September 30 – Mastercard: Macroeconomic Factors Will Drive Holiday 2025 Spending
Larger retailers that purchased and stocked holiday items in advance of tariff changes are likely to have a competitive advantage. From: HomePage News
September 30 – Target, Netflix Partner on ‘Stranger Things’ Collection Spanning Halloween to New Year’s
The product lineup includes portable drinkware, mugs, a mini refrigerator, candles, wall decor and even a ramen bowl and demogorgon cell phone stand. From: HomePage News
September 30 – H-E-B Names New President
H-E-B has tapped COO Roxanne Orsak to be its next president, effective in January, the Texas grocery chain announced Tuesday. From: Grocery Dive
September 30 – IHA, SPLiCE Partner to Launch Licensing Hub at The Inspired Home Show 2026
“The Inspired Home Show is known as the place where the world’s home and housewares retailers and product suppliers unite,” said Derek Miller, IHA president and CEO. From: HomePage News
September 30 – Ace Slates Rewards Days Promotion for October 7-8
Extra perks for Ace Rewards members during the two-day sales event include 15% off sitewide orders of $49 or more, as well as double loyalty program points on all purchases. From: HomePage News
September 29 – Slower Holiday Hiring Hints at Cautious Retail Expectations
Despite recent soft employment activity, Challenger noted that a late hiring push is possible if holiday sales build faster than anticipated. From: HomePage News
September 29 – First Look: LoveShackFancy Enters Midwest; October Store Openings Include.
The company has opened its first store in the Midwest — and 22nd location to date — in Wilmette, Ill., on Chicago’s North Shore. From: Chain Store Age
September 29 – Generational Change is Shifting Market Spending
Gen X and Boomers lead the way in consumer-packaged goods, general merchandise, and quick-service restaurant (QSR) spending, according to Numerator. From: HomePage News
September 29 – Americans Expressing Highest Rates of Food, Financial Insecurity Since 2023
Almost 59% of consumers would have difficulty paying an unexpected $400 expense, according to the report. From: Progressive Grocer
September 29 – Ikea Celebrates 40 Years in U.S. With Dining-Themed NYC Pop-Up
Visitors will experience a journey of all things, food, from preparing and cooking, setting, and serving, eating, and cleaning to storing and organizing, Ikea said. From: HomePage News
September 29 – Spirit Christmas to Open 30 Locations
New this year is the Peppermint Village, an immersive in-store experience that features decor, gifts, apparel, and interactive displays. From: Retail Dive
September 26 – Store Managers Concerned About Tariff Impacts on Business
In the survey of store managers that forms the basis for the report, GreyOrange found retailers are suffering widespread inventory issues and slow spending since tariffs were introduced in April. From: HomePage News
September 26 – Costco Q4 Tops Wall Street Estimates with Boost from Nonfoods
Comparable sales, sans gasoline and foreign exchange, were up 7.3% in the U.S., 8.3% in Canada, 8.2% in other international markets and 7.6% for the company. From: HomePage News
September 26 – Trump Sets Tariffs on Furniture, Other Sectors
The U.S. will levy sector-specific tariffs on a slew of new goods starting Oct. 1, President Donald Trump said Thursday evening. From: Retail Dive
September 26 – Amazon Settles FTC Suit for $2.5 Billion but Admits No Wrongdoing
Amazon and its executives did not admit guilt in this settlement, saying the company had always behaved lawfully. From: HomePage News
September 26 – Michaels Rolls Out Party, Knitting Shops in Wake of Joann and Party City Bankruptcies
The Knit & Sew space in stores, which comes about three months after the craft retailer acquired Joann’s IP, will feature co-branded signage. From: Retail Dive
September 25 – Report: Biggest Online Sales Don’t Necessarily Equal Best Online Experience
The 2025 Retail Website Performance Benchmark Report analyzed the National Retail Federation Top 50 Global Retailers by testing performance using Catchpoint’s Global Agent Network. From: HomePage News
September 25 – Starbucks to close some stores, cut more jobs in $1B restructuring plan.
