The Morning Ledger: As Tariffs Loom, How One Retailer Aims to Keep Prices Low on Nikes and Asics
☀️ Good morning. Academy Sports + Outdoors is working to keep its prices low; the Nordstrom family is taking the chain private; and Honda and Nissan Motor Corporation plan to merge in 2026.
Please note: The Morning Ledger newsletter is taking a break for the holidays and will return Jan. 2. See you in the new year!
Potential new tariffs could lead to higher prices on things such as Nike and Adidas shoes at Academy Sports & Outdoors stores, but the retailer hopes a laser focus on keeping its prices lower than competitors facing the same tariffs will give it an edge, reports Jennifer Williams .
Meanwhile, changes that Academy has made to its supply chain to cut back on the amount of private-label goods it imports from China also could blunt the impact of tariffs proposed by President-elect Donald Trump.
But tariffs or no tariffs, Academy hopes its pricing will bring inflation-weary consumers hunting for deals to its doors.
“We’re going to stay committed to being an everyday value retailer, which in the current state means on things like Nike T-shirts and Nike shoes, we price our goods $5 below” the manufacturer’s suggested retail price, said Carl Ford , chief financial officer at Academy. “If Nike takes those MSRP’s up…we will continue at that same level below MSRP, but at a higher level.”
The Day Ahead
Economic Indicators:
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What Else Matters to CFOs
The founding family of Nordstrom clinched a $4 billion deal to take the struggling department-store chain private.
The department-store chain said Monday that Erik, Pete and Jamie Nordstrom, along with other members of the family, are being joined by Mexican retailer El Puerto de Liverpool to acquire all of Nordstrom’s outstanding stock at $24.25 apiece in cash.
The Big Number: 8 Million
—The approximate number of vehicles sold annually by Honda, Nissan and Nissan partner Mitsubishi Motors combined. The automakers said they plan to merge in 2026, a move Honda’s chief executive said wasn’t a rescue of troubled Nissan but a recognition that developing new technologies was too hard to do alone. The merger would create the third-largest carmaker in the world.
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The Wall Street Journal's CFO Journal offers corporate leaders and professionals CFO analysis, advice and commentary to make informed decisions. We cover topics including corporate tax accounting, regulation, capital markets, management and strategy.
Follow us on X @WSJCFO. The WSJ CFO Journal Team comprises reporters Kristin Broughton, Mark Maurer and Jennifer Williams, and Bureau Chief Walden Siew.
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