Shawn Solomon

The topic of innovation is top of mind in the performance running shoe market – especially if you ask Nike, which has been widely criticized for having a lackluster product pipeline by analysts and the Street in recent months. But for Deckers chief executive officer Dave Powers, this isn’t an issue for its star running brand Hoka. Indeed, on the product front, Hoka is driving growth and consumer acquisition through innovative updates and new introductions across a diverse assortment of footwear. Footwear News Deckers Brands HOKA Nike Dave Powers #running #hoka #runningshoe #earnings #sneakers #nike #marathon

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Here are some interesting stories from the world of retail for Thursday, May 30: 👖 Shares of Abercrombie & Fitch Co. continued their record run after the apparel retailer reported another quarterly earnings beat and raised its sales growth outlook, amid continued strength in the Abercrombie brand. 🏀 DICK'S Sporting Goods kicked off the year with net sales of more than $3 billion in Q1, an increase of 6.2%. Comparable sales in the quarter grew 5.3%, on top of 3.6% growth the year prior. 🦅 American Eagle said it’s making gains in boosting profitability as it works to improve its product assortment and tweak operations. Still, its fiscal first-quarter sales came in weaker than Wall Street expected. 🐹 Chewy smashed earnings estimates for its fiscal first quarter on Wednesday, announced its first share buyback program and signaled a recovering pet market. 🌳 Dollar Tree Stores announced it has acquired leases for 170 of 99 Cents Only Stores stores out of bankruptcy in Arizona, California, Nevada and Texas. Dollar Tree will reopen these stores with its own products under its brand. 🥾 Dr. Martens plc has announced a swathe of cost-cutting plans, after the bootmaker’s bottom line was hit by plummeting demand in the US last year. The London-listed firm hopes to save up to £25m in the coming financial year. 🏥 Walgreens said it will slash prices on 1,300 items across its drugstores — the latest big retailer to enact discounts as consumers grow increasingly picky about where they shop in an era of stubbornly high inflation. 🐶 Petco names a new chief stores officer as the COO exits. The pet retailer said it eliminated its chief merchandising and supply chain officer role and named five people to its executive leadership team. 👟Italian luxury sneaker brand Golden Goose, which was valued at €1.3bn when acquired by Perimia in 2020, said on Thursday it aims to list on Milan's Euronext next month. 💵 Cash register outages and internal system failures at Walmart have led to widespread mispricing, with customers being overcharged for certain items. The technical issues on March 19th affected 1,600 stores. 🌭 Americans are now prepared to spend nearly $6 for a hot dog. The summertime classic has climbed in price by 7.1% during the past year, according to the latest government figures. 🍔 A top McDonald's executive on Wednesday decried poorly sourced reports that the fast-food giant has hiked its prices faster than inflation. He also noted that an $18 Big Mac meal is exception not the rule. 💳 Visa and Mastercard have agreed to pay $197m to resolve a class action by millions of consumers accusing the financial payment companies of keeping cash access fees artificially high. 🍪 Subway’s footlong cookie is back. Following a four-month long disappearance, Subway announced Wednesday the “triumphant return” of the oversized chocolate chip cookie. #retail #retailnews #economy #DailyRetailNews

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🚀 Big News Alert: Saks Buys Neiman Marcus with a Boost from Amazon! 🚀 Hey everyone! Just had to share this HUGE update in the luxury retail world. Saks Fifth Avenue’s parent company is dropping $2.65 billion to scoop up Neiman Marcus, and guess what? Amazon’s in on the action, bringing their tech and logistics game. 🛍️✨ Here’s the Tea: • Power Move: Merging two luxury legends to create a mega retail powerhouse. • Tech Boost: With Amazon on board, expect next-level tech integration for a seamless shopping experience, both online and offline. • Big Bucks: Financed by top-tier investors like Rhône Capital and the Abu Dhabi Investment Council, plus $1.15 billion in debt from Apollo Global Management. • Market Shakeup: The new combo will hit around $10 billion in annual sales, giving them major leverage with suppliers and streamlining costs. Why It’s a Big Deal: This merger shows how vital tech and partnerships are in today’s retail scene. It’s proof that luxury retail is evolving and adapting, even when times are tough. For investors, this move is a clear sign of confidence in the luxury sector’s future and the potential for new opportunities. Big things are coming, and I am excited to be part of this evolving industry. Stay tuned for more updates as we keep pushing the boundaries in luxury retail!

