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☆ Walmart ramps up efforts to grow third-party marketplace with Las Vegas event, new perks
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-30 | by ( Melissa Repko | In Melissa-Repko | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Walmart is hosting its first seller summit businesses that are part of its third-party marketplace. LAS VEGAS — Walmart is looking for new ways to woo sellers to its third-party marketplace, as it pushes to drive more online sales and close a wide gap with rival Amazon . Walmart also hired another Amazon veteran, Jare' Buckley-Cox, as vice president of Walmart Fulfillment Services. Walmart is the nation's largest retailer, but it lags far behind Amazon in online market share and e-commerce sales. Walmart's annual online sales were less than one-fifth of Amazon's last year, according to Insider Intelligence.

Persons: Doug McMillon, Manish Joneja, Sellers, Jare, Buckley, Cox, John David Rainey, Amazon's Organizations: Walmart, LAS, Amazon, Wednesday, Walmart Marketplace, Joneja, eBay, Intelligence Locations: Chile, North America, U.S

☆ Best Buy scales back sales outlook as results top expectations
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-29 | by ( Melissa Repko | In Melissa-Repko | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

A shopper pushes a cart with a TV in front of a Best Buy store in Chicago, Illinois, November 25, 2022. Best Buy is seeing a reversion to pre-pandemic sales levels, as consumers return to more typical spending patterns and feel pressure on their budgets because of inflation. Similar to Home Depot and Lowe's , Best Buy had outsized gains during Covid, fueled by big purchases that people don't frequently repeat. Best Buy has looked to new categories, such as health care, and launched a paid subscription program, My Best Buy, to keep driving growth. Correction: The top tier of the My Best Buy program costs $179.99 per year.

Persons: Corie Barry, buybacks, Matt Bilunas, Barry Organizations: Refinitiv, Gaming Locations: Chicago , Illinois, U.S

College students around America are beginning the trek back to campus. A precursor to that journey is the back-to-school shopping season, and this year it's estimated to hit a record-breaking $94 billion for college students. Inflation is driving the price of school supplies up, but it's a TikTok trend that may be fueling a part of the high spending for college students. Back-to-school shopping is also used as a barometer to gauge potential holiday spending. Watch the video above to find out more about the TikTok trend fueling back-to-college spending.

Persons: Simeon Siegel Organizations: National Retail Federation, BMO Locations: America, U.S

☆ How TikTok is fueling the back-to-college shopping season
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-25 | by ( Delon Thornton | Melissa Repko | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailHow TikTok is fueling the back-to-college shopping seasonBack to school shopping is expected to soar even higher than last year's record breaking season with a whopping $94 billion spent for college students, a $20 billion increase over 2022 spending. Inflation is driving the price of common school supply items higher, but a new social media trend is also helping push spending dollars up.

☆ Nordstrom tops Wall Street’s quarterly expectations, even as it braces for sales declines
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-24 | by ( Melissa Repko | In Melissa-Repko | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Nordstrom begins the process of closing its stores in Canada with the first day of a sale at the Eaton Centre in Toronto. Nordstrom on Thursday surpassed Wall Street's quarterly sales and earnings expectations, as it showed signs of progress in turning around its lagging business. Sales for the upscale department store operator in the fiscal second-quarter still fell below pre-pandemic levels. And Nordstrom Rack, the off-price chain that the retailer wants to fuel its revival, still posted sales declines during the quarter reported Thursday. CEO Erik Nordstrom said Nordstrom will focus on boosting the Rack's sales, better managing inventory and making its supply chain more efficient for the rest of the year.

Persons: Nordstrom, Erik Nordstrom Organizations: Eaton Centre Locations: Canada, Eaton, Toronto

☆ Shein strikes deal with fast-fashion retailer Forever 21 that will expand reach of both brands
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-24 | by ( Melissa Repko | In Melissa-Repko | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

A Shein App is shown in the iOS App Store in Bargteheide, Germany, May 3, 2021. Fast-fashion competitors Shein and Forever 21 have joined forces. Shein's deal with Forever 21 comes as it tries to distance itself from sharp criticism and gear up for a widely rumored U.S. initial public offering. While Shein and Forever 21 have similar shoppers, they have catered to those customers in different ways. By teaming up, Shein and Forever 21 will have new ways to reach customers.

