A chorus of business commentators has declared the “end” of the conglomerate in 2021, pointing to decisions by corporate behemoths such as General Electric and Toshiba to split into smaller, more focused companies. No, that’s not the case. In reality, the real conglomerates — the ones that gave rise to the term in the postwar US — perished many years ...

  Bloomberg US retail sales stumbled at the end of 2021, factory output weakened and consumer sentiment deteriorated at the start of the new year, illustrating a loss of traction for the economy that many analysts view as temporary. Friday’s data deluge showed how lingering shipping challenges, supply and labor constraints, the fastest inflation in decades and the Omicron variant ...

  Bloomberg Walmart Inc is losing two key executives in its US operation as the retail giant ramps up its online offerings and attempts to reverse last year’s disappointing stock-market performance. Chief Merchandising Officer Scott McCall will retire after almost three decades with the company, according to a memo to employees from John Furner, who heads Walmart’s US business. McCall ...