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☆ Costco cracks down on membership card sharing
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-27 | by ( Melissa Repko | In Melissa-Repko | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

The retailer is cracking down on people sneaking into its clubs and trying to shop with other people's membership cards, it said Tuesday. Costco said it has always asked shoppers for their membership cards at the cash registers when they check out. Now, it is also requesting to see cards with a photo at self-checkout registers — and to view a photo ID if a shopper's membership card has no picture. The membership-based warehouse club said it has noticed more abuse of card sharing since it expanded self-checkout to more of its stores. Membership-based warehouse clubs have attracted more customers and won more of their wallets over the past three years.

Persons: Costco, Richard Galanti Organizations: Costco, The Dallas Morning News, Shoppers, Walmart, Sam's

☆ See the 12 major retailers most likely to take a hit when people start repaying their student loans
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-27 | by ( Yeji Jesse Lee | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

The investment banking firm found that more than a third of student debt holders' discretionary dollars go to the three retail giants. "The impending resumption of student loan payments could be a headwind to consumer spending ahead," the note said. Consumers with student debt spend around 18.58% of their discretionary spending at Amazon alone, according to consumer data company Numerator. Interest on student loan debt will start to accrue again in September, after a long pause that started at early in the pandemic. Meanwhile, the US Supreme Court is expected to rule this week on President Joe Biden's plan to cancel up to $20,000 in student debt.

Persons: —, Jefferies, Ross, Joe Biden's Organizations: Jefferies, Walmart, Target, Service, Amazon, Costco, UBS

☆ Costco is asking employees to heavily monitor self-checkout at some stores — and customers are divided
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-22 | by ( Dominick Reuter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Customers say employees often intervene when they are trying to purchase lots of items or bulky products. Several self-checkout users said workers have rung up everything in their cart with a handheld scanner and sent them on their way. They also compared Costco's process unfavorably to those of retailers that allow customers to use handheld scanners for large or bulky items at self-checkout. "Your Costco has hand scanners for members? If I want to use the hand scanner I have to take my food to Home Depot," a shopper said.

Persons: — Organizations: Costco, Service, Shoppers, Costco Corporate, Sam's Club

☆ I've traveled 18,000 miles in an electric car. Here are the 4 things that surprised me about long-distance EV road trips.
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-12 | by ( Gia Mora | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

She and her partner have traveled 18,000 miles in the electric car on multiple road trips. Here are four things people should know if they're planning to travel long distances in an EV. We arrange to fill up at an Electrify America station every 150 miles or so. More remote charging stations can be adventures in themselvesPlenty of charging stations look exactly as you'd expect, but when we ventured outside of major metropolitan areas, we discovered some unique stops. Green River, Utah, is home to 847 people, one Tesla Supercharger, and four Electrify America stations located beside the tiny, quirky Green River Coffee Company.

Persons: Gia Mora, Morris, it's, I'm, We've, we've, Lucky Buck Organizations: Hyundai, Walmart, Morning, Apple, Walmart Walmart, Sam's, Coffee, Yosemite National Locations: Los Angeles, Colorado, Scottsdale , Arizona, LA, San Diego, Nevada , Utah, New Mexico, America, Walmart's, Plenty, Green River , Utah, Yosemite

☆ Why Walmart, Costco, and Sam's Club workers check your receipts — and you should comply
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-10 | by ( Hayley Peterson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Walmart, Costco, Sam's Club, and many other retailers check shoppers' receipts at store exits. Retail employees check receipts to reduce theft and ensure customers leave with all their purchases. So why would any store check receipts if it creates if it causes so much tension? Why Costco and Sam's Club check receiptsBut checking receipts isn't just about reducing theft. "To ensure that you are charged correctly for the merchandise you have selected, Sam's Club may inspect or electronically scan your merchandise and electronic/phone or paper copy receipt(s) when you exit any Sam's Club location," the warehouse chain said on its website.

