Tag: retailer

36 Hours in Lagos, Nigeria: Things to Do and See

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9:15 a.m. Find calm in a cathedral

If you wake up early enough, visit the beautiful Cathedral Church of Christ in the Lagos Island neighborhood for the early morning service. Ambitious, perhaps, after a big night out, but you won’t be alone: A fact of Lagos life is that both its dance floors and churches are full, and with many of the same people. The trip is worth it alone to see the cathedral’s grand exterior up close, right in the heart of Lagos Island’s bustling business district, which features some of the city’s Afro-Brazilian architecture. As a prominent church, it’s used to welcoming guests, but only go if you’re planning to stay for the whole service, usually about two hours.

12 p.m. Unwind by the sea

Recover from your night out with a day at the beach. Before you go, grab a local favorite snack: a subtly seasoned meat pie with fried minced beef or chicken, potatoes and vegetables, encased in flaky, buttery pastry. Head to your nearest Milk and Honey cafe (there is one in Lekki and one in Ikoyi) and fill a bag with meat or chicken pies (3,520 naira), sausage rolls (2,530 naira), and little doughnut-style bites known as puff puff (1,430 naira). With your goodies, head to Tarkwa Bay Beach, accessible via a 15-minute boat ride (9,000 naira) from a number of jetty locations in Victoria Island and Ikoyi. Stretch out, catch the sun and read the book you bought at Jazzhole while enjoying the vast Lagos coastline.

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Dipo Faloyin and Francis Kokoroko

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February 5, 2026
Black Friday shoppers spend more time looking for deals but less money amid economic angst

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Black Friday shoppers flocked to stores, hoping to get more bags for their buck as they grapple with inflation, tariffs and anxiety about the health of the economy.

Citadel Outlets in Commerce was mobbed Friday morning with long waits for parking and winding lines in front of stores as consumers tried to grab good deals. Camila Romero and her 13-year-old daughter spent hours in line trying to get the best possible deals on Ugg and Coach items on their wish lists.

“You come to the Citadel because it’s outlets. And it’s discounts on top of that,” she said. “So even when you’re broke, you don’t feel it.”

Shoppers across Los Angeles plan to spend less this holiday season, data show. While retailers tease their biggest deals and prepare for what they hope is robust demand, a Deloitte survey found that Angelenos plan to spend 14% less over the holidays compared with last year.

Nationally, shoppers are expected to spend 10% less than last year.

Consumers are pulling back on spending in response to economic uncertainty and rising prices, said Rebecca Lohrey, a partner at Deloitte with expertise in retail and e-commerce.

“There is at least a perception of higher prices and higher costs of goods,” Lohrey said. “That is a concern for consumers across the board, and is one of the reasons they’re tightening their wallets a little bit.”

The survey found that 62% of Angelenos expect the economy to weaken in the year ahead, up from 34% in 2024. Around the same percentage of respondents said they are concerned about a potential recession in the next six months.

Across income groups, consumers are making cost-cutting trade-offs and putting more emphasis on finding the best deal, the data showed. More than half of Los Angeles respondents said they would switch brands if their first choice was too expensive.

“It tends to be the lower income brackets or the middle income brackets that are the most likely to trade down,” said Collin Colburn, vice president of commerce and retail media at the Interactive Advertising Bureau. “This year, actually, everyone is trading down.”

Camryn Smith and her daughter showed up to snoop around for the deals at the Americana at Brand in Glendale early Friday morning. The discounts help knock off some of the effect of inflation, she said.

“The prices are higher and they just bring them down to what they normally would be,” Smith said. “It’s crazy.”

Consumers are fatigued from continuous inflation and instability brought on by the Trump administration. More shoppers are regifting or considering giving homemade gifts, the Deloitte survey found.

“We’ve been in an environment where prices continue to rise for a host of reasons, inflation being one, tariffs being another,” Colburn said. “I think when that happens year on year, it really drags on the consumer.”

This means more shoppers are looking for ways to save on purchases — and presents — they cannot put off.

The National Retail Federation predicts that a record number of Americans will shop the sales over Thanksgiving weekend. Retail sales in November and December are expected to grow between 3.7% and 4.2% compared with last year, the federation said.

Cautious consumers are more eager than ever to find a hot deal, said NRF chief economist Mark Mathews.

“People are changing the way that they spend,” he said. “They’re focusing more on stretching their dollar and getting value for the dollar.”

Even shoppers spending more than usual may be doing it out of concern, economists say. Consumers who anticipate inflation sometimes spend now out of fear that prices will rise later.

Brooklyn Farmer braved the crowds at Citadel to shop and try to save amid inflation.

“People are struggling right now, but the holidays are still important to them,” he said. “The thinking is if there’s going to be discounts like this, I might as well go while I can, instead of spending more later.”

