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Covering the latest news in the retail industry

  • July 21, 2025

    • Home Depot captured more than a quarter (28%) of total U.S. spend in its category for 2024, per Numerator’s Home Improvement Tracker. Lowe’s placed second in the category, garnering 18% of spend (via Chain Store Age).
    • Food prices are increasing worldwide, at least in part due to extreme weather patterns, per a study published with “Environmental Research Letters.” Authors suggest inflation could lead to further societal turmoil across the globe (via CNN Business).
    • Stellantis expects a loss of ~$2.7 billion in the first half of 2025, at least partially attributed to the impact of pre-tax net charges and U.S. tariffs. The projections come amid the absence of financial guidance, which the automaker suspended on April 30 (via CNBC).
    • Verizon shares ticked upward in morning trading based on a mixed financial report which saw business subscribers rise and personal subscribers fall. Cash flow projections for the full year increased to $19.5 billion-$20.5 billion, a $2 billion improvement (via MarketWatch).
    • In-N-Out president Lynsi Snyder is relocating from her home state of California to Tennessee, saying that “There’s a lot of great things about California, but raising a family is not easy here. Doing business is not easy here.” There are no apparent plans for the fast-food chain to exit the California market, however (via Fox Business).
    • Amazon stands accused of raising the price of a number of essential items in recent months, despite having pledged not to do so. For its part, Amazon denied reports, stating the basket of goods analyzed in reports was not representative of overall pricing trends (via TipRanks).
    • Sur la Table has named Dan Goldman as president as the specialty retailer focuses efforts on growth. Goldman previously held executive positions at Banana Republic, Athleta, and Gap (via Chain Store Age).
    • U.S. toy sales for the first four months of the year increased by 6%. Whether this signals resilience to President Trump’s tariffs or a front-loading of consumer demand remains unclear (via Forbes).
    • Starbucks is slated to kick off its autumn menu on August 26. The return of the chain’s Pumpkin Spice Latte and entire pumpkin product lineup typically are associated with “the unofficial start of fall,” per Starbucks press (via Food & Wine).
    • Barnes & Noble is opening three new smaller-format stores as part of a return to brick-and-mortar business for bookstores. Two of the stores will open in Texas, and the third in South Carolina (via Chain Store Age).

  • July 18, 2025

    • Post-Amazon Prime Day events are ramping up. Figuring consumer spend could keep rolling, Wayfair and Urban Outfitters have kicked off their own sales events in the wake of Prime Day’s conclusion (via Chain Store Age).
    • China has placed export restrictions on tech required to produce EV batteries, which signals “a move to consolidate its dominance in the sector.” The move mirrors an action three months ago related to the export of rare earth elements and their magnets (via CNN Business).
    • Burberry sales in the Americas improved by 4% YoY in the three months leading up to June 28, with CEO Joshua Schulman indicating the results point to the “diversity of the luxury consumer that exists in that market.” The U.S. represents nearly one-fifth (19%) of Burberry’s business (via CNBC).
    • American Express reported record revenue in Q2 as cardholders increased spend by 7% versus last year’s figures. Despite this, however, AmEx share prices tumbled in morning trading (via Barron’s).
    • Tariffs remain top-of-mind for most American consumers, per the latest Numerator data. Its Tariff Sentiment tracker suggests 81% of those polled continue to expect their spending habits or shopping habits to see an adjustment in response to President Trump’s ongoing tariffs (via Chain Store Age).
    • Chevron has acquired Hess in a deal worth $53 billion following a dispute panel’s ruling against competitor Exxon concerning Hess assets in an oilfield off the coast of Guyana. Chevron stock ticked upward in early trading following release of the news (via Axios).
    • The U.S. House majority whip Tom Emmer has signaled that a number of bills, including the GENIUS Act which could enable retailers to issue their own stablecoin cryptocurrencies, will pass. Speculation has persisted that large retailers such as Amazon and Walmart could issue stablecoins, though this remains uncertain (via Politico).
    • Kroger partner Ocado signaled optimism that the U.S. grocer would continue to improve its e-commerce capabilities as a management swap occurs. The initial deal between the two called for 20 automated warehouses to be constructed, while only eight have so far gone into operation (via Reuters).
    • Juul will be allowed to keep its e-cigarettes on U.S. shelves due to a recent FDA authorization, following a 2022 federal ban which pushed the company to the edge of bankruptcy. Original tobacco and menthol flavor refills, in addition to the base vaporizer, will continue to be sold stateside (via The Wall Street Journal).
    • Igloo is launching a DTC customization program titled Igloo Custom. Shoppers will be able to emblazon its Little Playmate cooler with a variety of text, graphics, and photos (via Chain Store Age).

  • July 17, 2025

    • 7-Eleven parent Seven & i’s deal with Alimentation Couche-Tard has fallen through. Alimentation Couche-Tard cited a lack of constructive engagement from the Japanese side of negotiations for the failure of the ~$47 billion buyout deal (via CNN Business).
    • U.S. retail sales rebounded by 0.6% in June, per Commerce Department figures, following a significant 0.9% fall in May. Spending increased across categories, most notably at car dealerships, which saw sales increase 1.2% last month (via CNN Business).
    • PepsiCo reported a Q2 earnings and revenue beat which saw shares trend upward in morning trading. EPS came in at $2.12 adjusted versus $2.03 expected, and revenue at $22.73 billion against $22.27 billion expected (via CNBC).
    • Walmart is planning to restructure a number of store support and training roles, per an internal memo. The market coordinator position is set to be erased, and training focus will be shifted to higher volume locations, with in-person training being prioritized (via Reuters).
    • Uber and Lucid, in partnership with autonomous vehicle tech startup Nuro, are working together to build a premium robotaxi service. The early details of the deal suggest Uber will invest $300 million in Lucid and separately buy at least 20,000 Gravity SUVs from the automaker (via TechCrunch).
    • Maverik is continuing its rebrand of Iowa and Nebraska Kum & Go c-stores apace. A total of eight stores in Nebraska are slated to have complete rebranding in the coming days, as well as 34 Iowa stores by mid-October (via C-Store Dive).
    • Coca-Cola could be reintroducing cane sugar in its U.S. beverages. According to a Truth Social post from President Trump, the company has agreed to do so, although details remain scarce (via FOX Business).
    • Little Caesars is expanding its Canadian operations via a partnership with North Sun Energy. A further 18 c-stores and gas stations under North Sun Energy will play host to Little Caesars in Canada’s northeast region (via Chain Store Age).
    • Copper prices are hitting record highs due to tariffs, and there may be no end in sight for the metal’s price hikes. “There isn’t really a good way for businesses or consumers to avoid these higher costs,” said analyst Brandon Parsons (via CNN Business).
    • Amazon Prime Day also scored wins on less obvious key metrics, per Pacvue data. The event saw YoY total brand average sales increase by 34% versus 2024, and total ad spend was up by 46%. Average daily sales fell 33%, attributed to the length of the sale, and average daily spend dipped 26% (via Chain Store Age).

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