The Commerce Department said on Tuesday that retail sales rose 0.3 percent last month after surging 0.8 percent in March. Last month’s increase in retail sales was in line with economists’ expectations. at Reuters. Read more

 

Home Depot Q1 Comp Sales +4.2% Press release

 

…Home Depot shares fall on sales miss, hurt by slow start to spring at CNBC. “Customer transactions during the quarter fell 1.3 percent, though shoppers spent an average of $66, 5.9 percent more than a year earlier…Same-store sales growth 4.2 percent vs. 5.4 percent forecast by Thomson Reuters.” Read more

 

Target ‘flow center’ test could mean big changes for backrooms by Mark Reilly at Minneapolis/St.Paul Business Journal. “Typically, Target’s stores are supplied with big deliveries from distribution centers that are then kept in stockrooms until they’re needed on the floor. Under the flow center model, Target stores would get more frequent, smaller shipments tailored more closely to that store’s demand.” Read more | WSJ article (Subs.)

 

Retailers target Trump on tariffs with ‘Ferris Bueller’ parody ad campaign by Vicki Needham at The Hill. “The NRF has recreated an iconic scene from the 1980s movie “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” with Ben Stein, an economist and an actor, about tariffs and voodoo economics as part of a broad campaign to convince Trump and his voters that raising tariffs would cost jobs and damage the economy.” Spot/Read more

 

Amazon responds to tax vote: Seattle’s ‘hostile approach and rhetoric … forces us to question our growth here’ by Monica Nickelsburg at GeekWire. “Under the amended tax, Amazon will be on the hook for about $11 million annually, rather than the $20 million that the original proposal would have levied…(Mayor) Durkan said she stands by the legislation.” Read more

 

Detecting Cloned Cards at the ATM, Register at Krebs on Security. “Traynor and a team of five other University of Florida researchers partnered with retail giant WalMart to test their technology, which Traynor said can be easily and quite cheaply incorporated into point-of-sale systems at retail store cash registers. They said the WalMart trial demonstrated that researchers’ technology distinguished legitimate gift cards from clones with up to 99.3 percent accuracy.” Read more

 

Craftsman tools now stocked in Lowe’s stores by Ken Elkins at Charlotte Business Journal. Read more

 

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Collagen, a Wrinkle-Cream Staple, Catches On in Foods by Anne Marie Chaker at Wall Street Journal. “Dermatologists say there isn’t any conclusive evidence that ingested collagen affects the hair, skin and nails. When collagen reaches the stomach, it gets broken down into amino acids just like any other protein. “It’s not as if there is collagen that can be magically transported to the skin in its whole form,” says Mary Sheu, a dermatology professor at Johns Hopkins University.” Read more (Subs.)

 

Sears initiating a formal process to explore the sale of its Kenmore brand and related assets Press release

 

How Helena Foulkes Dealt With a Massive Data Hack a Month Into Her New CEO Job by Valentina Zarya at Fortune. “It brought our team together,” Foulkes said in her first interview as HBC CEO at a Fortune Most Powerful Women dinner in New York City Monday evening. She held regular calls with her company’s top leadership—including on Easter Sunday—to discuss next steps. The strategy appears to have paid off, as she says the FBI later told her that HBC had “the fastest response to a breach they’ve ever experienced.” Read more

 

H-E-B names entrepreneur to newly created role of chief digital officer at San Antonio Business Journal. “H-E-B has named Jag Bath to its newly created position of chief digital officer. Bath is CEO of Favor Delivery, an Austin-based company that H-E-B bought in February. Bath will remain CEO of Favor.” Read more

 

Gap sorry for T-shirt’s ‘erroneous’ China map via NY Post. “We are truly sorry about this unintentional mistake,” Gap said, promising to carry out “more rigorous reviews” in the future.” Read more

 

HBC Appoints Vanessa LeFebvre President of Lord & Taylor “LeFebvre joins HBC from Stitch Fix…After spending the first 10 years of her career as a buyer and DMM at Lord & Taylor, LeFebvre went on to senior roles at several retailers including Macy’s, TJX Companies and Daffy’s.” Press release

 

Raley’s goes ’boutique’ with new downtown store in Sacramento by Tony Bizjack at Sacramento Bee. “The store, called Market 5-ONE-5, is one-fifth the size of a typical supermarket. Owner Michael Teel described it at a Monday preview as a boutique neighborhood grocery with a focus on shoppers who want a smaller sampling of healthy local food.” Read more

 

Target Names Ex-Walmart Exec President of Target Sourcing Services “Target named William J. Foudy, Jr. as president, Target Sourcing Services. Foudy will oversee Target’s global sourcing organization, including strategy, operations, quality assurance, product safety and responsible sourcing initiatives.” Press release

 

Southeastern Grocers Plan of Reorganization Confirmed by Court “SEG will continue to operate more than 575 stores under the BI-LO, Fresco y Más, Harveys Supermarket and Winn-Dixie banners.” Press release

 

Buc-ee’s hoping to overpower Choke Canyon in trademark spat by Gabrielle Banks at Houston Chronicle. “The trademark spat pits Buc-ee’s buck-toothed rodent star against the countrified, finger-licking reptile at San Antonio’s Choke Canyon, a rest stop chain which specializes in barbecue.” Read more

 

Amazon Go to open in Chicago and San Francisco – no timetable provided by Taylor Soper at GeekWire. Read more

 

America’s most popular department store is Target, of which 69% of Americans have a positive opinion. That’s followed by Dollar Tree(66%), Kohl’s (64%), Walmart (63%), and Costco (61%) at YouGov Read more

 

Toys ‘R’ Us is putting its famous mascot, Geoffrey the Giraffe, on the auction block. “Also up for sale: sex-toys-r-us.com.” at CNBC. Read more

 

United Natural Foods Says COO Will Retire On Oct 1 “Chris Testa, who currently serves as President, Atlantic Region will assume the role of President, UNFI.” Press release

 

Tipsheet Extra Stories

United Airlines has change of heart about beloved tomato juice

‘Metro Gun Share Program’ on display in Chicago

Pharmacist fights off 3 women attempting to rob store at gunpoint

CVS responds to $40M Fred’s deal

American Airlines moves to ban insects, hedgehogs and goats – but miniature horses are still okay

Read Tipsheet Extra Stories

 

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