About The times. (Gainesville, Ga.) 1972-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 24, 2018)
0D BUSINESS Jeff Gill | Business reporter 770-718-3408 | jgill@gainesvilletimes.com The Times, Gainesville, Georgia Saturday, November 24, 2018 Keeping up with Amazon In an online retail era, brick-and-mortar shops still lure crowds CHARLIE RIEDEL I Associated Press People line up to pay for their purchases as they shop during an early Black Friday sale at Best Buy on Thursday, Nov. 22, in Overland Park, Kan. BY CLAIRE GALOFARO, JOSEPH PISANI AND ANNE D’INNOCENZIO Associated Press NEW YORK - It would have been easy to turn on their computers at home over plates of leftover turkey and take advantage of the Black Fri day deals most retailers offer online. But across the country, thousands of shoppers woke up before dawn the day after Thanksgiving and brought their mobile devices with them to take part in this famous ritual of American consumerism. Shoppers lined up outside the Mall of America in Bloom ington, Minnesota, by 4 a.m., and the crowd had swelled to 3,000 people by the time doors opened at 5 a.m. In Ohio, a group of women was so determined, they booked a hotel room Thursday night to be closer to the stores. In New York City, one woman went straight from a dance club to a department store. Many shoppers said Black Friday shopping is as much about the spectacle as it is about doorbuster deals. Kati Anderson said she stopped at Cumberland Mall in Atlanta Friday morning for dis counted clothes as well as “the people watching.” Her friend, Katie Nasworthy, said she went to the mall instead of shopping online because she likes to see the Christmas decorations. “It doesn’t really feel like Christmas until now,” said Kim Bryant, who lined up at 5:40 a.m. at a mall in suburban Denver with her daughter and her daughter’s friend, then sprinted inside when the doors opened at 6 a.m. Brick-and-mortar stores have worked hard to prove they can counter the compe tition from online behemoth Amazon. From Macy’s to Tar get and Walmart, retailers are blending their online and store shopping experience with new tools like digital maps on smart phones and more options for shoppers to buy online and pick up at the stores. The Kohl’s app lets custom ers take photos of products any where and find similar items at the department store. And customers, frustrated with long checkout lines, can check out at Walmart and other stores with a salesperson in store aisles. Priscilla Page, 28, punched her order number into a kiosk at a Walmart in Louisville, Kentucky. She found a good deal online for a gift for her boyfriend, then arrived at the store to retrieve it. “I’ve never Black Friday- shopped before,” she said, as employees delivered her bag minutes later. “I’m not the most patient person ever. Crowds, lines, waiting, it’s not really my thing. This was a lot easier.” Roy Haller’s son wanted a toy robot for his December birthday. Haller tried to buy it on Amazon, but it was sold out. Friday morning, he fran tically searched the internet and found one single robot left, at a Walmart 25 miles from his home in Louisville, Kentucky. He bought it online and arrived an hour later Friday afternoon at a kiosk near the entrance of the store. Employees deliv ered his bag, he held it up and declared: “I got the last one in Louisville!” The holiday shopping sea son presents a big test for a U.S. economy, whose overall growth so far this year has relied on a burst of consumer spending. Americans upped their spending during the first half of 2018 at the strongest pace in four years, yet retail sales gains have tapered off