Consumer prices rose 0.2% in September, hotter than expected; annual rate increased 2.4% at CNBC. “Much of the inflation increase — more than three-quarter of the move higher — came from a 0.4% jump in food prices and a 0.2% gain in shelter costs, the Bureau of Labor Statistics said in the release. That offset a 1.9% fall in energy prices.” Read more

 

Costco September comp sales (ex-gas & f/x) +8.9% : US +9.3% / Canada +6.3% / Int’l +9.6% / Ecom +22.9% “…comparable sales for the retail month of September benefitted by approximately two percent in the U.S. and one and one-half percent worldwide as a result of the increased sales in the final week of the month due to abnormal consumer activity associated with Hurricane Helene and port strikes.” Press release

 

Amazon tests adding robot warehouses to Whole Foods so shoppers can pick up other orders at checkout at CNBC. “The company is building a micro fulfillment center attached to a Whole Foods location in the Philadelphia suburb of Plymouth Meeting, Pennsylvania. Once the facility is operational within the next year, shoppers can order items from Amazon’s website and its online grocery service, Amazon Fresh, while browsing Whole Foods and pick it up in store as they’re checking out.” Read more

 

IKEA sales fall 5% after price cuts at Reuters. “In all our markets we experienced a slowdown of the economy and a slowdown of the home furnishing industry, almost simultaneously,” said Jesper Brodin, CEO of Ingka Group. “We never experienced anything like that since 2008, to be honest.” Read more

 

Amazon’s new AI system to streamline deliveries at GeekWire. “The system…integrates with the vehicle’s navigation system to project a green “O” on packages to be delivered at a given stop, and a red “X” on all others in the back of a delivery van. This reduces the need to manually sort and organize packages between stops…” Read more

 

Porch Pirates Are Stealing AT&T iPhones Delivered by FedEx at WSJ. “The key to these swift crimes, investigators say: The thieves are armed with tracking numbers…“They know what’s getting delivered and the location,” said Detective Lt. Matt Arsenault from the Gardner Police Department in Massachusetts, which is investigating several recent thefts. “They meet the delivery driver at the front door and take it.” WSJ subs.

 

Interbrand: 2024 Top 100 Best Global Brands (Apple #1, Amazon #3, Ikea #28) Full list

 

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Seven & i Holdings to hive off underperforming businesses and focus on its c-store operations as they aim to fend off takeover bid from Canada’s Alimentation Couche-Tard at Reuters

 

Amazon’s Prime Big Deal Days was the Company’s Biggest October Shopping Event Ever Press release

 

Piper Sandler: Taking Stock With Teens Survey “Over 6,000 Generation Z U.S. teens surveyed…Nike remains the number one brand for all teens in both apparel and footwear… e.l.f. Beauty continues to dominate the (beauty) space…” Press release

 

Austin-based Favor Delivery launches new delivery service with H-E-B at KHOU-TV. “The new service aims to get customers up to 15 items in 45 minutes or less. “ Read more

 

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