CORONAVIRUS IMPACT PRIME DAY?… When You Click Buy on Amazon, It May Be Sweating the Supply by Karen Weise & Michael Corkery at NY Times. “Over the past few weeks, Amazon has responded to the crisis by making larger and more frequent orders of Chinese-made products that had already been shipped to the United States…Amazon also sent an urgent email to brands on Wednesday about Prime Day…indicating that it has begun worrying about inventory for the event.” Tiered subs.

 

…Coronavirus: China’s manufacturing supply chain pummelled from all sides in efforts to restart at South China Morning Post. “…following the extended Lunar New Year break. Only 15 per cent have come back, B&R China general manager Marko Dimitrijevic said. “All supply chains are having trouble, it’s very serious,” he said. “…For many companies, this could mean bankruptcy.” Read more

 

Target and Best Buy are among firms joining drive to get employees to vote by Chip Cutter at Wall Street Journal. “Hundreds of U.S. companies plan to give employees time off to vote in this year’s presidential election as part of a business-led push to lift the nation’s traditionally low voter turnout. At least 383 companies, with more than two million workers in 50 states…have signed on to the Time to Vote initiative.” WSJ subs.

 

Etsy Accelerates AI Experimentation Thanks to Cloud by Sara Castellanos at Wall Street Journal. “At Etsy, about 75 of its 500 engineers have been reallocated from infrastructure management to coding and software tasks that have a direct impact on customer-facing initiatives such as the website, Mr. Fisher said.” WSJ subs.

 

Costco maps out location for second Shanghai store at China Daily. “Located in the Kangqiao industrial area of Pudong district, the 47,319.2-square-meter area will be developed into a large warehouse store, per public information…the land is only one subway stop away from Shanghai Disney Resort.” Read more

 

Amazon launches on-demand virtual healthcare service for Seattle-area employees by Nat Levy at GeekWire. “Amazon Care eliminates travel and wait time, connecting employees and their family members to a physician or nurse practitioner through live chat or video…” Read more

 

L Brands to sell a controlling stake in its Victoria’s Secret brand to Sycamore Partners in a deal that values the lingerie brand at $1.1 billion at Fortune. Read more | WSJ subs.

 

EVERYONE GETS A PODCAST…Some Staples stores in Boston are getting podcast studios by Ashley Carman at The Verge. “The studios will be soundproof, have enough space for four people to record, and will sync with another company called Spreaker’s technology so people can get discounted access to its hosting and distribution services. A recording specialist will be on hand to help, too, and a 60-minute session costs $60.” Read more

 

SpartanNash Q4: Net sales +5.3% / Retail comp store sales +0.5% Press release

 

**A message from Gusto kitchenware: Not made in China. Gusto’s new line of kitchenware is trendy, colorful and affordable. Manufactured by 90-year-old CINSA – the #1 cookware brand in Mexico. Diversify your kitchenware supply chain today. PowerPoint | POG | Request samples: info@eyeonretail.net

 

Timberland HQ employees return to work a week after office murder of marketing director by Jason Schreiber at Union Leader. “It was a somber return for grief-stricken employees who are still in shock after learning that the 46-year-old Exeter woman was stabbed allegedly by Securitas security guard Robert Pavao…” Read more

 

Canadian online pharmacy, PocketPills has raised $7.35 million as it expands into Quebec by Jonathan Shieber at TechCrunch. Read more

 

Walmart’s struggling Japan unit finally delivers with online grocery growth at Reuters. “The barely year-old tie-up between the U.S. supermarket chain’s Seiyu and local e-commerce firm Rakuten Inc clocked 30% sales growth for late October through December…” Read more

 

Hackers Were Inside Citrix for Five Months at Krebs on Security. “Citrix provides software used by hundreds of thousands of clients worldwide, including most of the Fortune 100 companies. It is perhaps best known for selling virtual private networking (VPN) software that lets users remotely access networks and computers over an encrypted connection.” Read more

 

Wayfair Partners with Kelly Clarkson Press release

 

Walmart’s new Twitter trash-talk strategy already paying off at Fox Business. “Walmart wants to get cheekier online…“The ‘bantering’ is part of our strategy,” a statement sent to Fox Business from Jodi Durkin, Walmart’s director of brand social, said. “When brands talk in a fun and playful way that does really well on social.” Read more

 

Amazon Becomes The Fastest-Growing Streamer In UK After Showing Premier League at Deadline. Read more

 

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