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☆ Five Below has had a rough year so far. Here's why
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-14 | by ( Ryan Baker | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

"It's been one of the success stories of U.S. retail over the past five or so years," said Neil Saunders, managing director of GlobalData Retail. Analysts attribute much of the company's success to its ability to stay on trend and offer value to the consumer. Despite an impressive few years of growth, things have taken a turn for the worse in 2024. "You're paying a premium to get the growth that they're providing you," said Joe Feldman, senior managing director of Telsey Advisory Group. "But that premium, when things don't go your way, like the shrink issue, it can hurt you.

Persons: It's, Neil Saunders, Joe Feldman Organizations: GlobalData Retail, Telsey Advisory

☆ Shoppers are hyper-focused on ‘value.’ That doesn’t mean buying the cheapest option
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-06 | by ( Parija Bhatnagar | Parija Kavilanz | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Bargain retailers like Walmart and Costco have benefitted, as shown by the retailing industry’s recent slew of first-quarter earnings releases. Sales at its stores open at least a year increased 3.8% in the quarter from the same time last year. Which means that Americans are still spending, but selectively, and that “value shopping” means different things to different people. “A sizable segment of them are focused on value, however, that doesn’t directly correlate to a low price. Shoppers are willing to spend if they see value in an on-trend, well-made dress from Abercrombie – or a healthy salad from Sweetgreen.”

Persons: They’ve, What’s, ”, Neil Saunders, ” Saunders, Fitch, Stephanie Keith, Lilly Pulitzer, Laura Alber, Anne Hathaway, Della Patria, Elisabetta Villa, Richard Dickson, Zak Stambor, eMarketer, ” Stambor, “, Abercrombie – Organizations: New, New York CNN, Walmart, Costco, GlobalData, CNN, Abercrombie, Bloomberg, Getty, Hollister, Sonoma, Navy, Banana, “, Shoppers Locations: New York, Sonoma, Elm, Williams, Rome, Italy, Europe, Banana Republic

☆ He quit OpenAI, branding it reckless. He hopes outside pressure can now force change.
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-06 | by ( Jyoti Mann | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Read previewA former OpenAI employee who quit in February spoke out about what led him to quit, and later sign a letter calling for change at AI companies. William Saunders told Business Insider that concerns he raised while working at OpenAI were "not adequately addressed." This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers. Advertisement'Egregiously insufficient'According to Aschenbrenner, OpenAI told employees that he was fired over sharing a document containing safety ideas with external researchers. AdvertisementOpenAI didn't respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.

Persons: —, William Saunders, Saunders, they're, Leopold Aschenbrenner, OpenAI's, podcaster Dwarkesh Patel, Aschenbrenner, OpenAI, he'd, Sam Altman, Altman Organizations: Service, Business Locations: OpenAI

☆ Current and former OpenAI employees warn of AI's 'serious risks' and lack of oversight
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-04 | by ( Hayden Field | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

A group of current and former OpenAI employees published an open letter Tuesday describing concerns about the artificial intelligence industry's rapid advancement despite a lack of oversight and an absence of whistleblower protections for those who wish to speak up. "AI companies have strong financial incentives to avoid effective oversight, and we do not believe bespoke structures of corporate governance are sufficient to change this," the employees wrote. The letter also details the current and former employees' concerns about insufficient whistleblower protections for the AI industry, saying that without effective government oversight, employees are in a relatively unique position to hold companies accountable. "Ordinary whistleblower protections are insufficient because they focus on illegal activity, whereas many of the risks we are concerned about are not yet regulated." Four anonymous OpenAI employees and seven former ones, including Daniel Kokotajlo, Jacob Hilton, William Saunders, Carroll Wainwright and Daniel Ziegler, signed the letter.

Persons: OpenAI, they've, Daniel Kokotajlo, Jacob Hilton, William Saunders, Carroll Wainwright, Daniel Ziegler, Ramana Kumar, Neel Nanda, Geoffrey Hinton, Yoshua Bengio, Stuart Russell Organizations: Google, Microsoft, Meta, CNBC, Security Locations: Anthropic

☆ 5 ways to maximize your vacation days
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-03 | by ( Greg Iacurci | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

D3sign | Moment | Getty Imageswatch nowAbout 21% of Americans who work in the private sector don't get paid vacation, and 20% do not get paid holidays, according to the BLS. Here's how you can maximize your vacation time, whether paid or unpaid — both for efficiency and overall quality, according to experts. 'Play a little Tetris'Grouping vacation days with other guaranteed time off helps extend your time away without sacrificing additional paid time off, experts said. Pace PTO in a 'measured' wayPacing vacation days throughout the year in a "measured" way helps prevent burnout, Saunders said. Workers who don't get many days off (perhaps 10 total, for example) may want to consider taking one longer trip that requires four or five PTO days and bundling their remaining days with paid holidays, Saunders said.

