Archive for year: 2025

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November consumer prices rose at a 2.7% annual rate vs. 3.1% expected at CNBC. “Core CPI, which strips out volatile food and energy prices, was also cooler than anticipated, increasing 2.6% over 12 months. It was expected to have increased by 3%.” Read more

 

Elliott Builds Over $1 Billion Stake in Lululemon at WSJ. “Elliott has been working closely with veteran retail executive Jane Nielsen, a former chief financial officer and chief operating officer at Ralph Lauren, who they see as a potential Lululemon CEO candidate, the people familiar with the matter said.” WSJ subs.

 

Walmart’s $115,000 Starting Pay and Better Rigs Draw Women to Trucking at Bloomberg. “While competitors worry about potential worker shortages, Walmart Inc. has grown its trucking workforce by 33% in the last three years by making the job more attractive to people who might otherwise eschew the field…About 18% of Walmart’s truckers are women, data firm Revelio Labs estimates, nearly double the rate of the female drivers at competitors.” WSJ subs.

 

The United States of Fraud at Business Insider. “…some people have turned to petty fraud, policy abuse, and small acts of sabotage as a means of getting back at their economic overlords. They’re engaging in spurts of shoplifting, taking part in return shenanigans, and using their credit cards for “friendly fraud” that’s anything but. They see — or at least excuse — these acts not as stealing but as small moments of deserved vengeance in a system that violates their sense of basic fairness at every turn.” Read more

 

All That Cheap Chinese Stuff Is Now Europe’s Problem at WSJ. “Upstart cargo airlines are forging what they call a modern silk road, connecting factory hubs in China to population centers across Europe, where Chinese immigrants get paid to store goods in spare rooms…China is outfoxing Trump’s efforts to isolate Beijing, with shipments to Europe and Southeast Asia more than offsetting the nearly 20% contraction to the U.S.” WSJ subs.

 

UPS company deploys AI to spot fakes amid surge in holiday returns at Reuters. “Nearly one in every 10 retail items that are returned for a refund in the U.S. is fraudulent…This holiday season, UPS-owned boxless returns processing company Happy Returns is testing its AI fraud detection tool with a handful of clients, including apparel sellers Everlane, Revolve, and Under Armour…” Reuters subs.

 

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DoorDash Launches Grocery Shopping App Within ChatGPT Press release

 

Private Equity Is Ruining a Beloved Fly-Fishing Brand, Retailers Say at Bloomberg. “Fly shops across the US are publicly dropping Simms…Observers say the boycott is a sign of the turbulent waters in which fly-fishing finds itself amid private equity roll-ups and broader changes in commerce also hitting cycling and skiing.” Bloomberg subs.

 

Medical center that employs woman who berated Target worker over Charlie Kirk shirt bombarded with over 6,000 ‘profanity-laced’ calls at NY Post

 

Despite tariffs, China consumer giants push into the US as domestic market stalls at AP. “Younger, cost-conscious Western consumers – already shopping on Chinese platforms like Shein and Temu offering better value with prices – would be the most likely target market, analysts said. “Chinese brands today are positioning themselves as more affordable alternatives while building reliability,” said Morningstar analyst Ivan Su. “Have you tried a pair of Chinese running shoes? They’re good.” Read more

 

NYC’s viral grocery store founder breaks silence: ‘I’m an active target’ — and it’s good for business at Fox Business. “Meadow Lane is a high-end prepared-food market in Tribeca, positioned as a gourmet grab-and-go concept rather than a traditional supermarket. Now in its fourth week of operations, the shop initially exploded onto social media with long lines and critics seizing on price tags, luxury branding and Nussdorf’s highly public startup journey.” Read more

 

Visa and Partners Complete Secure AI Transactions, Setting the Stage for Mainstream Adoption in 2026 Press release

 

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Eli Lilly’s next-generation obesity drug helped patients with obesity and a type of knee arthritis lose an average of 23.7% of their body weight at CNBC

 

Walt Disney Company and OpenAI reach landmark agreement “As part of this three-year licensing agreement, Sora will be able to generate short, user-prompted social videos that can be viewed and shared by fans, drawing on more than 200 Disney, Marvel, Pixar and Star Wars characters.” Press release

 

Prada to launch $930 ‘Made in India’ sandals after backlash at Reuters. “Prada will make a limited-edition collection of sandals in India inspired by the country’s traditional footwear, selling each pair at around 800 euros ($930), Prada senior executive Lorenzo Bertelli told Reuters, turning a backlash over cultural appropriation into a collaboration with Indian artisans.” Reuters subs.

 

US Jobless Claims Jump by Most Since 2020 After Holiday Drop at Bloomberg. “Weekly initial claims tend to be choppy around the holidays and will likely continue to fluctuate through the end of the year, but Thursday’s figures are toward the higher end of readings seen in 2025.” Bloomberg subs.

