Retail sales up 1.7% in March; driven by a spike in gas prices at Yahoo/AP. “Excluding gas prices, the number was a slim 0.6%…Business at gas stations rose 15.5% percent. Elsewhere, sales at department stores rose 4.2%, while sales at furniture stores were up 2.2%. Online retailers saw a 1% gain.” Read more

 

Tractor Supply Q1 comp sales +0.5% “Comparable average ticket increased 1.6%, partially offset by a comparable average transaction count decrease of 1.0%…Four of five product categories delivered positive comparable sales growth…Companion animal performance was below the Company average…” Press release

 

Amazon ‘strong-armed’ Levi’s, Hanes to hike prices on rival sites, California DA says at CNBC. “The documents released Monday include 2022 communications between Amazon and undergarments maker Hanes, where it sent the vendor links to listings on Target and Walmart’s websites showing lower prices than those on Amazon. Hanes confirmed that it “reached out to Target and Walmart to have the prices increased,” the filing states.” Read more

 

Tariff refund claims portal launched yesterday – Walmart is due $10.2 Billion at CNBC. “According to an April 10 analysis by Citi, Walmart is due $10.2 billion, Target is due $2.2 billion and Nike could get $1 billion back. Refunds are also expected for Kohl’s at $550 million, Gap at $400 million, and Macy’s at $320 million…However, the refunds could present a legal vulnerability for the companies claiming them, trade lawyers said. That’s because many companies passed through their cost increases…” Read more

 

McKinsey: The State of Grocery Retail Europe 2026: Margins under pressure, models in motion “Overall online sales in Europe grew by 6.8 percent between 2024 and 2025, yet decreased from the 7.8 percent growth between 2023 and 2024…online growth is not consistent across Europe—in Portugal and Sweden, the online channel is losing relevance.” Read more

 

NRF: Washington’s unnecessary push to control retail customer service operations Read more

 

Jeff Bezos Nears $10 Billion Funding for AI Lab, FT Says at Bloomberg. “Project Prometheus, which Bezos co-founded with scientist Vik Bajaj, will use AI to accelerate engineering and manufacturing in fields like aerospace and automobiles…” Bloomberg subs.

 

Target to deliver Bullseye Builds in these 13 cities Press release

 

Nike Removes ‘Runners Welcome. Walkers Tolerated’ Boston Marathon Ad After Criticism Footwear News

 

Christmas Tree prices to increase due to Iran War at CNBC. “An estimated 87% of Christmas decor sold in the U.S. is sourced from China…Lou said the disrupted shipping in the Strait of Hormuz and high oil prices due to the Iran conflict have raised her costs per tree by 10%…“The price of Christmas trees in the U.S. will definitely go up,” she said. “It is unavoidable.” Read more

 

lululemon Strengthens Presence in Mexico with E-Commerce Launch and Store Expansion Plan Press release

 

Target announces collaboration with social media brand Parke Press release

 

Amazon adding heavy-duty EV trucks from Einride as it spreads bets on freight decarbonization at CNBC