December 24, 2025

Here are our picks for top news impacting retailers today:

• U.S. retailers are exhibiting some concern over an apparent penny shortage, following the end of production of the U.S. one-cent piece.  “Congress should act quickly to provide the fix needed for retailers and ensure that cash tendered payments aren’t disrupted by the abrupt end of the penny,” Retail Industry Leaders Association EVP of public affairs, Austen Jensen, said (via Chain Store Age).
• Tanger CEO Stephen Yalof suggested that retailers are “discounting to meet the consumer” over the holidays, and that “the consumer is responding by shopping.” “I feel like the customer is very resilient. They’re looking to spend,” he added (via CNBC).
• The price of beef will remain elevated throughout 2026, according to industry insiders. “If the price of cattle goes down and the wholesale price of beef goes down, yes, the retail price of beef will go down. But when is it going to happen? Not immediately. So the consumer’s going to be frustrated and they’re not seeing immediate relief,” Wells Fargo Agri-Food Institute chief agricultural economist Michael Swanson said (via FOX Business).
• AI hiring practices were described as “miserable” by both job-seekers and employers alike. “Both sides are saying, ‘This is impossible, it’s not working, it’s getting worse,’” said Greenhouse CEO Daniel Chait (via CNN Business).