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Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on Thursday he had invited the heads of Canada's five largest grocery chains, including Sobeys (EMPa.TO), Metro (MRU.TO) and Loblaw (L.TO), to Ottawa next week to discuss how they planned to control sky-rocketing food prices. Trudeau's move comes when governments across the globe, especially in Europe, have expressed concern over soaring food prices as they seek to address a cost-of-living crisis that has intensified after the pandemic subsided and since the Russia-Ukraine war began. However, after a similar move from the French government in June, analysts were skeptical about Trudeau's warning. They argued it was a "political" tactic and might be ineffective in lowering lingering food inflation. "Both PM Justin Trudeau and François-Philippe Champagne (Canada's industry minister) spoke tough about this topic and it is difficult to envision what teeth they have to hold grocers accountable," said Ben Jang, portfolio manager at Nikola Wealth.

Persons: Justin Trudeau, Trudeau's, François, Philippe Champagne, Ben Jang, Michael Ashley Schulman, Allan Small, Granth Vanaik, Pooja Desai Organizations: Metro, Loblaw, Nikola Wealth, Running, Capital Advisors, iA, Wealth, Carrefour, Lipton, Nestle, PepsiCo, Unilever, Thomson Locations: Ottawa, Europe, Russia, Ukraine, Bengaluru

☆ Higher gasoline prices lift US retail sales, trend slowing
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-14 | by ( Lucia Mutikani | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Retail sales rose 0.6% last month. Higher gasoline prices boosted producer prices in August, other data from the Labor Department showed on Thursday. Excluding gasoline stations, retail sales rose 0.2% last month. Sales at food services and drinking places, the only services category in the retail sales report, rose 0.3% after increasing 0.8% in July. Excluding automobiles, gasoline, building materials and food services, retail sales edged up 0.1% in August.

Persons: Mike Blake, Christopher Rupkey, Goldman Sachs, Nancy Vanden Houten, Lucia Mutikani, Chizu Organizations: REUTERS, Commerce Department, Federal Reserve, Reuters, U.S . Energy Information Administration, Labor Department, Treasury, delinquencies, New York Federal Reserve, Gross, Oxford Economics, Thomson Locations: Carlsbad , California, U.S, WASHINGTON, New York

☆ Macy's-owned Bloomingdale's taps international exec Olivier Bron as its next CEO
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-12 | by ( Melissa Repko | In Melissa-Repko | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Shoppers walk past a Bloomingdale's store in the SoHo neighborhood of New York, US, on Wednesday, Dec. 28, 2022. With the move, the legacy retailer is adding an outside perspective and a dash of global flair to the higher-end department store. Bron, 46, is a French national who was most recently CEO of Central and Robinson department stores in Thailand. A 36-year veteran of Bloomingdale's, Spring became CEO-elect of the parent company Macy's in March. Macy's said Tuesday that it has tapped international retail executive Olivier Bron as the next CEO of its upscale department store, Bloomingdale's.

Persons: Bron, Tony Spring, Spring, Jeff Gennette, Macy's, Olivier Bron, Michael Gould, Beverly, Bloomingdale's, Nordstrom Organizations: Bain & Company, Central, Robinson, Bloomingdale's, Macy's, Beverly Hills Locations: SoHo, New York, Lafayette, Paris, Bron, French, Thailand, Dubai, Kuwait, Manhattan, New York City, Seattle, Macy's

☆ Britain faces 'epidemic' of shoplifting as Primark profits hit
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-12 | by ( James Davey | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Sadly, in the last year we've seen twice as many offences," Sharon White, chair of the John Lewis Partnership that owns department stores and Waitrose supermarkets, told BBC Radio. Weston said some of the theft was "quite organised" and Primark was also seeing higher levels of anti-social behaviour. His comments echo those of Tesco (TSCO.L) CEO Ken Murphy, who earlier this month said Britain's biggest supermarket chain was offering body-cams to staff who need them. Murphy also called for a change in the law to make abuse and violence towards retail workers a specific offence in Britain. Target (TGT.N), Foot Locker (FL.N) and Dick's Sporting Goods (DKS.N) have all warned that profits have been under pressure from loss of inventory due to theft at their stores.

