Speculation is growing that Hudson News, a staple of airports and other transit hubs, might stop carrying magazines in the Tri-State Area — a scenario that one panicked publisher likened to “an asteroid killing off the dinosaurs.” Publishers’ fears were sparked after Hudson News Distributors — the James Cohen-owned distribution arm of Hudson News — informed the New Jersey Department of Labor in mid-December that it was laying off 236 employees in its Parsippany, NJ, headquarters, a filing reviewed by The Post showed. Cohen’s company is slated to cease distributing mags on Feb. 7, a source with knowledge of the matter told The Post on Friday. That means glossies will no longer be available in various Hudson News locations in the Tri-State Area — including at JFK, LaGuardia and Newark airports — barring intervention from an outside party.

Since 2020, Walmart has launched or relaunched 10 private apparel brands, including Scoop, Joyspun, Free Assembly, No Boundaries, Love & Sports, Sofía Jeans by Sofía Vergara and Weekend Academy. Its latest fashion line — Mills, by actress Millie Bobby Brown — debuted in 750 Walmart stores and on Walmart.com this month. Last year, Walmart began carrying thousands of pre-owned luxury handbags, jewelry and watches through a partnership with the resale platform Rebag. Today, Walmart Fashion is home to “six brands that are a billion dollars or bigger,” Incandela said. “We’re assertively taking market share, our total performance scores are improving dramatically, [and] we’re capturing new customers,” she added. “Our $100K-plus household income customers are increasing dramatically, because they’re looking at Walmart for the first time for fashion.” About half of the U.S., or 145 million people, visit Walmart’s website and stores every week.

We sat down with Andy Johnson, head of Iridio by RRD, for a quick chat about the company’s latest research report, focusing on marketing trends. He shared some insights and takeaways for printers. What were the biggest trends that emerged from the report? T The biggest trend emerging from Iridio’s report is the flight to efficiency driven by economic uncertainty. With 56% of marketers citing volatility as their top source of uncertainty, we are seeing a decisive shift toward measurable, high-return channels. Budgets are increasing for digital tactics, such as online video (59%), websites (57%) and paid social (56%). AI has also moved from experimental to essential. AI and machine learning is now the top technology investment (55%), with marketers using it specifically to scale personalization and predictive analytics. Were there any surprises? If so, what were they? One surprise is the trust paradox facing AI. While AI is the number one tech investment for 2026, marketers still view it as a threat to consumer trust. The data found that 53% of marketers cite human interaction replacement and AI deception as top threats.

Amazon is strategically expanding the number of wildfire relief items it stores in its dedicated response hub. The online giant opened its first Wildfire Relief Hub, located in the San Bernadino Valley two hours east of Los Angeles, in 2024. Initially stocked with more than 6,000 essential items — as well as its logistics infrastructure and technology, the hub delivered needed items to first responders, non-profit partners and humanitarian relief agencies on the ground in Los Angeles during the January 2025 wildfires that struck the city. Now, Amazon is storing approximately 20,000 wildfire relief items at the hub — over three times more than when it opened. These include air filters, masks, fire-safe rubber boots, respirators, hydration packets, neck gaiters, specialized gloves, and trauma kits. In addition, the hub stocks approximately 200,000 general relief items, such as diapers, toiletries and medical devices.

November retail sales in the segments covered by Retail Dive grew 3.9% year over year to $284.8 billion, per numbers released Wednesday by the U.S. Commerce Department. The report was delayed by the government shutdown. E-commerce sales jumped 5.5% to $141.7 billion and the apparel category grew 7.4% to $30.8 billion during November. Meanwhile, the home sector declined 4% year over year and electronics was nearly flat. “Consumers are gloomy, but they are still spending,” Heather Long, chief economist at Navy Federal Credit Union, said in emailed comments. “The only areas they are pulling back in are home improvement, home furnishings and some electronics and appliances. Outside of those areas, consumers continue to spend and they are likely to keep that up in early 2026 as they receive larger-than-normal tax refunds.”

Amazon has big plans for the village of Orland Park, Ill. The Chicago suburb is proposed site of a retail development that the e-commerce giant wants to build on a 35-acre site, reported patch.com. The plan cleared its first hurdle this week when it was approved by Orland Park’s plan commission. It still needs to be approved by the village board of trustees who will meet on Jan. 19. The development includes a 229,000-sq. ft. building housing a retail store offering a wide range of products, including groceries and general merchandise, with a “limited” warehouse component to support on-site operation, according to the report. The plan also include multiple commercial outlets, six acres for open and landscaped space, and stormwater detention. If approved, the plan would be Amazon’s first foray into big-box retailing, putting it in direct brick-and-mortar competition with the likes of Walmart’s supercenters and Costco.

Aldi has big expansion plans for 2026 as it celebrates 50 years in the United States. The discount grocery giant plans to open more than 180 new stores across 31 states this year, pushing it closer to its goal of 3,200 stores by the end of 2028. It also announced plans to open three new distribution centers within the next three years. As part of its 2026 expansion, Aldi will enter two new states, Maine and Colorado. It also will grow its footprint in fast-growing metro areas such as Phoenix and Las Vegas.

ix years ago, independent technology analyst Ben Thompson, who authors the Stratechery newsletter, wrote, “Everyone in commerce is, whether they realize it or not, in the Anti-Amazon Alliance.” At the time, he was describing how retailers and tech companies were increasingly banding together to give merchants and shoppers ways to sell and buy online without relying entirely on Amazon. Today, it also captures Walmart’s latest push into artificial intelligence, as the retailer leans into partnerships, while its biggest rival, Amazon, takes a more closed approach. On Sunday, Walmart and Google announced a partnership that brings the retailer’s shopping experience inside Google’s AI assistant, Gemini. Customers will be able to search for products, assemble a basket and check out directly within the chat interface using Google Pay. The partnership, unveiled during a keynote speech at the National Retail Federation’s Big Show industry conference in New York at the Javits Center, will utilize Walmart’s and Sam’s Club’s product selections, pricing and delivery capabilities. The companies said the experience will initially roll out in the U.S., though a launch date was not shared, and then expand internationally.

Walmart will expand its drone delivery coverage with Wing to 150 U.S. stores over the next year, reaching more than 40 million potential customers near those locations, the companies announced Sunday. The partnership will continue to scale further, with plans for the drone delivery service to cover over 270 Walmart locations in 2027. Walmart has roughly 4,600 U.S. store locations overall. The expansion plans include stores in Los Angeles, St. Louis, Cincinnati and Miami, with other locations to be announced at a later date. “The question is no longer if Wing and Walmart will deliver to your city, it’s when,” the announcement said.

Following “chronic uncertainty” from increased U.S. tariffs in 2025, the impact on cargo imports in 2026 is likely to still be affected by trade policy. That’s according to the latest “Global Port Tracker,” which is produced for the National Retail Federation by Hackett Associates. “As 2026 begins, we see a world increasingly focused on protecting domestic industries and addressing perceived trade imbalances,” Hackett said. “This approach has raised questions about the future of free trade and international economic cooperation.”

Apparel and footwear brands are skating into the spotlight at this year’s Winter Olympics and Paralympics in Italy — and they’re determined to nab a win in one of the world’s leading fashion hubs. As the clock ticks down to Milan-Cortina 2026, companies are putting out products for athletes and consumers alike. EA7 Emporio Armani, Ralph Lauren and Lululemon are designing uniforms for Team Italy, Team U.S.A. and Team Canada, respectively. Salomon is providing jackets and boots for 18,000 volunteers at the Olympics and Paralympics. Pajama brand Dagsmejan is partnering with the Swiss National Ice Hockey Team and providing athletes with sleepwear and eye masks. And, earlier in January, J.Crew and Skims each revealed apparel lifestyle collections — the former, with U.S. Ski & Snowboard, and the latter, with Team U.S.A.

For the second consecutive year, unit sales of print books were up at outlets that report to Circana BookScan, hitting 762.4 million in 2025. That marks a 0.3% increase over 2024, which in turn saw sales grow 0.5% over 2023. Since sales peaked in 2021 at 839.7 million copies, they have settled at levels higher than before the pandemic, though not as high as many publishers had hoped.

Five generations now share the workplace, but one is redefining how ideas are expressed, how information flows, and how teams come together. Gen Z – the generation fluent in stories, memes, and visual language – has entered the workforce with expectations that look very different from the systems many businesses are still operating with. In our latest State of Visual Communication Report, we uncovered a clear generational shift when it comes to the world of work. 91% of Gen Z believe visuals communicate ideas better than text, yet nearly half of organizations still rely on text-heavy processes and outdated tools. The result is a widening gap between the fastest-growing segment of the workforce and the environments they’re stepping into, and it’s a strategic challenge business leaders are not prepared for.

Consumers started the new year feeling a bit more optimistic about the economy. Consumer sentiment rose 2.1% to 54.0 in early January, its highest level this month since September 2025, although it remains at historically low levels, according to the University of Michigan’s Consumer Sentiment Index’s preliminary findings for January. The January reading marked the second straight month the index improved. “All told, while consumers perceived some modest improvement in the economy over the past two months, their sentiment remains nearly 25% below last January’s reading,” said Joanne Hsu, director, surveys of consumers, University of Michigan. “They continue to be focused primarily on kitchen table issues, like high prices and softening labor markets.”

