Retail News

Amazon’s Audible, responsible for its vast array of audiobooks, has opened an experiential “bookless bookstore” on the Bowery in downtown Manhattan. “We developed Audible Story House by asking a simple question: what does a bookstore look like without any books,” said James Finn, Audible’s global head of brand and content marketing (more).

Walmart will be creating a dedicated “beauty expert” role in 425 of its U.S. locations by the end of 2026, included as part of the retailer’s larger Beauty 2.0 redesign. “Early results from the pilot show strong customer engagement, while also creating a new pipeline for associates to grow into leadership and merchandising roles,” a spokesperson said (more).

The debt-to-GDP ratio as of March 31 rested at 100.2% as national debt was totaled $31.27 trillion and U.S. GDP stood at $31.22 trillion. “[Americans are] dealing with inflation, and higher costs of living because of Washington’s spending addiction. It’s only going to get worse until we cut up the credit cards and get serious,” said Republican Sen. Rick Scott of Florida (more).

Apple delivered a glowing Q2 report card, crushing revenue projections while also eking out a win on earnings per share. CEO Tim Cook described it as Apple’s “best March quarter ever” while also praising incoming CEO John Ternus (more).

Target recently opened its first-ever “receive center” facility in Houston, with the $265 million installation taking products in from its global vendors and holding them until they’re required elsewhere. The retailer expects the facility will create 185 new jobs in the region (more).

Costco quietly made a small shift to its famous $1.50 hot dog combo offered in its food courts, giving customers the option of selecting bottled water to drink in addition to the standard soda choice (more).

Chinese factory activity beat estimates, with the official manufacturing purchasing managers’ index reading of 50.3 topping projections of 50.1. “Industry still looks comparatively firm, while services and domestic demand show some weakness, which keeps boosting internal demand high on the policy agenda,” said Hao Zhou, head of research and chief economist at Guotai Junan International Holdings (more).

The American economy showed mixed signals in March, with Commerce Department data showing 12-month inflation reaching 3.2% while the Labor Department reported jobless claims totaling 189,000, seasonally adjusted, the lowest reading since September 1969. “This is a split-screen economy. Companies and investors involved in AI are on fire. Meanwhile, middle and moderate income households are struggling with high gas prices and inflation that’s back at the hottest level in three years,” said economist Heather Long (more).

Coca-Cola topped earnings per share and revenue expectations against Wall Street estimates, with EPS registering at 86 cents adjusted versus 81 cents anticipated. Concerning revenue, Q1 was notched at $12.47 billion versus $12.24 billion expected, with global demand increasing (more).

McDonald’s announced it will be launching three new refreshers (strawberry watermelon, mango pineapple, and blackberry passion fruit) on May 6, as well as three new crafted sodas — Sprite Berry Blast, Orange Dream, and Dirty Dr Pepper (more).