L Catterton, the private-equity firm with close ties to LVMH and Bernard Arnault that’s preparing to take Birkenstock public, has become an investment giant in the consumer-goods space, with stakes in companies selling everything from fashion to pet food to tacos.

Any fashion company that is contemplating going public needs to have not only the product and brand fundamentals right but also a business strategy that can easily be understood by the markets, writes Imran Amed.

Consumer spending increased just 0.8 percent last month as the labour market cools.

The US economy grew at a slightly less brisk pace than initially thought in the second quarter as businesses liquidated inventory, but momentum appears to have picked up early this quarter as a tight labour market underpins consumer spending.