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Covering the latest news in the retail industry

  • November 17, 2025

    • Netflix is launching a new retail-focused game show in the future. Titled “Win the Mall,” which is slated for eight initial episodes, 10 teams of retail experts will compete against each other to “gain control of storefronts, increase their spending power, and outmaneuver their rivals.” “This show is for anyone who ever dreamed of what it would be like to call a shopping mall your home. The deal seekers, the fashionistas, the savvy shoppers who can spot a knock-off from a mile away. You go to a mall for two reasons: to shop and to socialize. You’ll have to excel at both in order to Win the Mall,” said Jimmy Fox, exec at Fremantle, which produces the series (via Chain Store Age).
    • Target and Starbucks are teaming up to offer loyal customers a brand new drink offering. The Frozen Peppermint Hot Chocolate beverage will only be available from Starbucks cafes located within Target stores over the holiday season, and aims to act as the “perfect companion for holiday shopping runs” (via CNN Business).
    • Ford and Amazon are also partnering up, with the former being able to sell certified preowned vehicles on Amazon’s platform. “The addition of Ford certified pre-owned vehicles to Amazon Autos represents an exciting expansion of our store, giving customers access to thousands of quality vehicles backed by Ford’s comprehensive inspection and warranty programs,” Fan Jin, global leader of Amazon Autos, said in a release (via CNBC).
    • Spirit Christmas has opened 30 locations in the U.S., largely centered around the Northeast and Great Lakes regions. Customers are invited to enjoy some of the holiday cheer and product offerings on display, as well as to engage with Santa Claus at select locations — with photo shoots being an option (via USA Today).
    • Whole Foods is expanding its partnership with Too Good to Go to include mystery boxes including seafood and meat, dry goods, and floral assortments in a bid to capture more attention from value-conscious grocery shoppers (via Retail Brew).

  • November 14, 2025

    • Walmart’s board of directors has elected John Furner to the posts of president and CEO, to replace Doug McMillon when the latter retires from helming the retail giant at the end of January 2026. “John Furner is the right leader to guide Walmart into our next chapter of growth and transformation,” said Greg Penner, Chairman of Walmart Inc. (via Walmart).
    • PepsiCo is launching new versions of its popular Doritos chips and Cheetos snacks, titled Simply NKD, on Dec. 1. “We’re turning expectations upside down — removing artificial colors, not the flavor — and proving that unforgettable taste can be colorless,” said Rachel Ferdinando, the CEO of PepsiCo Foods U.S. (via AP News).
    • SHEIN is entering a perhaps unlikely category, now selling books via its online platform. “The average Shein customer reads one to three books a month—this isn’t a trend, it’s a lifestyle,” said George Chang, GM and head of Shein Marketplace U.S. “We’re excited to support our customers’ love of reading and learning by teaming up with Alibris to offer a wide variety of books to our shoppers for the very first time” (via Chain Store Age).
    • Alibaba’s cross-border e-commerce unit has announced an artificial intelligence subscription service angling to drive increased revenue. Kuo Zhang, president of Alibaba.com, said “We feel the urgency that we need to use AI to redesign how people do global trade. We think it’s going to be a paradigm shift for e-commerce for B2B” (via CNBC).
    • Toy retailers are leaning into the increasingly popular blind box trend, with Walmart and Target teaming up with Mattel and Hasbro, as just some examples, to produce mystery boxes which consumers are looking for. Furby and Barbie were two of the IPs named in early reports (via Reuters).

  • November 13, 2025

    • Michaels is showing some holiday spirit by hosting in-store crafting events for its loyal customers each Saturday in December, from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. “We want to help our customers celebrate the magic of the holiday season by creating opportunities for connection, creativity and celebration right in our stores,” said David Boone, CEO (via Chain Store Age).
    • More than 1,000 Starbucks workers are set to go on strike Nov. 13, spanning states from California to Texas to Pennsylvania. Termed the “red cup rebellion,” as the strike coincides with the coffee chain’s Red Cup holiday promotion, the strikers made their desires clear. “We’re turning the Red Cup Season into the Red Cup Rebellion. Starbucks’ refusal to settle a fair union contract and end union busting is forcing us to take drastic action,” Amos Hall, a barista at a store in Pittsburgh, said (via ABC News).
    • The final U.S. penny was pressed Nov. 12 in Philadelphia, with the last examples bearing an omega mark to signify the occasion. These will be auctioned off at a later date. “Given the rapid modernization of the American wallet, the Department of the Treasury and President Trump no longer believe the continued production of the penny is fiscally responsible or necessary to meet the demands of the American public,” Treasurer of the United States, Brandon Beach, said (via ABC News).
    • Toyota opened a sprawling EV battery plant in the Greensboro, North Carolina, suburb of Liberty. Toyota indicated the facility would produce 5,100 jobs and represents a ~$14 million investment, and stated that it is the “first and only battery plant [for Toyota] outside of Japan” (via Axios).
    • Kim Kardashian’s Skims is now valued at approximately $5 billion following its most recent funding round, which attracted $225 million as led by Goldman Sachs. “This milestone reflects continued confidence in our long-term vision and coupled with disciplined execution, positions Skims to unlock its next phase of growth,” CEO and co-founder Jens Grede said (via CNBC).

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