 

…ADP’s chief economist warns the real economy is pretty different from Wall Street’s bullish outlook at Fortune/Yahoo. “Unlike her economist peers on Wall Street, Richardson tells Fortune: “We’re tracking changes in real time, it’s as high frequency as payroll data [can] get and we have not seen this rosy picture for 2026 in the data.” Read more

 

Home prices go negative for the first time in over 2 years at CNBC. “Home prices are down 1.4% in the last three months. Active listings in November were nearly 13% higher than last year, but new listings were just 1.7% higher.” Read more

 

Target beefs up protein, supplement offerings, capitalizing on weight loss drug trend at Fox Business. “We’re like at the tip of the iceberg in terms of what I think this is going to mean for how it changes consumer behavior,” Lisa Roath, Target’s chief merchandising officer of food, essentials and beauty, told FOX Business.” Read more

 

Walton family fortune: How American’s richest family manages their wealth at CNBC. “The Waltons, America’s richest family, uses a model pioneered by the Rockefellers to manage their wealth. At the center of this web is Walmart Enterprises, an under-the-radar investment firm that allows the Waltons to save on some costs and pursue their individual passions.” Read more

 

Dollarama Q3 Canada comp sales +6.0% Press release

 

Amazon’s Same-Day perishable grocery delivery expands to 2,300+ cities “This summer, customers in areas of Seattle, Los Angeles, Dallas, Chicago, Miami, and New York City were enjoying fresh grocery delivery within hours. With this latest expansion, customers in areas of Boise, ID, Salt Lake City, UT, Fort Collins, CO, Omaha, NE, Sugar Land, TX, Des Moines, IA, Kennesaw, GA, Gaithersburg, MD, and more can now fold their grocery lists right into their Amazon orders.” Press release

 

New Home Depot Creator Portal Connects Influencers with Home Improvement Enthusiasts (Dude Perfect, Trinity Rodman, etc..) Press release

 

Petco takes down Vetco website after exposing customers’ personal information at TechCrunch. “The security lapse allowed anyone on the internet to download customer records from Vetco’s website without needing a user’s login information. At least one customer record was exposed and indexed by Google, allowing anyone to find the data by searching for it…By TechCrunch’s count, this is Petco’s third data breach in 2025.” Read more

 

Dallas to get its first H-E-B after council approves zoning request at NBC DFW 5

 

Shopify Rolls Out Ad Network for Millions of Merchants at Adweek. “Up until now, merchants have only been able to run Shop Campaigns within Shopify’s consumer-facing Shop app and website. Now, those campaigns can appear in key places around merchants’ own Shopify storefronts. The idea is to use Shopify’s size of more than two million merchants to increase conversions and keep buyers on merchants’ sites…” Adweek subs.

 

Walmart is Offering One Hour Delivery Up to 5 p.m. on Christmas Eve Press release

 

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Costco November comp sales (ex-fuel & f/x) +6.4% : US +5.8% / Canada +8.3% / Other Int’l +8.0% / Digitally-Enabled +16.3% Press release

 

Dollar General Q3 comp sales +2.5% Press release

 

McLay, Nicholas touted as top prospects for Walmart U.S. job at Talk Business. “When Walmart U.S. CEO John Furner moves up the Walmart corporate ladder following the announced Jan. 31 retirement of Walmart CEO Doug McMillon, the short list to replace Furner includes Kath McLay and Chris Nicholas. McLay is president and CEO of Walmart International, and Nicholas is president and CEO of Sam’s Club.” Read more

 

Venmo announces it is ‘back up and running’ following widespread service outage at AP

 

Tired Americans Are Spending More Just to Avoid Chores at Bloomberg. “Samsung sells a similar (washer-dryer combo) model in the US that claims it can do a load in as little as 98 minutes for around $2,000. Sales of Samsung’s washer-dryer combo have been so strong since its 2024 US debut, that the company launched an updated version earlier this year. The electronics maker saw a two-fold increase in sales in the category during the first three quarters of 2024, a Samsung representative said.” Bloomberg subs.

 

Dollar Tree, Inc. Q3 comp sales +4.2% Press release

 

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We tested ‘Amazon Now’ in Seattle — and got our delivery in 23 minutes at GeekWire. “My 18-year-old watched me as I stood at the window waiting for the driver and asked, “What is it, like DoorDash?” “I guess so,” I said.” Read more

 

Meijer employee and Army vet Ed Bambas, 88, will receive $1.5M in donations in surprise ceremony at work after internet rallied to help him retire at NY Post

 

Beyonce, Sydney Sweeney and a fight for relevance: How American Eagle, Gap and Levi sparked a new ‘denim war’ at CNBC. “Industrywide, brands aired nearly 70% more denim TV spots this year compared with last, as the global jeans market swelled to $101 billion, up 28% since 2020, according to data from TV outcomes company EDO and market research company Euromonitor International.” Read more

 

Walmart Opens Second Owned and Operated Milk Processing Facility in Valdosta, Georgia Press release

 

Why Are So Many Women Dreaming of Rustic Domesticity? at WSJ. “An old friend, Aleksandra Crapanzano, who recently published a cookbook, “Chocolat,” has had a front-row seat to the comforting ascendance of the domestic arts. At readings and events, people tell her, “We need chocolate now more than ever.” On an airplane, recently, she noticed that when the stewardess came around offering coffee and tea, a surprising number of adults opted for hot chocolate. She tells me she knows lots of people who read recipes to fall asleep when they are anxious or jittery.” WSJ subs.