Persons: Saunders, There's, Sally French Organizations: BLS, Westend61, Getty, Workers, Pace, Saturday

☆ CNBC's Inside India newsletter: Could markets sink even if Modi wins?
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-30 | by ( Ganesh Rao | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

This report is from this week's CNBC's "Inside India" newsletter which brings you timely, insightful news and market commentary on the emerging powerhouse and the big businesses behind its meteoric rise. Separately, the stock market will also deliver its verdict when markets open on Monday. Nervousness among investors over the results has meant that the India VIX index, the market's so-called fear gauge, has shot up by more than 135% since its April lows. However, some equity strategists point out that even a landslide victory for Modi's BJP could potentially sour the stock market. Meanwhile, Gautam Chhaochharia, head of global markets for India at UBS, said foreign investors are in a "wait and watch mode" ahead of India's election results despite economic fundamentals looking "very, very strong."

Persons: Narendra Modi's, Modi, Bradley Saunders, Saunders, Venugopal Garre, —, Garre, Fitch, SRH, Mark Mobius, Gautam Chhaochharia Organizations: Bloomberg, Getty, BJP, Traders, " Bank of America, Capital Economics, Modi's BJP, —, Reuters, Kolkata Knight Riders, IPL, Sunrisers, Knight Riders, CNBC, UBS Locations: Delhi, India, Kolkata, Sunrisers Hyderabad

☆ How Ace Hardware, America’s neighborhood hardware store for 100 years, is beating its big-box rivals
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-24 | by ( Parija Bhatnagar | Parija Kavilanz | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

A majority of Ace Hardware stores are located in neighborhoods. Courtesy Ace HardwareBarker is owner and operator of five Breed & Co Ace Hardware locations in the Austin, Texas, area. We count on people coming in everyday to buy a gift item from us.”This hybrid hardware-home goods-curio model is setting Ace Hardware stores apart. “They are essentially shareholders, they own the brand and the company,” said Kim Lefko, chief marketing officer of Ace Hardware. It just launched its first Ace-branded food product, a line of BBQ sauces, and a collection of Ace Hardware vintage-inspired clothing.

Persons: New York CNN — Mahin Barker, ”, Sherwin Williams, ” Neil Saunders, Hardware’s, today’s, Michael Brown, It’s, “, Barker, ” Barker, we’ve, ” Brown, “ We’ve, Kim Lefko, Lefko, John Madden, Pat Summerall, Michael Wynn, Vera Bradley, ” Wynn, Wynn Organizations: New, New York CNN, Home Depot, Hardware, Ace Hardware, Globaldata, “, NFL, Acon Investments, Sunshine Locations: New York, West Lake Hills, Austin , Texas, Brook , Illinois, Placer, remodels, Lake Hills, Chicago, Southern Florida, Florida

☆ Another OpenAI employee announced she quit over safety concerns hours before two exec resigned
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-22 | by ( Jyoti Mann | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

OpenAI faces more turmoil as another employee announces she quit over safety concerns. It comes after the resignations of high-profile executives Ilya Sutskever and Jan Leike, who ran its now-dissolved safety research team Superalignment. Krueger wrote, "I resigned a few hours before hearing the news about @ilyasut and @janleike, and I made my decision independently. I resigned a few hours before hearing the news about @ilyasut and @janleike, and I made my decision independently. Kokotajlo said he left after "losing confidence that it [OpenAI] would behave responsibly around the time of AGI."