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Here are some interesting stories from the world of retail for Tuesday, June 18: ✂️ The parent company of Bed Bath & Beyond, Overstock and Zulily announced it has eliminated its co-chief executive roles, eliminated its dual chief merchant roles, and expanded the role of its executive chairman. 🧘🏽‍♀️ Athleta bought its first TV ad ahead of the Paris Olympics, featuring Simone Biles. Biles and fellow Olympian Katie Ledecky, both members of Athleta’s Power of She collective, will appear in digital and out-of-home creative. 🔌 Analysts say to buy Best Buy stock for an AI device upgrade boost and a whole lot more. Higher levels of product innovation, including those with features using AI, should drive demand for new electronic products. 🤖 McDonald's has informed franchisees that it is ending an artificial intelligence drive-thru order taking program. More than 100 McDonald’s locations were testing the technology, dating back to 2021. 🎮 Shares of GameStop tumbled on Monday after CEO Ryan Cohen told investors that the videogame retailer plans to operate a smaller network of stores and gave no details on what it plans to do with its cash pile. 🛠️ Canadian home improvements retailer RONA has announced the appointment of a new chief executive, with J.P. Towner taking over from Andrew Iacobucci. 🍎 Apple ending its buy now, pay later service, just over a year after launching it. The service allowed customers to split purchases between $50 and $1,000 into four payments spread over six weeks with no interest and no fees. 💊 Care/of, known for its vitamin and supplement subscriptions, is shutting down due to a lack of funding. As a result, the company is no longer accepting new orders and is canceling all subscriptions. 📺 A growing number of major retailers are creating and operating their own advertising platforms, known as retail media. Amazon leads the way, earning $46.9bn from advertising in 2023. 👎🏼 Customer experience is getting worse again. The average customer experience rating of US companies hits a new low amid inflation and fallible customer-service chatbots. 🚚 Instant delivery apps like Blinkit and Swiggy's Instamart are disrupting India's retail market, offering low prices and speedy deliveries. Experts say the country's 11m small shopkeepers will be particularly affected by the trend. 💰 Australian women's wear retailer City Chic is looking to raise around A$25m ($16.5m) to boost its balance sheet, and will also sell off Avenue, its American brand. #retail #retailnews #economy #DailyRetailNews

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🚀 Big news in luxury retail and an interesting article from Vogue Business Saks Fifth Avenue and Neiman Marcus Group Marcus are nearing a $3 billion merger, with support from Amazon and Salesforce. This merger could reshape the industry, leveraging Amazon's e-commerce and logistics prowess and Salesforce's top-tier CRM solutions. 🔗 Maghan McDowell

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What's New to The Street... 👟📉 Nike’s recent warning has shaken European footwear stocks. On Thursday, Nike announced it expects revenue to decline by mid-single digits for the year ending May 2025. How do you think this projection will impact the footwear market? Share your thoughts below! ⬇️ 👉🏻Follow New To The Street for more! #nike #footwearstocks #markettrends #financenews #businessnews #business #news #newtothestreet

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"It’s about extending our ability to find incredible brands we believe our customers will love and introducing them to those brands at a bigger scale, without the cost of a #wholesale model.” A lot to applaud in Nordstrom's #marketplace launch (#TLDR their vision is to become "The Spotify of #Fashion") ... enabling broader, deeper assortments; building out extended sizes; making marketplace items accessible to in-store #stylists; offering tailoring and alterations; and perhaps most importantly, allowing in-store #returns for marketplace purchases. In addition, I think they should use this as an opportunity to extend beyond "#gifting, #home, and #outdoor" and build share of wallet across a broader range of products and services. For some retailers, a marketplace is a chance to try and become #TheEverythingStore. For most, however, it's an opportunity to curate a range of goods and services that are tailored to your target customer(s), without the requisite costs of setting up #fullstack teams., processes, and #OTB to support. https://lnkd.in/g9aR6sjE

