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Amid the ongoing geopolitical tension, the <keyword id="19904988" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="energy-sector" source="keywords">energy sector</keyword> will continue to face challenge while the <keyword id="20468174" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="consumer-goods" source="keywords">consumer goods</keyword>, automotive, healthcare is set to expand in 2025, highlighted a report 'Industry Outlook 2025' by <keyword id="20618515" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="Economist-Intelligence-Unit" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Economist Intelligence Unit" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Economist Intelligence Unit">Economist Intelligence Unit</keyword>. The report noted that the Fossil fuel markets will continue to face risks from geopolitical conflicts, particularly in the Middle East and Ukraine. However, investments in <keyword id="19895602" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="renewable-energy" source="keywords">renewable energy</keyword> will remain strong, especially in China, as the world pushes toward cleaner and more sustainable energy sources. The report said "Fossil-fuel markets will continue to face <keyword id="20064250" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="geopolitical-risks" source="keywords">geopolitical risks</keyword> amid conflicts in the Middle East and Ukraine, but investment into renewables will remain strong, particularly in China." It also added that the financial sector faces a mixed outlook with falling interest rates anticipated to narrow bank profit margins, potentially leading to smaller dividend payouts for shareholders. Yet, regulatory easing could provide relief, with the Basel III endgame likely seeing further delays, softening the impact on banking institutions amid a challenging economic landscape. For the consumer goods and retailing the report added that the Global retail volumes are forecast to grow by 2.2 per cent in 2025, thanks to easing inflation. However, stricter regulations on online retailing will target high-volume, low-price retailers, to ensure fair competition and consumer protection. It said "Global retail volumes will expand by 2.2 per cent, helped by disinflation, but regulations around online retailing will tighten further" As per report, the <keyword id="20359760" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="automotive-sector" source="keywords">automotive sector</keyword> is set for a record year, it said "After a difficult few years, annual new-vehicle sales will reach a record 97.2m units in 2025. This includes a 2 per cent rise in new car sales, a 4 per cent increase in commercial vehicle sales, and a significant 16 per cent growth in <keyword id="19963112" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="electric-vehicle-sales" source="keywords">electric vehicle sales</keyword>, reflecting the sector's recovery and the shift toward cleaner mobility. In technology the report added more countries will adopt satellite internet, although the primary users will be enterprise clients, including military and maritime sectors. Amazon's Project Kuiper will challenge the existing market dominance of Starlink and EutelSat OneWeb, offering more competition and potential growth in satellite connectivity. The resulting tensions will continue to affect investment into production and market entry, with companies taking advantage of government incentives to build out more flexible supply chains. <keyword id="23684177" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="investment-in-technology" source="keywords">Investment in technology</keyword>, particularly artificial intelligence (AI), will also be strong as projects gather pace. However, technology companies will face pressure from several directions as regulations tighten (particularly in Europe), investors become more impatient for profits and their energy usage comes under more scrutiny.

Consumer goods, auto and healthcare sector to expand but energy may face challenge in 2025: Report

