Alex Vuocolo

New York

Retail Reporter at Morning Brew

Retail Reporter @morningbrew. Formerly covered the Fed at @cheddarnews. Opinions are very much my own.

Featured in: Favicon

cheddar.com Favicon

yahoo.com (+1) Favicon

entrepreneur.com Favicon

bizjournals.com Favicon

flipboard.com Favicon

polygon.com Favicon

popularmechanics.com Favicon

bicycling.com Favicon

newsbreak.com Favicon

philadelphiaweekly.com + 8 more

Articles

Dick's Sporting Goods exec defends Foot Locker acquisition: 'Like it or not, we make these decisions and investments for a lifetime'

5 days ago | fortune.com | Alex Vuocolo

BYAlex Vuocolo and Retail BrewJune 1, 2025 at 9:29 AM EDTInvestors balked at Dick's Sporting Goods' move to buy Foot Locker. Getty Images—BloombergWhen Dick’s Sporting Goods announced the purchase of Foot Locker for $2.4 billion earlier this month, investors balked at the move.
Dick’s defends Foot Locker purchase

1 week ago | retailbrew.com | Alex Vuocolo

When Dick’s Sporting Goods announced the purchase of Foot Locker for $2.4 billion earlier this month, investors balked at the move. This week, Executive Chairman Edward Stack defended the acquisition in the Dick’s latest earnings call as a “unique opportunity to strengthen our brand relationships through a global presence,” and serve markets that it can’t currently with its largely US-based footprint.
TJ Maxx parent says dropping some product categories may be answer to tariffs

1 week ago | retailbrew.com | Alex Vuocolo

After a strong Q1 in which increasing customer transactions fueled sales, TJX Companies, owner of TJ Maxx, Marshalls, and HomeGoods, says it has a plan for dealing with tariff-related inventory issues: If a certain product category becomes less available, the company will just shift availability to a different product. CEO Ernie Herrman put it this way: “The good thing with our flexibility is, we will just take advantage of an adjacent category.
This Week in Retail: NRF scholarship deadline and Costco earnings

1 week ago | retailbrew.com | Alex Vuocolo

Memorial Day weekend is over, and the summer is (unofficially) here. Now retailers just need to navigate a Q2 rife with uncertainty around tariffs, tax bills, geopolitical instability, and any number of other obstacles and challenges. In the meantime, here are some retail happenings to keep you busy:In conferences: SubSummit is coming to Dallas this week from Wednesday through Friday.
The biggest takeaways from Walmart’s Q1 earnings results

2 weeks ago | retailbrew.com | Alex Vuocolo

When the biggest retailer in the US reports its earnings, you can bet there will be plenty to unpack, which is why we’ve combed through Walmart’s Q1 quarterly reports and investor calls to find the most interesting data points and quotes. Here are some of the biggest takeaways:Simply unpredictable: To start, Walmart is holding off on issuing guidance for Q2 due to economic uncertainty surrounding tariffs, which even at a reduced rate could throw the company’s accounting out of whack.
How much inventory is too much to prepare for tariffs?

2 weeks ago | retailbrew.com | Alex Vuocolo

As tariffs threaten to raise prices, a potentially existential question is facing retailers: How much inventory is too much or too little in such an uncertain environment—and is it worth squirreling away a little extra if higher costs are on the horizon? Recent earnings reports of retailers and logistics companies show that some are choosing to stock up just to be safe. Apple and Amazon, for example, both said they had made forward purchases of goods in the last quarter.
Home Depot, Walmart talk price ‘elasticity’ in earnings

2 weeks ago | retailbrew.com | Alex Vuocolo

A core concept of retail economics, price elasticity, is getting some play in recent days as big box chains The Home Depot and Walmart signaled to investors that they’re keeping a close eye on how tariff-induced price changes could impact demand. The concept is fairly straightforward: Price elasticity is the measure of how price variations impact demand. If a price change swings demand in one direction or another, then a price is elastic. If it has little or no effect, that price is inelastic.
Retail Brew

3 weeks ago | retailbrew.com | Alex Vuocolo
Retail Brew

3 weeks ago | retailbrew.com | Alex Vuocolo
This Week in Retail: Walmart Q1 earnings and April retail sales

3 weeks ago | retailbrew.com | Alex Vuocolo

If you were wondering whether tariffs are impacting the US economy, this week might be a good time to pay attention. In addition to new inflation and retail sales numbers for April, the biggest retailer in the US is set to report its quarterly earnings. Here’s a rundown of what’s going on in retail this week:In earnings: The retailer in question—Walmart, of course—is scheduled to release its Q1 earnings on Thursday.