Although Amazon announced last week that it would be buying Whole Foods for $13.7 billion, it’s far from a done deal. And in the time it takes to complete such a large merger, there could be a few other players who decide to belly up to the table and make a bid for the grocery chain. [More]
Retail Services
San Francisco Could Be First City To Ban Sale Of Flavored Liquid Nicotine
By 6.22.17
Last fall, the American Academy of Pediatrics called for a ban on flavored tobacco products. Now, one city is poised to do just that: San Francisco took steps this week to become the first city to approve a sales ban on flavored vaping liquids in a bid to prevent young adults from becoming addicted to the products. [More]
Retail Apocalypse Spreads North: Sears Canada Files For Bankruptcy
By 6.22.17
The same factors hurting department stores and Sears stores in particular are affecting retailers north of the Canadian border as well: Today Sears Canada announced that it’s applied for creditors protection, the equivalent of Chapter 11 bankruptcy, and plans to reorganize and shed some of its current stores. [More]
Dunkin’ Donuts Says Fast Food Rivals Are Hurting Afternoon Sales
By 6.22.17
Sure, Dunkin’ Donuts was “obviously” paying attention to McDonald’s all-day breakfast roll out, but it’s not the morning meal that’s causing trouble for the coffee chain: Dunkin’ says it’s losing customers to McDonald’s, Burger King, and other fast food rivals when it comes to customers’ afternoon caffeine fix. [More]
Behold This Giant List Of Restaurants Offering Birthday Freebies & Discounts
By 6.22.17
It’s your birthday, and you’re hungry. You’d like to treat yourself to something delicious, something… free. Where should you go? We’ve got a huge list you can start with. [More]
To Fight Counterfeits, Nike Will Sell Shoes And Gear Directly Through Amazon
By 6.21.17
Amazon already has an interest in cutting down on third-party sellers who offer counterfeit or knock-off products, but one way for a brand to really get Amazon to care about fakes is for that brand to start selling directly to customers through Amazon. [More]
IKEA Investigating Reports Of Shiny Serving Bowls That Can Set Food On Fire
By 6.21.17
These days, most products involved in sudden fires involve malfunctioning batteries, or poorly built fuel lines. But then there’s the IKEA bowl — and the flaming fruit contained therein — that serve as a reminder that you sometimes only really need the sun and the right shiny surface to start a fire. [More]
There’s A Decent Chance Your Local AT&T Store Is Actually Owned By GameStop
By 6.21.17 — Updated: 6.22.17
When you walk into a store with an “AT&T” sign overhead, you might assume that the employees you’re speaking with work for AT&T. The telecom giant’s sweet-but-bemused store manager character “Lily” may have dominated the company’s TV advertising over the past three years, but what you may not know is that a growing number of AT&T-branded stores are actually owned and operated by third-party companies. [More]
Why Is There A Kmart In Minneapolis That Blocks An Entire Street?
By 6.21.17
Lots of people and cities made terrible decisions in the ’70s. It was an era of traffic circles and jughandle exits, and a general “just put that building/highway wherever” attitude. Like the Kmart store in Minneapolis that was plopped down in the middle of what had been a main thoroughfare — an error that is only just beginning to (maybe) be remedied. [More]
eBay Tries To Remain Competitive With New Price-Match Guarantee
By 6.21.17
As eBay has gradually shifted away from its heyday reputation as an online auction site, it’s had some trouble reminding everyday shoppers that it can still be a good place to get a deal. To promote this fact, eBay is now offering a guarantee — on some products — that it will match or beat prices found on Amazon, Walmart.com and other sites. [More]
Britax Recalls Chest Clips For 207,000 Carseats
By 6.21.17 — Updated: 6.23.17
If you own a Britax B-Safe carseat you should check to see if it’s part of the company’s latest safety recall covering chest clips for 207,000 safety seats. [More]
Cop Dressed As Batman Stops Walmart Shoplifter With Copy Of ‘The LEGO Batman Movie’
By 6.21.17
In Texas, there’s a real-life cop who moonlights as a superhero. While off-duty, he dresses as characters including Batman, Iron Man, and the Incredible Hulk, and visits children in hospitals. While he was visiting a safety event at a Walmart store, though, he foiled a real-life crime. [More]
Goodwill Returns $97,000 To Couple Who Accidentally Donated It
By 6.20.17
Do you bother to ask for a receipt when you donate your old stuff to Goodwill? If not, you might start after reading what happened to a couple after they donated some clothes. [More]
Fresh Market CEO Resigns After Two Years
By 6.20.17
Fresh Market, a chain of specialty grocery stores, found itself in the hunt for a new corporate leader today after the company’s CEO resigned unexpectedly. [More]
Amazon’s “Prime Wardrobe” Lets Customers Try Clothing Before Buying
By 6.20.17
One of the biggest problems with ordering clothing online is that you can’t actually try on items before you buy them. Amazon seems to think it has the answer in its new Prime Wardrobe offering that sends a box full of clothes for customers to try out before actually buying them… but you’ll still have to deal with the hassle of returning the items if they don’t work out. [More]
Man Admits He Helped Steal 94,000 Credit, Debit Card Numbers From Michaels Stores
By 6.20.17
If you can stretch your memory all the way back to the spring of 2011, before data breaches seemed commonplace, perhaps you will recall when Michaels warned customers that PIN pad information at some of its stores might have been exposed. Now, a California man has admitted his role in a conspiracy to swipe 94,000 credit and debit card numbers from customers at around 80 Michaels stores. [More]
Police Rescue Puppy Locked In Hot Car Outside Walmart
By 6.20.17
No matter how many times you hear of children and pets having to be rescued from locked, hot cars, some people still think it’s not an absolutely horrible idea to leave their little ones trapped inside sealed-up vehicles in sizzling hot parking lots. [More]
New Barbie Doll Lineup Lets Ken Settle Into His Dad-Bod, Live Out His Man-Bun Fantasy
By 6.20.17
The times, they are a-changin’. And much like Barbie’s evolution into a doll that comes in sizes other than “impossibly perfect,” Ken is getting a new look that more closely reflects today’s reality: He’s got a man-bun, a dad-bod, and comes in a more diverse range of skin tones. [More]