Persons: Shein, Brooks, Lucky Brand, — CNBC's Gabrielle Fonrouge Organizations: Sparc Group, Sparc, Authentic Brands, Simon Property Group, Wall Street Locations: Bargteheide, Germany, Shein, China, Singapore, Dallas, Los Angeles

☆ Dollar Tree's shares sink, as CEO says 'challenging' economy is pressuring discounter
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-24 | by ( Melissa Repko | In Melissa-Repko | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Shoppers are seen at the parking lot of a Dollar Tree store in Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania. Shares of Dollar Tree fell on Thursday and hit a 52-week low, after the retailer said customers' shopping lists have largely narrowed to food and necessities. On a call with investors, Dollar Tree CEO Rick Dreiling said customers' shopping patterns reflect a tougher economic backdrop and a reversion to pre-pandemic spending habits. At the Dollar Tree chain, same-store sales increased 7.8% and for Family Dollar, same-store sales rose 5.8% year over year. Separately, U.S. regulators announced a settlement this week with Dollar Tree and competitor Dollar General, which were both issued workplace safety violations.

Persons: Macy's, Locker, Rick Dreiling, Wall, Dreiling, Mike Creedon Organizations: Dollar, Refinitiv Locations: Bloomsburg , Pennsylvania

☆ Shares of Abercrombie & Fitch soar 15%, as retailer blows past Wall Street's expectations
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-23 | by ( Melissa Repko | In Melissa-Repko | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Shares of Abercrombie & Fitch soared in premarket trading, after the retailer crushed Wall Street's earnings and sales expectations for the quarter and raised its forecast for the year. She said the company is seeing "strong customer receptivity of our brands and product," especially at its namesake stores. She added the retailer will keep opening stores and investing in its digital experience — even as the economic backdrop remains uncertain. Net sales rose from $805.1 million in the year prior. As of Tuesday's close, shares of Abercrombie had shot up about 80% this year, far outpacing the approximately 14% gains of the S&P 500.

Persons: Fitch, Fran Horowitz, Abercrombie, Hollister, it's Organizations: Abercrombie, Refinitiv, Home, Target, Walmart Locations: cologne, Hollister

☆ Macy’s beats sales estimates, but stands by cautious full-year forecast as shoppers watch their dollars
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-22 | by ( Melissa Repko | In Melissa-Repko | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Sales at stores declined 8% and digital sales dropped 10% compared with the year-ago period. Comparable sales on an owned plus licensed basis dropped 7.3%, a little worse than the 6.5% decline that analysts expected, according to Refinitiv. The chain's comparable sales fell 8.2% on an owned plus licensed basis, but bright spots included fragrances, prestige cosmetics and men's tailored apparel. At upscale department store Bloomingdale's, comparable sales dropped 2.6% on an owned plus licensed basis as shoppers bought beauty items, women's contemporary and designer apparel and shoes. The smaller stores that have been open more than a year had sales growth in the second quarter, he said.

Persons: Jeff Gennette, Armour, Gennette Organizations: CNBC, Nike, Refinitiv

☆ Lowe's sticks by full-year earnings forecast despite weakening sales, as spring projects offer a boost
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-22 | by ( Melissa Repko | In Melissa-Repko | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Lowe's reported mixed fiscal second-quarter results on Tuesday, as consumers tackled springtime projects and helped offset weakening home improvement demand. It anticipates total sales will range between $87 billion and $89 billion for the period. It projects comparable sales will drop by 2% to 4% this fiscal year. Lowe's is more reliant on do-it-yourself shoppers for its sales than Home Depot is, but has tried to change that. Only about a quarter of Lowe's sales come from home professionals, while Home Depot typically gets about half of its sales from them.

Persons: Lowe's, Richard McPhail Organizations: Lowe's, Home, U.S . Mortgage Locations: Bloomsburg

☆ Macy's to open four more smaller stores, as strip mall experiment shows early signs of success
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-22 | by ( Melissa Repko | In Melissa-Repko | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

On a call with CNBC on Tuesday, CEO Jeff Gennette said Macy's smaller stores outperformed the company in the most recent quarter. Macy's already opened 10 similar stores to test the new concept. Some are called Market by Macy's, a mini version of the Macy's namesake stores, and others are named Bloomie's, a smaller version of upscale department store Bloomingdale's. watch nowWith the four new locations, Macy's will test a fresh approach: Calling them by just its name, Macy's. Two new store concepts by Macy's: Market by Macy's and Bloomie's.