Of those surveyed by Deloitte in Los Angeles, 43% said they planned to spend most of their holiday budget at big-box retailers and 32% said they would spend the most at digital-first retailers.

Shoppers are also using new tools to help them find products and deals, including artificial intelligence. Data collected by the Interactive Advertising Bureau found that AI now ranks as the second-most influential shopping source, ahead of retailers’ websites and apps and behind only search engines.

Nearly 90% of shoppers nationally said AI helps them find products they wouldn’t have found otherwise, according to the IAB data.

Mattel, the El Segundo-based toy company, is offering up to 50% off at Target on Hot Wheels, Barbie dolls and Disney Princess toys, said company spokesperson Kelly Powers.

“Mattel is working closely with retailers across the country on Black Friday deals,” Powers said.

In May, Mattel said it was considering raising its prices to offset the effect of President Trump’s tariffs on China..

On the October earnings call, however, the company said the full effect of tariffs won’t be seen until the fourth quarter.

Discount retailers that depend heavily on foot traffic have given conflicting signals about their business.

Walmart recently raised its sales forecast for the year after reporting a 6% year-over-year increase in revenue in the third quarter.

Target, in contrast, missed analyst expectations and reported a 1.5% decline in sales in the third quarter. On a call with analysts earlier this month, Target Chief Executive Brian Cornell said the company “has not been performing up to its potential.”

Of course, for many shoppers on Friday, the pilgrimage to splurge at the local mall was about more than saving.

Ericka Pentasuglia brought her daughter to the Americana the Brand at around 3 a.m. to be the first in line for a pop-up store selling Billie Eilish perfume. She thought it was important for her to pass down the tradition of Black Friday shopping.

“I do feel like it is dying a little bit,” Pentasuglia said. “The best thing is that you don’t lose a tradition, it continues to your children.”

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Caroline Petrow-Cohen, Christopher Buchanan, Gavin J. Quinton

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November 28, 2025
Trade War Announcements Triggered Price Hikes From Retailers Months Before US Tariffs Took Effect
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New research reveals retailers raised prices five times faster during the 2025 trade war period than under regular market conditions
VILNIUS, LT, November 20, 2025 (Newswire.com)
–
A new research report from IPRoyal has revealed that reciprocal tariffs during the 2025 US-China trade war triggered price rises. This included a 1.8% rise on average, with some categories reaching 2.04% (compared to a 0.39% baseline), weeks before any tariffed goods could reach store shelves.

The research conducted a comprehensive analysis of 1,900 consumer products and tracked prices across 19 product categories (100 products per category) from September 2024 to August 2025. The findings challenge conventional assumptions about how tariffs affect consumer prices.

The key findings from the research included:
- During Liberation Day (April 2nd, 2025) and the subsequent trade war period (until May 12th, 2025), prices increased at a rate of up to 2.04% per two-week period, more than five times the baseline rate of 0.39%.
- Nearly 43% of all tracked products showed price increases during the trade war period.
- Unilateral tariffs had a minimal impact, with an average increase of only 0.44%.
- Actual supply chain disruptions from Red Sea shipping attacks produced no measurable price effects.
- 21% of product categories that experienced the April price spikes later reverted to below-baseline prices.
“It is clear from the research conducted that trade war policy announcements may have a previously underappreciated effect on prices,” said Justas Vitaitis, the project’s Lead Researcher. “While a corporate greed narrative may seem enticing, our findings are just as important to policymakers.

“Over the six weeks of the 2025 trade war, U.S. consumers paid elevated prices on goods already purchased at pre-tariff costs. Yet, putting the entire blame on retailers would be akin to blaming investors for selling stocks during periods of financial uncertainty. There were other market forces at play, and policymakers should adapt accordingly.”

The research also found that the manner of tariff announcement, such as the unprecedented scope, high visibility, and explicit “trade war” framing of Liberation Day, created conditions where widespread price increases faced minimal competitive pressure.

“For consumers, the implications were significant: during the six-week trade war period, shoppers paid elevated prices on pre-tariff inventory, transferring wealth to retailers as windfall profits rather than to governments as intended tax revenue.

“Overall, it is clear that high-profile, politically charged tariff announcements produce bigger and faster price hikes than quietly implemented policies. The way trade policies are announced may harm consumer welfare more than tariffs themselves, and should be considered in the future”, concluded Vitaitis.

Read the full research: https://iproyal.com/trade-wars-and-price-hikes.pdf

ABOUT THE RESEARCH

The study analyzed pricing data from Keepa, tracking 100 products in each of 19 randomly selected Amazon categories. Researchers have no affiliation with Keepa.