Persons: John Lewis, It's, we've, Sharon White, White, shoplifters, George Weston, Weston, Primark, Ken Murphy, Murphy, James Davey, Mark Potter Organizations: Police, Foods, John Lewis Partnership, Waitrose, BBC Radio, British Foods, Crown Prosecution Service, Reuters, Tesco, Dick's Sporting, Thomson Locations: Britain, United States

☆ Macy’s Names Next Bloomingdale’s C.E.O.
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-12 | by ( J. Edward Moreno | More About J. Edward Moreno | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Macy’s named Olivier Bron the next chief executive of Bloomingdale’s, the company’s luxury chain, on Tuesday, the latest move in a leadership shuffle this year. Mr. Bron was previously chief executive of Central Group’s Central and Robinson Department Stores in Thailand. Macy’s announced this year that Mr. Spring would be elevated to chief executive of Macy’s in February after the planned retirement of Jeff Gennette, who has led the company since 2017. Macy’s has ambitions to become more competitive in e-commerce as younger shoppers pull away from department stores. Mr. Gennette previously said Bloomingdale’s, under Mr. Spring, had worked as a “scrappy incubator” for ideas that eventually made their way to Macy’s.

Persons: Macy’s, Olivier Bron, Bron, Tony Spring, Jeff Gennette, Gennette, Mr, Denis Guignebourg Organizations: Bloomingdale’s, Mr, Central Group’s, Robinson Department, Macy’s, Galleries Lafayette, Bain & Company . Credit, Sipa USA, Associated Press Locations: Thailand, United States

☆ Jeffrey A. Trachtenberg — Reporter at The Wall Street Journal
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-09 | by ( Jeffrey A. Trachtenberg | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +2 min

Jeffrey A. TrachtenbergJeffrey Trachtenberg covers the book industry and is part of the Journal’s Media and Marketing Bureau in New York. Other topics in Jeff’s coverage have included the popularity of political books, debates over “cancel culture” within publishing houses and other literary trends. Jeff co-authored a 2021 series on the succession drama at Scholastic, following the unexpected death of the children’s publisher’s longtime boss. Jeff has also covered the magazine industry for the Journal, chronicling how giants such as Condé Nast have sought to pivot from a focus on glossy print titles into online publishers. Previously, Jeff covered the retailing, consumer electronics and music industries for the Journal, reporting on such big retail chains as Federated Department Stores and Saks Fifth Avenue, and the music arms of Sony, Bertelsmann and Polygram.

Persons: Jeffrey A, Trachtenberg Jeffrey Trachtenberg, he’s, Barnes, Noble, Jimmy Carter, Philip Roth, J.K, Rowling, Jeff, Condé Nast, Barry, Meredith, Ralph Lauren, Jacqueline Bisset, Kirk Douglas, Lew Wasserman Organizations: Journal’s Media, Marketing Bureau, Scholastic, IAC, Better Homes, Gardens, Federated Department Stores, Saks Fifth, Sony, Bertelsmann, Polygram, Forbes, Franklin & Marshall College Locations: New York, Westchester, N.Y

☆ New signals about where shoppers are spending their money put one of our retail stocks in the sweet spot
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-07 | by ( Zev Fima | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

The consumer is expected to remain resilient this year, but some retailers will benefit more than others. Consumer spending drives the U.S. economy, accounting for 68% of gross domestic product — and several analysts on Wall Street forecasted that spending will remain strong through 2024. However, the prioritization of that spending will result in winners and losers. At the same time, they expect spending growth for essentials to slow, thereby leaving more money left over for discretionary purchases. As a subscriber to the CNBC Investing Club with Jim Cramer, you will receive a trade alert before Jim makes a trade.

Persons: Goldman Sachs, Goldman, Bernstein, That's, —, TJX, Jim Cramer's, Jim Cramer, Jim, Mario Anzuoni Organizations: Wall, Goldman, —, TJX, Ross Stores, Burlington, Loop, Marshalls, Apple, TJX Companies, Jim Cramer's Charitable, CNBC, Maxx Locations: 4Q23, TJX, Maxx, Burlington, Pasadena , California

[1/2] Union workers of Sogo & Seibu hold banners which read 'on strike' in front of the company's flagship Seibu Ikebukuro store in Tokyo, Japan August 31, 2023. In a statement, Fortress said it would work with Seven & i to support Sogo & Seibu's management to maintain its workforce "to the extent possible." It plans to invest more than 20 billion yen with partner Yodobashi to renovate Sogo & Seibu's stores, it said. Sogo & Seibu's workers had the support of labour groups from rival department stores including Takashimaya and Isetan Mitsukoshi (3099.T). The Seibu Ikebukuro store is Japan's third-largest department store by sales, according to media reports, but its owner Sogo & Seibu has been in the red for the last four years.

