Fall officially started last week, but the early holiday sales season doesn’t really get going until next week, with promotional events from retail giants such as Walmart, Target, and Amazon. In the meantime, it’s a little quiet around here. To hold you over until the real action starts, here is what’s going on in retail this week:
In earnings: Nike is set to report its latest earnings report on Tuesday, and the results could provide a window into the brand’s ongoing efforts to resuscitate itself after a string of business failures and bad press, including a new release, the Panda Dunk, which some sneaker heads called “the worst sneaker of all time.” It will also be the last earnings call with CEO John Donahoe, who announced that he is stepping down in October. Longtime executive Elliott Hill is set to replace him.
In promotions: Fresh from an antitrust trial—in which the FTC made the case against its merger with Albertsons on the grounds that it would hurt consumers—Kroger is finishing up its Customer Appreciation Week. The one-week sales event runs from September 25 to October 1 and is offering a range of deals and coupons on food staples such as orange juice and pasta sauce.
In holidays: Taco Bell has lobbied the National Day Calendar to move National Taco Day to the first Tuesday in October, thus minting the ultimate “Taco Tuesday.” The fast food chain started lobbying for the change after fans expressed their disappointment that the “holiday” was scheduled annually for October 4, meaning it rarely fell on a Tuesday. “For years, we’ve celebrated National Taco Day on October 4, but it’s always felt like there was a bigger opportunity to align it with something even more special—Taco Tuesday,” Marlo Anderson, founder of National Day Calendar, said in a statement.
In data: The Global Supply Chain Pressure Index is scheduled to release its September update on Friday. The index rose 0.20 in August, which is up from -0.03 in July. Relatedly, US supply chains could face additional pressures in the near-term if East and Gulf Coast port owners don’t come to an agreement with the International Longshoremen Association (ILA) by the contract deadline on Tuesday, October 1.