President Trump’s impending tariffs on many foreign-made goods has piqued consumers’ interest in products made stateside, which could spur more companies to center marketing around “Made in USA” claims. This could be a smart move—if companies don’t take liberties with it.

When they do, or at least a company’s competitors think they do, it’s often the job of Phyllis Marcus, VP of the National Advertising Division (NAD) of BBB National Programs, along with her team of attorneys, to vet these “Made in USA” claims. BBB National Programs is an independent, nonprofit entity formed in 2019, when the Council of Better Business Bureaus restructured, and now oversees advertising industry self-regulation programs.

Outside of those applying to automobiles, textile, wool, and fur products, there are no laws requiring consumer goods companies to report US content of their products. However, if they do, “they have to do so carefully,” because there are plenty of Federal Trade Commission (FTC) regulations around what they can say, Marcus told Retail Brew.

While it currently has a “robust body of cases,” NAD has yet to see an influx of cases related to Trump’s tariffs, but they could be coming, Marcus said. “We do predict based on the current economic climate that making these claims may become more important to companies, advertising programs, and campaigns,” she added.

Marcus—who previously spent more than 17 years at the FTC, including as its chief of staff in the division of advertising practices—broke down NAD’s process of regulating these claims, and recent cases it’s taken on.

Keep reading here.—EC

Dick’s Sporting Goods will spend $2.4 billion to acquire rival Foot Locker, hoping to boost its international footprint, attract a younger and more urban customer base, and corner the market on striped referee shirts Nike products.

While Dick’s draws a suburban, older crowd that’s probably more interested in being fitted for golf clubs and Skechers, Foot Locker’s youthful customers are more likely to be into the sneaker culture that Dick’s sees as key to its growth:

• UBS analysts believe Nike could account for 35% of Dick’s total sales when the deal is completed.
• Foot Locker, which will continue as a standalone brand, has 2,400 locations and some actually aren’t in American malls. (It operates in 20 countries, while Dick’s has yet to expand beyond US borders.)

Keep reading here on Morning Brew.—DL

The steepest China tariffs are on pause, so why not take a breather as well and tune in for an educational week of earnings, conferences, and webinars.

Here’s a quick rundown of what’s happening:

In earnings: It’s a big week for retailer earnings, with all the major categories represented. In the home improvement category, Home Depot reports on Tuesday, and Lowe’s reports on Wednesday. Both companies showed signs of life in Q4, as they broke out of their respective losing streaks and expressed long-term optimism that consumers would start investing in their homes despite higher mortgage rates. In the discount category, TJX Companies reports on Wednesday, and Ross Stores reports on Thursday. Discounters have generally excelled in this economy, and TJX arguably most of all. The parent company of TJ Maxx and Marshalls last quarter said it benefitted from a strong holiday season and was in a position to benefit from the chaotic market conditions ahead. In the big-box and warehouse categories, Target reports on Wednesday, and BJ’s Wholesale Club reports on Thursday. The former had a solid holiday quarter, but saw declining profits, and investors will be watching their Q1 earnings closely for whether its ongoing turnaround efforts are working.

Keep reading here.—AV