Lowe’s 10-foot Messi | REI Boycott | Top 100 Family Biz

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America’s Largest Family Businesses: Walmart, Wegmans, Wawa And 97 More at Forbes. “Forbes’ inaugural list ranks the 100 biggest family firms in the country by revenue. They hail from 31 states across the nation and have built brands like Marriott, Nordstrom and Kohler.” Top 100 list

 

Retail sales rose for the third consecutive month in April at CNN. “Retail sales climbed 0.5% (vs. +0.6% projected) in April from the prior month, the Commerce Department said Thursday, down from March’s 1.6%…” Read more

 

U.S. Census Bureau: Population Growth Holds Steady in Midsized Cities / Largest Cities Faced Sharpest Declines Press release

 

Xi tells Musk, Tim Cook and other CEOs on Trump’s trip: China will ‘open wider’ at CNBC. “Xi said that U.S. companies are deeply involved in China’s reform and opening up, and both sides have benefited from this,” according to a report from state-backed newspaper Xinhua.” Read more

 

Lowe’s introduces a 10-foot lighted outdoor inflatable of Lionel Messi “MyLowe’s Rewards and MyLowe’s Pro Rewards members can purchase the limited-run inflatable for just $99…” Press release

 

Whole Foods Market has signed leases for smaller format stores in Boston, Chicago and Philadelphia Press release

 

**Salsa aisle looking a little bland? Su Salsa breaks the “red label” sea of sameness with a pop of lime and a hint of garlic. It’s the flavor-forward, high-visibility brand your premium category needs. Learn more | Sample: info@eyeonretail.net

 

REI union workers call for boycott of co-op’s biggest annual sale at Seattle Times. “…which will run from May 15 to May 25. They’re asking the public not to shop at REI over that time period.” Read more

 

Canadian Tire Corp. Q1 consolidated comp sales down 1.0% / Canadian Tire Retail comp sales down 2.3% Press release

 

Ace Hardware Corp Q1 detailed by CEO John Venhuizen: “Revenue up 10.9 percent, digital up 30 percent, and hardware format same-store sales up 6.1 percent with transactions rising 0.7 percent. Just as importantly, our team delivered a 129 percent increase in net income…” Press release

 

Amazon Scraps Planned API Fees After Backlash From Tech Firms at Adweek

 

Cramer: Bernstein took Club name Home Depot to $365 from $390 ahead of first-quarter results next week. Analysts said earnings expectations remain subdued, but to expect higher comparable sales because of Home Depot’s SRS acquisition.

 

NRF: U.S. Retail Sales Monthly Report: April 2026 “The Retail Monitor calculation of core retail sales was up 0.34% month over month in April and up 5.73% year over year.” Read more

 

Walmart cutting around 1,000 technology jobs at Talk Business

 

**Get your product, service or event in front of the most powerful decision-makers in the retail community. Contact: info@eyeonretail.net

CPI +3.8% | On +14.5% | Popcorn Eating Contest

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Consumer prices rose 3.8% annually in April, the highest since May 2023 at CNBC. “Excluding food and energy, core CPI increased 0.4% and 2.8% respectively, indicating that while inflation is still well above the Federal Reserve’s 2% goal, a good deal of pressure is coming from non-core areas, particularly energy.” Read more

 

On Q1 net sales +14.5% Press release

 

Retail Fraud: A Detective Noir Crime Story at The Robin Report. “…the seafood con may be the most brazen…Scallops, priced at around $45 per pound…are one of the most frequently substituted seafoods…The common switch involves surimi which is a minced white fish blend…The substitution playbook includes selling tilapia as red snapper (with a price difference of up to 244%…)” Read more

 

Amazon Rolls Out Amazon Now to Dozens of Cities Across the U.S Press release

 

eBay Rejects Unsolicited Proposal from GameStop “…We have concluded that your proposal is neither credible nor attractive.” Press release

 

Amazon’s New Prime Video Ads Adjust in Real-Time Based on Past Views at MediaPost. “…pulls in shopping and browsing history, activity on Prime Video, product availability, and geography to adjust product details in the ad. It also considers on-screen headlines, and interactive options. Amazon Ads technology will not change the basic creative concept of the spot, but will adjust it to the viewer’s preferences.” Read more

