U.S. retail sales fell by 0.6% in July versus the month prior, a deeper decline than the 0.2% fall in June — and well behind the 0.1% gain expected by analysts. “American consumers are showing signs of fatigue,” Heather Long, chief economist at Navy Federal Credit Union, said (more).

Burger King appears to be stealing some attention from McDonald’s as of late, with U.S. same-store sales comps increasing 8.5% in Q2 versus 0.8% for McDonald’s. The news emerges after Burger King recently surpassed Wendy’s in terms of overall systemwide sales to become the No. 2 burger chain in America (more).

A significant number of Americans are afraid of retail parking lots at night, fearing for their safety after nightfall. A majority (52%) of women said as much, alongside 41% of men, per LiveView Technologies survey data. Those in the South were more likely (77%) than those in the Northeast and West (42%) to say as much (more).

C&S Wholesale Grocers has proposed a deal in which it would become the majority owner of Winn-Dixie Company, with terms of the offer being quite scarce except that it is projected to close at some point in 2027. “This proposed next step with C&S is a natural evolution of a partnership built on trust, shared purpose and a deep belief in what the hometown grocer still means to the communities we serve,” said Anthony Hucker, CEO of Winn-Dixie (more).

Casey’s is moving further into the Texas market via the acquisition of family-owned Pak-A-Sak, which boasts 24 locations. “These high-quality locations are primarily in the Amarillo area and will add to the company’s growing number of units in the state,” a Casey’s spokesperson said (more).