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☆ Walmart throws shade at Amazon over new $150 minimum for free grocery delivery
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-01 | by ( Ben Tobin | Alex Bitter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Amazon Prime members will soon need to spend $150 to get free grocery delivery via Amazon Fresh. Walmart wasted no time taking aim at its rival over the change to free grocery delivery. "That Fresh $150 free delivery minimum is looking pretty stale right about now," Walmart wrote in a tweet. In January, Amazon said that it would raise the minimum order amount for free delivery to $150 for Prime members. Founded in September 2020, Walmart+ offers members similar perks to Amazon Prime, such as free pickup and delivery from stores.

☆ Home Depot Using TikTok-Famous Theme Song to Reach Younger Customers
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-01 | by ( Ben Tobin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Home Depot hopes to connect with Gen Z and younger generations through its social media. In a TikTok in 2019, Valencia Community College student Chris Alicea danced to the Home Depot beat in his dorm room. With Generation Z dominating TikTok, Home Depot is finding ways to connect with younger audiences through the catchiness of its theme song, Cushing said. The social media engagement helps Home Depot "connect with younger generations and the next generation of homeowners and doers." And later in the month, Home Depot posted a video of musician and influencer Joe Porter re-creating the company's theme song solely using products in Home Depot's store.

☆ Meet Bernie Marcus, the Home Depot co-founder who is fearful of 'socialism' and 'woke' workers ruining America
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-31 | by ( Ben Tobin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: 1 min

He has also actively given to Republican politicians, donating $64 million to political causes over the years such as the campaigns of former President Donald Trump, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, and Sen. John McCain, according to data from the Federal Election Commission. Ric Feld, Evan Vucci/AP ImagesSource: Insider

☆ Sam's Club goes big with plans to open dozens of new US stores that are nearly 20% larger
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-26 | by ( Ben Tobin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Sam's Club is opening 30 new warehouses across the United States in the next five to seven years. The new warehouses will be roughly 160,000 square feet, much larger than the average Sam's Club store. The decision to expand comes as Sam's Club membership numbers have continued to reach record heights, fueled by the pandemic. "We've seen remarkable growth over the past few years with a record number of members, and we're excited to bring the experience of Sam's Club to even more markets as we expand our footprint," Sam's Club CEO Kathryn McLay said in a statement. For context, the average Costco warehouse is 146,000 square feet, and BJ's Wholesale Club stores range in size from 63,000 square feet to 163,000 square feet.

☆ We visited stores like Walmart and Home Depot to see how they are tackling the industry's $95 billion shoplifting problem. We found an alarming amount of locked up items with security cameras watching
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-26 | by ( Ben Tobin | Dominick Reuter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: 1 min

And organized retail crime has skyrocketed and exacerbated retailers' problems, according to theft prevention experts. Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond Tierney, during a press conference in the law library at the Suffolk County Courthouse on March 16, 2022, announces the indictments of four New Jersey residents who stole thousands of dollars worth of purses from retail store Balenciaga in East Hampton, New York. James Carbone/Newsday RM via Getty Images

☆ Even with a bump to $14 an hour, Walmart workers won't make nearly as much as some activists say they should
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-25 | by ( Dominick Reuter | Ben Tobin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Walmart on Tuesday said it would raise its minimum wage to $14, affecting thousands of US workers. Activists have been pushing for a $15 minimum wage for over a decade, and now say at least $20 is needed. The federal minimum wage has been $7.25 since 2009, even as the cost of living has soared. Up until the middle of last decade, Walmart's minimum wage had matched the federal level at $7.25. One year later, Target also announced it would be raising its minimum wage to $15 per hour.

☆ Walmart will increase minimum wage for all employees to $14 per hour
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-24 | by ( Ben Tobin | Dominick Reuter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Walmart will raise the minimum wage for store employees to $14 an hour in March, a source tells Insider. The Bentonville, Arkansas-based retailer's current minimum wage is $12 per hour, set in 2021. The current minimum wage is $12 an hour. The company posted a memo Tuesday saying that wages would increase and the average US employee's pay would be $17.50 per hour. A company spokesperson confirmed to the Wall Street Journal and CNBC Tuesday that the minimum wage would increase, and that store employees will make between $14 an hour and $19 an hour starting in March.