Persons: —, you've, Gloria Dawson, Costco, it's Organizations: Walmart, Costco, Sam's, Service, Shoppers Locations: Denver

Bank of America Customized Cash Rewards Credit Card for Students Review: Is It the Best Credit Card for You? If your credit falls short, consider other options like a secured credit card or a starter credit card that gives you a better shot at approval. Bank of America Customized Cash for Students RewardsStudent and no-fee credit cards don't always come with welcome bonuses or earn rewards for ongoing spending, but the Customized Cash Rewards Credit Card for Students offers both. Bank of America Customized Cash Rewards for Students Benefits and FeaturesThe Customized Cash Rewards Credit Card for Students doesn't come with luxury benefits like airline and hotel status or expedited airport security. Methodology: How We Reviewed the Bank of America Customized Cash Rewards for StudentsWe compared the Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards Credit Card for Students to similar student and 0% APR credit cards from Bank of America and other card issuers, and evaluated several factors, including:Rewards earning potential — Does the card earn rewards at competitive rates?

Persons: don’t, you'd, cardholders, Merrill, You'll, you've, doesn't, you'll, Peter Rothbart, he's, Peter, Read, Angela Fung Organizations: Bank of America, of America, Bank of America's, Mobile Banking, Reading Chevron, Students, Amazon, Target, Walmart, Costco, Sam's, Merrill, Credit Cards Bank of America, Students Bank of America, Student, Banks Bank of America, Capital, Uber, Capital One Entertainment, Wholesale, Finance Locations: Capital, Seattle , Washington, Vegas, Pacific

☆ Dollar General customers are increasingly looking for 'items at or below the $1 price point' amid economic slowdown, CEO says
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-01 | by ( Alex Bitter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Dollar General shoppers are pulling back on discretionary purchases, hurting the retailer's earnings. Dollar stores have previously fared well during economic shifts. Dollar General previously said that it expected earnings to rise as much as 6% for the year. That gave Dollar General shoppers less fun money to spend than expected. Shares of Dollar General were down nearly 20% at $161.31 in midday trading after the company reported earnings.

Persons: —, Jeffrey Owen, Owen, Todd Vasos, John Tomlinson, Tomlinson, It's Organizations: Service, Dollar, Walmart, Costco, Sam's Locations: America

☆ Sam's Club history: How Walmart grew its small-business supply store to a 600-warehouse behemoth locked in a battle with Costco
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-28 | by ( Ben Tobin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: 1 min

Kathryn McLay is the current CEO of Sam's Club, assuming the role in 2019. "We still see ourselves as the 'experiment' Sam Walton launched back in 1983, always looking to evolve and improve," she said in a recent LinkedIn post. Sam's ClubSource: Sam's Club, LinkedIn

☆ Five takeaways about the consumer from Walmart, other retailers after a big week of earnings
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-19 | by ( Melissa Repko | In Melissa-Repko | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

So far, at least five retailers – Target, Walmart, Tapestry , Bath and Body Works and Foot Locker – have spoken about sales trends across the country getting worse. The retailer's comparable sales in the U.S. declined 4.6% in the quarter versus the year-ago period. Target, Home Depot and Walmart all saw a noticeable pattern: Fewer pricey and fun items in shopping carts. At Home Depot, customers bought fewer big-ticket items like appliances and grills in the fiscal first-quarter. Customers at Walmart have become more selective when shopping for electronics, TVs, home items and apparel, Rainey told CNBC.

☆ Walmart will report earnings before the bell. Here's what to watch
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-18 | by ( Melissa Repko | In Melissa-Repko | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Walmart will report fiscal first-quarter earnings before the bell on Thursday, after Home Depot and Target said shoppers have pulled back on big-ticket items and discretionary purchases. Walmart has attracted higher-income grocery shoppers over the past three quarters by emphasizing value, as food remains pricey. Walmart gave a weaker-than-expected full-year outlook in February, saying it expects same-store sales for Walmart U.S. to rise between 2% and 2.5%, excluding fuel. It said adjusted earnings per share would range from $5.90 to $6.05, excluding fuel, for the fiscal year. Shares have trailed the S&P 500 's roughly 8% gain and the XRT 's nearly 2% gain during the same period.