Persons: Macy's, Jeff Gennette, Gennette, Melissa Repko Organizations: Herald, View Press, CNBC, Polaris, Macy's Locations: New York City, Boston, Las Vegas, San Diego, Indiana, Dallas, Fort Worth, Texas, Seattle

☆ Aldi is getting bigger. Here's why the no-frills German grocer is looking to the Southern U.S. for growth
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-19 | by ( Melissa Repko | In Melissa-Repko | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

No-frills discounter Aldi is the latest grocer to shake up the industry with big moves. It's also had to race to keep up with competitors' online options, prompting Aldi to expand curbside pickup to more stores. But the deal has big implications for publicly traded competitors including Walmart and Kroger, as well as regional grocers. CNBC spoke to Jason Hart, the CEO of Aldi U.S., about why the company is doing the deal and how it sees Aldi fitting into a fast-changing grocery landscape. Why was Aldi interested in acquiring Winn-Dixie and Harveys Supermarket?

Persons: Kroger, Joe's, It's, Jason Hart, we've Organizations: Winn, Dixie, Southern, Aldi, Albertsons, Companies, Amazon, Walmart, Kroger, CNBC Locations: Southern U.S, Florida , Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, Germany, Winn

☆ Walmart raises full-year earnings forecast as grocery, online growth fuel higher sales
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-17 | by ( Melissa Repko | In Melissa-Repko | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

It said adjusted earnings per share for the year will range between $6.36 and $6.46. That compares with its prior guidance for consolidated net sales gains of 3.5% and an adjusted earnings per share range of between $6.10 and $6.20. Transactions increased by 2.9% and the average ticket rose by 3.4% for Walmart U.S.Same-store sales for Walmart U.S. grew by 6.4% in the second quarter, excluding fuel, compared with the year-ago period. Sales for Walmart Connect, the company's advertising business in the U.S., grew 36% year over year. In the grocery department at Walmart U.S., sales of private labels rose 9% year over year.

Persons: John David Rainey, Rainey, Doug McMillon, Judith McKenna, Kath McLay, Chris Nicholas, " Rainey, Walmart's, John Furner Organizations: Walmart, Walmart U.S, CNBC, Sam's, Walmart Connect Locations: U.S

☆ Three ways Walmart and Target are diverging as consumers watch their wallets
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-17 | by ( Melissa Repko | In Melissa-Repko | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Target followed that pattern in the second quarter. E-commerce sales rose 24% for Walmart U.S. in the second quarter. Both retailers pointed to curbside pickup as a major driver of online sales — a key differentiator from competitor Amazon. Walmart chalked up online sales gains to store pickup and delivery, as well as more advertising revenue. Sales of frequency categories, such as food and beauty items, weren't enough to offset weaker discretionary sales at the retailer.

Persons: Rainey, Christina Hennington, That's, Target's Hennington, Taylor Swift, Stanley tumblers, Chip, Joanna Gaines Organizations: Wal, Rogers, Getty, Walmart, Walmart U.S, Amazon Locations: Rogers , Arkansas, Tenleytown, Washington, DC

☆ Target slashes full-year earnings forecast as retailer struggles to win over thrifty shoppers
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-16 | by ( Melissa Repko | In Melissa-Repko | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

In this article TGT Follow your favorite stocks CREATE FREE ACCOUNTwatch nowTarget on Wednesday missed quarterly sales expectations and slashed its full-year forecast, as it again had trouble convincing shoppers to buy more than necessities. Target's struggling shares rose 3% Wednesday despite the soft forecast, as its fiscal second-quarter earnings topped expectations and inventory levels improved. CEO Brian Cornell said Target's sales and store traffic improved in July. Comparable sales, a key metric that tracks sales online and at stores open at least 13 months, declined 5.4%. Digital comparable sales dropped 10.5% Sales softened in the second half of May and into June before recovering in July, Cornell said.

