USPS Issues New Rule On Requester Newspapers (mediapost.com)

*Comparable sales grew 3.3 percent, on top of 22.9 percent growth last year. **Comparable sales growth reflected traffic growth of 3.9 percent. **Store comparable sales increased 3.4 percent, on top of 18.0 percent growth last year. **Digital comparable sales grew 3.2 percent, following growth of 50.2 percent last year. **Same-day services (Order Pickup, Drive Up and Shipt) grew 8 percent this year, led by Drive Up, which grew in the mid-teens on top of more than 120 percent last year. **More than 95 percent of Target's first quarter sales were fulfilled by its stores. *Sales growth was led by frequently-purchased categories, including Food & Beverage, Beauty, and Household Essentials. *Operating margin rate of 5.3 percent was well below expectations, driven primarily by gross margin pressure reflecting actions to reduce excess inventory as well as higher freight and transportation costs.

The U.S. Postal Service provided updated third quarter service performance data through the week of June 18th which shows performance improvement continues to hold steady since the second quarter. Performance numbers below include the weeks of April 1 through June 18: *First-Class Mail: 87.5 percent of First-Class Mail delivered on-time against the USPS service standard, an over 9 percent increase over the second quarter. *Marketing Mail: 90.8 percent of Marketing Mail delivered on time against the USPS service standard, a nearly 6 percent increase over the second quarter. *Periodicals: 79.1 percent of Periodicals delivered on time against the USPS service standard, a nearly 8 percent increase over the second quarter.

JCPenney’s new ownership group, consisting of Simon Property Group and Brookfield Asset Management, along with strategic partner Authentic Brands Group, have launched a search for a Chief Executive Officer to replace Jill Soltau, who will be exiting the company effective December 31, 2020. The search will seek to identify a leader that is focused on modern retail, the consumer experience, and the goal of creating a sustainable and enduring JCPenney. With a successful track record of turning around retailers and brands and restoring them to profitability, JCPenney’s new ownership group will establish a temporary office of the CEO to include key members of JCPenney’s current leadership team. Stanley Shashoua, Simon Property Group’s Chief Investment Officer, will be appointed interim CEO effective January 1, 2021.