Walmart's employee insurance will soon cover fertility treatments

Sep 29, 2022
Walmart is pairing with Kindbody, a fertility startup, in a move some say could make fertility treatments more affordable and accessible.
The retail giant's move to include fertility benefits is an indicator of how companies are trying to retain employees.
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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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For every unsold good, there's a liquidator waiting

Aug 24, 2022
Big-box retailers are dumping excess inventory because of lower sales. Liquidators, who resell that merchandise, are thriving.
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What Walmart and Home Depot's rising sales say about consumer sentiment

Aug 16, 2022
Walmart customers are thinking about rising prices. Home Depot customers are thinking about rising interest rates.
A look at Home Depot's sales indicates that people are opting to improve their existing homes rather than buy a new place.
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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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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.
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When consumers feel strapped, some brands do well anyway

May 27, 2022
Strong earnings from Nordstrom, Macy's and Dollar General suggest pent-up demand and a reframing of what people consider essential spending.
Dollar Tree said groceries made up a bigger part of its sales last quarter — which could spell trouble for retailers like Walmart and Target.
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For public good, not for profit.

What labor shortage? Some retailers now say they're overstaffed.

May 20, 2022
Hiring too many workers — many of them part time — was an effort to avoid losing sales.
Walmart said overstaffing, among other factors, brought down its quarterly earnings. The retailer's not alone.
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Retailers bulked up their inventories during the worst of the pandemic. Now they're stuck with them.

May 19, 2022
Big stores like Walmart and Target didn't foresee consumers pivoting away from shopping and toward going out.
Large retailers like Target and Walmart stocked up on goods — like office furniture or home decor — that shoppers bought during the pandemic. But consumers' spending habits are changing.
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Buy now, pay later services replace layaway

Jan 10, 2022
Services like Affirm and Klarna charge interest for allowing consumers to pay for their purchases in installments.
Layaway has become a relic of retail's past.
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