WM Home Glow Up | Stout Boom | China Pop. Bust

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Can a $1,699 Espresso Machine Help Walmart Challenge Amazon? at WSJ. “Walmart’s internal research shows that shoppers equate stylish designs with better quality, said Creighton Kiper, who runs the home category for Walmart in the U.S…“I went to Walmart because other people weren’t,” said (Drew) Barrymore of some other celebrity partnerships. When its (Beautiful) products hit Walmart stores, they were a hit…Beautiful is now expanding its offerings at Walmart, including a new line of outdoor furniture.” WSJ subs.

 

Top 100 Fashion Trends for 2026 at Trendhunter

 

Here’s the Best Way to Sell a Hot Rotisserie Chicken at Stanford Business. “Grocers typically use a first-in, first-out (FIFO) inventory rule…But the team discovered that when it comes to premade foods, the opposite approach works best: A last-in, first-out (LIFO) rule…combined with keeping products on the shelf longer increases sales and reduces waste.” Read more

 

How prices have changed at a Georgia Walmart since 2024 at NPR. “Prices in NPR’s basket rose 5% on average last year. Almost half the items on NPR’s shopping list got more expensive in 2025…” Read more | Chart

 

The Most Important Sneaker Releases to Watch in 2026 at WWD

 

What works to drive sales on TikTok Shop has changed, creators say at Glossy. “Unanimously, the creators said sustained results were no longer relying on viral moments. Instead, each had defined a repeatable system that consistently produces sales.” Read more

 

The Guinness Effect: Why Stout Is Suddenly Booming at Bloomberg. “…stout consumption in the UK rose 43% from 2019 to 2024. At the same time, ale drinking declined 31% and overall beer 7%…as people cut back on drinking, the relative luxuriousness of an order of stout makes it more compelling than an anonymous light lager or low-alcohol beer, if you’re ordering just one.” Bloomberg subs.

 

A Store Is Not a Strategy at The Robin Report. “Filson is one of the strongest examples of creating emotional connection. Walking into a Filson store, you immediately understand what the brand values…Filson’s stores succeed because they do not try to say everything. They say the right things clearly and repeatedly through physical choices.” Read more

 

Walmart announces top executive leadership changes at Talk Business

 

Harps Food Stores (160 locations) Announces New Leadership Across Company at The Shelby Report. “The promotions include Shannon Kincade to VP of center store merchandising, Josh Cleveland to director of grocery retail management…and Ashley Winget to director of general merchandise.” Read more

 

China deepens investigation into Temu parent PDD after fistfights with regulators Bloomberg subs.

 

As U.S. orders fade, Chinese salespeople face tough grind in new markets at Reuters. “Reuters interviews with 14 salespeople working on the frontlines of China’s export diversification push… reveal the costs and caveats behind the rosy headline trade figures…”I’m very anxious,” said (salesperson) Chen, adding that she had recently experienced stress symptoms like hair loss and insomnia.” Reuters subs.

 

Francesca’s allegedly fires workers without warning as women’s clothing retailer shuts down for good at Fox Business

 

China’s Birthrate Sinks to Record Low at WSJ. “New births in the country fell to 7.92 million, down from 9.54 million in 2024. The number of births per 1,000 people fell to 5.63, from 6.77 in 2024. That is the lowest number of births and lowest birthrate reported since records began in 1949, the founding of the People’s Republic of China.” WSJ subs.

 

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Saks Owes Chanel $136M | Amazon Buys US Copper | Gap New Role

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Inside the Mad Dash to Save Saks, America’s Last Luxury Retailer at WSJ. “Chanel’s tab is $136 million. At Kering, the company behind Gucci, Yves Saint Laurent and Balenciaga, the bill is nearly $60 million. And those are just two of the many brands owed money by Saks Global—a list so long it stretched more than three pages in the bankruptcy filing that landed in a Houston court early Wednesday morning. Even though the parent company of Saks Fifth Avenue, Neiman Marcus and Bergdorf Goodman was plainly veering toward bankruptcy in recent days, the filing was stunning in its sweep and scale.” WSJ subs.