Persons: Target's, Brian Cornell, Cornell, Michael Fiddelke, Clawing Organizations: Investors, Amazon

☆ Target Pride backlash adds to sales woes as culture wars rage in corporate America
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-16 | by ( Melissa Repko | In Melissa-Repko | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Target CEO Brian Cornell said "negative reaction" to the retailer's Pride merchandise hurt sales and contributed to the disappointing quarterly results that the company reported on Wednesday. He said the company saw behavior by some shoppers in June that "caused our teams to feel unsafe at work." He said the effort helps Target better reflect the communities it is in, which "adds tremendous value for our shareholders." When Target reported its results Wednesday, executives declined to estimate the financial hit from the Pride merchandise response. Some of the merchandise that came under fire was made by vendors rather than part of Target's own brands.

Persons: Brian Cornell, Cornell, Bud Light, influencer Dylan Mulvaney, Disney, Ron DeSantis, Michael Fiddelke Organizations: Target, Anheuser, Florida Gov, Associated Press Locations: Florida, North Carolina

☆ Home Depot beats earnings estimates, but sales slide as consumers pull back on big-ticket buys
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-15 | by ( Melissa Repko | In Melissa-Repko | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

A sign is seen posted on the exterior of a Home Depot store on February 21, 2023 in El Cerrito, California. Home Depot topped earnings expectations on Tuesday, but posted a 2% year-over-year sales decline as customers remained wary of big purchases and major projects. Home Depot faces a more challenging sales backdrop, as demand for do-it-yourself projects and contractors normalizes after nearly three years of unusually high demand. "Generally speaking, the homeowner customer — who is really our customer — remains healthy and remains engaged in home improvement," he said. Home Depot said in its earnings release that the company's board of directors approved $15 billion in share buybacks, which will take effect Tuesday.

Persons: Richard McPhail, McPhail, " McPhail, That's Organizations: Wall, Transportation, Refinitiv, Revenue, Depot Locations: El Cerrito , California, Atlanta, U.S

That has made it tricky to predict consumer spending. The swirl of confusing trends tees up a closely watched retail earnings season that could offer more clarity about consumers and the economy. As inflation cools, the growth of average hourly earnings has begun to outpace the rise in the consumer price index. He called low unemployment "the big offset that's helped consumer spending hang in." "I thought with all of the revenge travel that's been happening, that would impact consumer spending on goods," she said.

Persons: Aditya Bhave, that's, Andrew Garthwaite, That's, Levi Strauss, Chip Bergh, Michael Baker, Davidson, splurge, Baker, Taylor Swift, Davidson's Baker, Nikki Baird, she's, I'm, Corie Barry, headboards Organizations: Getty, Bank of America, Target, Walmart, JPMorgan, Wall, Federal Reserve, Credit Suisse, U.S, of Labor Statistics, CNBC, . Bureau, Labor, D.A, New York Federal Reserve, Federal Reserve Board Locations: Waterbury , Connecticut, U.S, Italy

☆ Custom art, air purifiers and TikTok: College spending boom could booster retailers' sales this fall
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-10 | by ( Melissa Repko | In Melissa-Repko | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +9 min

Eros Hoagland | Getty ImagesOver the past few years, Alicia Browne has noticed a change in what college students haul out of cars on move-in days at the University of Alabama. A growing pie — and market share up for grabsAs college spending is poised to grow, retailers have another reason to vie for students' dollars. Jakub Porzycki | Nurphoto | Getty ImagesIt is difficult to estimate how much college market share Bed Bath had in total. Shipt, the Target-owned delivery service, and Walmart have both tried to attract more college students to their membership programs by offering a special discounted price. She said the company's growth has been fueled by college students who want uniquely decorated rooms that reflect their personalities.

Persons: Eros Hoagland, Alicia Browne, Keurig coffeemakers, decorators, Browne, Prosper, Browne chalks, " Browne, Marshal Cohen, Jakub Porzycki, Harmon, Cristina Fernandez, Sonoma, TikTok, Dormify, Amanda Zuckerman, Zuckerman, Kate Reppeto, Callie Weathers Kate Reppeto, Repetto, she's, Anna Emblom Organizations: University of North, Hill, University of Alabama, College, National Retail Federation, IRI, NPD, Target, Walmart, Consulting, Deloitte, Nurphoto, Goods, Ikea, Telsey Advisory, Williams, Hamptons, Madison, University of Mississippi, Eagle Locations: University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill , North Carolina, Kohl's, Bath, Bed, Williston , Vermont, New York City, Madison Ave, Oxford, Miss, Southlake, Dallas, Fort Worth in Texas, Birmingham, Ala

☆ Back-to-school spending expected to hit record highs
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-10 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailBack-to-school spending expected to hit record highsSandra Campos, Fashion Launchpad founder, and CNBC's Melissa Repko join 'Power Lunch' to discuss the increase in back-to-school college spending.