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🚀 Deckers Brands has announced remarkable financial results for the fourth quarter and full fiscal year 2024: 🔹FY 2024 Revenue: Up 18% to a record $4.29 billion 🔹 FY 2024 Diluted EPS: Up 51% to a record $29.16 🔹 FY 2025 Forecast: Revenue growth ~10%; EPS $29.50-$30.00 CEO Dave Powers highlighted the exceptional performance of HOKA and UGG, and CFO Steve Fasching praised the company's consistent double-digit growth and strong operating model. Key Q4 2024 Highlights: 🔸 Net Sales: $959.8 million (+21.2%) 🔸 Gross Margin: 56.2% (up from 50.0%) 🔸 EPS: $4.95 (up from $3.46) Brands Performance: 🔹 HOKA: +34.0% 🔹 UGG: +14.9% 🔹 Teva: -15.6% 🔹 Sanuk: -39.1% https://lnkd.in/ebEFER7Y

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Aloha Friday 🤙🏼 Here are some interesting stories from the world of retail for Friday, May 31: 👖 Gap shares rallied more than 20% in the extended session Thursday after the retailer reported first-quarter earnings and sales well above investors’ expectations, raised its guidance for the year and pared down its inventory. 🏬 Kohl's shares plunged as much as 25% on Thursday after the retailer reported a surprise first-quarter loss and lowered its forecast for the year. The department store chain saw a 5.3% drop in net sales. 🥫 Costco Wholesale reported fiscal third-quarter profit, revenue and same-store sales that all beat Wall Street forecasts, but shares of the membership-based warehouse retailer pulled back from a record high. 💄 Ulta Beauty earnings that showed the effects of a slowdown its CEO had previously warned about. Comparable sales increased 1.6% year over year, a stark slowdown from the same period a year earlier. 👗 Nordstrom shares fell 5.6% in extended trading Thursday after the company reported a wider-than-expected first-quarter loss of $39 million, although revenue topped analysts’ estimates. 📺 Best Buy has reported the 10th straight quarter of same-store sales declines, a reported 6.1% drop for February, March and April. Its total revenue of $8.85 billion was a little lower than Wall Street anticipated. 👟 Foot Locker’s turnaround is starting to bear some fruit.  The sneaker giant saw comparable sales decline 1.8% during its fiscal first quarter, far better than the 3.1% drop-off that analysts expected. 💵 Dollar General reported better-than-expected profit, sales and same-store sales for its first-quarter as more customers shopped its stores for groceries and other essentials. 🥡 Amazon customers in the US can now order takeaway deliveries from Grubhub without leaving the tech giant’s app. The deal is part of a deepening relationship between the tech giant and Grubhub. 🚫 Illinois set to end grocery tax. Legislators have approved a state budget for 2025 that eliminates the 1% tax, paving the way for Governor JB Pritzker to sign it into law. 👓 Innovative Eyewear has released an Eddie Bauer Smart Eyewear collection. The collection includes four styles and features voice access to ChatGPT. The glasses have built-in Bluetooth microphones and speakers for music and calls. 🥖 Subway, the restaurant chain with the most locations in the US, has sold $3.35 billion of asset-backed bonds to help fund its buyout by Roark Capital Group, in what is the largest securitization of its kind on record. 📦 The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)is giving Prime Air additional permissions that allow it to operate drones for more deliveries in a wider area. 🇫🇷 Pharmacists in France have gone on strike for the first time in a decade, closing around 90% of pharmacies across the country. #retail #retailnews #economy #DailyRetailNews

