Kristin Bentz Thinks Macy's Needs To Close Stores

Macy's, Inc M shares are rebounding this week, but according to Kristin Bentz of The Talented Blonde, investors shouldn't be fooled. Macy's, she said on Tuesday's PreMarket Prep, is in deep trouble.
Even though she loves CEO Terry Lundgren, Bentz admitted there’s certan things that even he can’t fix.
"They’re trying to do everything. They acquired a cosmetics company...which I thought was strange. They went into off-price. They brought in Sunglass Hut. They're trying to do everything to fix it, and now they're closing stores, which is what they should have done a long time ago." 
Failing Digi-col Initiative
Bentz talked about what she called the "Digi-col" initiative, the combination of owning the digital and local spaces. Despite Macy's having one of the largest websites in the world, they're having a hard time marrying the two. "I'd be really cautious here. I think that there's much more room for weakness," she said. 
The only solution according to Bentz is to close stores. "I think they need to close a gazillion stores. It’s sad because they're such an amazing brand. They're doing all the right thinks and it's still not working."
Kohl's Should Go Private
Kohl's Corporation KSS shares are trading higher this week on news of the company potentially going private, but many are concerned with what this says about retail industry.
Bentz thinks it would be a good move for what she called the former gold standard of the retail industry.  
"I actually like it for Kohls," she said on Tuesday's edition of Benzinga's PreMarket Prep. "Even though Kohls was best in class, they're struggling. I think going private would be a great solution for them."
Kohl's has been an example of the retail industry giants failing to understand how the consumer wants to spend money, singling out their new same-day delivery policy that may not work for what they sell.
Experiential Luxury
Bentz pointed to experiential luxury brands as the companies that could be the next big draw for the consumer retail sector. Travel companies, such as Airbnb and Uber, and service companies, such as DryBar, could be positioned to grow in the coming years.  
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