Executive Summary

• This week’s note “From the Desk of Deborah Weinswig” discusses opportunities for department store retailers in 2018 as well as some early conclusions about the holiday season’s strong results.
• Instead of coal for Christmas, US retailers got a war chest. Their corporate tax rate of 35% will drop to 21%, handing them a free-cash-flow boost as they fight for survival in the Amazon era.
• In December, UK total retail sales grew by 1.4%, which was slightly lower than November’s 1.5% increase. Comparable sales growth was 0.6%, flat versus the November figure.
• oBike, a bike-sharing startup founded in Singapore a year ago, has just reached 10 million rides. However, the company still lags behind Ofo and Mobike, its far-larger rivals from China.