A lot of ink has been spilled over the years about the critical role paper selection plays in direct mail marketing campaigns. This blog post isn’t about that. For one thing, it’s a big subject that deserves entire webinars, conference sessions, and content pieces. And samples, lots of them! So size, weight, finishes, sustainability, and of course, budget will have to wait. For another, I want to talk more broadly about recognizing how paper can be sustainable as well as inspiring. As something of a papertarian, I know how paper can fire up the imaginations of marketers, creators, and consumers everywhere. But up until a few years ago, I didn’t know much about the positive story about paper as a renewable resource. Sure, I recycled as much as possible personally, but there was so much I had to learn When the Paper + Packaging Board was established, I started to follow its promotional campaigns. I especially liked “How Life Unfolds,” which offered information and guidance to the public about paper and packaging usage and recycling. The video ads were especially effective in providing ideas for recycling everything from pet food bags to mail. And the Faces of the Forest series gave quick profiles about people in forest management at ground level. That’s a perspective often missed in discussions about sustainability. I’ve written previously about the Temple University studies about how advertising is more effective on paper compared to digital channels, often making it a smart choice. Combined with more awareness about innovations in paper vs. plastic (and its environmental impact), it became more apparent to me that paper is a responsible choice as well.

Adobe released online shopping data for the 2025 holiday season, covering the period from Nov. 1 through Dec. 31, 2025. Based on Adobe Analytics data, the analysis provides the most comprehensive view into U.S. e-commerce by analyzing commerce transactions online, covering over 1 trillion visits to U.S. retail sites, 100 million SKUs and 18 product categories. Consumers spent $257.8 billion online from Nov. 1 to Dec. 31, up 6.8% year-over-year (YoY) and setting a new record for e-commerce. 25 days saw consumers spend more than $4 billion in a single day (a significant jump from 18 days in 2024). Mobile shopping hit a new milestone, with the majority of online transactions (56.4%) taking place through a smartphone this season (up from 54.5% in 2024); Mobile shopping was highest on Christmas Day (Dec. 25), driving 66.5% of online sales (vs. 65% in 2024), followed by Thanksgiving Day (Nov. 27) at 61.6% mobile share (vs. 59.3% in 2024)

Will protein fatigue hit in 2026? Just as big food makers like General Mills and PepsiCo are catching up to the high-protein trend with products like protein-packed Cheerios and Propel water, a sense of protein fatigue is setting in. In 2025, a number of beloved American classics got injected with a dose of protein. Kellanova rolled out its line of protein Pop-Tarts in November, taking inspiration from challenger Legendary Foods, which helped popularize gluten-free and keto-friendly toaster pastries. The new Pop-Tarts offer 10 grams of protein per serving and come in flavors like strawberry, blueberry and brown sugar cinnamon. Not to be outdone, Doritos protein chips are coming to shelves in 2026. From a sales perspective, there are few signs that protein mania is slowing down. But on social media, some brands and consumers are starting to poke fun at the onslaught of protein-filled products. Sweetgreen, for example, ran a social media campaign last year making fun of items like protein popcorn and protein cold foam, while calling out the amount of protein that Sweetgreen offers through “real nourishment.”

[Portland, OR, Jan 6, 2026] – Building on the success and impactful research of the Paper and Packaging Board (P+PB), Two Sides North America (TSNA) will step up to take the lead in promoting positive and environmentally-focused messaging for the sector. TSNA and the Love Paper Campaign will continue championing the story of sustainability, innovation, and the essential role of paper products and packaging materials.  “As stewards of sustainability messaging for the industry, Two Sides North America is proud to carry forward the foundational work done by the Paper + Packaging Board,” said Jules Van Sant, Executive Director of Two Sides North America. “We are committed to leveraging their extensive research and data to inform consumers and stakeholders about the renewable, recyclable, and essential qualities of paper.”  “The Paper + Packaging Board consumer sustainability program was recently discontinued, passing its sustainability mantle to Two Sides North America,” states Mary Anne Hansan, President of the Paper + Packaging Board.

The Home Depot’s supply chain has come a long way since 2017. Eight years ago, the home improvement retailer outlined a vision for a two-day parcel delivery network focused on placing inventory close to the end customer, Jordan Broggi, executive vice president of customer experience and president of online, said at an investor and analyst conference in early December. But Home Depot has managed to sail past two-day shipping speeds since then — 55% of its deliveries for in-stock SKUs today are made either the same day or the next day, more than triple its 2022 amount, per a company presentation. Powering Home Depot’s acceleration are nearly 200 facilities the retailer has added over the past eight years to fill various roles in its supply chain, according to Broggi.

The 1+3 Rule: Why Commenting Always Beats Posting There is a fundamental misunderstanding in our industry about how visibility works. Most sales reps think they need to post content constantly to be seen. While posting is important, it is actually the least efficient way to grow a following from scratch. If you have 500 connections and you post a photo of a new brochure, maybe 50 people see it. If you comment on a post made by a marketing influencer with 50,000 followers, thousands of people could see your name and headline. The Math of Engagement: You need to adopt the 1+3 rule as your baseline minimum. For every single piece of content you post to your own feed, you must comment on at least three posts from others. This ensures that you are giving more to the platform than you are taking. However, if you really want to drive growth, you need to scale this up. The top performers I know in this space are not stopping at three. They are commenting 20 or 30 times a day.

Holiday spending took a toll on many Americans, with a large number taking on some debt to afford gifts. Over one-third (37%) of consumers racked up holiday debt this holiday season, averaging $1,223, according to recent data from LendingTree. This figure is up from $1,181 last year and the highest since 2022. Nearly half (48%) of parents with children under 18 years old borrowed to cover the holidays, taking on an average of $1,324 in debt. Among those who took on debt this holiday season, four-in-10 (41%) said they are still working on paying off last year’s bills. Overall, nearly six-in-10 (59%) of consumers with holiday debt this season said they are “stressed about it,” while 47% regret spending as much as they did. This was more common among parents of young kids (52%).

Globally, ecommerce sales so far in the holiday season have exceeded $1 trillion, according to data from Salesforce. It found that from Nov. 1 through Dec. 15, online shoppers have spent a combined $1.033 trillion. That’s 7% growth compared to the same time frame in 2024, Salesforce data shows. In the U.S., ecommerce sales over that time period reached $238 billion, marking 4% growth, Salesforce reported. Meanwhile, Adobe Analytics data from a similar period — Nov. 1 through Dec. 12 — shows U.S. consumers have spent $187.3 billion in online sales. That would be 6.1% growth compared to the same period in 2024, according to Adobe.

All year, we’ve listened to business leaders and teams across industries as they navigate rapid change, and place their bets on what will matter most in 2026. AI remains at the center of nearly every conversation. The tools keep evolving, teams are iterating in real time, and leaders are stepping back to assess what AI will really mean for how we work, collaborate, and create. 1. Brand consistency has become a strategic revenue driver 2. AI maturity now separates the leaders from the laggards 3. Visual communication now drives measurable business outcomes 4. Content demands continue to explode, and speed is a strategic advantage

Gains in Scholastic’s children’s book publishing and distribution, as well as international groups, offset declines in the company’s entertainment and educational solution units, resulting in a 1% increase in revenue in the quarter ended November 30, 2025, with sales rising to $551.1 million. Lower costs, which included a reduction in discretional overhead expenses in the children’s book publishing and distribution segment as well as lower distribution costs, helped to boost operating income to $82.9 million from $74.7 million a year ago, an 11% increase. In the children’s publishing group, trade sales increased 7%, to $110.4 million, Scholastic reported in its financial announcement, helped by the release of the 14th title in the Dog Man series, Big Jim Believes, and continued success in the Hunger Games and Harry Potter franchises. Book fairs revenues were $242 million, up 5% from the prior year period, Scholastic reported, driven by increased fair count and revenue per fair.

Trade (Consumer Book) Revenues Up 3.5% for Month of October, and Down 2.3% Year-to-Date The Association of American Publishers (AAP) today released its StatShot report for October 2025, reflecting reported revenue for Trade (Consumer Books), Religious Presses, and Professional Publishing. Total revenue across all categories for October 2025 was up 6.7% as compared to October 2024, coming in at $1.5 billion. Year-to-date revenues were up 0.4%, at $12.4 billion for the first ten months of the year.

Each holiday season is a delight. There’s the joy of sending gifts, the exhilaration of receiving one, and the excitement of connecting with family and friends. Every year, the U.S. Postal Service makes that a reality, serving a critical role in keeping traditions and connections alive. This year that role feels even more meaningful as we celebrate our 250th anniversary with a holiday marketing campaign we call Delivering Since 1775. For 250 years, peace of mind has been at the heart of USPS, especially during the busy holiday season. Whether it’s a handwritten card, a long-awaited package or a last-minute gift, our role has always been to deliver more than mail. We deliver reassurance, connection and trust.

In brief: The longstanding delivery partnership between e-commerce giant Amazon and the USPS is looking rocky. A flurry of activity at the end of the year continues the paper industry’s “rightsizing” of production capacity and supply. The logistics market is closely watching the proposed merger of the Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern railroads, while a coalition of attorneys general challenges proposed new rules for non-domiciled commercial driver’s licenses. And another major trucking company is shutting down.

