Inflation fell last month as gas prices dropped sharply, a sign prices cooled before tariffs at AP. “Excluding the volatile food and energy categories, core prices rose 2.8% compared with a year ago, down from 3.1% in February. That is the smallest increase in core prices in nearly four years.” Read more

 

Amazon CEO Andy Jassy says he believes sellers will pass increased tariff costs on to consumers at CNBC. “Jassy…said the company has done some “strategic forward inventory buys” and looked to renegotiate terms on some purchase orders in an effort to keep prices low on its website. Amazon began to cancel some direct import orders for products sourced by vendors in China this week following Trump’s tariffs announcement, consultants told CNBC.” Read more

 

Walmart’s missing prices show trade chaos coming for US consumers at Bloomberg/MSN. “At a Zhejiang province factory that churns out Christmas ornaments for Walmart Inc., it’s always been standard practice to add price stickers to packages as the last step before the goods are shipped off to the US. For the first time in more than 10 years, Walmart has asked the factory to leave price stickers off the items…” Read more

 

Walmart Asks Brands to Boost Ad Spend by at Least 25% at Adweek. “Walmart is asking brands to increase their annual retail media spend by approximately 25% compared with the year before, according to three consumer packaged goods brands and two agency media buyers, who all confirmed the figure to ADWEEK. For one of those CPG brands, Walmart asked for a 50% increase versus a year ago.” Adweek subs. 

 

How Costco’s CEO Went From Forklift Driver to Kirkland’s Final Signoff at WSJ. “To keep sales growing in a volatile environment, Vachris said he aims to use some of Costco’s longtime strategies: keep prices and employee turnover low; cap product markups at 15%; and limit the number of products sold in a store.” 8:50 video

 

**Sensi named a “Best Smart Thermostat of 2024” by CNET noting its simple and intuitive display, which allows you to make changes easily. Website | Contact: info@eyeonretail.net

 

Inside Walmart’s Meeting With Investors on a Day of Tariff Turmoil at WSJ. “Why do customers love Sam’s Club so much?” McLay asked Xiaojing Christina Zhu, chief executive of Walmart China…On the sidelines of the event, McLay said Walmart’s international team was focused on a vast, complex business that included many topics beyond tariffs. She added that tariffs had been building for years. “It is a thing, but it’s not the only thing,” she told a Wall Street Journal reporter.” WSJ subs.

 

Has Trump cancelled Christmas? China’s decorations makers report no U.S. orders at Reuters/CNBC. “Chinese producers of plastic Christmas trees and other festive decorations say orders from U.S. clients, which are crucial for their business, should have started to come in by now. But because of surging import tariffs, they haven’t…U.S. retailers are almost completely reliant on China for Christmas decorations, where they source 87% of such goods — worth roughly $4 billion.” Read more

 

PriceSmart, Inc. Q2 comp net merchandise sales +6.7% “…opened its ninth warehouse club in Costa Rica this month…now operates 55 warehouse clubs in total.” Press release

 

Walmart CEO says ‘there will be a Christmas’ despite lingering fears of a trade war at Fortune/Yahoo. “McMillon…said that higher tariffs can be managed by having higher-margin, higher-priced products subsidize lower-margin items. In other words, the higher costs stemming from a tariff can be offset by a higher price imposed on an item with low price elasticity, or items whose demand is not particularly price sensitive.” Read more

 

The Buckle, Inc. March comp sales +3.7% Press release

 

Flashbacks to Covid Send Americans Rushing to Stock Up at WSJ. “Data from Earnest Analytics, which tracked anonymous card data of millions of Americans, showed consumer spending rose 33% at Apple, 26% at Restoration Hardware and 10% at Home Depot this past Saturday compared with the average of the previous four Saturdays. Not all stores are getting a boost. Walmart, the country’s largest retailer by annual revenue, hasn’t seen panic buying, Chief Financial Officer John David Rainey said Wednesday.” WSJ subs.

 

Hy-Vee to end bar, waitstaff service at ‘select stores’ at Des Moines Register

 

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