- BusinessThe Street•6 hours ago
We Went to Sears For The First Time In More Than 10 Years and Instantly Saw Why It's Dying
I haven't been inside a Sears store for more than 10 years, until Thursday, June 22. And, wow, did I learn a lot. Mainly, I came away with a better understanding of why Sears Holdings Corp. (SHLD) is closing an additional 20 stores on top of the 245 it already planned to shutter. And why it has failed to turn a profit in 29 out of the last 37 quarters and seen same-store sales decline in 11 of the past 12 quarters. I observed alienating treatment of a loyal customer at the store in Jersey City, N.J., which was also messy and uninviting inside. When I came upon customer Stephanie Rosso, a resident of Jersey City, she was struggling with four employees to get a simple return transaction completed
BusinessThe Street•6 hours ago24 Large Retailers Besides J.C. Penney Are Closing Waves of Stores
The Great Restructuring in retail continues. In the wake of a disappointing holiday season, J.C. Penney (JCP) said recently that it will close 138 stores stores by the end of the summer. The store closures represent 13% to 14% of the company's current store base and less than 5% of annual sales. They have a negligible impact on net income. J.C. Penney said same-store sales at the locations were "significantly below" the remaining store base and operate at a much higher expense rate due to poor productivity. The company expects $200 million in annual costs savings from the efforts. "We believe closing stores will also allow us to adjust our business to effectively compete against the growing
- NewsMarketWatch•yesterday
Biden tells Ackman ‘never disrespect’ memory of his dead son
It has been a rough stretch for Wall Street honcho Bill Ackman. The hedge-fund manager, who runs Pershing Square and boasts a net worth of $1.4 billion, reportedly locked horns with former Vice President Joe Biden at a dinner in Las Vegas last month, according to Fox Business. and the New York Post. Biden—still reeling from the death of his 46-year-old son, Beau Biden, who lost a battle with brain cancer two years ago—cited his son’s death as the central reason that he didn’t make a run for the White House in 2016. According to the reports, Biden grew emotional as he explained his decision to a room of high-profile attendees, concluding with, “I’m sorry. I’ve said enough.” At that moment, Ackman