Persons: Irene Wang, Fortress, Yodobashi, it's, Yasuhiro Teraoka, Isetan Mitsukoshi, Wakana Shuto, Stephen Givens, Ritsuko Shimizu, Mariko Katsumura, Kaori Kaneko, Rocky Swift, Chang, Ran Kim, Edwina Gibbs, Stephen Coates, Miral Organizations: Union, Sogo, Seibu, company's, REUTERS, Workers, Fortress Investment Group, Yodobashi Holdings, Rikkyo, Japan Inc, Thomson, & & ' Locations: Tokyo, Japan, U.S, TOKYO, Ikebukuro, Sogo, Seibu Ikebukuro

[1/2] Union workers of Sogo & Seibu hold banners which read 'on strike' in front of the company's flagship Seibu Ikebukuro store in Tokyo, Japan August 31, 2023. Some 900 workers at the flagship Seibu store in the bustling district of Ikebukuro are protesting the sale of Sogo & Seibu, a unit of retail giant Seven & i (3382.T), to U.S. fund Fortress Investment Group. This one-day strike - the first at a major Japanese department store in 61 years - followed months of negotiations between Sogo & Seibu management and the workers' union, and comes amid a labour shortage in Japan. Other Seibu and Sogo department stores were open for business as usual. The Seibu Ikebukuro store is Japan's third-largest department store by sales, according to media reports, but its owner Sogo & Seibu has been in the red for the last four years.

Persons: Irene Wang, Isetan Mitsukoshi, Wakana Shuto, Stephen Givens, it's, Ritsuko Shimizu, Mariko Katsumura, Kaori Kaneko, Rocky Swift, Chang, Ran Kim, Edwina Gibbs, Stephen Coates, Miral Organizations: Union, Sogo, Seibu, company's, REUTERS, Workers, Fortress Investment Group, Yodobashi Holdings, Rikkyo, Japan Inc, Thomson Locations: Tokyo, Japan, U.S, TOKYO, Ikebukuro, Sogo, Seibu Ikebukuro

☆ Japan sees rare strike as workers at landmark department store protest sale
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-31 | by ( Mariko Katsumura 清水律子 | Mariko Katsumura | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

The slogan on the banner in the centre reads, 'Sogo & Seibu, strike solidarity'. This one-day strike - the first at a major Japanese department store in 61 years - followed months of negotiations between Sogo & Seibu management and the workers' union. Other Seibu and Sogo department stores were open for business as usual. "Considering the industry's difficulties, the conditions at Sogo & Seibu are not unique." Sogo & Seibu has been in the red for the last four years and has some 300 billion yen in debt.

Persons: Satomi Saito, Isetan Mitsukoshi, Daimaru, Wakana Shuto, Ritsuko Shimizu, Mariko Katsumura, Kaori Kaneko, Rocky Swift, Chang, Ran Kim, Edwina Gibbs Organizations: Sogo, Seibu, company's, Kyodo, Workers, Fortress Investment Group, Yodobashi Holdings, Yodobashi, Hankyu Hanshin, Rikkyo, Thomson Locations: Tokyo, Japan, U.S, TOKYO, Ikebukuro, Sogo

In the second quarter ended July 30, Lululemon's North America sales rose 11% as its affluent customer base picked up more of its workout gear and crossbody bags. Sales in China, which accounted for roughly 12% of overall revenue, increased 61% thanks to resilient demand following the easing of pandemic curbs. Lululemon said inventories increased 14% in the second quarter, below the roughly 20% growth forecast in June. The company's gross margins increased 230 basis points to 58.8% in the second quarter. It expects annual profit between $12.02 and $12.17 per share.

Persons: Andrew Kelly, Lululemon, Calvin McDonald, Rachel Wolff, Granth, Maju Samuel Organizations: REUTERS, North, Lululemon's, Nike, Thomson Locations: Manhattan , New York, U.S, Lululemon's North America, United States, China, Bengaluru

☆ Jim Cramer: This is my thinking behind Monday's buys of two very unloved stocks
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-28 | by ( Jim Cramer | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

We have waited for Estee Lauder (EL), too. Estee Lauder is a huge employer in China and a favored one. Estee Lauder remains a great answer for them. Disney and Estee Lauder are battles and we have waited until our adversaries seem spent and the time is right. As a subscriber to the CNBC Investing Club with Jim Cramer, you will receive a trade alert before Jim makes a trade.

