Retailers localizing discounts

The Wall Street Journal: Retailers such as Walmart and Home Depot have taken on or expanded some form of "localized markdowns," rather than slash prices the same amount at the same time across all markets. This helps boost profits whenever items selling well in one region offset the need for deeper discounts somewhere else.

"It allows you to be more surgical and dynamic," said No. 1 home-improvement retailer Home Depot's chief financial officer, Carol Tome, in an interview. "Rather than marking down by entire market, you can use your markdown strategy depending on the sell-through in each store."

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