 

Target is trying to win back busy families from Walmart, starting with the baby aisle at CNBC. “Chief Merchandising Officer Cara Sylvester said families with children ages 5 and under spend two times as much, and families with children across age groups visit stores twice as much as the average Target shopper.” Read/Video

 

Small Online Shops Get Creative With Returns to Win Over Picky Shoppers at WSJ. “Most online shoe sellers let customers return products—but only if they haven’t worn them. Online men’s shoe brand Birchbury takes a different tack: It lets shoppers return shoes within 30 days, whether or not they have been worn…founder: “That break-in period gives them enough time to test the shoes themselves.” WSJ subs.

 

Rural King announces popcorn eating contest featuring Joey Chestnut – launches nationwide qualifier series Press release

 

Sales Are Up. Celebrities Are In. Is Gap Officially Back? at NY Times. “Gap’s comparable sales have risen for eight straight quarters, and its market value has increased to $8.5 billion, from $3.6 billion when Mr. Dickson started…(he) credits the turnaround to “being aware of pop culture, content, art, theater, music, entertainment.” NY Times subs.

Costco +7.8% | Whirlpool -20% | Bob’s +1.2%

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Costco April comp sales (ex-fuel & f/x) +7.8% | US +8% / Canada +7.6% / Other Int’l +6.5% / Digitally-Enabled +18.4% “April had one additional shopping day versus last year…This positively impacted total and comparable sales by approximately one and one-half to two percent.” Press release

 

Ingles Markets Q2 net sales -1.8% Press release

 

Amazon Pharmacy Expands Access to New Ozempic® Pill via Same-Day Delivery, Kiosks Press release

 

Bob’s Discount Furniture Q1 comp sales +1.2% Press release

 

Whirlpool says Iran war causing ‘recession-level industry decline.’ The shares are down 20% at CNBC. “War in Iran resulted in recession-level industry decline in the U.S. as consumer confidence collapsed in late February and March,” the company said in its earnings filing.” Read more

 

Yunyan Wang has left Amazon to become chief technology officer at Chewy at GeekWire

 

Target’s digital chief breaks down the retailer’s creator overhaul at Marketing Dive. “I think, in general, transitions can be disruptive for some of our creators. This was particularly disruptive,” said Target Chief Digital and Revenue Officer Sarah Travis…Moving forward, the retailer will operate two separate offerings: Target Ambassadors, powered by LTK…and a Club Target platform designed for smaller and mid-sized creators on TikTok and Instagram that exited its pilot phase this week.” Read more

 

Warby Parker Q1 net revenue +8.3% Press release

 

Ahold Delhaize nominates Thierry Garnier to serve as President and CEO “…subject to shareholder approval…Thierry is expected to succeed Frans Muller around the Annual General Meeting of Shareholders to be held in April 2027.” Press release

 

Weis Markets, Inc. Q1 comp sales (ex-fuel) +1.2% Press release

 

Loblaw Q1: Retail revenue +4.2% | Food retail (Loblaw) comp sales +2.4% | Drug retail (Shoppers Drug Mart) comp sales +4.1% Press release

Mother’s Day $284 | On “Ghost Town” | REI GP +7%

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NRF: Mother’s Day shoppers are budgeting $284 per person, with total spending expected to reach $38 billion “This year, men are budgeting an average $346 per person, compared to women’s $225. When it comes to who they are buying gifts for, though, women are more likely to grab a special something for all the moms in their lives, including stepmoms, daughters or sisters.” Read more

 

US Trade Gap Widened in March as Imports Outpaced Exports at Bloomberg. “The US trade deficit widened in March as an increase in the value of imports exceeded exports in a sign of solid consumer and business demand. The gap in goods and services trade grew 4.4% from the prior month to $60.3 billion…” Bloomberg subs.

