 |
|
|
|||||
Amid rapid technological advancements, return-to-office policies, and political and economic uncertainty, soft-skills like conflict mitigation are rising through the ranks as desirable skills for professionals. Skills needed for jobs are rapidly changing, with LinkedIn estimating that 70% job skills will change by 2030. In response, the social network identified the top 15 fastest-growing skills in the United States with its inaugural Skills on the Rise 2025 report. With a quarter of professionals planning on learning new skills, LinkedIn’s list pinpoints the most popular skills for both professionals and companies hiring. LinkedIn identified growth on skills by measuring various metrics and comparing the findings from 2024 and 2023. The metrics included the increase of a skill mentioned in paid job postings, the rate of new skills added to users profiles, and skills of users hired within the past year. Successful collaboration is crucial in a tension-filled world Landing second place on the list, conflict mitigation is set to become popular among various industries like higher education, consulting, and tech. By navigating workplace conflicts effectively, conflict mitigators generate successful collaborative environments. Other soft skills on the list include innovative thinking, public speaking, and adaptability, with professionals prioritizing. You can teach technical skillsets but if you are unable to work well with others, listen effectively, collaborate with others, be respectful, be open to outside thoughts you will struggle, one LinkedIn user commented on the list. LinkedIns report also notably accounts for the proliferation of AI use in the workplace, with AI Literacy landing the top spot on the list, and large language model (LLM) development and application scoring farther down the list. Here are the full 15 skills in order: AI Literacy Conflict Mitigation Adaptability Process Optimization Innovative Thinking Public Speaking Solution-Based Selling Customer Engagement and Support Stakeholder Management LLM Development and Application Budget and Resource Management Go-to-Market Strategy Regulatory Compliance Growth Strategy Risk Assessment
Category:
E-Commerce
Discount retailers have been hit hard in 2025, with major chains like Big Lots and Dollar General shuttering stores. However, one discount retailer seems to be bucking that trend. Teen and tween discount retail chain Five Below has announced that it will be opening 150 new stores this year, adding to the companys already sizable footprint. Heres what you need to know about the openings. Five Below to open 150 new stores in 2025 On Wednesday, Five Below, Inc. reported its Q4 and fiscal 2024 financial results as well as issued its outlook for its Q1 and fiscal 2025. For its Q4 2024, the company saw net sales increase 4% year over year to $1.39 billion. It also had an adjusted EPS of $3.48. Those results beat Wall Street estimates by 1% and 3.3%, respectively, notes StockStory. As for its full fiscal 2024, Five Below said its net sales increased 8.9% to $3.88 billion. The Wall Street beats and earnings growth caused Five Below stock to jump as much as 12% in after-hours tradinga sign of investor relief after the company, like many discount retailers, has had to struggle with inflation-weary consumers pulling back on discretionary spending in recent years. But Five Below also announced something else alongside its earning results. The company confirmed it will be opening 150 new locations in fiscal 2025. Currently, the company says it ended fiscal 2024 with 1,771 locations. That means that Five Below expects to expand its total store count by about 8.5% this financial year. Five Below has not said where the 150 new locations will be, but the company currently has stores in 44 states, and its average store size is around 9,000 square feet. However, there are a few things to note about the companys planned 150 new stores. While new locations are a vote of confidence by a retailer that its business is moving in the right direction, this isnt the first time Five Below said it would be opening new stores during fiscal 2024. When Five Below reported its Q2 2024 earnings back in August 2024, the company announced that it planned to open 150 to 180 stores in 2025. It seems the company has now settled on the lower end of that original figure. The anticipated 150 new stores in fiscal 2025 are also below the 227 net new stores the company opened in fiscal 2024 and the 204 net new stores it opened in fiscal 2023. Trump tariff troubles But while investors seem to have reacted positively to Five Belows most recent financial results, the company did note that it faces some headwinds. Five Below is a discount retailer that mainly sells items that appeal to teens and tweens. Many of the companys products sell for under $5 apiece, with many items costing as low as $1, $2, or $3. Five Below imports many of these low-cost goods from overseas, and, as noted by MarketWatch, the company revealed yesterday that around 60% of its goods came from China. That could be a problem for Five Below as President Trump has so far focused on the heaviest tariff increases in his tariff war on China. In other words, Five Below could soon be paying more for the majority of the goods it imports. Like most companies, it would then likely pass the cost of those tariffs onto consumers, who are already dealing with rising costs due to inflationary pressures. Indeed, as MarketWatch notes, Five Below has also confirmed that it will be raising the prices on some items that currently cost below $5. Whether tariff-induced price rises at Five Below turn off shoppers remains to be seen. Five Below stock soars, but it’s still down for the year After yesterdays earnings results, the stock price of Five Below (Nasdaq: FIVE) surged. FIVE stock jumped over 12% in after-hours trading. As of the time of this writing, FIVE stock is up around 11% in premarket trading to just over $84 per share. Before Five Below announced its earnings after the closing bell yesterday, FIVE stock closed at $75.59. Yet despite its stock price jump in the past day, FIVE shares have still had a rough 2025. As of yesterdays close, FIVE shares were down nearly 28% since the beginning of the year. And over the past 12 months, FIVE shares had fallen more than 63%.
