CANADIAN BREAD CARTEL? – Canadian watchdog raids offices of grocery retailers in bread price-fixing probe by Francine Kopun at Toronto Star. “The Ontario Superior Court of Justice in Ottawa granted search warrants based on evidence that there are reasonable grounds to believe that certain individuals and companies have engaged in activities contrary to the Competition Act,” according to a statement issued by the bureau late in the day.” Read more

 

Wal-Mart will hold parties in its stores this holiday season at CNBC. “Walmart plans to hold more than 20,000 parties at its stores over the next two months, with the first event, called “Toys That Rock,” taking place nationwide this Saturday. Wal-Mart’s other events will include “Parties That Rock” and “Gifts That Rock,” where attendees can receive curated gift guides and toy catalogs. Its overarching holiday marketing campaign this year is dubbed “Rock This Christmas,” the company announced Wednesday.” Read more

 

…Wal-Mart Says Fingerling Toy in Short Supply as Shopping Begins by Matthew Boyle at Bloomberg. “Fingerlings — plastic monkeys that hang onto a child’s finger, blink their eyes and blow kisses — were featured in Wal-Mart’s list of the top toys of the season…“It’s Hatchimals all over again,” said a commenter on a Reddit board frequented by Wal-Mart employees, referring to last year’s biggest toy craze. “We get four cases at a time, they’re gone by the next day.” Read more

 

…Wal-Mart triples online items, lowers prices as holiday season kicks in by Nandita Bose at Reuters. “Walmart tripled its online selections for the holiday season to 60 million items, and that it would provide free two-day shipping on more than two million products when the order size exceeds $35. It said it would also offer discounts for online orders picked up at its stores.” Read more

 

Best Buy Stops Selling This Version of the iPhone X After Uproar Over the Price by Jonathan Vanian at Fortune. “Although there was clearly demand for the unactivated iPhone X, selling it that way cost more money, causing some confusion with our customers and noise in the media,” a Best Buy spokesperson told Fortune in a statement.” Read more

 

Postal Service eyes next-day Sunday delivery for holidays by Hope Yen at AP via Washington Post. “The Postal Service hasn’t disclosed which stores may sign onto the new pilot program…“It’s one of the ideas Walmart is looking at,” company spokesman Ravi Jariwala told The Associated Press…Best Buy and Target, which recently added speedier holiday shipping options, declined to comment on the program.” Read more (tiered subs.)

 

Target store staff can now create online orders for customers when local merchandise is unavailable by Sarah Perez at TechCrunch. “Target announced a new app called “myCheckout” for its store staff that will allow them to process online transactions on the customer’s behalf, including taking payments, right from the store’s floor when merchandise is unavailable locally.” Read more

 

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Inside the Decline of Sears, the Amazon of the 20th Century by Suzanne Kapner at Wall Street Journal. “In weekly management meetings, Mr. Lampert pushes executives to drive harder bargains with suppliers, arguing that the vendors need Sears as much as it needs them, people familiar with the matter said. In one recent meeting, he said Kmart’s grocery team wasn’t delivering low-enough prices, and threatened to bring in professional negotiators, according to a person who was present.” Read more (subs.)

 

The New York City Attack Suspect Drove a Home Depot Truck at Daily Mail. Read more

 

Target Decorates House Brand in Holiday Campaign by Adrianne Pasquarellli at Ad Age. “In Target’s first holiday spot, two children—and Bullseye! the dog—find a house in need of some holiday spirit. So they enlist characters representing almost every name from the retailer’s toy shelf, such as Barbie, Lego Bagman, minions, My Little Pony’s Pinkie Pie, Darth Vader and Trolls, to decorate the house for a “super special family.” Running Nov. 1, the spot is the first of 10 focusing on how the kids and toys get the home.” Read more (tiered subs.)

 

Big 5 Sporting Goods Q3 Comp Sales -2.9% “For the third quarter, same store sales in our hardgoods category declined in the mid-single-digit range, reflecting the continued reduced demand for firearm-related products, and same store sales in our apparel and footwear categories were slightly down.” Press release

 

Target’s Chief Creative Officer On How To Build A Powerful Brand by Paulina Guditch at Forbes.”Todd Waterbury grew up in a small Illinois town of 400 people. His school was so small that it didn’t have an arts program. So, he took a bus every week to another school, 20 miles away…Waterbury shared three strategies for building a powerful brand: 1.Earn your audience’s attention, 2. Build bonfires, 3. Balance inevitability and surprise.” Read more

 

Retailers dominate ‘worst-paying American companies’ list (Macy’s #12, Target #4, Kroger #2, Walmart #1) at 24/7 Wall Street. List of 25

 

H-E-B pilots delivery across 100 stores by Kristen Mosbrucker at San Antonio Business Journal. “…with store employees handpicking orders, bagging the groceries and handing them to independent drivers for delivery…H-E-B’s mobile app and website connects with independent delivery drivers working with Shipt, Instacart and Lash for the hybrid model.” Read more

 

Boxed adds Pay with Google to its checkout page by April Berthene at Internet Retailer. Read more

 

Big Media Makes Late Push to Kill Advertising Levy in Tax Bill by Matthew Townsend at Bloomberg. “The proposal being considered would allow marketers…to deduct only half of advertising costs immediately, according to people familiar with the situation.The rest of the expense would spread out over five years, said the people, who asked not to be named because the talks are private.” Read more

 

Tipsheet Extra Stories

Woman in blackface costume at Staples store stuns customers

A mysterious message is locking Google Docs users out of their files

Investor opens Rally’s in Walmart across from retailer’s home office for ‘front row seat’

LuLaRoe hit with $1 billion lawsuit from work-at-home sellers

Tech execs admit they can’t stop Russian social media meddling

US private sector adds 235,000 jobs in October: ADP

Read Tipsheet Extra Stories

 

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