December 17, 2025

Here are our picks for top news impacting retailers today:

• Ford announced a pivot away from F-150 Lightning production, instead refocusing efforts on hybrid vehicles and less expensive EVs. As a result, the automaker announced a $19.5 billion hit on its EV assets and product roadmap. “Rather than spend billions more on these large EVs that we had planned that have no path to profitability, we’re going to pour our investments into higher margin areas — more American-built trucks, more American-built vans, hybrids across our lineup and even affordable EVs built in Kentucky. And we’re going to go into the energy storage business in the Midwest, make our country stronger,” Ford CEO Jim Farley said (via FOX Business).
• Amazon is reportedly in talks with OpenAI surrounding a potential $10 billion investment. The deal would also allow OpenAI access to Amazon’s AI chips. According to anonymous sources, the deal remains unfinalized, but if completed, could see OpenAI valued at ~$500 billion (via Quartz).
• The Federal Trade Commission has filed an amendment to its suit against Uber, adding 21 states and the District of Columbia to the complaint it had filed in California District Court. The complaint alleges “Uber charged consumers for its subscription without their consent, failed to deliver promised savings including $0 delivery fees, and made it difficult for users to cancel the subscription” (via CNET).
• Circle K is at the heart of a wave of crypto scams, investigative journalists allege, with the c-store chain playing host to cryptocurrency ATMs which scammers are directing victims to use. “Circle K policy is, ‘It’s not our machine, it’s not our problem,’ but I see it all too often,” Debbie Joy, an assistant manager in Port Orange, Florida said (via CNN Business).
• The Brand House Collective, formerly Kirkland’s, saw some sobering Q3 numbers which failed to meet analyst expectations. Net sales tumbled 9.5% to $103.5 million, short of the $114.4 million seen last year and projections of $109.3 million. While comp sales ticked upward, e-commerce sales cratered by 34.6% (via Chain Store Age).