With <keyword id="19899402" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="digital" source="keywords">digital</keyword> adoption fast gaining currency, <keyword id="19895063" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="India" source="keywords">India</keyword> is likely to see <keyword id="19992513" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="retail" source="keywords">retail</keyword> <keyword id="19989657" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="digital-payments" source="keywords">digital payments</keyword> double to USD 7 trillion by 2030 from current levels, a study by Kearney and <keyword id="19942875" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Amazon-Pay" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Amazon Pay" meta.hostid="153" meta.entityid="Amazon Pay">Amazon Pay</keyword> said. In the report 'How Urban India Pays', Kearney-Amazon Pay said strong adoption of digital payments in <keyword id="21056201" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="online-purchases" source="keywords">online purchases</keyword> has potentially led to a permanent shift in consumer behaviours, fuelling offline adoption as well. While 90 per cent of the respondents of the survey preferred digital payments when making online purchases, affluent consumers lead the way with the highest Degree of Digital Payment Usage (DDPU), tending to use various modes of digital payment for 80 per cent of their transactions. "<keyword id="19955338" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="millennials" source="keywords">Millennials</keyword> and Gen X are leading in the adoption of all types of digital payment instruments," it said. "Men and women both use digital payments in about 72 per cent of their transactions, indicating gender parity." The research was based on an online survey of over 6,000 consumers along with more than 1,000 merchants through offline and online methods across 120 cities with representation from various regions, income groups, city categories, age brackets and genders. India has seen a surge in <keyword id="19990771" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="e-commerce" source="keywords">e-commerce</keyword>, with the market valued at USD 75 billion to USD 80 billion in 2022 and expected to grow at a 21 per cent CAGR until 2030. "In line with India's digital journey, retail digital payments have grown dramatically over the past five years - from USD 300 billion in FY18 to USD 3.6 trillion in FY24. By FY30, they are likely to double to USD 7 trillion," the report said. The Unified Payments Interface (<keyword id="19900911" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="UPI" source="keywords">UPI</keyword>) has been a key driver of this growth, demonstrating a CAGR of 138 per cent in its volumes during FY18-24. Other instruments such as cards and digital wallets are also gaining in popularity, contributing 10 per cent of digital transaction value today. "With such dynamic developments, it is no wonder that India is a global frontrunner in the digital payment landscape, accounting for a stellar 46 per cent of the global digital transaction volumes in 2022," it said. Digital payments have penetrated small towns, with respondents in these areas highlighting that 65 per cent of their transactions are digital, while respondents in larger cities cited this ratio to be 75 per cent. "There is a strong correlation between a city's average DDPU and its retail potential, as measured by the Kearney India Retail Index, with the top six metros displaying both high DDPU and high retail potential," the report said. DDPU surpasses retail potential in some cities such as Lucknow, Patna, Bhopal, Jaipur, Bhubaneswar, Indore, Ahmedabad and Pune, which have a high DDPU nearly matching that of larger metropolitan cities despite having a lower retail potential than the top six metros. The report said co-branded credit cards are gaining momentum. "Emerging methods such as buy now, pay later (BNPL), wearable payments and voice assistant-based payments are also starting to make inroads." Digital modes of payment constitute around 69 per cent of the total transaction volumes for the Indian merchants that were surveyed. Even street vendors such as paan shops, fruit and flower sellers, food stalls, and kirana stores are joining the digital payment brigade. "Challenges for merchant adoption mirror consumer concerns, emphasizing issues of financial fraud, limited connectivity and trust," it said. The report said the next wave of growth in digital payments will be fueled by increasing penetration in segments with lower DDPU, such as consumers in lower-income groups and smaller towns, along with enhancing the value of spending via digital modes of payment in the higher DDPU segments by addressing their concerns. "All key stakeholders across the digital payments' ecosystem, including payment providers, the government, and value-added services players, will need to play a part in expanding digital payment adoption," it said. The focus areas should be empowering communities with financial education by launching target programmes to boost awareness of digital payments and new methods such as UPI Lite and UPI Lite X, especially for aspiring consumer segments, women in small towns, and street commerce merchants, to encourage higher adoption. Also, there is a need to create user-friendly consumer journeys by streamlining documentation and know-your-customer (<keyword id="19910870" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="kyc" source="keywords">KYC</keyword>) processes, optimising user interfaces, and establishing responsive customer complaint resolution mechanisms, it said adding also there is a need to enhance digital infrastructure by addressing systems and network issues and exploring innovations such as UPI Lite X for areas with limited internet. Also, the risk of fraud has to be minimised and access to credit-based payment methods expanded by using alternate data for underwriting risk, developing innovative credit products and promoting credit education for financial health. "These areas can help India overcome challenges in the digital payment ecosystem by fostering a more inclusive, secure, and user-friendly environment, thereby enhancing the adoption of digital payments among consumers and merchants in India," it added.

India to see retail digital payments to double to USD 7 tn by 2030: Report

<ul><li>The Indian PC market recorded its second-best quarter with a shipment of 4.49 million devices in Q3 2024.</li><li>The growth in part is due to the online festival sales by e-commerce giants and retailers.</li><li>HP continues to lead the Indian PC market with a share of over 29%.</li></ul> The Indian personal computer or PC market has recorded its second highest-ever shipments at 4.49 million devices in Q3 2024, recording a 0.1% growth year-on-year. According to a report by the International Data Corporation (IDC), the growth in sales was recorded due to online festival sales which began early this year. “The e-tail sales, which typically start around the second week of October, began in late September, leading to a surge in PC shipments,” said Bharath Shenoy, Research Manager, IDC India &amp; South Asia. In Q3 2024, desktops recorded an 8.1% year-on-year decline, notebooks recorded a 2.8% year-on-year growth and workstations recorded a 2.4% year-on-year growth. Premium notebooks priced above $1,000 recorded a 7.6% year-on-year growth. “Brands capitalized on e-tail sales by offering steep discounts, cashback, and bundled accessories. Many of them also matched similar pricing in their brand stores and offline channels like Larger Format Retail stores (LFRs), leading to the second biggest consumer quarter in history,” Shenoy added. <h2>Indian PC shipments</h2> <table style="border-width: initial; border-style: none;"></colgroup><tbody><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;background-color:#000000;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Company </td><td style="border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;background-color:#000000;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Q3 2024 </td><td style="border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;background-color:#000000;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Q3 2023 </td><td style="border-right:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;background-color:#000000;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Change </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">HP </td><td style="border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">1,300 </td><td style="border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">1320 </td><td style="border-right:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">-1.52% </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Lenovo </td><td style="border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">778 </td><td style="border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">764 </td><td style="border-right:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">1.83% </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Dell </td><td style="border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">658 </td><td style="border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">654 </td><td style="border-right:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">0.61% </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Acer </td><td style="border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">657 </td><td style="border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">520 </td><td style="border-right:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">26.35% </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Asus </td><td style="border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">435 </td><td style="border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">560 </td><td style="border-right:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">-22.32% </td></tr></tbody></table> Shipments in thousands, Source: IDC HP continues to lead the market in terms of shipments, with over a million devices shipped in Q3 2024, recording a 1.52% year-on-year decline in shipments. The company led both the commercial and consumer segments with shares of 34.3% and 24.8%, respectively. Acer recorded the highest growth in shipments at 26.45%, while Asus recorded the highest decline in the top five at 22.32%. <h2>Indian PC shipments market share</h2> <table style="border-width: initial; border-style: none;"></colgroup><tbody><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;background-color:#000000;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Company </td><td style="border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;background-color:#000000;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Q3 2024 </td><td style="border-right:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;background-color:#000000;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Q3 2023 </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">HP </td><td style="border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">29% </td><td style="border-right:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">29.4% </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Lenovo </td><td style="border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">17.3% </td><td style="border-right:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">17% </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Dell </td><td style="border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">14.6% </td><td style="border-right:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">14.6% </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Acer </td><td style="border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">14.6% </td><td style="border-right:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">11.6% </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Asus </td><td style="border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">9.7% </td><td style="border-right:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5008695000000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">12.5% </td></tr></tbody></table> Source: IDC HP leads the Indian PC market with nearly a one-third share, recording a 29% share in shipments in Q3 2024, down from 29.4% in Q3 2023. Lenovo is second with a market share of 17.3% in Q3 2024, up from 17% in Q3 2023. Dell has maintained its market share at 14.6%. Acer has recorded good growth, with its market share rising from 11.6% in Q3 2023 to 14.6% in Q3 2024. Asus on the other hand reported a decline from 12.5% in Q3 2023 to 9.7% in Q3 2024. “The Commercial PC Market in India is on the recovery path as enterprises have slowly started refreshing their IT devices. The IT/ITES buying has kickstarted and is expected to pick up momentum in CY2025,” said Navkendar Singh, AVP, Devices Research, IDC India, South Asia &amp; ANZ. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/mobile/news/realme-gt-7-pro-with-snapdragon-8-elite-chipset-launched-starting-at-59999/articleshow/115689685.cms">Realme GT 7 Pro with Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset launched starting at ₹59,999</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/enviro-infra-engineers-ipo-allotment-how-to-check-allotment-ipo-gmp-listing-date-and-more/articleshow/115698043.cms">Enviro Infra Engineers IPO allotment – How to check allotment, IPO GMP, listing date and more</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/telecom/news/jio-airtel-and-vi-lost-nearly-11-million-subscribers-in-september-2024/articleshow/115565541.cms">Jio, Airtel and Vi lost nearly 11 million subscribers in September 2024</a>

