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 AP

 

Powerball ticket holder in Illinois wins $1.04 billion jackpot – ticket was sold at the Hy-Vee Gas Fresh & Fast convenience store in Quincy, Ill NY Post

 

Target optimizes middle mile with in-house digital twin tool at Chain Store Age. “Jake Krings, VP technology, global supply chain & logistics, Target, explained how and why the discount giant developed a digital twin…solution called Proxima to improve decision-making and performance in the “middle mile” of its supply chain…” Q&A

 

2026 PEOPLE Companies that Care (Wegmans #2 / Publix #4 / Target #29 / Hy-Vee #55…) Top 100 list

 

BEST WISHES – CEO Ted Decker will take a temporary medical leave of absence “The company expects Decker to return within the next few months…Ann-Marie Campbell, senior EVP, will provide oversight of Home Depot’s day-to-day operations, while Richard McPhail, EVP and CFO, will provide oversight of the company’s financial management and Pro subsidiaries.” Press release

 

Convenience Store News Names the 2026 Future Leaders in Convenience List of forty-three

 

Sun-blocking umbrellas are hot at NY Times. “Shed Rain…a longtime maker of UV golf umbrellas…sold 150,000 UV umbrellas in the United States (in 2021). By 2024, sales had climbed to more than 500,000, and according to Shauna Price, the brand director, the number is projected to reach 1.6 million this year.” NY Times subs.

 

Urban Outfitters launches its first back-to-campus commercial – features 76 students from more than 10 universities Glossy

 

Dillard’s Inc Q2 comp sales +1.0% Press release

 

New poll shows almost half of 18 to 34 year-olds favor Democratic Socialism CNBC

 

Shein Loses UK Lawsuit Against Temu Over Copyright Violations at Bloomberg. “The London trial offered a rare glimpse into how Shein and Temu, founded by billionaires Xu Yangtian and Colin Huang respectively, compete fiercely over shared suppliers and overlapping production networks.” Bloomberg subs. 

 

NRF 2026 Hot 25: Fastest-growing Retailers List

 

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