☆ Female TikTok users say they're deleting their dating apps and heading to Home Depot
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-23 | by ( Ben Tobin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Some TikTok users say they have searched for their future husbands at Home Depot. Of the many women on TikTok who say they're "deleting the dating apps in 2023," some say they're looking for love in a surprise location. "Ladies, no joke, Home Depot is where you go if you want to meet a man," TikTok user meganlouise217 said in a video in March 2021. Tiktok user itscybersav said in an October 2021 video she was at Home Depot for the third time this month. TikTok user joleene_d asked a Home Depot employee in a March 2022 video: "Do you have an aisle specifically where single men are?"

☆ Walgreens exec: Security guards aren't there to 'protect product' after CFO called them 'largely ineffective'
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-22 | by ( Aidan Pollard | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

CFO James Kehoe called the chain's security guards 'largely ineffective' in an earnings call this month. Security guards "are not there to protect the product," he said, per the Post. At the anti-theft summit, Stein said instead, locking up products has become an effective means for preventing theft at Walgreens stores, the Post reported. In October 2021, Walgreens CFO James Kehoe blamed the closing of five San Francisco stores on organized shoplifting. Kehoe also acknowledged that private security guards are "largely ineffective" and that police officers had more impact.

☆ Organized retail thieves' most-wanted list: Survey reveals which items are most likely to be stolen from stores
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-21 | by ( Ben Tobin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Organized retail crime has contributed to a $94.5 billion inventory-shrink problem for the retail industry. Retail criminals steal across many different product categories, per the National Retail Federation. Here are the most popular items targeted for organized retail crime as identified by the National Retail Federation, in no particular order. Shoshy Ciment/Business InsiderDesigner handbagsFashion and fine jewelryBeltsWatchesDesigner sunglassesBranded eyewearFootwearShoe retailers need to be wary of organized retail criminals. REUTERS/Jessica DinapoliInfant formulaInfant and toddler itemsChildren's toysOtherGift cards also aren't safe from organized retail crime.

☆ Lowe's wants to host your kid's next birthday party
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-20 | by ( Ben Tobin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Lowe's announced this week it is offering birthday parties at 10 stores across the United States. The North Carolina-based home-improvement store chain announced this week it is offering to host kids birthday parties at 10 stores across the United States. Parties are available for kids ages 5 and over, and they include safety goggles, aprons, party construction hats, and a Lowe's employee supervising projects. Parents can also pay for upgrades like pizza, drinks, and desserts from Domino's, and Lowe's party favors like t-shirts, water bottles, and backpacks. Birthday party packages start around $349 per party and vary in price depending on types of projects and upgrades.

☆ Some Walmart employees can more than triple their wages by becoming truck drivers
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-18 | by ( Ben Tobin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Walmart raised truck-driver pay to as much as $110,000 in April 2022 in an effort to recruit more drivers. The company also launched a 12-week program to allow employees to get commercial driver's licenses. Walmart employees can make as little as $25,000 to $35,000, according to job-posting websites. Walmart truck drivers can make up to $110,000 per year — much more than the average annual wages of Walmart store employees, which range from $25,000 to $35,000, according to estimates from job-posting sites like Indeed, Glassdoor, and ZipRecruiter. A Walmart spokesperson did not immediately respond to a question about how much the average Walmart store worker earns.

☆ VIDEO: Target carts that lock in place are yet another example of how anti-theft measures are leaving shoppers really frustrated
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-15 | by ( Dominick Reuter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Nearly 2 million shopping carts are stolen each year, costing retailers an estimated $800 million. Videos of shoppers battling anti-theft devices on carts in a Target parking lot have gone viral on TikTok. Whether and when a particular store gets Gatekeeper for its carts is determined on an individual store basis, a Target spokesperson told Insider. The Food Marketing Institute meanwhile estimates that 2 million shopping carts are stolen each year, costing retailers an upwards of $800 million globally. Loss-prevention remains a delicate balance for retailers as Walmart's vice president of asset protection and retail operations, David Johnston, told Insider.