India’s PC market reaches new high with 4.49 million shipments in Q3 2024

America's absurd war on 'organized retail crime'

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Grocery chain Asda is calling workers back to the office three days a week from January.</li><li>The British retailer says it will improve on-site catering and provide better bathrooms for staff.</li></ul>Stuart Rose, chair of grocery store Asda and a veteran of British retail, says the company will improve bathroom facilities and on-site food as it mandates a return to the office for corporate staff.Rose, who has also held leadership roles at major UK retailers Marks &amp; Spencer, Argos, and Topshop, said last week that from January, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://corporate.asda.com/20241105/a-message-from-stuart-and-rob-putting-ourselves-back-in-the-service-of-our-customers">all Asda corporate staff must be in the office three days a week.</a>After the announcement, Rose said in an interview with <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.theguardian.com/business/2024/nov/09/in-no-great-rush-to-get-back-to-the-office-uk-home-workers-may-not-have-a-choice">The Observer</a> that having too many staff based at home was "not a satisfactory way of working," particularly in a "fast-moving consumer goods industry.""It's not always as efficient with those teams working together in terms of online, in terms of Zoom calls," he told the outlet.Asda said it will "improve the working environment" in its offices as part of the RTO push.That includes "a better catering offer, an on-site Asda Express, a more welcoming atrium, more meeting spaces, quiet-space working pods, upgraded toilets, new chairs and redecoration."A spokesperson confirmed to Business Insider that in November, the grocery chain cut 475 management roles and announced a major restructuring amid slowing sales.Rose has taken on a leading role in Asda's transformation after one of the grocery chain's owners, Mohsin Issa, stepped down from running day-to-day operations in September.In 2021, Issa, along with his brother Zuber and private equity firm TDR Capital, purchased a majority stake in Asda from its previous owner, Walmart.Asda said that its RTO policy, combined with the restructuring and job cuts, would bring the business "in line with our competitors and the wider market, allowing us to build high-performing teams with a collaborative culture and respond to what our business needs the most."Rose is not alone in wanting his employees back in the office. While many bosses are firm advocates for the potential productivity gains of in-person work, some <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="c-link" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/rto-policies-dont-improve-employee-performance-company-value-controlling-bosses-2024-1">studies</a> have found that hybrid working does not affect productivity.As the pandemic years fade further into the past, more CEOs have been returning to policies similar to those that existed in most corporate environments pre-2020. In recent months, companies like <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/dell-staff-return-office-order-sparks-panic-parents-childcare-wfh-2024-10">Dell</a> and <a target="_blank" rel="" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-ceo-return-to-office-mandate-5-days-week-2024-9?utm_source=Iterable&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_campaign=campaign_Insider%20Today,%20September%2017,%202024">Amazon</a> have announced that staff must be back in the office five days a week.Asda's chair told The Observer he thinks demand for hybrid work has swung too far in favor of workers."Hybrid working wasn't invented in the pandemic," Rose said. "It has to fit the business's needs."Experts say workers still have some say in the working culture debate. If RTO policies become too strict, top talent will simply leave to find a system that works for them, Ravin Jesuthasan, a respected future-of-work researcher, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ravin-jesuthasan-why-companies-enforce-rto-mandates-future-of-work-2024-8">previously told Business Insider.</a>If the labor market swings back around to favor workers, organizations will be under more pressure to meet their employees on their terms, the author "The Skills-Powered Organization" said.Nick Bloom, a Stanford economist and a leading expert on remote work, previously told <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/wfh-remote-work-findings-rto-nick-bloom-2024-10">BI he believed</a> working from home is "here to stay," citing big steps in technology such as video calls and virtual reality.In a presentation published in September, Bloom shared that surveys in 2021 had shown that, on average, employees regarded the right to work two or three days a week from home as valuable as an 8% pay rise, based on 17,087 responses.

