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Retail
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Retail
Reese’s Pumpkins Lost Their Faces. Then Came a $5 Million Lawsuit.
Two Florida consumers sued Hershey over Halloween chocolates that didn’t match their packaging. A federal judge dismissed the case twice, but the candy now carries an unusually specific disclaimer.
By Social Storytellers Collective News Desk · October 26, 2026
Retail
London Is Taking Cars Off Oxford Street. Will Shoppers Return?
One of Europe's busiest shopping streets will become partly traffic-free on Monday. London's $200 million-plus regeneration effort is betting that better public…
Retail
Whole Foods Has Its Own Rulebook for Beauty. Brands Are Rewriting Formulas to Follow It.
Analysis | The grocer bans hundreds of ingredients as it builds out its beauty aisle. As the category grows, who sets the…
Retail
Stores Are Tracking Your License Plate. Who’s Looking Out for the Cashier?
Nearly half of retail workers surveyed in the U.S. and U.K. faced customer abuse in the past year, and more than a…
Retail
Reebok Is Bringing Back the Stars Who Made It Famous. Nostalgia Alone Won’t Save the Brand.
From the G-Unit G6 to Baby Phat, Apple Bottoms and VIBE in print, the brands of the early…
By Social Storytellers Collective News Desk · October 22, 2026
Retail
Corporate Profits Aren’t on My Holiday Shopping List
As retailers face soaring diesel costs, American shoppers are once again being asked to absorb the pressure. This…
By Will Davison Jr. · October 22, 2026
Retail
Developers Are Tearing Down Malls and Building Their Customers Upstairs
Across the country, aging shopping centers and outdated office parks are being replaced with apartments, restaurants, stores and…
By Brandon Crenshaw · October 21, 2026
Retail
Adidas Spent Nearly $1 Billion on World Cup Marketing. Can You Buy Lasting Brand Loyalty?
The sportswear giant invested heavily in the world's biggest soccer tournament and has since reported record quarterly results.…
By Social Storytellers Collective News Desk · October 21, 2026
Breaking News
- Inflation Doesn’t Explain Your Grocery Bill. Weather, Bird Flu and Butterfat Do.
- A Third of Shoppers Say They Will Ask AI for Holiday Gift Ideas This Year
- Kroger Says Cutting 3,000 Corporate Jobs Will Help Lower Grocery Prices
- KFC Is Going With Coke. Pepsi Has Now Lost Another Marquee Account
- Shoppers Started Buying for Halloween and Winter in September
From the Newsroom
Retail
Walmart’s New $120 Membership Is About More Than Saving Money. It’s About Owning the Shopping Routine.
Walmart is combining its delivery service and warehouse club benefits into one annual subscription, offering households a cheaper way to shop across…
Retail
Coke Is Winning the Soda War. PepsiCo Is Still the Bigger Company.
Pepsi’s loss of KFC hands Coca-Cola another high-profile restaurant win. Market share, food-service accounts and corporate scale show the cola rivalry is…
Retail
Walmart and McDonald’s Drew a Line Around AI Pricing. Now They’re Defending Where That Line Sits.
Both companies say their technology does not determine what individual customers pay. Lawsuits, patents and growing scrutiny are shifting the debate toward…
Opinion
Black Poverty Is Falling. Why Are We Still Calling This Progress?
The latest Census figures offer encouraging news, but nearly 8 million Black Americans still live below the poverty line. At what point do we stop celebrating small improvements and confront…
By Bryson Davis · October 27, 2026
Read the column →In Case You Missed It
Retail
Chipotle Isn’t Just Watching Social Media. It’s Letting the Internet Shape Its Business.
From tattoo-inspired promotions to Cardi B collaborations, Chipotle has turned online conversations into a marketing engine.…
By Social Storytellers Collective News Desk · October 19, 2026
Retail
Walmart Wants More Automated Warehouses. The Rollout Is Showing Where the Friction Lives.
Walmart is discovering that warehouse automation does not happen simply because a company buys enough robots.…
By Will Davison Jr. · October 14, 2026
Retail
GM Is Betting on Bigger Engines While Buyers Are Moving Toward Hybrids
Chevrolet and GMC are preparing new V8 and diesel engines for their next generation of full-size…
By Will Davison Jr. · October 13, 2026
Retail
Abu Dhabi’s $1 Billion Luckin Bet Is About More Than Coffee
The investment gives Mubadala exposure to one of China’s fastest-growing consumer platforms — and gives Luckin…
By Social Storytellers Collective News Desk · October 10, 2026
Retail
More Than Half of Canadians Now Avoid American Products. The Boycott Has Become a Habit.
