Whole Foods overall prices still high after selective cuts: Analyst via CNBC. “Amazon appears to be taking a page out of the old Wal-Mart playbook on the price action front that is, announcing a plethora of price actions that on the surface look deep, but in reality only reveal modest reductions,” Gordon Haskett Research Advisors analyst Charles Grom wrote in a client note.” Read more

 

Target is plotting a big move away from Amazon Web Services by Christina Farr & Ari Levy at CNBC. “(Target) is scaling back its use of Amazon Web Services, according to sources familiar with the matter…Microsoft Azure is among the rival cloud vendors vying to nab Target’s cloud business, said the sources, who asked not to be named because the plans are confidential.” Read more

 

Grocery stores on Cook County border see soda pop sales boom by Steve Sadin at Chicago Tribune. “There was other merchandise in Stephanie’s shopping cart as well. She said as long as she was there, it was time to do the rest of the grocery shopping…“The Target is up 300 percent,” Licastro said referring to Dr. Pepper sales only. “The Walmart across the street is (way) down.” Read more

 

FINES, FINES, EVERYWHERE FINES – Wal-Mart to impose stiff fines against suppliers around merchandising errors by Kim Souza at Talk Business. “…the second offense the fine is $5,000 and the penalty doubles with each repeated offense committed within a 52-week period. Three mistakes garners a $10,000 fine and the fourth time a mistake is made the cost is a whopping $20,000.” Read more

 

Bass Pro Shops donating 80 boats to aid Harvey rescue efforts via AJC. Read more

 

Best Buy rolls out consulting service at people’s homes by Anne D’Innocenzio at AP via ABC News. “The service, which was tested in five markets, will be expanded to more cities around the country. Best Buy CEO Hubert Joly said Tuesday that the service is a way to unlock “latent” customer demand — the company has found that shoppers spend more at the home than they do at the stores.” Read more

 

…BAD BEST BUY EMPLOYEES – Best Buy Apologizes After a Houston Store Sold $42 Packs of Water During Hurricane Harvey by Kevin Lui at Fortune. “Best Buy spokesperson told CNBC. “As a company we are focused on helping, not hurting affected people. We’re sorry and it won’t happen again. Not as an excuse but as an explanation, we don’t typically sell cases of water.” Read more

 

Belk cuts hours of some store employees, increases hours for others by Katherine Peralta at Charlotte Observer. “Fewer hours for some roles means that some employees are being moved into part-time positions, and are thus losing benefits like dental and vision insurance. One affected Charlotte-area worker said “several others” at her store similarly lost their full-time benefits.” Read more

 

Walmart.ca squares off against Amazon by adding third-party sellers by Francine Kopun at Toronto Star. “Walmart is actively seeking more vendors and is hoping to quadruple its assortment by the end of the year.” Read more

 

**A message from Hot Shot – There’s no place like home. And when you rule the roost, you do it all… keep the peace, dry the tears, mop up the messes – even squash the spiders. When bugs cross your threshold, count on Hot Shot® brand for practical, easy-to-use, effective home insect solutions that take care of the creepy-crawlies for you – without breaking the bank. Save the Day. Facebook page

 

OpenTable began a revolution. Now it’s a power under siege. by Stephanie Strom at NY Times. Read more

 

“A SLUMBER PARTY ON STEROIDS” – Houston mattress chain opens up for those who need place to sleep by Christopher Brennan at NY Daily News. “The stores, which have water and food as well as their normal stock of mattresses, can accommodate hundreds each, and are also open to pets in kennels.” Read more

 

Amazon reveals 3 university finalists for $2.5M Alexa Prize by Taylor Soper at GeekWire. “The finalists include Sounding Board, a team from the University of Washington…and Alquist, a team from Czech Technical University in Prague. Both bots garnered the highest average customer ratings during the semifinal period of competition. A “wildcard team” selected by Amazon — What’s up Bot from Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh, Scotland — was the third finalist.” Read more

 

Target uncorks private-label California Roots, a $5 wine line by Adam Campbell-Schmitt at Food and Wine. “(Target) announced that it will launch its own line of inexpensive bottles which will hit 1,100 of the chain’s stores beginning on September 3rd. The California Roots label will include five varieties—a red blend, Cabernet, Pinot Grigio, Chardonnay, and Moscato—each of which will retail for just five dollars per bottle.” Read more

 

Millennials have worries, but robots aren’t one of ’em at Fast Company. “Almost 80% of 31,000 millennials from across 31 countries believe technology is creating, rather than destroying, jobs.” Read more | Full study at Global Shapers Survey

 

Field Agent: Jet Fresh’s grocery delivery has room for improvement “Only 37% of first-time users in the study (n = 19) were more than moderately likely (i.e., extremely or very likely) to use Jet Fresh delivery again in the future.” Video/Read more

 

Brand Keys: Smarter Back-to-School Consumers Change Shopping Patterns “And where are consumers shopping, early and later in the season? Glad you asked.”

Wave 1: Early

Amazon.com
Walmart
Staples
Target
Apple/Best Buy

Wave 2: Later

Amazon.com
Walmart.com
Best Buy.com
Nike
TJ Maxx/Macys.com

Read more

 

Apple App Store’s Chinese Customers Get New Way to Pay for Purchases by Alyssa Abkowitz at Wall Street Journal. “Apple is now allowing Chinese customers to use popular local mobile-payment system WeChatPay for purchases in its App Store, underscoring the expanding reach of the service owned by technology titan Tencent Holdings.” Read more (subs.)

 

‘The World’s Most Remote Pop-Up Shop’ Handed Out Gear 300 Feet Up a Sheer Cliff by T.L.Stanley at Adweek. “Climbers on the iconic Bastille in Eldorado Canyon deal with heavy winds, pouring rain and temperatures that can rise and fall by as much as 40 degrees in August. As prepped as they might be, they could likely use an extra layer or two on their way to the top of this picturesque mountain outside Boulder, Colorado.” Video/Pics/Read more

 

Tipsheet Extra Stories

Kevin Durant bashes Under Armour, sends stocks crashing

Alexa-enabled Amazon drones could talk with customers when delivering packages

Ex-BJ’s Wholesale Chief joins port authority board

Rubik’s Cube creator sues maker of knockoff toy

Whole Foods’ staff designed those Prime meat logos on their own — Amazon didn’t tell them to (Pic)

You can now send Amazon gift cards via text message or messaging apps like WhatsApp or Snapchat

Whole Foods CEO John Mackey spotted at store near Amazon HQ in khaki shorts and running shoes

Read Tipsheet Extra Stories

 

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