Snapchat is partnering with Amazon to let users shop through their smartphone cameras by Sam Dean at LA Times. “This partnership marks Snap’s first venture into point-and-shoot shopping…The new feature is rolling out to only a small percentage of U.S. users as an initial trial run.” Tiered subs.

 

SAN DIEGO – Whole Foods backs out of downtown hotel-office project by Lori Weisberg at San Diego Union-Tribune. “Although approved two years ago, the $400 million 7th & Market development has been on hold since last year when labor union interests filed suit alleging that city approvals relied on an outdated 2006 environmental analysis for all of downtown instead of a specific impact report analyzing just the development.” Tiered subs.

 

Meet the Woman Running Walmart’s Biggest Deal Ever by Beth Kowitt at Fortune. “Judith McKenna and her team bear a Walmart-size responsibility with Walmart-size consequences. In reprioritizing the company’s global footprint, they are effectively placing bets on the future of retail. “We’ve made no secret that in certain markets we’ll do no more bricks and mortar,” McKenna says—a striking admission from a company that built its U.S. fortunes on the back of big-box retailing.” Read more

 

Sam’s Club CEO: The 63 Stores We Closed Are Fueling E-Commerce Growth by Phil Wahba at Fortune. “For years, Sam’s Club mistakenly believed that roughly half its sales came from small businesses and the other half from everyday consumers. But in reality, it turned out that personal purchases accounted to closer to 85% of sales—since some of its business shoppers were actually buying items for home use.” Read more

 

Why you won’t see ClickList at Kroger anymore by Alexander Coolidge at Cincinnati Enquirer. “Kroger will now simply call the operation “Kroger Grocery Pickup.”…”Moving forward, we are being more descriptive of the service to help our customers better understand our offerings: You will now see Pickup, Delivery and Ship as the methods to receive your grocery orders,” Kroger says.” Read more

 

Walmart, Sam’s Club to put food products on blockchain by next September at Reuters. Read more

 

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Publix set to open fifth GreenWise Market in Atlanta at AJC. Read more

 

Shoppers Love Rewards Credit Cards. Retailers Hate Them. by AnnaMaria Andriottis at Wall Street Journal. “Large merchants including Amazon, Target,  and Home Depot Inc. are pushing for the right to reject some rewards credit cards…They are likely to opt out of a roughly $6.2 billion settlement Visa, Mastercard and several large banks recently reached with merchants and continue to make their case in court, according to people familiar with the matter.” WSJ subs.

 

Merger of Marathon Petroleum Corp. and Andeavor approved at MarketWatch. Read more

 

‘We will not screw this up’: Sobeys parent to buy beloved Farm Boy in $800M deal by Armina Ligaya at Canadian Press via Toronto Star. “…in a bid to expand its reach in Ontario, particularly in the greater Toronto area….aims to “turbocharge” the Ottawa-based chain — which it values at $800-million — and double its business and footprint from its current base of 26 stores across the province over the next five years.” Read more

 

Millennials are nesting, so Madewell has started selling home goods by Elizabeth Segran at Fast Company. Read more

 

H&M tests new store to get back in vogue by Anna Ringstrom at Reuters. “The H&M store in the upmarket Karlaplan neighborhood of the Swedish capital offers a smaller range of selected clothes, displayed on airy shelves and tables in color-coordinated sections – as well as espressos and invitation-only events. H&M planned the layout and ranges with affluent local customers in mind…” Read more

 

Walmart, Dick’s and others want to increase voter turnout by Samantha McDonald at Footwear News. Read more

 

Starbucks to cut corporate staff as it shakes up its organization at CNBC. “The company also plans to reduce the number of new licensed stores in 2019 by about 100 stores.” Read more

 

OBVIOUS – Time is running out for Sears, CEO warns at CNN Money. Read more

 

Does ‘Made in America’ Still Matter? Footwear Brand Allen Edmonds is About to Find Out by Jacob Gallagher at Wall Street Journal. “The poll revealed that while 70% of Americans find it “very important” or “somewhat important” to buy American-made goods, only 21% said they would pay 10% more for an American-made product and only 7% said they would pay 50% more.” WSJ subs.

 

Kirkland’s names Crate and Barrel President new CEO Press release

 

FIRST OF ITS KIND – Firm plans robotic indoor farm to supply Whole Foods by Barrett J. Brunsman at Cincinnati Business Courier via CNBC. “Cincinnati-based 80 Acres Farms revealed Friday that it plans to build a large, fully automated indoor farm in Hamilton, which will produce specialty greens to supply Fairfield-based Jungle Jim’s International Market, Dayton-based Dorothy Lane Markets and national heavyweights such as Whole Foods and U.S. Foods.” Read more

 

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