Persons: Jeff Marks, we've, that's, Estee Lauder, —, Bob Iger, Estee's Fabrizio Freda —, Iger, Freda, Xi, Gina Raimondo, Monday, Wang Wentao, Lauder, It's, Jim Cramer's, Jim Cramer, Jim, Disney Bob Iger, Kevin Dietsch Organizations: Disney, ESPN, Hulu, NBC, Comcast, DIS, Fox, Netflix, Apple, Federal Trade Commission, Paramount, Warner Brothers Discovery, Hollywood, United State, Cosmetics, U.S, Commerce, Jim Cramer's Charitable, CNBC, Allen & Company Sun Valley Conference, Getty Locations: Hulu —, China, United, Hainan, South Korea, Iger, Sun Valley , Idaho

☆ Australia retail sales rebound after fall, annual rate slows further
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Holiday shoppers stand in line inside a mall in the city centre of Sydney, Australia, December 17, 2020. REUTERS/Loren Elliott/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSYDNEY, Aug 28 (Reuters) - Australian retail sales rebounded in July after a sharp fall the previous month, but the annual rate slowed further, a result that should not upset the outlook for interest rates as high borrowing costs work to slow consumer spending. Data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) on Monday showed nominal retail sales rose 0.5% in July from June. Ben Dorber, ABS head of retail statistics, said the rebound was boosted by additional spending at catering and takeaway food outlets linked to the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup and school holidays. The rate hikes have added hundreds of dollars to average monthly mortgage repayments, weighing on consumer spending, which had been resilient at first thanks in part to savings amassed during the pandemic.

Persons: Loren Elliott, Ben Dorber, Stella Qiu, Jacqueline Wong Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Australian Bureau of Statistics, Analysts, FIFA, Reserve Bank of Australia, ANZ, Thomson Locations: Sydney, Australia

☆ Department Stores Are Maxed Out
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-23 | by ( Jinjoo Lee | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

This copy is for your personal, non-commercial use only. Distribution and use of this material are governed by our Subscriber Agreement and by copyright law. For non-personal use or to order multiple copies, please contact Dow Jones Reprints at 1-800-843-0008 or visit www.djreprints.com. https://www.wsj.com/finance/investing/department-stores-are-maxed-out-1bb63395

Persons: Dow Jones

☆ Nike falls for record 10th straight day as Foot Locker woes, China slowdown hit stock
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-23 | by ( Gabrielle Fonrouge | In Gabrielle-Fonrouge | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Nike's stock tumbled Wednesday for the 10th day in a row after Foot Locker reported dismal quarterly results and consumers continue to pull back from the footwear sector. "This became much more evident through the second quarter including a weaker start to back to school. The store traffic and conversion challenges we began to see in late Q1 persisted through the second quarter as our customer remained cautious with their discretionary dollars," she said. China's uneven recovery could also be weighing on Nike's stock. However, it's unclear if that growth is continuing and what the results will look like when Nike next reports earnings.

Persons: Foot Locker, We've, Rick Patel, Raymond James, There's, We're, Foot, Patel, Locker, Mary Dillon, John Donahoe Organizations: Nike, CNBC, Dick's Sporting Goods, StreetAccount Locations: U.S, China

☆ Dow, S&P 500 end down as US interest-rate worries mount, bank shares slip
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-22 | by ( Caroline Valetkevitch | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A Wall Street sign is pictured outside the New York Stock Exchange in New York, October 28, 2013. Financials (.SPBK) were the biggest drag on the S&P 500. An S&P downgrade of multiple regional U.S. lenders weighed on bank shares, with both the KBW regional banking index (.KRX) and the S&P 500 banks index (.SPXBK) sharply lower. According to preliminary data, the S&P 500 (.SPX) lost 11.90 points, or 0.27%, to end at 4,387.87 points, while the Nasdaq Composite (.IXIC) gained 10.01 points, or 0.07%, to 13,507.60. Shares of Nvidia hit an all-time high of $481.87 early but were lower on the day.