Better catering and nicer bathrooms will help get workers back to the office, says this retail CEO

<ul class="summary-list"><li>June's retail sales were stronger than expected on Tuesday.</li><li>It indicates that consumers are still helping drive economic growth.</li></ul>US stocks climbed higher as fresh data indicated that consumers were still spending. Retail sales published Tuesday came in better than expected for June. Excluding autos, sales rose 0.4% against estimates of a 0.1% increase. The data marked the biggest increase in three months, and suggests that the US consumer is still strong even as worries swirl around an imminent pullback. "Especially when factoring out the cyberattacks on auto dealers, the report was surprisingly strong, with big spending at online retailers and on building materials. With inflation down, wage growth strong, and job growth solid, the prospects for steady but moderate spending gains are looking better," Navy Federal Credit Union corporate economist Robert Frick said.In the meantime, earnings reports continue to impress. Bank of America rose early Tuesday after its second-quarter performance topped estimates.Stock indexes look poised to hit fresh record highs on Tuesday.According to Bloomberg data, the benchmark index has now gone 350 sessions without dipping 2% or more, the longest streak since 2007.In the bond market, the 10-year Treasury yield slid moderately, after comments dovish were made by Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell. The central bank head indicated on Monday that the Fed <a target="_blank" href="https://www.cnbc.com/2024/07/15/powell-indicates-fed-wont-wait-until-inflation-is-down-to-2percent-before-cutting-rates.html">would not wait until inflation hit 2% before cutting.</a>Here's where US indexes stood shortly after the 9:30 a.m. opening bell on Tuesday:<ul><li><a target="_blank" href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/index/s&amp;p_500?utm_source=markets&amp;utm_medium=ingest%3Futm_source%3Dmarkets&amp;utm_medium=ingest&amp;utm_medium=ingest&amp;utm_source=markets&amp;utm_medium=ingest&amp;utm_source=markets">S&amp;P 500</a>: 5,648.65, up 0.31%</li><li><a target="_blank" href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/index/dow_jones?utm_source=markets&amp;utm_medium=ingest%3Futm_source%3Dmarkets&amp;utm_medium=ingest&amp;utm_medium=ingest&amp;utm_source=markets&amp;utm_medium=ingest&amp;utm_source=markets">Dow Jones Industrial Average</a>: 40,383.34, up 0.43% (+178.51 points)</li><li><a target="_blank" href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/index/nasdaq_composite?utm_source=markets&amp;utm_medium=ingest%3Futm_source%3Dmarkets&amp;utm_medium=ingest&amp;utm_medium=ingest&amp;utm_source=markets&amp;utm_medium=ingest&amp;utm_source=markets">Nasdaq composite</a>: 18,553.27, up 72.24% </li></ul>Here's what else happened today:<ul><li><a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/china-tariffs-trade-restrictions-budget-deficit-biden-trump-stephen-roach-2024-7">Tariffs on China are not the best way to boost domestic industry</a>, Yale economist Stephen Roach says.</li><li><a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/fed-interest-rate-cuts-should-happen-in-july-not-september-2024-7">The Fed should cut interest rates at its July meeting for three reasons</a>, according to Goldman Sachs.</li><li><a target="_blank" href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/stock-market-outlook-lower-inflation-goldilocks-growth-economy-cyclical-stocks-2024-7">Cyclicals are a buy</a> amid a "Goldilocks" backdrop for the US economy, Bank of America says.</li><li><a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/fed-rate-cuts-outlook-economy-inflation-labor-market-gdp-growth-2024-7">The Fed shouldn't cut rates at all in 2024 as the economy faces a second- half rebound</a>, macro strategist says.</li></ul>In commodities, bonds, and crypto:<ul><li><a target="_blank" href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/commodities/oil-price?type=wti&amp;utm_medium=ingest&amp;utm_source=markets&amp;utm_medium=ingest&amp;utm_source=markets">West Texas Intermediate</a> crude oil dropped 1.77% to $80.55 a barrel. <a target="_blank" href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/commodities/oil-price?utm_medium=ingest&amp;utm_source=markets">Brent crude</a>, the international benchmark, was down 1.65% to $83.43 a barrel.</li><li><a target="_blank" href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/commodities/gold-price?utm_medium=ingest&amp;utm_source=markets">Gold</a> climbed 0.33% to $2,433.63 per ounce.</li><li>The 10-year Treasury yield slipped two basis points to 4.199%.</li><li><a target="_blank" href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/currencies/btc-usd?utm_medium=ingest&amp;utm_source=markets">Bitcoin</a> shed 1.7% to $63,909.</li></ul>

Stock market today: Indexes rise as traders assess earnings and retail sales beat estimates