Category:
E-Commerce
Too often, we get stuck waitingwaiting for a boss, a higher-up, or even a partner to hand us the reins and tell us its our time to shine. But heres the truth: empowerment isnt something youre given. Its something you take. If things arent going your way, theres no one else to blameits up to you to make a move. If youre tired of waiting for someone else to recognize your potential or tell you what to do next, here are three actionable steps to take control and empower yourself today: Stop Asking for PermissionStart Taking Initiative Empowerment begins when you stop waiting for someone to tell you what to do and start taking proactive steps toward what you know needs to be done. Identify a recurring problem at work and propose a solution to your team or supervisor. Even if its not implemented, the act of stepping forward demonstrates your leadership mindset and builds confidence. Instead of waiting for your boss to address a gap in team communication, suggest implementing a weekly check-in meeting. Better yet, create a suggested communication matrix with specific questions to ask to ensure gaps are minimized. Taking initiative shows you care about the teams success and your role in it. This puts you in the best position to shine and to keep top-of-mind when positions or projects pop up that require your skillset. Remember that your boss most likely has a busy calendar with shifting priorities and mounting headaches, if you can make their job easier and alleviate some of their headaches, you will be the hero in their workplace story. Word will travel that you are resourceful. Cultivate Self-Awareness and Lean into Your Strengths Understanding your own strengths, weaknesses, and values is the foundation of self-leadership. You dont need your boss to define your roleyou need to define how you show up in it. This simple reframe will help you take back the influence that many of us give away. Spend 10 minutes each week reflecting on recent wins and challenges. What strengths did you leverage? Where could you improve? Use this insight to guide your actions. Also, assess how you feel at the end of each day for one week and note which job functions you were performing when you felt like you were succeeding and when you felt most stressed. That will help you pinpoint the best positions and functions for you. If youre naturally skilled at relationship-building, consider how you can use that strength to foster collaboration or improve team dynamics, even without being prompted. It will be those relationships that will get you through tough times and could prove beneficial when up for that next promotion too. Dont forget that you are the captain of your own ship and the chief navigator of your workplace and life experiences. You do not need to be the victim or bystander. Embrace Feedback as a Tool, not a Threat Empowered leaders view feedback as an opportunity to grow, not as a personal attack. Seek out feedback proactively, even if its uncomfortableits a critical step in refining your approach and building trust. Without this feedback, you will undoubtedly experience blindspots on your journey. Be open to feedback if you want to minimize painful mistakes. At the end of a project or meeting, ask a colleague or manager, Whats one thing I did well, and one thing I could improve? Listen without defensiveness and take actionable steps to improve. Younger says, We can choose to remove the clay that we place over our brilliance. She points out that being proactive about requesting feedback allows our brilliance to shine through. When receiving feedback that your presentations need more clarity, take a public speaking course or workshop to elevate your skills and demonstrate your commitment to growth. In this example, be sure to ask what specific areas of your presentation lack clarity. That way, you will not waste time on the wrong things. Often, people shy away from feedback, because they are afraid of what they might find. Those who are eager to go into the unknown of feedback and take in the good with the bad quickly discover the benefits. We cannot be our best and become more self-empowered unless we know where to smooth our rough edges. The good news is that we all have them. So, there is nothing to be ashamed about. Instead, look at the courage you display when you eagerly seek the feedback as a badge of honor. Claim Your Leadership Role Empowerment isnt a gift someone hands youits a mindset you cultivate. By taking initiative, leveraging your strengths, and embracing feedback, you build the confidence and competence needed to lead yourselfand, in turn, inspire those around you. Stop waiting for permission. Start leading yourself, and watch how others begin to follow.
Category:
E-Commerce
All news |
||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||