Independent thinking for complex markets and current events
Executives cited tariff ripple effects, fuel costs and ongoing supply chain pressure from global tensions. Grilling items, back-to-school goods and household staples expected to carry bigger tags. Shares of big box retailers traded cautiously after the latest guidance. Inflation relief still missing where it hurts most. What they cited: Tariff ripple effects (especially on goods …
Walmart and other major retailers are reporting price increases on thousands of everyday items, and Americans are feeling it every time they walk into a store. From groceries to clothing to household essentials, the cost of living continues to climb while wages stay the same. In this video, we take a closer look at what’s …
Note: “Weak consumer spending” refers to store expectations before the season started. Consumer spending ended up being high which is why Black Friday set a new record No paywall: https://finance.yahoo.com/news/seasonal-hiring-offers-little-reprieve-for-labor-market-woes-110044972.html Plenty of Americans are expected to pour into stores and fill online carts this holiday shopping season. Fewer may be able to pick up seasonal work …
The economy just got punched. $31 billion in tariffs hit in a single month. August didn’t end in prosperity or surplus. It ended in extraction. Every dollar was drained from consumers and corporations, funneled straight into the Treasury’s vault. The machinery of wealth didn’t grind forward, it was siphoned sideways. Importantly, tariffs are being paid …
Your local Walmart could be gone tomorrow. That Walgreens down the street? Shuttered. The grocery store where you’ve shopped for years? Permanently closed. This isn’t some doomsday prediction. It’s happening right now across America. Over 3,000 major retail stores are shutting down permanently in 2025. Pharmacies, grocery chains, department stores, fast food giants – they’re …
It's interesting to see some people claim inflation is slowing. The equal-weighted commodities index is up 12% in the past year. That’s real-world inflation. Meanwhile, US money supply just hit a new high, and the dollar is weakening sharply against other currencies, including… pic.twitter.com/xYS56p7DeX — Otavio (Tavi) Costa (@TaviCosta) August 9, 2025 Commodities surged 12% …
Ground beef just hit $6.12 Highest price ever recorded by the USDA Up 12% year over year Up more than 50% since 2022 This isn’t a seasonal spike It’s systemic US cattle inventory has collapsed 94.2 million head as of July 1 Lowest mid-year count since 1973 June feedlot placements: 1.44 million Lowest since 2017 …
Here’s a fact that will stop you in your tracks: Sears, which once employed more Americans than the US military, now has fewer stores than Starbucks locations in Manhattan. The company that built the American middle class is down to just 11 stores nationwide. Eleven. That’s the death of an empire. In just the past …
Cybercrime spree that hobbled British retailers now aimed at U.S., Google says At least three top British retailers have experienced cyberattacks in recent weeks. Hackers behind a series of destructive, financially motivated cyberattacks against some of the U.K.’s largest retailers are now going after big American brands, Google said Wednesday. “Major American retailers have already …
by Michael Do you remember the panic buying that we witnessed during the early days of the pandemic? It’s back, and I have a feeling that it is only going to intensify in the days ahead. As more Americans begin to realize that products made in China will soon more than double in price and …
A troubling trend is brewing in the U.S. retail sector. Big names like Walmart, Dollar General, Home Depot, Kohl’s and other retailers are canceling billions of dollars in orders for this holiday season. The last time this happened was in 2022, right after interest rates started to rise. Now, a much deeper issue is forcing …
TreeHouse Foods has issued a voluntary recall for nearly 700 frozen waffle products due to potential Listeria contamination. The recall involves products sold under various brands, including Kodiak and Good & Gather, and was initiated to prevent possible infection, especially among vulnerable populations such as the elderly, pregnant women, and those with weakened immune systems. …
According to CoreSight, here are retail closures so far in 2024 of companies that operate in California, followed by the total number of stores impacted nationwide: Family Dollar (620) Rue21 (543) 99 Cents Only Stores (371) CVS Health (315) 7-Eleven (272) Rite Aid (165) Express (105) Walgreens Boots Alliance, the parent company of Walgreens and …
by Michael If the economy is fine, why are so many signs of trouble erupting all around us? Those that keep insisting that the U.S. economy is heading in the right direction conveniently ignore the very troubling facts and figures that I regularly share with my readers. When you take an honest look at the cold, …
