October 14, 2025
Written by
Nicholas Morine
Nicholas Morine- Ulta Beauty has opened its own third-party online marketplace, UB Marketplace. “UB Marketplace allows us to deliver more newness, faster entry into emerging subcategories and trends, and deeper category authority – while keeping the guest experience unmistakably Ulta Beauty,” said Lauren Brindley, chief merchandising and digital officer at Ulta Beauty (via Chain Store Age).
- Amazon plans to hire 250,000 U.S. workers this holiday season, the same number as it had the two years prior. Said workers will be engaged in roles across its transportation and fulfillment networks from coast to coast (via Reuters).
- J.M. Smucker Company has sued Trader Joe’s in federal court, alleging that the grocery chain had infringed on its Uncrustables brand of frozen sandwiches. The lawsuit was filed in Ohio, and claims that Trader Joe’s private label product mimics Smucker’s product and packaging (via Reuters).
- Walmart has struck a deal with OpenAI to allow customers to purchase items directly within ChatGPT. The move scores a major win for both Walmart and OpenAI, with both entities being among the largest players in their respective spaces (via CNBC).
- Costco has now staked a claim to being one of the world’s largest clothing retailers. The warehouse club managed about $9.7 billion in apparel sales last year, according to GlobalData estimates (via CNBC).
- Barnes & Noble saw increased foot traffic even as it continues to open more brick-and-mortar locations post-pandemic. From January through August 2025, visits to B & N stores grew nearly each month, improving appreciably YoY (via Chain Store Age).