Barnes & Noble is opening more stores for readers to shop at in the new year. After nearly two decades of "declining store numbers," the bookseller has plans to open 60 new locations across the country in 2026, in addition to the dozens opened this year. While the details are still "being worked out" as far as locations and grand opening dates, the expansion follows a period of "strong sales" in existing stores, Barnes & Noble confirmed to USA TODAY.

On a sunny October day in Illinois, 54,000 runners gathered to take part in the 47th Bank of America Chicago Marathon. People from over 100 countries and all 50 states came to compete in one of the world’s most prominent races. They also came to shop.  “There’s the running marathon and then there’s the shopping marathon,” Terry Symonds said. She, along with two friends, came to the Midwest from Australia to participate in the event. “You have a whole bunch of shops here that we don’t get in Australia. … It’s a big shopping experience.”  Symonds and her group of friends estimated they would each spend around $500 in stores on the days surrounding the race.

Starbucks has poached a senior manager from E.l.f. Cosmetics as part of its ongoing quest to re-energize the Starbucks brand through cultural collaborations. Neiv Toledano has joined Starbucks as its senior marketing manager of fashion and beauty. While Starbucks has always had employees who have worked on collaborations, including in the fashion and beauty spaces, this is a first-of-its-kind dedicated role and a signal that Starbucks is placing a bigger premium on these types of partnerships. At E.l.f., Toledano worked on collaborations with buzzy brands like Stanley and Liquid Death. In a LinkedIn post, Toledano said she’ll be “combining my greatest passions to drive culture, fandom, and buzzworthy moments” for the Starbucks brand.

Holiday return rates have dramatically risen since the pre-pandemic area. Close to one-in-five (17%) holiday purchases will be returned, and total returns for purchases made during the 2025 holiday season are expected to amount to approximately $160 billion. New analysis emailed to Chain Store Age from business-to-business resale platform B-Stock also indicates there will be a slightly higher return rate of 19% for online holiday purchases, totaling roughly $50 to $60 billion dollars. B-Stock data further reveals that holiday return rates have more than doubled since 2019, which was the last holiday season before the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. Other findings include that the return percentage for online holiday apparel purchases is closer to 30%, and that processing a return can cost a retailer around 30% of the item’s original price, or higher for low-cost products.

Have you ever seen a Christmas “tree” built from hundreds of beer kegs?  A 30-foot tree of kegs wrapped in 25,000 LED lights glows brightly outside the Genesee Brew House in Rochester, New York. The display has been created and sponsored annually since 2014 by Genesee Brewing Co., the state’s oldest brewery, founded in 1878. Depending on the year and source, the tree uses anywhere from 532 to 650 kegs — but the exact number matters less than the spectacular result that draws thousands of visitors yearly. The keg tree has now drawn national attention: in October, Newsweek named it the best Christmas tree in the United States — even though, unlike the other nine on the top 10 list, it’s not technically a tree. That just makes its inclusion all the more impressive.

2025 marks a major milestone for the Y2K-favorite brand Pacsun: It’s the first time in 18 years that it’s increasing its store count, rather than decreasing it, the company told Modern Retail. Pacsun, which is now at just over 300 stores, opened nine new stores this year in areas including New York City and Victor, New York, as part of a bigger bet on brick-and-mortar retail. The company is planning to open 20-30 new stores a year for the next few years, Joel Quill, vp of retail at Pacsun, told Modern Retail. Pacsun is eyeing new locations in malls, high-traffic streets and college towns — all places popular with its key demographic of 16- to 24-year-olds.  Pacsun’s expansion plan comes as the company enjoys more sales from its store locations. Stores now account for a majority of Pacsun’s revenue — about one-third comes from digital — and are outpacing projections, said Richard Cox, Pacsun’s chief merchandising officer.

Kohl’s (NYSE: KSS) today announced the renewal of its partnership with Hunger Task Force and a $750,000 commitment over the next year to ensure more Milwaukee-area children, families, and seniors have access to healthy, free food. Coming at a time of growing need, the donation extends Kohl’s hometown partnership with Hunger Task Force and will help sustain its network of more than 60 food pantries, soup kitchens, and homeless shelters. Funding will also help fill the gap in food access that many youth face during the summer through next year’s Summer Meals Program. “Together with Hunger Task Force, we’re strengthening access to healthy food for families across Milwaukee at a critical time right now when so many need extra assistance during the holidays,” said Christie Raymond, Kohl’s chief marketing officer. “We’re proud of our longstanding partnership and are working to immediately minimize the gaps in nutritious food resources for our community. If you are looking to help neighbors in need this season, we encourage you to please join us in supporting Hunger Task Force.” Kohl’s Cares has contributed more than $12 million to Hunger Task Force since 2009, fueling programs that have delivered more than 1.3 million suppers for youth through the Summer Meals Program and 3.5 million pounds of healthy food served across its network.

Selling clothing is tough on a good day, given how quickly fashion tastes can shift. With tariffs and consumer anxiety adding to the level of difficulty, this year seemed destined to run roughshod over apparel retailers’ performance. Yet many have thrived. Through October, compared to a year ago, apparel sales rose every month except February, sometimes 6% or more, according to the U.S. Department of Commerce. In Q3, apparel retailers including Gap Inc., Urban Outfitters Inc., Abercrombie & Fitch Co. and American Eagle Outfitters posted results that defied analyst expectations.

It wasn’t just shoppers with strapped budgets that boosted buy-now, pay-later services to a record-setting $1 billion in transactions on Cyber Monday. It was also the brands and fintech companies that pushed the services front and center. This holiday season, more brands deployed BNPL services with different payment options beyond the more familiar “pay-in-four” structure, whether a six-month payment plan at 0% interest or a 24-month installment loan with interest. And the services are showing up in more digital wallets. Apple Pay users, for instance, can now toggle a payment plan with Affirm and Klarna, while Afterpay has new integrations with its sister company Cash App. BNPL represented about 7.3% of all spending from Nov. 1 to Dec. 2 this year, according to Adobe, and it’s forecasted to account for around $20.2 billion between Nov. 1 and the end of the year.

Retailers should prepare for record traffic on “Super Saturday” as consumers rush to complete their holiday shopping. An estimated 158.9 million consumers plan to shop on December 20, the last Saturday before Christmas, according to the annual survey released by the National Retail Federation and Prosper Insights & Analytics. The figure is up from 157.2 million shoppers last year and surpasses the previous record of 158.5 million in 2022. (Black Friday and Super Saturday are generally regarded as the two busiest shopping days of the holiday season.) Super Saturday shoppers are expected to embrace multiple channels this year, with nearly half, or 71.6 million (45%), planning to shop both in-store and online, up from 69.5 million (44%) in 2024. For those who plan to shop a single channel, 29% will do so exclusively in-store, while 26% will shop online only.

Trade (Consumer Book) Revenues Up 10.9% for Month of September, and Down 3.2% Year-to-Date The Association of American Publishers (AAP) today released its StatShot report for September 2025, reflecting reported revenue for Trade (Consumer Books), Religious Presses, and Professional Publishing. Total revenue across all categories for September 2025 was up 14.4% as compared to September 2024, coming in at $1.7 billion. Year-to-date revenues were down 0.4%, at $10.9 billion for the first nine months of the year.

In 2025, the number of department stores that have left New York City far outnumber those that remain. There are millions of New Yorkers who probably don’t even remember Gimbels, Ohrbach’s, Abraham & Straus, B. Altman, Bonwit Teller, Wanamaker or Japanese retailer Takashimaya – an incomplete list of the long-departed. Many do recall when Lord & Taylor, Barneys and Henri Bendel closed, less than a decade ago. That makes the presence of Macy’s, Bloomingdale’s, Saks Fifth Avenue and Bergdorf Goodman all the more precious, and the entrance of Nordstrom and Printemps a sign of hope for the segment. But with Fifth Avenue losing much of its cachet and department store merchants losing much of their influence, this retail model has become a challenge even for these survivors.

According to a new survey conducted by The Harris Poll (THP), U.S. consumers are increasingly turning to tactile brand experiences — including brick-and-mortar stores and catalogs — to inspire, enrich and simplify their holiday shopping journeys. “The Return of Touch Report: Holiday Shopping, Reconnected,” presented by Quad, expands on THP’s original landmark white paper, “The Return of Touch Report: Reimagining Consumer Engagement in 2025” The new holiday-focused report from The Harris Poll is just one click away.

When the color experts at Pantone announced Cloud Dancer as their 2026 Color of the Year, they predicted the shade would inspire a kind of cool calm. But the choice of Cloud Dancer, which Pantone described as a “billowy” white, has instead sparked heated controversy. People online have blasted the shade for being “bleak” and “boring” and possibly not a color at all. After hearing the description of the color read during TODAY’s Dec. 4 unveiling, Al Roker retorted “otherwise known as white.” The Pantone Color Institute has been choosing an annual color of the year since late 1999 when it deemed Cerulean Blue 2000’s Color of the Year, WWD reported. It called the soft blue shade the “Color of the Millennium” and said it inspired hope.