☆ Lowe's to sell power tools that won't work if they're stolen, as retailers take increasingly desperate measures to prevent theft
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-10 | by ( Ben Tobin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Lowe's is combining RFID and blockchain technologies to ensure stolen products are rendered inoperable. In other words, if a power tool is stolen from Lowe's, it isn't going to work. Additionally, Project Unlock focuses on transparent purchase records. In 2021, Home Depot began selling power tools that won't work unless they're properly scanned and activated at the register via Bluetooth technology. Lowe's didn't immediately respond to Insider's inquiries about when it plans a full rollout of Project Unlock.

☆ Your 'Big Blue' Bed Bath & Beyond coupons could be useless soon – so you'd better use them
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-07 | by ( Jordan Hart | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

A Chapter 7 bankruptcy filing would mean the company's famous "Big Blue" coupons would be useless. If Bed Bath & Beyond moves forward, iconic big blue coupon program would come to an end, but there's still a chance to shop for deals. "If Bed Bath & Beyond files for bankruptcy, the retailer might honor the 20% coupons for a 30-day period. The "Big Blue" coupons became recognizable for their uniquely huge sizes, but the retailer scaled back its savings program after business slowed in 2020, The New York Times reported. If you're planning one last use out of your coupons, supplies may not last at your local Bed Bath & Beyond.

☆ Nearly half of Bed Bath and Beyond's products are out of stock as the retailer nears bankruptcy
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-06 | by ( Ben Tobin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Bed Bath & Beyond had 53% of inventory available for customers in December 2022, per DataWave. For context, in January 2022, the company's inventory availability rate was 77%. That's much lower than the company's competitors like Kohl's and Lowe's, whose December 2022 inventory availability rates were 61% and 72%, respectively. "During the quarter, inventory levels were negatively impacted by reduced credit limits for Bed Bath," Raymond James analyst Bobby Griffin wrote in a note Thursday. Categories worse off for Bed Bath and Beyond in December 2022 were kitchen and lighting, which both had a mere 39% inventory availability rate.

☆ TikTok videos show exasperated Target shoppers battling carts that lock in place — and it shows how anti-theft measures make the shopping experience worse
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-06 | by ( Dominick Reuter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Nearly 2 million shopping carts are stolen each year, costing retailers an estimated $800 million. Videos of shoppers battling anti-theft devices on carts in a Target parking lot have gone viral on TikTok. A TikToker going by the name Taylor Ann cheerfully narrates in a video of the moment, which has amassed over 4.4 million views on TikTok. Taylor Ann acknowledges the technology has been around for years, but it can still come as a surprise when it arrives at your store. The Food Marketing Institute meanwhile estimates that 2 million shopping carts are stolen each year, costing retailers an upwards of $800 million globally.

☆ Walgreens executive says the company 'cried too much' about theft and may cut back on private security guards
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-05 | by ( Ben Tobin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Walgreens CFO James Kehoe said the company overstated theft concerns in 2022. Kehoe said at the start of 2022 that the company's retail shrink rate had increased by 52% from 2020. The CFO called private security firms "ineffective" and said the company plans to rely on police instead. Kehoe's comments come after months of other retailers sounding the alarm about retail theft. "This is not petty theft," Kehoe said in a January 2022 investor call.

Since its founding in 1971, Bed Bath & Beyond has been a go-to destination for home goods. We took a look at the rise and decline of the iconic big-box retailer. In September 2022, Bed Bath & Beyond announced it would be closing 150 stores and slashing 20% of its corporate positions in an effort to cut costs. Bed Bath & Beyond was once a leading home goods retailer, appealing to shoppers across the nation with its strategy of abundance. We took a closer look at Bed Bath & Beyond's rise from a small linen store in New Jersey to a major national retail chain now on the brink of collapse.

