Research Topic

Office Depot closing 300 more stores; to expand ‘store of future’ pilot
Just three months after its proposed acquisition by Staples ran into regulatory roadblocks, Office Depot unveiled its plans for the future as a standalone retailer. In its second quarter financial filing, the chain announced it would close an additional 300 stores during the next three years, a move that is anticipated to help cut annual costs by some $250 million by the end of 2018. Office Depot is also planning to cut costs by reducing procurement and general and administrative costs.
Survey: Back-to-school shoppers hitting stores earlier this year
Ninety-three percent of consumers are starting their back-to-school shopping before classes begin and receipts promise to be strong for stores. Three-quarters of the 2,000 shoppers surveyed by JLL recently said they planned to spend between $100 and $500 on school purchases, and most of those transactions figure to take place at brick-and-mortar locations. Only 19% said they’d buy supplies online and just 25% figured to look to the Web for apparel.

Construction employment on the rise, but qualified workers hard to find

Hard hats are in big demand, as construction employment increased in 228 out of 358 metro areas in the last year. According to a report just issued by the Associated General Contractors of America, which measured construction employment between June 2015 and June 2016, the status remained unchanged in 48 metro areas and dipped in 82 areas in the June-to-June timeframe.
Consumer confidence remains high despite contentious presidential race

Not even a political slug fest can shake the current consumer. The latest Nielsen Consumer Confidence Index showed that consumer confidence in the U.S. is on the rise, despite the uncertainty and starkly contrasting rhetoric around key economic issues. Per the Index, Americans remained optimistic in the second quarter with a three-point confidence increase to 113. In contrast, the global consumer confidence index for the same period was flat at 98. Other U.S. highlights include:
Survey: Apparel driving consumer spending across channels

No big surprise that apparel continues to be the most popular retail category across all channels, but what is noteworthy is that clothing purchases show no sign of slowing, particularly online. A survey by Onestop Internet revealed that the apparel category is driving online growth, with 45% of respondents saying they plan to buy more clothing online than any other retail category in the next 12 months.
Survey: Back-to-school shopping will be done in physical stores

When it comes to back-to-school shopping, kids have all the power – and they strongly prefer shopping in-store. A recent study by Citi Retail Services revealed that kids wield extraordinary power over back-to-school purchase decisions, and those decisions include shopping for goods in physical stores.
Report: Retailers re-focus on investing in physical stores
Tropical Smoothie unveils smooth new look slated for national rollout

Smoothie operator Tropical Smoothie Café has refreshed its brand by blending a coastal atmosphere and elevated customer experience – with plans to take the new look and feel to locations nationwide. "As Tropical Smoothie Cafe continued growing and evolving over the past several years, it became obvious to us that our brand's image needed to follow suit,” said Mike Rotondo, CEO. The company launched the rebranding via a new restaurant design that it plans to introduce to new and existing stores.
Report: Retail construction declines in June, but first half up year-over-year

Construction spending in the retail sector saw a dip in June, according to a report by the Associated General Contractors of America, but the first half of the year recorded an overall gain. Commercial (which includes retail, warehouse and farm) construction declined 1.6% in June, per the report, but climbed 8.6% year-to-date. Association officials said spending appears to have leveled off after a strong early start to the year prompted by mild winter weather conditions in many parts of the country.
Video: Steve Tanger talks money with CNBC's Jim Cramer

Steve Tanger is more than CEO of outlet giant Tanger Factory Outlet Centers – he is also an effective talking head. Tanger appeared as a featured guest on CNBC's "Mad Money with Jim Cramer" on Thursday, July 28, and talked about the consistent strength of the outlet market despite a volatile retail industry.
August 2016 Weather Report

Temperatures for the U.S. will trend the warmest in at least five years. August begins with an active pattern along the East Coast with showers and thunderstorms. Heat will be building across the Central U.S. with a heat wave likely developing in the first week of August. The heat spreads to the East Coast later in the week. Another heat wave during the second retail week of the month will keep it feeling firmly like summer.
Report: Retail M&A activity strong in Q2

Deal volume in the retail and consumer sector is up, but deal value is down. Deal volume in the second quarter in the sector reached its highest level in the past 12 months, with 282 announced deals, up 5% over the first quarter, according PwC’s Q2 2016 retail and consumer M&A report.