 

REI 2025 net sales up slightly from 2024 / Gross profit, up $100 million, or 7%, year-over-year Press release

 

Doris Fisher, Gap co-founder who helped reshape U.S. casual style, dies at 94 at NBC. “Fisher was the company’s fashion merchandiser for nearly four decades, while her husband focused on the business side. The company said she came up with the company’s name, specifically to bridge the “generation gap” between parents and children.” Read more

 

Amazon Launches Amazon Supply Chain Services, Opening Its Logistics Network to All Businesses Press release

 

Traders are doubtful Cohen’s GameStop can pull off monster eBay acquisition at CNBC. “GameStop CEO Ryan Cohen didn’t disclose exactly how he planned on financing the deal, instead reiterating the makeup of the transaction. “We are offering half cash, half stock, and we have the ability to issue stock in order to get the deal done. But the full details of the offer are on our website,” Cohen said.” Read more

 

Publix Executive Chairman Todd Jones to retire. He will remain actively involved in the company as chairman of the Publix board of directors. Press release

 

Jefferies Analyst: Wholesale Challenges at On Cause Concern at Footwear News. “Konik described On’s outlet store at Woodbury Commons Premium Outlets a “ghost town,” adding that the store was “notably quiet for a Friday, with relatively new styles (Cloud 6) already on sale.” Read more

 

How CVS Uses Robots to Keep Your Deodorant in Stock at WSJ. “The Hainesport building processes 2 million items a week for delivery to stores, up from 550,000 units a week before CVS installed the automation in 2023. The volume will increase to 4 million once the additional automation is installed, which will make the building the fourth highest-volume distribution center in CVS’s network.” WSJ subs.

 

81% of young Americans say economic conditions are bad or terrible at The Hill. “More than 4 in 10 of respondents in the 18-24 age range blamed the president, while one-third faulted corporate greed and large companies.” Read more

Wayfair +7.4% | Sprouts -1.7% | GDP +2% | Amazon +Jr.?

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U.S. economy grew 2% from January-March at AP. “Growth in consumer spending, which accounts for 70% of U.S. economic activity, slowed to 1.6% in the first quarter from 1.9% at the end of 2025. But business investment, likely driven by investments in artificial intelligence, rose at an 8.7% pace.” Read more

 

eBay Inc. Q1 revenue +19% Press release

 

Amazon earnings beat expectations at CNBC. “Revenue in its online stores segment…grew 12% in the first quarter to $64.3 billion, higher than analysts’ estimated $62.7 billion…announced this year’s Prime Day discount bonanza will be held in June, a month earlier than its typical time frame…Advertising revenue jumped 24% year over year to $17.24 billion, above Wall Street’s expectations for growth of 21.2%.” Read more

 

Wayfair Q1 total net revenue +7.4% / Active customers +1.4% Press release

 

Two NJ Malls Separated by Just Four Miles — and Very Different Fates at Bloomberg. “The Livingston Mall is all but dead. The Mall at Short Hills is thriving. It’s a lesson in the cruel economics of consumerism.” Bloomberg subs. 

 

Sprouts Farmers Market, Inc. Q1 comp sales -1.7% Press release

 

Amazon Discusses ‘Apprentice’ Reboot—With Don Jr. as a Potential Host at WSJ. “Discussions are still in the early stages and Amazon hasn’t approached the Trump family, but if the show gets made, it would appear on Amazon’s Prime Video service.” WSJ subs.

 

Walmart Opens Third Owned and Operated Milk Processing Facility in Robinson, Texas Press release

 

Target opens its first-ever ‘receive center’ at Chain Store Age. “…located in Houston. The $265 million facility intakes products directly from its global vendors and holds the product until it’s needed elsewhere, replenishing inventory in response to store and customer demand.” Read more

 

Amazon and Meta are among the big companies set to lobby India’s payments body over the dominance of Walmart-owned PhonePe and Google Pay at TechCrunch

 

Maryland Bans Surveillance-Based Grocery Pricing at The Shelby Report. “HB 895 targets a specific practice – using personal data and surveillance to set individualized prices.” Read more

 

