Neiman Marcus CEO Karen Katz Will Step Aside, Succeeded by Former Ralph Lauren Executive by Suzanne Kapner & Joann S. Lublin at Wall Street Journal. “Karen Katz, a Neiman lifer who has served as CEO and president since 2010, is stepping aside and will be succeeded by former Ralph Lauren executive Geoffroy van Raemdonck, the people said. Ms. Katz, 60 years old, plans to retire from her executive duties but will retain her board seat, the people said.” Read more (subs.) | CNBC article

 

Apple Says All Macs, iPhones and iPads Exposed to Chip Security Flaws by Mark Gurman at Bloomberg. Read more

 

Amazon grabbed 4 percent of all US retail sales in 2017 at CNBC. “One Click Retail found the fastest-growing product groups on Amazon.com in 2017 were luxury beauty (up 47 percent from a year ago), pantry items (up 38 percent), grocery (up 33 percent) and furniture (up 33 percent).” Read more

 

Macy’s Nov/Dec Comp Sales +1.0% Press release

 

…Macy’s announces 5,000 job cuts, 7 new store closures by Nathan Bomey at USA Today. “The moves are part of a plan announced in August 2016 to close 100 stores. Altogether, the company has now revealed 81 of the 100 locations.” Read more

 

Sears closing 64 Kmart stores and 39 Sears stores, all of which are expected to shut between early March and April at CNBC. Read more

 

…J.C. Penney CEO Warns Sears: We’re Coming for Your Appliance Business by Phil Wahba at Fortune. “We’re going after Sears and we’re going after market share that we think is going to be available not only now but as they continue to contract” Ellison said.” Read more

 

Baltimore Retailers Forced to Hire Security Guards During Holiday Season Due To Uptick In Crime at CBS Baltimore. “The money came from business owners and retailers who paid for more than a dozen private officers, who roamed downtown Baltimore for about two weeks, including the Inner Harbor for the New Year’s fireworks show.” Video/Read more

 

Apple’s Angela Ahrendts says it took years to figure out the key to success by Mark Matousek at Business Insider. “…in a 2010  commencement address  she gave at her alma mater, Ball State University, she said she hadn’t discovered the secret to her success until she was asked to give the speech. “This speech-writing journey forced me to stop and reflect, in a way I haven’t done in years,” she said.” Read more

 

List of 69 Gander Outdoors Retail Store Locations Scheduled to Open in 2018 Press release

 

**A message from deVaca – Give decaf coffee drinkers the natural product they’re looking for. Great tasting – caffeine free – non-GMO coffee substitute. Grown & roasted in Colorado. Fill the natural caffeine free gap in your coffee assortment. Sell sheet | Sample: info@eyeonretail.net

 

Prediction: Facebook emerges as a real challenger to Craigslist by Jason Del Rey at Recode. “Facebook’s Marketplace had a rough start when it launched in late 2016. But a year later, the site has morphed into a thriving bazaar of used goods with a surprisingly healthy amount of both buyers and sellers.” Read more predictions

 

Ex-Walmart.com CEO Carter Cast says Walmart store closures are a good sign for e-commerce at CNBC. 3:40 video/Read more

 

Cash-Strapped Venezuela Offers to Pay for Medicines With Diamonds by Kejal Vyas at Wall Street Journal. “Bartering is also creeping into daily street transactions for staples, partly because the government is too broke to print enough currency. The so-called Strong Bolivar, which the government created in 2008 by lopping three zeros off its previous currency, lost 97% of its value in 2017 alone.” Read more (subs.)

 

Walgreens said Thursday that it expects to close its acquisition of 1,932 Rite Aid stores in the spring by Nathan Bomey at USA Today. Read more

 

Claire’s says lab results rebut Asbestos claims at CNBC. “We also confirmed that the talc ingredient that is used in the cosmetics was sourced from Merck KGaA and is asbestos free. Any report that suggests that the products are not safe is totally false.” Read more

 

Avoid Romaine Lettuce for Now, Consumer Reports Says Read more

 

Panera’s pay-what-you-want restaurant to close via KMOV 4. “Customers paid, on average, about 85 percent of the suggested price. (Exec Chairman) Shaich says that proves people are “fundamentally good.” Read more

 

Amazon’s search for studio head is “a better show than anything Amazon has on the air right now” according to one industryite by Cynthia Littleton at Variety. Read more

 

Tipsheet Extra Stories

This Is The Man To Blame For The Term ‘Bomb Cyclone’

How to lose over 50 pounds – work in an Amazon warehouse

Online Retailer JD Follows Alibaba Into the Supermarket Game

Casey’s planning $35 million HQ expansion

Tech giant is rolling out new robots to replace workers in supermarkets

Marijuana Crackdown by Sessions Leaves GOP Fearing 2018 Backlash

Whole Foods’ Walter Robb to Keynote SFA 2018 Leadership Awards

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