A podcast heavily weighted towards retailers focused on small- and mid-sized markets, we begin by covering Hibbett Sports’ latest earnings call—and why it was much more positive than most media outlets let on. From there, we discuss Cato’s seeming lack of digital initiatives, ascena’s big announcement, and how new varieties of berries may allow grocers more options in the produce section.

A quick podcast covers Dollar General’s earnings—and why we’re more optimistic than most on their projections for 2019—as well as independents taking market share away from PetSmart and Petco in pet retail. We also discuss why Neiman Marcus’ digital numbers during their recent earnings call were a bit disappointing, and how Shopko’s liquidation may affect the retail real estate landscape in the U.S.

A big earnings week for the retail world, and we discuss how Target is bearing fruits from their trials two years ago, while Kroger is hoping to bear fruits in two years from their trials today. We also discuss the state of airport retail after a superb Retail Dive article on the subject, what Dollar Tree could or should do with Family Dollar, and whether Walmart’s new returns initiative might actually take hold.

After talking about two brief stories—Amazon’s new grocery concept and Gap’s plan to spin Old Navy off—we dive into JCPenney’s latest earnings and initiatives under new CEO Jill Soltau. We then turn attention to JCPenney’s former CEO (Marvin Ellison) and his latest earnings call at Lowe’s before looking at a potential up-and-coming retailer from the Dallas area seeking to expand. We close our show by peering at how earnings from one pet food company may suggest people are changing their pet-related buying habits.

We discuss Walmart’s latest earnings, along with their initiatives on the table for 2019, to lead the show. Then, it’s a deep dive into Advance Auto Parts—despite their comp store sales going up, we revisit how they seem to be losing market share to their two main competitors. We close by discussing Samsung’s retail foray, a retail-centric REIT, and the long-term potential of CVS.

A few weeks after an initial deal, we get clarity on Eddie Lampert’s deal to save Sears—at least for now. We discuss Under Armour’s latest earnings call, which largely beat analyst expectations but left something to be desired in U.S. sales figures. From there, we discuss JCPenney’s big move, an abrupt about-face for Amazon’s HQ2 in New York, and a potential slew of store closings from Payless that may have a ripple effect on retail real estate.

We lead with Amazon—because we have to—but from there it is on to discussing Simon and their most recent occupancy rates numbers. Then, we discuss Tuesday Morning’s second straight positive earnings call and their potential return to long-term profitability, and Mastercard’s record-breaking numbers. We close by looking ahead at potential H&M store closures and Natural Grocers’ choice to open stores in less-populated areas.

In an area of retail we don’t discuss often, Signet Jewelers updates holiday sales, and the poor showing leads to management suggestions regarding scaling back brick-and-mortar. From there, positive signs at Big 5 Sporting Goods after a strong December sales showing, and a potential bankruptcy at Things Remembered. We wrap up with fresh credit card data, Shopko’s pharmacy suitors, and Google Express. Our podcast is brought to you by Blinkist—start a free seven day trial by visiting www.blinkist.com/retail

We begin with an abrupt about-face in the retail news cycle, as Sears Holdings goes from doomed to liquidation to still alive (just barely) in the span of a few days. From there, it’s on to early December sales tallies for Kohl’s and Macy’s, earnings for Bed Bath & Beyond, and Sprouts seeking to expand their footprint by three more markets.

In a podcast looking largely at macro trends, we discuss a retail real estate report that suggests that mall occupancy rates are stabilizing heading into 2019, and the potential impact of a slew of minimum wage increases. After discussing Amazon/Whole Foods, we take a deep dive into Fleet Farm’s westward expansion, and their buildout of existing stores to include new product categories.