 

Target Needs More Than a Vibe Shift to Turn Its Business Around at Bloomberg. “Before turning over the stage to his successor, Cornell chokes up, pats his chest and starts to cry, his tearful face massive on the arena’s five jumbotrons. No matter that he’s leaving behind unhappy investors, dissatisfied customers and a disillusioned workforce. This morning at the Target Center, at least, he’s the object of affection. Plus, he’s not really going anywhere. When Fiddelke becomes CEO, Cornell will stay on as executive chairman, meaning Fiddelke will still answer to his longtime boss.” Bloomberg subs. 

 

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US retail sales rose slightly in September, adding to months of big gains at AP. “Sales increased 0.2% last month from August, the Commerce Department said Tuesday…The retail sales figures suggest that Americans as a whole are still willing and able to boost their spending…” Read more

 

TikTok Shop Pushes Into Luxury Retail With $11,000 Handbags at Bloomberg. “The emergence of high-end luxury goods on TikTok Shop is a sign of the company’s evolving e-commerce ambitions since it launched in the US two years ago to comparisons with Chinese fast-fashion heavyweights like PDD Holdings Inc.’s Temu and Shein Group Ltd. TikTok Shop is still a destination for cheap finds…but its push into luxury also shows that the once-prominent threat of a TikTok ban in the US has done little to dim the company’s online shopping aspirations.” Bloomberg subs.

 

Dick’s Business Q3 comp sales +5.7% (vs. +3.6% expected) Press release

 

…Dick’s Ups Guidance, Will Shutter Some Stores at CNBC. “For its namesake banner, the company is now expecting comparable sales to rise between 3.5% and 4%, up from its prior range of 2% to 3.5%…“We need to clean out the garage,” said Stack. “We’ve taken pretty aggressive markdowns to clean out old merchandise. We’re impairing some store assets. We’ll close some stores … everything we’re doing is there to protect 2026 and just kind of do this one time.” Read more

 

…Dick’s Names Matthew Barnes President, Foot Locker International Press release

 

Best Buy Q3 comp sales +2.7% (vs. +1.5% expected) Press release

 

…Best Buy Hikes Sales Forecast at CNBC. “…expects full-year comparable sales…to range between a 0.5% rise to a 1.2% increase, compared with its previous expectations for a 1% decline and a 1% climb… CEO Corie Barry said Best Buy saw “better-than-expected sales” for the quarter because of strong results across computing, gaming and mobile phone.” Read more

 

Would You Like a New Car With That $8 USB Cable? Amazon Hopes So at WSJ. “Hyundai, which has been selling cars on Amazon since December, said nearly all the people browsing the company’s vehicles on the e-commerce website were new to the brand. Around 40% of them said they were more likely to consider a Hyundai once they learned of the tie-up with Amazon.” WSJ subs.

 

Kohl’s Q3 comp sales -1.7% Press release

 

…Kohl’s Appoints Michael J. Bender as CEO “Mr. Bender has served as interim CEO since May…has 30 years of leadership experience at Eyemart Express, Walmart, L Brands, and PepsiCo.” Press release

 

Cramer: Shares of Abercrombie & Fitch surged nearly 20% after the retailer beat on quarterly earnings and revenue…Kohl’s shares skyrocketed more than 25% after the department store reported a quarterly profit when estimates called for a loss. 

 

Shoppers curtail Black Friday plans to stretch spending: ‘They are using every tool that they can,’ expert says at CNBC. “Consumers plan to spend an average of $622 between Nov. 27 and Dec. 1, down 4% from last year, according to a new Deloitte survey released Monday. The overall belt-tightening was largely due to a higher cost of living and financial constraints, Deloitte found.” Read more

 

Amazon to invest up to $50B to build AI infrastructure for US government agencies at Fox Business

 

American Eagle’s Holiday Plot Twist? Martha Stewart in Denim at Adweek. “…American Eagle is branching out beyond its typical Gen Z target to the older generations who shop for them, (CMO) Craig Brommers told ADWEEK. While Stewart has cross-generational appeal, her name and image awareness among Gen Z grew by 33% between 2020 and 2024 and is now on par with Millennials…” Read more

 

Walmart Leadership to Participate in Upcoming Investor Events Press release

 

Inside Atlanta’s First Government-Funded Supermarket at WSJ. “The second store, going up in a section of Southwest Atlanta where roughly a quarter of residents live below the poverty line, could be more of a challenge. There, on the edge of a rundown strip center, the city is leasing space where a previous grocer went out of business…” WSJ subs.