Consumers are feeling gloomy about the economy. Here’s why they’re spending anyway at CNBC. "Marcus Feldman, a biotech project manager from Cambridge, Mass., said he will spend about 15% more this year on the holidays...“Every headline says people are scared to spend,” he said. “Then I walk down [one of Boston’s major shopping streets] Newbury Street on a Saturday and it’s shoulder-to-shoulder.” Read more   US retail sales were little changed in October at Bloomberg. "The value of retail purchases, not adjusted for inflation, was essentially unchanged after a revised 0.1% gain in September, according to a Commerce Department [...]

  Eli Lilly’s next-generation obesity drug helped patients with obesity and a type of knee arthritis lose an average of 23.7% of their body weight at CNBC   Walt Disney Company and OpenAI reach landmark agreement "As part of this three-year licensing agreement, Sora will be able to generate short, user-prompted social videos that can be viewed and shared by fans, drawing on more than 200 Disney, Marvel, Pixar and Star Wars characters." Press release   Prada to launch $930 ‘Made in India’ sandals after backlash at Reuters. "Prada will make a limited-edition collection of sandals in India inspired by [...]

  Doug McMillon on CNBC set this morning "Walmart CEO Doug McMillon joins ‘Squawk Box’ to discuss the move of the company stock to Nasdaq, why he’s stepping down as CEO, impact of AI on retail, state of the consumer, and more." Video   Target Opens "Target SoHo" "...a one-of-a-kind concept store where everyday shopping meets play, discovery and style. Located in the heart of New York City at 600 Broadway..." Press release   CVS forecasts 2026 profit above estimates as turnaround plan takes effect at CNBC. "The upbeat outlook caps a year in which CEO David Joyner pushed through [...]

  Costco November comp sales (ex-fuel & f/x) +6.4% : US +5.8% / Canada +8.3% / Other Int'l +8.0% / Digitally-Enabled +16.3% Press release   Dollar General Q3 comp sales +2.5% Press release   McLay, Nicholas touted as top prospects for Walmart U.S. job at Talk Business. "When Walmart U.S. CEO John Furner moves up the Walmart corporate ladder following the announced Jan. 31 retirement of Walmart CEO Doug McMillon, the short list to replace Furner includes Kath McLay and Chris Nicholas. McLay is president and CEO of Walmart International, and Nicholas is president and CEO of Sam’s Club." Read more [...]

  Costco sues Trump administration for ‘full refund’ of tariffs at The Hill. "The list of companies who’ve recently sued include players in the auto industry — like Kawasaki — and several corporations part of the Toyota Group, food companies like Bumble Bee Foods and the cosmetics business Revlon. Even board game company Smirk & Dagger Games filed a suit." Read more   Walmart delivered 57% more orders from stores on Black Friday this year than last year, with 44% more orders delivered in under 3 hours Press release   Amazon’s AI chatbot Rufus drove sales on Black Friday at [...]

  US retail sales rose slightly in September, adding to months of big gains at AP. "Sales increased 0.2% last month from August, the Commerce Department said Tuesday...The retail sales figures suggest that Americans as a whole are still willing and able to boost their spending..." Read more   TikTok Shop Pushes Into Luxury Retail With $11,000 Handbags at Bloomberg. "The emergence of high-end luxury goods on TikTok Shop is a sign of the company’s evolving e-commerce ambitions since it launched in the US two years ago to comparisons with Chinese fast-fashion heavyweights like PDD Holdings Inc.’s Temu and Shein [...]

  Walmart Q3 comp sales +4.5% (ex-fuel) / Op Income -0.2% / Sam's Club comp +3.8% (ex-fuel) / Walmart Int'l net sales +11.4% / Walmart US ecom +28% Press release   ...Walmart to Transfer Stock Exchange Listing to Nasdaq Press release   Walmart in talks to acquire Israeli-founded startup to combat scams, counterfeits at CNBC. "R&A Data has been working with Walmart as a third-party vendor since at least 2024, helping the company screen listings on its online marketplace for compliance issues, such as counterfeiting, according to the people and records. After working with the tech startup, Walmart decided to [...]

  Home Depot Q3 comp sales +0.2% / US comp sales +0.1% Press release   ...Home Depot cuts earnings outlook as home improvement demand falls short of expectations at CNBC. "The retailer said it now expects full-year sales will climb about 3% and comparable sales...to be slightly positive. That compares to its previous expectations for full-year sales to grow by 2.8% and comparable sales to increase by 1%." Read more   Layoff Tactics Keep Changing, and the Blunders Keep Coming at WSJ. "During Target’s recent layoffs, some employees logged on to a Zoom call—only to discover an audio glitch in [...]