China’s reopening is well underway. And that has major implications for Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) — which heavily relies on China for two main reasons: China made up 20% of Apple’s sales last quarter. It’s estimated that Apple manufactures ~95% of its products in China. Apple’s been struggling with manufacturing issues over China’s lockdown protocols, leading to…
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Boot Barn Soars Over America’s Cowboy Fever
Americans haven’t Yee’d their last Haw to their cowboy dreams just yet. Western fashion has shown up everywhere in our modern-day culture — and its popularity continues to grow: 1/ Music. Lil Nas X’s Old Town Road, released in 2019, may have inspired celebrities like A$AP Rocky, Kendrick Lamar and Harry Styles to don the…
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Communities Fight Back Against Dollar Stores’ Rampant Growth
Are you one of many shoppers turning to dollar stores in recent years? Rising inflation has led to rapid growth in dollar store chains — with nearly half of new US stores opened in 2021 being dollar store chains. The biggest of them all — Dollar General (NYSE:DG) — whose sales and profits have steadily…
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Discount and fast-fashion apps Shein and Temu duke it out in the west
2023 shoppers want two things: Cheap prices and speedy delivery. Fast-fashion and discount platforms provide both. With consumers strapped for cash, these apps have grown in popularity. Two competitors — Temu and Shein — have forced their way into American households. 1/ Temu is a discount shopping app owned by Chinese e-commerce giant PDD Holdings…
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Profits or customer service? Here’s what Amazon investors are choosing
Since its founding, Jeff Bezos has drilled the idea of customer obsession into Amazon’s culture. But Bezos is no longer at the company and with earnings declining, Amazon has a decision to make: more profits or better service? Not what it used to be Per Evercore ISI’s survey, Amazon’s satisfaction score has fallen to 79%…
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Adidas drops Ye: Losing market share to Nike and other favorite Gen-Z brands
Adidas (ETR:ADS) finally dropped Kanye West after Ye made anti-semitic comments (hostility against Jewish people). Ye was also dropped by his talent agency CAA, Balenciaga, and JPMorgan, among others, in recent weeks. Why did it take so long for Adidas to drop Ye? The partnership had become too large for Adidas… The Yeezy partnership is…
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State of the economy as told by retailers
Shoppers get ready; Black Friday is arriving earlier this year. Retailers — eager to clear inventory before the holidays — are about to dump their excess inventory on you in the form of discounts. Just how much inventory? Foot Locker (NYSE:FL) and Kohl’s (NYSE:KSS) hold 52% and 48% more inventory than last year, respectively. How…
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NCR stock and self-checkouts have failed to deliver on experience and returns
Retail self-checkout kiosks have seen rapid adoption in recent years — making up 30% of all grocery store transactions in 2021 — up from 18% in 2018. Whether you like ‘em or not, they’re sticking around — and you might even see more in the future. Awful experience; why keep them around? The answer to…
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Bed Bath & Beyond buys itself more time with new funding and strategy
Meme stock Bed Bath & Beyond (NASDAQ:BBBY) has had a roller coaster of a year — soaring on many occasions — as much as 400% in recent weeks. Yesterday, BBBY unveiled an updated corporate strategy, sending its stock down 21%. What’s the big deal? BBBY is in a race against time — at risk of…
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Retail earnings and consumer data paint a picture of a weakening economy
Earnings from the world’s largest retailer Walmart and consumer goods giant Kimberly Clark painted a picture of a weaker economy and consumer. Deteriorating economic conditions continue to have a significant impact on retailers. Kimberly Clark is still a victim of inflation — expecting input costs to stay high for the rest of the year. Walmart…
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