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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Bed Bath & Beyond stock plummets on abysmal earnings

Is Bed Bath & Beyond (NASDAQ:BBBY) the next company to go under? It’s looking more and more likely… Yesterday, the retailer reported earnings that fell way short of estimates — and its CEO Mark Tritton is getting the boot. Same-store sales crashed 24%, and losses grew to $358M, up from a $51M loss a year…

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Revlon Goes on a Massive Rally After Bankruptcy Filing

Cosmetics retailer Revlon has been trading like a meme stock in the past week, but retail investors aren’t at the center of the move this time. On June 10, news broke that Revlon (NYSE:REV) was about to file for bankruptcy — sending its stock down over 70%. Now, it’s trading up over 600% from its…

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The retail industry has a problem: too much inventory

A potential recession cutting consumer spending is only one of many worries retailers have. Now they have to figure out how to get rid of all the inventory they loaded up. Yesterday, Target said earnings would take a short-term hit — sending its stock down 2% after falling nearly 30% from its worse-than-expected earnings in…

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