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NOSTALGIC RETAIL SERIES: #7 - ZAYRE Brothers Max and Morris Feldberg founded a company in Boston in 1919 to supply undergarments to department stores. When sales began to decline, they ventured out to create a new discount department store. The first Zayre location opened in Hyannis in 1956. Zayre which was a transformation from the Jewish saying “Zehr fgut” which means very good, grew into one of the largest retail chains in the country with almost 1,200 locations nationwide. In the '70s, Zayre tried to buy Marshalls but failed. Their answer was to create a Marshalls clone, TJ Maxx, in 1977. Yes....TJ Maxx❗ In the mid 1980’s profits began to decline which eventually led to Zayre filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 1988. The department store chain was then sold to Ames and by 1990 Zayre ceased to exist. Ames, kept the exterior similar to the style of the shuttered Zayre locations. Ames filed for bankruptcy protection in 2001 and their remaining stores were closed shortly after. Zayre’s one-time subsidiary TJX (TJMaxx, Marshalls, and HomeGoods) is thriving. Missed any in the series? Click here: https://bit.ly/3U8etfa #nostalgicretail #retail #shopping #brands #retailrealestate

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TJX is one of the undoubted success stories of retail. Over the past 20 years the off-price giant has grown its revenue by 246.1% or by $38.6 billion in cash terms. It has also, unlike many other US retailers, executed a highly successful international expansion program, taking its off-price model to various overseas markets. Despite being one of the giants of retail, TJX is not an old company. It was born in 1976 as part of discount retailer, Zayre Group. Since that time, it has successfully and routinely exploited the inefficiencies and mistakes of other retailers. Despite the seemingly haphazard looking shop floors, there is a lot of science and skill behind what TJX does. Buyers have extensive networks and know what their customers want. And there is a deep understanding of consumer psychology, which helps to create a sense of urgency and fun in shopping. The efficiency of the organization with its mantra of "door to floor in 24" is astonishing. I chatted with the Sunday Times about the company’s meteoric rise and the secrets of its success. Link to article in the comments. #retail #retailnews #offprice #discount #valueretail #TJX The TJX Companies, Inc.

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Welcome to My Weekly 1-Minute Read: Top 3 Positive Stories in Retail! The Reinvention of an Iconic Brand:  Abercrombie & Fitch has pulled off an incredible transformation! Under CEO Fran Horowitz's leadership, this once struggling mall brand has become a Wall Street darling, boasting a 104% YTD increase. The secret sauce? Revamping products, modernizing stores, and rebranding as an inclusive and equitable retailer. Their journey shows that with dedication, patience, and a bit of bold change, anything is possible. Can't wait to see what's next for this iconic brand! #RetailReinvention #Leadership #InclusiveBranding The Merging of Digital and Physical JD.com, China's e-commerce giant, has partnered with Inditex, the Spanish fashion group. They launched a new Massimo Dutti flagship store on JD.com, featuring nearly 1,000 products, including exclusive items for JD customers. This collaboration highlights JD's role in connecting international brands with Chinese consumers and Inditex's commitment to digital transformation in China. #RetailPartnership #Ecommerce #FashionInnovation The Value of Community  REI Co-op has given back nearly $270 million to its community, supporting employees, nonprofits, and the planet. CEO Eric Artz emphasized their commitment to making a positive impact. Despite a slight sales dip to $3.8 billion, they returned over $200 million to 24 million co-op members. #CommunityImpact #REICoop #GivingBack Stay tuned for more positive stories in the retail world!

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Guess appoints Andrew Rosen as CEO of Rag & Bone. The appointment comes nearly two months after Guess Inc. and WHP Global will complete the acquisition of the New York-based brand. In February, Guess and WHP Global announced a final deal to acquire Rag & Bone, which was completed in April. Under the terms of the agreement, Guess paid more than $57 million for the purchase, in addition to contributions from WHP Global, according to a press release. OptimaRetail.eu: Experts in worldwide #Retail #maintenance and #repairs - SMART FACILITY MANAGEMENT  #RetailInnovation #FutureTrends #OptimaRetail #facilityManagement #PreventiveMaintenance #ReactiveMaintenance #NewsOptimaRetail #NewsRetail #OptimaRetail