 

…How Saks’s acquisition of Neiman Marcus plunged the company into bankruptcy at CNBC. “You had the two companies that weren’t doing great, and then you combine the two companies and put on a large amount of debt,” said Chadha…once the transaction closed and both companies paid debts related to the agreement, there wasn’t enough money left over to pay Saks’ vendors…vendors were less willing to send Saks inventory. Soon, the retailer lacked an adequate assortment to drive sales, leading the situation to deteriorate.” Read more

 

…Amazon Blasts Saks Funding Deal, Says Equity Is ‘Worthless’ at Bloomberg. “In 2024, Amazon took a minority stake in the retailer as part of an agreement that helped facilitate Saks’ $2.65 billion acquisition of Neiman Marcus. Amazon said it invested $475 million of preferred equity in the luxury retailer as part of the deal.” Bloomberg subs.

 

…Can Saks’ new CEO repair the damage done to the luxury retailer by years of being treated as a ‘financial plaything’? at Fortune. “In late 2024 at the WWD CEO conference, shortly before the Saks acquisition closed, Geoffroy van Raemdonck recalled how at the start of his tenure, he had challenged his Neiman Marcus C-suite with the question, “How do we reignite customers’ emotions?” That’s arguably the same question Van Raemdonck faces today.” Fortune subs.

 

Amazon Is Buying America’s First New Copper Output in More Than a Decade at WSJ. “The Nuton copper will satisfy only a sliver of Amazon’s needs. The biggest data centers each require tens of thousands of metric tons of copper…The 14,000 metric tons of copper cathode that Rio expects the Arizona Nuton project to yield over four years wouldn’t be enough for one of those facilities.” WSJ subs.

 

Gap Inc. Creates Chief Entertainment Officer Role, Tapping Pam Kaufman to Lead Entertainment Strategy Press release

 

Target Launches Exclusive Bedding Collection from Interior Designer Jeremiah Brent Press release

 

How This Entrepreneur Turned Her Ring Concierge Service Into A Growing Jewelry Empire at Forbes. “Nicole Wegman launched a jewelry business with $2,000 to help women navigate the engagement process. Today, Ring Concierge brings in more than $100 million a year…Wegman launched Ring Concierge, following brief stints in product development at Macy’s and as a buyer for Bloomingdale’s, with an initial investment of $2,000 to buy an LLC, a web domain and business cards.” Read more

 

Kroger Launches Delivery on Uber Apps Nationwide Press release

 

Trump signs a law returning whole milk to school lunches at AP. “Long sought by the dairy industry, the return of whole and 2% milk to school meals reverses provisions of the Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act championed by former first lady Michelle Obama.” Read more

 

Amazon’s new portable Just Walk Out lanes bring checkout-free shopping to pop-up venues Press release

 

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ICE Targets Target | CPI Steady | Mystery Shopping Gamble

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December core consumer prices rose at a 2.6% annual rate, less than expected at CNBC. “Excluding volatile food and energy prices, the consumer price index showed a seasonally adjusted 0.2% gain on a monthly basis and 2.6% annually, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Tuesday. Both were 0.1 percentage point below expectations.” Read more

 

Target’s Stores Become an ICE Battleground in Hometown Minneapolis at WSJ. “…immigration officials detained two Target employees inside the vestibule of a suburban store late last week…Both are American citizens and were later released…Video of the incident quickly circulated, sparking an outcry on social-media and calls from local residents and politicians for Target to protect employees and customers from immigration agents patrolling its store lots. On Saturday, demonstrators protested outside the Richfield, Minn., store, demanding a response from Target and additional training for staff when interacting with immigration officials.” WSJ subs.

 

Aldi launches massive expansion with 180 new US stores at Fox Business. “…Aldi plans to open more than 180 stores by the end of 2026, pushing its total footprint to nearly 2,800 this year. Its goal is to operate about 3,200 stores by the end of 2028.” Read more

 

Taking a Cue From Labubus, Retailers Are Embracing Mystery Shopping at Bloomberg. “But as with any gamble, it doesn’t come without risk. Like the kid who receives a sweater instead of Legos for his birthday…And many of them air their grievances on social media. Le Creuset faced customers’ frustration after selling mystery boxes at an event in Hartford, Connecticut. One TikTok content creator, who identifies herself as Linda from Buffalo, posted multiple videos criticizing the brand for what she said were lower values of mystery box merchandise from the event.” Bloomberg subs.

