Remember when we couldn't get enough athleisure? Or pajamas? Now, the hottest question for clothing retailers is whether they've got an "inventory glut." For shoppers, this means discounts.
Supply chain disruptions have eased since the height of the pandemic, but concern over a potential rail strike, which appears to have been narrowly averted, highlights how that system remains fragile.
Big box stores are working through an unexpected glut of inventory: TVs, kitchen appliances, hoodies and other hot pandemic items. Part of the problem is the bullwhip effect.
Cosmetics giant Revlon has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. It has struggled to keep up with competition from newer brands and tackle supply chain problems caused by the pandemic.
Prashant Baid created halfloafnear.me for himself; he hates throwing out bread that's gone bad. But now, he says, the program has struck a chord with other people seeking to reduce food waste.
It's peak season for returns, which are setting a new record. Some end up back on shelves or get resold to other merchants, and some wind up in landfills or sail overseas.
Costco pays $17 an hour after a second raise this year. Starbucks is raising hourly pay to $15 amid a union effort. Major chains are pushing to draw workers, who have shunned a million retail jobs.
Toy-makers are warning of emptier shelves and pricier toys this holiday season. Their supplies are ensnarled in floating traffic jams of container ships wallowing near key U.S. ports.
At any moment, some 15 million Americans work in retail. Many stay for years. Now companies face a labor crunch, and workers wish these jobs were designed as durable careers.
The U.S. retail industry is setting records: workers quitting and workers hired. Wages are finally growing. And despite the pandemic devastation, brand-new stores are still opening.
