Retail News

Mattel is celebrating the 40th anniversary of its American Girl product line by reintroducing its Historical Characters. Some of the characters making a return include Addy Walker, Felicity Merriman, Josefina Montoya, Kirsten Larson, Kaya, Kit Kittredge, Molly McIntire and Samantha Parkington (via Forbes).

Foot traffic to American malls has increased in three distinct categories so far in 2026. Indoor malls saw visits improve by 2.2% during the first quarter, while open-air shopping centers saw traffic improve by 5.1%. Outlet malls saw the most modest growth in visits, up 1.4% (via The Anchor).

Ford is recalling ~422,000 vehicles, including Lincoln Navigators, Ford Expeditions, and certain F-series trucks, over issues tied to the windshield wiper. A warning stating that the wiper may fail could be issued by the vehicle, the NHTSA noted (via FOX Business).

Oil prices plunged in the wake of news that the U.S. and Iran had reached a temporary agreement to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. West Texas Intermediate fell by 16% to $94.71 in early morning trading Apr. 8, while Brent tumbled to $93, down approximately 15% (via CNBC).

Ace Hardware inventory can now be ordered via Uber Eats across 3,700-plus locations spanning 50 states. “Ace is built on a network of locally-owned stores that are deeply rooted in the communities they serve, and partnering with Uber allows us to meet our customers wherever they are,” said Bill Kiss, head of digital at Ace Hardware (via Chain Store Age).

PepsiCo is aware that it had been pricing its snacks too high, with Doritos reaching $7 per bag, and is now engaged in slashing prices. Walmart and other retailers had been telling Pepsi that prices had become untenable for over a year before this decision was made (via Bloomberg).

Waymo has ceased its testing of its robotaxi experiment in New York City after operating permits expired. Mayor Zohran Mamdani did not give a clear answer when asked if the service would gain permanent footing (via Gizmodo).

Universal Music Group could be acquired by activist investor Pershing Square in a deal worth approximately $64.4 billion. “UMG’s stock price has languished due to a combination of issues that are unrelated to the performance of its music business and importantly, all of them can be addressed with this transaction,” said Pershing Square CEO Bill Ackman (via CNBC).

Home Depot is partnering with The Weather Company to utilize hyper-local predictive weather data to customize marketing messaging and anticipate demand for products. “Many retailers are still looking at weather as an excuse for last quarter’s performance. The leaders we work with are treating it as a primary input for next quarter’s strategy,” The Weather Company CEO Rohit Agarwal said (via Forbes).

American heritage fashion brand Jockey is celebrating 150 years of operations. “As a family-owned company shaped by generations of leadership… we approach this milestone with responsibility. Our focus has always been to deliver comfort and quality, serve families and communities and design for the next generation,” said CEO Debra S. Waller (via Forbes).