Media Contacts: 

Benjamin Hart / Sasha Arion
Spreckley
Tel: (0)207 388 9988
Email: iproyal@spreckley.co.uk

Source: IPRoyal
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November 20, 2025
How tariffs could impact your holiday wine

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President Trump is rolling back tariffs on *** wide range of agricultural products, many of which are not widely made in the United States. Here’s what he told reporters last night. The president’s executive order released on Friday lifts so-called reciprocal tariffs on dozens of imported goods, including coffee, tea, spices, tropical fruits like bananas and beef. Labor Department data shows some of those products have seen big price increases in the last year. Take coffee up nearly 19% since last September, President. Trump says his new order will help bring prices down, but continued to insist that the cost of tariffs has been largely borne by other countries. Some Democrats though had *** different take, with one congressman writing quote, President Trump is finally admitting what we always knew. His tariffs are raising prices for the American people. The debate follows recent Democratic wins in elections largely. Focused on the issue of affordability and as both parties look ahead to high stakes midterms next year, President Trump said Friday he does not think it’ll be necessary to reverse other tariffs moving forward. His administration most recently has been touting trade frameworks with 4 Latin American countries and Switzerland as evidence in their view that these tariffs are working. Reporting in Washington, I’m Jackie DeFusco.

Choosing the right wine to pair with your Thanksgiving meal can be as stressful as cooking the turkey. And this year, it’s going to be worse.Video above: Trump rolls back tariffs on dozens of productsShoppers can expect higher prices and possibly slimmer selections at their local wine shops, as importers are facing steep tariffs and shopkeepers are dealing with declining demand.Bottled wine prices have risen nearly 20% over the past 25 years and 8% over the past decade, according to the latest government data. Several reasons are to blame, including climate change, inflation, and rising production costs.Wine prices at McCabes Wine & Spirits shop in Manhattan are between 5% to 12% higher this year because “it’s the reality of the tariffs, shipping, manufacturing, and labor,” said owner Daniel Mesznik.His shop, like others in the United States, are working to strike a delicate balance. They’re dealing with higher upfront costs due to a hodgepodge of tariffs from President Donald Trump’s administration — notably, a 15% tariff on European Union imports — while trying not to pass too many of those costs to their customers”We’re doing our best to keep those increases to a minimum for our guests,” he told CNN. “But, I think folks understand that this is the current reality and they’re receptive to it and they’re understanding of it.”Tariffs are affecting the bottom line even more for importers of wine. Elenteny Imports, a logistics and distribution company that works with 9,000 retailers and restaurants, said wine sales are down 13% year over year.Wine woesWine volume consumed in the United States declined 3% between 2019 and 2024, and it’s expected to fall another 4% from 2024 to 2029, according to IWSR, an alcohol data insights firm.”For casual drinking occasions, wine has often been the choice for drinkers who prefer not to drink beer. But wine can be expensive and only comes in larger bottles,” said Marten Lodewijks, president of IWSR.For the past few years, drinkers have been shifting their preferences to spirits and canned cocktails.”We’ve seen wine volumes consistently decline year after year, while ready-to-drink beverages, which are less expensive, come in convenient sizes and packs, and benefit from continual flavor innovations, are growing rapidly,” he told CNN.2025 is another gloomy year, according to data from Elenteny. Order volumes for imported wines show that year-to-date bookings are down nearly 30%.Demand has sunk following a “post-pandemic frothiness,” Elenteny CEO Alexi Cashen told CNN, but said “absolutely that tariffs are the persecutory issue here.”Domestic wines, which Trump thought the tariffs would help, aren’t selling any better this year, she added.Mesznik’s shop, which recently reopened following a 16-month renovation, has shifted some of its focus from wine to tequila. He added 40% more brands and types and moved them to the front of the shop.Notably, tequila and mezcal are exempt from tariffs since both fall under the 2018 free trade agreement Trump signed with Mexico during his first term.”Tequila are in the most beautiful bottles. It’s the category in my business that everyone gravitates to right now and I want that to be front and center,” Mesznik said.Wine used to be roughly 70% of his annual sales but will drop to 65% this year because of growth in other categories, like agave, he said.Smaller selections?With drastically smaller orders coming in from overseas, including a 50% drop from France and 66% decline from Italy, per Elenteny’s data, shoppers might see that reflected on store shelves.”Many retailers, distributors, and restaurants have streamlined their wine offerings in response to the falling overall demand for alcoholic beverages, including wine,” Mike Veseth, the Wine Economist, told CNN. “Consumers might have to search more than usual to find a particular brand.”Adding to the uncertainty, Veseth said, is the upcoming Supreme Court decision about the legality of tariffs, “which discourages wine business from making investment or taking decisive action on prices.”In particular, Cashen said mid-priced wines between $40 to $50 wines “struggle the most,” while low-end bottles and premium wines are selling well, further underscoring the “K-shaped” economy.Meanwhile, Mesznik said his shop is ordering “smarter” compared to years’ past, buying from fewer wholesalers that offer deals when buying more cases.”For example, we have a Pinot Noir from Argentina this month that’s on sale. Whereas I may only buy normally 1 or 3 cases of that, I’m ordering 5 and 10 cases,” he said.