Amazon launches an AI-powered audio Q&A experience on product pages at TechCrunch. “For example, shoppers can ask questions like whether a coffee maker is suited for beginners or whether a sweater feels itchy based on customer reviews. Rather than giving generic answers, Amazon says the AI builds on previous responses to provide more relevant and helpful information…” Read more

 

 

Costco Employee Killed | eBay Outage | Albertsons BOGO Lawsuit

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Coca-Cola beats estimates; Global unit case volume +3% / Net revenues +12% Press release

 

Washington Attorney General accuses Albertsons, Safeway of fake BOGO deals at King 5. “One example cited in the lawsuit involves a Gig Harbor Albertsons, where the price of a 16.9-ounce bottle of O Organics Extra Virgin Olive Oil increased from $6.99 to $10.99 before a BOGO promotion. The price went back to $6.99 after the promotion ended, according to the complaint.” Read more

 

The Sherwin-Williams Company Q1 consolidated net sales +6.8% Press release

 

UPS Q1 2026 earnings beat estimates as profit falls at Quartz/Yahoo. “Volume headwinds the company had anticipated dragged domestic segment revenue down 2.3% to $14.1 billion, and operating profit contracted sharply, falling to $515 million from $979 million in the prior-year period.” Read more

 

eBay experienced major accessibility issues on Sunday and throughout Monday at eCommerceBytes

 

‘We are very nerdy’: An exclusive interview with Ikea’s top designer at Fast Company. “What types of products are you prioritizing? The desire for optimism, playfulness, and human interaction is very close to us today in designing and developing products…But it’s not only about silliness and playfulness and color. It could be in natural materials and warmth. There are many dimensions to this…” Fast Company subs. 

 

Bed Bath & Beyond, Inc. Q1 net revenue +6.9% Press release

 

Williams-Sonoma, Inc. launches the company’s tenth brand, Dormify Press release

 

Costco employee, who was elderly mom’s only caregiver, shot dead by customer at NY Post. “Randy Corrigan, 61, was working at the Strongville, Ohio Costco last Saturday when witnesses say he told a man walking up to the entrance with a “drum magazine protruding from one of his pockets” that he could not enter the store with a gun, according to court documents obtained by FOX 8.” Read more

 

**Get your product, service or event in front of the most powerful decision-makers in the retail community. Contact: info@eyeonretail.net

Rotisserie Chicken Act | 80% Cut Spending | Sam’s: 10min for $10

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Trump reclassifies state-licensed medical marijuana as a less-dangerous drug in a historic shift at AP. “…does not legalize marijuana for medical or recreational use under U.S. law. But it does change the way it’s regulated, shifting licensed medical marijuana from Schedule I — reserved for drugs without medical use and with high potential for abuse — to the less strictly regulated Schedule III.” Read more

 

Americans cut spending due to higher gas prices and see no relief in sight at CNBC. “About 60% of respondents have cut back on entertainment like eating out, movies and concerts to save money. More than 50% plan to travel less. Around 40% are spending less on essential items like groceries and medical care.” Read more

 

SNAP benefits don’t pay for rotisserie chicken. A bipartisan bill might change that at AP. “…senators this week introduced what they’re calling the Hot Rotisserie Chicken Act, which would make the supermarket staple an eligible purchase under (SNAP)…“America’s best (and delicious) affordability play is Costco’s $4.99 rotisserie chicken,” said Democratic Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania…” Read more

 

lululemon Names Ex-Nike Exec Heidi O’Neill as CEO “… over 25 years at Nike…She served most recently as President, Consumer, Product & Brand…” Press release

 

Sam’s Club Launches One Hour Delivery for $10 “…one hour or less service at a flat $10 for Plus members / $22 for Club members…traditional three hours or less service…$5 for Plus members / $17 for Club members on eligible items…(started) fleet-wide rollout of the enhanced service across 600-plus clubs on April 2…” Press release

 

The Comeback of the Physical Store – and What it Means for Your Business Harvard Business Review subs. 

 

UPS Doesn’t Want to Deliver Every Package, but It Really Likes Returning Them at WSJ. “A UPS business unit called Happy Returns, a software and logistics subsidiary that handles returns for retailers, is adding another 1,700 locations where consumers can drop off their returns. The addition brings its nationwide network to a total of 10,000 locations…” WSJ subs.

