Spring Is in the Air for Retail M&A
Retailers are getting back to business after the recession and showing stronger earnings, making them attractive targets for private equity investors -- and each other.
retailers
Retailers Prepare for Rising Prices in a Down Economy
Retailers forecast that 2011 will be a year spent dealing with inflation, expanding stores and trying to wean shoppers off their markdown habit. Faced with rising costs that are pushing their prices higher, merchants say they have to focus on growing sales, regardless of the economic pressures.
How to Stitch Cotton Into Your Portfolio?
Among the questions investors now face: How much rally is left in cotton since skyrocketing 171% already in a year? Among the variables to consider are weather, demand and how much more land gets devoted to cotton. Analysts point to better and worse ways to play this commodity.
The Forecast: Winter Storms Chilled January Retail Sales
Record snowfalls across the country dampened hopes of retailers for a strong end to the fiscal year. Many are expecting disappointment when major retailers report January sales on Thursday. The weather slowed what was already a weak trend.
Q&A: How Alyssa Milano Scores Big with Sports-Fan Clothing
Charmed actress Alyssa Milano can often be found in the stands, cheering on Los Angeles's Dodgers, Lakers and Kings. And in a down economy, she's racked up some key wins for Touch, her line of women's sports apparel. She recently discussed the business with DailyFinance.
What Climbing Consumer Confidence Means for You
The Consumer Confidence Index jumped far higher than expected in January, and that could have big implications, both for retailers and for your wallet. Here's what you need to know.
Retailers' Focus for 2011: More Stores, Better Service
U.S. retailers are planning store expansions and increased initiatives to monitor and serve their customers -- with a heavy focus on the Web and social media -- as they work to accelerate their growth in 2011.
Retail Sales: November Stole the Show from December
U.S. shoppers piled up the presents under their Christmas trees, but retailers were still a bit disappointed. The Commerce Department's official tally shows what many suspected: Consumers did most of their holiday buying early this year.
Holiday Consumer-Electronics Sales Fell 5%
U.S. consumers spent 5% less on consumer electronics during the last holiday season compared to a year earlier, according to a new report from NPD Group. Even at discounted prices, Americans bought fewer flat-screen televisions and desktop computers, as well as lower-end digital cameras and MP3 players, according to the report.
December Sales Will Warm Merchants' Hearts
Shoppers didn't disappoint, buying presents at both low- and high-end prices, from jewelry to shoes. Most analysts predict sales will show year-over-year increases of 3% to 4% on Thursday, when major chains post December figures and holiday totals.
Square Gets Valued at $200 Million: Is It the Next PayPal?
Square makes it much easier for even the smallest retailers to accept credit cards: The mobile payment firm offers easy to use hardware that plugs right into iPhones or Android devices. But at least part of its new high price tag probably derives from the fact that its founder, Jack Dorsey, also co-founded Twitter.
Forget Facebook: Email's a Stronger Marketing Tool
As more shoppers spend their money online, retailers are deciding where to put their e-marketing. According to a new ForeSee study, promotional emails were still far more effective at driving traffic to retail sites than social networks like Facebook this holiday season.
The Fed Proposes Cap on Debit-Card Swipe Fees
The Federal Reserve on Thursday proposed a new rule that would dramatically cut the swipe fees that banks charge merchants when customers use debit cards. The move, which stems from a provision in the financial overhaul bill in July, could benefit stores. But banks say it could harm consumers.
Best Buy Settles Overcharging Charges
Electronics retailer Best Buy has agreed to pay $399,000 to settle allegations that it advertised lower prices on its website, then charged customers higher prices at some of its stores.
Holiday Hiring Takes a Hit, Despite a Brighter Economy
Retailers and shipping companies are adding fewer new jobs than they did a year ago. One reason: employers began shopping for seasonal workers earlier than usual, boosting hiring in October. But if holiday retail sales hold up, it could equal more hiring in December.
Gap Test Drives Apple's iPhone Point-of-Sale System
The same system Apple Store employees use to run credit card transactions on iPhones or iPod Touches is about to spread. Apple is offering it to other retailers, a move that could create a multifaceted win for Apple's enterprise business.
Best 'Cyber Monday' Ever Helps Boost November Retail Sales
Retailers saw their sales figures jump in November with a strong Black Friday and a record-breaking Cyber Monday. The news could suggest this holiday season will be better than the last two, but could also mean that consumers have finished their shopping early.
Will Amazon's Stock Jump With Black Friday's Boost?
On Wall Street, the retail sales figures that count aren't absolute numbers. Investors act based on how those numbers compare to what was expected, and in the case of Black Friday Internet sales, reality beat the predictions. That's good news for Amazon.
Retailers Cut Corners to Avoid Apparel Price Hikes
Expect your T-shirts to get a little bit thinner next year -- and maybe a little more expensive. Apparel retailers are looking high and low for ways to keep from passing on too much of their own rising costs to consumers. The trick: Doing so without hurting quality.
Retailers Prepare for an Uninspiring 2011
As retailers wrapped up their earnings reports this week, most said they're back in cost-control mode and will tighten inventories after the holidays. Shoppers are still spending cautiously and costs are on the rise, so profits will have to be squeezed out of slowly rising sales.
Inventories Rise 0.9%, Suggesting Stronger Growth Ahead
In a sign that holiday sales season will be better than initially expected, business inventories rose 0.9% in September as companies re-stocked their shelves for the nation's busiest shopping period. The increase also suggests that third-quarter U.S. GDP growth figures may be revised upward.
Walmart Will Join Auction to Buy Indonesia's Hypermart
The world's largest retailer, Walmart Stores, wants to get even larger: It has joined the bidding war for Indonesian retailer Matahari's hypermarket business, Hypermart, a deal that could be worth up to $1 billion, unnamed sources told Reuters on Thursday.
Shopping Kings: The Most Powerful People in Retail
Consumers are still cautious about spending as the effects of the recession linger. But many retailers are feeling more optimistic as we head into the holiday shopping season. Here's a look at the people who are leading retail out of the doldrums.
Retail Stocks That Can Thrive in a Down Economy
Fund manager Neil Hennessy believes investors should target retail stocks that are likely to thrive in slow-growth economic conditions -- but which also stand to benefit when the economy picks up again. Here are some of his favorites.