Detroit turns to robots as labor costs rise / Deep Dive: Hermès excels in luxury's tough spot / J.B. Hunt profits dip amid slow freight

Plus, Ulta's $10B sales in 2023

Inside Business For January 19, 2024

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Here's your daily business briefing. 🤖 Detroit turns to robots as labor costs rise 👜 Deep Dive: Hermès excels in luxury's tough spot 🚚 J.B. Hunt profits dip amid slow freight Thanks for reading! Shriram p/Shriram

1 Detroit automakers, including Ford ($F), are adopting automation to address rising labor costs and compete with companies like Tesla ($TSLA), known for aggressive factory technology deployment. Despite concerns within the UAW about job displacement, analysts highlight that streamlining production processes can yield significant cost savings. More: In 2023, the UAW secured a labor agreement with Ford, GM ($GM), and Stellantis ($STLA), entailing a record 25% wage increase over four years. Richer labor contracts are driving Detroit executives, like those at Ford, to address increased costs, with Ford expecting a $900 rise per vehicle by 2028. John Lawler, Ford's chief financial officer, underlined "opportunities in automation" as the business deals with the expenses of its new labor contract. Since the 1960s, automakers have employed robots; in 2022, the automobile sector built 136,000 new industrial robotic units worldwide, second only to the electronics sector. Last year, Tesla prioritized introducing additional automated equipment as a key tool to cut future model production costs by 50%.

2 What the numbers say: Hermès led the luxury sector last year, with shares up 33% for 2023 and Q3 sales rising 16% to put the company on pace to bring in around $13.9B for the year. Doubling in size in three years, the brand limits production with a 7% annual increase in handbag factory output, reinvesting 4% of revenue in promotions, notably lower than the industry average, as LVMH reinvested 12% in marketing. Relevance: Hermès maintains resilience in economic downturns by targeting the superrich, avoiding overexposure, and practicing disciplined marketing and promotions. The brand's conservative pricing strategy and the production of limited quantities of sought-after items like the Birkin handbag ensure consistent performance but restrict rapid growth. More data: Hermès shares command a price-to-earnings ratio of 45, surpassing LVMH at 22 and Kering at 17. Reflecting robust demand, the brand's secondhand Birkin 25 handbags carry a markup of 2.3 times the original price, while in 2009, amidst the financial crisis, Hermès achieved an 8.4% increase in sales, defying the 7.5% contraction in the global luxury market.

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3 J.B. Hunt Transport Services ($JBHT), a significant player in the transportation sector, reported a nearly 24% profit decline YoY in the fourth quarter, with earnings dropping to $153.5M, or $1.47 per share, compared to $201.3M, or $1.92 per share, a year earlier. Revenue also decreased by 9% to $3.30B, falling short of analysts' expectations of $3.29B. More: J.B. Hunt pointed to declining volumes and lower revenue per load in its truckload and integrated capacity solutions units, impacting the overall revenue decrease. CEO John Roberts emphasized the harsh freight climate on a call for earnings, mentioning continuous challenges in the sector. The company faced difficulties due to rising equipment, labor, and healthcare costs and pressure from clients and rivals over prices. One positive development for J.B. Hunt was a 6% rise in intermodal volumes, which matched the recent rise in import volumes at the ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles. Zoom Out: Cass Information Systems reported a 17.7% YoY decline in U.S. domestic trucking and rail freight rates for December in its monthly Cass Freight Index.

4 Ulta Beauty ($ULTA) reported net sales of $10.2B for 2023, up 18.3% YoY, with a 15.6% increase in comparable sales. At NRF 2024 in New York City, Ulta CEO Dave Kimbell highlights the beauty sector's resilience and strength, emphasizing the importance of innovation during economic uncertainties. More: Ulta's growth was greatly aided by its loyalty program, Ultamate Rewards, which has over 42 million members and is responsible for more than 95% of sales. The retailer upgraded its loyalty program, offering expanded benefits and an improved birthday gift selection for members. The global beauty market is projected to reach $646.2B in 2024, growing at a 3.3% CAGR, while Ulta's innovation efforts encompass new brand introductions, tech initiatives, and AI integration for personalized communication. With the help of technology, Ulta hopes to enhance the personalized service offered by its 50,000 employees nationwide.

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5 Just Eat Takeaway.com (TKWY.AS) reported a steeper-than-expected 7% decline in Q4 2023 orders to 223.1 million, below the anticipated average of 226.1 million. Despite an initial share decline, the company gained up to 2.2%, expecting adjusted EBITDA for the entire year to exceed the guided $337M and aiming to break even in free cash flow in H2 2023. More: Like other delivery services, Just Eat has had difficulty growing to pre-COVID levels due to lackluster orders in North America, which decreased by 13% during that time. The Northern European and UK/Ireland markets experienced growth in gross transaction value, fueled by food price inflation and new customer additions. In Q4 2023, the overall value of orders placed on Just Eat's platform decreased by 5% to $7.35B, falling short of the projected $7.47B. The company is exploring selling Grubhub, acquired in 2021 for about $7.3B, facing challenges due to market pressures and uncertainties about delivery fee caps in New York.

6 Google ($GOOG) introduced two new AI tools to improve and personalize the search experience, utilizing generative AI technology similar to viral chatbots like ChatGPT. The company highlights the ongoing potential to further explore and enhance search capabilities through the application of AI. More: With the first tool, "Circle to Search," Android users can scribble, tap, highlight, or circle text, photos, or videos to get more details. From Jan. 31, this feature will be accessible on Android phones, such as the Galaxy S24, Pixel 8, and Pixel 8 Pro. With the second feature, users can upload a photo to obtain information via the Google app or ask questions about an image using the camera on their mobile device. Features like search-by-voice and the Lens tool, two of Google's ongoing breakthroughs in search, show how similar technologies are being used more widely in the IT sector.

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Shriram Jeevakumar Freelance Writer Shriram is pursuing Master’s in Business with Marketing at Warwick Business School. He worked as a Senior Consultant in Tech and Political Consultancies before his Masters. He is passionate about Tech, Marketing, Strategy, Anthropology and Politics. He is also the Postgraduate Ambassador for Warwick Business School. This newsletter was edited by Aaron Crutchfield

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