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Covering the latest news in the retail industry

  • August 11, 2025

    • Claire’s is actively seeking a buyer as it navigates its second bankruptcy. The company said it has received multiple letters of intent, with the deadline for a buyer to acquire the company tentatively set at Aug. 31 (via CNBC).
    • U.S. total retail sales improved in July, moving upward by 1.45% month-over-month and 5.89% versus the year prior, per CNBC/NRF Retail Monitor data (via Chain Store Age).
    • Ford has announced a $2 billion investment in its Louisville, Kentucky plant, largely centered around plans to produce a family of lower-cost EV trucks (via The Verge).
    • Adidas has formally apologized after criticism launched by Mexico’s president, Claudia Sheinbaum, targeted its production of a shoe which replicated traditional Indigenous huarache sandals without attribution or credit to artisans (via Reuters).
    • Goldman Sachs analysts project that CPI inflation will come in at 2.8% for July, up from 2.7% reported the month prior. Core inflation is anticipated to register at 3.08%, trending upward from 2.9% marked the month prior (via FOX Business).
    • Back-to-school shoppers are expecting to spend the same, or more, than they had in 2024, a Bread Financial survey suggests. More than half of survey respondents (53%) indicated as much (via Chain Store Age).
    • Tesla has made an application to U.K. energy regulator Ofgem, hoping to supply electricity to households in the United Kingdom (via CNN Business).
    • Gen AI is slated to be a major player in frictionless checkout, within the ChatGPT or Perplexity ecosystems first, according to experts. This could represent a “seismic shift” in e-commerce (via CNBC).
    • Stitch Fix appears to be poised to engage in a potentially successful turnaround effort, returning to growth recently. Despite the customer count decline, average order value has grown for seven consecutive quarters (via CNBC).

  • August 8, 2025

    • Back-to-school shoppers are heavily influenced by advertising in terms of making purchasing decisions, per GumGum data. A full 73% of U.S. respondents indicated that ads inform them of new brands, and 26% say that advertising guides buying decisions (via Chain Store Age).
    • More than half of U.S. consumers indicated “major” stress over the current cost of groceries, according to The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. A mere 14% indicated that grocery prices were not currently a source of stress at all (via CNN Business).
    • IKEA has made a move into the Chinese market, opening a digital store on e-commerce platform JD.com on August 8 (via Reuters).
    • Instacart signaled Q3 gross transaction value beating Wall Street estimates, hedging bets on resilient consumer demands as it pushes efforts to offer cheaper groceries via its platform (via Reuters).
    • Claire’s, related to its recent bankruptcy filing, has identified 700 stores “not viable under current lease terms or are underperforming.” Said stores include over 200 stores located in Walmart locations, as well as 120 Icing stores (via Retail Touchpoints).
    • Tommy Bahama has chosen Aptos One as its POS partner as it rolls out a mobile-first point-of-sale solution to better serve its customers (via Chain Store Age).
    • Consumer Cellular has opened its 50th store, with plans to open 100 locations by the end of 2026 (via Retail Touchpoints).
    • Under Armour indicated that an ongoing sales decline would continue this quarter, alongside projected softer demand and a further $100 million in tariff-related costs (via Reuters).
    • JD Sports has been named the NRF’s fastest-growing retailer in the United States. After acquiring Alabama-based Hibbett, JD Sports achieved 41.5% growth in domestic sales (via Chain Store Age).

  • August 7, 2025

    • 7-Eleven has announced plans to open ~1,300 locations stateside by the time 2030 draws to an end. The effort comes as part of a plan to enact a “transformation of 7-Eleven,” per the company (via CSP).
    • Costco reported a sales increase of 8.5% in July (for the four weeks ending Aug. 3), totaling a figure of $20.89 billion. Total company comp sales came in at an increase of 6.4%, with U.S. stores ticking upward by 5.5% and Canadian locations by 7.6% (via Chain Store Age).
    • Dick’s Sporting Goods has proposed a takeover of Foot Locker, but Sen. Elizabeth Warren has raised objections to the merger over antitrust concerns (via CNBC).
    • Toyota signaled a potential $10 billion profit hit tied to President Trump’s tariffs. The automaker also slashed its full-operating profit projections by 16% (via CNN Business).
    • Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan has drawn criticism from President Trump, with Trump alleging the exec has ties to China (via CNN Business).
    • McDonald’s is launching a nostalgic campaign focused around its McDonaldland IPs. A McDonaldland Happy Meal, featuring appearances and toys tied to fan-favorites Birdie and Grimace, launches Aug. 12 (via FOX Business).
    • Lower-income U.S. consumers are significantly curtailing spending on dining out, travel, and certain pantry staples. Execs from Coca-Cola, Procter & Gamble, and Chipotle indicated that these cutbacks came as a result of ongoing tariff pressure (via Reuters).
    • Ultra-processed food represents more than half (55%) of all calories within the average American’s diet, according to National Center for Health Statistics data. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has made it clear that his intention is to curtail this trend (via NPR).
    • Celsius reported a very strong Q2, with posted revenue of $739 million outpacing analyst projections of $652 million. That figure increased a whopping 84% year-over-year, largely credited to Celsius’ acquisition of Alani Nu on April 1 (via Sherwood).
    • Peloton posted a “surprise” Q4 profit, notching net income of $21.6 million versus a $30.5 million loss in the year-prior period. Cost-cutting is still on the menu, however, with a $100 million shave involving a further staff reduction of ~6% (via CNBC).

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