Inside organized crime rings targeting retailers Ulta, TJX, Walgreens

In a tony suburban enclave in the San Diego foothills, police say, an organized retail crime “queenpin” had built an empire. Tucked behind the stone walls of her 4,500-square-foot Spanish-style mansion, Michelle Mack had stockpiled a small fortune in cosmetics that had been stolen from Ulta and Sephora stores across the country, authorities said.  Police … Read more

Future of retail predictions

Illustration by Christina Locopo Retail has seen unprecedented upheaval over the last several years. Some of the industry’s key decision-makers expect even more evolution ahead. Covid-related shocks have upended retail, after clogged ports and merchandise shortages gave way to excess inventory levels and shifting consumer demands amid persistent inflation.  Those disruptions accelerated transformations in the … Read more

Black Friday shoppers spent a record $9.8 billion in U.S. online sales, up 7.5% from last year

Black Friday shoppers pick out clothing in a Lacoste store as retailers compete to attract shoppers and try to maintain margins on Black Friday, one of the busiest shopping days of the year, at Woodbury Common Premium Outlets in Central Valley, New York, U.S. November 24, 2023.  Vincent Alban | Reuters Black Friday e-commerce spending … Read more

Gen Alpha kids to fuel holiday skincare spending

When Melissa Fuentes imagined the Christmas gifts she’d buy for her 9-year-old Tatiana, she figured she’d want Barbies, Bratz dolls or a scooter – the kinds of things she found under her tree growing up in the ’90s.  Instead, something unexpected made it to the top of the list this year: skin care.  “I would … Read more

Jamie Dimon’s trades show the benefit of tracking insider buying, selling

For the first time in nearly two decades running JPMorgan Chase, CEO Jamie Dimon will voluntarily sell stock in the bank. The disclosure, in a securities filing Friday, detailed next year’s planned sales — pressuring JPMorgan (JPM) shares and the Dow Jones Industrial Average and highlighting why tracking trades made by executives involving the companies … Read more