Retail & Ecommerce

Walmart and Target joined 1,600 merchants rallying around the divisive credit card routing bill—whose prospects aren’t bright.

California takes on Amazon: The state filed an antitrust lawsuit against the ecommerce behemoth, alleging that restrictive seller measures are inflating prices and reducing competition.

On today's episode, we discuss Peloton's strategy to sell through Amazon, how much people really trust influencers, what to make of The Walt Disney Co.'s new membership program, what to do about a tidal wave of returns, which brand has the least intrusive ads, an explanation of what makes retail apps sticky, how much different countries spend on their militaries, and more. Tune in to the discussion with our vice president of Briefings Stephanie Taglianetti and analysts Dave Frankland and Suzy Davidkhanian.

US retail sales unexpectedly rose in August: While consumer demand for goods showed signs of moderating, it remains relatively strong.

Starbucks’ reinvention plan leans on China for growth: The company ignores the threat of lockdowns as it pursues aggressive international expansion.

Prime Day is Amazon’s biggest sales event, but it offers other retailers a boost as well. This year, 44% of Prime Day digital buyers in the US considered shopping only on Amazon, while 32% checked out Walmart and 24% browsed Target as well.

Target and Big Lots get a head start on the holiday season: Both retailers are using partnerships with big toy brands—FAO Schwarz and Disney—to drive shoppers to stores.

Shein plans to open three large US distribution centers: The investment will dramatically cut its shipping times by up to 75%.

Inflation shows no signs of receding: Higher grocery costs continue to eat into budgets, but lower gas prices are boosting consumer optimism.