 

CNBC/NRF: 2025 holiday sales from Nov. 1 through Dec. 31 grew 4.1%…Total retail sales, excluding automobile dealers and gasoline stations, were up 1.26% seasonally adjusted month over month and up 3.54% unadjusted year over year in December, according to the Retail Monitor.” Press release

 

Dollar Tree Appoints Daniel Delrosario as SVP of Investor Relations and Treasurer “Most recently, Mr. Delrosario served as Vice President of Investor Relations and Treasury at Burlington Stores, Inc….” Press release

 

Texas AG accuses major grocers of spraying pesticides on organic produce at KVUE ABC. “The attorney general’s office is looking into stores that use Produce Maxx, which is an EPA-registered antimicrobial pesticide.” Read more

 

H-E-B is deepening its Dallas-Fort Worth presence with Forney store at WFAA ABC

 

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Behind the Unraveling of Apple’s Credit-Card Partnership With Goldman Sachs at WSJ. “Heading into 2025, Goldman executives were hoping that Apple would make a decision on who would be the card issuer by around early March…That didn’t happen…At one point Apple was writing three separate contracts with JPMorgan, American Express and Synchrony…Apple pinged Capital One and said a deal was imminent but it had one last chance to get in…By May, Apple told JPMorgan that it was its preferred partner.” WSJ subs.

 

Wing’s drone delivery is coming to 150 more Walmarts at The Verge. “…including in four new cities: Los Angeles, St. Louis, Miami, and Cincinnati.” Read more

 

Ace Hardware Ranks No. 4 on Entrepreneur’s Franchise 500, No. 1 in Category for Fifth Straight Year Press release

 

Kroger Scales Generative AI Strategy with Google Cloud Press release

 

Google makes a big move into agentic commerce, raising questions about Amazon’s retail dominance at GeekWire. “UCP might not threaten Amazon’s logistics empire. But it could challenge the idea that shopping must begin inside Amazon’s app or website, said Maju Kuruvilla, CEO and founder of Seattle-based agentic commerce startup Spangle. “This doesn’t change Amazon’s core advantage — price, selection, and convenience,” Kuruvilla said. “This is more of an additional discovery channel.” Read more

 

Why Amazon bought Bee, an AI wearable at TechCrunch

 

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HEB #1 Grocer | Costco +6.2% | WM Board +CEO | Sparky +Ads

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Costco December comp sales (ex fuel & f/x) +6.2%: US +6.3% / Canada +6.0% / Other Int’l +5.6% / Digitally Enabled +18.3% Press release

 

H-E-B and Market Basket Top dunnhumby’s Ninth Annual U.S. Grocery Rankings (Costco #4, Winco #6, Amazon #8) Top 10 list/Press release

 

Albertson’s Companies Inc. Q3 ID sales +2.4% Press release

 

Walmart Opens Up Ads in Gen AI Shopping Agent Sparky at Adweek. “…(Walmart) is actively testing ads within Sparky, its AI shopping agent, after an initial test last fall. Sparky is an AI shopping assistant within Walmart’s mobile app…Search is the most popular use case for Sparky…” Read more

 

Britons splurge on food, cut back on gifts as retailers warn of tough 2026 at Reuters. “Tesco…reported a 3.2% rise in underlying UK sales for the six-week festive period, calling it a “strong” Christmas…Marks & Spencer’s underlying food sales jumped 5.6% in the Christmas quarter, but clothing, home and beauty dropped 2.9%…” Reuters subs.

 

Walmart names Shishir Mehrotra, CEO at Superhuman (formerly Grammarly) to Board of Directors “Prior to joining Superhuman, he was the CEO and co-founder of Coda, a productivity and AI platform…Before founding Coda, Mehrotra served as YouTube’s Chief Product Officer and Chief Technology Officer…” Press release

 

Why some independent brands are upset with Amazon’s new ‘Buy for Me’ shopping tool at GeekWire. “The tools are designed to help shoppers find products that aren’t sold on Amazon — and, in some cases, allow Amazon to complete a purchase on a customer’s behalf using AI…brands…say they were caught off guard when their products appeared in Amazon search results.” Read more

 

PriceSmart Q1 comp net merchandise sales +8.0% Press release

 

Why Every Decent Restaurant Has a Product in the Grocery Store Now at Bloomberg. “Now restaurants are invading the grocery store. They’ve captured the freezer aisle, colonized the pastas, conquered condiments and spreads. I am well aware of this, because, as far as I can tell, I spend all my time at the grocery store. I used to go to restaurants, too, but then I had a baby.” Bloomberg subs.

