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Walgreens said Tuesday it plans to close 1,200 stores over the next three years as it seeks to further downsize its footprint amid flagging sales and changing consumer behavior. Walgreens announced the closures as part of its fiscal fourth-quarter and full-year earnings, which beat Wall Street's expectations. In June, Walgreens said it planned to close a “significant” number of its underperforming stores by 2027. Both Walgreens and rival CVS are facing a difficult operating environment, fighting to be profitable as consumers shift their habits. In 2021, CVS said it would close about 900 stores, or about 10% of its U.S. locations, from 2022 to 2024.

Persons: Tim Wentworth, ” Wentworth, ” Neil Saunders Organizations: Walgreens, CVS, Rite Aid, Pharmacy, CNBC Locations: U.S

☆ Nike is getting a new CEO as struggles mount
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-19 | by ( Nathaniel Meyersohn | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

New York CNN —Nike, struggling from rising competition and its own strategy mistakes, is making a major shakeup. The athletic giant announced Thursday that CEO John Donahoe will retire next month and will be replaced by Elliott Hill, a veteran former Nike executive. Nike’s stock rose 9% during after-hours trading Thursday, a sign Wall Street was eager for a CEO change. Nike’s stock has dropped 24% so far this year. But the change hurt Nike’s sales.

Persons: John Donahoe, Elliott Hill, “, ” Neil Saunders Organizations: New, New York CNN, Nike, Dick’s Sporting Goods, “ Nike, GlobalData Locations: New York

☆ America’s stores are winning the war on shoplifting
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-13 | by ( Nathaniel Meyersohn | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

New York CNN —A year ago, America’s stores declared a shoplifting epidemic. Target also closed nine stores, saying “theft and organized retail crime” threatened worker and customer safety and made business unsustainable. Many retailers’ merchandise losses have stabilized or improved, and chains have publicly dialed back their rhetoric. Their shrink rate — lost inventory as a percentage of sales — is their best estimate for items that go missing. The shoplifting rate in the first half of 2024 was also 10% higher than in the first half of 2019.

Persons: Target, “, Michael Fiddelke, Lindsey Nicholson, Gavin Newsom, ”, Michael Baker, DA Davidson, Donald Trump, William Blair, Walgreens ’, James Kehoe, ” Neil Saunders, “ That’s, it’s, Baker, ” Baker, David Johnston, Duane Reade, Angela Weiss, Ernesto Lopez, Edgar Dworsky, “ We’ve, ” Johnston Organizations: New, New York CNN, Target, Getty, “, DA, CNN, Companies, National Retail Federation, Criminal, Retailers Locations: New York, Queens , New York, California, New York City

☆ Big Lots files for bankruptcy protection, sells to private equity firm as it promises to keep offering 'extreme bargains'
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-09 | by ( Gabrielle Fonrouge | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +4 min

Discount home goods retailer Big Lots filed for bankruptcy protection on Monday after high interest rates and a sluggish housing market slowed demand for its low-priced furniture and decor. As part of its Chapter 11 filing, Big Lots agreed to sell its business to private equity firm Nexus Capital Management for about $760 million, consisting of $2.5 million in cash plus its remaining debt and liabilities, court records show. While discount retailers tend to do well in rough economic cycles, Big Lots primarily caters to lower- and middle-income consumers, who have curbed discretionary spending at a higher rate than their more affluent counterparts. “Big Lots is not always good value for money. A&G Real Estate Partners has been tapped as Big Lots’ real estate advisor, while Nexus will be represented by law firm Kirkland & Ellis.

Persons: Lots, Bruce Thorn, ” Evan Glucoft, ”, Big, Glucoft, Cos, ” Neil Saunders, GlobalData, ” Saunders, Davis Polk, Kirkland, Ellis Organizations: Big, Nexus Capital Management, Walmart, Goods, Guggenheim Securities, Real, Partners

☆ Walmart is taking dollar stores’ customers
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-04 | by ( Nathaniel Meyersohn | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Dollar Tree also owns the long-struggling Family Dollar chain. While dollar stores once expanded to reach a growing number of financially strapped Americans, they underestimated just how financially strapped many Americans would become. “They missed the fact in tough times the consumer would be looking for consumables.”Meanwhile, Dollar Tree has been weighed down by its purchase of Family Dollar. Earlier this year, Dollar Tree announced that Family Dollar will close more than 900 stores, and it subsequently said it will explore a sale or spinoff of Family Dollar. In previous times of financial stress, Dollar General has seen middle-income and slightly more affluent households trade down into Dollar General to save money.

