This week retail industry leaders are gathering in Palm Springs, California, to talk shop. Over four days, the annual eTail conference will feature sessions and talks on emerging retail and e-commerce trends, including specialized tracks focused on customer loyalty, artificial intelligence, and omnichannel strategies. This year’s lineup includes executives from Walmart US, Sam’s Club, Office Depot, Lowe’s, and H&M, to name a few.
Here’s what else is going on retail this week:
In earnings: We’re getting into the heart of Q4 earnings season. Reporting this week are The Home Deport on Tuesday and Lowe’s and TJX Companies on Wednesday. Both home improvement chains had strong Q3s, but noted that consumers were still cautious in their spending in response to higher interest rates. TJX Companies, meanwhile, continued its winning streak in Q3 and noted that the holiday season was already off to a strong start, auguring well for the quarter to come.
In awards: Time Magazine is hosting a gala on Tuesday for its 2025 Women of the Year List. In a short list made up mostly of humanitarians and activists, Time made room for Laura Modi, CEO of Bobbie, a maker of infant formula. With Modi at the helm, the company’s mission-driven arm, Bobbie for Change, has advocated for parental leave, giving free formula for people who have had mastectomies, and passing legislation to boost the domestic supply of baby formula, in order to avoid the kind of shortage that took place in the wake of the pandemic.
In boycotts: The People’s Union USA, a grassroots group advocating for corporate reform, is calling for a 24-hour pause of discretionary spending on Friday both in-store and online. The “Blackout Boycott” targets major retailers such as Amazon, Walmart, and Target that have eliminated or scaled back their diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies in response to pressure from conservative groups. The protest is also a response to the Trump administration and Elon Musk’s backlash against DEI.
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