Choosing the right wine to pair with your Thanksgiving meal can be as stressful as cooking the turkey. And this year, it’s going to be worse.

Video above: Trump rolls back tariffs on dozens of products

Shoppers can expect higher prices and possibly slimmer selections at their local wine shops, as importers are facing steep tariffs and shopkeepers are dealing with declining demand.

Bottled wine prices have risen nearly 20% over the past 25 years and 8% over the past decade, according to the latest government data. Several reasons are to blame, including climate change, inflation, and rising production costs.

Wine prices at McCabes Wine & Spirits shop in Manhattan are between 5% to 12% higher this year because “it’s the reality of the tariffs, shipping, manufacturing, and labor,” said owner Daniel Mesznik.

His shop, like others in the United States, are working to strike a delicate balance. They’re dealing with higher upfront costs due to a hodgepodge of tariffs from President Donald Trump’s administration — notably, a 15% tariff on European Union imports — while trying not to pass too many of those costs to their customers

“We’re doing our best to keep those increases to a minimum for our guests,” he told CNN. “But, I think folks understand that this is the current reality and they’re receptive to it and they’re understanding of it.”

Tariffs are affecting the bottom line even more for importers of wine. Elenteny Imports, a logistics and distribution company that works with 9,000 retailers and restaurants, said wine sales are down 13% year over year.

Wine woes

Wine volume consumed in the United States declined 3% between 2019 and 2024, and it’s expected to fall another 4% from 2024 to 2029, according to IWSR, an alcohol data insights firm.

“For casual drinking occasions, wine has often been the choice for drinkers who prefer not to drink beer. But wine can be expensive and only comes in larger bottles,” said Marten Lodewijks, president of IWSR.

For the past few years, drinkers have been shifting their preferences to spirits and canned cocktails.

“We’ve seen wine volumes consistently decline year after year, while ready-to-drink beverages, which are less expensive, come in convenient sizes and packs, and benefit from continual flavor innovations, are growing rapidly,” he told CNN.

2025 is another gloomy year, according to data from Elenteny. Order volumes for imported wines show that year-to-date bookings are down nearly 30%.

Demand has sunk following a “post-pandemic frothiness,” Elenteny CEO Alexi Cashen told CNN, but said “absolutely that tariffs are the persecutory issue here.”

Domestic wines, which Trump thought the tariffs would help, aren’t selling any better this year, she added.

Mesznik’s shop, which recently reopened following a 16-month renovation, has shifted some of its focus from wine to tequila. He added 40% more brands and types and moved them to the front of the shop.

Notably, tequila and mezcal are exempt from tariffs since both fall under the 2018 free trade agreement Trump signed with Mexico during his first term.

“Tequila are in the most beautiful bottles. It’s the category in my business that everyone gravitates to right now and I want that to be front and center,” Mesznik said.

Wine used to be roughly 70% of his annual sales but will drop to 65% this year because of growth in other categories, like agave, he said.

Smaller selections?

With drastically smaller orders coming in from overseas, including a 50% drop from France and 66% decline from Italy, per Elenteny’s data, shoppers might see that reflected on store shelves.

“Many retailers, distributors, and restaurants have streamlined their wine offerings in response to the falling overall demand for alcoholic beverages, including wine,” Mike Veseth, the Wine Economist, told CNN. “Consumers might have to search more than usual to find a particular brand.”

Adding to the uncertainty, Veseth said, is the upcoming Supreme Court decision about the legality of tariffs, “which discourages wine business from making investment or taking decisive action on prices.”

In particular, Cashen said mid-priced wines between $40 to $50 wines “struggle the most,” while low-end bottles and premium wines are selling well, further underscoring the “K-shaped” economy.

Meanwhile, Mesznik said his shop is ordering “smarter” compared to years’ past, buying from fewer wholesalers that offer deals when buying more cases.

“For example, we have a Pinot Noir from Argentina this month that’s on sale. Whereas I may only buy normally 1 or 3 cases of that, I’m ordering 5 and 10 cases,” he said.

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November 18, 2025
Shoppers in California plan to splurge this holiday season — out of fear
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Shoppers in California plan to splurge this coming holiday season, but not because they are confident about the future. They are worried about inflation and figure it’s better to buy now than pay more later.