While it is ending its fiscal year with store shutterings, Starbucks said it is committed to growth and plans to increase the number of coffeehouses it operates in fiscal 2026. From: Chain Store Age
September 25 – Macy’s Slates Hiring Events for Holiday Season Workers
Macy’s announced plans to hire full and part-time holiday season workers to support its namesake, Bloomingdale’s, and Bluemercury stores. From: HomePage News
September 25 – Giant Eagle to Invest $100M in New Business Strategy
The “Because It Matters” strategy reaffirms Giant Eagle’s commitment to better everyday value, better quality and service, and a better overall shopping experience. From: Drug Store News
September 25 – At Home Rolls Out Real Simple Housewares Collection
The Real Simple line for At Home spans product categories from cookware and entertaining essentials to cleaning supplies and storage items. From: HomePage News
September 25 – Target to Redesign SoHo Store with Style Focus
Target’s updated SoHo store will focus on the experience of discovering new merchandise — a core component of the retailer’s turnaround strategy. From: Retail Dive
September 24 – Sherwin-Williams Declares ‘Universal Khaki’ Color of the Year
Sherwin-Williams described the 2026 Color of the Year as a warm, grounded neutral that captures the essence of life’s fundamentals, offering a calming simplicity and timeless appeal. From: HomePage News
September 24 – Holiday Shoppers Widening Their View of Personal Value
The rapidly developing loyalty programs operated by retailers are an attraction for holiday shoppers, the survey related. From: HomePage News
September 24 – Amazon AI Enhancements Help Marketplace Sellers Launch Products
Amazon is supporting sellers on its platform with new artificial intelligence capabilities largely focused on helping its marketplace partners launch new products more effectively. From: HomePage News
September 24 – Halloween Spending to Hit Record $13.1B
73% said they would continue to celebrate the holiday in a myriad of ways, similar to the 72% who did last year. From: Retail Dive
September 23 – Dollar General Launches Dolly Parton Holiday Collection
Dollar General is displaying the collection in three parts under the designations Explore Kitchen Decor, Explore Baking Essentials and Bring Dolly’s Charm to Your Living Room. From: HomePage News
September 23 – Kohl’s Expanding Fall Savings Event to Four Days
The four-day event will feature bargains up to 50% off assortments from home and beauty to apparel, footwear and accessories. From: HomePage News
September 23 – Walmart Deals Rolling Out to Help Consumers Ease into Holidays
The event offers consumers a week to save on tens of thousands of items, the company noted, allowing them plenty of time to explore the bargains. From: HomePage News
September 22 – Target Cautions on Mini-Tender Offer While Previewing Circle Week Deals
Target Circle Week highlights include Deal of the Day offers starting at 40% off or more, with at least three new discounts revealed daily, including deals on national brands such as Bissell, GE and Apple, according to the company. From: HomePage News
September 22 – Specialty Grocers Overtake Discount Players in Traffic Growth, Report Says
Specialty and value grocery formats are the frontrunners of the industry, underscoring the “bifurcation of spending,” according to Placer. From: Grocery Dive
September 22 – Pottery Barn Kids Partners with Artist Sheehey for Holiday Nostalgia
The new Riley Sheehey for Pottery Barn Kids collection showcases Sheehey’s whimsical hand-painted illustrations, the Williams-Sonoma banner noted. From: HomePage News
September 22 – Office Depot Parent Going Private with Buyout by Atlas Holdings
Atlas managing partner Michael Sher said, “Atlas has a long history of transitioning public companies into successful private enterprises and we are uniquely positioned to do just that with The ODP Corp. an iconic American company.” From: HomePage News
September 22 – Survey: Nearly Half of Consumers Expect Holiday Debt as Budgets Shrink
Among those who have experienced a tariff effect, 33% report higher prices on select items, 19% are avoiding China-based platforms like Temu and Shein, and 16% plan to buy fewer or smaller gifts. From: HomePage News
September 19 – Numerator: Macro Pressures Prompt Hispanic Consumers to Shift, Curb Spending 71% of Hispanic consumers believe the U.S. is already in a recession, and 59% expect their household’s financial situation to worsen over the next year. From: HomePage News
September 19 – Claire’s Acquisition Closes with Plans for Smaller Store Footprint
Ames Watson intends to keep malls as a destination for consumers by elevating the Claire’s piercing service, in addition to refreshing its merchandise and store concepts. From: Retail Dive
September 19 – Salesforce: Holiday Sales Online Should Gain in a Complex Retail Reality
The company predicts that a significant portion of the growth this upcoming holiday season will involve AI and agent-referred traffic, which it projects will drive 21% of all holiday orders globally, accounting for $263 billion in sales. From: HomePage News
September 19 – Wegmans Breaking Ground on First Charlotte Location
The Ballantyne store, located at 11550 North Community House Road, will be the grocer’s first supermarket in the Queen City and its fifth in the state. From: Drug Store News
September 18 – NRF: Record Halloween Spending Expected from Budget-Minded Shoppers
Some 78% of survey respondents said they would purchase decorations, up from 75% last year. From: HomePage News
September 18 – Survey: High-Income Consumers to Drive Holiday Spending Gains
The AlixPartners study revealed shoppers across all income brackets intend to reduce spending in almost every category, with holiday food and beverage at home being the only segments for which increases are likely. From: HomePage News