[1/3] Packaged food for sale is seen on shelves at a Dollar Tree in Islandia, New York, U.S., May 12, 2023. Razor manufacturer Edgewell Personal Care Co (EPC.N) and Kraft Heinz Co (KHC.O) have overhauled or built new teams dedicated to working with the biggest U.S. dollar stores like Dollar Tree Inc (DLTR.O) and Dollar General Corp (DG.N) in the last year. Makers of food and household staples are pushing deeper into dollar stores because the low-cost retailers are opening thousands of locations each year. Griffin added that dollar stores are also introducing more "premium" private label brands, like Dollar General's Nature's Menu for pets. Kraft-Heinz also created a new team of five people late last year to identify and develop products for dollar stores, a spokesman said.

☆ Target wants shoppers to think of it for groceries as retailer braces for leaner spending
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-16 | by ( Melissa Repko | In Melissa-Repko | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

The big-box retailer also hopes by drawing shoppers for essentials like gallons of milk, it can nudge purchases of discretionary items that shoppers otherwise would not have bought. A 'Tarzhay' spin on groceriesOn a recent trip to a Minneapolis area grocery store, Gomez surveyed displays of colorful fruits and vegetables. In each of the past two fiscal years, Target has had double-digit sales growth in the food and beverage category. Target's grocery sales matter more as shoppers pull back in other areas. Grocery competition gets tougherCompetition for grocery shoppers has heated up, especially as consumers stretch their budgets.

☆ Check out the wild robot that Sam's Club is testing to make burgers in its cafes
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-14 | by ( Ben Tobin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Sam's Club recently unveiled a robot that can assemble a burger start-to-finish without humans. Walmart-owned Sam's Club is testing out a robot that can assemble your burgers — toppings, seasoning, and all — at a location in Fayetteville, Arkansas, not far from the company's headquarters of Bentonville. Sam's Club declined to comment when Insider reached out about the robot. Sam's Club does not have any current plans to roll out this robot nationwide, Tim Simmons, Sam's Club senior vice president and chief product officer, told Axios. Have you tried the Sam's Club burger or do you want to?

☆ Sam's Club's history: How Walmart turned a supply store for small businesses into Costco's biggest rival
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-09 | by ( Ben Tobin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: 1 min

☆ Walmart names insider Latriece Watkins as US merchandising chief
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

May 5 (Reuters) - Walmart Inc (WMT.N) appointed Latriece Watkins as its U.S. chief merchandising officer, according to a memo seen by Reuters on Friday, days after Charles Redfield stepped down from the role. Watkins, who joined the company 24 years ago, has served in several roles across Walmart U.S. and Sam's Club. Last month, Walmart U.S. CEO John Furner wrote to associates that Redfield would step down and assume an advisory role supporting the U.S. business effective May 1. Watkins' appointment takes place at a time when consumer spending power has been reduced by high inflation, hurting Walmart's business and leading the company to adopt a cautious stance on 2023. "We have a rich history of strong leaders who embrace this constant change, set bold visions for our teams and best represent the humanity that is Walmart," Furner wrote in the memo.

☆ Sam's Club is testing out a robot that can grill and assemble your burger. And you can order and pay for it without even speaking to a human.
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-03 | by ( Ben Tobin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Sam's Club recently unveiled a robot that can assemble a burger start-to-finish without humans. Walmart-owned Sam's Club is testing out a robot that can assemble your burgers — toppings, seasoning, and all — at a location in Fayeteville, Arkansas, not far from the company's headquarters of Bentonville. Sam's Club declined to comment when Insider reached out about the robot. Sam's Club does not have any current plans to roll out this robot nationwide, Tim Simmons, Sam's Club senior vice president and chief product officer, told Axios. Have you tried the Sam's Club burger or do you want to?

According to complaints filed on Friday, Energizer agreed "under pressure from Walmart" to inflate wholesale battery prices for other retailers starting around January 2018, and require those retailers not to undercut Walmart on price. Walmart rivals allegedly risked higher wholesale prices or being cut off by Energizer, the largest U.S. disposable battery maker, if they charged less at checkout than Walmart, the world's largest retailer. According to the plaintiffs, Energizer's share of the U.S. disposable battery market has risen to more than 50% from 40% in 2018. The cases in the U.S. District Court, Northern District of California, are: Copeland et al v Energizer Holdings Inc et al, No. 23-02091, and Schuman et al v Energizer Holdings Inc et al, No.

