June 30, 2025

  • Home Depot is acquiring building-products distributor GMS for about $4.3 billion through its SRS Distribution unit as it accelerates efforts to grow sales among contractors and home professionals (via CNBC).
  • U.S. brides and bridal shops face rising wedding costs as tariffs on Chinese imports push gown prices up as much as 30%, leading many brides to delay purchases or adjust budgets amid trade uncertainty (via NPR).
  • China’s Luckin Coffee has opened its first two U.S. locations in New York City, stepping into Starbucks’ home turf after surpassing it in China with affordable, mobile-driven coffee service (via CNN).
  • Lululemon is suing Costco for selling clothes that look too much like Lululemon’s designs. The retailer claims Costco copied six products and wants compensation for lost sales (via Investopedia).
  • U.S.-Canada trade optimism has lifted Wall Street futures to record highs, with Canada’s decision to drop its digital services tax boosting sentiment (via Reuters).
  • Nestlé announced it will eliminate artificial colors from its U.S. food and beverage products by mid-2026, joining other major food companies responding to consumer and regulatory pressure to remove synthetic dyes (via CBS News).
  • France is imposing new penalties and advertising restrictions on ultra-fast fashion giants like SHEIN and Temu, marking one of the boldest moves yet by a major fashion market to address the industry’s environmental impact (via Forbes).
  • Ford CEO Jim Farley warned that China’s electric vehicles are “far superior” in technology, cost, and quality, calling it “the most humbling thing” he’s seen and emphasizing that losing to China in EVs could jeopardize Ford’s future (via Business Insider).
  • German retail sales fell by 1.6% in May, defying expectations for growth and dampening hopes for strong Q2 expansion, as economists warn that Germany’s economy will likely lose momentum after a robust first quarter (via Reuters).
  • Gardener’s Supply Company has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, aiming to restructure and sell to Gardens Alive! without closing stores or cutting staff (via Daily Mail).