Persons: Carlo Allegri, Jerome Powell, Peter Tuz, Caroline Valetkevitch, Amruta Khandekar, Shinjini Ganguli, Maju Samuel, David Gregorio Our Organizations: New York Stock Exchange, REUTERS, Nvidia, NEW YORK, Dow, Reserve, Nasdaq, Investors, Chase Investment, Treasury, Dow Jones, . Department, Kohl's Corp, Nordstrom Inc, Thomson Locations: New York, U.S, Jackson Hole , Wyoming, Charlottesville , Virginia

Aug 18 (Reuters) - Estee Lauder (EL.N) forecast annual sales and profit below estimates on Friday, indicating a slower-than-expected rebound in its travel retail business, mainly in Asia, and waning demand in the United States, sending its shares down about 3%. Analysts note that the drop in consumer demand in China and a slow recovery in Asia travel retail - sales made at airports or travel destinations like Korea and China's Hainan - could impact luxury companies like Estee, which makes about 30% of its annual revenue from the Asia Pacific region. "De-stocking and inventory levels in Asian Travel Retail… likely to remain the biggest headwind to growth over the next few quarters," said Bernstein analyst Callum Elliott. Estee expects full-year sales to rise between 5% and 7%, compared with an estimated 8.8% increase, according to Refinitiv data. It sees annual adjusted profit to be between $3.50 and $3.75 per share, compared with an expectation of $4.83.

Persons: Estee Lauder, It's, Tracey Travis, Lauder, Shannon Stapleton, Bernstein, Callum Elliott, Estee, Granth Vanaik, Ananya Mariam Rajesh, Pooja Desai Organizations: Reuters, Nordstrom, REUTERS, L'Oreal, U.S ., Asia Pacific, Thomson Locations: Asia, United States, China, Korea, Hainan, Asia Pacific, New York, U.S, Americas, Mainland China, Bengaluru

☆ Earnings this week show shoppers will spend money for value, favoring two retail stocks
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-18 | by ( Paulina Likos | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +11 min

A busy week of retail earnings revealed that American consumers are spending with value top of mind. This disparity signals that certain discretionary goods categories are working while others are not. TGT YTD mountain Target YTD performance Target on Wednesday reported a second-quarter that reflected weak sales along with a slowdown in discretionary spending. TJX YTD mountain TJX Companies YTD performance TJX tells a different story. COST YTD mountain Costco YTD performance Looking ahead, Costco is set to release its fiscal fourth-quarter earnings on Sept. 26.

Persons: Jim Cramer, Matthew Shay, Doug McMillon, Brian Cornell, That's, Maxx, TJX, Ernie Herrman, it's, ROSS, Ross, Jim, Jim Cramer's Organizations: Walmart, TJX Companies, Costco, National Retail Federation, CNBC, Retailers, Health, Wellness, Walmart's, Marshalls, & Beverage, Food & Beverage, Target, Ross Stores, Corbis, Getty Locations: Maxx, TJX, U.S, Teterboro , New Jersey

☆ How Mexican narcos use remittances to wire U.S. drug profits home
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-18 | by ( Reuters Graphic | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +28 min

Now the news agency is the first to detail how Mexican drug gangs have harnessed legitimate remittance networks to repatriate their U.S. drug profits, and the factors that make this activity so difficult for authorities to detect and thwart. But authorities say Mexican drug cartels are piggybacking on this legal network to repatriate earnings from U.S. narcotics sales. A Reuters search of Mexican court records dating back to 2012 turned up no cases involving money laundering through remittances. Still, prosecutors in those cases mentioned several of those firms in court documents because they said the defendants had used their platforms to wire drug money. His office did not respond to requests for comment about law enforcement allegations that Mexican cartels are using remittances to launder drug money.

