‘You Can’t Run From Fear’: American Eagle’s CEO on the Sydney Sweeney Fallout at WSJ. "Schottenstein, an Orthodox Jew, was perplexed at the criticism that the campaign smacked of eugenics...He said his mother-in-law grew up in Nazi Germany and watched as the synagogue across the street from her home was burned to the ground. “I’m very conscious of that term,” Schottenstein said. He said that if he and his team had felt the campaign would be offensive in that way, “we never would’ve done it.” WSJ subs.   Albertsons buyer took bribes to carry certain wines, prosecutors claim at San [...]

  Owners of Radio Shack and Pier 1 Imports accused by SEC of operating $112 million Ponzi scheme at NY Post. "The US Securities and Exchange Commission accused Alex Mehr and Tai Lopez, founders of Miami-based Retail Ecommerce Ventures (REV), of duping investors out of roughly $112 million, according to the federal Southern District of Florida filing obtained by The Post." Read more   Walmart teams up with Spain’s La Liga at CNBC. "The Spanish league’s multi-year deal with Walmart is meant to build on this growing audience for La Liga soccer in the U.S., as well as the growing [...]

    Jeff Bezos’ Billionaire Dad Is Hiring a CEO to Run His Family Office at WSJ. "The office recently hired a chief executive, Valeria Alberola, several of the people said, to manage the entity from Miami. Alberola recently worked for Walmart heir Ben Walton and his wife, Lucy Ana Walton, in the Denver area overseeing their investment and philanthropic activities. The firm also is looking to hire a chief investment officer." WSJ subs.   Walmart Deals run October 7*–12 "Walmart Deals are open to all customers — no membership required. Walmart+ members, however, enjoy a 5-hour head start beginning [...]

  American Express Platinum Card now $895 annually - benefits include $300 to use at Lululemon at AP   Amazon Aims to Grow Ad Sales Further by Automating Creation at WSJ. "The results can run across Amazon’s ad inventory, including commercial breaks on the Prime streaming service and ads on outside websites sold through the company. The ads may run on platforms that have deals with Amazon, including Disney, Roku and, as of last week, Netflix. Creative Studio content also appears on sellers’ brand store pages or product listings." WSJ subs.   Rachel Brand to leave Walmart as chief legal [...]

  Target steps up next-day parcel delivery as discounter tries to narrow gap with rivals at AP. "Target is expanding its next-day delivery of parcel shipments to 35 of the nation’s top 60 metropolitan markets by the end of next month, marking 22 new cities this year...That means that its next-day delivery expansion will go to 54% of the U.S. population, up from 20%, according to Gretchen McCarthy, Target’s chief supply chain and logistics officer." Read more   Amazon Prime Big Deal Days returns October 7-8 Press release   The New Pitfall of Online Shopping: A Surprise Tariff Bill at [...]

  Inflation Rose to 2.9% in August at WSJ. "...hotter than July’s gain of 2.7%. That matched the 2.9% rise expected by economists surveyed by The Wall Street Journal." WSJ subs.   Kroger Q2 ID sales without fuel +3.4% "CEO: ...we are raising our identical sales without fuel guidance to a new range of 2.7% to 3.4%. We are also raising the lower end of our adjusted FIFO net operating profit and net earnings per diluted share guidance, to new ranges of $4.8 to $4.9 billion and $4.70 to $4.80, respectively." Press release   Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work For® [...]

  Forbes: The 400 Richest People In America (Musk #1, Bezos #4, Waltons -#11, 12, 15, 24) Full list   Walmart Announces First Stores in South Africa "With sites already in development, these new stores are set to open before the end of the year, with official opening dates to be announced in October." Read more   Bain: US retail sales to grow 4% YoY in November and December (vs. 10 yr. avg of +5.2%) Press release   Mary Dillon Out as Dick’s Closes Foot Locker Deal at FN/Yahoo. "Dick’s executive chairman, Ed Stack, will lead the global Foot Locker [...]

  ADP: Labor market growth slows dramatically in August with U.S. adding just 54K jobs vs. 75K estimate at CNBC   PwC: 2025 holiday spending to decline on average by 5% "...the first notable drop since 2020. 84% expect to cut back over the next six months...Gen Z respondents (ages 17 to 28)...say they expect to reduce their holiday budgets by 23%, more than any other generation." Press release   Powerball jackpot jumps to $1.7 billion after another night without a big winner at AP   American Eagle stock soars 20% as retailer says Sydney Sweeney campaign is ‘best’ to [...]