September 18 – Amazon Expanding Fulfillment Services to Walmart, Shopify, Shein Sellers
Supply Chain by Amazon is launching more direct arcs that connect the largest and fastest-growing manufacturing hubs directly with sellers’ most popular destination countries. From: HomePage News
September 17 – Black Friday Forecasted as Peak Holiday Shopping Day in Flat Season
The Sensormatic Solutions outlook for U.S. in-store traffic for the holiday season is traffic coming in relatively flat to down 3% year over year. From: HomePage News
September 17 – Numerator: Consumer Tariff Concerns Grow Again as Holidays Approach
Shoppers are most concerned about tariff-related price increases in essential categories, Numerator pointed out, such as groceries (58%), household goods (43%), gasoline (40%) and medications/medical supplies (36%). From: HomePage News
September 17 – Macy’s Setting the Stage for Holiday Festivities
Macy’s famous Herald Square location will offer a curated blend of experiences mixing entertainment and retail this holiday season, according to the company. From: HomePage News
September 16 – Target Kicks Off Fall, Holiday Promotions with Circle Week Event October 5-11
Consumers will find 20,000 new items — twice as many as last year — available with more than half exclusive to Target and thousands of gifts starting at just $5, the company maintained. From: HomePage News
September 16 – Schnucks Acquires Festival Foods and Hometown Grocers
Upon completion of the purchase, Schnucks Chairman and CEO Todd Schnuck will become chairman and CEO of the newly formed 1939 Group. From: Progressive Grocer
September 16 – Amazon Sets 2025 Prime Big Deal Days Promotion for October 7-8
The initiative launches on October 7 at 12:01 a.m. Pacific Time offering members of Amazon’s Prime membership program exclusive savings on gifts, beauty and electronics as well as toys, seasonal essentials and products for the home. From: HomePage News
September 16 – Brand House Collective Q2 Slides as Bed Bath & Beyond Conversion Accelerates
The Brand House Collective, which recently changed its name from Kirkland’s, pointed out that it debuted the company’s first Bed Bath & Beyond store in Nashville, TN, From: HomePage News
September 15 – Pottery Barn Introduces Formula 1 Collections for Kids, Teens
The Formula 1 for Pottery Barn Kids and Formula 1 for Pottery Barn Teen collections use a palette of racing-inspired red, black, white and metallic accents, the Williams-Sonoma banners reported. From: HomePage News
September 15 – Best Buy Holiday Pitch Highlights Housewares in Expanded Selection
Shoppers on bestbuy.com and the Best Buy app will find 10 times the number of products, including new brands and categories for the retailer, much of it featured on its new marketplace operation, the company reported. From: HomePage News
September 15 – Bed Bath & Beyond Acquires Key Assets of Kirkland’s Home
Bed Bath & Beyond said it would now be able to drive a larger national footprint and create greater operating efficiencies while underscoring the company’s conviction in the power of omnichannel retail. From: HomePage News
September 15 – Ikea U.S. Launches 40-Week 40th Anniversary Celebration
The 40-week 40th anniversary celebration includes exclusive product offers, gift card giveaways, special in-store events and Ikea apparel. From: HomePage News
September 12 – JCPenney Gets Helps from Amazon, Celebrities for ‘Really Big Deals’
JCPenney used a unique integration with the “Jimmy Kimmel Live” television program to detail the deals included in the spring version of Really Big Deals. From: HomePage News
September 12 – Retail Monitor: Back to School, Price Increase Preempting Lifted August Sales
Total retail sales, excluding automobiles and gasoline revenues, gained 0.5% seasonally adjusted month over month and 6.81% unadjusted year over year in August, according to Retail Monitor. From: HomePage News
September 11 – Kroger Could Benefit from Eat-At-Home Shift After Q2 Earnings Beat
Kroger CEO Ron Sargent said in a conference call that lower- and middle-income consumers are shifting to eating more meals at home, more coupon use and private-label purchasing, while higher-income shoppers have been more willing to purchase premium products. From: HomePage News
September 11 – Bain: Physical Stores to Factor More Prominently in Moderate Holiday Gains
Overall, 36% of consumers plan to do all or most shopping in store, while 26% are focused online and 38% plan an equal split of visits between physical and virtual destinations. From: HomePage News
September 11 – Target Fall Store Openings Span the U.S. from Virginia to California
The openings contribute to a Target initiative to open 300 new stores over the next decade, the company stated. From: HomePage News
September 10 – Port Volumes to Slip Through Year’s End Under Tariff Pressure
Import cargo volume at the nation’s major container ports looks to steadily decline through year’s end amid rising tariffs, according to the Global Port Tracker report from the National Retail Federation and Hackett Associates. From: HomePage News
September 10 – Heinen’s Opens 5th Grocery Store in Chicagoland
Spanning 46,000 square feet, the new Heinen’s features signature fresh departments, including premium meat, seafood delivered six days a week, and Midwest-grown produce. From: Progressive Grocer
September 10 – Going Beyond Omnichannel: Retail’s Pursuit of Unified Commerce
The idea is to provide efficiency in a comprehensive shopper experience that makes selecting and purchasing goods a singular process, whether initiated in-store or online using whatever method suits the individual. From: HomePage News
September 10 – Dollar General Builds Executive Suite with Promotions, Appointments
Dollar General has announced executive promotions and appointments across store operations, information technology, DG Media Network and merchandising, adding to its leadership roster.
