News

CNBC host and investment advisor Jim Cramer breaks down the impact of cheap oil and the labor outlook with a view toward which retailers are best positioned to win.

A recent feature on the Thestreet.com featured 18 of Cramer’s top picks in the retail world, including many familiar names which have already enjoyed a nice run and are trading at or near their 52 week high.

Bentonville, Ark. – Walton Enterprises LLC, the corporation which holds Wal-Mart stock for the Walton family, plans to sell off some of its ownership stake in the discount giant. In a brief statement on the Wal-Mart investors webpage, Walton Enterprises said its stake in Wal-Mart has risen to about 50% as a result of stock buyback programs.

The National Retail Federation is investing millions of dollars into research for the retail industry by creating a new center.

NRF plans to form a new department called the Retail Research and Analysis Center to bring together all existing research within NRF and expand upon the wide range of issue areas and trends already studied. The center will focus on four main areas: the economy, legislative and regulatory policy, the retail industry and consumers.

Los Angeles – Interest in Apple Watch may extend beyond simple “buzz.” Bizrate Insights, a division of Connexity, found in a survey of more than 6,000 online buyers that there is significant consumer interest in the new wrist-worn mini-computer.

About 5% of online buyers said they wanted to buy the watch now, while 22% said they were interested. The most interested customers’ profile is someone who already uses an iPhone, is an adult under the age of 50, and more likely male.

American Eagle is leveraging the star power of Brad Pitt to launch an innovative denim recycling program that will put needy people in affordable homes.

Customers can bring their old denim into any of American Eagle Outfitters’ 823 stores throughout the U.S. and Canada and receive a 20% discount on a new pair of jeans. Any collected unwearable denim will be shredded and recycled into UltraTouch Denim Insulation and other building materials for use in Make It Right’s affordable homes around the country.

San Francisco – Strong same-store sales growth at Old Navy helped drive a 1% increase in net sales at Gap Inc. to $1.53 billion in March 2015, compared with net sales of $1.51 billion for the same month the previous year.

Gap Inc.’s overall same-store sales were up 2%. The company said that the earlier timing of the Easter holiday peak shopping weeks in 2015 benefited March sales results and will likely negatively impact its April sales results.

The parent company of Safeway and Albertson's has promoted its executive chairman and created a four-person Office of the CEO.

New York -- General Electric Company on Friday announced it will sell or spin off the majority of its $500 billion GE Capital finance business over the next two years as it looks to simplify and concentrate on its industrial roots. The company said it will keep its aircraft leasing operation and smaller lending lines.

GE said it has sold its real-estate assets, which include commercial loans and office buildings, for $26.5 billion, with  Wells Fargo & Co. and private equity firm Blackstone Group buying the bulk of it.