Persons: Money, ”, “, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, ” Jorge Godínez, ” Godínez, John Cornyn of, Chuck Grassley, ” Grassley, pocketing, John Horn, remitters ”, Horn, – Oscar Gustavo Perez, Bernal, Itzayana Guadalupe Perez, Susan Fiorella Ayala, Chavez –, Los, –, Jose Luis Rosales, Ocampo, Josue Gama, Perez, Thania Rosales, Dulce Rosales, – Ana Lilia Leal, Martinez, Ana Paola Banda, Maria de Lourdes Carbajal, Henri Watson, Carbajal, Sigue, Sangita Bricker, Transfast –, ” Sigue, Transfast, fanny, Juan de Dios Gámez, Rubén Rocha, BanCoppel, Banorte, hadn’t, El, López Obrador, ” López Obrador, Signos, Signos Vitales, Oquitoa, Enrique Cardenas, Tim Walz, Keith Ellison Organizations: Sinaloa Cartel, Reuters, Jalisco New, Mexican, WorldRemit, ., National Intelligence, narcos, U.S, Republican U.S, Treasury, U.S . Department of, U.S ., Financial Intelligence Unit, “, Federal Bureau of Prisons, Los Rosales, Kansas City, ”, Leal, IDT Corporation, IDT, Mastercard, Express Cellular, Prosecutors, IRS, Western Union, U.S . Department of Justice, Federal Trade Commission, ‘, Banco Azteca, Elektra, World Bank, Minnesota, Caborca Locations: CULIACÁN, Mexico, Mexican, Culiacán, Sinaloa, United States, Jalisco, U.S, Colorado, Union, Americas, London, John Cornyn of Texas, Iowa, Ohio, Colorado , Georgia , Ohio , Oklahoma , Texas, Virginia, Washington, Georgia, Atlanta, Columbus, Rosales, Nayarit, Michoacan, Missouri, Texas, Florida, New Jersey, Miami, , New Jersey, Ria, Kansas, California, New York, Western, Sinaloan, Costa Rica, BanCoppel, India, China, Mexico City, Minnesota, Arizona , Colorado , Florida , Illinois, New Mexico, Nevada, Oquitoa, Sonora

☆ Are office buildings the next 'Big Short' or the next widow-maker trade? The trader behind the ubersuccessful mall short shares his playbook for making money without flaming out.
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-17 | by ( Alex Nicoll | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +16 min

Dan McNamara's Polpo Capital is shorting office real estate, a risky move that could be lucrative. If you're looking for a doomsday vision of commercial real estate, you can find it there. "I don't think this is the 'Big Short,'" McNamara told me. This doesn't mean he doesn't have a game plan to make money off cultural shifts that could forever change the state of commercial real estate. Lucas Jackson/ReutersWhere he's going longOne risk of shorting real estate is that it's more susceptible to what's known in real-estate circles as "extend and pretend."

Persons: Dan McNamara's, McNamara, it's, It's, shorting, Carl Icahn, Jim Chanos, Brendan McDermid, Dan McNamara, McNamara's, Braver Stern, Dan McNamara McNamara's, suede loafers, McNamara didn't, Josh Nester, Polpo, he's, Morgan Stanley, Kamil Sadik, Lucas Jackson, Manus Clancy, You've, David Tepper's, Trepp's Clancy, Clancy, David Tepper Organizations: Central Park, New, Polpo, New York University, Columbia, Kynikos Associates, Enron, Asset Management, Reuters, UBS, Co, Societe Generale, Securitized Credit Partners, Credit Suisse, MP, Fund, Bloomberg, of America, Simon Property, Federal Locations: Manhattan, Sixth, Central, New York City, New York, MatlinPatterson, America, China, Italy, Westchester , New York, Tribeca, York, Westchester, Waterford , Connecticut, Baltimore, San Francisco

☆ Strong US retail sales underscore economy's resilience
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-15 | by ( Lucia Mutikani | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

SummaryCompanies Retail sales increase 0.7% in July; June sales revised upCore retail sales jump 1.0%; June sales revised downImport prices rebound 0.4%; down 4.4% year-on-yearWASHINGTON, Aug 15 (Reuters) - U.S. retail sales increased more than expected in July as Americans boosted online purchases and dined out more, suggesting the economy continued to expand early in the third quarter and keeping a recession at bay. Retail sales jumped 0.7% last month. Sales at food services and drinking places, the only services category in the retail sales report, shot up 1.4% after rising 0.8% in June. Excluding automobiles, gasoline, building materials and food services, retail sales surged 1.0% in July. Data for June was revised lower to show these so-called core retail sales increasing 0.5% instead of the previously reported 0.6%.