☆ Bed Bath & Beyond warns it may file for bankruptcy. Here's what customers and employees should know.
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-05 | by ( Ben Tobin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Bed Bath & Beyond may file for bankruptcy, according to a company SEC filing Thursday. Bed Bath & Beyond reported an expected loss of $385.8 million the previous quarter. If Bed Bath & Beyond files for bankruptcy, the company could go out of business — meaning employees would lose their jobs and the company would have to liquidate its assets. Bed Bath & Beyond shares were down 20% down when the stock market opened Thursday, compared Wednesday's close. "In our view, Bed Bath & Beyond is too far gone to be saved in its present form," Saunders wrote.

☆ Pharmacies can now sell the abortion pill, but you probably won't find it at top chains like CVS, Walmart, or Walgreens anytime soon
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-04 | by ( Ben Tobin | Sarah Braner | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The FDA authorized retail pharmacies to become certified to carry mifepristone in a ruling Tuesday. Retailers may not sell the abortion pill due to administrative hurdles and backlash, experts say. But don't expect to be able to find the pill at your local Walmart or CVS any time soon. The FDA implemented the regulatory change Tuesday night to allow retail pharmacies to dispense mifepristone to people with a prescription. Insider contacted seven major retail pharmacies to ask whether they plan to sell mifepristone.

☆ Dollar General, Family Dollar, and Dollar Tree are taking over the US with more new stores than any other retailer — and it reveals a shift in how Americans are shopping
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-03 | by ( Ben Tobin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Dollar General announced more than 1,000 store openings in 2022, per company Coresight Research. Other companies that opened many stores in 2022 include Aldi, Ross Dress For Less, and Five Below. And discount stores have reaped the benefits: Dollar General's stock soared to an all-time high in November 2022, for example. With so many people looking to save money, discount stores led the pack for retailers in opening new locations next year. Dollar General — 1,024 storesDollar General.

☆ Stores and restaurants closed on New Year's Day 2023: Costco, Trader Joe's, Chick-fil-A, and more
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-30 | by ( Ben Tobin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Costco, Aldi, Sam's Club, and Trader Joe's are among the stores closed on New Year's Day. Chick-fil-A will be closed, as New Year's Day is on a Sunday and the chain doesn't operate Sundays. Stores and restaurants open on the holiday include Walmart, Target, Starbucks, and McDonald's. And some stores, such as Costco, Trader Joe's, and Aldi, will be taking the first day of the new year off. Getty ImagesAcademy Sports + OutdoorsAlbertsonsBarnes & NobleBest BuyCVSDick's Sporting GoodsDollar TreeH-E-BHobby LobbyThe Home DepotIKEAKohl'sKrogerLowe'sMacy'sMichaelsOffice DepotPetcoPublixRite AidSproutsTargetUltaWalgreensWalmartWhole FoodsWhat restaurants are open on New Year's Day 2023?

☆ Parents are scrambling to find children's Tylenol, Motrin, and Advil as medicine shortages plague stores like Walgreens and CVS
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-30 | by ( Ben Tobin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

A combination of COVID-19, flu, and RSV has made kids sick and skyrocketed demand for medications. CVS, Target, and Walgreens have all put limits on the amount of children's meds parents can buy. And now, a shortage of children's medications is leaving parents scrambling to care for their kids as three potentially deadly diseases permeate the United States. Why children's Tylenol and other drugs are in short supplyThe explosion of the three illnesses has left parents demanding more medications than stores and suppliers anticipated — leading to a shortage. When she arrived at her local CVS in San Diego County, California, she only spotted two bottles of children's Tylenol left on the shelves.

☆ Walmart, Walgreens, CVS, and more are locking away more products to deter theft — and it's driving some customers away
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-29 | by ( Ben Tobin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Retail theft led to roughly $94.5 billion in losses for retailers in 2021, per a recent NRF survey. Retailers have been locking away more items to protect them from potential theft. But that has led to customers abandoning certain stores, shoppers nationwide told Insider. Walmart, CVS, Walgreens, and Rite Aid are among the retailers that lock up products as a security measure. And earlier this month, Walmart CEO Doug McMillon sounded the alarm on theft, saying "stores will close" unless it is abated.

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