Last Christmas, my partner's parents made an extremely generous offer: We'd been sleeping on a luxuriously cooling, king-size Zinus mattress whenever we visited, and they asked whether we wanted one of our own. The only thing we needed to do was pick a bed frame. Easy, right?Our first thought was to head to <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ikea-cut-prices-deflation-red-sea-shipping-crisis-inflation-greedflation-2024-1">Ikea</a> and purchase our current bed frame in a bigger size, but it was out of stock, so <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/luxury-retail-ecommerce-online-sales-stores-wealth-the-realreal-2024-7">we turned to the internet</a>. Searching "wooden bedframe" on the furniture <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/wayfairs-opens-first-ever-physical-store-take-a-look-2024-6">e-commerce store Wayfair</a>, whose tagline is "every style, every home," yielded over 13,000 results. Amazon gave us a smaller but not particularly more manageable 6,000, with sponsored or "trending" bed frames that weren't in our price range — or made of wood at all — frequently front-loaded. The task was daunting.We spent hours at a time clicking between product pages and toggling between search parameters, but none of the options ever lined up. Eventually, buying a new bed frame began to feel like a part-time job that neither of us had time for. Almost a year later, we're still crowding into our old, sagging queen with two dogs and a cat.We aren't the only people feeling paralyzed by making a purchase: On the Reddit forum r/Mattress, person after person complains of the time they have spent navigating a maze of distinctions, like "cooling" and "ultracooling," "medium" and "medium firm," or "memory foam" and "hybrid." For some, the task of buying a mattress was too much: "<a target="_blank" href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Mattress/comments/194n1c5/the_mattress_industry_destroyed_me_emotionally/">The mattress industry destroyed me emotionally and spiritually</a>," one post read. "<a target="_blank" href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Mattress/comments/1chv833/this_is_ruining_my_life_just_tell_me_what_the/">This is ruining my life</a>," someone else wrote.It's not just big, life-altering purchases, either: In a recent <a target="_blank" href="https://www.accenture.com/us-en/insights/consulting/consumer-goods-cutting-through-noise">Accenture survey</a> of 19,000 consumers around the world, 74% of respondents said that they had abandoned an online shopping cart at least once in the past three months because they felt "bombarded by content, overwhelmed by choice and frustrated by the amount of effort they need to put in to making decisions." This inability to commit to a purchase was reported by people shopping for clothes (79%), flights (72%), and even snacks (70%).Barry Schwartz, a Swarthmore College psychology professor, famously called this the "<a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-too-many-choices-are-screwing-us-up-2016-11">paradox of choice</a>": While having a wider variety of choices can initially make us happier, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-the-paradox-of-choice-could-explain-why-youre-still-single-2018-2">the more options we have</a>, the harder it can be to choose the best one for us.Schwartz's 2006 book drew inspiration from <a target="_blank" href="https://faculty.washington.edu/jdb/345/345%20Articles/Iyengar%20%26%20Lepper%20(2000).pdf">a study</a> that found that shoppers in a grocery store were 10 times as likely to purchase jam after sampling from a display of six jam varieties than they were from a sampling of 24. <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/quit-social-media-online-shopping-30-days-regain-control-productivity-2024-7">Online shopping</a>, which the US Census Bureau estimates accounts for roughly 16% of all retail sales, theoretically makes it easier to find exactly what we are looking for. But it also takes the jam problem and multiplies it by several orders of magnitude: We're inundated with hundreds and thousands of choices. With so much information about those choices, it sometimes can feel impossible to go on. What's more, experts say that many of the tools we rely on to help us sift through all of this information — from product descriptions to search engines to e-commerce filters — may actually be making the process even harder.The golden age of comparison shopping isn't so golden after all.The internet changed not just how we shop but also the number of options retailers can offer. Superstores that used to be limited by their square footage <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/warehouse-nation-boom-ecommerce-jobs-2022-10">could now fill warehouses</a> with thousands of items that would ship straight to customers' doorsteps. As a result, the retail landscape began to lean toward larger stores with more options.Jason Goldberg, the chief commerce-strategy officer of Publicis Groupe, said "category killers" like PetSmart and <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/the-tumultuous-history-of-toys-r-us-photos-2020-8">Toys "R" Us</a> outcompeted the neighborhood mom-and-pop pet and toy stores of yesteryear — only to find themselves losing out to stores with even bigger inventories, such as <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-q3-earnings-shoppers-cheaper-items-high-frequency-good-business-2024-11">Amazon</a> and <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/walmart-stock-price-sam-walton-family-wealth-billionaires-retail-strategy-2024-10">Walmart</a>. "In the history of retail, businesses with larger assortments have come in, and they've won out over businesses with small assortments," he said.Shoppers, it turns out, love the convenience of the one-stop shop. But that has left us with an ever-increasing number of options. "Amazon's doing what we think the American dream is, which is, have all the choice in the world," Jessecae Marsh, a professor of psychology at Lehigh University, told me. "But choice can be paralyzing." Part of the problem, Marsh said, comes down to the way our brain makes choices. When shopping, we typically start by looking for ways to narrow down the set of choices, such as by filtering out things we can't afford or that aren't the size we want. Then we look for a reason to pick one of the remaining items over the others. "When we try to make decisions, we want a reason behind the decision," she said.This helps explain why ratings and <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/guides/insider-reviews-expertise-in-product-reviews">reviews</a> have become such a popular feature on online marketplaces: When we're comparing two similar items, we need to find a piece of information that breaks the tie. A higher star rating, or a slate of glowing reviews from other customers, can be enough to do the trick. The trouble is that having more information at our disposal isn't always helpful. And sometimes, it can render decision-making more difficult.In a <a target="_blank" href="https://cognitiveresearchjournal.springeropen.com/articles/10.1186/s41235-023-00509-7">series of experiments</a> testing how the presence of diagrams influenced people's ability to correctly answer questions about topics like managing body weight, Marsh and Samantha Kleinberg, a professor of computer science at the Stevens Institute of Technology, found that while some guiding information could be helpful, too much information made picking the right answer almost as difficult as if the participants had received no guiding information at all. While the study, published last year in Cognitive Research: Principles and Implications, didn't focus on shopping, their results suggested that the more information we wade through when we're trying