At least that’s the takeaway from a new report from accounting firm KPMG that shows that consumers on the West Coast are more concerned about price rise and tariffs than those in any other region in the country.

Nationally, shoppers intend to boost their holiday spending by 4.6% this year compared with last year, spending an average of $847 on shopping, according to the report.

“When you think about why consumers are planning on spending more, it’s not that they have more wallet to spare, but it’s actually an expectation that prices are increasing,” Duleep Rodrigo, KPMG U.S. consumer and retail leader, said in an interview. “Eighty percent also of consumers are really being very conscious about inflation, and inflation that is impacted as a result of tariffs.”
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Of the six different regions KPMG surveys, the Pacific region — which includes California, Oregon, Washington, Hawaii and Alaska — showed the highest concern for rising prices due to tariffs, with 72% citing inflation as a top concern.

Nationally, 8 in 10 consumers believe tariffs will result in price increases. The least concerned were consumers in the Northeast, where only 6% said price increases would result in cutting back on holiday spending.

“The consumer is spending like a poker player with a small chip stack,” Rodrigo said in the report. “They know they can’t play every hand but are willing to go ‘all in’ on a promising hand with a high emotional payoff. There’s also a psychological element where the consumer is managing a complex set of uncertainties.”

KPMG found that consumer spending on essentials such as groceries, automotive expenses and personal care have increased in 2025, though much less than last year. In discretionary categories such as toys, furniture and hobby supplies, people expect to spend less.

As budgets get tight, more people plan on spending on themselves this holiday season, with many purchasing big ticket holiday travel costing more than $1,000.

The top gifts people want to receive this holiday season? Cold hard cash — followed by gift cards and apparel — indicating that more people want flexibility to spend on things they like, according to KPMG.

Consumer price inflation for Los Angeles increased 3.3% in August, compared with the same time last year. National consumer inflation stood at 2.9% for the same period, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

From toys to apparel, retailers have experienced varying levels of impact due to President Trump’s sweeping tariffs on much of the world this year.

Many retailers have been absorbing the costs of tariffs imposed by the Trump administration but cannot hold off indefinitely.

Rodrigo said price increases on goods have already started happening, with retailers being more strategic.

“For now, consumers that are in the top 20% are probably driving 80% of the economic activity that is sustaining and maintaining the current state of the economy,” Rodrigo said. “But there is a larger population that is really hurting, and that is really concerned with their dollars right now.”
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Nilesh Christopher

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October 9, 2025
BuyBuy Baby is closing all of its stores – again

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New York (CNN) — BuyBuy Baby is once again saying goodbye to its stores less than a year after the bankrupt retailer tried to reopen some locations under a new parent.

As part of a “strategic reset,” the retailer will shift to an online-only business model, and its 10 locations will close by the end of the year. BuyBuy Baby wrote on its website that the “difficult” decision “comes after listening closely to our incredible customers, and our valued partners.”

Closing sales have begun at its remaining stores and gift cards will be accepted at locations until October 31. Baby registries will also remain available on BuyBuy Baby’s website, as well as the usage of gift cards.

The brick-and-mortar resurrection of BuyBuy Baby, which once had as many as 120 locations across the United States, lasted less than 12 months. The second iteration was scattered across several eastern US states.

In 2023, former parent company Bed Bath & Beyond filed for bankruptcy and sold BuyBuy Baby’s intellectual property and trademark rights for $15.5 million to Dream On Me Industries, a New Jersey-based designer and supplier of baby products.

Soon after, Dream On Me announced it was reopening some locations with hopes to open 100 stores in the next several years. However, BuyBuy Baby dealt with a hesitant consumer, squeezed both by inflationary pressures and larger rivals, like Amazon and Target, that have a tight grip on the sector.

Perhaps in an ironic twist, former sister brand Bed Bath & Beyond announced last week it was returning to stores, albeit in a partnership with former rival the Container Store.

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& 2024 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved.

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October 21, 2024
Amour Vert Moves Headquarters Downtown

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Ad: A trio of women model their Amour Vert outfits.

Sustainable premium fashion retailer Amour Vert is moving its headquarters this June from San Francisco to the Fashion District of downtown Los Angeles.

Amour Vert will lease space in the New Mart, an historic building at 127 E. 9th St. housing contemporary clothing showrooms and the twice-yearly Designers and Agents trade show. Other brands at the New Mart include Lacoste, UGG, Hudson Jeans, Blue Pacific Fashion and Barbour.

In addition to the move of its headquarters, Amour Vert also announced a rebranding in partnership with global design agency, Malherbe Paris.

Dominique Mikolajczak, chief executive of Amour Vert, said that the rebrand “marks a central milestone for the company, reinforcing its commitment to ethical fashion, premium quality and sustainability.