The U.S. Postal Service highlights its long and proud history of ensuring a vital connection between American service members and their loved ones back home. From the battlefields of the Revolutionary War to modern-day global operations, the mission to deliver mail to the military has remained a cornerstone of U.S. postal history and a crucial morale booster. “Ever since George Washington and Benjamin Franklin were appointed to lead the Army and the Post Office, we’ve had a strong partnership built on service to the American people,” said USPS Historian Steve Kochersperger. “When away from home, to get a handwritten card or letter that was in the hands of your loved one just a few days before, maybe it even has a smear of lipstick or a scent of their perfume — no email can do that.” The tradition of supporting military mail runs deep. During the Civil War, the Post Office Department coordinated with the U.S. Army to organize mail flow, recognizing its immense value in maintaining troop morale. A “Soldier's Letter” program was introduced that allowed soldiers to send letters without stamps, with payment collected from the recipient, ensuring communication was not hindered by lack of postage. In addition, postal money orders allowed soldiers to securely send money back home, and absentee ballots allowed them to cast their votes from distant battlefields.

Hot off the press:Canva Create will once again take over SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles on April 16 for a full day celebration of creativity, inspiration, and the next wave of innovation at Canva. What began as a product showcase has grown into one of the world’s most energising creative festivals. Next April, thousands of creators, teams, educators, and innovators will come together for bold announcements, hands-on learning, and fresh inspiration designed to spark imagination and open the door to new possibilities. Canva Create is our flagship event for creativity, community, and the ideas shaping the future of design and visual communication. 2026 promises an unforgettable experience, and we cannot wait to have you there!

Walmart Inc. has rung in a new era as it begins trading on the Nasdaq. After being listed on the New York Stock Exchange for 53 years, the retailer giant has completed the listing transfer of its common stock and bonds to Nasdaq. Walmart said the move follows an evaluation of several factors, including trading execution, brand alignment and a shared focus on technology-driven innovation to support its position as the world’s leading omnichannel retailer. “Our decision to list on Nasdaq reflects Walmart’s deep commitment to innovation and growth as a people-led, tech-powered omnichannel retailer,” said Doug McMillon, president and CEO of Walmart. “Nasdaq’s focus on technology and its support for companies driving digital transformation align perfectly with our strategic vision. This is an exciting next chapter as we continue building a frictionless future for our customers, members, associates and shareholders.”

More people want their buying choices to align with their environmental values, yet the path to doing so remains unclear. Recent research shows that 80% of consumers consider the environmental impact of their purchases, and 79% say they want an easier way to identify environmentally responsible companies. Despite this interest, only 3% of product labels mention environmental or social sustainability—even though nearly one-third of products make such claims. This mismatch leaves well-intentioned shoppers unsure how to evaluate competing messages at the shelf or online. Certification and labeling help close that gap. Independent, verified sustainability credentials translate a company’s commitments into a clear and trusted signal. As purpose-driven purchasing becomes mainstream, the ability to demonstrate substantiated impact is moving from a value-add to a meaningful differentiator. Sustainability’s role in business has evolved rapidly. What was once seen as a corporate responsibility initiative is increasingly shaping growth strategies. Labels and certifications influence not only intentional “green” shoppers, but also broader audiences through what HBR calls a passive search effect: labeled products are chosen even when consumers aren’t explicitly looking for sustainable options. A credible certification helps products stand out in crowded or complex retail environments.

Over the past six years, James Daunt has operationally flipped the U.S.’s largest bookstore chain upside down. Now in growth mode, the once-struggling retailer is a prime example of how to save one. To best understand Daunt’s approach, one needs to look back several decades. Daunt, a former banker, set up his own indie bookstore called Daunt Books in the U.K. in 1990. “I wanted to set up a business of my own as closely aligned as possible to my personal interests,” Daunt told Modern Retail. “Reading topped these and, therefore, a bookstore seemed a good fit.” After the success of Daunt’s Waterstones, Elliott Advisors acquired a majority stake in the business in July 2018. And in 2019, Elliott acquired Barnes & Noble for about $683 million, making Daunt its CEO, in addition to his role as CEO of Waterstones. He moved from London to New York. Just like he did at Waterstones, one of the first changes Daunt made at Barnes & Noble was stopping the practice of accepting payments from publishers for prime in-store placements, as Modern Retail previously reported. Daunt has also prioritized promoting from within to create a workforce of dedicated booksellers, rather than managers who had previously worked for retailers in different categories. While its financial figures are private, Daunt appears to have been successful. After a decade of falling sales and store closures, Barnes & Noble is expanding again. The chain opened about 60 stores in 2025 and expects to do the same in 2026.

Paramount has gone straight to Warner Bros. Discovery’s shareholders with an all-cash offer for the company that it says is more valuable than Netflix’s deal announced Friday. Paramount was widely expected to be the frontrunner for Warner Bros. But WBD opted instead for Netflix, which it said offered a more lucrative deal. The proposed marriage with Netflix caught Hollywood insiders by surprise — including Paramount CEO David Ellison, who still contends that his deal was the better offer. “We’re sitting on Wall Street, where cash is still king,” Ellison told CNBC in an interview Monday. “We are offering shareholders $17.6 billion more cash than the deal they currently have signed up with Netflix. And we believe when they see what is currently in our offer, then that’s what they’ll vote for.”

Amazon is in discussions with a longtime partner about the path going forward. The online giant said it is discussions with the U.S. Postal Service about its future relationship and considering its options before its current contract expires, reported Reuters. The current agreement between the two parties expires in October 2026. Under the current agreement, Amazon accounts for roughly 7.5% of the agency’s revenue in 2025, according to The Washington Post, which also said that Amazon was considering cutting ties with the USPS. But in e-mailed remarks to Chain Store Age, Amazon said that, from the start, "we have disagreed with the framing of the Washington Post’s piece." "It's not our plans to cut ties with the USPS— in fact it's the opposite," Amazon told Chain Store Age. "Without a doubt, our goal is to continue working with the USPS, as we have done for the past 30+ years and are going to continue to push to reach an agreement."

Capri Holdings last week announced that it completed a sale of Versace to Prada S.p.a. For nearly $1.4 billion in cash.  “With the successful completion of the sale of Versace, we plan to use the proceeds to repay the majority of our debt, which will substantially strengthen our balance sheet,” Capri CEO John Idol said in a statement. “We remain focused on executing our strategic initiatives across Michael Kors and Jimmy Choo to maximize the potential of our iconic brands.” Leggett & Platt this week said its board is reviewing an unsolicited proposal from bedding giant Somnigroup International to acquire the 140-year-old company for $12 per share. The manufacturer of mattresses and other goods has been a Somnigroup supplier for years. On Monday, Somnigroup –  formed after Tempur Sealy acquired Mattress Firm early this year for $5 billion – disclosed its letter to Leggett & Platt regarding the proposal, which Somnigroup said reflects more than a 30% premium above Leggett & Platt’s average closing price in the previous 30 days. “We hope that you share our enthusiasm,” Somnigroup CEO Scott Thompson wrote, and asked for a response by Dec. 22.

Walmart continues expanding the availability of drone-based delivery that can arrive in as little as five minutes. The discount giant is building on a longstanding partnership with Wing, an on-demand drone delivery provider powered by Google’s parent company Alphabet, to launch ultra-fast drone delivery from six Walmart Supercenter stores across metro Atlanta.  Walmart products eligible for drone delivery include grocery items, last-minute gifts, household goods and over-the-counter medicine. According to the retailer, its drone deliveries average a five-minute or less flight time.  To receive drone delivery from Walmart, eligible customers can place an order through the Wing app and, at checkout, confirm the precise delivery location on their property. Once loaded onto one of Wing’s automated drones, the order cruises at approximately 60 MPH and about 150 feet off the ground.  Upon arrival, the drone lowers the package to the ground with no assistance needed. Wing operates within FAA guidelines, flying their drones beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) up to a six-mile aircraft range from the store.

FIFA has selected a retail partner ahead of the world’s largest sporting event next year. Sports merchandise brand Fanatics will serve as the official on-site retail licensee of the FIFA World Cup 2026, which will feature 104 matches across 39 days next summer in Canada, Mexico and the United States. In addition to in-stadium retail operations at 16 venues across North America, including in Los Angeles, New York & New Jersey, Atlanta, Miami and more, Fanatics will also open retail experiences at official FIFA Fan Festival locations within host cities, creating more opportunities for fans to shop their favorite country and player apparel. Fanatics says it will work with a variety of brands and official FIFA merchandise partners to curate a “robust fan gear assortment” for all 48 competing nations. The company will utilize its on-demand manufacturing capabilities and global supply chain to produce “quick-strike products” that celebrate the unpredictable moments of the World Cup.

In 2025, online sales beat expectations for retailers during Thanksgiving and the four days that follow, which together make up the Cyber 5. Altogether, U.S. consumers spent $44.2 billion online during the five-day period, according to data and analysis from Adobe Analytics. The Cyber 5 also includes Black Friday, Small Business Saturday and Cyber Monday. The results show Black Friday’s online relevance continuing to rise. As they did, Cyber Monday still continued to be the dominant day for digital sales. Meanwhile, artificial intelligence (AI) and buy now, pay later (BNPL) apps drove more activity than they did during the equivalent days in 2024.