to make a decision, the more likely we are to come across something that conflicts with our beliefs, which complicates the decision-making process."If you've tried an Oil of Olay moisturizer, and you had a reaction to it, but you're seeing website over website telling you that's the best one, you're now in a position where the information that you're getting doesn't match information that you hold in your own head," Marsh said. "That conflict is always going to be hard for people because they don't exactly know how to resolve it."It doesn't help that the tools we use to reduce overwhelm may actually make things even more daunting. Raluca Ursu, an associate professor of marketing at New York University's Leonard N. Stern School of Business, told me that tools like filtering, sorting, and using recommendations could bog us down by revealing new factors to investigate, which leads people to search more — and, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/25674430">research has found</a>, be less satisfied with their choices. Search engines such as Google, which present options in a ranked list, <a target="_blank" href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1509/jmr.09.0481?journalCode=mrja">can also lead</a> to a "maximizer" mindset. "Consumers start to believe they can find 'the best option' out there, which can then lead to additional stress and decision paralysis," Ursu told me. The <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/search-web-email-google-streaming-online-shopping-broken-2022-4">decline of Google Search</a> probably doesn't help matters, either.Ursu has studied two factors in shopping: <a target="_blank" href="https://www.anderson.ucla.edu/sites/default/files/document/2022-01/SearchGaps_UrsuZhangHonka_Dec2021.pdf">search costs and search fatigue</a>. "Search costs generally reflect the time and effort consumers require to obtain information about a product," she said via email. "How difficult is it to determine this TV's price and technical specifications?" While search costs are typically much smaller online than they are IRL, where you have to jump in a car and drive to a store, search fatigue grows when shopping online because there's more information available and more options to sift through. Ursu guessed that the most exhausting stage of shopping is comparison shopping — when people pore over minuscule details between products to find the best one.If people <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/online-shopping-coping-mechanism-target-pandemic-2021-3">abandon their shopping carts</a> because they get overwhelmed by search fatigue, it can come back to bite retailers. In a <a target="_blank" href="https://www.anderson.ucla.edu/sites/default/files/document/2022-01/SearchGaps_UrsuZhangHonka_Dec2021.pdf">study</a> that looked at browsing data from clothing shoppers in the Netherlands, Ursu and her fellow researchers Qianyun Zhang and Elisabeth Honka found that reducing search fatigue by half led to a slight increase in transactions. They also found that search fatigue tended to affect smaller retailers more than larger ones since people tend to spend all their energy shopping at larger stores first.In fashion, perhaps no company embodies the paradox of choice more than <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/stitch-fix-subscription-clothes-review-work-from-home-2021-9">Stitch Fix</a>, which launched in 2011 with a counterintuitive business model: People who didn't have the time or patience to shop could undergo a virtual consultation with one of the firm's in-house stylists, then receive a subscription box filled with a selection of items that had been handpicked for them. It worked: By 2017, the company had gone public at a valuation of $1.4 billion, only to surge to a $11 billion market cap in early 2021, when many customers were holed up at home."Having someone do that front-loaded effort, that seems really valuable," Marsh said. It's the same thing we would do by bringing a contractor into a house to ask, "What are the options here to expand this bathroom?" After lockdowns ended, the company decided to introduce an option where customers could shop for individual items from categories like "jeans," "Lauren Ralph Lauren," and "workwear under $80." But since that pivot away from its core business, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/stitch-fix-stylists-say-role-company-is-losing-flexibility-2021-8">the company has been losing customers</a> every year. Today, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/stocks/sfix-stock">Stitch Fix is valued at $400 million</a>, just a fraction of its market cap at its 2017 initial public offering. Goldberg, the chief commerce-strategy officer, said it's possible that the company's struggles are due to macro factors, like subscription fatigue and a sales slowdown in the clothes business. "Twenty years ago, you spent 6% of your budget on clothes; today, you spend 3% of your budget on clothes," he said. "People used to buy Stitch Fix for clothes to wear to work. You know what people don't do anymore?" Still, the company's decline raises an important point about the value of curation.Short of changing their business models, companies can make things easier on shoppers by simplifying their site designs, reducing friction during checkout, and keeping extraneous information to a minimum. Offering shoppers more personalized search results is another big piece of the puzzle, and the experts I spoke to say <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-amazon-is-using-ai-from-rufus-to-movie-recommendations-2024-7">artificial intelligence may be able to help us</a> winnow our choices down — that's the guiding idea behind <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/what-amazon-ai-shopping-assistant-rufus-is-like-2024-7">Rufus, a new conversational chatbot</a> from Amazon that answers questions and makes product recommendations. Of course, there's the danger AI <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ai-scam-spam-hacking-ruining-internet-chatgpt-privacy-misinformation-2023-8">will overwhelm us with spam and slop</a> first.As Marsh sees it, though, the most important thing is shoppers getting to a place where they're dealing with fewer options, even if they believe that more is better. "Whatever people think they want, they should have something a little bit less than that," she said. Marsh recommended researching a category and figuring out what product attributes matter most to you before you start shopping. She also suggested turning the decision over to <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/guides">a consumer guide</a>, a retailer quiz, or someone who has tried a product before you. Many people already do this with<a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/gen-z-luxury-perfume-obsession-tiktok-fragrance-teen-boys-branding-2024-10"> beauty influencers</a>: If you have a similar skin or hair type to someone, seeing what works and what doesn't for them can help narrow down your choices.Still, deciding what to buy can be excruciating — even for people who study decision-making for a living. Recently, after an "extremely overwhelming" experience selecting a bed frame for her own house on Wayfair, Marsh said she realized she was going to need a new rug. "I started looking through the options, and I was like, 'I just can't,'" she told me. "We're going to have to go to a store. I just can't do it again."<a target="_blank" rel="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/author/emilie-friedlander">Emilie Friedlander</a> is a journalist and editor from Brooklyn, currently based in Philadelphia. She co-hosts <a target="_blank" rel=" nofollow" href="https://theculturejournalist.substack.com/">The Culture Journalist</a>, a podcast about culture in the age of platforms.

