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.
Low-value imports are losing their duty-free status in the U.S. this week as part of President Donald Trump's agenda for making the nation less dependent on foreign goods. A widely used customs exemption for international shipments worth $800 or less is set to end starting on Friday. Trump already ended the “de minimis” rule for inexpensive items sent from China and Hong Kong, but having to pay import taxes on small parcels from everywhere else likely will be a big change for some small businesses and online shoppers. Purchases that previously entered the U.S. without needing to clear customs will be subject to the origin country’s tariff rate, which can range from 10% to 50%.
Southwest Airlines will soon require plus-size travelers to pay for an extra seat in advance if they can't fit within the armrests of one seat. This change is part of several updates the airline is making. The new rule starts on Jan. 27, the same day Southwest begins assigning seats. Currently, plus-size passengers can pay for an extra seat in advance and later get a refund, or request a free extra seat at the airport. Under the new policy, refunds are still possible but not guaranteed. Southwest said in a statement it is updating policies to prepare for assigned seating next year.
Cracker Barrel is sticking with its new logo. For now. But the chain is also apologizing to fans who were angered when the change was announced last week.
Elon Musk on Monday targeted Apple and OpenAI in an antitrust lawsuit alleging that the iPhone maker and the ChatGPT maker are teaming up to thwart competition in artificial intelligence.
Hear from Gabino & Stephen Roche on Saphyre’s institutional AI platform that centralizes pre‑ and post‑trade data, redefining settlement speed and accuracy.
Elon Musk’s X has reached a tentative settlement with former employees of the company then known as Twitter who’d sued for $500 million in severance pay.