Advertiser excitement is in full swing as Super Bowl LX approaches on Feb. 8, 2026. NBCUniversal confirmed in September that all commercial inventory for the big game is sold out, with the broadcaster seeking around $7 million for a 30-second spot during early talks. Some marketers, including Grubhub, have been quick to announce their debut for what many bill as the biggest night in advertising, while others, like Ritz and Nerds, were similarly eager in revealing plans for their return. The big game continues to be a major opportunity for brands to gain visibility, with the 2025 iteration attracting 127.7 million U.S. viewers across television and streaming platforms, making it the most watched Super Bowl to date.

Consumers are opting for an online giant over a brick-and-mortar staple when it comes to electronics spending. Numerator’s latest Consumer Electronics Tracker reveals that Amazon has officially overtaken Best Buy in the electronics space, accounting for 30% of overall sales in select consumer electronics categories in the past year, compared to Best Buy’s 28%. Amazon’s share of electronics spending spiked in July 2025 to 43% as a result of its summer Prime Day event, according to the data. Walmart held steady in third place when it came to electronics spending, ending September 2025 with 12.8% of consumer spending. Walmart was followed by Costco, Target and Sam’s Club, which each captured a single-digit share of electronics spending all year.

RISI/Fastmarkets reports that The European Parliament has approved the Commission’s proposal to simplify the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) and voted in favor of a one-year delay for all companies, in line with the position expressed by the Council on November 19. According to the amended text, the entry into force would be postponed to December 30, 2026 for large operators and to June 30, 2027 for micro- and small enterprises. The EU Parliament also requested the Commission to carry out a simplification review of the EUDR by April 30, 2026 to assess the law’s impact and administrative burden. The approved text was adopted by 402 votes to 250 and with 8 abstentions. “Parliament is now ready to start negotiations with member states on the final shape of the law, which has to be endorsed by both Parliament and the Council and published in the EU Official Journal before the end of 2025, for the one-year delay to enter into force,” the EU Parliament said in a statement on November 26.

The European Parliament has today voted to approve an amendment to the EU Deforestation Regulations (EUDR) to remove all printed products from the scope of the regulations, including books, journals, newspapers and magazines. The amendment passed with 449 votes in favour, 202 against. This will now need to be agreed between the Parliament, Council and Commission in December.

Black Friday ecommerce sales have increased 30.7% in 2025 versus 2020, as consumers have largely shifted spending online since the pandemic. By 6:30 p.m. EST on Black Friday, U.S. consumers spent a combined $8.6 billion online. Shoppers using generative AI platforms were 38% more likely to complete sales than those who didn’t use those platforms. Buy now, pay later (BNPL) usage drove $747.5 million in ecommerce spending, or about 6.3% of all digital sales on Black Friday.

Twenty years ago, 80% of Butterball's revenue came from Thanksgiving. Today? Just 25% of a $1.5B business. 1 billion pounds of turkey processed annually.  One bad year wipes out the business. But the real challenge wasn't the risk — it was the economics. Facilities and workers cost money 365 days a year. 80% of annual revenue came in 30 days of the year. To grow, Butterball had to keep the system productive the other 11 months. That required two moves: 1.Make Thanksgiving predictable enough to anchor the business. 2. Add products that run through the same facilities. Ground turkey for everyday meals → Deli meats and breakfast items → Foodservice supply for restaurants and schools. Same plants. Same birds. New revenue. They still ship 15 million whole turkeys every November. But Thanksgiving dropped from 80% to 25% of revenue. That's how you get to a $1.5B business that runs 12 months a year, not just one.

Amazon is making a major commitment to provide artificial intelligence and supercomputing services to U.S. federal agencies. The online giant is publicly pledging to invest up to $50 billion to expand AI and supercomputing capabilities for U.S. government customers of its Amazon Web Services (AWS) hosted cloud subsidiary. This investment, set to break ground in 2026, is expected to add nearly 1.3 gigawatts of AI and supercomputing capacity across AWS Top Secret, AWS Secret, and AWS GovCloud (US) regions by building new data centers with advanced compute and networking technologies.

The holiday season is in full swing, but what is considered by many to be the most wonderful time of the year has become a complex maze for marketers. Brands this year are tasked not only with breaking through to cash-strapped consumers, but also understanding an advertising playbook being rewritten by Gen Z, a cohort that remains valuable but is simultaneously leading a seasonal spending decline. Broad uncertainty surrounds the 2025 holidays, with 57% of consumers expecting the economy to weaken over the next six months, according to Deloitte’s annual retail survey.  Though the majority of consumers expect prices to be higher this season, optimism remains. Shoppers surveyed by Deloitte plan to trim seasonal extras, like a new sweater to wear while hosting, so they can preserve holiday traditions, and 70% are searching for value. To meet the moment, marketers are replacing tropes of glitz and glam with a dose of realness. “We expect consumers to be a little more budget-conscious, a little more discerning with what they’re spending, and you see that in the creative work,” said Hannah Lewman, a strategy director at Ogilvy. “Brands are responding by emphasizing the value of connection, shared experiences, more attainable human moments, less fantastical, dream holidays.”

In brief: The United States Postal Service (USPS) reported its fiscal 2025 financial results this month, with slightly higher revenue offset by continuing volume declines. The freight market is stable as the holiday season kicks off. Elimination of North American paper mill capacity has led to an increase in mill operating rates at the end of the year.

If it feels like Black Friday started in October this year, you're not imagining things. Retailers have gone all-in on hyper early promotions, stretching the traditional shopping window into what's now being called Black November. Amazon, Walmart, Target, and others launched deals well before Thanksgiving to lock in consumer dollars early. Why the shift? 💵 Economic pressure & tariffs: Surveys show consumers are highly price-sensitive due to inflation and tariffs. 💵 Price sensitivity: Consumers are cautious but still spending, holiday total retail sales (online + offline) are projected to surpass $1 trillion for the first time, though growth will slow to ~3-4% vs 4.2% last year. 💵 Mobile dominance: Over 70% of Cyber Week traffic will come from mobile and AI-driven personalization is shaping the experience. The projected numbers: 📊 Black Friday online sales: $11.7B (up 8.3% YoY from $10.8B in 2024) 📊 Cyber Monday online sales: $14.2B (up 6.8% YoY from $13.3B in 2024) (Source: Adobe Analytics Holiday Forecast, NRF Holiday Outlook)

According to the report, total printing-writing paper shipments decreased 14% in October compared to October 2024. Total printing-writing paper inventory levels decreased 2% when compared to September 2025. Across the 3 major printing-writing categories—uncoated free sheet (UFS), coated free sheet (CFS), and mechanical (MECH)—shipments declined at similar rates. MECH experienced the steepest drop, while UFS and CFS fell in line with the overall printing-writing decline.

Artificial intelligence and shopping agents are set to make Cyber Week (Nov. 27 – Dec. 1) the most successful yet. New data from Salesforce indicates that the 2025 edition of Cyber Week (Thanksgiving Day Thursday, Nov. 27 through Cyber Monday, Dec. 1) is expected to drive a record-breaking $334 billion in global online sales. This would represent a roughly 7% increase from the $314.9 billion in global online sales tracked by Salesforce in 2024.

Amazon once again stands atop the pack of online retailers when it comes to low prices. The retail giant was ranked the lowest-priced online retailer for the ninth-consecutive year, according to the latest Price Wars study from digital commerce company Profitero+. Amazon maintained a 14% average price advantage versus its competitors. Walmart was ranked as the second lowest-priced retailer. Walmart narrowed its average price gap with Amazon from 5% to 4% year over year, posting improvements across 10 of 15 categories. The most notable gains came in video games, where Walmart reduced its price difference versus Amazon from 12% to just 3%.

Warner Bros. Discovery stock jumped 6% to $23.69 on Tuesday with the news of a potential Paramount Skydance $71 billion bid for the company. In early Wednesday trading, the company maintained that level. A Variety report suggests the deal is being backed by an investment consortium with the sovereign wealth funds of Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Abu Dhabi. Paramount Skydance told Variety the report was “categorically inaccurate.” The company did not respond to Television News Daily inquiries by press time.

Effective Tuesday Gannett Co., Inc. is now USA TODAY Co., Inc. New Ticker Symbol: TDAY USA TODAY Co., Inc. is a diversified media company with expansive reach at the national and local level  Through our trusted brands, including the USA TODAY NETWORK, comprised of the national publication, USA TODAY, and local media organizations, including our network of local properties, in the United States, and Newsquest, a wholly-owned subsidiary operating in the United Kingdom, we provide essential journalism, local content, and digital experiences to audiences and businesses.

When I convinced my bosses at Wirecutter to spend over $700 on a 450-pound, 6-foot-tall cardboard box filled with hundreds of mystery products that had been returned to Amazon and other retailers, I assumed that what we’d find inside would be a revealing snapshot of what shopping looks like today. Anyone can buy these pallets stuffed with discarded products. For months, I’d watched content creators on social media giggle in excitement as they’d pull packages one by one from their own surprise boxes and rip them open, ceremoniously revealing a bevy of weird and wonderful items. Secondary sales were worth an estimated $846 billion in the US in 2024, up from $297 billion in 2008, according to Zac Rogers, PhD, associate professor of supply-chain management at Colorado State University, who told me that those figures are probably conservative. Quick-and-easy returns are a benefit of shopping at giant corporate retailers, and people take advantage of return policies liberally. An estimated 15.8% of sales, worth around $849.9 billion, will be returned in 2025, according to data from a joint study done by the National Retail Federation and the UPS-owned company Happy Returns.

