gauthier says retailers should prepare for voice commerce by Lisa Lacy at Adweek. Adweek subs.

 

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