December 16, 2025

Here are our picks for top news impacting retailers today:

  • Kraft Heinz has named Steve Cahillane as CEO, effective Jan. 1, 2026. Cahillane served as president, CEO, and chairman of Kellanova prior to its recent acquisition by Mars. “I am honored to be joining Kraft Heinz as CEO at such a pivotal and exciting time. Like millions of people around the world, I have a deeply personal connection to the Kraft Heinz brands, dating back to my childhood. I’ve devoted my entire career to building brands, and the opportunity to do the same with Kraft Heinz’s iconic portfolio is a dream come true. I’m confident the planned separation will accelerate the Company’s ability to compete and win in today’s environment and unlock the immense opportunity in front of us,” he said (via press room).
  • Ben & Jerry’s will see three board members removed after its new parent company, Magnum, introduced a new set of governance policies — including a nine-year term limit that serves to oust current chair Anuradha Mittal. Co-founder Ben Cohen called the move a “blatant power grab designed to strip the board of legal authority and independence,” while Magnum indicated that the intent behind the new direction was to strengthen the brand’s “powerful, non-partisan values-based position in the world” (via BBC).
  • PayPal has submitted an application to create PayPal Bank, a Utah-chartered industrial loan company seeking to serve the needs of up-and-coming small businesses. “Securing capital remains a significant hurdle for small businesses striving to grow and scale. Establishing PayPal Bank will strengthen our business and improve our efficiency, enabling us to better support small business growth and economic opportunities across the U.S.,” said Alex Chriss, president and CEO of PayPal (via press room).
  • Elon Musk has become the first person to break the $600 billion in net worth marker as SpaceX launches a tender offer valued at $800 billion. As of midday Dec. 15, Musk’s net worth was pegged at $677 million (via Forbes).
  • Kroger is planning to spend $391 million to build a new distribution center in Simpson County, Kentucky, in a move expected to produce 430 jobs, despite automation being involved in some capacity (via Chain Store Age).