This season, retailers and shoppers alike are contending with a shorter holiday shopping window — on top of tariffs, waning consumer sentiment and recession fears. The 2025 holiday shopping season is shorter than usual, with 28 days between Thanksgiving and Christmas. That’s one extra day compared to last year’s ultra-condensed shopping season, but four fewer shopping days than 2023. Cyber Monday will fall in December this year, and Christmas will be on a Thursday.  By some metrics, the holiday shopping season is shaping up to be merry and bright. The National Retail Federation projects U.S. holiday sales will surpass $1 trillion for the first time in 2025, rising as much as 4.2% over last year. Similarly, EMarketer is forecasting holiday sales of $1.369 trillion, up 3.6% year over year.

A recent survey of marketing leaders conducted by Iridio found that economic volatility is their top concern, leading to strategic budget shifts and an increased focus on high-value activities like personalization. Iridio’s 2026 Marketing Predictions report also found that while marketers are prioritizing investments in AI to enhance customer experience, they remain highly aware of the technology's potential to erode consumer trust. Key takeaways of the report include: Volatility forces AI investment: Economic volatility is the primary cause of uncertainty (56%), followed by AI disruption (32%). This concern, coupled with expected consumer attitudes like economic distress (42%) and demand for lower prices (32%), influences strategic planning and makes AI/machine learning the top technology investment priority (55% in their top three) for driving efficiency. AI uses: AI investment is overwhelmingly prioritized for high-value functions, including Personalization/Customer Experience (78%) and Data Analysis/Predictive Analytics (76%). Trust paradox: While relying on AI, marketers view replacing human interaction with AI (28%) and AI-generated deception (25%) as the biggest threats to consumer trust. Budget shifts to digital: Budgets are shifting toward high-impact digital tactics, including Online Video (59%), Websites (57%), and Paid Social Media (56%).

A ground-breaking paperboard that looks, acts and performs just like plastic-without the environmental impact. Use it anywhere you would use plastic such as interior signage, gift cards, promotional campaigns. Perfect for retails settings and beyond. Request free samples by emailing: SPFMarketing@Midlandco.com

The U.S. Postal Service announced its financial results for the 2025 fiscal year ended September 30. Controllable loss, which excludes certain expenses that are not controllable by management, was $2.7 billion for the year, compared to $1.8 billion for the prior year. Net loss for the year under generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) totaled $9.0 billion, compared to a net loss of $9.5 billion for the prior year. This decrease in net loss is attributed to our operating revenue increase of $916 million, transportation expense reductions of $422 million, and a decrease in workers’ compensation expense of $1.1 billion, partially offset by increased compensation and benefits expense of $1.7 billion, and higher other operating expenses of $221 million. “In surveying the results of the past year, the occasional appearance of financial progress – such as our profitable first quarter – is far outweighed by the reality of our significant systemic annual revenue and cost imbalance,” said Postmaster General David Steiner. "To correct our financial imbalances, we must explore new revenue opportunities and public policy changes to improve our business model. Most importantly, we must operate more efficiently and compete more effectively to best perform our public service mission."

Private equity and strategic buyers are increasingly competitive acquirers in multiple manufacturing sectors. Deal experts predict much more activity as the market heats up into 2026. Industrial M&A activity may have gotten off to a bumpy start in 2025, due to tariffs and other factors, but experts say deals in the sector are ramping up with significant potential in the years ahead. Private equity firms are sitting on long-held portfolio companies and untapped capital, strategic buyers are looking to appease investors’ growth expectations, aging business owners are looking for exit plans and domestic manufacturing is receiving renewed interest as global supply chains become more complex.

A popular low-cost shopping platform best-known for fast fashion is launching its first-ever book category. Shein is collaborating with Alibris, an online marketplace for independent sellers of used and new books and rare and collectible titles, to open an online Alibris storefront on its U.S. platform. The Alibris storefront on Shein now offers a curated assortment of more than 100,000 book titles across a variety of popular genres, including romance, fantasy, mystery, non-fiction, and young adult. The Alibris storefront also offers affordable textbooks for students. Shein says it will continue to grow its selection of Alibris titles in the months ahead.

Online grocery sales continued to climb year over year in October. Brick Meets Click’s latest Grocery Shopper Survey sponsored by Mercatus revealed that online grocery sales hit $11.6 billion in October 2025, a 10.5% increase over the previous year, adding that the growth was result of an expanding base of monthly active users (MAUs). However, the growth was tempered by slower gains in order frequency, and pullback in average order values (AOV).  In September, online grocery sales hit $12.5 billion, making a 31% increase over the previous year.

Explore the top 10 picks of 2025 below and discover the full Best Books of the Year list on http://amazon.com/bestbooks

A bottle the size of a grain of rice holds a single drop of beer. Capped and labeled, it raises two big questions: How? Why? According to Casper Danielsson, head of communications at Carlsberg Sweden, the miniature bottle is more than a novelty — it’s a statement on responsible drinking. “The world’s smallest beer holds only one-twentieth of a milliliter and is so small that it’s easy to miss. But the message is much bigger: we want to remind people of the importance of drinking responsibly.” Danielsson emphasizes that the bottle and images are real and not AI-generated. “It’s the product of craftsmanship, innovation, and a close collaboration between us and several experts.” The project soon drew attention from the design and packaging community. Vicki Strull, President of Vicki Strull Design, posted enthusiastically about the development on LinkedIn, noting, “It's just so darn CUTE! Admittedly, it's a gimmick and completely impractical, but as a packaging designer, I can't help but love it!”

A new study has found that electric hand dryers spread microbes much more than paper hand towels. It concludes that despite the advent of so-called ‘newer’ and ‘redesigned’ air dryer models, the contamination risks persist. Microbes can linger in the air up to 30 minutes after dryer use and potential for virus spread via droplets and aerosols on surfaces and in the air is considerably higher than when drying hands with paper towels. This latest study, carried out by a team at the Leeds Institute of Medical Research, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Leeds, UK, and Department of Microbiology, Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, Leeds, UK underlines how choices of hand drying method in public washrooms can mean the difference between reducing microbe spread or increasing it. “There is a long-running evidence base stretching back almost two decades, recording how air dryers continue to fail on hygiene,” explains leading microbiologist Professor Mark Wilcox OBE, who led the study.

Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits for November are currently in limbo due to the government shutdown, which will likely impact both SNAP recipients and the grocery or big-box stores where they shop. It’s still unclear when SNAP recipients will receive their full SNAP payments for November, according to CNN, which reported that this depends on the approval of a short-term spending package to temporarily fund federal agencies, which will still need to go through Congress and President Trump. About 12% of U.S. residents received SNAP benefits in fiscal year 2024, according to the USDA. The maximum allotment for a single person in the contiguous U.S. is $298 per month for fiscal year 2026 (which began in October), according to the USDA. A good portion of SNAP funds go to Walmart, according to third-party data, so any cuts or delays to the program could show up in the retailer’s fourth-quarter results. This is on top of an already challenging consumer environment, with consumers worried about rising prices and inflation and the government shutdown leaving hundreds of thousands of federal workers without paychecks. “One of the problems here has been the uncertainty — the on-again, off-again. Is [SNAP funding] going to be released? Is it not going to be released?” George Davis, professor of agricultural and applied economics at Virginia Tech, told Modern Retail. A USDA official said it could take weeks or months to release money to recipients. “People with lower income don’t have the resources to absorb that type of shock,” Davis said.

Retail sales bounced back in October with both monthly and year-over-year gains as consumers geared up for the holiday season.  Core retail sales (excluding restaurants, automobile dealers and gasoline stations) in October rose 0.6% month and up 4.89% year over year, according to the NRF/CNBC Retail Monitor released by the National Retail Federation.  The October sales report comes days after the NRF released its annual holiday forecast, which predicted that that sales in November and December will grow between 3.7% and 4.2% over 2024. That translates to total spending between $1.01 trillion and $1.02 trillion “Recent economic data has been mixed, yet consumer spending remains solid — supported by wage growth outpacing inflation, historically low unemployment, and wealth effects from strong stock market valuations,” said NRF president and CEO Matthew Shay. “These factors point to continued momentum heading into the holidays.”

U.S. firms announced the most job cuts for any October in more than 20 years, fueled in part by mass layoffs at major retail companies. Retail has been one of the hardest hit industries this year, behind only warehousing and non-profits. So far in 2025, the sector has announced 88,664 job cuts, a 145% increase from the 36,136 recorded through October last year. “Over the last decade, companies have shied away from announcing layoffs in the fourth quarter, so it’s surprising to see so many in October,” Challenger said in the report. “With the onset of social media, and the ability for workers to share their negative experiences with their employers, the trend of announcing layoffs before the holidays — a practice that seemed particularly cruel — fell away.” Retailers are also pulling back on holiday hiring. Companies are expected to add fewer than 500,000 seasonal positions this year — the lowest since 2009, according to Challenger, Gray & Christmas. Several retailers, including Kohl’s and Target, have declined to disclose their 2025 seasonal hiring plans, a departure from previous years. Some companies plan to keep the seasonal hiring levels unchanged from 2024. Amazon said it plans to hire 250,000 workers for the peak holiday season, while Bath & Body Works announced plans to hire 32,000 workers, the same as last year for both companies.

