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☆ Gen Z loves the same brand that teens have loved for over a decade
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-05 | by ( Matthew Kish | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Nike also remains the preferred apparel brand, according to the semiannual Piper Sandler survey. Twice a year, Piper Sandler surveys teenagers, now part of Gen Z, on brand preferences. And among upper-income female teenagers, Lululemon earned the top spot, being the preferred brand of 14% of respondents. Among upper-income males surveyed, Nike was the top clothing brand of 50% of those surveyed. For the most recent edition of the survey, Piper Sandler polled teenagers in 47 states.

☆ Old Navy wants to solve a major bugbear of female shoppers by selling more dresses with pockets, as it looks for creative ways to boost sales
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-05 | by ( Grace Dean | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Old Navy says it has doubled the number of dresses with pockets in its new collection. One expert said Old Navy also needs to focus on styles and freshness to win over shoppers. Old Navy, which accounts for more than half of Gap Inc's total sales, has seen sales fall in recent years. "However, adding pockets is not a solution for all of Old Navy's woes – which run much deeper than the absence of pockets. Old Navy did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment asking how many dresses it currently sells that contain pockets.

☆ Starbucks' new CEO plans to spend time working at his company's coffee shops. Here's why every retail leader should take a shift on the sales floor.
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-03 | by ( Avery Hartmans | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Former Walmart CEO Greg Foran used to visit stores every week to observe factors like customer service, inventory levels, in-stock levels, and assortment. Fewer retail CEOs got their start working in storesLowe's CEO Marvin Ellison started his retail career as a Target security guard. David Swanson/ReutersOf course, times have changed — in the past, many retail CEOs got their start at the store level. As department stores started facing stiff competition from specialty stores, they scrambled to cut costs. These days, finding a qualified retail CEO seems like one of the hardest jobs to fill, with many companies looking outside the retail industry.

☆ Amazon, other retailers revamp 'free' shipping as costs soar
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-24 | by ( Lisa Baertlein | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

REUTERS/Alyssa PointerLOS ANGELES, March 24 (Reuters) - There is no such thing as free shipping. "The days of free delivery are numbered," Ken Morris, managing partner at Cambridge Retail Advisors, said of the fast-changing retail marketing tool. It is an open secret that most retailers raise product prices to subsidize free shipping. Postal Service hitting record levels, the industry where nearly three-quarters of e-commerce companies offer some sort of free shipping is rethinking the financial cost of habituating shoppers to free shipping. While retailers like Amazon and fashion purveyor Asos Plc (ASOS.L) have raised thresholds for fast shipping, others are dropping free shipping altogether or taking product prices up again.

☆ American Eagle tops quarterly estimates on steady apparel demand
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-01 | by ( Granth Vanaik | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

March 1 (Reuters) - American Eagle Outfitters (AEO.N) on Wednesday beat fourth-quarter market estimates, as consumers heading back to work and social events snapped up apparel and accessories despite persistently high inflation. Shares of American Eagle jumped about 7% in extended trading as the company also reinstated a $0.10 per share quarterly cash dividend after pausing it in September. Even as the United States faces once-in-a-generation levels of inflation, demand for sportswear, dresses and cargo pants have remained steady, benefiting apparel makers like American Eagle that have offered higher discounts to shoppers in order to get rid of excess stock. In January, the American Eagle said that its fourth-quarter sales and profit margins were tracking at high end of its forecasts, benefiting from its decision to right-size inventories and a better-than-expected performance at its American Eagle label. Excluding items, American Eagle earned 37 cents per share, above estimates of 30 cents.

☆ Kohl's swings to surprise loss as margins crumble on steep discounts
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

March 1 (Reuters) - Kohl's Corp (KSS.N) reported a surprise quarterly loss and forecast full-year profit well below analysts' estimates on Wednesday, as steep discounts to boost sluggish demand for apparel shredded the retailer's margins. Those discounts were the major contributor to a more than 10 percentage point decline in fourth-quarter gross margins to 23%, Kohl's said. Kohl's reported a loss of $2.49 per share for the fourth quarter ended Jan. 28, compared with estimates for a profit of 98 cents. Comparable sales at Kohl's fell 6.6% in the fourth quarter, compared with analysts' estimate of a 3.7% decrease. Separately, apparel maker Abercrombie & Fitch (ANF.N) also missed holiday quarter earnings estimates on Wednesday, hit by higher costs of cotton.