'I just can't': Why so many consumers are sick and tired of online shopping

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Nike is the latest retailer to change its CEO.</li><li>More retail bosses have walked the plank post-pandemic, with boards demanding better performance.</li></ul>John Donahoe is the latest retail CEO to hit the chopping block.<a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/nike-new-ceo-elliott-hill-may-help-ailing-sneaker-brand-2024-9">The Nike boss </a><a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/nike-new-ceo-elliott-hill-may-help-ailing-sneaker-brand-2024-9">is stepping down next month</a> and will be replaced by <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/nikes-new-ceo-started-from-bottom-as-an-intern-2024-9">Elliott Hill, </a>who started in 1988 as an intern and worked his way up the ranks before retiring in 2020.Analysts say Donahoe's departure was somewhat inevitable after <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/nikes-sales-to-fall-this-year-as-turnaround-plan-continues-2024-6">Nike's long period of decline</a> and underperformance."Under his tenure, Nike made a number of mistakes which have weakened the brand — a shakeup was required to try and draw a line under a period of very bad performance and to demonstrate that serious changes are underway," Neil Saunders, managing director of GlobalData Retail wrote in a note on Thursday.<div type="image" title="Nike CEO John Donahoe in front of pattern of Nike sneakers and logo 4x3" height="1750" width="2333" msid="113526660" hostid="261" sizebytes="268684"></div>Investors are already signaling confidence in the new hire and change of direction, with shares up in premarket trading.But as Saunders points out, sending a signal to the market is one thing, but convincing consumers is another. "A change of jockey does not automatically put the Nike horse out in front," he said.Though Donahoe has been criticized for lack of product innovation and uninspiring marketing — two key elements that have been at the heart of Nike's success — the reality is being a retail boss right now is pretty tough.<h2 id="fbd6a07f-f1bd-4bd2-a6f4-24bdb163e5ed">Belt-tightening</h2>The <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/consumer-spending-decline-how-retailers-respond-inflation-prices-walmart-costco-2024-6">era of post-pandemic indulgent spending</a> is over.Retail sales rose by just 0.1% in August, slowing from a 1.1% increase in July as some shoppers are becoming more cost-conscious and selective with their purchases.This is creating a more challenging environment for retailers. Some chains, including <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/stores-cutting-prices-summer-list-walmart-target-amazon-aldi-walgreens-2024-6">Walmart and Target, have started cutting prices</a> to offer more value for consumers.Others are finding <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/chipotle-boy-bowl-promo-vest-wearing-finance-bros-2024-6">creative ways </a>to get more customers through the door.Retail CEOs are tasked with navigating these choppy and unpredictable waters. And increasingly, boards seem to be rethinking whether their head honchos are up to the job.The past year or so has seen an <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/retail-ceos-leaving-stepping-down-trend-explained-2023-1">exodus of CEOs</a> from companies such as Gap, Bed Bath &amp; Beyond, and Adidas. According to data from outplacing firm Challenger, Gray &amp; Christmas, CEO turnover in retail more than doubled in 2023 and was at the highest level since 2019.Experts say this unusual amount of turnover is closely connected to the pandemic, which upended retail. Shoppers stayed at home and out of stores, online shopping soared, supply chains fell into chaos, and stimulus checks boosted demand, making it almost impossible to gauge a business's performance.But as restrictions eased and the protective shield of the pandemic lifted, CEOs became more vulnerable as boards questioned whether these were the right people to lead these businesses into the next stage.<h2 id="a6341e0c-46e4-4c74-bb47-d055a63438f5">Watch out CEOs</h2>This pattern has continued in 2024.Last month,<a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/starbucks-ceo-steps-down-replaced-by-chipotle-chief-2024-8"> Starbucks CEO Laxman Narasimham stepped down</a> after about 17 months in the job. His tenure was tainted by public criticism from longtime CEO Howard Schultz, falling sales, and pressure from activist investors.<div type="image" title="Laxman Narasimhan" height="583" width="1200" msid="113526664" hostid="261" sizebytes="96900"></div>That same month, Nestle's CEO was ousted after eight years in the job. One insider told Reuters that the board had become concerned about sales growth and slowing product development."There is a fresh lack of patience at the board level," Jim Rossman, global head of shareholder advisory at Barclays, told the news agency."With the COVID-19 pandemic behind us and some stronger economic data, there is plenty to judge a CEO's management abilities by and if they aren't performing they are out," he added.

