Core inflation rate hit 3.4% in May, highest since October 2023, Fed’s preferred gauge shows at CNBC. “The personal consumption expenditures price index showed inflation running at a seasonally adjusted 4.1% annual rate, the highest since April 2023, according to a Commerce Department report Thursday.” Read more

 

Apple raises prices of MacBooks, iPads as memory costs skyrocket at Reuters. “The move does not affect Apple’s main cash cow, the iPhone…Apple hiked the price of MacBook Air with 512 gigabytes of storage rose to $1,299 from $1,099, while the MacBook Pro with ​1 terabyte of storage rose to $1,999 from $1,699, according to updated prices on its website.” Reuters subs.

 

2026 Forbes World’s Most Influential CMOs List (Lee/Netflix #1, Brommers/American Eagle #12) Top 50 list/Forbes subs.

 

The average Prime Day order this year is $48.36 — down from $58.37 at the same point last year at Fortune/Yahoo. “…the Prime Day 2026 data paints a portrait of a consumer base that is active but strained, spending but not splurging, and increasingly reliant on financial instruments — and retail events — to manage the gap between income and anxiety.” Read more

 

Rich consumers taking GLP-1s are rebuying their wardrobes and eating smaller, fancier dishes—it’s a factor saving the luxury sector right now at Fortune. “In the soft luxury category, like apparel and footwear, “there is, of course, the enthusiasm of having lost weight and so there is a direct correlation with ‘Let’s buy a new wardrobe,’” Levato explains. “There is more enthusiasm for a shopping frenzy … and it’s directly related to higher consumer confidence.” Fortune subs.

 

Amazon adds new funding, lifting India AI and cloud investment to $48 billion CNBC

 

GameStop CEO says goodbye to $35 billion pay package to focus on eBay bid at Fast Company. “GameStop will release additional materials regarding its proposed acquisition of eBay this week, including a detailed presentation of the strategic rationale and operational plan for the combined company,” the release said.” Fast Company subs. | Press release

 

America’s Friendship Recession Has Become a Startup Opportunity at Bloomberg. “A new niche of companies, community builders and coaches are stepping into the void. Call it the connection economy. But even as these businesses meet a deep human need, their struggles to become scalable businesses show the challenges in making money out of making those connections.” Bloomberg subs.

 

Casey’s New Three-Year Plan: Add at least 400 stores through a combination of strategic acquisitions and new-store development Press release

 

Walmart, in Biggest Deal in Two Years, Buys Advertising Tech Firm Vibe.co at WSJ. “Walmart is paying $1.4 billion to purchase a French advertising-technology firm…Vibe.co…enables advertising through connected televisions, particularly focused on small and medium-size advertisers that often have smaller budgets and less access to large ad-buying teams.” WSJ subs. | Press release