Persons: Ilya Sutskever, Jan Leike, Gretchen Krueger, Krueger, — Gretchen Krueger, Leike, OpenAI, Daniel Kokotajlo, William Saunders, Kokotajlo, OpenAI didn't Organizations: Business

☆ Nestlé is releasing a lineup of frozen food for people on Ozempic and other GLP-1 drugs
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-21 | by ( Jordan Valinsky | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

New York CNN —Nestlé, the maker of frozen food brands like Stouffer’s and DiGiorno, is slimming down with a new line of meals for people taking GLP-1 drugs, such as Ozempic, for weight loss. However, a recent study on Wagovy significantly reduced heart risk in addition to helping with weight loss. An example of Vital Pursuit food. It also made a $100 million-plus deal to buy Sequence, a telehealth business that offers virtual prescriptions to patients for these weight loss drugs where appropriate. Food companies, like Nestlé, are also bracing for GLP-1 consumers to buy fewer sugary snacks and drinks.

Persons: New York CNN — Nestlé, It’s, Morgan, Steve Presley, Neil Saunders, Nestlé, it’s “, Saunders, ”, “ Nestlé, Sesame, WeightWatchers, ” Saunders, CNN’s Nathaniel Meyersohn Organizations: New, New York CNN, North, GlobalData, Lean, CNN, Companies, Costco, Equinox Locations: New York

☆ More OpenAI chaos puts Sam Altman on the back foot
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-20 | by ( Beatrice Nolan | Jyoti Mann | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

AdvertisementIt's a rare admission from Altman, who has worked hard to cultivate an image of being relatively calm amid OpenAI's ongoing chaos. Safety team implosionOpenAI has been in full damage control mode following the exit of key employees working on AI safety. He said the safety team was left "struggling for compute, and it was getting harder and harder to get this crucial research done." Silenced employeesThe implosion of the safety team is a blow for Altman, who has been keen to show he's safety-conscious when it comes to developing super-intelligent AI. The usually reserved Altman even appeared to shade Google, which demoed new AI products the following day.

Persons: —, Jan Leike, Ilya Sutskever, Sam Altman, Altman, Leike, Leopold Aschenbrenner, Pavel Izmailov, Daniel Kokotajlo, William Saunders, Cullen O'Keefe, Kokotajlo, Vox, OpenAI, Joe Rogan's, Neel Nanda, i've, Scarlett Johansson, OpenAI didn't Organizations: Service, Business, AGI

☆ Walmart’s business surges as shoppers hunt for low prices
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-16 | by ( Nathaniel Meyersohn | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

New York CNN —Businesses from McDonald’s to Home Depot are struggling to attract financially strapped shoppers. Walmart said Thursday that sales at stores open at least a year increased 3.8% during its latest quarter from the same time last year. The company raised its sales and profit guidance for the year, a sign it expects growth to continue. Groceries account for more than half of Walmart’s sales, and Walmart has benefited from its pricing advantage with prices around 25% lower than traditional supermarkets, according to analysts at Evercore IRI. Retail sales have slipped overall in recent months.

Persons: ” Neil Saunders, “ Walmart’s, “, ”, Ian Borden Organizations: New, New York CNN, McDonald’s, Walmart, Evercore IRI, GlobalData, “ Locations: New York, United States

☆ Another top OpenAI exec just announced he's out, hours after Ilya Sutskever said he's leaving the company
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-15 | by ( Meghan Morris | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Jan Leike, the co-lead of OpenAI's superalignment group, announced his resignation on Tuesday. Leike's exit follows the departure of Ilya Sutskever, OpenAI cofounder and chief scientist. Leike co-led OpenAi's superalignment group, a team that focuses on making its artificial intelligence systems align with human interests. Leike announced his departure hours after Ilya Sutskever, the other superalignment leader, said he was exiting. In a post on X, OpenAI cofounder Sam Altman said, "Ilya and OpenAI are going to part ways.

Persons: Jan Leike, OpenAI's, Ilya Sutskever, —, shakeup, Leike, OpenAi's, OpenAI, Sutskever, Sutskever's, Sam Altman, Ilya, Altman, Diane Yoon, Chris Clark, Yoon, Clark, Leopold Aschenbrenner, Pavel Izmailov, Daniel Kokotajlo, William Saunders Organizations: Service, Business Locations: OpenAI

☆ Target is dialing back on Pride merchandise after right-wing backlash
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-10 | by ( Jordan Valinsky | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

New York CNN —Target is limiting the number of stores that will sell LGBTQ-themed merchandise for Pride Month in June following a boycott from right-wing activists last year that took a toll on the brand’s bottom line. About half of its 2,000 stores will sell the Pride collection, according to Bloomberg, which first reported the news. The changes are a “sensible approach,” Neil Saunders, managing director of retail for GlobalData, told CNN. Pride problemsLast year, Target pulled Pride merchandise from some stores after the company and its employees became the focus of a “volatile” anti-LGBTQ campaign, which included threats against its store workers. A Target executive said on the earnings call that there was a “strong reaction” to Pride merchandise and the reaction was a “signal for us to pause, adapt and learn.”–CNN’s Nathaniel Meyersohn contributed to this report.