Retailers’ efforts to mitigate the impact of tariffs ahead of the holiday shopping appear to have paid off. Although tariff uncertainty continues, most holiday merchandise is already in stores or warehouses and cargo volume at the nation’s major container ports should see its usual end-of-year slowdown in November and December, according to the Global Port Tracker report released by the National Retail Federation and Hackett Associates. “We’ve spent most of the year worried about the impact of tariffs on both inflation and the supply chain but the holiday season is here and mitigation efforts appear to have paid off,” NRF VP for supply chain and customs policy Jonathan Gold said.

With 48 participating nations, 104 matches and 16 host cities, the 2026 FIFA World Cup will be the biggest one yet — and brands and retailers want in on the hype. While the World Cup is more than seven months away, tickets are already on sale, and companies are getting involved now. Adidas, one of the official partners of the games, debuted its official Trionda game ball in October and rolled out home kits for 22 partner federations — including Italy, Mexico and Spain — this week. Nike is putting the finishing touches on “an exciting new apparel innovation platform” and “several football streetwear collections,” CEO Elliott Hill announced on a Sept. 30 earnings call. Coca-Cola FEMSA — the largest franchise bottler of Coca-Cola trademark beverages in the world, by sales volume — is finalizing World Cup marketing campaigns around Coke Zero.

A new study by think tank Planet Tracker and the Morgan Stanley Capital International (MSCI) Institute has found that FMCG companies with weak plastic reduction-related practices are at a higher risk of financial issues, including lawsuits, compliance costs, reputational damage, and potential share price declines The study found a significant accountability gap. More than half of companies in the packaged food sector (55%) have set no packaging-related targets whatsoever. In restaurants, that figure jumps to 72%. And even among those with some commitments, very few have developed comprehensive, company-wide strategies to address the issue.

Paul Bradley Carr and Sarah Lacy, a married pair who opened the Best Bookstore in Palm Springs in 2022, will open a second store in their other home city, San Francisco. To be dubbed the Best Bookstore in Union Square, the new shop will be part of an urban revitalization project, Vacant to Vibrant, launched by the nonprofit SF New Deal (SFND) and the San Francisco Office of Economic and Workforce Development (OEWD). V2V is a component of Mayor Daniel Lurie’s Heart of the City initiative, which so far has attracted more than $50 million in private sector investments. To encourage independent startups, SFND and OEWD award grants, offer technical support with permitting and red tape, and provide generous leasing arrangements worked out with property owners and managers. “To continue accelerating downtown’s comeback, we are prioritizing safe and clean streets, supporting small businesses, drawing new universities to San Francisco, and activating our public spaces with new parks and entertainment zones,” Mayor Lurie said

Walmart recently published its first catalog of home furniture and decor as a way to build demand ahead of the holiday season in a category that will be crucial in winning over more high-income shoppers. The catalog, published in August for the fall season, shows off products such as sofas, tables, appliances, rugs, pillows and blankets in the context of bedrooms, bathrooms and kitchens. The pages point readers to Walmart’s website, where they can shop for the pictured items through text and QR codes. It’s indicative of how Walmart is experimenting with new ways to convey its home business moving forward after its merchants have worked to broaden its assortment. The publication is a symbol both of the lasting utility of print catalogs as a marketing tool and of Walmart wanting to redefine itself as a retailer for both low- and high-income shoppers that delivers high-quality yet affordable products.

All 195 stores will close for the day, giving 14,000 employees a paid day to spend outdoors and continuing a movement that has inspired millions to rethink the start of the holiday season. In 2015, a simple question was asked at REI Co-op that would later spark a movement: What if we closed on Black Friday? Susan Viscon, now the co-op's Chief New Ventures and Impact Officer, was part of that conversation. “When we first decided to close our doors on Black Friday, it was a leap,” she said. “It meant missing one of the biggest sales days of the year so our employees could be outdoors with their families and friends. But that was the point. Choosing time outside was an act of care that reflected our values and who we are as a co-op.” What began as a single idea has become a legacy at the co-op. In 2022, REI made Opt Outside permanent, ensuring every employee continues to receive a paid day off to spend time outside.

A book chronicling the 250-year history of the U.S. postal system is now available for purchase. “Delivering for America: How the United States Postal Service Built a Nation” was written by James H. Bruns, a former director of the National Postal Museum. The book explores the integral role of USPS in American history, from its role in early colonial days to becoming a critical communication lifeline for our service members serving abroad, to future-facing innovations such as automated sorting machines and electric vehicles. The Postal Service was founded on July 26, 1775. As the nation grew bigger, the mail made it smaller, offering a way for people from Colonial-era cities in the Northeast to reach the limits of a frontier that was racing westward from the Appalachian Mountains to the Mississippi River, to the Golden Gate of California, up to the gold fields of Alaska, and across to the tropical shores of Hawaii. As the nation moved — from colony to country, from horses to rail, from air to space — the Postal Service has found ways to use every cutting-edge advance to deliver to Americans the words that help them understand themselves, each other, and their place in the world.

The USPS will not be implementing zone pricing for Marketing Mail and Outside County Periodicals in January. The USPS has released guidance regarding what they are likely to propose for the July 2026 round of rate hikes. Continued mill closings are leading to higher prices in the paper market. And the trucking industry is bracing for the potential impacts of the recent federal ruling limiting the eligibility of foreign nationals to obtain commercial driver licenses.

Starbucks says it will continue its focus on improving the customer experience as part of its multi-year turnaround plan. In July, the company rolled out its new Green Apron Service program as a part of CEO Brian Niccol’s “Back to Starbucks” turnaround plan. This week, Niccol said that customers have already noticed a shift in the cafes’ atmosphere in the few months since the investment, particularly the welcoming staff and personalized interactions, such as the return of Sharpie-written names on cups. During its 2025 fourth-quarter earnings report on Wednesday, the coffee chain’s global same-store sales increased by 1%, mostly lifted by international markets like Canada and China. Starbucks’s same-store sales in the U.S. were flat. However, the company said new fall items and various customer service improvements helped boost sales in September. “Our intent is to become the world’s best customer service company,” Niccol said on the conference call. “To do this, we’ll double down on Green Apron’s service by empowering our leaders in and above the coffee house.”

Amazon — a company that made more than $35 billion in profit in the first half of 2025 and is on track to spend more than $120 billion on AI this year — is laying off thousands of people, citing its desire to slim down and “operate like the world’s largest startup.” The overall message from Amazon reflected a familiar impulse in Corporate America to reduce headcount in the face of rising prices, an unpredictable trade war and a potential (though still largely speculative) artificial-intelligence revolution. Amazon isn’t alone: UPS on Tuesday announced it had cut some 48,000 workers this year; Target eliminated 1,800 corporate jobs last week “to be stronger, faster and better positioned” for the future, its new CEO said; and other spectacularly profitable tech players like Microsoft and Meta have also shed staff by the thousands recently. But the impulse, which tends to please Wall Street in the short term, also amounts to a giant gamble on a technology that has yet to prove it can deliver the efficiencies its backers have long promised.

The companies are expecting a strong finish to the year after delays in purchasing weighed on company revenues. Hasbro is also leveraging its U.S. operations and moving away from China. Toy makers Hasbro and Mattel faced challenges from delays in retail orders during the third quarter, but are starting to see early signs of a bounce back for the holiday season. Orders have “accelerated significantly” since the beginning of the month, Mattel CEO Ynon Kreiz said in an earnings call Oct. 21. Prior to that, delays in ordering patterns weighed on the company’s Q3 sales, which were $1.7 billion, down 6% from last year. Meanwhile, Hasbro has seen sales momentum build over “probably the last seven to eight weeks,” CEO Chris Cocks said in a separate earnings call. Excluding growth from its Wizards of the Coast brand and digital gaming, Hasbro’s consumer products revenue declined 7% YoY and operating profit fell 32%.

Barnes & Noble is pleased to announce the 14 finalists for their 2025 Book of the Year. The program, now in its seventh year, asks B&N booksellers across the country to nominate titles throughout the year they find truly outstanding and in which they have felt the most pride in recommending to readers. This year, the list features five novels, five nonfiction books, and four books for children and young adults. The Barnes & Noble Book of the Year is voted on by all booksellers and announced on November 13th. Sunrise on the Reaping  by Suzanne Collins (Scholastic, Inc.) King of Ashes  by S. A. Cosby (Flatiron Books) Growing Home by Beth Ferry (Simon & Schuster Books For Young Readers) Katabasis by R. F. Kuang (HarperCollins) This Way Up: When Maps Go Wrong (And Why It Matters) by Map Men (Hanover Square Press) I Am Rebel  by Ross Montgomery (Candlewick Press) Puzzle Mania!  by The New York Times Games (Authors Equity) Good Things by Samin Nosrat (Random House Publishing Group) There Are No Silly Questions by Mike Rampton (Nosy Crow) The Let Them Theory by Mel Robbins, Sawyer Robbins (Hay House Inc.) Mother Mary Comes to Me by Arundhati Roy (Scribner) Buckeye by Patrick Ryan (Random House Publishing Group) Mona's Eyes by Thomas Schlesser (Europa Editions, Incorporated) The Artist and the Feast by Lucy Steeds (Union Square & Co.)

