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.
Nestlé has dismissed its CEO Laurent Freixe after an investigation into an undisclosed relationship with a direct subordinate. The company announced on Monday that the dismissal was effective immediately. An investigation found that Freixe violated Nestlé’s code of conduct. He had been CEO for a year. Philipp Navratil, a longtime Nestlé executive, will replace him. Chairman Paul Bulcke stated that the decision was necessary to uphold the company’s values and governance. Navratil began his career with Nestlé in 2001 and has held various roles, including CEO of Nestlé's Nespresso division since 2024.
Kraft Heinz is splitting into two companies a decade after they joined in a massive merger that created one of the biggest food companies on the planet. One of the companies will include brands such as Heinz, Philadelphia cream cheese and Kraft Mac & Cheese. The other will include brands like Oscar Mayer, Kraft Singles and Lunchables. When the company formed in 2015 it wanted to capitalize on its massive scale, but shifting tastes complicated those plans, with households seeking to introduce healthier options at the table. Kraft Heinz's net revenue has fallen every year since 2020.