☆ Abercrombie & Fitch posts a fall in quarterly profit
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

March 1 (Reuters) - Abercrombie & Fitch Co (ANF.N) on Wednesday reported a 41.5% drop in quarterly profit, as higher labor costs and inflationary pressures squeezed margins. The company's net income attributable to Abercrombie fell to $38.3 million, or 75 cents per share, in the fourth quarter, from $65.5 million, or $1.12 per share, a year earlier. Reporting by Aatrayee Chatterjee in Bengaluru; Editing by Shailesh KuberOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Inflation takes a back seat to earnings next week as stocks look to bounce back
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-24 | by ( Matthew J. Belvedere | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

The latest Fed projection for the so-called terminal rate — the level where the rate hikes stop — was just over 5%. Before this past week, those intraday levels hadn't been seen since November 2022. ET: ISM Services Looking back January's hot reading on core PCE on Friday was the most influential economic number of the past week. In Club earnings this past week, Nvidia (NVDA) was certainly the highlight. As a subscriber to the CNBC Investing Club with Jim Cramer, you will receive a trade alert before Jim makes a trade.

☆ The soft landing is still alive for the economy, but so is inflation
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-21 | by ( Bob Pisani | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

The soft landing is still alive, but so is inflation Watching the stock market from Yucatan last week, it was pretty clear that firmer inflation numbers from the consumer price index and producer price index meant the glidepath to lower inflation will likely be bumpier than the bulls have been hoping for. The problem is clear: We have to figure out the glidepath of the inflation decline. We'll get more inflation data this week with the personal consumption expenditures price index on Friday. The good news is that other economic data indicates that the economy is very strong, particularly on the jobs front . The problem is a lack of bounce in growth stocks: Technology is expected to be flat in 2023, with only a modest 8.7% bounce in communication services earnings expected.

☆ Cramer on the astonishing rise of offensive stocks — and what could come next
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-22 | by ( Jim Cramer | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

When I went over about 1,000 stocks this weekend, I was astonished to see that the stocks with the strongest charts were those in the most offensive categories. Not even a weaker U.S. dollar has meant anything to brace these stocks from a further fall. There's one group, though, that's just plain hard to call, and that's tech. (See here for a full list of the stocks in Jim Cramer's Charitable Trust.) As a subscriber to the CNBC Investing Club with Jim Cramer, you will receive a trade alert before Jim makes a trade.

☆ Bank of America downgrades Levi Strauss, says upside is hard to see with discounts and sliding denim demand
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-18 | by ( Alex Harring | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Sliding demand for denim and a continued reliance on markdowns make it hard to expect outperformance from Levi Strauss , Bank of America said Wednesday. Peers such as American Eagle and Abercrombie & Fitch have said denim demand is down as consumers moved to other styles. Nardone said Levi Strauss will outperform the broader industry in denim sales, but will still struggle in the first half of the year to meet sales from the same period a year before. Nardone said elevated third-quarter inventory and a planned software transition in the first half of this year could elongate Levi Strauss' timeline for finding better footing. Ultimately, he said Levi Strauss is "a strong retailer with an attractive store growth plan" and doesn't foresee any disruptions once Michelle Gass takes over as CEO .

Bed Bath & Beyond has been in discussions with prospective buyers and lenders as it works to keep its business afloat during a likely bankruptcy filing, according to people familiar with the matter. Comparable sales declined 32% year over year in the most recent fiscal quarter, ended Nov. 26. Last week, CNBC reported Bed Bath had begun another round of layoffs in an attempt to further cut costs. One possible buyer circling Bed Bath is private equity firm Sycamore Partners, according to the people familiar with the discussions. Bed Bath has also drawn interest from companies that acquire the intellectual property, or brands, of companies, particularly those under distress, the people said.

☆ 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.