Persons: Michael Lasser, —, Todd Vasos, Vasos, Mike Creedon, aren’t, “ They’re, ” David D’Arezzo, “, ” Neil Saunders, ” Organizations: New, New York CNN, Walmart, UBS, Dollar General, Dollar, CNN, Target Locations: New York

☆ Intel lays off 15% of its staff and its stock tumbles as it struggles to turn around its ailing business
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-01 | by ( Ramishah Maruf | Nathaniel Meyersohn | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

New York CNN —Intel is slashing 15% of its staff as part of a $10 billion plan to reduce costs, the tech company announced in its second-quarter earnings Thursday. “Our revenues have not grown as expected — and we’ve yet to fully benefit from powerful trends, like AI. The company is holding out hope that the AI investments will pay off. Intel wants to cut the $10 billion by 2025. Other tech earnings falterAmazon’s sales grew 10% last quarter and its operating profit nearly doubled, the company said Thursday.

Persons: “, Pat Gelsinger, Jacob Bourne, TSMC, ” Neil Saunders Organizations: New, New York CNN, Intel, Qualcomm, Texas Instruments, Nvidia, Apple, GlobalData Locations: New York, “, United States

☆ Saks Fifth Avenue is buying Neiman Marcus with Amazon’s help
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-05 | by ( Nathaniel Meyersohn | Jordan Valinsky | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

New York CNN —Saks Fifth Avenue and Neiman Marcus are merging to create a luxury department store empire. “We’re thrilled to take this step in bringing together these iconic luxury names, Saks Fifth Avenue, Neiman Marcus and Bergdorf Goodman,” said HBC CEO Richard Baker in a release. Saks has 39 stores, while Neiman Marcus, which filed for bankruptcy in 2020, has 36 stores. Neiman Marcus also owns Bergdorf Goodman. Both of them will report to Baker, who becomes the executive chairman of Saks Global.

Persons: New York CNN —, Neiman Marcus, Bergdorf Goodman, “ We’re, ”, Richard Baker, Marc Metrick, Ian Putnam, Baker, Louis Vuitton, Michael Kors, ” Neil Saunders, “, Amazon, Saunders Organizations: New, New York CNN, New York CNN — Saks Fifth, Saks, HBC, Saks Fifth, Saks Global, HBC Properties, Canadian, Brands, Neiman, Capri, GlobalData, Federal Trade Commission, FTC Locations: New York, Hudson’s, Glendale , California, Columbus , Ohio

☆ Walgreens will close a ‘significant’ number of its 8,600 US locations
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-27 | by ( Jordan Valinsky | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

New York CNN —Walgreens is set to close a substantial number of its roughly 8,600 locations across the United States as the company looks to reset the struggling pharmaceutical chain’s business. The company didn’t announce a specific number of store closures, but it said Thursday that it is planning “significant” closures of underperforming stores across America as part of a multiyear optimization program. The closures would focus on locations that aren’t profitable, too close to each other or stores struggling with theft, Wentworth told the Journal. Major drugstore chains, including CVS (CVS) and Rite Aid, have struggled in recent years because of declining profits from filling prescriptions. Wentworth told the Journal it’s losing money on filling those prescriptions.

Persons: Tim Wentworth, Wentworth, “, ” Wentworth, ” Neil Saunders, GlobalData, ” Saunders, drugstores, hasn’t, – CNN’s Nathaniel Meyersohn Organizations: New, New York CNN, Walgreens, Wall Street Journal, Journal, Walgreens ’, CVS, Rite, Amazon, Target, Rite Aid Locations: New York, United States, America, drugstores, VillageMD

☆ Matthew Briggs made his English Premier League debut at 16. 11 years later, he was left feeling suicidal
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-19 | by ( Ben Church | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

That “surreal moment” seemingly was the start of an exciting career in the game – Briggs was once tipped as a future England captain. In the year when he walked away from soccer, Briggs moved in with his uncle. For the first time in his life, Briggs learned how to deal with the feelings he had struggled with for years. Briggs playing for England in the Under-20 World Cup in 2009. Thousands of young players are fed into the academy system every year, with only a tiny percentage ever making it.

