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Covering the latest news in the retail industry

  • July 11, 2025

    • U.S. retail sales fell in June on a monthly basis, the first decline since February of this year, per NRF data. However, while core retail sales dipped 0.32% month-over-month, those same sales were up 3.36% year-over-year (via Chain Store Age).
    • Samsung is looking into expanding its array of wearable tech featuring AI integration. “It could be something that you wear, glasses, earrings, watches, rings and sometimes [a] necklace,” COO Won-joon Choi said (via CNN Business).
    • Back-to-school spending is anticipated to hit $30.9 billion this year, according to a new Deloitte report. That works out to about $540 per student, a drop of about $16, despite price increases across all categories (via Chain Store Age).
    • Walgreens Boots Alliance shareholders have agreed to the $10 billion buyout offer presented by Sycamore Partners. A vast majority (~96%) of votes were notched in support of the buyout plan, according to a preliminary tally of results (via Forbes).
    • Levi Strauss has raised its full-year sales guidance to $1.25 to $1.30 per share, up from a range of $1.20 to $1.23 per share projected earlier. The company also indicated that it was willing to absorb at least some of the impact of ongoing tariffs (via CNBC).
    • Ulta Beauty has expanded into the UK market in a serious way via the acquisition of British beauty retailer Space NK. Financial details surrounding the deal remain as yet undisclosed (via Vogue Business).
    • Ford and Lincoln are recalling over 850,000 vehicles due to a potentially faulty fuel pump, per NHTSA records. The recall spans a variety of Ford and Lincoln models, including trucks, cars, and SUVs (via FOX Business).
    • Tomato prices could increase by 10% or more should a trade deal between the U.S. Commerce Department and Mexican exporters end as planned. NatureSweet Ltd. CEO Rodolfo Spielmann said “there’s no scenario” in which his import company can absorb the cost of tariffs (via FOX Business).
    • Amazon Prime Day day three saw a decrease in average order spend, despite overall household spend trending upward to $139.71, versus $126.26 the day prior. Average order spend fell to $54.78 from $57.12 on day two, according to Numerator data (via Chain Store Age).
    • Increased tariffs of 35% on Canada have been threatened by President Trump. The expectation, according to Trump administration officials, is that goods covered by the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement will be exempt from these tariffs (via CNN Business).

  • July 10, 2025

    • Amazon Prime Day day two has seen the event fall on a pair of important metrics, per Numerator data. Average order size fell 3% versus 2024’s results, and fewer households indicated placing two or more separate orders thus far (via Chain Store Age).
    • Hasbro CEO Chris Cocks has signaled that toy prices could rise later this year, especially if higher tariffs take hold. However, Cocks noted that Hasbro is better-positioned than competitors to navigate the ongoing tariff situation (via CNN Business).
    • Uniqlo owner Fast Retailing also warned that President Trump’s tariffs could drive price increases later this year. “It is unavoidable that we will be significantly affected from autumn and winter,” Fast Retailing financial officer Takeshi Okazaki said (via Forbes).
    • Tesla has announced that its vehicles will be equipped with Grok AI next week “at the latest,” according to CEO Elon Musk. The news comes immediately following reports of the release of its latest Grok 4 model (via Reuters).
    • Apple is lagging behind in the AI race, according to Wedbush analyst Dan Ives. Ives suggested Apple acquire Perplexity to make a re-entry into the race (via Investor’s Business Daily).
    • Urban Outfitters and HGTV have partnered to produce the Dream Dorm Makeover Contest. Interested parties must create a curated Pinterest board to win, and the retailer has indicated that the promo campaign is aimed at Gen Z students and their family members (via Chain Store Age).
    • North Carolina, Texas, and Florida snagged the top three spots on CNBC’s “America’s Top States for Business 2025” report. Alaska, Hawaii, and Montana rounded out the bottom three positions (via CNBC).
    • Mazda has debuted its new CX-5 crossover SUV model in Europe. The CX-5 is slated to hit U.S. showrooms at some point in 2026 (via Mazda Newsroom).
    • Ferrero has clinched a deal to acquire cereal brand WK Kellogg in an agreement worth approximately $3.1 billion. Shares of WK Kellogg enjoyed a surge following the news (via CNBC).
    • American Eagle has teamed up with Snapchat to highlight its stores as a desired back-to-school shopping destination. Over 800 AE locations have been sponsored as Promoted Places within the app to drive consumer interest (via Chain Store Age).

  • July 9, 2025

    • Nvidia has become the world’s first $4 trillion dollar company, in terms of market value. The tech company beat both Apple and Microsoft for the position in doing so (via CNN Business).
    • X CEO Linda Yaccarino has publicly stepped down from her role in helming the social media company. Yaccarino thanked Elon Musk for the opportunity, and Musk in turn thanked the outgoing exec for her contributions (via Axios).
    • Amazon Prime Day notched $7.9 billion in U.S. retail revenue on its first day, according to data from Adobe. That figure represents a 9.9% increase in year-over-year consumer spend versus 2024 (via Chain Store Age).
    • Ray-Ban maker EssilorLuxottica saw shares rise approximately 6% on reports that Meta had purchased a significant ~$3.51 billion stake in the company. Meta has notably been expanding into the wearable tech market (via CNBC).
    • Used vehicles are rising in price once more. According to the Manheim Used Vehicle Index, prices have shot up by 6.3% year-over-year, the largest YoY increase since August 2022 (via Reuters).
    • Starbucks has yet to significantly improve its fortunes under the guidance of CEO Brian Niccol. During his nine-month tenure thus far, one focused on a sweeping turnaround effort, the stock has remained relatively flat, and demand has not substantially increased (via Reuters).
    • Samsung has announced the coming release of three new foldable smartphones in July. The Galaxy Z Fold 7, Galaxy Z Flip 7, and Galaxy Z Flip 7 FE launch on July 25, although preorders open July 9 (via CNN Business).
    • CVS Caremark has dropped coverage of weight-loss drug Zepbound. GLP-1 products are “significantly contributing to overall plan costs,” a company spokesperson said (via FOX Business).
    • Nordstrom announced the shuttering of two stores by the end of August. Locations in St. Louis, Missouri, and Santa Monica, California, are slated for closure, although company execs indicated the retailer would assist affected staff in finding new roles with the organization (via The New York Post).
    • QVC is kicking off its annual Christmas in July sale, joining several other retailers competing with Amazon’s sales event. The QVC holiday-themed sale runs until July 31 (via Chain Store Age).
    • New tariffs on copper and pharmaceuticals have been hinted at by President Trump. Trump has signaled a 50% tariff on copper, and a potential 200% tariff on pharmaceuticals (via CNN Business).

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