Target stores to introduce dedicated smart-home sections by Megan Wollerton at CNET. “Later this month, Target is launching an 8-foot connected-home statement in Target stores nationwide,” said the Target rep. “Products featured within the statement include home cameras and sensors, location tracking devises and digital scales. By “statement,” the rep later clarified she meant “a designated area within the electronics department where these products will be showcased on the shelf.” Read more

 

Walmart: 630 Workers Turn Out 62,000 Pairs of Prescription Glasses Weekly at Fayetteville Lab by Kim Souza at The City Wire. “Carmen Bauza, senior vice president of OTC health and wellness, baby, paper goods and chemical at Wal-Mart, said the infrastructure investment was needed to broaden the scope of the retailer’s optical services. Wal-Mart also is expanding its vision centers in at least 80 stores.” Read more

 

Dick’s Field & Stream Names Brunner Agency of Record by Patty Tascarella at Pittsburgh Business Times. “The agency’s assignment includes creative, Web property management and social media. CEO Michael Brunner said he’ll hire at least three to start including two posts in social media.” Read more

 

Rona plays down suggested Lowe’s merger by Nicolas Van Praet at Globe & Mail. “Honestly, unless it’s a real knockout price [that we’re offered], I think people are satisfied that the stock price is climbing,” chairman Robert Chevrier told reporters after Rona’s annual meeting on Tuesday…”What I’m hearing from people is, ‘Don’t get too worked up. You’ll get there.” Read more

 

Coming This Summer: U.S. Will Run Out of Internet Addresses by Robert McMillan at WSJ. “Enterprises that don’t have a plan for what to do with this will have this brought up by their board,” said James Cowie, chief scientist at Dyn, an Internet consulting firm.” Read more (Subscription)

 

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Woman goes shopping at Macon Target, leaves store engaged by Harold Goodridge at 13 WMAZ. ” Her hope now? To get married in Target. If she’s successful in getting her dream Target wedding, she’s not sure which aisle. She and Holder have six children between them, so she said perhaps the toy aisle.” Read more / See the video

 

Baltimore: Popular Gay Bar Closes to Make Room for CVS by James Briggs at Baltimore Business Journal. “Club Hippo is an iconic gay bar that has been in business since 1972. And CVS is, well, CVS.” Read more

 

Cabela’s GA Grand Opening: Mom Sleeps in Chair Since Sunday for 1st Spot in Line by Sara Sidery at WRCB NBC Chattanooga. “But just across the state line in East Ridge, 28 acres wait on one of Cabela’s biggest competitors, Bass Pro Shops. The 85,000 square foot store, which is about 13,000 square feet bigger than Cabela’s.  Is set to open in late Spring or early Summer of next year.” See the video / Read more

 

Wal-Mart criticized for sourcing bottled water in drought-hit California by Phil Wahba at Fortune. “The drought in California is very concerning for many of our customers and our associates,” Wal-Mart spokesman John Forrest Ales said in an emailed statement. “We share those concerns and are tracking it closely.” Read more

 

Amazon’s thriving book business to crank out 2,000 titles by 2016 by Tricia Duryee at GeekWire. Read more

 

Only 1 in 4 Canadians went cross-border shopping in the past 12 months “…with the majority (64%) citing the higher exchange rate as the top reason for not making the trip this year.” Read the release

 

Rite Aid to Rebuild Pharmacy at 300 Martin Luther King Boulevard in Baltimore “The company expects to open a temporary trailer at the location on May 18 to serve customers’ prescription needs while the store is rebuilt.” Read the release

 

Tipsheet Extra

Wal-Mart will start telling investors how much it spends on lobbying

The Deadliest Jobs in America

Wal-Mart gets new ammo in Web battle with Amazon

Sidecar Will Now Deliver Weed to Your Doorstep if You Have a Doctor’s Note

Net-A-Porter Launches an App that Allows Women to Shop Together Online

Read Tipsheet Extra

 

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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. Contact us at info@eyeonretail.net.