Persons: Target, it’s “, ” Neil Saunders, “, ”, ” –, Nathaniel Meyersohn Organizations: New, New York CNN, Pride Month, Bloomberg, CNN, Pride, Target, GlobalData, Wall Street Journal, Republican Locations: New York, Minneapolis

☆ 2 OpenAI researchers working on safety and governance have quit
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-09 | by ( Jyoti Mann | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Read previewTwo OpenAI employees who worked on safety and governance recently resigned from the company behind ChatGPT. Daniel Kokotajlo left last month and William Saunders departed OpenAI in February. Kokotajlo, who worked on the governance team, is listed as an adversarial tester of GPT-4, which was launched in March last year. OpenAI also parted ways with researchers Leopold Aschenbrenner and Pavel Izmailov, according to another report by The Information last month. OpenAI, Kokotajlo, and Saunders did not respond to requests for comment from Business Insider.

Persons: —, Daniel Kokotajlo, William Saunders, Saunders, Kokotajlo, overton, Ilya Sutskever, Jan Leike, AGI, It's, Sam Altman, Diane Yoon, Chris Clark, Yoon, Clark, OpenAI, Leopold Aschenbrenner, Pavel Izmailov Organizations: Service, Business, Alignment Locations: OpenAI

☆ Rue21, a mall staple, files for bankruptcy and will close all of its stores
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-03 | by ( Jordan Valinsky | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

New York CNN —Rue21, a mall staple for teen apparel, is going out of business and closing all 540 of its stores within the coming weeks. The retailer, which has about $200 million in debt and 4,900 employees, has been struggling financially in recent years despite a 2017 bankruptcy that the company hoped would turn Rue21 around. Its stores, which are located in 45 US states, will close within the next 4 to 6 weeks and “going out of business” sales are beginning soon. Express filed for bankruptcy last month and announced it was closing about 100 stores. 99 Cents Only Stores, a discount chain, also said in April it was going out of business.

Persons: New York CNN —, Michele Pascoe, Rue21, ” Pascoe, “, Neil Saunders, ”, Rue21 didn’t, Joann Organizations: New, New York CNN, GlobalData, CNN Locations: New York, Pittsburgh, ”

☆ Express files for bankruptcy; closing more than 100 stores
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-22 | by ( Parija Bhatnagar | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

New York CNN —Trendy fashion retailer Express Inc. has filed for bankruptcy after consistently struggling with continued missteps over its merchandise mix that failed to get shoppers excited. The retailer filed with the bankruptcy court in Delaware and said it also plans to shutter several stores as part of the process. The company operates Express, Express factory outlets, Bonobos and UpWest stores under its corporate umbrella and said in a release Monday that it plans to close 95 Express locations (it operates more than 500 in the US) and all UpWest locations with closing sales at those stores set to begin on April 23. “With the company struggling to gain traction with consumers, it has been obvious for quite some time that bankruptcy was the inevitable destination for Express,” Neil Saunders, managing director of GlobalData, said in a note Monday. “We are taking an important step that will strengthen our financial position and enable Express to continue advancing our business initiatives.

Persons: “, Neil Saunders, GlobalData, ”, Saunders, ” Stewart Glendinning, “ WHP, ” Glendinning Organizations: New, New York CNN, Express Inc, Express, WHP Global Locations: New York, Delaware

☆ Express files for bankruptcy, plans to close nearly 100 stores as investor group looks to save the brand
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-22 | by ( Gabrielle Fonrouge | In Gabrielle-Fonrouge | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

The company said hours for remaining stores won't change and it will continue to accept orders and returns as usual. "The proposed transaction will provide Express with additional financial resources, better position the business for profitable growth and maximize value for the Company's stakeholders," Express said. "We are taking an important step that will strengthen our financial position and enable Express to continue advancing our business initiatives," he added. Last spring, Express acquired Bonobos' operating assets and related liabilities for $25 million from Walmart in a joint deal with WHP. The deal came as Express' "core business was weak, and cash was tight," GlobalData managing director Neil Saunders said in a Monday note.