“With our expanded presence, new headquarters, and refreshed identity and design direction we look forward to engaging with and delighting our customers in new ways and continuing to lead the charge in delivering stylish, eco-conscious alternatives to the fashion industry,” Mikolajczak said in a statement.

The rebrand coincides with the opening of retail locations at 2nd and PCH, a retail center at 6440 E. Pacific Coast Highway in Long Beach early last month; at the Irvine Spectrum Center at 670 Spectrum Center Drive in Irvine in late April; and at Westfield UTC San Diego at 4545 La Jolla Village Drive in San Diego this month.

According to the company website, there is also a store set to open in Manhattan Beach.

Malherbe’s has worked on the company’s logo as well as the design of its new stores.

Hubert de Malherbe, founder and chief executive of Malherbe, said that when living in a fast fast-paced world, where it is a challenge for brands to stay loyal to their core values, maintaining innovation, quality, style and comfort was the most important thing for his company to do in their partnership with Amour Vert.

“We have imagined the new rebranding to cohabite with the new store design as well as the brand’s 360-degree online expression – seamless, sharp, modern – both digitally and physically,” Malherbe said in a statement. “The team and I are very proud of this exceptional partnership; the journey the brand has taken towards the future and the result we have achieved.”

Amour Vert’s brand identity has undergone an evolution, culminating in the unveiling of a new logo that marks a significant shift for the brand.

Its sustainable practices address all aspects of its business operations and the full lifecycle of the garments it makes: the fibers and production processes used, how workers are treated, how it gets to the consumer, and finally, whether it can be recycled or is forced into a landfill, according to the company’s website.

To keep old clothing items from being tossed away, Amour Vert created ReAmour, its resale marketplace, where customers can browse, buy, and sell pre-worn styles.

And for every Amour Vert T-shirt purchased, Amour Vert is planting a tree in North America through its partnership with American Forests, a Washington, D.C. nonprofit. Since 2013, the company has planted more than 373,000 trees.

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Hannah Madans Welk

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May 6, 2024
New law promises retail workers in unincorporated L.A. County ‘fair workweek’

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Workers at big retail and grocery stores in unincorporated L.A. County can retain a little more control over their schedules — and rely a little less on managers’ whims — starting next summer.

On Tuesday, the L.A. County Board of Supervisors voted to require that employers give those workers their schedules two weeks in advance, compensate them for last-minute schedule changes and space out their shifts by at least 10 hours.

The ordinance, which will go into effect July 2025, applies to any retailer and grocer in unincorporated L.A. County with 300 or more employees nationwide.

The county has estimated that the ordinance would affect about 200 businesses, many of them large chains, and up to 6,000 workers. Supervisor Holly Mitchell, who spearheaded the policy, said Tuesday’s vote would benefit both.

“It is a win for retailers committed to a work environment that gives them a competitive edge and for our retail workers who deserve the dignity of a predictable schedule so they can plan for childcare, school and other life obligations,” she said.

The policy closely mirrors the “fair work week” ordinance the City of Los Angeles passed in 2022.

Like the city’s version, the county’s policy requires that retailers provide “predictability pay” if they change a worker’s schedule last-minute and get employee’s approval before assigning them so-called “clopening” shifts — a closing shift followed immediately by an opening shift the next day. The ordinance also bars an employer from retaliating against an employee who reports violations.

Several business and trade groups argued that the policy needlessly complicates the delicate art of scheduling staff. The Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce said it would hamper businesses already struggling to compete against e-commerce companies, saddling them with fines in the tens of thousands of dollars. The California Grocers Association argued it would create needless bureaucracy, making eleventh-hour staffing changes “extremely challenging.”

Both groups said they wished the policy included a grace period for a store to solve “honest clerical mistakes” without getting penalized.

“Scheduling flexibility is one of the industry perks that many enjoy about working in grocery stores, yet this ordinance will make schedule changes, especially within a week of a shift, nearly impossible,” wrote Nate Rose, a spokesperson for the grocers association. “Taken together, its pay penalty requirements and the likely increase in needless lawsuits, will only lead to higher costs at the grocery store for Los Angeles shoppers.”

The county’s Department of Consumer and Business Affairs would be responsible for enforcing the policy. Each violation comes with a penalty of $500 to $1000.

Janna Shadduck-Hernández, project director at the UCLA Labor Center, said she believes the policy will bring stability to the lives of thousands of low-income workers. A 2018 study from the center found that the vast majority of retail workers, many of whom are people of color, get their schedules a week or less in advance.

“What this allows is people to organize their lives,” she said.

