Walmart on October 20 launched a joint membership with Sam’s Club at $120 per year, further integrating its warehouse-club business and leaning into delivery speed and fuel discounts.
US retail giant Kroger announced on October 13 that it will lay off approximately 3,000 corporate employees over the next three years — about 10% of its corporate workforce — to accelerate its pivot toward AI-driven operations. The savings will be redirected to technology and automation investments while creating new roles tied to artificial intelligence. The decision reflects the structural transformation pressures facing traditional retail under the wave of large models and generative AI.
An overnight cyber attack on 12 October disabled the cold-storage control systems at hundreds of French supermarket chains, spoiling fresh and frozen goods worth millions of euros and exposing the new failure mode of digitally centralised retail infrastructure.
Starbucks publicly denied on October 12 market speculation that it was in acquisition talks with fast-casual chain Chipotle, stressing that its strategic focus remains on its core coffee business and that no such large deal is on the short-term agenda.
Global retail giant Walmart reported slowing sales growth in its latest earnings report, sending shares lower. The company said consumers are making more trade-offs under pressure from high fuel costs.
Doris Fisher co-founder of the Gap clothing retail chain has died in San Francisco at age 94, she and her husband built one of the most recognizable retail brands globally
Maryland has become the first US state to ban grocery stores from using AI-driven dynamic pricing (surveillance pricing), marking a new phase in AI regulation.
Starbucks reports strong quarterly earnings with rebounding store traffic and revenue that exceeds Wall Street expectations, injecting confidence into the uncertain consumer sector.
Iconic accessories retailer Claire’s has shut all 154 standalone stores across the UK and Ireland, putting approximately 1,300 jobs at risk.