Persons: –, Stewart Glendinning, Neil Saunders, Saunders, Kirkland Organizations: Express Inc, Longtime, Express, WHP, Simon Property Group, Brookfield Properties, Les Wexner's, CNBC, Walmart, Powerhouse, Ellis, Partners Locations: New York, U.S

☆ Wayfair is opening its first-ever physical furniture store
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-18 | by ( Parija Bhatnagar | Parija Kavilanz | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

New York CNN —Online furniture and home furnishings seller Wayfair is set to open its first-ever namesake store next month, the company announced Thursday. It will also feature an onsite restaurant called “The Porch,” the company said, taking a page out of Ikea’s store setup. Furniture stores need to always be advertising, Saunders added, because people generally don’t buy furniture very often. This is particularly important in furniture and finishings where people like to see and try out products before buying,” Saunders said. “If this store is successful then it could be the start of wider physical expansion for Wayfair,” Saunders said.

Persons: Joss, ”, Neil Saunders, Saunders, Wayfair, it’s, Niraj Shah, Wayfair “, “ It’s, ” Saunders Organizations: New, New York CNN —, GlobalData Locations: New York, Edens, Wilmette , Illinois

☆ Weekend plunge shows it's premature to crown bitcoin as the new gold, Citi says
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-16 | by ( Tanaya Macheel | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Citi says it may be too early to classify bitcoin as "digital gold" despite its safe haven properties and recent correlation with the yellow metal. Many bitcoin fans regard the cryptocurrency as a digital version of gold because of its finite supply and its function as a store of value. Citi analyst Alex Saunders acknowledged that it can and has displayed both safe haven and risk asset behaviors, but said the digital gold analogy isn't yet warranted. Bitcoin does not yet exhibit the 'store-of-value' properties of gold, despite both being limited-supply, zero-coupon-bearing instruments." "Adoption of the emergent blockchain technology will be key to the long-term utility of bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies," he added.

Persons: Alex Saunders, –, Saunders, bitcoin, Michael Bloom Organizations: Citi Locations: East

☆ Macy's proxy fight is over, but the battle for the department store's future wages on
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-13 | by ( Melissa Repko | In Melissa-Repko | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

Arkhouse then launched its proxy fight and put forward nine nominees to Macy's 15-person board. Turning the tideOther department store chains have faced challenges from activists in recent years, and even when those efforts fall short, the pressure can bring about sweeping changes. That includes Macy's locations with stronger sales as well as its two chains that have outperformed the namesake brand, higher-end department store chain Bloomingdale's and beauty chain Bluemercury. Arkhouse claims Macy's refused to engage with it, and Macy's rebuffed Arkhouse saying it didn't have the financing for the takeover it proposed. Arkhouse, for its part, has said it plans to keep Macy's stores open.

Persons: Bing Guan, Tony Spring, Arkhouse, Neil Saunders, Macy's, Michelle Gass, Levi Strauss, Chip Bergh, Ben Hider, —, GlobalData's Saunders, It'll, Gavriel Kahane, Kahane, it's Organizations: Macy's Inc, National Retail Federation, Bloomberg, Getty, Arkhouse Management, Capital Management, American, Brigade, Levi, Herald, Sears, CNBC, Macy's, Fortress Investment Group, One Investment Management Locations: Herald, New York, Macy's, New York City

☆ Dollar stores are shutting down across America. They did this to themselves
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-11 | by ( Nathaniel Meyersohn | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Dollar Tree believed acquiring Family Dollar would help it compete against larger rivals. “When Dollar Tree bought Family Dollar, they didn’t really know what they were doing,” D’Arezzo said. Many Family Dollar stores were located too close to each other and cannibalized each other’s own sales, too, D’Arezzo said. Family Dollar “needs more work than the company originally thought.”A year later, an activist investor pushed for a sale of the “underperforming” Family Dollar business, and Family Dollar announced it would close 390 stores. Dollar Tree and Family Dollar executives say Family Dollar can still succeed, however.

