The retail giant shared the figure in second-quarter results. However, at the same time, the company reported a dip in sales, something it attributed to consumers cutting back on spending. The retail giant earned roughly $6.4 billion in net income in the three months ending on July 31, the report said, a higher number than the company’s earlier guidance. It has since raised its forecast for the remainder of the year. Walmart told investors that it is eligible for approximately $2.9 billion in tariff refunds—money it will get back from the government for tariffs paid on imports in 2025 and early 2026. It has already received most of the money and, according to CNN, Walmart said it would invest the tariff refunds in “customer experience and price investments.”

In under two months, discount retailer Ross Stores has opened 40 new stores.  The company launched 36 Ross Dress for Less and four DD’s Discounts stores in 17 states in September and October. The openings complete the retailer’s growth plans for fiscal 2025, adding a total of 90 stores in the time period, according to a company press release. The brick-and-mortar expansion brought additional Ross Dress for Less locations to the Midwest and Northeast, with new stores in Michigan, New Jersey and New York, according to Richard Lietz, executive vice president of property development. DD’s expanded its footprint in the company’s core markets of California and Texas.  In its latest quarter, total sales increased 5% year over year to $5.5 billion, while comparable store sales increased 2%. Net income dropped 3.6% in Q2 to nearly $508 million.

The USPS has proposed another postage increase set to take effect in July 2026, and for many marketers, the first reaction is predictable: “Should we mail less?” That’s the wrong question. The better question is: “How do we make our mail work harder?” Because despite rising postage costs, direct mail continues to outperform many digital channels in response, recall, engagement, and trust. The marketers seeing the best results today are not abandoning mail. They are becoming more strategic with it. Poor strategy costs more than postage ever will. I’ve seen campaigns with mediocre targeting, weak creative, and generic offers waste thousands of dollars while highly targeted, well designed mailings generate exceptional ROI, even at higher postage rates. When direct mail is done correctly, it still commands attention in ways digital advertising often cannot. Consumers are overwhelmed online. Physical mail still has the ability to slow people down, create interaction, and build trust. That matters.