The same retailers that have helped to push consumer prices up by 20% over the past four years are getting desperate as shoppers aggressively tighten their spending to cope with stubborn inflation. Some of the biggest retail chains in America are on a price-cutting spree to gain back their customers now that sales are declining …
Walmart’s impact on the United States is undeniable. From its humble beginnings as a small-town discount store to its current status as a global retail behemoth, the company has revolutionized how people shop, businesses operate, and communities experience retail. However, the “Walmart Effect” has a much darker side than people think. For decades, the retail …
Clothing retailer Rue21 has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, leading to the closure of all 543 of its U.S. stores within the next two months. The company plans to conduct large “going out of business” sales and sell its intellectual property. Sam Ash, a music store chain, is also closing all its remaining stores, resulting …
Teen fashion retailer rue21 plans to close all of its 540 stores after filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy for the third time Thursday. Why it matters: The move is the latest in a series of retailers closing all their locations, including The Body Shop and 99 Cents Only. Driving the news: In court documents, rue21 …
In the months before Bed Bath & Beyond declared bankruptcy last April, the former home goods titan was trapped in a crushing cycle. The retailer had been failing to pay its vendors on time, if at all. During the pivotal holiday season, some began requiring payment when goods were delivered or refusing orders altogether, which …
via naturalnews: Because of the increasing problem of shoplifting across the U.S., major retailers like Walmart and Target have locked up essential items such as underwear and socks. The preventive measure emphasizes the severity of theft issues affecting retailers throughout America, with company losses amounting to staggering billions of dollars. For the last few years, …
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NUK7P2XgKno In “10 Retailers at Risk of Bankruptcy in 2024,” we delve into the financial challenges faced by some of your favorite retail brands. From iconic giants to trendy fashion outlets, discover why these household names are on the brink of bankruptcy. Join us as we explore the factors leading to this precarious situation and …
Retailers across New York state say there’s no end in sight to the rising epidemic of organized shoplifting rings — and warn it could lead to more store closures, increased costs for consumers and threats of violence against store employees. Store owners said they lost $4.4 billion last year as a result of retail theft …
by confoundedinterest17 The Federal Reserve reminds me of The Stones’ song “Tumbling Dice.” Why? The Fed can’t tell if inflation is cooling or re-accelerating. Hence, they are just rolling dice. Let’s start with mortgage rates, a critical component of the housing and CRE markets. Mortgage rates remain up 163% since 2021, not great for housing affordability. Despite …
By Martin Armstrong Retailers have been preparing for Black Friday and Cyber Monday all year. The tradition of post-Thanksgiving shopping has spread internationally with companies throughout the world promoting special sales. The National Federation of Retailers in America predicts that 2023 will be one of the busiest shopping holidays in the nation’s history. Around 182 million shoppers …
Consumers are being warned against using more than two dozen eye drop products sold over-the-counter at major retailers including CVS, Target and Rite Aid. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration says the eye drop products were manufactured in a facility with “insanitary conditions” and carry a “potential risk of eye infections that could result in partial vision loss or …
via naturalnews: Shoppers at big box stores in New York and New Jersey are being forced to wait as long as 40 minutes just to buy basic essentials as these major retailers have now locked up many of their products to counter skyrocketing retail theft. This is according to a report from investigative news program “Inside Edition,” whose …
The true cost of shoplifting: Retailers lost up to $80BN in 2022 – up by $13BN in a year as soaring crime grips Democrat-run cities compunded with inflation and costs being spread to consumer perfect storm to kill an economy and close business and coupled with woke policies giving control to the powers that be …
Retail crime surges to record levels with repeat offenders and criminal gangs operating exempt from consequences, new data released by Co-op reveals today (Thursday, 27 July). Co-op has seen crime, shoplifting and anti-social behaviour jump 35% year-on-year, with more than 175,000 incidents recorded in the first six months of this year – almost 1,000 incidents …
We’re being told that inflation numbers are going down, but when it comes to food inflation, that’s a whole different story. More than half of US food retailers are still raising prices this year, a nine percentage point jump from last year, according to BDO’s 2023 Retail CFO Outlook Survey. With major food makers, including …