Whole Foods calls March 19th meeting with key vendors as tensions flare at CNBC. “A major point of debate for its larger vendors is the new servicing fee, proposed in the last few months, which will charge vendors for Whole Foods’ efforts to centralize its merchandising, sources said. Still, some of the sources noted their reliance on Whole Foods as a customer gives them little power with which to bargain.” Read more

 

Amazon’s attempt to land major Pentagon job stokes antitrust fears by Ali Breland at The Hill. “Companies frustrated by what they see as procurement bias towards Amazon have also slammed the decision. IBM called the move “flawed,” while Microsoft said it was “disappointed.” Read more

 

Walmart and Kroger promised to switch to cage-free eggs. This obscure Iowa law could stop them. by Caitlin Dewey at Washington Post. “…this week, (Iowa) lawmakers passed an unusual bill that would require many stores to stock eggs from caged chickens — a move designed to stop retailers from phasing them out. Although the law would apply only to stores’ Iowa locations, it’s intended to address a growing national dilemma.” Read more (Tiered subs.)

 

AAA: Spring gas prices could approach a ‘tipping point’ for drivers at CNBC. “The national average price could reach as high as $2.70 per gallon this spring.” Read more

 

Walmart bars customers from buying too many items online by Hayley Petersen at Business Insider. “Walmart bars customers from buying more than 32 items in a single online order…Amazon’s per-order limit is 50 items.” Read more

 

Toys R Us Canada says it’s business as usual amid reports of U.S. liquidation at Financial Post. “Toys R Us Canada has about 82 stores as well as an e-commerce site — making it about one-tenth the size of its American counterpart.” Read more

 

Bezos Says He’ll Spend ‘Amazon Lottery Winnings’ on Space Travel by Amanda L. Gordon & Tom Metcalf at Bloomberg. “Bezos loves Earth, too. “We have sent a lot of probes to every planet in this solar system. Believe me, this is the best one,” he said. “The world that we live on is an absolute gem.” Read more

 

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Blocking Gun Sales to Buyers Under 21 Might Be Illegal by Polly Mosendz at Bloomberg. “At least nine states cited by NSSF, including Delaware, Louisiana, Michigan and Oregon, have laws on the books related to age discrimination. Washington D.C. and New York City have comparable laws.” Read more

 

Amazon could disrupt online travel industry next, Morgan Stanley says at CNBC. Read more

 

Best Buy CEO says turnaround done, room to compete with Amazon at Reuters. “We have turned around the business, it’s about where we go from here,” (Hubert Joly) said. “We have not only survived but thrived and I don’t believe this is a winner-takes-all market.” Read more

 

Tech Is Transforming the Role of CMO. Here Are 20 Execs Driving the Innovation (Walmart, Domino’s) by David Gianatasio at Adweek. List of 20

 

Bloomingdale’s turns shopping into a game with Nintendo by Sarah Jones at Luxury Daily. “The video game theme extends across Bloomingdale’s channels with references to Super Mario World. In-store, customers can pose for a photo with characters from the game or play classic Nintendo games in the Let’s Play pop-up shops.” Read more

 

Amazon adds follow-up mode for Alexa to let you make back-to-back requests by Nick Statt at The Verge. Read more

 

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