Persons: Dollar, Ron Holman, ” Neil Saunders, GlobalData, “, ”, David D’Arezzo, Rick Dreiling, Kelly Bania, Carl Icahn, Nelson Peltz —, ” D’Arezzo, D’Arezzo, Dreiling Organizations: New, New York CNN, Visalia Times, USA, Dollar, BMO Capital Markets, “, Street, Justice Department, Bloomberg, Walmart, Costco Locations: New York, West Coast and Texas, West Memphis, ”, California , Nevada , Arizona, Texas, California

NEW YORK (AP) — It may not be too “appeeling,” but the price tags of some bananas are rising by a few cents. Trader Joe's recently upped the price for a single banana to 23 cents, a 4-cent — or 21% — increase from the grocer's previous going rate for the fruit that had remained unchanged for over 20 years. In contrast to other foods more heavily impacted by inflation, bananas have stayed relatively affordable over time — with average global prices never exceeding more than about 80 cents per pound (0.45 kilograms). Still, banana prices have seen some jumps in recent years. In the U.S., the cost of a pound of bananas averaged at about 63 cents last month.

Persons: Joe's, “, we’ve, Louis, ” Neil Saunders, Saunders Organizations: Federal Reserve Bank of St, United Nations, Food, Agriculture Organization Locations: Monrovia , California, U.S, —

☆ Baltimore businesses are trying to figure out how the bridge collapse will affect them
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-26 | by ( Grace Dean | Mary Hanbury | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Read previewThe collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore could have major effects on distribution and deliveries for businesses in the area. Baltimore's biggest bridge collapsed early on Tuesday morning after a cargo ship crashed into one of its support beams, prompting Maryland Gov. A spokesperson for Volkswagen said its operations were unaffected as its Baltimore facility was "located on the sea board of the bridge collapse." AdvertisementMcCormick, which manufactures spices and seasonings, said in 2020 that it expected its site at Tradepoint Atlantic to become its biggest distribution site. Local businesses prepare for ongoing disruptionThe Hard Yacht Cafe, located about a mile from the bridge, told BI that it wasn't yet clear how the collapse would affect its business.

Persons: —, Francis Scott Key, Wes Moore, Kevin Cartwright, Neil Saunders, Baltimore's Francis Scott Key, Armour, McCormick, we're, Alexander DelSordo Organizations: Service, Maryland Gov, Baltimore Fire Department, Associated Press, Business, Bloomberg, Maryland Transportation Authority, Depot, FedEx, BMW, Volkswagen, Google, Amazon, Volkswagen Group, Audi, Lamborghini, Bentley, CBS, WJZ, Bay Locations: Baltimore, Port of Baltimore, Sparrows, Europe, Mexico, Hawkins

☆ Dollar General is taking a key strategy from Costco as it aims to lower costs
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-21 | by ( Dominick Reuter | Alex Bitter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Dollar General is sharply reducing the selection of products it sells in order to cut costs. The discounter previously stocked about 12,000 unique items, referenced by SKUs. AdvertisementSome Dollar General shoppers may see their favorite items disappearing from shelves as the discount retailer looks to control inventory costs. The move inches Dollar General closer to Costco's time-tested strategy for finding savings through simplicity — the wholesale club famously keeps its SKU count to around 4,000 in its warehouses. Last summer, Dollar General took a $95 million inventory write-down as it cleaned those stores up.

Persons: SKUs, —, Todd Vasos, there's, Neil Saunders, Vasos, didn't, Gina Goetter Organizations: Costco, Service, Walmart, Aldi, Hasbro

☆ Fabrics retailer Joann files for bankruptcy
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-18 | by ( Jordan Valinsky | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

New York CNN —Joann, the 81-year-old fabric and craft retailer, has filed for bankruptcy as it struggles with customers cutting back on discretionary spending. In a statement Monday, the Ohio-based company said it filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection and has secured $132 million in fresh funding that helps reduce its debt in half, which had ballooned to $1 billion. However, that has since faded, and inflation has soared, prompting customers to spend less on non-essential items. Joann’s stock was delisted from the Nasdaq and will become privately owned following the bankruptcy process, which it expects to happen as fast as next month. “The bankruptcy of Joann has been looming for a long time and was always a matter of when, rather than if,” said Neil Saunders, managing director and retail analyst for GlobalData, in a note Monday.

Persons: New York CNN — Joann, ”, Scott Sekella, Joann, Neil Saunders, “, ” Saunders Organizations: New, New York CNN, Nasdaq, GlobalData Locations: New York, Ohio

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