Nineteen months into the trade fight, 51% of Canadians say they avoid U.S.-made goods, up from…
By Social Storytellers Collective News Desk · October 10, 2026
Retail
Crumbl Has Closed 57 Stores as Sales and Traffic Slide
August sales were reportedly 70% below their level two years earlier, while store traffic fell 32%…
By Social Storytellers Collective News Desk · October 10, 2026
Retail
Starbucks Explored a Takeover of Chipotle, Financial Times Reports
The potential acquisition would be the largest restaurant buyout on record, but no formal offer has…
By Bryson Davis · October 9, 2026
Retail
Uniqlo’s Record Year Shows Where Growth Is Coming From
Fast Retailing’s overseas expansion is outpacing its Japanese business. The results reveal a global growth strategy,…
By Social Storytellers Collective News Desk · October 9, 2026
Retail
Lululemon Turns to Nike Veterans as Its Product Problems Threaten the Brand
With shares down nearly 50% this year and profits under pressure, Lululemon is restructuring its leadership…
By Leena Alridge · October 8, 2026
Retail
Adidas Is Suing White Fox Over Four Stripes. The Real Fight Is Over Who Owns a Look.
The sportswear giant says adding a stripe doesn’t make a design original. The case puts one…
By Social Storytellers Collective News Desk · October 8, 2026
Retail
PepsiCo Cut Prices. Bringing Shoppers Back Is Proving Harder.
The snack and beverage company faces a test of whether affordability initiatives can rebuild demand while…
By Social Storytellers Collective News Desk · October 8, 2026
Retail
Brands Have Figured Out That Trust Sells. Some Are Now Trying to Manufacture It.
Small creators, AI chatbots and livestreams are reshaping how people decide what to buy. The same…
By Social Storytellers Collective News Desk · October 8, 2026
Two Florida consumers sued Hershey over Halloween chocolates that didn’t match their packaging. A federal judge dismissed the case twice, but the candy now carries an unusually specific disclaimer.
One of Europe's busiest shopping streets will become partly traffic-free on Monday. London's $200 million-plus regeneration effort is betting that better public space can revive retail, even as questions remain about transportation access and who benefits from the changes.
Analysis | The grocer bans hundreds of ingredients as it builds out its beauty aisle. As the category grows, who sets the standard matters more.
Nearly half of retail workers surveyed in the U.S. and U.K. faced customer abuse in the past year, and more than a quarter skipped shifts to stay safe. As retailers invest in surveillance to protect merchandise, workers say the protection they need is a manager willing to back them up.
Grocery prices never came back down after the pandemic, but the biggest swings come from forces that hit one item at a time, from drought-shrunk cattle herds to a surprising glut of butter.
A Gartner survey found 34% of U.S. consumers are very or extremely willing to use AI chatbots for gift recommendations, mostly for inspiration and price checks rather than letting AI make the purchase.
From the G-Unit G6 to Baby Phat, Apple Bottoms and VIBE in print, the brands of the early 2000s are back. True Religion shows what a real comeback takes, and Reebok still has to prove it can sell more than memories.
As retailers face soaring diesel costs, American shoppers are once again being asked to absorb the pressure. This holiday season, my family is choosing gratitude, connection and financial peace over the expectation to spend.
Across the country, aging shopping centers and outdated office parks are being replaced with apartments, restaurants, stores and everyday services. The strategy goes beyond walkable living: developers are building a ready-made customer base for the businesses on the same property.
The sportswear giant invested heavily in the world's biggest soccer tournament and has since reported record quarterly results. But the real test is whether an expensive moment of cultural relevance can produce customers who stay long after the excitement fades.
Walmart is combining its delivery service and warehouse club benefits into one annual subscription, offering households a cheaper way to shop across both chains. For the retailer, the opportunity is even bigger: becoming the first place customers turn for nearly everything they buy.
From tattoo-inspired promotions to Cardi B collaborations, Chipotle has turned online conversations into a marketing engine. Its strategy offers a revealing look at how consumer influence is changing the relationship between brands and their audiences.