Foot Locker is planning to close 400 stores by 2026 as part of a "reset" of its retail brand. The relaunch could also introduce "experiential" new stores and shifting away from underperforming stores in malls, which currently account for 10 percent of its sales.
"We are entering 2023 with a focus on resetting the business – simplifying our operations and investing in our core banners and capabilities to position the Company for growth in 2024 and beyond," Mary Dillon, president and chief executive officer, told investors.
The company is calling the relaunch its "Lace Up" plan and entails a mix of rebranding, updated loyalty programs, expanded omnichannel options, and closing underperforming stores.
Foot Locker is also closing 125 underperforming Champs Sports stores.
"We are proud of Foot Locker's role in influencing and serving the global sneaker community, and next year, we will celebrate the 50th anniversary of the iconic Foot Locker brand," Dillion said. "We are incredibly excited to introduce our 'Lace Up' plan with a new set of strategic imperatives and financial objectives that are designed to set us up for success for the next 50 years."
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Swedish buy now, pay later company Klarna is making its highly anticipated public debut on the New York Stock Exchange Wednesday, the latest in a run of high-profile initial public offerings this year. The offering priced at $40 Tuesday, above the forecasted range of $35 to $37 a share, valuing the company at more than $15 billion. The valuation easily makes Klarna one of the biggest IPOs so far in 2025, which has been one of the busier years for companies going public. Other popular IPOs so far this year include the design software company Figma and Circle Internet Group, which issues the USDC stablecoin..
Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison wrested the title of the world’s richest man from longtime holder Elon Musk early Wednesday as stock in his software giant rocketed more than a third in a stunning few minutes of trading. That is according to wealth tracker Bloomberg. A college dropout, the 81-year-old Ellison is now worth $393 billion, Bloomberg says, several billion more than Musk, who had been the world’s richest for four years. The switch in the ranking came after a blockbuster earnings report from Oracle. Forbes still has Musk as the richest, however, valuing his private businesses much higher.
