Retail

  Bloomberg US store shelves got a little emptier in the last three months of 2021, according to data provider NielsenIQ, which is unveiling a barometer of out-of-stock goods amid ongoing supply constraints. On-shelf availability slipped to 93.5% during the 13 weeks ending December 25 at supermarkets, mass retailers, drug stores and dollar stores, NielsenIQ said. That was a percentage ...

  Bloomberg US retailers are bracing for more returns than usual, adding stress to an industry already grappling with increasing labor costs and supply-chain issues. Shoppers are expected to return more than $761 billion in merchandise sold last year, representing about 16.6% of total US retail sales, according to a survey of retailers. That’s up from 10.6% during 2020. Fraudulent ...

  Bloomberg Shares of Chinese sportswear makers climbed as investors bet that Beijing’s Winter Olympics will help spur demand amid the government’s recent drive to increase health awareness. Anta Sports Products Ltd., which is supplying uniforms for athletes in the games, rose as much as 5.2%. Li Ning Co., founded by a medal-winning Olympic gymnast, jumped 6.8% as Hong Kong ...

    Bloomberg Nestle SA agreed to acquire a majority stake in Orgain, a maker of plant-based protein powders and other products, expanding its nutrition portfolio. Butterfly Equity and Orgain founder Andrew Abraham will keep a minority stake, staying on as chief executive officer, the companies said, confirming an earlier report by Bloomberg about the sale. Financial details weren’t disclosed, ...

    Bloomberg Starbucks Corp. shares pared an earlier loss in late trading after the company released an updated forecast that only projects a slight impact on profits despite a surge in costs related to labor and the ongoing pandemic. The company now sees earnings per share falling 4% to 6% in its current fiscal year, versus a prior view ...

  Bloomberg UK retailers raised their prices at the fastest pace in more than nine years in January, a survey showed, passing on soaring costs to consumers already grappling with a cost-of-living squeeze. The report by the British Retail Consortium suggests inflation is spreading well beyond energy prices, with goods from food to furniture seeing prices driven higher in a ...

  Bloomberg Starbucks Corp. is asking the US government to quash elections underway in New York that could expand the fledgling labor foothold among its corporate-run U.S. locations. In a filing, the coffee chain asked the National Labor Relations Board to overturn an acting regional director’s ruling ordering unionization votes at three restaurants in the Buffalo region. The company argued ...

  Bloomberg Joules Group Plc shares plummeted after the British retailer joined a growing list of companies to warn that supply chain issues and Covid infections are hurting earnings. The stock dropped 41% in early trading in London Tuesday, the most on record. The company has faced stock delays, rising freight costs and fewer customers visits to stores due to ...

  Bloomberg LVMH SE shares surged after the luxury giant bounced back from the depths of the pandemic as customers snapped up items ranging from Christian Dior couture to Hennessy cognac. Revenue last year totaled 64.2 billion euros ($71.6 billion), the Paris-based company said, topping the previous record set in 2019, before Covid-19 lockdowns closed stores and kept shoppers stuck ...

  Bloomberg Pacifica Beauty LLC, a vegan beauty brand, sold a minority stake to private equity firm Brentwood Associates, according to people with knowledge of the matter. The company is valued at about $250 million in the transaction, one of the people said, asking not to be identified discussing private information. Representatives for Pacifica declined to comment. A spokesperson for ...