Persons: Goldman Sachs, Andrew Hunter, David Russell, Matthew Martin, Ben Ayers, Lucia Mutikani, Paul Simao Organizations: Commerce Department, Capital Economics, Retail, Reuters, Consumers, Market Intelligence, Wall, Treasury, Labor Department, Oxford Economics, delinquencies, New York Fed, Nationwide, Thomson Locations: WASHINGTON, U.S, New York, Columbus , Ohio

A customer leaves one of the stores of discount retail chain Target in Ancaster, January 15, 2015. REUTERS/Peter Power/File PhotoAug 14 (Reuters) - Target (TGT.N) is expected to post its first quarterly drop in revenue in about six years when it reports results on Wednesday, as the big-box retailer reels from a shift in consumer spending away from discretionary goods to services. "Target is going to suffer more versus the others because they have a much larger consumer discretionary element to their business," Edward Jones analyst Brian Yarbrough said. At least 16 analysts have cut their price targets on the retailer since the beginning of June as its merchandise is skewed towards discretionary items such as clothes, electronics and beauty products. THE CONTEXTTarget in May had warned of dour second-quarter results as inflation forces consumers to shun non-essential goods.

Persons: Peter Power, Edward Jones, Brian Yarbrough, Erik Carnell's Abprallen, Group's Joseph Feldman, Jane Hali, Jessica Ramirez, Granth, Vinay Dwivedi Organizations: REUTERS, Mastercard, American Express, Pride, Associates, Reuters, Refinitiv, Walmart, Target, Thomson Locations: Target, Ancaster, Bengaluru

☆ UK retailer John Lewis boosts AI capability with Google deal
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Aug 9 (Reuters) - British retailer John Lewis Partnership has agreed a five-year deal with Alphabet Inc's (GOOGL.O) Google Cloud, enabling it to harness the latest artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) technology. The employee-owned partnership, which runs John Lewis department stores and the Waitrose supermarket chain, said on Wednesday the new agreement, which builds on a decade-long relationship with Google Cloud, was worth 100 million pounds ($127 million). Under the expanded agreement, more of the partnership's technology will migrate to Google Cloud. Google Cloud agreed a similar deal with European home improvement retailer Kingfisher(KGF.L) last November. Zak Mian, the John Lewis Partnership's chief transformation and technology officer, said an example was customers using an image scanning feature in their John Lewis App to show its home design stylists a room they're looking to furnish.

Persons: John Lewis, Zak Mian, John Lewis Partnership's, Prerna Bedi, James Davey, Nivedita Bhattacharjee, Sachin Ravikumar Organizations: John, John Lewis Partnership, Google, Waitrose, Thomson Locations: Bengaluru, London

☆ Retailers are blaming organized theft for lower profits — but it's hard to tell if it's really rising
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-09 | by ( Gabrielle Fonrouge | In Gabrielle-Fonrouge | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

Lindsey Nicholson | Universal Images Group | Getty ImagesRetailers have zeroed in on organized retail theft as a top priority, as more and more companies blame crime for lower profits. Those mentions could flare up again as a flurry of retail companies will report financial results starting next week. Many of them described organized theft as an industrywide problem that's largely out of their control. While organized theft is a real concern, it is nearly impossible to verify the claims retailers make about it. Target has repeatedly said organized retail theft is fueling its inventory losses.

Persons: Lindsey Nicholson, Foot, Raphael Duguay, Duguay, Mark Cohen, Cohen, Bradlees Organizations: Universal, Getty, Retailers, U.S . Securities, Exchange Commission, Yale University School of Management, Columbia Business School, Sears Canada, Lazarus Department, National Retail Federation, Walgreens, Ucg, . Census, FBI, CNBC, Target Locations: Queens , New York

☆ I visited Walmart during its 'sensory-friendly' shopping hours and loved the calmer, less chaotic shopping environment
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-09 | by ( Grace Mayer | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Walmart is holding sensory-friendly shopping hours on Saturday mornings during back-to-school shopping season. Walmart is holding sensory-friendly shopping hours on Saturday mornings at most stores for the back-to-school shopping season. Walmart said the shopping hours are part of its efforts to create "a quieter shopping environment that's more enjoyable for customers who live with sensory disabilities." A sign at Walmart's entrance advertised the store's sensory-friendly shopping hours. I don't have a sensory disability, but I found shopping during the sensory-friendly hours a calmer experience overall.

Persons: Grace Mayer, ” Grace Mayer, Grace Meyer Organizations: Walmart, Service, Target, Starbucks Locations: Wall, Silicon, Kansas

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