Wal-Mart uses discount to woo more consumers to pickup format by Kim Souza at The City Wire. “Using targeted emails to Walmart.com customers in the test areas like Northwest Arkansas, Wal-Mart agreed to give a $10 discount on a user’s first $50 order. This offer went out to proposed customers on Monday (March 24) and is good through March 26. The offer supplies an eVoucher code that can be used at checkout. This offer comes on the heels of a $5 discount voucher offered in recent weeks to the same potential shoppers.” Read more

 

Kraft Foods and HJ Heinz Merge at CNBC. “Heinz will return to the public market with a 51 percent ownership of Kraft. Current holders of Kraft stock will own 49 percent of the company.” See the video / Read more

 

Good Day: Dollar General CEO Sells 467,924 shares of company stock for a total value of $35,290,828.08 at WKRB. Read more

 

Amazon says FAA-approved drone is already obsolete by Ben Geier at Fortune. “We’ve moved on to more advanced designs that we already are testing abroad.” Read more

 

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Family that shot Arizona cop in wild Walmart brawl lived in SUV parked in front of store, played in family band by Meg Wagner at NY Daily News. “The family formed its band at least three years ago in Idaho, according to Matthew 24 Now’s Facebook page. “We won’t do any events where there’s gonna be illegal drugs. Or any form of promiscuity,” the family band wrote.” Read more

 

…After brawl, Arizona Walmart seeks to ban overnight camping by Jon Erickson at KNXV / ABC 5. “Who are these people?” asked Cottonwood resident Kevin Stewart of the campers. Stewart said the nomads will often beg for money in the parking lot.” Read more / See the video

 

Field & Stream Grand Opening Tomorrow in Troy, Michigan by Frank Witsil at Detroit Free Press.  Read more

 

Target’s $146.8 million in grants is tops in state by Andy Rathbun at Twin Cities / Pioneer Press.  Read more

 

Six Lessons: Highlights from Doug McMillon’s Recent Visit to Stanford Business School by Bill Snyder at Stanford Business. “Walmart insiders use the phrase “Who owns the D?” It means, “Who is the decision-maker?” says McMillon…Top executives need to gather the collective wisdom of their teams, but waiting for consensus “can kill you, because speed matters, too.” The challenge for Walmart, McMillon says, “is to get the right few people in the room to make the best decision and get on with it.” Read more

 

Happening Tomorrow: Canadian Tire to Present at CIBC Retail and Consumer Conference Read the release

 

Amazon Will Occupy One-Fourth of Downtown Seattle’s Premium Office Space by Sanjay Bhatt at Seattle Times. “If the tech juggernaut fills all 10 million square feet, Seattle could have the nation’s highest concentration of office space occupied by a single business.” Read more

 

…10 million square feet of office space = enough space for 71,900 employees by Emily Parkhurst at Puget Sound Business Journal. Read more

 

Center of gravity in media shifts Yvonne Villarreal at LA Times. “The center of gravity in media has been shifting to San Francisco and Silicon Valley…Apple Chief Executive Tim Cook this month touted the popularity of “Game of Thrones” as one reason his company was happy to partner with HBO. Previous “Game of Thrones” premieres have been held in Los Angeles, New York, London and San Francisco.” Read more

 

Blue Bell Expands Recall of Ice Cream by Karen Robinson-Jacobs at Dallas Morning News. “No illnesses have been reported in this week’s recall, which was launched after the Kansas Department of Health & Environment reported one positive test for Listeria monocytogenes on a chocolate institutional/food service cup from a hospital in Wichita.” Read more

 

Strict: Kids in NYC day cares must be 2 years old before they can drink juice by Laura Bult & Jennifer Fermino at NY Daily News. “Not all parents were thrilled with the new regulations. “It’s like the big soda ban under Bloomberg!” said Brooklyn mom of two Victoria Clark,33.” Read more

 

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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 happening in the world of retail. Contact us at info@eyeonretail.net.