Even as trade disputes and other economic headwinds surface in 2019, the U.S. consumer has held strong and continues to fuel growth in the domestic economy, albeit at a slower pace than in recent years. … READ MORE >
Consumer companies stand to gain from opportunity zones
Opportunity zones—those specially created districts that offer tax breaks to investors—provide some attractive benefits to consumer businesses. The combination of tax deferral and potential tax avoidance on certain capital gains can be very attractive to any entity that plans to make future investments in real estate … READ MORE >
A data scientist could keep Amazon from kicking you off its platform
On May 28, Bloomberg reported that Amazon may stop taking wholesale orders from smaller vendors, a move intended to drive efficiencies and ensure that the tech giant maintains healthy supplies of its most in-demand products. Whether or not this report is true, it begs a broader question: What is your digital strategy and how does Amazon fit into it? … READ MORE >
Can consumers carry the economy amid weak business investment?
Durable goods orders in April showed broad weakness as expected, down 2.1 percent. However, in addition to April results, March durable goods numbers were also revised downward, compounding the impact and creating a weaker trend. Can consumer spending pick up the slack? … READ MORE >
Fashion to get lift from spending, amid trade and labor challenges
Consumer confidence and spending created some momentum for the fashion sector in 2018. Continued strong consumer confidence, along with the threat of trade regulations and a tight labor market, will be dominant themes for the sector—and the broader retail space—heading into 2019. In 2018, apparel retailers saw sales rise 7.5 percent for the week of Black Friday ended Nov. 24, compared to a year earlier. … READ MORE >