NY Times: As Online Data Theft Escalates, Banks Look to Retailers to Bear the Losses by Julie Creswell. “There’s a lot of misinformation out there about this, much of it based on speculation, rumors and opinion by individuals who don’t have the facts, and we’ll address them in the proper forum,” said Stephen Holmes, a spokesman for Home Depot.” Read more

 

Home Depot again asks court to dismiss banks’ lawsuit over data breach by David Allison at Atlanta Business Chronicle. “Home Depot goes on to say that “The banks guarantee the security of their cards and accounts, but rather than take any responsibility for their role in the losses they allege here, they seek to shift full accountability to Home Depot.” To read Home Depot’s full filing, click here.” Read more

 

Amazon Taps ‘On-Demand’ Workers for One-Hour Deliveries by Greg Bensinger at WSJ. “(Amazon) has quietly rolled out a program in its hometown to ferry merchandise to customers’ homes using a network of independent contractors…Under the new service, called Amazon Flex, people sign up for shifts through an app that prompts them to fetch packages from mini-warehouses and take them to customers’ homes in as little as one hour.” Read more (Subscription)

 

Target Expands List of Chemicals It Wants Out of Consumer Goods by Lauren Coleman-Lochner & Shannon Pettypiece at Bloomberg. “Target made the changes earlier this year without publicizing them, but a Washington-based advocacy group called Safer Chemicals, Healthy Families plans to spotlight the list this week. Though Target isn’t prohibiting the ingredients outright, the move gives consumer-products companies fresh incentives to identify and eliminate controversial substances.” Read more

 

…Safer Chemicals, Healthy Families: …This is fantastic, but the policy unfortunately does not set any specific goals or timeframes for suppliers to transition away from harmful chemicals that they have flagged…We applaud Target for improving their standard and look forward to working with them to continue to expand the program over time.” Read more

 

Amazon Showcases New Baltimore Fulfillment Center by Natalie Sherman at Baltimore Sun. Read more / See the video

 

Whole Foods co-CEO: Food industry experiencing ‘tectonic shift’ by Beth Kowitt at Fortune. “This thing is continuing to move, and you better get on board with it or you’re going to get left behind,” Robb said at Fortune Brainstorm E, an energy and environment conference in Austin.” Read more

 

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Walmart Doubles Down On Online Grocery Shopping With Curbside Pickup by Sarah Perez at TechCrunch. “Walmart is announcing a slew of new markets are going live with online grocery shopping. These include: Atlanta, Georgia; Charlotte and Fayetteville, N.C.; Salt Lake City and Ogden, Utah; Nashville, Tennessee; Tucson, Arizona; and Colorado Springs, Colorado. Customers in these regions can begin filling their online carts today, but pickup itself begins October 13….the retailer says the plan is to roll out online grocery shopping to even more stores and regions in the weeks ahead, but is not sharing details.” Read more

 

Amazon to open technology hub, corporate office in Detroit at Crain’s Detroit Business. “The company already has about 100 full-time employees in its offices at 150 W. Jefferson Ave…”We are expanding to multiple floors in our current building to accommodate the goals for our presence in Michigan and hiring plans to bring the great local talent to Amazon,” Peter Faricy, vice president for Amazon Marketplace.” Read more

 

Save-A-Lot executive leaves for PetSmart by Ben Unglesbee at St. Louis Business Journal. “Phoenix, Arizona-based PetSmart announced…Rob Anderson as its new senior vice president and CFO. The appointment is effective Oct. 5.” Read more

 

Amazon will employ a full-time horticulturalist for its new plant-filled Seattle biodomes by Jacob Demmitt at GeekWire. “I never could have imagined when I joined the company in 1999 that we would employ a full time horticulturalist to oversee the diverse plant life that we will have in the spheres,” (Jeff) Wilke said. “It will be a place where new possibilities are explored and ideas are formed.” Read more

 

WestJet hires Canadian Tire exec as new chief financial officer at Reuters. Read more

 

Female shoppers no longer trust ads or celebrity endorsements by Elizabeth Segran at Fast Company. “Before buying a product for themselves or their families, women want to hear from everyday people with whom they can relate: 86% of the 1,470 women surveyed said they put the most trust in real peoples’ product and service recommendations.” Read more

 

Man Hacks Amazon Dash Button To Order Pizza Whenever He Wants by Ashlee Kieler at Consumerist. Read more

 

Tipsheet Extra

Walker & Company Raises $24 Million, Will Sell Its Bevel Razors in Target Stores

Fortune: Walmart doubles down on renewable energy with wind deal

Man reprograms Amazon Dash buttons to control car AC

Ex-Walgreen CIO Joins Hub International

Australia: Aldi & Woolworths under fire on supplier deals

Amazon exec touts contributions, avoids NYT controversy in talk to Seattle business leaders

Read Tipsheet Extra Stories

 

Eye on Retail Tipsheet is created early every weekday morning and read by retail merchants and executives worldwide. We love data, earnings reports, executive presentations and stories off the beaten path that get at what’s really happening in the world of retail. See the website at www.eyeonretail.net