September 10, 2025
- Apple launched its new suite of smartphone products, including the thinner iPhone Air. All models now feature a ceramic shield display rather than the traditional glass, as well as increased battery and memory capacity (via CNN Business).
- Dick’s Sporting Goods is partnering with football legend J.J. Watt to help launch its virtual House of Sport concept. That experiential retail concept includes a climbing wall, golf simulators, and HitTrax multi-sport cages (via Chain Store Age).
- U.S. holiday sales are expected to improve by 4% year-over-year, according to Bain & Company forecasts, to reach $975 billion (via Chain Store Age).
- Amazon’s Zoox robotaxi is currently offering free rides to passengers near the Las Vegas strip as the company awaits state approval to collect fares. When approval is gained, the company will be competing with Alphabet’s Waymo and Tesla (via Reuters).
- U.S. wholesale prices exhibited a 0.1% dip as inflation appeared to cool, signaling that a Federal Reserve rate cut could be in the cards this month (via CNBC).
- U.S. imports are expected to decline for the rest of the year, following a near-record peak this summer. “Tariffs have had a significant impact on trade. The trade outlook for the final months of the year is not optimistic,” Hackett Associates founder Ben Hackett said (via Chain Store Age).
- Cracker Barrel indicated that it would no longer be renovating its restaurants as planned, following the failure of its logo rebranding. “You’ve shared your voices in recent weeks not just on our logo, but also on our restaurants. If your restaurant hasn’t been remodeled, you don’t need to worry, it won’t be,” the company wrote on X (via CNN Business).