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Interesting read from Erica La Sala from Beauty Independent related to the Saks and Nieman merger. The question asked: What do you make of the Saks Fifth Avenue/Neiman Marcus deal? How will it impact the luxury beauty market? Will it strengthen the declining department store sector?  According to Cristina Nuñez, "... the department store channel is a challenging one. Historically, it has been the main retail channel for luxury beauty brands given it is more suited for a higher price point. But with continued declines in traffic at department stores, the channel has proven to be a difficult place for luxury brands to rely upon for growth. Instead, growth is being driven at specialty retailers such as SEPHORA and Ulta Beauty, whose dominance has largely been at the expense of department stores". "At the end of the day, consumers will continue to shop for beauty at retailers offering best-in-class in-store experiences optimized for brand discovery. Brands should seek out these partners offering the best brand building support and a path to achieving scale. Perhaps the combination of Saks and Neiman Marcus will allow for a more enhanced retail experience overall that is even better suited for luxury beauty. Time will tell." True Beauty Ventures

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Here are some interesting stories from the world of retail for Thursday, June 6: 🧘🏽‍♀️ lululemon beat Wall Street’s earnings and revenue estimates, but issued weak second-quarter guidance as it contends with a slowdown in the Americas, its largest market. 👕 Hanesbrands Inc. will sell Champion to Authentic Brands Group in a deal worth up to $1.5 billion with performance incentives. Authentic owns brands such as Reebok, Forever 21 and Quiksilver. 5️⃣ Five Below cut its outlook for the year, warning that its core low-income shoppers were facing an outsized impact from years of inflationary pressures. It posted an unexpected decline in same-store sales for the first quarter. 👙 Victoria’s Secret & Co. said it was encouraged by demand for its bras, sleepwear and other clothing in May, but the company said it was exercising restraint amid continued caution more broadly among the US consumer. 🏪 Foxtrot intends to reopen several locations in Chicago in the Gold Coast and Old Town neighborhoods. The news comes after Foxtrot and Dom's Kitchen & Market closed on April 23. 🌳 Dollar Tree Stores Tree said that it had started a formal review of strategic alternatives for Family Dollar, which it said could include among others, a potential sale, spin off or other disposition of the business. 💵 Walmart is now offering bonuses to its hourly employees in the US., the company announced Wednesday. The longer an associate has been with the company, the higher the associate's bonus potential, to a maximum of $1,000. 📚 In a blow to publishers and authors, Costco Wholesale plans to stop selling books regularly at stores around the United States, four publishing executives who had been informed of the warehouse retailer’s plans said Wednesday. 🚚 Albertsons and Uber have launched a new food rescue initiative that aims to address food insecurity and food waste in several major US cities. The program donates surplus food from the grocer’s stores to local nonprofits. 📸The TJX Companies, Inc., parent of TJ Maxx, Marshalls and HomeGoods, said it’s equipping some store employees with body cameras to thwart shoplifting and keep customers and employees safe. 🍔 McDonald's lost a European Union trademark dispute over the Big Mac name after a top European Union court sided Wednesday with Irish fast-food rival Supermac's in a long-running legal battle. ✂️ The Bank of Canada's decision on Wednesday to cut interest rates from 5% to 4.75% is expected to provide financial relief to Canadians and encourage consumer spending. 🧳 Shinola and Filson parent Bedrock Manufacturing Company has appointed Steve Katzman to the role of CEO and Kevin Wertz as chief marketing officer. 🇦🇺 ALDI Stores Australia is moving into the insurance sector, with the launch of a series of homes and contents, car, and landlord products. #retail #retailnews #economy #DailyRetailNews

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#HotTake: Retail stores aren’t a shortcut to success. Retail offers bigger POs, visibility, and cash flow Yet, it doesn’t ensure brand sustainability Case in point: JLo Beauty Despite celeb status and prime placement at Sephora, She faced challenges resulting in a US exit Retail alone doesn’t secure loyalty or repeat sales Placement isn’t guaranteed forever For lasting success, think beyond the retail PO Some markers of a sustainable brand include: Authenticity, community, differentiated formulas, and true fans Building a lasting brand legacy requires more than a retail presence – 👋🏾 Hi, I’m Monique, a former retail buyer turned beauty industry advisor who helps emerging brands ready to scale at big retail. If you are ready to scale and invest, book a discovery call, and let’s see if we can work together.

