Costco June comp sales (ex-fuel & f/x) +7.0% (US +7.6% / Canada +4.9% / Other Int'l +5.6% / Digital +21.5%) "...net sales of $29.24 billion for the retail month of June, the five weeks ended July 5, 2026, an increase of 10.6 percent from $26.44 billion last year." Press release   He Earns $33 an Hour as a Costco Cashier. Now He’s a Millionaire. at WSJ. "Barzar has been asked to become a supervisor but has declined. He likes the direct contact he has with shoppers as a cashier and feels he can act as an effective mentor to [...]

  Trump says Walmart cut prices at his request, but Walmart statement omits administration’s role at AP. "...one of the biggest, best, and smartest Retailers in America, Walmart, will be lowering prices, by a lot, at my Administration’s request to celebrate our great Country’s 250th birthday,” Trump said. “Walmart will, in particular, be dropping the price for a pound of ground beef by almost 15%, among many other products.” Read more   ....63% drop on sweet corn / 50% drop on red cherries / Sam's 30% wing discount Press release   BJ’s roof collapses during heavy rain - temporarily trapping [...]

  Amazon, Walmart-owned Flipkart get ready to shake up India’s delivery-in-minutes sector at CNBC. "Amazon wants to become the “largest delivery-in-minutes network” in India as it plans to expand quick commerce services to 300 cities. Flipkart said last week that it has set up over 1,000 micro fulfilment centers across more than 130 cities in India." Read more   Dollar Tree, Inc. Announces $2.5 Billion Share Repurchase Authorization Press release   Kroger Announces Agreement to Acquire Giant Eagle Press release   Sam's Club rotisserie chicken dethrones Costco at Fast Company. "Consumer Reports blind-tested rotisserie chickens from 10 grocery chains to [...]

  Forbes: America’s Richest Families - Walton family (#1) worth over 3X #2 family Ranked list of 54/Forbes subs.   Prime members can save $0.50 per gallon on fuel during the Fourth of July weekend Press release   Target is starting to track employees’ unexcused lateness and absences with a points system—and if they rack up 12, they’re fired at Fortune. "Starting this September...Staffers’ attendance violations will be tallied up and addressed accordingly: a quarter of a point for being more than eight minutes late to work, one point for missing a shift without their manager’s approval, and three points [...]

  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 [...]

  Amazon Prime Day starts today Press release   Bath & Body Works partners with Ulta Beauty at Reuters. "Ulta Beauty shoppers will soon be able to purchase Bath & Body Works' signature fragrances, hand soaps ​and candles in more than 600 stores from July 12..." Reuters subs.   Forbes Top Creators 2026 "Meet the stars of YouTube, TikTok, Instagram and other powerhouse influencers turning massive fanbases into millions of dollars." Forbes top 50 list subs.   How Pokémon Cards Became Scarce, Valuable and Surprisingly Dangerous at Bloomberg. "TPCI reported $12 billion in sales last year across its Pokémon ventures, [...]

  Kroger Q1 ID sales (ex-fuel) +1.0% Press release   U.S. filings for unemployment benefits fall to 226,000 last week as layoffs remain historically low AP   Hollister partners with Target to tap into $89 billion back-to-college shopping market at CNBC. "Hollister is partnering with Target to start selling home and dorm decor for the first time...The collaboration will launch online, in most Target stores and select Hollister locations on June 28 and will feature almost 60 items across men’s and women’s apparel and bedding." Read more   McKinsey: The State of Grocery North America 2026 "A small set of [...]

  China retail sales decline for first time since 2022 at Yahoo. "Retail sales decreased 0.6% from a year ago in May, the National Bureau of Statistics reported. This marked a reversal from the 0.2% increase in April and sharper than the expected 0.3% decline." Read more   Most Trusted Brands 2026: Morning Consult; Amazon #13 / Home Depot #25 / Gen Z: Costco #4 Read more/Download report   Kohl's Names Elliott Rodgers Chief Operating Officer "Most recently, Rodgers was Chief Operations Officer at Foot Locker, Inc....held...leadership roles at Ulta Beauty...spent six years at Target in distribution and omnichannel operations..." [...]