September existing home sales jump 9.5%, but ‘prices are rising too fast’ as supply remains tight at CNBC. “The median price of an existing home sold in September was $311,800, a 14.8% gain compared with September 2019. The inventory of homes for sale fell 19.2% annually…At the current sales pace that represents a 2.7-month supply. That is the lowest since the Realtors began tracking this metric in 1982.” Read more

 

Apple expands ‘Express’ retail store format ahead of holiday season at Reuters. “The new format has a wall built in front of the main store with sales counters protected by plexiglass and a few shelves of accessories such as phone cases and AirPods. Customers make an appointment to pick up orders placed online or interact with Apple’s technicians for customer service.” Read more

 

Target says it will hold your spot in line as it looks to make holiday shopping safer at CNBC. “It will double the number of parking spots dedicated to curbside pickup. Customers can use their smartphones instead of shared scanners in the self-checkout lanes. More employees will have handheld mobile devices that allow people to skip the line and make purchases in different parts of the store.” Read more

 

Walmart cuts Sunnyvale tech jobs after Fandango deal at The Mercury News. “The (Vudu) buyer, Fandango, has offered positions to 158 employees,” Walmart stated in the filing. The remaining 58 of the 216 affected workers have been given the opportunity to find a job with Walmart.” Read more

 

Amazon is going to pay you for your data at Fox Business. “…Amazon Shopper Panel lets users upload 10 receipts per month from purchases made at non-Amazon retailers…The types of rewards vary, either a $10 credit to a person’s Amazon balance or $10 toward a charitable donation.” Read more

 

Walmart and Sam’s Club are hosting in-person medication disposal events at select stores/clubs on Oct. 24 Press release

 

Jony Ive is bringing his design talents to… Airbnb at The Verge. “Ive and Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky have apparently been friends for years…Maybe he can fix the company’s unfortunately shaped logo. Ive still counts Apple as a client, by the way, even though he left last November.” Read more

 

Costco’s Oleen Smethurst to  receive The Packer’s 2020 Canadian Produce Person of the Year Award  Watch virtual presentation at Noon ET today

 

Stage Store’s brands & property sold in $7M bankruptcy deal at ABL Advisor “The intellectual property acquired by Bealls Inc. from the court includes the trademarks and trade names for Stage Stores, Goody’s, Gordmans, Palais Royal, and Peebles, as well as the national rights for the Bealls name. In addition, Bealls acquired all of Stage’s private label brands and customer lists.” Read more

 

Sam’s Club goes Griswold with National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation virtual holiday shopping experience Read more

 

**A message from the Kitchenology 4-In-1 Scrub Bar™ – Don’t settle for a lightweight sponge that can’t scrub the dirtiest dishes! Introducing the Scrub Bar – the kitchen sponge that tackles every dirty dish in the sink. A different abrasive strength on each side!: regular sponge, medium-duty, heavy-duty & super-duty. Website | Samples: info@eyeonretail.net

 

Ipsos: Walmart, H-E-B lead in customer satisfaction for grocery pickup, delivery at Talk Business. “Ipsos also found discounter Aldi performed “well” across the board, and predominantly excelled at providing delivery notifications on 95% of orders. Aldi’s same-day delivery service is provided by Instacart.” Read more

 

Amazon and small business J.L. Childress File Joint Lawsuit against Counterfeiters Press release

 

US jobless claims drop to 787,000, but layoffs remain high at AP. Read more

 

eBay Launches Destination for Certified Refurbished Products from Top Brands Press release

 

SHOPLIFTERS PARADISE – Man steals from SF Walgreens during TV report on shoplifting at KRON 4. “A crew from Inside Edition was at the store on Van Ness and Eddy for a story on rampant shoplifting at the location when it happened. The store will close for good on November 11. The store will be the third in San Francisco this year to close because of excessive shoplifting.” Video/Read more

 

Tipsheet Extra

Adidas planning to sell its Reebok division: Report

Holiday searches are up 79% on Etsy over last year

Retail sales are fizzling in Canada

South Korea sticks to flu vaccine plan despite safety fears after 25 die

Whirlpool strains to meet appliance demand

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: Put your product or service in front of the most powerful retail execs in the world, send advertising inquiries to info@eyeonretail.net

 

Website: eyeonretail.net