National retail federation

Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin Stores must understand the mood of today’s shopper in order to be successful. The mood has changed significantly in recent times, and retailers must evaluate how to shift shopping back to stores. It is more complicated than just trying to compete with the internet; the ‘does she still want to shop online’, or ‘does she want to go to a store?’ is only part of the challenge. The consumer’s urge to get out of the house is evident, and that provides an immediate opportunity for stores to find ways to tap into. For instance, shoppers for fashion often want to try on clothes and chose the right color, right fabric and have an assurance that it fits, and stores are set up to do that conveniently. In contrast, during the pandemic I am told that many customers forced to shop online bought two (or three) sizes to insure the proper fit. The rest were returned for credit. That process has hassles that an in-store shopper can avoid. … [Read more...] about Will Stores Be Successful During Inflation?

Russia continues its military buildup at the Ukrainian border, NATO said , disputing Russia's claims that it's removing troops. The rally in U.S. stocks stopped, with major indexes slipping after yesterday's surges. Economists will be mining the minutes from the January FOMC meeting—due later today from the Fed—for clues as to how aggressive the central bank will act in its efforts to curb inflation. Key Takeaways Russia continues adding troops at the border, NATO said, disputing Russia's claims that it is removing troops. The rally in U.S. stocks halted, while oil climbed. Stock declines came despite stronger-than-expected January retail sales. Stocks surged yesterday, snapping a three-day losing streak, on indications tensions between Russia and Ukraine were easing. The Dow rose 1.2%, while the S&P 500 gained 1.6%, and the Nasdaq shot up 2.5%. Later today, the Federal Reserve will release minutes from its January policy meeting . Investors will look for … [Read more...] about NATO Disputes Russian Withdrawals, an Alarming Yield Curve, and More Moving Today’s Market

- A + A (May 16): The rupiah risks weakening to its lowest level in almost two years as Indonesia’s ban on palm oil exports adds to headwinds from interest rate hikes in the US. The currency fell to a one-year low last week, despite an assurance from the central bank that it would stabilize the currency. Technical support at its April 2021 low is now in danger and a breach of this level would pave the way for a decline to its September 2020 low. Investors are watching for further export restrictions and rising demand for the dollar, said Divya Devesh, head of Asean and South-Asia FX research at Standard Chartered Bank in Singapore. He sees the rupiah depreciating to 14,800 to the greenback by the end of June, from 14,613 on Friday. Palm oil accounted for 1.5% of Indonesia’s gross domestic product in 2021 and the prohibition on shipments could cut US$2 billion from the nation’s exports for each month it stays in place, according to estimates from Goldman Sachs … [Read more...] about Rupiah nears breach of support with palm oil ban hurting trade