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 more complicated than which soda tastes better.

Kroger Says Cutting 3,000 Corporate Jobs Will Help Lower Grocery Prices

Kroger plans to eliminate about 3,000 corporate jobs over the next three years as part of a broader restructuring that includes expanded use of artificial intelligence and a push to reduce operating costs. CEO Greg Foran says some of the savings will be redirected toward lower prices and greater investment in frontline workers as the grocer tries to compete more effectively with Walmart and Aldi.

KFC Is Going With Coke. Pepsi Has Now Lost Another Marquee Account

KFC is preparing to replace Pepsi with Coca-Cola in its U.S. restaurants, ending a decades-long beverage partnership and signaling a competitive win for Coke.

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 what these systems are capable of doing.

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. A Wall Street Journal investigation published October 9 describes repeated technical and financial obstacles in the retailer's effort to automate roughly 200 U.S. supply-chain buildings. The machines can struggle with cardboard boxes, oversized goods and the routine act of unpacking items for individual shipments. The stakes extend beyond engineering: Walmart's distribution network supports thousands of stores and employs more than 140,000 warehouse workers, according to the Journal. A system meant to reduce handling time is now forcing the retailer to redesign packaging, maintenance routines and jobs around what machines can actually do.

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 pickups even as fuel prices rise and Asian automakers gain market share with more efficient lineups.

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 a partner with relationships far beyond China.

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 38%, and seven in 10 want grocers to pull American products from shelves.

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% from a year ago.

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 been reported.

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, not a complete picture of household prosperity.

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 around two executives with deep Nike experience. The challenge is rebuilding a product business that customers no longer view as indispensable.

In Case You Missed It · Page 2

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