From: HomePage News
September 10 – Deloitte Forecasts Up to 3.4% Holiday Growth from Wary but Resilient Shoppers
Natalie Martini, vice chair, Deloitte, and U.S. retail and consumer products leader, said, “We expect this holiday season to demonstrate the resiliency of consumers as they continue to face economic uncertainty.” From: HomePage News
September 9 – Stanley Helps Target’s Halloween New Housewares Push
Target’s Stanley 1913 Halloween introduction includes stainless steel tumblers in come two-toned colorations and black, each of which has a pattern mixing stars, moons and bats..HomePage News
September 9 – Crate & Barrel Rolls Out New Collaboration with Designer Brent
Products focus on the entire household with expressive silhouettes incorporating rich materials such as walnut, faux shearling, and parchment, the company noted. From: HomePage News
September 9 – Job Cuts in August Suggest Less Retail Holiday Staffing
According to Challenger, retailers have announced 83,656 job cuts through August, up 242% from the 24,489 cuts announced during the eight months last year. From: HomePage News
September 8 – Numerator: Discretionary Spending Intent Holds Despite August Confidence Slip
The August Financial Outlook Score was 51.4, down 0.5 points from July but up 0.6 points compared with the yearly average, as consumers expressed middling feelings about their future finances. From: HomePage News
September 8 – Walmart Recruiting U.K., European Sellers for Its Marketplace
Walmart has begun recruiting U.K. companies to its global marketplace in the United States and its international selling platforms in Canada, Mexico and Chile. From: HomePage News
September 8 – Office Depot Promises 15-Minute Order Pickup
In addition to the in-store and curbside pickup, Office Depot also offers a variety of other fast fulfillment services, including same-day delivery on qualifying orders and same-day printing. From: HomePage News
September 8 – Marshalls ‘Good Stuff Accelerator’ Returns with Mentorship, Grants, Resources for Women
Marshalls maintained that participants from the inaugural Good Stuff class have reported that the program has had a meaningful impact on their lives, with 95% saying they are making progress toward their goals. From: HomePage News
September 5 – Costco Wraps Up Another Year of Strong Sales Increases
Comparable sales without the effects of gasoline price and foreign exchange volatility were positive 7.6% for the company. From: HomePage News
September 4 – Ulta Opens First Stores in Mexico, Advances ‘MUSE Accelerator’ Program
“Entering Mexico represents a bold and exciting step for Ulta Beauty as we bring our unparalleled assortment and inclusive shopping experience to beauty lovers in this significant international market,” said Kecia Steelman, president and CEO. From: HomePage News
September 4 – eBay Celebrates 30th Anniversary with Retro ’95 Shop
Shoppers can immerse themselves in ’90s nostalgia at the ’95 Shop pop-up in New York City or online at eBay’s virtual ‘95 Shop, where they can browse the collection and bid on retro items starting at just 95 cents. From: HomePage News
September 4 – Bloomingdale’s ‘Just Imagine’ Campaign Fuses Art, Fashion, Home
The campaign will spotlight exclusive collections from Yinka Ilori and illustrator Angelica Hicks, with limited-edition collaborations across home, beauty, apparel, fine jewelry, and accessories. From: HomePage News
September 4 – Coresight: Affluent Consumers Drive Sentiment Gains
Despite tariff pressures and mixed macroeconomic signals, consumer near-term expectations have improved. From: HomePage News
September 3 – Macy’s Rides Home Furnishings Gains to Strong Q2 Results
Macy’s pointed out that its 125 upgraded locations, dubbed Macy’s Reimagine, enjoyed comp growth of 1.1% on an owned basis and 1.4% on an owned-plus-licensed basis. From: HomePage News
September 2 – Bed Bath & Beyond Asks tZERO Board to Fire Its CEO
Bed Bath & Beyond sent a letter to crypto platform requesting the ouster of tZERO CEO David Goone. From: HomePage News
September 2 – Study Marks Generational Gap in Trust of AI Customer Service Agents
51% of younger consumers said they felt more comfortable sharing personal details of their lives with AI chatbots than with some friends. From: HomePage News
September 2 – Ulta Touts Strategic Moves, Raises Guidance After Strong Q2
Comparable sales increased 6.7% in the quarter year over year, the company reported, driven by a 3.7% increase in transactions and a 2.9% increase in average ticket. From: HomePage News
