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Holiday shopping will look different this year, with discounts coming early

Oct 10, 2022
Consumers can expect early and steep sales as retailers try to offload excessive inventory. Online shopping is expected to cool.
"Consumers are going to be seeing some of the best discounts they’ve seen in quite some time," said Vivek Pandya of Adobe Analytics. 
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As transportation bottlenecks clear, supply chains face shortage of warehouse space

Oct 5, 2022
Warehouse rents are soaring while transportation costs are plummeting.
Prices to rent warehouse space have been surging nationally, says Jason Tolliver with the real estate firm Cushman & Wakefield.
Jeff Schear/Getty Images for Walmart

Companies plan to hire fewer seasonal workers this year

Sep 22, 2022
Retailers are worried that inflation and fear of a potential recession will impact holiday spending.
Walmart said it plans to hire 40,000 seasonal workers for the holidays this year. It brought on 150,000 in 2021.
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Why retailers messed up their inventories so badly

Aug 18, 2022
Target, Walmart and others have struggled to keep up with changes in consumer buying and have had to predict demand further in advance.
Target and other retailers have been marking down prices in hopes of moving their glut of merchandise.
Robyn Beck/AFP via Getty Images

How teen mall hot spot Claire’s went from bankruptcy to IPO filing

Aug 5, 2022
The chain has benefited from '90s fashion trends, a good supply chain and looking outside of malls, says Elizabeth Segran of Fast Company.
Claire's has a team of "trend spotters" who travel the world looking for the next popular thing, says Elizabeth Segran of Fast Company. 
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Spending is up, but consumer confidence isn't

Jul 15, 2022
Retail sales rose in June, yet inflation is still a factor in how and where people are willing to spend.
While electronic and appliance sales saw the biggest drop in the last year, spending at bars and restaurants remain strong.
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Walmart to charge transportation fees to some suppliers

Jul 6, 2022
The retailer says it's part of an effort to keep prices low for customers. That can be hard to do in the long term.
The fees Walmart charges will eventually be passed on to consumers.
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Current economic moment could spell "catastrophe for retailers"

Jul 1, 2022
With rising prices, ongoing supply chain issues and the wrong inventory, it's a rough time to be a big-box store.
Kohl's had been in negotiations to be bought by the Franchise Group but decided to end those talks. It's part of an industry that's struggling with difficult conditions.
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Return fees are happening because retailers are hurting

Jun 9, 2022
Americans sent back $760 billion worth of stuff last year. Now higher shipping costs and rising returns are hurting companies' bottom lines.
Zara is now charging customers in the U.K. when they return online purchases via mail. With rising shipping costs, other retailers may follow suit.
Greg Baker/AFP via Getty Images

The chaotic story of inventory in today's economy

Jun 8, 2022
Wholesale inventories were up in April. But now, some stores have too much inventory while others struggle to get the inventory they need.
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images