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🧟‍♀️ It struck me that Modern Retail’s recent article on DTC Zombies references two brands (Feat and Outdoor Voices) situated within the athleisure apparel space. Just as retailers anticipated a permanent shift from in-store shopping to e-commerce after the pandemic it was expected everyone would continue wearing athleisure at the same frequency after lockdowns. 📈 Projecting market demand for athleisure is challenging because it sits in the in-between spaces. Athleisure blurs traditional clothing lines, raising questions: Are hoodies and sweatpants athleisure? What about t-shirts? Is loungewear indoor athleisure or a separate category? Is “Bad Sandy” wearing a leather jacket and leggings at the end of “Grease” athleisure? The definition is fluid, influenced more by styling and usage than by distinct categories. 👗 While many women still wear yoga pants beyond the mat, there’s also a resurgence in tailored bottoms, exemplified by Aritzia’s wide-leg trousers. Dresses and skirts have made a comeback with a return to more careerwear and occasion dressing. Women consumers are embracing a post-pandemic wardrobe era with more distinctive outfitting propositions than 4 years ago. 🧘🏻‍♀️Of the upstart DTC brands described as athleisure in recent years, only Alo Yoga is the major competitive threat to Lulu’s women’s business. Not even Nike or adidas have been able to pull that off with apparel, though they have tried. Alo is smaller in volume than Lulu, but growing 30% YoY with a higher proportion of women’s consumers. Gap Inc. has also successfully evolved Athleta from a catalog business (old-school DTC) into a growing omnichannel concept that exclusively serves women and girls. 🏃🏾‍♀️Lululemon may have popularized leggings as casual wear, but it remains rooted in its athletic heritage, evident in its partnerships with Team Canada at the Olympics. Alo Yoga and Athleta’s very names indicate that activewear is the core of their brand. The latter has even attracted high-profile former Nike athletes Allyson Felix and Simone Biles as brand partners. 🎽 While at first glance DTC athleisure may be seen as a fading opportunity, Lulu Lemon, Alo Yoga, and Athleta are all DTC brands leading in the space. This would suggest that winning in DTC athleisure is less about positioning a brand in the in-between spaces but rather winning with women’s performance apparel. #merchandising #sportswear #athleisure #trends #DTC #fashion

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The pending (re)sale of Supreme from VF Corp to Essilorluxottica, made me curious about what product categories consumers look to Supreme for in 2024. At first glance, leading searches align well with VF's stable of brands (shirts, jackets, bags, and hoodies). One point of tension is that consumer affinity with Supreme footwear has become synonymous with its Nike collaborations. Nike is a higher-ranked associated term than generic ones such as “shoes” or “sneakers”. A missed opportunity for Supreme under VF's umbrella could be establishing performance skate sneaker franchises independent of Nike SB, utilizing VF's extensive footwear resources and connection to skate culture via Vans. With the Essilorluxottica handover establishing sunglass franchises agnostic of previous collabs with brands like Louis Vuitton is the low-hanging fruit. They are experts in optics and manage an impressive portfolio of luxury labels in the category. There is also be less conflict of interest with Supreme's ongoing brand collaborators compared to VF Corp. Supreme was established in 1994, qualifying it as a heritage brand. The 20-year-olds who waited in line for the first Nike x Supreme collab in 2003 are now 41. If the handover to Gen Z has been challenging, Supreme can still access Zalphas/Alphas reviving the dormant brand loyalty of their parents, similar to what Nintendo did. This could mean that Supreme becomes a choice brand at Sunglass Huts. #supreme #streetwear #sneakers #nike #merchandising #accessories #brandcollaborations #fashion #trendforecasting

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Retail sales are forecasted to increase +0.3% in July MoM, according to economists surveyed by the The Wall Street Journal and Dow Jones Newswires. That increase would follow better-than-expected figures the month before that showed consumers maintained their spending habits. Catching up on The Home Depot's Q2'24 earnings call, results suggest consumers are demonstrating a “deferral mindset” as they await potential rate cuts. Read on below for more: https://lnkd.in/gBCrbc-2

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