August 22, 2025

  • Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has signaled the coming end of retaliatory tariffs on USMCA-compliant goods as of Sept. 1. Tariffs on autos, aluminum, copper, lumber, steel, and energy are to remain in effect (via CBC).
  • U.S. consumers are becoming increasingly comfortable with gen AI, per Omnisend data. More than half (53%) of those surveyed use AI tools for e-commerce purposes at least one per month (via Chain Store Age).
  • Tesla is under investigation for allegations related to it having delayed notifying government bodies concerning crashes involving its driver assistance technology. The NHTSA is engaged in the investigation over Tesla’s regulatory compliance (via CNN Business).
  • Nike is pushing into the popular outdoor sports and recreation market, starting with a new trail running shoe attached to its outdoor sub-brand ACG. The athleticwear retailer is also eying the Chinese market for expansion (via Reuters).
  • Former Walmart U.S. CEO Bill Simon has spoken out, questioning the stock selloff exhibited following Walmart’s recent quarterly results. Shares shed 4% of value, but Simon indicated “It was about as good of a quarter as any retailer could have in any environment.” (via CNBC).
  • White Castle plans to open its first Texas location, in a Dallas suburb known as The Colony, in the summer of 2026. The restaurant is anticipated to create between 80 and 100 jobs (via Chain Store Age).
  • Fed chair Jerome Powell hinted at a rate cut in the near future in remarks delivered in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. “Downside risks to employment are rising… With policy in restrictive territory, the baseline outlook and the shifting balance of risks may warrant adjusting our policy stance,” Powell said (via CNN Business).
  • Meta and Google have reportedly signed a cloud services deal worth ~$10 billion. Meta will leverage Google cloud services for its growing artificial intelligence projects (via IBD).
  • Jeep is bringing its popular Cherokee model back into production, this time as a hybrid. The new Jeep Cherokee is said to boast a starting price of $36,995 (via CarScoops).
  • Ross Stores delivered results which fell in line with Wall Street estimates for Q2 2025. Despite this, net earnings fell ~4% from Q1 2024, from $527.1 million to $508 million, and EPS trended downward to $1.57 versus $1.60 a year prior (via Chain Store Age).