recently and the pace of home buying has fallen outright. The sales totals over the next month will be a good indicator as to whether consumers simply paused to catch their breath or if they feel slightly less optimis tic about the economy in 2019. The National Retail Federa tion, the nation’s largest retail trade group, is expecting holi day retail sales in November and December — excluding automobiles, gasoline and restaurants — to increase as much as 4.8 percent over 2017 for a total of $720.89 bil lion. The sales growth marks a slowdown from last year’s 5.3 percent, which was the largest gain since 2010. But the figure is still healthy. The retail economy is also tilting steeply toward online shopping. Over the past 12 months, purchases at non store retailers such as Ama zon have jumped 12.1 percent. Meanwhile, sales at tradi tional department stores have slumped 0.3 percent. Adobe Analytics, which tracks online retail spending, reported that Thanksgiving should reach a record $3.7 billion in online retail sales, up 29 percent from the same year ago period. BUSINESS HIGHLIGHTS Government probes brake vacuum pumps The U.S. government is investigating over 100 complaints of poor brake performance on 2.7M General Motors pickups and SUVs. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says a brake vacuum pump can deteriorate, causing increased braking effort and longer stopping distances. The agency has 111 consumer complaints including nine crashes and two injuries. The investigation covers 2014 through 2016 Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra pickups, the Chevrolet Suburban and Tahoe, the GMC Yukon and Cadillac Escalade SUVs. The agency will determine how often the problem happens and if a recall is necessary. GM is monitoring complaints and warranty claims about the brakes and is working with NHTSA to evaluate them, spokesman Tom Wilkinson said Friday. Any owner who has a problem with brake performance should have them examined by a GM dealer or a repair shop, Wilkinson said. They should keep receipts because they could be reimbursed for repairs if there is a recall, he added. Burger joint closes after video appears to show rat cooking HONOLULU — A Hawaii burger chain has closed a Honolulu restaurant for cleaning after a video posted to social media appeared to show a rat being cooked on the grill. Teddy’s Bigger Burgers has closed the Mapu- napuna location and fired two employees who appeared in the Snapchat video. “We are horrified that a former teenage employee would conduct themselves in that way and make such a video of which we are investigating its authenticity,” said Richard Stula, the president of Teddy’s Bigger Burgers. The company initiated a “complete sanitiza tion” and is replacing equipment and utensils at the restaurant after the video was shared with them days ago, Stula said in the statement. “We will then send a team in to inspect and complete a thorough audit of the location before it is allowed to re-open,” Stula said. The state Department of Health is scheduled to inspect the restaurant on Friday. The company is also contacting a licensed pest control operator to examine the restaurant for rodents, said Peter Oshiro, the state’s envi ronmental health program manager. “DOH appreciates the remedial and proactive efforts undertaken by the restaurant owner to protect public health,” Oshiro said in a statement. The restaurant received a passing green placard following its state inspection in June. The company is considering legal action against the former employees, Stula said. Associated Press Holiday trends: Cozy for adults, gross for the kids JULIO