December 18, 2025

Here are our picks for top news impacting retailers today:

• U.S. inflation slowed in November, according to CPI data, registering at 2.7% from the year-ago period versus 3% as noted in September. This is the lowest reading since July. On a two-month basis, prices rose 0.2% from September to November, and in September, prices rose 0.3% on a monthly basis (via CNN Business).
• Instacart is facing investigation by the Federal Trade Commission over its usage of AI pricing tools. Said tools have been used to conduct pricing experiments on shoppers, with prices varying for the same item, at the same time, from the same store. “The Federal Trade Commission has a longstanding policy of not commenting on any potential or ongoing investigations. But, like so many Americans, we are disturbed by what we have read in the press about Instacart’s alleged pricing practice,” the FTC said (via CNBC).
• Mall of America is welcoming a raft of new tenants for the holiday season and beyond. That list includes CardVault by Tom Brady, Pop Mart, Arabian Oud, Skims, Super Neon, Build-a-Bear x Hello Kitty Workshop, Mango, Primark, and Giordano’s (via Chain Store Age).
• The U.S. government has collected $1 billion in tariff revenue tied to the closure of the de minimis loophole. Related tariff rates range from 10% to 50%, depending on the country of origin (via CNN Business).
• E-commerce returns are down this holiday season, according to Adobe data. Throughout the first six weeks of the holiday season, e-comm returns dipped by 2.5% YoY. “Consumers are being very strategic, considered and conscientious about what they buy within the broader macroeconomic environment,” Vivek Pandya, director of Adobe Digital Insights, said (via Forbes).