Former Home Depot CEO Bob Nardelli issued a grim warning over the U.S.'s “very complex” economy, cautioning consumers that middle market companies are under “tremendous pressure.”
“I think we're going to see a lot of bankruptcies. Like Bed, Bath and Beyond. We got Walmart not only laying people off, but closing stores. We got Accenture laying people off. We got Amazon closing distribution centers. So I think there's a tremendous-mixed message,” Nardelli said during an appearance on “Cavuto: Coast to Coast.”
WALMART CLOSING THREE TECH HUBS, ASKING EMPLOYEES TO RELOCATE
The former CEO continued, saying that the “complexity” of the U.S. economy is “different than anything I have seen in my 52 years.”
According to UBS analysts, more than 50,000 retail locations could permanently shut their doors over the next five years. Those closures would cut the current U.S. store count of about 940,000 by around 5% by the end of 2027.
50K STORES COULD CLOSE IN FIVE YEARS DUE TO A SLOWDOWN IN CONSUMER SPENDING, ECOMMERCE DEMAND
The number of shuttered stores is “already up significantly” in 2023 compared to last year, due to heavy hitters like Bed Bath & Beyond, Foot Locker and bankrupt Tuesday Morning trimming their footprints.