Seth Frederickson

Several factors have come together to compel retail executives to tighten up their future plans and their balance sheets. Nervous about recent shipping disruptions, retailers prepared for peak season unusually early. They’re also under greater financial scrutiny; despite a deceleration in inflation, costs overall remain high. Unwilling to miss any revenue opportunities, they’re making sure…

Research from Morgan Stanley suggests that inventory restocking may face sustained headwinds as companies respond to persistently high interest rates. The report indicates shippers are increasingly reluctant to rebuild inventory, preferring instead to run leaner operations even at the expense of being late on orders. Meanwhile, the enduring drought in the Panama Canal and the escalating conflict in the Red…