CORTEZ I Associated Press Cozy sleep items are on display near a holiday section, Friday, Nov. 16, at a Target store in Edison, N.J. Associated Press NEW YORK — Cozy sweaters and soft pajamas are in for adults. Kids, mean while, are asking for games with fake poop and pimples. Those are just some of the trends expected this holiday season, when shoppers are projected to spend as much as $720 billion, accord ing to the National Retail Federation. Here’s what to expect: Let’s get cozy Blame it on holiday stress: Target, Kohl’s and other retailers are pushing “cozy” goods. That means pajamas for the family, weighted blan kets, and everything Sherpa — from socks to sweatshirts. “This holiday season we will see this trend in all of its furriness,” says Maria Rugolo, an apparel industry analyst for NPD Group. Kohl’s is making it easy to choose soft fashions by prom inently displaying the looks near store entrances and in gifting areas. The gross factor “Gross definitely sells in the toy business,” says Jim Silver, the editor in chief of toy review site TTPM.com. In one game, called Don’t Step In It, players are blind folded and have to avoid stepping in soft, clay-like “poop.” A unicorn version of the game features poop in bright colors. Both have been on Amazon’s list of bestsell ing toys. Another popular game is Pimple Pete, says Silver. Players pull, wiggle or twist out “zits” from a plastic face. Losers get squirted with water. New apps, websites Old-guard retailers are adding some new features to their shopping apps and websites. Using Target’s app, shop pers can scan its physical toy catalog so they can find more details about the items and add them to their cart. The Kohl’s app offers the option to scan and store Kohl’s cash and redeem the store’s rewards points and gift cards in a digital wallet for easy access to checkout. Shoppers can also use the app to take photos of prod ucts and then find similar items at Kohl’s. Walmart has been revamp ing its website over the past year to allow shoppers to easily discover more items. The discounter recently introduced WalmartToyLab. com, a new digital play ground where shoppers can play with 20 top toys on their computer or tablet. They can also share their favorites on a digital wish list. At the store, Walmart’s app now helps shoppers find the exact loca tion of a particular item. The Macy’s app comes with an augmented reality feature that lets customers virtually design the interior of a room. The app also lets shoppers scan items and pay with a pre-registered card. They then walk to a checkout counter so that a worker can verify their purchase. Online goes old school Amazon and eBay are tak ing a page from traditional retailers and printing their own toy catalogs. Amazon is shipping its toy book to shoppers’ mailboxes while eBay placed a short ened version inside People magazine’s “Sexiest Man Alive” issue. Amazon’s will also be available at its physi cal bookstores, and eBay handed out a longer version at a New York pop-up shop. Stock Exchange Highlights V NYSE 12,036.24 -87.10 B Nasdaq W 6,938.98 -33.27 Gainers ($2 or more) Name Last Chg %Chg CastlightH 2.78 +. NaviosAc rs 7.23 +. RockColl 141.63+11. DianaShip 3.42 +. Kadmon n 2.77 +. CopaHold 81.96 +4. Smart&Fnl 6.60 +. TmsRty 36.00 +2. VinceHIg rs 12.66 +. WeisMk 48.37 +2. 