Look inside Amazon’s gigantic new Oregon warehouse, its biggest in the Northwest at The Oregonian. “Five stories tall, 105 feet high, it’s the company’s largest fulfillment center in the Northwest and one of its largest anywhere in the world…Amazon expects to employ around 1,500 at the Woodburn site when it opens late this year or early in 2025. As operations ramp up, the company expects it could have 2,800 working on site before long, and as many as 3,500 Woodburn employees during busy periods. Some neighbors in the small community eye the 3.8 million-square-foot facility with apprehension…” Read more/Pics

 

Walmart Canada launches pilot program for customers to recycle reusable shopping bags at Canadian Press. “…customers will be able send in their extra or damaged Walmart reusable blue shopping bags to TerraCycle who will either wash and donate them to charity partners, including Food Banks Canada, or recycle them.” Read more

 

Macy’s proxy fight is over, but the battle for the department store’s future wages on at CNBC. “Macy’s and activist investor Arkhouse Management settled a proxy fight this week, with an agreement to add two independent directors to the retailer’s board…“It stops the pressures in the here and now,” said Neil Saunders, managing director of research firm GlobalData. “But in a way, you’re letting the wolf into the henhouse.” Read more

 

A Day in the Life of a Walmart Manager Who Makes $240,000 a Year at WSJ. “They determine success or failure,” says Kieran Shanahan, chief operating officer for Walmart U.S.  As Walmart shifts to automated systems, managing a store is becoming more complex, he says. “It’s hard. You are living in two worlds.” (Store manager) Hart has seen that change firsthand. About 20 years ago, then 19 years old and a mother of two, she started part-time at the same Walmart she now runs. Her first job was cooking live lobsters pulled from a tank in the deli.” WSJ subs.

 

The American dollar store has fallen on hard times at CNBC. “Family Dollar was never as good a business as Dollar General,” (professor) Strong said, citing revenue numbers…Dollar General generates $275 per square foot compared to $225 at Family Dollar…“Family Dollar has always been the weak child of the sector,” Strong said.” Read more

 

Wegmans announces first Charlotte store at WSOC/Yahoo

 

Amazon CTO Werner Vogels on the rapid progress of AI, and its impact on society at GeekWire. “Early versions of generative AI were “like a dancing bear,” says Werner Vogels, the Amazon chief technology officer. “We’re all amazed that this bear can dance,” he explains. “We don’t really look at whether it dances well or not.” In the past two years, with ample training, the bear has become a better dancer.” Read more/Podcast

 

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Inside Amazon’s Push to Crack Trader Joe’s—and Dominate Everything at WSJ. “For six months, her manager hounded her for information about (Trader Joe’s) bestselling products. She tried to deflect, but the pressure kept ratcheting up….She emailed over an Excel spreadsheet that detailed Trader Joe’s top-​selling items nationally…He also demanded that she share Trader Joe’s margins for each product. When she refused, her manager angrily screamed at her, “You just have to give us the data!” a person who witnessed the exchange recalled.” WSJ subs.

 

Target Launches Pickleball Collection with Tennis Brand Prince “…nearly 80 apparel, accessories and sporting goods items starting at $9.99 with most items under $50.” Press release

 

Walmart Executive and Rhodes Alumna Julie Gehrki ’02 Named 2024 Baccalaureate Speaker at Rhodes College

 

How Amazon became the largest private EV charging operator in the U.S. at Financial Post. “In a little more than two years, Amazon has installed more than 17,000 chargers at about 120 warehouses around the United States…” Read more

 

Walmart employee event set for June; 4 Walmart centers test robotic forklifts at NWA Online. “Walmart Inc. will hold its annual employee celebration on June 7 at Bud Walton Arena in Fayetteville, the company…Its formal business meeting is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. June 5, and will once again be held in a virtual format.” Read more

 

Dick’s Sporting Goods & SidelineSwap Expand Resale Partnership “…athletes will be able to drop-off their used sports gear at SidelineSwap trade-in events at select Dick’s locations throughout the U.S. The used gear will be evaluated by SidelineSwap buying experts, and athletes will be paid with Dick’s e-gift cards to use towards their next purchase.” Press release