September 25, 2025
- The U.S. economy exhibited more strength than anticipated in Q2, with an upward revision coming from the Commerce Department estimating an annualized GDP of 3.8%. Higher-than-expected consumer spending drove the latest revision (via CNN Business).
- Albertsons is expanding its retail media network via a partnership with tech provider Perion Network Ltd. (via Chain Store Age).
- H&M is pivoting to focus on emerging markets in India and Brazil as consumer spend softens in its core region of Europe, and tariffs harm demand stateside (via Reuters).
- U.S. retailers are facing growing inventory problems, and cutting staff due to low sales, as a result of tariff pressures, per GreyOrange survey data. More than 75% of retail managers surveyed indicated an increase in stockouts tied to trade concerns (via Chain Store Age).
- Aldi is launching its first namesake private label, also adding “Aldi original” to the packaging of its existing store brands. “The new look and feel of our products is the next step in our journey to modernize our simpler, quicker shopping experience,” said Aldi CEO Atty McGrath (via Chain Store Age).
- Starbucks announced a trimming of its stores, with hundreds of cafes (albeit to the tune of ~1% of locations) slated to close down by the end of September. The company expects restructuring efforts to cost approximately $1 billion (via CNN Business).