 

Best Buy to be led by 26-year company veteran Jason Bonfig when CEO Corrie Barry steps down on 10/31/26 Press release

 

Walmart Leads U.S. Supermarkets In Awareness; H-E-B Wins Loyalty at The Shelby Report. “Walmart leads all chains with a 36 percent awareness-to-preferred conversion rate, turning more than one in three people who know the brand into loyal advocates who name it their favorite supermarket…Kroger, Costco and Aldi also achieve strong awareness-to-preferred conversion rates at 13 percent, 11 percent and 11 percent, respectively.” Read more

 

North America’s 50 Best Bars Press release

 

Home Depot launches new customer service AI voice agent phone system “Early results from a 50-store pilot show that AI voice agents understand why a customer is calling in just 10 seconds, getting the customer to a solution four times faster than navigating traditional phone menus.” Press release

C.Tree Prices Up | T.Sup +0.5% | WM Owed $10.2B Tariffs

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Retail sales up 1.7% in March; driven by a spike in gas prices at Yahoo/AP. “Excluding gas prices, the number was a slim 0.6%…Business at gas stations rose 15.5% percent. Elsewhere, sales at department stores rose 4.2%, while sales at furniture stores were up 2.2%. Online retailers saw a 1% gain.” Read more

 

Tractor Supply Q1 comp sales +0.5% “Comparable average ticket increased 1.6%, partially offset by a comparable average transaction count decrease of 1.0%…Four of five product categories delivered positive comparable sales growth…Companion animal performance was below the Company average…” Press release

 

Amazon ‘strong-armed’ Levi’s, Hanes to hike prices on rival sites, California DA says at CNBC. “The documents released Monday include 2022 communications between Amazon and undergarments maker Hanes, where it sent the vendor links to listings on Target and Walmart’s websites showing lower prices than those on Amazon. Hanes confirmed that it “reached out to Target and Walmart to have the prices increased,” the filing states.” Read more

 

Tariff refund claims portal launched yesterday – Walmart is due $10.2 Billion at CNBC. “According to an April 10 analysis by Citi, Walmart is due $10.2 billion, Target is due $2.2 billion and Nike could get $1 billion back. Refunds are also expected for Kohl’s at $550 million, Gap at $400 million, and Macy’s at $320 million…However, the refunds could present a legal vulnerability for the companies claiming them, trade lawyers said. That’s because many companies passed through their cost increases…” Read more

 

McKinsey: The State of Grocery Retail Europe 2026: Margins under pressure, models in motion “Overall online sales in Europe grew by 6.8 percent between 2024 and 2025, yet decreased from the 7.8 percent growth between 2023 and 2024…online growth is not consistent across Europe—in Portugal and Sweden, the online channel is losing relevance.” Read more

 

NRF: Washington’s unnecessary push to control retail customer service operations Read more

 

Jeff Bezos Nears $10 Billion Funding for AI Lab, FT Says at Bloomberg. “Project Prometheus, which Bezos co-founded with scientist Vik Bajaj, will use AI to accelerate engineering and manufacturing in fields like aerospace and automobiles…” Bloomberg subs.

 

Target to deliver Bullseye Builds in these 13 cities Press release

 

Nike Removes ‘Runners Welcome. Walkers Tolerated’ Boston Marathon Ad After Criticism Footwear News

 

Christmas Tree prices to increase due to Iran War at CNBC. “An estimated 87% of Christmas decor sold in the U.S. is sourced from China…Lou said the disrupted shipping in the Strait of Hormuz and high oil prices due to the Iran conflict have raised her costs per tree by 10%…“The price of Christmas trees in the U.S. will definitely go up,” she said. “It is unavoidable.” Read more

 

lululemon Strengthens Presence in Mexico with E-Commerce Launch and Store Expansion Plan Press release

 

Target announces collaboration with social media brand Parke Press release

 

Amazon adding heavy-duty EV trucks from Einride as it spreads bets on freight decarbonization at CNBC