Marty Cantor, CPA and economic development consultant, joined Cheddar News to discuss the landscape of the retail industry. With cornerstone department stores like Bed, Bath and Beyond and Party City filing for bankruptcy, Cantor said "people are just running out of money." He said discretionary spending is halting as the cost of other goods and services increases, ultimately impacting the bottom line of major retail giants.
Apple posted better-than-expected profit and revenue in the latest quarter but said sales dropped for the fourth straight quarter, including a drop in revenue for iPads and iMacs.
The Federal Trade Commission is accusing Amazon of using an algorithm to raise prices for some of its products, thereby causing other shopping sites to do the same.