 

JPMorgan Chase becomes the new issuer of the Apple Card at TechCrunch

 

More Than 1,000 Companies Are Suing Trump Over His Tariffs at Bloomberg. “Everybody stayed out of the fight because the president is very powerful…” said Sara Albrecht, chair of the board of Liberty Justice Center, a libertarian-leaning public interest firm handling one of the cases before the Supreme Court…Albrecht said she asked Costco for a contribution…The company’s general counsel declined…” Bloomberg subs.

 

Shopify competitor Swap raises $100M six months after raising $40M at TechCrunch

 

Amazon rolls out new version of its Dash smart grocery cart at GeekWire. “…capture(s) barcodes more quickly, improved sensors to track the cart’s location inside the store, and an integrated produce scale that weighs fruits and veggies directly within the cart…reduced the cart’s weight by 25% while increasing basket capacity by 40%.” Read more

 

 

Aldi Cult | WA Min $17.13 | Sheetz Dies

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The Curious Cult of Aldi at Bloomberg. “A cross-section of Brooklynites stretched down several city blocks—a Birkenstocked hipster, a school custodian, health-care workers, people receiving government-provided food assistance benefits…You don’t have to squint too hard to see the commonalities between Aldi and TJ’s: Both are known for compact stores, limited selections, fanatical shoppers and low prices…” Bloomberg subs.

 

Instacart Returns to the Super Bowl at Adweek/Yahoo. “Instacart is working with its internal creative agency Local Produce as well as BBDO and McCann on the campaign.” Read more

 

Sweeping Minimum-Wage Hikes Take Hold Across the Country at WSJ. “A mix of 19 states, both red and blue, bumped their minimum wages this month, several to over $15 an hour…Washington state adopted the highest state-level rate at $17.13 an hour, becoming the first state to enact an hourly minimum above $17…” WSJ subs.

 

DoorDash’s CEO blasts ‘appalling’ claim that a major delivery app gives drivers a desperation score at Fortune. “The user…alleges drivers are given a “desperation score” depending on their behavior at work. The hidden metric supposedly flags drivers who accept low-value “garbage” orders without hesitation, and then prevents them from viewing higher-paying orders.” Fortune subs. 

 

NYC Wegmans storing shoppers’ facial scans and biometric data to ID customers, boost security at NY Post. “A Wegmans rep told The Post that the tech is only being used in a “small fraction of our stores that exhibit an elevated risk…Other grocery and retail locations in the five boroughs – like Fairway Market, Westside Market and Walgreen’s – already implement biometric data collection in stores…” Read more

 

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Do Tariffs Cause Inflation? New Studies Offer Surprising Answer at WSJ. “Economists at the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco combed through data from 1886 to 2017 and found that previous tariff increases usually didn’t lead to higher inflation. On the contrary: They slowed down price growth. A separate recent paper by economists at Northwestern University found that inflation picked up following tariff increases, but only a little. That’s the good news. The bad news: Both papers conclude that tariffs tend to hurt the economy and that a blow to consumer and business demand likely explains why the impact on inflation is so limited.” WSJ subs.

 

Amazon is bringing Alexa+ to the web at GeekWire. “Amazon is competing against consumer AI rivals such as ChatGPT and Gemini…It’s looking to leverage its more than 600 million Alexa-enabled devices, and areas of differentiation such as smart-home controls and device integrations.” Read more

 

Nestle recalls infant formula batches across Europe over toxin risk Reuters subs.

 

Forbes Best Customer Service 2026 (REI #5, Publix #6, Trader Joe’s #10, Buc-ee’s #13) Full list

 

Former Sheetz CEO Steve Sheetz dies at age 77 at CBS News. “During his time as president and CEO, Sheetz introduced Made-to-Order, entered the fuel business and expanded the company into new states. These days, there are more than 800 stores with 27,000 employees across several states, including Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Ohio and North Carolina.” Read more | NY Times subs.

 

Amazon revamps Fire TV, launches its own ‘Artline’ televisions with frames at CES at TechCrunch

 

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