Corporate Governance

Wages

The retail industry is actually in better shape than some of today's headlines may lead folks to believe.    "Distressed [retail] names are growing, but still a small part of our rated universe," Moody's analyst Christina Boni told CNBC. "The broader industry remains fundamentally healthy."   Dollar stores, home-improvement chains, convenience stores and auto-parts retailers are among the leaders of the pack, according to the report.   

Target Corp. and Best Buy didn't just talk the talk when it came to killing a border adjustment tax on imports that was the centerpiece of House Republicans tax reform plan.    In the first six months of 2017, Best Buy spent $1.71 million in lobbying efforts, twice as much as it spent the entire year in 2016, the Star Tribune reported. Target Corp. spent $1.48 million lobbying from January through June 2017, which was slightly less than it spent all of last year.  

Alibaba Group Holding is expanding its online travel footprint.  

Retail has reached a tipping point. Omnichannel shopping is no longer the “new thing” — it is THE THING. Demographics and technology have permanently altered consumer behavior, and retailers have felt the impact in an unprecedented manner.   In today’s environment, proactive management of the store portfolio is not an option—companies must actively pursue a forward-looking, dynamic, and data-centric approach to design the optimal store portfolio to ensure ongoing viability.  

Office Depot is launching a same-day delivery program in three markets.   The service, powered by Deliv, will be available on August 28 in Atlanta and Los Angeles, and on September 6 in Ft. Lauderdale/Miami. It is expected to be rolled out in several additional markets by the end of December.  

Rapha, the upmarket and trendy British bikewear brand, has been sold to two grandsons of Sam Walton, founder of Wal-Mart Stores.    Rapha, founded by branding consultant and lifelong cyclist Simon Mottram in 2004, has been sold to RZC Investments, a private equity firm run by Steuart and Tom Walton, who are reported to be committed mountain bikers. The firm also has an investment in bike maker Allied Cycle Works, based in Little Rock, Ark.   

FedEx is giving its customers an early holiday gift — while taking a stab at its rival UPS.   The delivery service announced that it will forego additional surcharges on deliveries this holiday season — unless packages require additional handling, are oversized or unauthorized. FedEx made the decision based on the growing volume of large packages moving through the FedEx Ground network during the holidays.