It's a tough time in retail — and CEO heads keep rolling

Tensions in Middle-East are rapidly inching closer to their zenith, with Iran firing about 200 ballistic missiles at Israel late yesterday night. In response today, the Indian markets witnessed their worst decline in two months, with Sensex dipping around 1,769 points, or 2.1% to close at 82,497.10. <keyword id="19896381" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Nifty" source="keywords">Nifty</keyword> followed suit and was also down by 2.1% to close the day at 25,250.10. As a result, about Rs 11 lakh crore were wiped off the market today. The decline was broad-based, with sectors like realty (dipped by over 4%) auto, and energy suffering the most. Broader indices also fell, losing nearly 2% each. The Hang Seng index, which had rallied over 14% during the last week, largely on the back of various stimulus measures announced by the central bank to stir consumption in the Chinese economy, also slumped around 1.47%. With the possibility of an all-out war between Iran and Israel looming on the horizon, threatening to happen sooner than later, markets are expected to remain volatile in near future. Even the India VIX, seen as a gauge of uncertainty and investor fear in the market, jumped over 9% during the day. The war could throw a huge spanner on India's crude oil import plans. As of August 2024, about 44.6% of India's crude oil imports came from <keyword id="19904316" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="middle-east" source="keywords">Middle East</keyword>. Israel has already promised significant retaliation, in response to Iran's attack in the days to come. And the strong possibility of a full-blown Israeli attack in Middle East, particularly major oil fields in Iran has sent the crude oil prices surging. Closer home, ONGC (Oil and Natural Gas Corporation) was amongst the biggest gainers on NSE today. <h2>Should Indian investors worry? </h2>But is the impending action in Middle-East the only reason behind today's drastic fall? Vishnu Kant Upadhyay, AVP, Research &amp; Advisory at Master Capital Services notes that while it plays a significant role, other factors are also at play. "Recent regulatory changes in the F&amp;O segment by SEBI is expected to impact trading volumes, as retail participation may decline due to the increased contract size and limits on weekly expiries. Meanwhile, strength in the Chinese market, following the People’s Bank of China (PBoC) stimulus package, has also diverted foreign investment to China, where valuations remain more attractive compared to India", he noted. But Upadhyay believes that the extension of losses in Indian markets wont last long. "From a technical perspective, as long as prices hold above the 25,250–25,100 zone, any decline could present an opportunity to build fresh long positions. A stock-specific approach is advisable, with sectors such as Oil, IT, PSU Banks, Metals, and Chemicals likely to outperform in the coming days", he adds. Shrikant Chouhan, Head Equity Research, Kotak Securities observes that as long as market is trading below 25,365/82,800, the weak sentiment is likely to continue. On the down side, it could slip till 25,150-25,025/82,200-82,000 as well. On the other side, one quick technical pullback is likely if the market succeeds to trade above 25,365/82,800. Above the same, it could bounce back till 25,475-25,500/83,100-83,300. The current market texture is volatile hence; level based trading would be the ideal strategy for the day traders. <h2><keyword id="20760178" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="mutual-fund-investors" source="keywords">Mutual fund investors</keyword>, stay put</h2>In the aftermath of a <keyword id="19968045" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="market-correction" source="keywords">market correction</keyword>, most mutual fund investors often face a critical decision- should they stop their SIPs (<keyword id="21047553" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Systematic-Investment-Plans" source="keywords">Systematic Investment Plans</keyword>) or to view the downturn as a valuable opportunity to acquire more mutual fund units? By continuing SIPs during such downturns, investors can take advantage of 'rupee-cost averaging,' i.e. accumulating more units when prices are down. This approach not only lowers the average cost per unit, but also positions the portfolio for greater returns when the market eventually recovers, and softens the impact of short-term volatility. Swapnil Aggarwal, Director, VSRK Capital explains that alongside maintaining regular investments, revisiting your asset allocation is also essential in these turbulent times. A well-diversified portfolio, that balances equities with safer assets like bonds can withstand market fluctuations more effectively. You can consider shifting some investments into bond funds or other stable instruments, which can provide a cushion against further declines. <h2>What happens next? </h2>While the immediate impact of a market correction may lead to declines in the NAV (Net Asset Value) of mutual funds, disciplined investors can view this as a moment to reassess their strategies. Focusing on your <keyword id="20908416" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="long-term-financial-goals" source="keywords">long-term financial goals</keyword> will let you turn market volatility into opportunity! The market will remain keenly focused on the evolving situation in the Middle East. What will also be equally important are the US monthly jobs data due tomorrow, which could determine the size of Fed's next interest rate move in November.

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