Persons: CNN — Matthews Briggs, – Briggs, ” Briggs, “, ‘, ’, Briggs, ”, Middlesborough, Wayne Rooney, Lee Smith, I’m, Joe Giddens, Matthew Briggs, –, I’ve, Alex Livesey, “ I’ve, that’s, it’s, Matthew Ashton, ” Neil Saunders, Briggs leant, Harvey Elliot, Arsenal’s Ethan Nwaneri, Elliot Organizations: International Association for Suicide Prevention, Befrienders Worldwide, CNN, English Premier League, Fulham, CNN Sport, Fulham’s, Arsenal, Premier League, Professional Footballers Association, England, Guyana’s CONCACAF, FIFA, US, Danish, HB Køge, Guyana, CONCACAF, Panama, Academy, PFA –, PFA, Liverpool Locations: England, Dubai, “, Guyana, Panama, Trinidad & Tobago

☆ 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

☆ 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

☆ 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

☆ 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

☆ 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, —

☆ Home Depot forecasts a weak 2024
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-20 | by ( Nathaniel Meyersohn | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

New York CNN —Home Depot, a bellwether of the housing market and US economy, said sales dropped over the winter and it’s a expecting a slow 2024. Sales at stores open for at least one year fell 3.5% last quarter, and Home Depot projects that sales will continue to decline 1% in 2024. “2023 was a year of moderation,” Home Depot CEO Ted Decker said in a news release Tuesday. Demand for home improvement has fallen due to high mortgage rates and a slowdown in new home construction. “One of the main issues [for Home Depot] continues to be a very sluggish housing market,” Neil Saunders, an analyst at GlobalData Retail, said in a note to clients Tuesday.

Persons: Ted Decker, ” Neil Saunders Organizations: New, New York CNN, Depot, GlobalData Locations: New York

☆ Free Shipping and Free Returns From Online Shopping Are Dying. Good.
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-18 | by ( Emily Stewart | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Well, if you’ve ever bought stuff online and received free shipping or returns, you’ve also been a little bit of a jerk — and now it’s time to pay up. Fast, free shipping and easy, no-cost returns have become a baseline expectation in the modern online shopping experience. Instead of fighting for market share by offering free shipping and no-hassle returns, retailers are trying to squeeze more money out of every transaction. Free shipping is not actually free . Returns are a necessary and inevitable part of online shopping.

Persons: you’ve, —, ASOS, ” Neil Saunders, hasn’t, Emily Stewart Organizations: National Retail Federation, Appriss, Urban Outfitters, Saks, Amazon, Retailers, Business Locations: Zara, J.Crew, what’s

☆ Target creates its cheapest in-store brand as spending dips
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-15 | by ( Jordan Valinsky | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

New York CNN —Target is taking aim at budget-conscious customers with a new value brand with prices for everyday basics that start at less than $1. Most of the items cost less than $10, with the cheapest coming in under $1. The entrance of Dealworthy means a shakeup of two other Target budget-focused brands that it produces: Smartly and Up&Up. The former, which largely focused on household essentials like soap and trash bags, will be discontinued and replaced by Dealworthy items. Up&Up, another affordably priced Target brand, is getting a redesign and will be priced slightly higher than Dealworthy.

Persons: Rick Gomez, ” Neil Saunders, ” Saunders, “, Smartly Organizations: New, New York CNN, Target, Walmart, GlobalData, CNN, “ Locations: New York

☆ Target is taking booze-less spirits mainstream
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-01 | by ( Jordan Valinsky | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

New York CNN —With sales of non-alcoholic beverages recently becoming a nearly half-billion dollar industry, even Target is becoming sober curious. Drinks in the lineup include two celebrity-backed companies: Kin Euphorics, a trendy brand co-founded by model Bella Hadid, and Katy Perry’s De Soi, which makes non-alcoholic apéritifs. Other brands include NOPE and Ghia, both of which produce non-alcoholic canned cocktails, and alcohol-free wine company Surely. “Séchey is a great curator of non-alcoholic brands and will help Target to really elevate its offer,” Neil Saunders, retail analyst and managing director at GlobalData Retail, told CNN. That has created a boom in sales for non-alcohol spirits, wine and beer, which surpassed $500 million this year according to research firm NIQ.

Persons: Sèchey, Kin, Bella Hadid, Katy Perry’s, apéritifs, Kendra Scott, “, ” Neil Saunders, it’s, Molson Coors, Roxie, Molson Coors Beverage Company Roxie, Jamie Rotnicki, Katy Perry, Morgan McLachlan, ” Perry, Perry, she’s, De Soi, Soi Organizations: New, New York CNN, Ghia, GlobalData, CNN, Molson, Molson Coors Beverage Company, Molson Coors, Whole Foods Locations: New York, ”

☆ Rosalind Brewer Steps Down as Walgreens Chief After a Short Tenure
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-01 | by ( Jordyn Holman | More About Jordyn Holman | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +3 min

Walgreens has been shifting away from pharmacy and retail to focus more on health care services, with mixed results. “While the wisdom of this move is debatable, health care is not Ms. Brewer’s forte.”Before joining Walgreens, Ms. Brewer was the chief operating officer of Starbucks and previously served as chief executive of Sam’s Club, a division of Walmart. As Walgreens leans more into the health care business, it faces several hurdles, industry experts said. It is rare for a woman to replace another female chief executive.