Persons: Sandra Campos, Melissa Repko Organizations: Fashion

Tapestry , the fashion conglomerate behind Coach and Kate Spade, will acquire competitor Capri Holdings in a $8.5 billion deal announced on Thursday. It brings together six fashion brands: Tapestry's Coach, Kate Spade and Stuart Weitzman and Capri's Versace, Jimmy Choo and Michael Kors. Shares of Capri surged 58% in premarket trading to just under the per-share deal price, while shares of Tapestry roughly 4%. It's started to run a similar playbook with Kate Spade. Tapestry has also looked other parts of the world to drive growth, such as chasing higher sales in China.

Persons: Kate Spade, Stuart Weitzman, Capri's Versace, Jimmy Choo, Michael Kors, Kirsten Dunst, It's, We've, Joanne Crevoiserat, John Idol, Morgan Stanley Organizations: Capri Holdings, Capri, Disney, Bank of America Locations: American, China

☆ Target is rolling out Starbucks curbside pickup across the country as it looks for sales jolt
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-09 | by ( Melissa Repko | In Melissa-Repko | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Target is looking to jolt sales by adding Starbucks drinks and food to its curbside pickup service at stores across the country. The retailer began testing the Starbucks curbside pickup service at some stores in the fall. Target's curbside pickup service, Drive Up, helped fuel the company's e-commerce and sales growth during the Covid-19 pandemic. Yet, according to Target, curbside pickup has led to more business. That explains why Target has added other features and more items to curbside pickup, including beer and wine.

Persons: curbside, Target, Howard Schultz, — CNBC's Amelia Lucas Organizations: Target, Starbucks

☆ Freebies fade away: Retailers make perks harder to get
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-07 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailFreebies fade away: Retailers make perks harder to getCNBC's Melissa Repko and Leslie Josephs join 'Power Lunch' to discuss the change in companies' rewards and perks programs for consumers.

Persons: Melissa Repko, Leslie Josephs

Eva Marie Uzcategui | Bloomberg | Getty ImagesIt's not your imagination: Companies are getting stingier with customer rewards. Raising the barSome of the biggest shifts in customer perks have come in the airline industry. At many retailers, customers must now pay a return fee if they want to ship back unwanted clothing, shoes or other items. "To drive that online demand, free shipping and free returns were put in place, but now we all know it costs significant money," he said. Both companies aim to make sure membership isn't shared with people who aren't paying, particularly as the companies chase new avenues of growth.

Persons: Eva Marie Uzcategui, Dunkin, Cowen, David Garfield, Yuping Liu, Stephanie Keith, Marshal Cohen, Circana, Nordstrom, Christopher Dilts, Kohl's, Macy's, they're, Amit Sharma, Heidi Isern, Levi Strauss, Ann Taylor, Crocs, Brooks, reining Organizations: Brickell City Centre, Bloomberg, Getty, Retailers, Ross, uptick, American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, United Airlines, Old Dominion, Strome School of Business, LaGuardia, American Express, American, IRI, NPD, Urban Outfitters, Abercrombie, Fitch, Nordstrom, Amazon, Foods, Netflix, Costco Locations: Brickell, Miami , Florida, Queens, New York, Delta, Schaumburg , Illinois

☆ Walmart is bringing ads to an aisle near you as retailers chase new money-makers
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-01 | by ( Melissa Repko | In Melissa-Repko | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

The discounter has nearly 4,700 stores across the U.S., with roughly 90% of Americans living within 10 miles of a Walmart store. In the U.S., about 139 million customers visit Walmart stores and its website or app each week. Walmart plans to sell the sampling stations to advertisers and bundle them with other ad formats that can run at the same time to make for a fuller campaign. In the most recent fiscal year, Walmart's global ads business grew nearly 30% and its U.S. ads business, Walmart Connect, rose about 40%. That's a sharper gain than the approximately 7% increase in Walmart's total revenue and Walmart U.S. net sales during the period.

Persons: Ryan Mayward, That's, Doug McMillon Organizations: Walmart, Shoppers, Kroger, Mattel, Walmart Connect, Fort, U.S, Walmart U.S Locations: U.S, Dallas, Fort Worth

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