WM Cuts 100’s | Back to School Early | Appliance Dissatisfaction
Walmart is cutting hundreds of store-support roles: Report at CNBC. “…eliminating the market coordinator job that supports some managers…These coordinators are considered to be corporate positions, assisting market managers, who are responsible for supervising roughly a dozen store managers each…also cutting some coach and coordinator roles at Walmart Academy…” Read more
Couche-Tard drops offer to buy Japanese 7-Eleven c-stores at AP. “In the letter, sent to media Thursday and signed by its two top executives, including founder Alain Bouchard, Couche-Tard expressed exasperation at the response it was getting from Seven & i despite repeated attempts at dialogue.” Read more
China Threatens to Block Panama Ports Deal Unless Its Shipping Giant Is Part of It at WSJ. “China’s government is threatening to block a deal that would transfer ownership of dozens of seaports to Western investors if Cosco, China’s largest shipping company, doesn’t get a stake.” WSJ subs.
NRF: Back-to-School Season Begins Early “67% of back-to-school shoppers had already begun purchasing items for the upcoming school year as of early July…The early start is up from 55% last year and is the highest since NRF started tracking early shopping in 2018…51% of back-to-school families are shopping earlier…out of concern that prices will rise due to tariffs.” Press release
A fire at a shopping center in eastern Iraq kills more than 60 people at AP
Amazon’s carbon emissions rise 6% amid AI boom at GeekWire. “…hit 68.25 million metric tons of carbon emissions — for comparison, that’s about two-thirds of the annual amount emitted by entire state of Washington.” Read more
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2025 Emmy nominations at CNN. List
J.D. Power: An Increase in Home Appliance Technology Brings Decrease in Satisfaction “…younger generations—particularly Gen Y and Gen Z—tend to expect a more intuitive user experience, yet they report more issues. We’ve also found that customers with Wi-Fi-connected appliances encounter more problems overall. Regardless of age, the takeaway is clear: simplicity in design and functionality can be an advantage.” Press release
UK retail giant Co-op confirms hackers stole all 6.5 million customer records at TechCrunch. “The breach at Co-op in April was part of a broader hacking campaign targeting the U.K. retail sector, which also saw the theft of an unspecified amount of customer data from Marks & Spencer and an attempted cyberattack on Harrods.” Read more
Saks Global Appoints Brandy Richardson as CFO Press release
Liquid Death Expands Into Energy Drinks—Easy on the Octane at WSJ. “Next January, the company will introduce Sparkling Energy, which it will promote as a better-for-you alternative to some of the competition, executives said. Twelve-ounce skinny cans will promise vitamins, no sugar or artificial sweeteners, and what Liquid Death calls an “unextreme” caffeine level of 100 milligrams.” WSJ subs.
Trump says Coca-Cola will use real sugar in its US flagship drink. The company isn’t confirming that at AP
Ollie’s Bargain Outlet Rings NASDAQ Opening Bell Press release
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