29 +11.6 63 +9.5 95 +9.2 28 +8.9 16 +6.1 55 +5.9 37 +5.9 00 +5.9 71 +5.9 55 +5.6 Losers (S2 or more) Name Last Chg %Chg BristowGp 4.27 USCF Oil n 25.56 PSCrden 21.02 UBS 3xLCr 13.50 CgpVelLCrd14.12 Qudian n 4.99 PrUCrude rs17.27 DxSPOGBI S15.40 SthnCopper32.12 BasicEn n 6.27 -1.90 -30.8 -5.68 -18.2 -4.40 -17.3 -2.75 -16.9 -2.86 -16.8 -.88 -15.0 -2.28 -11.7 -1.89 -10.9 -3.77 -10.5 -.69 -9.9 Most Active ($1 on more) Name Vol (00) Last Chg GenElec Vale SA Petrobras BkofAm VICI Pr n RegionsFn ChesEng FordM AT&T Inc Ambev 434711 305038 271621 229741 185100 179901 175928 135208 134010 120533 7.57 -.24 13.26 -1.09 13.87 -.45 26.97 -.30 21.65 +.23 15.96 +.14 3.15 -.11 9.13 +.02 29.36 -.41 4.17 -.09 Diary Advanced Declined Unchanged Total issues New Highs New Lows Volume 1,227 1,517 101 2,845 3 160 1,624,695,283 Gainers ($2 Name Last OR more) Chg %Chg Equillium n 19.44 Sphr3D grs 5.59 Gamida n 14.90 Overstk 20.93 LogicBio n 17.98 FortySev n 15.33 EmpirRst rs 14.88 TSR Inc 5.99 Magenta n 8.81 Onconva rs 3.95 +4.84 +33.2 +1.39 +33.1 +3.43 +29.9 +3.95 +23.3 +3.02 +20.2 +1.87 +13.9 +1.73 +13.2 +.68 +12.8 +.98 +12.5 +.44 +12.5 Losers ($2 or more) Name Last Chg %Chg Ability rs BorqsTch EssaPh gs AvalGIb n Big 5Sprt CPI Crd rs HamiltnBc TruettHrst GrdsmHId n 4.03 Vaccinex n 5.52 3.00 2.11 2.61 2.55 3.59 2.51 14.85 2.00 -2.55 -.83 -.50 -.35 -.36 -.24 -1.39 -.19 -.37 -.48 -45.9 -28.2 -16.1 -12.0 -9.1 -8.7 -8.6 -8.6 -8.4 -8.0 Most Active ($1 or more) Name Vol (00) Last Chg AMD 546112 Apple Inc 236239 JD.com 188581 Microsoft Facebook MicronT SiriusXM Nvidia Sphr3D grs 95913 Cisco 93728 138230 118861 112577 105984 102992 19.38 +.65 172.29 -4.49 19.27 -1.07 103.07 -.04 131.73 -3.09 36.40 +.02 6.06 +.02 145.00 +.29 5.59 +1.39 44.54 -.35 Diary Advanced Declined Unchanged Total issues New Highs New Lows Volume 1,528 1,285 205 3,018 20 80 934,448,550 Stocks of Local Interest Name Ex YTD Div Yld PE Last Chg %Chg AFLAC S 1.04 2.3 14 44.47 +.08 0.0 Intel 1.20 2.6 17 46.54 -.49 +.8 AT&T Inc 2.00 6.8 6 29.36 -.41 -24.5 IBM 6.28 5.4 9 117.19 -1.38 -23.6 AbbottLab 1.12 1.6 29 68.11 -.42 +19.3 JohnJn 3.60 2.5 20 142.23 +.24 +1.8 AMD 19.38 +.65 +88.5 KindMorg .80 4.8 21 16.61 -.56 -8.1 Altria 3.20 6.0 17 53.72 -.67 -24.8 Lowes 1.92 2.2 18 87.81 -.56 -5.5 Apple Inc 2.92 1.7 20 172.29 -4.49 +1.8 McDnlds 4.64 2.6 28 181.93 -.79 +5.7 AppIRecy h .75 +.15 -27.9 Merck 2.20 2.9 28 74.67 -.12 +32.7 ATMOS 1.94 2.0 18 97.15 -.04 +13.1 MicronT 3 36.40 +.02 -11.5 AutoZone 18 827.53 +8.32 +16.3 Microsoft 1.84 1.8 43 103.07 -.04 +20.5 AveryD 2.26 2.4 26 92.59 +.17 -19.4 NorflkSo 3.20 2.0 25 163.90 -2.35 +13.1 BB&T Cp 1.62 3.2 15 50.37 -.05 +1.3 Nvidia .64 .4 27 145.00 +.29 -25.1 BP PLC 2.38 6.0 12 39.89 -1.38 -5.1 OfficeDpt .10 3.3 9 3.07 -.09 -13.3 BkofAm .60 2.2 13 26.97 -.30 -8.6 OrchidsPP 1.40 77.8 3 1.80 +1.12 -85.9 BarnesNob .60 9.0 6.67 -.27 -.4 Penney 1.31 -.01 -58.5 Boeing 6.84 2.2 29 312.32 -5.00 +5.9 PepsiCo 3.71 3.2 33 115.41 +.13 -3.8 BrMySq 1.60 3.0 52 52.93 -.27 -13.6 Pfizer 1.36 3.2 17 43.14 +.04 +19.1 CSX .88 1.3 10 69.78 -.43 +26.8 PhilipMor 4.56 5.4 20 84.05 +.10 -20.4 CampSp 1.40 3.5 14 40.53 +1.01 -15.8 Primerica 1.00 .9 14 115.25 +.35 +13.5 Caterpillar 3.44 2.8 11 122.32 -1.55 -22.4 ProctGam 2.87 3.1 23 91.54 +.13 -.4 ChesEng 5 3.15 -.11 -20.5 RealGSol h .63 +.08 -57.5 Chevron 4.48 3.9 24 113.60 -3.97 -9.3 RegionsFn .56 3.5 14 15.96 +.14 -7.6 Cisco 1.32 3.0 22 44.54 -.35 +16.3 RockColl 1.32 .9 22 141.63+11.95 +4.4 Citigroup 1.80 2.9 10 61.75 -1.12 -17.0 SiriusXM .05 .8 34 6.06 +.02 +13.1 ClevCIiffs .60 6.8 3 8.78 -.72 +21.8 SouthnCo 2.40 5.2 22 45.72 +.09 -4.9 CocaCola 1.56 3.2 92 49.02 +.29 +6.8 Sphr3D grs 5.59 +1.39 -71.6 ConAgra .85 2.6 16 33.19 +.30 -11.9 SunTrst 2.00 3.3 11 61.31 -.59 -5.1 Cummins 4.56 3.1 40 144.81 -.19 -18.0 SynovusFn 1.00 2.8 13 35.89 -.40 -25.1 Disney 1.68 1.5 15 112.08 -.95 +4.3 3M Co 5.44 2.8 27 196.80 -1.89 -16.4 DowDuPnt 1.52 2.7 18 56.43 -.54 -20.8 Torchmark .64 .7 7 86.06 -.04 -5.1 EnCana g .06 .8 12 7.12 -.27 -46.6 Tyson 1.20 2.0 11 58.89 -.02 -27.4 Equifax 1.56 1.5 17 101.06 +.06 -14.3 UtdCmBks .64 2.6 15 25.06 -.15 -10.9 ExxonMbl 3.28 4.3 14 75.49 -2.07 -9.7 UPS B 3.64 3.3 18 108.69 -.08 -8.8 Facebook 25 131.73 -3.09 -25.3 UtdTech 2.94 2.3 21 129.04 +3.33 +1.2 FordM .60 6.6 5 9.13 +.02 -26.9 VICI Pr n .71 3.3 21.65 +.23 +3.6 GenElec .48 6.3 7.57 -.24 -56.7 VerizonCm 2.41 4.1 7 58.64 -.52 +10.8 GenuPrt 2.88 2.9 22 99.72 -.29 +5.0 Vodafone 1.74 8.8 19.72 +.20 -38.2 HP Inc .64 2.8 8 22.51 -.15 +7.1 WalMart 2.08 2.2 55 95.10 +.93 -3.7 Haverty .72 3.3 22 21.75 +.16 -4.0 Weathflntl .65 -.03 -84.4 HeliosM rs .02 ...-100.0 WeisMk 1.24 2.6 11 48.37 +2.55 +16.9 Hershey 2.89 2.7 23 106.21 +.05 -6.4 WellsFargo 1.72 3.3 13 51.83 -.60 -14.6 HomeDp 4.12 2.4 18 168.85 -.45 -10.9 YumBrnds 1.44 1.7 31 87.19 +.52 +6.8 Name Ex YTD Div Yld PE Last Chg %Chg Stock Footnotes: g = Dividends and earnings in Canadian dollars, h = Does not meet continued-listing standards. If = Late filing with SEC. n = New in past 52 weeks, pf = Preferred, rs = Stock has undergone a reverse stock split of at least 50 percent within the past year, rt = Right to buy security at a specified price, s = Stock has split by at least 20 percent within the last year, un = Units, vj = In bankruptcy or receivership, wd = When distributed, wi = When issued, wt = Warrants. Fund Footnotes: m - Multiple fees are charged, usually a marketing fee and either a sales or redemption fee. Source: The Associated Press. Sales figures are unofficial. Stock Market Indexes Dow Jones industrials Close: 24,285.95 Change: -178.74 (-0.7%) 27,200 26,400 25,600 24,800 26,200 25,220 24,240 10 DAYS M J J A S O N 52-Week Net YTD 12-mo High Low Name Last Chg %Chg %Chg %Chg 26,951.81 23,344.52 Dow Industrials 24,285.95 -178.74 -.73 -1.75 +3.09 11,623.58 9,456.16 Dow Transportation 10,369.01 +3.48 +.03 -2.29 +7.78 773.78 647.81 Dow Utilities 719.63 +.94 +.13 -.52 -5.20 13,637.02 11,820.33 NYSE Composite 12,036.24 -87.10 -.72 -6.03 -3.10 8,133.30 6,630.67 Nasdaq Composite 6,938.98 -33.27 -.48 +.52 +.72 1,309.73 1,118.69 S&P 100 1,161.40 -9.89 -.84 -1.84 +1.26 2,940.91 2,532.69 S&P 500 2,632.56 -17.37 -.66 -1.54 +1.16 2,053.00 1,769.25 S&P MidCap 1,824.88 -2.99 -.16 -3.98 -1.85 30,560.54 26,293.62 Wilshire 5000 27,196.57 -148.91 -.54 -2.15 +.51 1,742.09 1,436.43 Russell 2000 1,488.68 +.40 +.03 -3.05 -2.01 Mutual Funds Name Total Assets Obj ($Mlns) NAV Total Return/Rank 4-wk 12-mo 5-year Pet Load Min Init Invt Vanguard 500ldxAdmrl LB 247,729 243.81 -3.8 +3.3/B +10.0/A NL 3,000 Vanguard TtlSMIdxAdmrl LB 199,057 65.76 -3.5 +2.8/B +9.6/A NL 3,000 Vanguard TtlSMIdxInv LB 127,316 65.73 -3.5 +2.7/B +9.5/B NL 3,000 Vanguard TtlnSIdxInv FB 126,316 15.80 -1.3 -10.2/C +1.8/B NL 0 Vanguard TtlSMIdxIns LB 119,661 65.78 -3.5 +2.8/B +9.7/A NL 5 000,000 Vanguard Insldxlns LB 116,372 240.54 -3.8 +3.3/B +10.1/A NL 5 000,000 Vanguard InsIdxInsPlus LB 101,648 240.56 -3.8 +3.3/B +10.1/A NL100,000,000 Vanguard TtlnSIdxInsPlus FB 94,240 105.70 -1.3 -10.1/C +1.9/B NL100,000,000 Fidelity Contrafund LG 91,385 12.03 -7.1 +0.6/D +10.4/B NL 0 Vanguard TtBMIdxAdmrl Cl 85,528 10.28 +0.4 -1.9/C +1.9/C NL 3,000 Fidelity 500ldxlnsPrm LB 84,712 92.26 -3.8 +3.3/B +10.1/A NL 0 Vanguard WlngtnAdmrl MA 84,654 70.57 -0.4 +1.9/A +7.1/A NL 50,000 Cl -Intermediate-Term Bond, FB -Foreign Large Blend, IH -World Allocation, LB -Large Blend, LG -Large Growth, LV -Large Value, MA -Moderate Allocation, WS -World Stock, Total Return: Chng in NAV with dividends reinvested. Rank: How fund performed vs. others with same objective: A is in top 20%, E in bottom 20%. Min Init Invt: Minimum $ needed to invest in fund. Source: Morningstar.