☆ Abercrombie, American Eagle signal upbeat holiday-quarter sales
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-09 | by ( Deborah Mary Sophia | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Jan 9 (Reuters) - Abercrombie & Fitch Co (ANF.N) and American Eagle Outfitters Inc (AEO.N) issued upbeat holiday-quarter sales forecasts on Monday as consumers snapped up their winter wear during the peak shopping season. Shares of Abercrombie, which owns the Hollister label, jumped more than 9%, while American Eagle climbed about 3%. It projected fourth-quarter operating margin between 6% and 8%, up from a range of 5% to 7% estimated previously. American Eagle also said its fourth-quarter revenue and profit margins were tracking at the high end of its forecasts, benefiting from its decision to right-size inventory and a better-than-expected performance at its American Eagle label. Last week, department store chain Macy's Inc (M.N) projected holiday-quarter sales toward the lower end of its previous forecast.

☆ Lululemon Athletica sees margin squeeze in holiday quarter; shares slump
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-09 | by ( Granth Vanaik | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Jan 9 (Reuters) - Lululemon Athletica Inc (LULU.O) forecast a decline in holiday-quarter gross margins on Monday as the apparel maker discounts more and grapples with higher costs, sending its shares down more than 9%. Lululemon said it expects gross margin to decline 90-110 basis points in the fourth quarter, compared with its previous expectation of an increase of 10-20 basis points. The company, however, raised its fourth-quarter net revenue forecast to between $2.66 billion and $2.70 billion, from its previous range of $2.61 billion to $2.66 billion. It also tightened its outlook for fourth-quarter earnings per share to between $4.22 and $4.27, compared with its prior forecast of $4.20 to $4.30. Reporting by Granth Vanaik in Bengaluru; Editing by Shailesh Kuber, Saumyadeb Chakrabarty and Shounak DasguptaOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Abercrombie & Fitch lifts holiday-quarter sales forecast
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Jan 9 (Reuters) - Abercrombie & Fitch Co (ANF.N) raised its holiday-quarter sales forecast on Monday on strong demand for its brands during the peak holiday selling period, sending shares about 3% higher before the bell. The Ohio-based apparel retailer said it now expects net sales to rise between 1% and 2% in the fourth quarter, compared with its prior forecast for a 2% to 4% fall. Abercrombie noted an improvement in overall sales from the third quarter, but said sales at its Hollister brand were still expected to remain below 2021 levels in the holiday quarter. The company projected fourth-quarter operating margin between 6% and 8%, up from a range of 5% to 7% estimated previously. Meanwhile, yoga wear maker Lululemon Athletica Inc (LULU.O) lowered its expectations for fourth-quarter gross margins, sending shares down more than 12% in premarket trade.

☆ Don’t want that item? Returning it could cost you
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-27 | by ( Nathaniel Meyersohn | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

It could cost you to return it online. Shoppers have become accustomed to free shipping and free returns in recent years, but Zara, H&M, J.Crew, Anthropologie, Abercrombie & Fitch and other chains are now slapping on fees of up to $7 to return items online. That’s a strain on retailers: For every $1 billion in sales, the average retailer incurs $165 million in merchandise returns, according to the NRF. Charging customers for online returns is just one of the ways retailers are trying to crack down on the cost of returns and prevent clothes from piling up in warehouses. Others are mulling a “returnless refund” policy, where they hand customers their money back and let them keep or donate items they don’t want.

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☆ Procrastinators, rejoice: Super Saturday is here and it could bring major discounts to shoppers
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-17 | by ( Avery Hartmans | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Super Saturday, the last Saturday before Christmas, could draw a record 158 million shoppers. But shoppers who take advantage of that extra time to buy are in for another treat: major discounts. "Retailers staring down time-limited inventory surpluses will do whatever they can to liquidate before the holiday season has expired." Shoppers could see major discounts on Super SaturdayBrandon Bell/Getty ImagesMajor retailers have been lamenting their inventory positions throughout 2022. The supply chain challenges that squeezed retail brands last holiday season have subsided, leaving a pandemic-induced hangover in their wake.

☆ Premarket stocks: The Grinch comes for retailers
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-16 | by ( Nicole Goodkind | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

What’s happening: US retail sales, which measure the total amount of money that stores make from selling goods to customers, fell 0.6% in November, the weakest performance in nearly a year. The Fed factor: November’s report could indicate that consumers are feeling the double-punch of sky-high inflation and painful interest rate hikes from the central bank. This retail sales data adds to recessionary concerns, as it suggests that consumers may be becoming more cautious with their spending. Those increases were spurred by the Federal Reserve’s unprecedented campaign of harsh interest rate hikes to tame soaring inflation. The Fed announced on Wednesday that it will continue to raise interest rates — albeit by a smaller amount than it has been.

