Retail news that keeps industry pros in the know
Retail Brew delivers the latest retail industry news and insights surrounding marketing, DTC, and e-commerce to keep leaders and decision-makers up to date.
The National Retail Federation’s Big Show kicked off on Sunday and will continue for the next two days at the Javits Center in Manhattan. The first day featured a lineup of big names, including Walmart US President and CEO John Furner, Nordstrom President and Chief Brand Officer Pete Nordstrom, and Burberry CEO Joshua Schulman, to name a few.
The industry group said the event draws 39,500 attendees and 19,000 retail professionals for a combination of panels, store tours, and networking events, as well as an exhibition floor featuring major retailers and brands.
Some of the big themes this year are AI adoption, retail media, in-store experiences, and the state of the US economy as the Trump administration takes office.
Here’s what else is going on in retail this week:
In data releases: Two big economic reports are releasing this week, with new data on the crucial last month of 2024. The December consumer price index is dropping on Wednesday, and some economists are predicting a slight acceleration from November, which saw an annualized increase of 2.7%. This will be the last CPI report to come out before the Federal Reserve’s next FOMC committee meeting, which will determine the central bank’s next interest rate decision. For the final word on the 2024 holiday season, the Commerce Department will release its monthly retail sales report on Thursday. The measure was up 0.7% in November, which was above expectations. Early indicators, such as a report from Salesforce, show modest gains overall.
In earnings: We’re now in the early innings of the Q4 earnings season, and as usual, banks are first up to bat. JPMorgan Chase, Citigroup, and Wells Fargo are reporting on Wednesday, and Bank of America, Morgan Stanley, PNC, and M&T are reporting on Thursday. Banks sometimes provide information on retail customers’ buying habits, and could comment on the overall economic picture in their earnings calls.