Shipping giants warn ports and trucks could hold up deliveries and push up prices at CNBC. "Vincent Clerc, CEO of Maersk, said that despite the war in Iran and the impact of U.S. tariffs, there had been “incredible resilience of demand...which has led volumes to continue completely unabated.” However, bottlenecks on the land — from port terminals and cargo facilities to road and rail links — are causing congestion and pushing freight rates higher, he said." Read more   Tariff Reported Refund Leaders (Apple @ $2.2B / Amazon @ $640M) WSJ subs.   ...Tariff refunds now flowing through shippers [...]

  On Q2 net sales +13.5% Press release   Vintage Fashion Is Changing the Economics of Desirability at Bloomberg. "Unlike the primary market, where brands largely set the prices, the secondary market is closer to a continuously operating auction that results in free-market price discovery — basically, a stock market for clothes...In the preowned market, says Gaya Guiragossian, style director at Vestiaire Collective, “value is determined over time. It reflects what remains desirable once the hype has faded.” Bloomberg subs.   CNBC/NRF Retail Monitor Shows 10th Month of Sales Growth; July total retail sales up 5.15% YOY Press release   [...]

  Warby Parker Q2 revenue +9.8% "Active Customers increased 4.1%...Average Revenue per Customer increased 6.6%...(ended) Q2 with 352 stores." Press release   Whatnot - Where Some People Bid Until They’re Broke at WSJ. "...within four months, the 45-year-old accountant had spent almost $1.4 million...Whatnot is on track to surpass one billion dollars in revenue this year after adding 20 million new accounts in 2025...holds nearly 60% of the live commerce market in North America and Europe." WSJ subs.   Etsy laying off about 220 employees, or roughly 12% of its workforce at CNBC   Bob’s Discount Furniture Q2 comp sales [...]

  Best Buy appoints Anne Bramman as Chief Financial Officer "She most recently served as chief financial and growth officer of Circana, a leading consumer analytics company. Prior to Circana, Bramman was CFO of Nordstrom..." Press release   Publix Q2 comp sales decreased 0.5% Press release   Shein seeks $30-$40 billion valuation for August Hong Kong IPO, sources say at Reuters. "The valuation target marks a dramatic ​reset for Shein, whose worth peaked at $98.2 billion in 2022 before falling to $64 billion in 2023 and April 2024 ⁠in private fundraising rounds as growth slowed and external pressures mounted." Reuters [...]

  Amazon, Walmart AI detect 'made in USA' fraud but do not flag it, study says at Reuters. "When the ​AI bots are queried on why the companies are not doing more to combat the false labeling, the AI-driven ​chatbots have cited business justifications. When researchers asked Walmart's Sparky why it does not flag suspicious "made in USA" claims, it responded that the FTC typically enforces "made in USA" rules against manufacturers, not retailers." Reuters subs.   Boot Barn Holdings, Inc. Q1 net sales +17.7% / comp store sales +4.7% Press release   eBay settles for nearly $56M after former [...]

  Apple plans to lease iPhones for $17.99 a month through partnership with Klarna at CNBC. "As a lease, devices will have to be returned at the end of 24 months. Users can also purchase their phone at that time with an additional payment, or upgrade to a new device. No security deposit is required and, while Klarna won’t charge late fees, it will terminate leases after three months of missed payments." Read more   Shein posted a $99 million net loss in Q1 of 2026, swinging from a $395 million profit in the same period a year earlier at [...]

  Kraft Heinz Strikes Deal With Disney to Supply Resorts and Tap Characters at WSJ. "Think condiment stations at Disneyland with ketchup dispensers shaped like Star Wars lightsabers, Amaya said in an interview. Other possibilities: Cinderella Mac & Cheese, or Jet-Puffed marshmallows marketed with images of Olaf, Frozen’s snowman." WSJ subs.   Hasbro Q2 Revenue +16% "...driven by growth in Wizards and Digital Gaming (+27%) and Consumer Products (+5%), partially offset by a decline in Entertainment (-20%)." Press release   Kroger beats Walmart, Aldi in price war at Fox Business. "A new study from Restaurant Furniture Plus compared the cost [...]

  U.S. grocery slowdown deepens as shoppers buy fewer items at CNBC. "Grocery unit sales fell 1.8% in June vs. last year as shoppers cut back, outweighing food inflation, new Bain data shows...Grocery prices are roughly 33% higher than they were in 2019..." Read more   Uber Agrees to Buy Delivery Hero in $14.8 Billion Deal at Bloomberg. "The acquisition marks a sizable expansion in Asia, Latin America and the Middle East for Uber and boosts its total markets to 99 from 79." Bloomberg subs.   Associated Wholesale Grocers Names BJ's Executive as New CFO "Kelly Kauffman will join the [...]