Last week, three major U.S. department stores, J.C. Penney, Macy’s, and Kohl’s, topped analysts’ fourth quarter earnings and revenue estimates. Despite exceeding expectations (which were already tempered by a generally soft Holiday season), notable risks still loom for large brick and mortar retailers. The hazards are well documented: consumers have changed purchasing habits to favor […]

It has been an unsettling couple of weeks as fears about the coronavirus has spread worldwide.  On January 30, the Director-General of the World Health Organization declared the outbreak of COVID-19 (the virus’s official name) to be a Public Health Emergency of International Concern and issued a set of temporary recommendations. And while the WHO […]

Reckless expansion and heightened competition for natural and organic foods were factors behind the recent bankruptcies of Fairway, Earth Fare and Lucky’s Market, but each chain faced unique challenges. Fairway, a New York institution known for its wide selection of cheeses and cheap produce, filed for Chapter 11 on Jan. 23. The bankruptcy was attributed […]

In the first six weeks of the new year, overall economic momentum has stock values rising, with the S&P 500 up approximately 5%.  Over this period, the S&P United States REIT Index is up 6%, while ongoing headwinds challenging retailers have pushed the S&P Retail Select Industry Index down nearly 3%.  Subject to these macro, […]

On Friday January 7, mainland China suffered its deadliest day in the coronavirus outbreak with authorities reporting 86 fatalities, bringing the death toll to 722, according to CNN.  Over 34,500 people are known to have been infected in mainland China, according to China’s National Health Commission, and another 320 cases have been reported across 27 […]