Walmart corporate employees to work remotely until July 5, 2021 at Talk Business. “According to the memo, (Chief People Officer) Morris said its longer-term view is that it is important for employees to work together in campus offices for the majority of the organization. Morris said working on campus is important to the culture and it aids in collaboration, innovation and speed.” Read more | Corporate memo

 

Retailers Cut Back on Choices; ‘We Don’t Need Three Types of Red’ at Wall Street Journal. “The wider the assortment, the more confused the customer is,” Bed Bath & Beyond Inc. Chief Executive Mark Tritton said in an interview…In one example, (a) study found that people bought more jam when they were shown fewer choices. Only 3% of consumers who were shown 24 types of jams made a purchase. The purchase rate increased to nearly 30% when consumers were shown just six varieties.” WSJ subs.

 

Loblaw and Gatik to deploy Canada’s first self-driving delivery fleet at Financial Post. “Beginning in January, Gatik will transport goods from its automated picking facility to Loblaw’s retail locations across the Greater Toronto Area. Five self-driving vehicles will operate on five fixed routes on public roads seven days a week, 12 hours a day, with fixed pick-up and drop-off locations.” Read more

 

A Day in the Life of an Amazon Warehouse Worker at Wall Street Journal. “Before Covid, she was an accountant. Now she works 11-hour shifts sorting Lysol wipes and Christmas decorations; ‘it has been more exhausting than ever’” WSJ subs.

 

Amazon robot maps sidewalks north of Seattle, laden with cameras and sensors at GeekWire. “While I was out on an ordinary drive through Everett, Wash., on Saturday morning, in between grabbing a donut for my daughter and a coffee for my wife, I spotted something interesting: An unmarked, six-wheeled robot being driven down the sidewalk on Broadway…” Pics/Read more

 

Walmart is buying JoyRun assets to add ‘peer to peer’ product delivery at TechCrunch. “Walmart EVP Srini Venkatesan notes that the app has amassed a network of 540 third-party merchant partners and north of 30,000 people who have delivered goods with the service since its launch half-a-decade ago. JoyRun’s service is a bit of twist on more standard delivery apps like Seamless and Uber Eats.” Read more

 

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Former Chewy CEO tries to push GameStop to become the Amazon of the video-game industry at CNBC. ” Cohen urges the company to cut excessive real estate costs, streamline or sell non-core operations in Europe and Australia and hire the right talent. While Cohen does not specifically target CEO George Sherman, he does note that Sherman has substantial experience working for large brick-and-mortar retailers such as Advance Auto Parts, Best Buy and Target and is committed to a twentieth century focus on physical stores…” Read more

 

Ann Taylor to ditch alpaca wool after PETA probe at NY Post. “Ascena was among dozens of major retailers that People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals urged to ditch the fabric after publishing grisly findings from its undercover investigation of Mallkini, the world’s largest privately owned alpaca farm.” Read more

 

Amazon’s Sneak Peek to Cyber Monday Press release

 

Hedge fund trying to make American Apparel founder’s ‘life miserable’ at NY Post. “He’s so down on his luck, his dad told The Post, that he’s been living out of the LA Apparel warehouse in South-Central LA. “Dov does not have his own address or bank account,” said the senior Charney in a phone interview.” Read more

 

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