Chief information officers at Carhartt, Walgreens and other companies are focusing their tech investments on increasing efficiency and cutting costs throughout the supply chain. “When budgets are under significant scrutiny, companies tend to place more emphasis on shorter-term solutions that can drive efficiency and productivity,” said Juan Perez, chief information officer at Salesforce.

Starbucks has made the decision to permanently close its business in Russia after 15 years operating in the country. The coffee giant is shuttering all 130 coffee shops that operated in Russia prior to that country’s attack on Ukraine.

Walmart has pulled its Great Value Juneteenth Ice Cream after having been accused of trying to trivialize and seek profits from a connection to a holiday tied to emancipation of Black people from slavery in the U.S. The “Juneteenth holiday marks a celebration of freedom and independence,” Walmart said in a statement. “However, we received feedback that a few items caused concern for some of our customers, and we sincerely apologize.”

Farmers markets in and around Minneapolis and St. Paul are struggling to find necessary funds to keep operating. Many point to changes in consumer behavior and the health of businesses that rent stalls as the biggest factors affecting the markets.

Best Buy’s sales fell 8.5 percent during the first quarter and earnings were down as the consumer electronics chain reported a modest increase in inventory. The retailer reduced its forecast for the year, but CEO Core Barry was confident in its future prospects. “Even with the expected slowdown this year, we continue to be in a fundamentally stronger position than we were before the pandemic from both a revenue and operating income rate perspective,” she said.

Abercrombie & Fitch posted a first-quarter loss of 27 cents a share despite a four percent rise in sales year-over-year. The retailer pointed to the impact of inflation on the cost of goods and freight as the biggest factors for its loss. The company pledged to manage its expenses as the year goes on.

The luxury consumers who purchase Ralph Lauren are not expected to let inflation slow them down. That’s why the brand forecast higher sales and margins for the year.

Arby’s is known for its roast beef and not burgers for a good reason. It’s never sold burgers. That’s about to change as Arby’s is adding its “Wagyu Steakhouse Burger” to the menu for the first time. The burger, which is a blend of Wagyu and ground beef, sells for $5.99.

A military plane carrying 78 thousand pounds of infant formula, enough to fill more than half a million baby bottles, arrived yesterday in Indianapolis. Other flights are scheduled to bring in additional infant formula as the U.S. grapples with a scarcity of product following the closing of an Abbott plant over health concerns. Sunday’s flight brought in about 15 percent of specialty medical grade formula needed in the U.S., according to Brian Deese, director of the White House National Economic Council.

Walmart in installing robotics and automation technology in all 42 of its distribution centers. The retailer had previously committed to implementing robotics and software automation at 25 of the DCs. The company is partnering with Symbotic LLC.