Tractor Supply Co. Q3 comp sales +0.4% "Net sales increased 5.1%...0.7% increase in comparable average ticket and a 0.3% decline in comparable average transaction count. Comparable store sales improved sequentially through the quarter, moving from negative in July to modestly positive in August to further strengthening in September." Press release   ...Names Home Depot Vet Fahim Siddiqui Chief Technology and Digital Officer Press release   Trump’s name brands millions of Amazon refund checks at Politico. "Millions of Americans are expected to receive a settlement check from Amazon credited to “President Trump’s Federal Trade Commission” in an unprecedented move coming [...]

  Walmart launches joint membership with Sam’s Club as it leans into delivery, gas discounts at CNBC. "The membership, which combines Walmart+ and Sam’s Club Plus, will cost $120 per year...That price is nearly $100 less than buying individual annual memberships to each retailer..." Read more   Kroger Co. will host an Investor Update today in New York "...company is targeting: Approximately 3% comparable sales growth in 2029...3%-6% adjusted EBITDA CAGR for FY2027 through FY2029..." Press release   Best Buy makes move to increase video game sales "...launching Best Buy Gamers, a free online platform that combines game reviews, personalized [...]

  Deloitte: Canadian holiday spending is expected to drop 14% this year Press release   LendingTree: Halloween Spending Expected to Drop 16% Press release   YouTube Is Looking to Expand Into Audiobooks at WSJ. "The offering could be ready next year, the people said. YouTube has weighed bundling the product in its ad-free YouTube Premium service, which starts at $15.99 a month and includes access to music and videos, the people said." WSJ subs.   Seattle’s Famous Raccoon 'Jimothy' Hits Costco as a Dog Toy at USA Today   The first new sunscreen type in 25 years has arrived on US [...]

  Kroger To Reportedly Eliminate 37% Of Corporate Workforce at Yahoo. "According to an internal staff memo Bloomberg obtained, (Kroger) will eliminate roughly 3,000 corporate positions." Read more | Bloomberg (subs.)   French supermarket fridges get hacked, heating to 122°F and sparking fires at CNBC. "European Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Christophe Hansen warned that “the weaponization of food has become a reality.” Read more   Visa wins approval to prepare a bank card clearing business in China at AP   Hardware Stores Have a Secret Weapon for Wooing Customers at WSJ. "Cats humanize the hardware store,” (Kaplanis) says. “We [...]

  Costco September comp sales (ex. gas & f/x) +7.6% : US +8% / Canada +4.9% / Other Int'l +7.7% / Digitally-enabled +19.1% "...net sales of $30.02 billion for the retail month of September, the five weeks ended October 4, 2026, an increase of 13% from $26.58 billion last year." Press release   Amazon is cutting fewer than 1,000 white-collar jobs, mainly in its stores division Fox News | Reuters (subs.)   When CEOs Brag About Price Hikes, She’s Listening at Bloomberg. "Lindsay Owens and her think tank are getting traction by blaming the likes of Instacart and Walmart for [...]

  How Christina Zhu turned Sam’s Club into Walmart’s unlikely growth engine in China at Fortune. "As a child, she watched her parents wake up at 4:30 a.m. on Sundays to go to the wet market. “They had to haggle, and high-quality produce wasn’t always guaranteed,” Zhu, born in 1973, recalled...Today, Chinese shoppers are “probably the group with the most choices [in the world],” and they have become “the most demanding customers,” she said." Fortune subs.   ACSI: C-Store Satisfaction Slides "Meijer rises 5% to 82, the study’s largest improvement, claiming sole possession of first place. Kwik Trip drops 6% [...]

  Walgreens Owner Nears Deal to Sell British Pharmacy Chain Boots at WSJ. "Walgreens was in the midst of a turnaround effort when Sycamore bought it. Its market value had dropped more than 90% from its roughly $100 billion peak in 2015. Selling Boots at the price being discussed would be an early win for Sycamore, which is poised to make a sizable return on the sale. It would also allow the firm to focus on reviving Walgreen’s U.S. operations." WSJ subs.   Forbes: 2026 World's Best Employers (Shopify #3 / Costco #4 / P&G #53) Full list   H-E-B Outpaces [...]

  Target is lowering prices on nearly 2,000 home and apparel & accessories items "Apparel and shoes: ...select items priced 20% or more lower than last year...Home: A fully refreshed bedding assortment, with prices 15% lower, on average..." Press release   An outright ban on certain Canadian products took effect Tuesday at NY Times. "On Monday, U.S. officials released a notice saying Canadian products including whey protein, molasses, nonalcoholic beer, wine, vermouth and a variety of liquor would be “unconditionally rejected” by U.S. Customs and Border Protection starting at 12:01 a.m. Tuesday." NY Times subs.   Inside McDonald’s push to [...]