☆ How A.I.-powered robots are changing retail
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-22 | by ( Shawn Baldwin | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Eager to boost sales, relieve workers from mundane tasks and respond to the ongoing labor shortage, retailers and supermarkets are adding robots to their store aisles. Outfitted with cameras and sensors, autonomous inventory robots that can verify price signs and look for out-of-stock items are being deployed at big box stores like BJ's Wholesale and Walmart-owned Sam's Club . Inventory is one of the biggest challenges retailers face. Missed sales from empty shelves and out-of-stock items cost U.S. retailers $82 billion in 2021, according to NielsenIQ. So what impact will inventory robots have on U.S. retailers and the livelihood of its workers?

☆ Walmart could expand into consulting and website design for other businesses as it continues to look beyond traditional retail, trademark filing suggests
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-18 | by ( Ben Tobin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

The application says the business will provide consulting, website design, and more "for others." Walmart did not comment on the trademark application, saying it is "testing new ideas all the time." A Walmart spokesperson did not answer Insider's questions about the trademark filing, instead saying the company is "testing new ideas all the time." While we can't comment on this trademark filing specifically, sometimes we file trademark ideas as a routine part of the innovation process." This trademark indicates that Walmart is continuing its trend of side hustles, or businesses outside of its traditional retail, to garner profits.

The Walmart heirs' combined worth is roughly $234 billion, according to Bloomberg. The family grants money and resources to support education, environmental efforts, and their home community through the Walton Family Foundation. In public, the Waltons live pretty modest lifestyles despite their wealth. Sam Walton, the original man behind the company that now encompasses both Walmart and Sam's Club, set his family up for financial success when he divided the ownership before he died. He wasn't a man of flashy luxury, but you can see how his children are living a slightly more lavish life now.

☆ Walmart US merchandising chief Redfield to step down
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

April 14 (Reuters) - Walmart Inc (WMT.N) U.S. chief merchandising officer Charles Redfield is stepping down after just over a year in the role, according to an internal memo seen by Reuters on Friday, at a time the retailer is navigating a tightening spending environment. Redfield will assume an advisory role supporting the U.S. business effective May 1, Walmart U.S. CEO John Furner wrote in a memo to US-based associates on Friday, without naming a successor. Data from the Commerce Department on Friday also showed U.S. retail sales fell more than expected in March. Redfield started his Walmart career as a cashier at Sam's Club and has been with the company for 32 years. He had led the U.S. food and grocery business since 2015 prior to taking up his role as chief merchandising officer.

☆ Walmart's plan to abruptly close 4 Chicago stores slammed as 'unethical' and 'unceremoniously abandoning these neighborhoods'
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-12 | by ( Ben Tobin | Dominick Reuter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Walmart announced this week that it is closing four stores in Chicago in a matter of days. Elected officials said that the decision to close the stores "worsens food deserts" in the area. In a rare press release on April 11 announcing store closures, Walmart said bluntly that these stores "have not been profitable since we opened the first one nearly 17 years ago." "Walmart's decision to close four stores in predominantly Black and Brown communities not only worsens food deserts, but will also increase grocery costs for families." The four Walmart stores closing in Chicago

☆ Walmart to close four underperforming Chicago stores
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-11 | by ( Noah Sheidlower | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Walmart announced Tuesday it will abruptly close four underperforming Chicago stores, citing millions in annual losses. The company said its eight Chicago stores collectively have not been profitable since the first opened 17 years ago. Walmart said all employees at these four stores are eligible to transfer to other Walmart locations and will be paid through Aug. 11. The company will keep its other four Chicago stores open, it said. As of Jan. 31, the company operated more than 5,300 retail locations, including Supercenters, discount stores, Sam's Clubs and small-format stores.

NEW YORK, April 6 (Reuters) - Walmart Inc (WMT.N) plans to have its own network of electric vehicle charging stations by 2030 to tap into the growing adoption of EVs in the United States. Walmart's more than 5,000 stores and Sam's Club warehouses are located within 10 miles of about 90% of Americans. As EV charging infrastructure ramps up in the U.S., there are widespread concerns over uptime, performance, ease of use and high installation costs of the machines. Owning its chargers, instead of partnering with a network operator, will help Walmart address reliability and cost issues, Kapadia said. Walmart's plan comes as U.S. President Joe Biden has committed to building a network of 500,000 public EV chargers by 2030.

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