In recent years, major cities including Chicago, Seattle, Philadelphia and New York City, as well as the state of Oregon, have passed laws to protect the time of shift workers. Kristen Harknett, a professor of sociology at University of California, San Francisco who studied the impact of Seattle’s policy, said she found workers’ well-being improved as their schedules became more predictable.

“When you don’t know when — or how much — you’re going to work from one day or the next, it’s very disruptive,” she said. “It really just messes up your ability to plan.”

Harknett said the county’s version has the same components as the other jurisdictions, with one key difference: food service workers aren’t included.

“The carve-out for the restaurant and food industry is pretty unique,” she said. “Food service is pretty unstable and unpredictable, [and] those workers are not going to experience the enhanced protections that their counterparts in retail will.”

The county indicated in a report last May that it would look at providing “coverage for workers in several other vulnerable industries, particularly food service” in the future.

Amardeep Gill with the Los Angeles Alliance for a New Economy, an advocacy group that pushed for the county policy, said she hoped other industries would enact a similar ordinance for their own sectors.

“We’re hoping the work that we’ve done here really lays like a strong foundation where others can build upon this,” said Gill.

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Rebecca Ellis

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April 24, 2024
What are the odds? Two winning tickets for $395-million jackpot sold at same Encino gas station

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In a first in California Mega Millions history, two tickets purchased from the same Chevron station on Ventura Boulevard in Encino hit the $395-million jackpot, potentially creating controversy over the retailer’s share of the winnings.

The chances of winning a Mega Millions jackpot stand at an astonishing 1 in 302,575,350. The prospect of two separate transactions winning with the same numbers at one location can seem implausible, especially considering there are 23,000 lottery retailers across the state.

Whoever owns the two tickets would split the jackpot, but it is still unclear whether the two tickets were purchased by the same person or two players, which could result in controversy over whether the gas station owner is awarded $1 million or more for selling the tickets.

As of Monday, the jackpot has yet to be claimed, according to lottery spokesperson Carolyn Becker.

The identity of the person or people who purchased the tickets remains unknown. However, Becker said the lottery’s gaming system meticulously tracks each transaction statewide, and the law enforcement team investigating the winnings knows whether it was a single transaction or two separate ones.

The California Lottery isn’t revealing this information to “protect the integrity of the security review process once there’s a prize claim.” Potential jackpot winners coming forward must undergo a vetting process, involving a California Lottery law enforcement officer interview to verify that they are legitimate winners.

“It’s a really rigorous vetting process, particularly for these big jackpots, to make sure that the winner is actually the right winner and not some bad actor trying to claim to be the winner,” Becker said.

Becker said it could take weeks or months to release the information regarding the number of transactions. The identities will also be disclosed, adhering to California laws that require the lottery to publicize the winner’s complete name and location within a year.

Although two winning tickets being sold in one location is unusual, Becker said it is not impossible.

“Perhaps one person wanted to try their luck on two different rows for whatever reason, or maybe a couple of buddies wanted to try their chances with the same exact numbers,” Becker said.

When store manager Nitessh Karla arrived at the gas station Saturday morning, a barrage of voice mails greeted him, with one from state lottery officials telling him his store had sold the winning tickets.

“I got a telephone call [saying] ‘Your store hit the jackpot.’ Then I checked the machine and found out someone won the lotto,” Karla said.

Apart from the occasional Scratcher winner collecting a smaller jackpot, Karla said he had never witnessed a win like this in his nine years at the store.

Karla is skeptical that two customers purchased the winning tickets.

“Personally, I think it is the same guy. Maybe he forgets he already bought it and buys it again,” Karla said.

How the tickets were purchased is pivotal to whether Karla’s store receives only $1 million or nearly $2 million in lottery bonuses.

A retailer who sells a winning ticket is eligible to receive a bonus of half of 1% of the jackpot, capped at $1 million. But if a retailer sells two tickets that both win on the same game, it could be considered two transactions and result in more than $2 million in bonuses.

Becker said this bonus payout is “unprecedented in California in terms of a jackpot of this magnitude.” The California Lottery’s legal team is reviewing the regulations’ language, she said.

“Our lawyers are looking at it because if it’s one person, the retailer will get a million dollars,” Becker said. “The question is, do they get more than that? Do they get two bonuses that add up to more than a million dollars?”

The winning numbers for Friday’s game were 21, 26, 53, 66, 70, and the Mega number 13. This was the 10th Mega Million jackpot won in 2023.

The jackpot for the next Mega Millions drawing Tuesday will be $20 million.

With the store’s newfound notoriety, Karla said he has seen an increase in customers buying lotto tickets and Scratchers, hoping the store’s luck hasn’t dried out yet.

