After years in an unsteady economic climate, being battered by e-commerce on one hand and more effective bricks-and-mortar competitors on the other, these eight chains need the relief that shrinking can provide. And this year, that's exactly what they'll get.
Walmart's plan to open for business at 8 p.m. on Thanksgiving with doorbuster Black Friday deals is forcing other retailers to follow suit. This shift may or may not prove a winner with shoppers, but it's already upsetting retail workers -- and it may not even make a difference in boosting sales.
Target's Black Friday Sale will begin at 9 p.m. on Thanksgiving, three hours earlier than a year ago. The discounter joins several other major retailers, including Walmart, that are kicking off the holiday shopping season on Thanksgiving Day and staggering deals over the two-day period.
Americans are expected to spend more during what's traditionally the busiest shopping season of the year, but they're not exactly ready to shop 'til they drop like they have been in the past two years.
Sears is moving forward with plans to spin off its Hometown and Outlet stores as well as some hardware stores into a separate publicly traded company. Sears, which also owns Kmart, has looked at spinoffs and real estate sales to restore profitability and boost shareholder confidence.
Sear announced this week that it will divest itself of more than 1,000 Hometown and Outlet stores, its latest move to find profits in spin offs. But does Sears have anything left that anyone wants to buy other than pieces of its business?
Sears, which is trying to turn around its business and spruce up its image, is preparing to spin off its Hometown and Outlet stores as well as some hardware stores into a separate publicly traded company.
Every bullish run or bearish retreat offers a great opportunity to learn something about the market and the publicly traded companies that make it happen. So what did 2012's monstrously good first quarter teach the observant investor?
The S&P 500 soared 12% during the first three months of 2012, and the tech-heavy Nasdaq managed a nearly 19% spurt. Those are good numbers even for a whole year -- but these seven investments beat the indexes by huge margins.
Best Buy has a big plan to cut its costs and regain its focus: closing stores, laying off employees, shifting its focus to smartphones and mobile gadgets, and slimming down margins. Only problem is, none of that is going to save it.
The S&P 500 gained 4.4% in January, the biggest increase for that month in 15 years. But the 10 best performers in the index had share gains for the month from 27% to a whopping 77%. Which are these rising stars -- and which might have more room to rise? Read on:
Walmart's conquest of of America embodies a decades-long drive toward the lowest common denominator, off-shoring jobs, maximizing profits and reducing quality. But is it a trend we can reverse? Deep in the heart of Ohio, a new store aims to try.
Recently, we've bidden farewell to Borders, Circuit City and Linens 'n Things. Here are five more once-thriving chains that are probably doomed thanks to lousy management or just being in the wrong business at the wrong time.
On Tuesday, Sears Holdings announced it would close as many as 120 Sears and Kmart stores after a holiday sales season in which it fell flat on its face. What Sears really needs is a new image -- an idea that will lure shoppers back. Could "Made in the USA" be it?
