Best Buy says some customers could be affected by data breach of third-party vendor by Kavita Kumar at Star Tribune. “Best Buy spokesman Jeff Shelman said the number of customers potentially affected is similar to that of Delta and Sears, which have said hundreds of thousands of customers could have been affected.” Read more (tiered subs.)

 

Furious customers say they’ve been mysteriously locked out of their Amazon accounts — and they have no idea why by Kate Taylor at Business Insider. “Customer trust is one of Amazon’s top priorities,” an Amazon spokesperson told Business Insider. “To protect that trust, we take a number of actions, including closing accounts that have violated our policies.” Read more

 

U.K. Retailers Post Worst Sales Slump Since 2008 by Sam Chambers at Bloomberg. “…as two snowstorms dubbed the “beasts from the east” kept shoppers at home. Comparable sales in midmarket stores dropped 10.1 percent in March, the second-worst month on record, business advisory firm BDO LLP said.” Read more

 

David Cheesewright joins Walmart Canada as part-time consultant by Kim Souza at Talk Business. Read more

 

Target/Google Assistant voice-activated coupon ends early by Mark Reilly at Minneapolis/St.Paul Business Journal. “Though the coupon offer was initially supposed to run through April 21, it apparently ended early. A Target spokesperson told Adweek, “The promotion was popular and we hit our goals early.” Read more

 

Walmart completes due diligence for buying into India’s Flipkart at Reuters. “A deal is far from finalised, however, and talks between the two parties and investors in Flipkart are ongoing, said a third source.” Read more

 

Amazon and UPS have been quietly fighting over the post office’s cost structure — long before Trump at CNBC. “The central issue is the 5.5 percent minimum “institutional” cost contribution requirement from the post office’s package business, which competes with UPS and FedEx.” Read more

 

Instacart raises another $150M to double staff by Nat Levy at GeekWire. Read more

 

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Target agrees to $3.7M settlement over job-screening bias claim by Dan DeBaun at Minneapolis/St.Paul Business Journal. “The proposed settlement, which still requires court approval, calls for priority employment for eligible blacks and Latinos who applied at Target after May 11, 2006 and were denied employment because of criminal background checks.” Read more

 

Former Home Depot chairman and CEO Frank Blake to speak at Aptos Conference Press release

 

Walmart Pickup Towers are headed to the Charlotte market by Jennifer Thomas at Charlotte Business Journal. “…part of a larger plan…to add more than 500 of those units across the country in 2018. That will give it more than 700 towers by the end of the year…” Read more

 

Amazon Key expands nationwide, but controversial in-home package delivery does not by Nat Levy at GeekWire. Read more

 

Walmart rolls back plan to withdraw from program for people with intellectual disabilities at CBC News. “Last week, Walmart said it was phasing out the program, which gives 19 people job experience at stores across Quebec.” Read more

 

Los Angeles day laborers allege discrimination and threats at some Home Depots by Anabel Munoz at ABC 7. “We respect the right of Home Depot to secure their premises but this has clearly crossed the line,” said IDEPSCA’s Maegan Oritz. “It is important that we send a message and we stand up against these changes and attacks against workers…”added Flor Rodriguez with the Los Angeles Worker Center Network.” Video/Read more

 

Feds on the hunt for masked thieves who swiped $350K from Target vault by David K. Li at NY Post. “The FBI released surveillance video of two crooks strolling into the Riverdale department store at 40 W. 225th St. (the Bronx) at about 8:08 a.m. on March 26.” Surveillance video/Read more

 

Ex-Men’s Wearhouse CEO Sells $18 Million Hawaii Compound by Kathryn Hopkins at WWD. 14 pics/Read more

 

Toys R Us bankruptcy created ‘the perfect storm’ for Ollie’s Bargain Outlet, says CEO at Mad Money on CNBC. “Hopefully, a lot of [Toys R Us customers] or many of them or some of them are going to come to Ollie’s and buy toy closeouts,” the CEO said. “I think it’s a win-win on both sides of the equation for us.” Video/Read more

 

Inside Amazon’s $250M ‘Lord of the Rings’ Deal by Tatiana Siegel at Hollywood Reporter. “With the clock ticking, Amazon must be in production within two years, according to the terms of the pact. When production expenses like casting, producers and visual effects are factored in, the series is expected to cost north of $1 billion.” Read more

 

Tipsheet Extra Stories

Krebs: Secret Service Warns of Chip Card Scheme

Wayfair gets a shoutout from Trump-lampooning Dr. Evil on ‘Tonight Show’

Canada: Tim Hortons falls 40 spots in annual reputation ranking

Defective Goodyear tires may have caused 95 deaths or injuries in past 20 years

Bloomberg: Let’s Stop Giving Retailers a Free Pass on Data Breaches

Read Tipsheet Extra Stories

 

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