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Anthony De Leon

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December 11, 2023
As most stores close for Thanksgiving, Black Friday may bring the biggest crowds since before COVID

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Stay home and eat your turkey. Most stores, other than supermarket and pharmacy chains, aren’t open until Black Friday morning.

The frenzied mall mobs characteristic of Black Friday — and Thanksgiving, until COVID shutdowns squashed that retailer move to out-compete one another — had faded even before the pandemic, with the growth of e-commerce and ever-earlier holiday promotions, which this year began well before Halloween.

Despite evidence showing that shoppers recently have pulled back, data from consumer surveys indicate that overall spending is expected to hit unprecedented levels this holiday season.

U.S. consumers, buoyed by a robust labor market, have demonstrated unexpected resilience even as they contend with stubborn inflation. But to pull off this spending feat, a significant number of shoppers are expected to rely on credit cards and buy-now-pay-later plans to fund their holiday spending this year.

“They might buy fewer gifts because things are more expensive, but we expect spend to be up,” said George Noceti, a wealth advisor at Morgan Stanley. “So we think that this will be another banner year in terms of Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and all the discounting that goes on in January.”

The National Retail Federation predicted that holiday spending will be up 3% to 4% from last year, reaching record levels between $957.3 billion and $966.6 billion. The increase in spending is predicted to slow from last year’s 5.4% boost, according to the trade group’s data.

Online shopping is expected to be robust, starting on Thanksgiving.

“Now it’s very online focused, and we’re really looking to see the online velocity surge on the major days like Black Friday and Cyber Monday,” said Vivek Pandya, lead analyst at Adobe Digital Insights. In line with recent years, e-commerce sites are expected to be inundated on Black Friday and Cyber Monday as consumers shop from the comfort of home.

The four-hour window from 6 to 11 p.m. Pacific time Monday is expected to be the busiest shopping period of all, with spending projected at nearly $4 billion, according to Adobe Analytics data.

Black Friday may not be the bellwether of the holiday shopping season that it once was, but overall retail sales during the season remain an important gauge of consumer health and a key source of retailer profits. Consumer spending on goods and services accounts for nearly 70% of the nation’s economic activity.

Although retail sales and consumer confidence fell in October, people feel differently about the holidays.

“We’re seeing disproportionately more optimism as it relates to holiday shopping versus regular day-to-day and regular discretionary shopping,” said Mrin Nayak, a managing director and partner leading holiday research at Boston Consulting Group.

Consumers want major discounts, and they are likely to find them this year. Holiday discounting lagged in 2020 and 2021 in response to economic uncertainty and fueled by consumers’ increased savings during the stay-at-home era of the pandemic.

Given the precarious situation of many consumers, retailers know that shoppers are demanding major discounts — and will hold out for the best deals. Analysts project that many shoppers will also rely on credit cards or buy-now-pay-later programs to finance their holiday purchases, a strategy that carries the risk of added interest and other costs.

Many retailers offer buy-now-pay-later programs. And most buy-now-pay-later apps — backed by companies including Afterpay, Klarna and Affirm — let users split their final bill into four interest-free payments, an attractive alternative to using credit cards, which have an average interest rate more than 19%, according to November data from Bankrate.

“The consumer is bargain-hunting this year,” Nayak said. “They are looking for deals to counter inflation, and they are looking to make sure that they’re shopping at places that give them really differential value versus the rest of the year.”

The latest Adobe Analytics figures show that in the days leading up to Black Friday, retailers were already marking down products in popular categories: Electronics, appliances, toys and apparel were discounted on average more than 20%.

“I think because we’re seeing this level of discounting that we’re profiling across these categories, it’s helping keep consumers incentivized to spend this season,” Pandya said. “But we’re expecting the discounts to get bigger and better on these major days between Black Friday and Cyber Monday.”

Low unemployment is expected to help power the shopping season. The U.S. job market has remained steady despite pressure from rising interest rates, with employers adding an average of 204,000 jobs a month between August and October.

“The unemployment rate is extremely low, so people are getting a paycheck,” Noceti said.

Gen-Z and millennials are predicted to spend big this year, fueled by low unemployment and healthy wage gains in their demographics.

“Labor markets have disproportionately favored younger generations that might have more disposable income this holiday season,” Nayak said. “And so we’re expecting to see that divergence in the consumer based on generation on willingness to spend.”

One third of Gen-Z and millennials plan to spend more on holiday gifts than last year, according to findings from Boston Consulting Group. At the same time, only 20% of baby boomers plan to spend more, squeezed by inflation and fixed income budgets.

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Carly Olson

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November 23, 2023
FYI—Ulta’s Epic Early Black Friday Deals Have Already Started

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Ulta Black Friday Deals 2023: Best Beauty Steals to Shop Early – StyleCaster

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October 26, 2023