The majority of the largest retail stores in the United States are publicly traded and their shares are traded via the New York Stock Exchange or NASDAQ. In addition to the major retail companies, many smaller retail companies have shares that are traded over-the-counter. Examining how these stocks perform can give an insight into how the economy overall is developing consumer confidence.
Each retail segment–which includes manufacturers of clothing as well as the automobile industry, department stores restaurants, department stores, and online shopping–has specific variables that affect businesses’ performance in the stock market. The response of consumers to new styles of clothing and seasonal demand for clothes can affect the financial outlook of the clothing business. The rising cost of gasoline could entice consumers to buy cars that are smaller and less fuel-efficient than high-end or sports vehicles. The number of restaurant visits tends to decrease during slower economic times as people cut back on their expenditures and eat at home.
Lasting Changes
Retailers who were once thought of as stable players on the market have been impacted in numerous ways due to consumers’ shifting their habits of shopping. This is largely due to the rise and expansion of online shopping, which removes some of the costs of running physical stores and usually results in highly cost-effective prices. The shift in retail dynamics has seen certain brands that have been around for generations are now being liquidated such as the supermarket chain Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Co. (A&P) in 2015 as well as toy store Toys “R” Us in 2018.
Retail is heavily affected by the online retailer Amazon. In the past, the company was a partner together with Toys “R” Us but quickly proved it could manage toy sales independently. Amazon’s rise to prominence enabled it to expand across different areas which included the acquisition in 2017 of the supermarket retailer Whole Foods.
The issues that affect listed publicly-traded companies in the U.S. retail industry, that were in effect at the time of January 2020 could provide a clue as to how the economy is heading.
Drugstores
- CVS Health Corporation [CVS]
- Rite Aid Corporation [RAD]
- Walgreens Boots Alliance, Inc. [WBA]
Electronics Stores
- Amazon.com Inc. [AMZN]
- Best Buy Co. Inc. [BBY]
- Conn’s Inc. [CONN]
- GameStop Corporation [GME]
Grocery Stores
- Amazon.com Inc. [AMZN]
- Casey’s General Stores Inc. [CASY]
- The Kroger Company [KR]
- Tesco PLC [TSCDY.PK]
- Village Super Market Inc. [VLGEA]
- Weis Markets Inc. [WMK]
Home Furnishings Stores
- Bed Bath & Beyond Inc. [BBBY]
- Haverty Furniture Companies Inc. [HVT]
- Kirkland’s Inc. [KIRK]
- Laura Ashley Holdings plc [LARAF.PK]
- Williams-Sonoma Inc. [WSM]
Home Improvement Stores
- Builders FirstSource Inc. [BLDR]
- Calloway’s Nursery Inc. [CLWY.PK]
- Huttig Building Products Inc. [HBP]
- Tesoro Enterprises Inc. [TSNP.PK]
- Kingfisher plc [KGFHY.PK]
- Lowe’s Companies Inc. [LOW]
- Lumber Liquidators Holdings Inc. [LL]
- Margo Caribe Inc. [MRGO.PK]
- The Home Depot Inc. [HD]
Jewelry Stores
- Amazon.com Inc. [AMZN]
- Birks Group [BGI]
- Angela [ELA]
- Signet Jewelers Limited [SIG]
Music and Video Retail
- Amazon.com Inc. [AMZN]
- Netflix Inc. [NFLX]
- Kaspien Holdings [KSPN]
Specialty Retail
- 1-800-FLOWERS.COM Inc. [FLWS]
- Amazon.com Inc. [AMZN]
- eBay Inc. [EBAY]
- Ferrellgas Partners L.P. [FGPR.PK]
- FragranceNet.com Inc. [FGNT.PK]
- MarineMax Inc. [HZO]
- Medifast Inc. [MED]
- The ODP Corporation [ODP]
- Sally Beauty Holdings Inc. [SBH]
- Star Group L.P. [SGU]
- Suburban Propane Partners L.P. [SPH]
- Titan Machinery Inc. [TITN]
- Tractor Supply Company [TSCO]
- TravelCenters of America LLC [TA]
Sporting Goods Stores
- Big 5 Sporting Goods Corporation [BGFV]
- Dick’s Sporting Goods Inc. [DKS]
- Hibbett Sports Inc. [HIBB]
Toy and Hobby Stores
- Amazon.com Inc. [AMZN]
- Build-A-Bear Workshop Inc. [BBW]
