Luxury handbags are no longer the status symbol of choice for many consumers

In this episode:

◇ Sales of women's handbags and totes in the U.S. are down more than 20% over the first eight months of 2019. The handbag was once the accessory of choice for customers looking to enter into the luxury market, a status symbol of sorts. Now that role is filled by sneaker and althleisure product categories

◇ Houston Rockets sneakers and apparel were pulled from several Nike stores in major Chinese cities amid the furore surrounding a tweet from the team's general manager in support of anti-government protests in Hong Kong.

◇ Bigger isn't always better, like big-box retailers before them, demand for smaller warehouses is soaring as e-commerce, and the push for faster delivery accelerates competition for industrial space close to major population centres.