Retail companies are looking to stage a comeback. Jharrone Martis, Director of Consumer Research at Thomson Reuters, was with us to break down whether the companies were ready for a retail rebound.
Nordstrom initially said it was interested in going private back in the summer. Martis said the company believes in order to take business to the next level, it would have to go private. Martis, however, said that's not necessarily the case. She said the Nordstrom Rack and the Nordstrom namesake brand have online sites that have seen double digit growth over the last year. She also points to a loyal customer base.
Nordstrom is also making a big bet by opening up its first men's store in NYC. The store set to open in New York City in April, on Broadway between 57th and 58th streets. Martis sees this as a good opportunity to reinvent its in-store experience.
Martis also touched on the outlook for Gap. She said Old Navy remains the bright spot due to its value proposition for the entire family, not just children.
Starbucks’ decision to restrict its restrooms to paying customers has flushed out a wider problem: a patchwork of restroom use policies that varies by state and city. Starbucks announced last week a new code of conduct that says people need to make a purchase if they want to hang out or use the restroom. The coffee chain's policy change for bathroom privileges has left Americans confused and divided over who gets to go and when. The American Restroom Association, a public toilet advocacy group, was among the critics. Rules about restroom access in restaurants vary by state, city and county. The National Retail Federation says private businesses have a right to limit restroom use.
President Donald Trump is talking up a joint venture investing up to $500 billion for infrastructure tied to artificial intelligence by a new partnership formed by OpenAI, Oracle and SoftBank. The new entity, Stargate, will start building out data centers and the electricity generation needed for the further development of the fast-evolving AI in Texas, according to the White House. The initial investment is expected to be $100 billion and could reach five times that sum. While Trump has seized on similar announcements to show that his presidency is boosting the economy, there were already expectations of a massive buildout of data centers and electricity plants needed for the development of AI.
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