Ollie’s Bargain Outlet Q4 comp sales +5.4% “Fiscal 2019 outlook: Opening 42 to 44 new stores, with no planned relocations or closures.” Press release

 

Top 50 large and small companies that have the brightest futures at Comparably.com via USA Today. “Costco #7, Home Depot #21, Amazon #32.” Ranked lists

 

Shoe Carnival Q4 comp sales +4.7% Press release

 

Food Lion and five sister U.S. grocery chains will use AI for food suppliers by Jennifer Smith at Wall Street Journal. “The technology provides “one logical view of inventory across the brands,” allowing buyers to aggregate demand across thousands of stores, said Chris Lewis, executive vice president of supply chain at Retail Business Services LLC, Ahold’s U.S. business services company.” WSJ subs.

 

At Home Q4 comp sales +2.1% Press release

 

…At Home Promotes Peter Corsa to President Press release

 

Forrester says Home Depot has top retail app by Sarah Mahoney at MediaPost. “While Home Depot was far out in front, the report also singles out Sephora, Walmart and Target for their mobile capabilities, noting that all four are able to add customer value beyond m-commerce.” Read more

 

Fortune 500 Employment Brand Rankings (Walmart & CVS #34, Amazon #44, Target #60) by WilsonHCG Download report

 

PetSmart Lenders Said to Push Back on Proposal to End Chewy Rift at Bloomberg Law. “Lenders holding more than half of the company’s loan told Wilmington Trust, the administrative agent, they they don’t consent to a proposed amendment to the debt, the agent said in the memo.” Subscription

 

JCPenney hires CFO Bill Wafford from The Vitamin Shoppe Press release

 

Costco Auto Program Exceeds 650,000 Vehicles Sold in 2018 “…an increase of more than 25 percent compared to 2017; significantly outpacing total industry sales, which increased 0.6 percent, according to Automotive News.” Press release

 

Amazon opens its curated storefront for the 2019 Coachella Music Festival Press release

 

Grocery Shopping with Gen Z Report by Field Agent. “More Gen Zers (48%) said they’re currently shopping at Walmart than 40-60 year olds (39%)… For all the talk of how Gen Z will be relatively more prone to shopping their values and less prone to brand loyalty, such differences aren’t meaningfully reflected in the results of this survey.” Download report

 

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Columbia Sportswear elects Kevin Mansell, Ex-Kohl’s CEO, to its Board of Directors Press release

 

How Best Buy shifted from being retail-led to customer relationship driven by Nadia Cameron at CMO. “Measuring commercial success in retail must shift away from traffic and conversion rates to how many customers you have relationships with and how you retain those customers in a way that’s relevant to them. That’s the view of Best Buy CEO, Hubert Joly, who took to the stage at this year’s Adobe Summit…” Read more

 

Target announces new climate goals at A Bullseye View. “…committing that 80 percent of our suppliers will set science-based reduction targets on their Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 2023.” Read more

 

Sears ends retirees’ life insurance benefits by Lauren Zumbach at Chicago Tribune. “Olbrysh said the retirees’ association was under the impression that life insurance benefits would be secure as long as Sears had not fully wound down its business.” Tiered subs.

 

UPS Begins Using Drones to Transport Medical Samples at North Carolina Hospitals at Fortune. Read more

 

GameStop is doubling down on its investment in surging esports industry at CNBC. “Among them is the establishment of the GameStop Performance Center in Frisco, Texas, which will serve as the headquarters of Complexity Gaming, an esports team owned by Jerry Jones of the Dallas Cowboys and real estate investor John Goff. The 11,000-square-foot center will open in May and will share a location with the Dallas Cowboys headquarters.” Read more

 

Tipsheet Extra Stories

Fearful of fake news blitz, U.S. Census enlists help of tech giants

McDonald’s wants to become the Amazon of fast-food

Women are running ‘Rings’ around men on the Billboard Hot 100 in 2019

Monster catfish caught in Cabela’s King Kat Tournament

Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants: Winners Announced for 2019

Read Tipsheet Extra Stories

 

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