THE FIRST TIME Racil Chalhoub, 39, a womenswear designer from Beirut, decided to buy men’s clothing, she was standing in a sea of denim at Abercrombie & Fitch in Los Angeles. This was the early aughts—when many women’s jeans were so snug and low-cut that visible thongs were considered a viable accessory. But Ms. Chalhoub craved loose, roomy hip-huggers. “Everything for women was fitted or flared,” she said. Ms. Chalhoub even launched her own women’s tuxedo brand, Racil, in 2015.

☆ California Long Ruled U.S. Shipping. Importers Are Drifting East.
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-10 | by ( Paul Berger | Photographs David Walter Banks For The Wall Street Journal | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +13 min

Abercrombie & Fitch Co. is moving more merchandise through New York and New Jersey to avoid West Coast bottlenecks. It trailed its East Coast rival again in that measure during September and October, according to the Pacific Merchant Shipping Association and ports data. ”There are so many customers that got so screwed because they were entirely reliant on L.A. and Long Beach.”The logistical challenges of spreading imports along the East Coast and the Gulf Coast are massive. The shift in trade to the East Coast marks a return to where container ships originated. Then the U.S. began importing more goods from Europe, making an Atlantic Ocean crossing to various East Coast ports more critical.

☆ Jim Cramer says these 3 apparel stocks benefit from return to office
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-02 | by ( Krystal Hur | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

CNBC's Jim Cramer on Friday offered investors a list of clothing stocks that he believes will see upside as workers continue returning to the office. "After the huge run in the apparel stocks, I recommend ringing the register on the lower quality ones, so that you can swap into something better," he said. Shares of PVH, the parent of Calvin Klein and Tommy Hilfiger, surged on Thursday after the company reported better-than-expected results for its latest quarter and strong quarterly guidance. Other apparel companies including Abercrombie & Fitch and American Eagle also delivered upside surprises this week, sending their stock higher. Here are Cramer's favorite apparel stock picks:

☆ Here's what Black Friday sales tell us about the retail sector — and our top pick
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-28 | by ( Paulina Likos | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

The holiday shopping season got off to a solid start over the weekend, as Black Friday's online sales beat expectations and started to build some much-needed momentum for the retail sector. According to Adobe's online sales tracker, consumers shelled out a record $9.12 billion shopping online on Black Friday. In another early look report, traffic on Black Friday at brick-and-mortar retail stores rose about 3% over 2021, according to retail tracker Sensormatic, which attributed the rise to increased promotional activity and "favorable in-store experiences." The analysts point out that this year's holiday shopping calendar is one day longer than in 2021. Bottom line With holiday shopping underway, we continue to like off-price retailers in these trying times.

☆ Black Friday was better than feared for retail stocks — Two potential big winners
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-28 | by ( Michelle Fox | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Black Friday was better than expected for retailers this year, with discount names Walmart and Costco poised to be among the season's winners, according to Bank of America. The big-box retailer made significant price investments to offer deeper discounts and traffic appeared very strong in stores, Ohmes noted. "Specialty retailers appeared to be relative winners while we observed decent trends across the discounters and department stores," said analyst Krisztina Katai. Morgan Stanley also called out strong traffic results for Lululemon and American Eagle, as well as Abercrombie & Fitch and Victoria's Secret. "These strong traffic results were achieved despite 1) similar or lower y/y discounting levels, & /or 2) discounting activity below total sector averages.

“There’s no such thing as a set forecast right now,” said Sophie Kelly, senior vice president of whiskies at Diageo North America, speaking at the same event. The firm, a unit of Interpublic Group of Cos.’ Mediabrands, cut its growth forecast for next year to 4.8% from an earlier prediction of 5.8% in June. Organic revenue growth is a metric that removes the effects of currency fluctuations, acquisitions and disposals. Airbnb Inc. slashed its advertising spending and invested in brand marketing, lessening its reliance on search-engine marketing. “We knew that people are changing their behavior,” said William White, Walmart’s chief marketing officer.

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