Showing 1,170 posts

February 2020 Monthly Consumer Update: US, UK and China

Global consumer markets were buffeted last month as the coronavirus outbreak once limited to one country spread to become a global pandemic. Recent figures show consumer spending took a pounding in China, experienced an uncharacteristic surge in the US and grew in the UK.

Read More

East-to-West Learnings: How Grocery Retailers in China Have Addressed Labor Shortages During the Coronavirus Crisis

We look at the labor imbalance in China that has been caused by the coronavirus pandemic and how supermarket chains and grocery retailers are responding by launching co-employment initiatives with restaurant chains. We consider how retailers in the US could learn from China’s new employment models as the coronavirus situation worsens in the West.

Read More

US Store Closures 2020 Outlook: Coronavirus Outbreak Set To Trigger Unprecedented Number of Closures

With a number of temporary store closures already in effect in the US due to the coronavirus outbreak, this report assesses the outlook for physical retail over the remainder of 2020. We compare year-to-date store closure data with 2019 and discuss a potential rise in bankruptcies, which may become a reality for many struggling retailers. We also predict the total number of closures we expect to see in the US in the full-year 2020.

Read More

4Q19 US Earnings Season Wrap-Up

Fourth-quarter 2019 retail earnings show that many companies across the retail industry saw strong growth. However, our coverage of the Coresight 100 reveals that the CPG and department-store sectors bucked this trend, with the latter continuing to struggle. Companies across the board have updated their guidance due to coronavirus disruption in the supply chain and demand in Asia, but we are yet to see updates based on the spread of the virus to the US, with the nation moving closer to lockdown.

Read More