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Covering the latest news in the retail industry
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November 4, 2025
- Yum! Brands is reportedly eying the sale of its struggling Pizza Hut division. “[Pizza Hut has] a unique opportunity to reclaim the leading position in the highly fragmented pizza market,” Chris Turner, the chief executive of Yum, said on a call related to the potential sale of the business (via The New York Times).
- Pinterest is currently beta testing what it calls a first-of-its-kind AI shopping assistant, one which uses visual cues to aid product discovery and online shopping. “With Pinterest Assistant, we’re supercharging that magic by leveraging AI to help our users discover and shop like they would with that person who knows them best,” said Bill Ready, CEO (via Chain Store Age).
- Amazon has landed a seven-year, ~$38 billion deal to provide cloud services to AI company OpenAI, responsible for the popular ChatGPT and Sora models. OpenAI will gain access to hundreds of thousands of Nvidia graphics processors as part of the agreement (via Reuters).
- Instacart is also hopping aboard the AI bandwagon, launching its own suite of AI tools, titled AI Solutions. “It’s taking everything that we’ve been building for retailers over the last decade, and it’s bringing it into the AI era. It’s really about putting enterprise-grade AI tech in every grocer’s hands, whether it’s a small, local independent or a national chain,” Instacart CEO Chris Rogers said (via CNBC).
- Publix saw slight improvements to its net earnings and EPS during Q3 2025, improving over last year’s results. Net earnings came in at $1.2 billion (versus $1.1 billion in 2024) while EPS improved to 30 cents per share (versus 28 cents per share last year) (via Chain Store Age).
- Starbucks is slated to sell control of its China operations to investment firm Boyu Capital in a deal estimated to be worth ~$4 billion. The coffee chain is divesting as its market share in the region wanes, largely due to competition and an inability to compete on price (via CNN Business).
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November 3, 2025
- Kimberly-Clark will be purchasing Kenvue, the maker of Tylenol, in a deal worth an estimated $48.7 billion. “We are excited to bring together two iconic companies to create a global health and wellness leader,” said Mike Hsu, Kimberly-Clark Chairman and CEO (via press release).
- Amazon is experimenting with broadening its Whole Foods product selection, without sullying the cache of the brand, by introducing ShopBots into the equation. For those shoppers who wish to order items outside of the usual Whole Foods range, orders can be picked via app (via TipRanks).
- Calvin Klein has launched a Re-Calvin service, one aimed at taking back previously loved garments from its loyal shoppers in an environmentally responsible manner. “As Calvin Klein continues its sustainability journey, we are proud to introduce a program that makes circularity more accessible for our customers and delivers alternative uses for pre-loved items,” said David Savman, global brand president, Calvin Klein (via Chain Store Age).
- Heineken has promised improved revenue amid a cost-cutting strategy, however, investors remain zeroed in on the company pushing for plant closures in order to keep business moving. CEO Dolf van den Brink is staring down two headwinds — delivering greater efficiency while bringing back soft volume growth (via Reuters).
- Tariffs could result in as much as $40 billion in costs tied to holiday shoppers’ and sellers’ business, according to LendingTree. “It can have a real impact on many families. It could prompt people to cut back on gift-giving this year or lead to them taking on extra debt,” said LendingTree’s chief consumer financial analyst (via CNBC).
- Chick-fil-A has launched a new restaurant concept focused around breakfast options. Daybright’s concept location is nestled in an Atlanta suburb, and could be proof of concept for the established QSR brand to move into new territory (via Chain Store Age).
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October 31, 2025
- Amazon delivered EPS and revenue beats as it reported its Q3 financials, recording EPS of $1.95 (versus $1.58 expected) and revenue of $180.2 billion (against $177.8 billion expected). “You’re going to see us continue to be very aggressive in investing in capacity because we see the demand,” CEO Andy Jassy said on the company’s earnings call (via Yahoo! Finance).
- Wendy’s is facing an ongoing and significant slump, according to CNN analysis. The chain’s stock has shed half of its value thus far this year. “We are not happy with our sales performance,” Ken Cook, Wendy’s CFO and interim CEO, said on its most recent earnings call (via CNN Business).
- In-store holiday shopping was described as a “ritual” by more than three-quarters of respondents in a recent Quad survey. “Consumers are rekindling their love and joy of discovery,” said Josh Golden, chief marketing officer at Quad. “They’re craving experiences that go beyond their digital screens so they can see, touch, and feel the products they’re considering for their family and friends – whether that’s browsing in-store or paging through a catalog at home” (via Chain Store Age).
- Restaurant Brands International exhibited strength during its most recent Q3 report, delivering slight EPS and revenue beats largely fueled by its international restaurants as well as Tim Hortons. EPS came in at $1.03 adjusted versus $1 expected, and revenue was registered at $2.45 billion against $2.4 billion expected (via CNBC).
- Puma is slated to slash 900 corporate jobs worldwide by the end of next year, with this restructuring following the loss of 500 positions earlier in 2025. The athleticwear company has lost a great deal of market share to newer entrants (via Forbes).
- Walmart has addressed claims that it plans to shutter stores in response to looting threats tied to a possible lapse in federal food assistance funding. “These claims are false, and we will continue to be open for business,” a Walmart spokesperson stated (via FOX Business).
