The chaotic story of inventory in today's economy

Jun 8, 2022
Wholesale inventories were up in April. But now, some stores have too much inventory while others struggle to get the inventory they need.
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When consumers feel strapped, some brands do well anyway

May 27, 2022
Strong earnings from Nordstrom, Macy's and Dollar General suggest pent-up demand and a reframing of what people consider essential spending.
Dollar Tree said groceries made up a bigger part of its sales last quarter — which could spell trouble for retailers like Walmart and Target.
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What labor shortage? Some retailers now say they're overstaffed.

May 20, 2022
Hiring too many workers — many of them part time — was an effort to avoid losing sales.
Walmart said overstaffing, among other factors, brought down its quarterly earnings. The retailer's not alone.
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Retailers bulked up their inventories during the worst of the pandemic. Now they're stuck with them.

May 19, 2022
Big stores like Walmart and Target didn't foresee consumers pivoting away from shopping and toward going out.
Large retailers like Target and Walmart stocked up on goods — like office furniture or home decor — that shoppers bought during the pandemic. But consumers' spending habits are changing.
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Buy now, pay later services replace layaway

Jan 10, 2022
Services like Affirm and Klarna charge interest for allowing consumers to pay for their purchases in installments.
Layaway has become a relic of retail's past.
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"What supply chain crisis?" say Target, Walmart and Home Depot

Nov 17, 2021
Target, Walmart and Home Depot told investors they have more than adequate inventory to weather the holidays.
Large retailers including Home Depot, Target and Walmart have all reported well-stocked inventories ahead of the holiday shopping season.
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For public good, not for profit.

Netflix, Walmart team up to sell merch from "Squid Game" and other shows

Oct 11, 2021
A dedicated e-commerce hub will sell merchandise for Netflix's most popular shows, including a "Stranger Things" cassette player.
Walmart will be pairing with Netflix to launch a merchandise e-commerce hub.
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Employers' new strategy: Come for the work, stay for the college tuition

Sep 13, 2021
Big companies have started offering free tuition for workers on the front lines. Does it help with retention?
Companies like Target are offering free college to its workers.
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Walmart will make local "white label" deliveries for other retailers

Aug 24, 2021
The retail giant already has a well developed "last-mile" delivery network in parts of the country.
Walmart announced Tuesday that it will be expanding its delivery service to handle shipments from other businesses in a "white label" shipping service called GoLocal.
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