Signs point toward FTC approving Walgreens-Rite Aid merger by Josh Kosman at NY Post. “The deal, if approved, would come with conditions, sources said. The FTC’s biggest concern is the merger will give the combined company too much power when negotiating prices with pharmacy benefit managers sources said.” Read more

 

Hudson’s Bay Q1 Comp Sales +4.4% / -1.0% (constant currency) “On a constant currency basis, comparable sales grew 2.3% at DSG and 0.7% at HBC Europe, offset by declines of 4.1% at HBC Off Price and 5.7% at Saks Fifth Avenue, resulting in a total comparable sales decline of 1.0%.” Read the release

 

Hudson’s Bay revenue beats after Europe expansion, online push via Globe & Mail. “I think the stock might come off a little bit but the overall tone is positive,” M Partners analyst Steven Salz said.” Read more

 

Person of interest in custody after explosion in Target bathroom at Pioneer Press via Chicago Tribune. “A woman has been taken into custody Thursday as a person of interest after a small bomb exploded in the bathroom of a Target store the day before, police said. No charges have been filed against the 44-year-old woman, police said in a news release.” Read more

 

Kroger CEO McMullen studying Main & Vine expansion by Steve Watkins at Cincinnati Business Courier. “That store has only been open a couple months,” (CEO McMullen) told me. “We’re still learning what parts of the store the customer likes and what parts the customer isn’t as enamored with. There are already changes we’ve made based on that initial customer feedback and changes in terms of some of the products we carry.” Read more

 

Lowe’s has a Tango AR app for home improvement projects by Billy Steele at Engadget. “…we’re also going to see new augmented reality software that make use of Google’s 3D mapping software tech. Lowe’s…has an app of its own that allows you to place appliances, add accessories and make other virtual tweaks to your house before you begin a project.” Read more

 

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AMAZON EFFECT – “I would love to be an e-commerce developer at Target right now because you just got a pay raise.” by Kavita Kumar & Jackie Crosby at Star Tribune. “What they’re doing here is part business, part symbolic,” said Gene Munster, a Minneapolis-based analyst who follows Amazon for Piper Jaffray. “The business side is pretty straightforward. Target has smart people that Amazon wants…” Read more

 

Wal-Mart to present at the dbAccess Global Consumer Conference “June 15. Brett Biggs, EVP and Chief Financial Officer of Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., will discuss the company’s key initiatives and participate in a Q&A session.” Read the release

 

Ad Age: Wayfair Brings Back the Earworm of All Jingles With New Music Video by Adrianne Pasquarelli. “Called “Wayfair Musical: the Remix,” the single-take commercial features 22 of the Boston-based retailer’s 4,604 employees dancing and promoting the brand to the tune of “Wayfair, you’re just what I need”—one of marketing’s stronger earworms.” Read more

 

Supervalu Files Amendment No. 1 to Form 10 for Possible Spin-off of Save-A-Lot Business “With the filing of Amendment No. 1 to the Form 10, SUPERVALU is continuing preparations to separate Save-A-Lot, although at this time there can be no assurance that a separation of Save-A-Lot will be completed.” Read the release

 

Wendy’s Breach Numbers About to Get Much Worse at Krebs on Security. “When news broke last month that the credit card breach at fast food chain Wendy’s impacted fewer than 300 out of the company’s 5,800 locations, the response from many readers was, “Where’s the Breach?” Today, Wendy’s said the number of stores impacted by the breach is “significantly higher” and that the intrusion may not yet be contained.” Read more

 

With no Cabela’s shareholders meeting planned, little to do but wonder what’s up by Paige Yowell at Omaha World-Herald. “Cabela’s has held its annual shareholders meeting by the second week of June for at least the past eight years. This year, the meeting isn’t even on the calendar. What’s different? The presence of Elliott Management, the New York hedge fund that declared an 11 percent stake in Cabela’s in October and has since pressed for changes…” Read more

 

Australia: Innovative web-based grocers are stealing a march on the major supermarket chains by Sue Mitchell at Sydney Morning Herald. “While Coles and Woolworths dominate the $90 billion grocery sector, accounting for around 75 per cent of supermarket sales, their share of the $1.8 billion online grocery market is estimated to be worth between 50 and 60 per cent.” Read more

 

Marketing Firm YA Hires Former Best Buy IT Chief as First CIO by Angus Loten at WSJ. “Marketing firm Young America, LLC has named former Best Buy senior technology manager Todd Carter as its first chief information officer.” Read more (subscription)

 

Judge confirms Macy’s $3.5M damage award from J.C. Penney in Martha Stewart case via Reuters. Read more

 

Customers join class action lawsuit against Dollar General over oil by Emily Rittman at KMOV 4 St.Louis. “Customers believe Dollar General failed to warn customers the oil can damage modern cars. But Dollar General says the warning is right there on the product.” See the video / Read more

 

How beer in a can became hot by Matt Clinch at CNBC. “The prime example of the recent growth that the industry can manage comes from Colorado’s Oskar Blues Brewery, the first craft brewery in the U.S. to brew and hand-can its beer. After producing 150 barrels of beer in 2002, it has surged to 192,000 barrels last year.” Read more

 

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