The holiday shopping season may be over, but Wal-Mart is not done innovating. The superstore is headed into 2018 with big technology goals including personal shopping via text message and cashier-less stores. Ted Rubin gives his take on these big retail moves.
Rubin argues Wal-Mart's move to offer personalized shopping via text message is misguided. The store is looking to capture the top 1%'s shopping habits, and he does not think that is possible. Instead, Rubin argues that Walmart should be focusing on their existing footprint and leveraging that to scale up delivery and shopping options.
Rubin also believes that Wal-Mart's acquisition of Jet.com was a multi-million dollar mistake. He argues the superstore should have built out their delivery options.
Stocks were mixed at the open but Wall Street was heading for a losing week as investors digested the hints that the Federal Reserve could raise rates before the end of the year.
Sales of previously occupied U.S. homes fell for the third month in a row in August, as higher mortgage rates, rising prices and a dearth of properties on the market shut out many would-be homebuyers.