Persons: ” Neil Saunders, GlobalData, Brewer, Brewer’s, ”, James Kehoe, “, Walgreens, Stefano Pessina, Graham, Ms, Eli Lilly Organizations: Walgreens, Starbucks, Sam’s, Walmart, Deutsche, Deutsche Bank analysts, Amylin Pharmaceuticals, Guidant Corporation

☆ Dollar General shares tumble after it cuts forecasts, blaming a spending slump and theft
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-31 | by ( Parija Kavilanz | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

New York CNN —Dollar General slashed its sales and profit outlook for the year on Thursday, blaming headwinds including weaker consumer spending on non-essential purchases and increasing theft. Dollar General shares tumbled nearly 17% in pre-market trading Thursday. For its second quarter, Dollar General logged a 1% drop in its same-store sales. Meanwhile, close on the heels of Dick’s Sporting Goods sounding the alarm on store theft eating into its profit this year, Dollar General also flagged an increase in product theft, among other factors, hurting its profit. Target warned earlier this year that it was bracing to lose half a billion dollars because of rising theft.

Persons: ” Neil Saunders, ”, “, it’s Organizations: New, New York CNN —, Dollar, Sporting Locations: New York

☆ Coach Owner to Buy Parent of Versace in Luxury Mega Merger
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-10 | by ( Jordyn Holman | More About Jordyn Holman | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The companies said the merger also presented an opportunity to increase their direct-to-consumer business and save them $200 million in operating and supply-chain costs within three years. Tapestry’s stock was down 3 percent before the market open on Thursday. On Wednesday, before the news was announced, Capri’s stock closed at just under $35. “This has put pressure on Tapestry and Capri, both of which are now looking to international markets to bolster growth. There is more security in embarking on bold international plans as a larger entity.”

Persons: ” Joanne Crevoiserat, ” John D, ” Neil Saunders Organizations: Capri

☆ Amazon Fresh grocery chain has struggled. See its stores of the future
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-03 | by ( Nathaniel Meyersohn | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

New York CNN —Amazon has faced challenges getting shoppers to buy groceries in its Amazon Fresh grocery stores and recently laid off workers — but it’s betting a new strategy and redesigned stores will be the answer to its struggles. An Amazon Fresh redesigned grocery store. Amazon has paused its Amazon Fresh store expansion plans. Meanwhile, Amazon Fresh grocery stores are targeted at lower- and middle-income customers and function as full-size grocery stores. Amazon had big plans to grow Amazon Fresh stores, but it has paused store expansion.

Persons: ” Neil Saunders, “, Andy Jassy, “ We’ve Organizations: New, New York CNN, Amazon, GlobalData, Amazon Fresh Locations: New York, Chicago, Boston, Denver, Austin, United States

☆ Abercrombie & Fitch is cool again
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-10 | by ( Nathaniel Meyersohn | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

New York CNN Business —Abercrombie & Fitch has shed its perfume-filled mall stores, shirtless models and logo sweatshirts to win over Millennials and Gen Z.It’s working. Abercrombie (ANF) said Monday that its women’s segment was on track to deliver its highest holiday sales period ever, and its men’s division was growing, too. “Abercrombie was a key destination for holiday shopping,” Neil Saunders, an analyst at GlobalData Retail, said in a note to clients Monday. “This a further sign that the brand has successfully ditched the baggage of its past.”The brand, which has about 225 stores, plans to open around 10 Abercrombie stores a year over the next three years. Today, Abercrombie’s stores are lighter than they once were and its clothes are looser.

☆ Premarket stocks: These three big unknowns will drive markets in 2023
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-06 | by ( Nicole Goodkind | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

And there are three big “ifs” that will determine the health of the economy: The strength of the labor market, the American consumer and the Federal Reserve. Will the labor market cool off? This is all happening as the Fed tries to actively cool the labor market. Policymakers fear that persistent wage growth in a tight labor market will keep already sky-high inflation levels elevated. Mortgage rates continue to soarMortgage rates rose again last week, beginning 2023 twice as high as they were a year ago.

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