Amazon is reducing its corporate workforce by about 14,000 roles, the company announced Tuesday in an internal note to employees from Amazon Senior Vice President of People Experience and Technology Beth Galetti. The company will notify impacted teams and individuals Tuesday, but did not provide details about the types of positions impacted. Amazon’s latest round of layoffs builds on CEO Andy Jassy’s remarks to employees in June that the company will need fewer people doing some existing jobs as generative AI continues to advance.  Galetti told employees on Tuesday that the workforce cuts are intended to reduce bureaucracy, remove corporate layers and shift resources as the company works to stay “nimble.” “Some may ask why we’re reducing roles when the company is performing well,” Galetti said in her note to employees. “This generation of AI is the most transformative technology we’ve seen since the Internet, and it’s enabling companies to innovate much faster than ever before (in existing market segments and altogether new ones).”

The overwhelming majority of luxury goods sales are taking place in stores. New data from Euromonitor International reveals that in 2025, physical luxury stores accounted for 81% of personal luxury goods sales, with 52% of high-income shoppers preferring to shop in-store for fashion – up from 36% in 2023. The report found the global luxury market is valued at $1.5 trillion in 2025, and that the category "remains resilient" despite continued macroeconomic challenges “Amidst market uncertainty, the industry is undergoing a profound transformation, shifting from product-centric models to experience-driven engagement,” said Fflur Roberts, global insight manager for luxury goods at Euromonitor International. “Wellness, lifestyle and emotional resonance are emerging as new markers of status, reshaping how brands connect with consumers.”

National Retail Federation and Happy Returns data shows retailers expect consumers to return 15.8% of the merchandise they purchase in 2025. The rate that consumers return merchandise to retailers in 2025 will decrease compared to 2024, as will the total dollar value of returned products, according to a report from the National Retail Federation. Data from the NRF and Happy Returns indicates retailers expect consumers to return 15.8% of their purchases in 2025. That’s lower than 2024’s 16.9% returns rate. NRF anticipates consumers returning $849.9 billion in merchandise throughout 2025. In 2024, returns totaled $890 billion, according to the NRF. Also in 2024, U.S. ecommerce sales totaled about $1.19 trillion, according to previous Digital Commerce 360 reporting. Total retail sales (online and offline) reached about $5.25 trillion.

Amazon’s robotic automation efforts may wind up in the company cutting its human U.S. workforce roughly in half. An internal corporate memo initially obtained by the New York Times indicates Amazon thinks the increasing usage of robots could enable to it replace more than 500,000 U.S. human employees and avoid having to bring on another 160,000 workers by 2027, according to the New York Daily News. The memo also reportedly states Amazon believes referring to its robots as “cobots” (short for “collaborative robots”) may make transitioning to more robotic operations more publicly acceptable. The compny employs roughly 1.2 million workers in the U.S. The memo reportedly says Amazon’s ultimate goal is automating 75% of its corporate operations using robots. However, Amazon strongly disputed the notion that it seeks any widescale reduction in human employees by using robots in an official statement to the New York Daily News.

Free online returns — once a standard perk of e-commerce — are becoming the latest casualty of President Donald Trump’s tariffs. After years of footing the bill for free returns, more retailers are raising the bar for customers who want to ship back unwanted goods. Some brands are even eliminating the perk altogether as they try to mitigate the steep costs of tariffs. In the U.S., the number of retailers requiring a return fee has jumped from 66% to 72% this year, according to a new report from the National Retail Federation and Happy Returns. Around 33% of merchants surveyed said they began charging or increasing fees for returns due to “economic uncertainty and risk of tariffs,” per the report.

The retailer has also opted to shift production origins and consolidate buying to lower the cost of goods. Costco is changing its product assortment “where appropriate” to mitigate the impact of tariffs, executive vice president and CFO Gary Millerchip told analysts during a Q4 earnings call. For instance, the retailer is leaning into its private label Kirkland Signature products and ramping up domestically sourced items, such as health and beauty, live goods, tires and mattresses. “We believe our expertise in buying and the flexibility afforded by our limited SKU can give us greater agility to navigate the current environment and minimize the impact of tariffs,” Millerchip said. Kirkland Signature products, in particular, continue to help the retailer deliver alternatives to some tariff-impacted goods, Millerchip said. In Q4, Costco launched more than 30 new Kirkland Signature items, such as grass-fed beef sticks, organic extra-firm tofu, apparel items and the “combo calzone,” which is the retailer’s latest addition to the food court menu.

MIDLAND’s booth #2345 is a “must” on your list of companies to see at PRINTING United Expo 2025. Corporate End Users, Brand Owners, Sign, Display & Point of Purchase printers will see MIDLAND’s Fusion Board, a new pulp-based recyclable FSC® certified rigid board that can replace Foamed PVC, Styrene and other plastic based non-recyclable substrates. MIDLAND’s new high bright Digital Edge Uncoated for HP Indigo B2+ Press Technology is the highest quality uncoated grade on the market providing stellar ink adhesion at a value-added price point.  The new Digital Edge 24pt SBS for HP Indigo is treated for the HP Indigo platform, providing uncompromising ink adhesion on the most demanding jobs.  Visitors to MIDLAND’s booth can find printed samples of our Recycled Environmental Polyester Synthetic Paper, the first 100% Recycled (PCR, post-consumer resin) synthetic paper engineered for HP Indigo and Dry Toner press technology.  MIDLAND, is widely known as the leading paper distributor to the High Speed Inkjet market.  Come see us to discuss our compelling new High Speed Inkjet paper line with unmatched breadth and depth of products, engineered for all production inkjet OEM press technologies - including but not limited to Canon, Ricoh, HP, Screen, Fuji, Kyocera, Xerox, Kodak and more.

Amazon recently said it is investing over $1 billion in additional pay and benefits for fulfillment and transportation employees. Those employees who have been with Amazon for three years or more have, on average, seen their pay increase by 35%, per the company. Amazon said regular full- and part-time employees earn an average of $23 per hour with benefits, including health care and education programs. “We find that our seasonal roles are really popular — often filling up within minutes of being posted — because they meet different needs for so many different people,” Sandy Gordon, vice president of global operations at Amazon, said in a statement. “For some, it’s a few months of extra income to support their families during the holidays. For others, it’s the first step in building a new career path.” Amazon’s robust hiring initiatives are outpacing much of the retail industry. Target, for instance, has in recent years hired about 100,000 seasonal employees, but this year did not suggest a specific number it planned to bring on. Kohl’s likewise did not release a specific number but said it would hire seasonal workers.

Retail executives are concerned about supply chain shocks, inventory management and frontline worker morale ahead of the holiday shopping season. Seven in 10 (70%) of U.S. retail executives are worried that potential supply chain shocks could impact their ability to deliver against their holiday trading plan, according to Accenture’s U.S. Retail Executive Survey. All executive respondents were U.S. based and worked at VP level or above for retail companies with annual turnover more than $500 million. The same number (70%) of executives are worried about delivering online orders on time. And almost 64% are worried they won’t have enough stock this holiday season.

The American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA) released the September 2025 Printing-Writing Monthly report. According to the report, total printing-writing paper shipments decreased 9% in September compared to September 2024. Total printing-writing paper inventory levels decreased 6% when compared to August 2025. Total year-to-date (YTD) printing-writing paper shipments decreased by 6.8%. Among the three major printing-writing paper categories — uncoated free sheet (UFS), coated free sheet (CFS), and mechanical (MECH) papers — performance was mixed: with UFS shipments declining 9% YTD, CFS declining 3%, and Mechanical (MECH) papers increasing 2%, albeit from a relatively small base volume.

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.

Consumers plan to spend $890.49 per person on average this year on holiday gifts, food, decorations and other seasonal items. That’s according to the National Retail Federation’s annual consumer survey conducted by Prosper Insights & Analytics. The amount is the second-highest in the survey’s 23-year history and is 1.3% less than last year’s record of $901.99. The increase comes as 85% of consumers are expecting higher prices because of tariffs.

Ahead of an expected global conversion to more advanced barcodes in the next couple years, Amazon is collaborating with additional packaging partners to highlight the benefits of serialization. Wisconsin-based Menasha Packaging announced its partnership on anti-counterfeiting program Amazon Transparency in September, and company leaders shared more at Pack Expo in Las Vegas. Amazon Transparency dates back to 2017. For participating single products or multipacks, Amazon assigns unique 2D alphanumeric codes to each unit sold as a way to combat counterfeits. Other benefits for sellers may include getting a higher listing on Amazon, bumping down unauthenticated products. This can be especially useful to emerging brands working to build credibility, Menasha noted.

Nike is renaming its world headquarters in Beaverton, Ore. in honor of its co-founder and first employee Phil Knight. Now known as the Philip H. Knight Campus (PHK), the company said Tuesday that the renamed 400-acre property will serve as a tribute to Knight’s ongoing legacy, as well as a permanent reminder of the founder’s mentality that Nike employees are encouraged to bring to work every day. Beyond a dedication, the new name “represents a living expression of Nike’s roots and a powerful reflection of Knight’s enduring spirit: restless, bold and forever believing in what’s possible,” the Swoosh said in a statement. The first stage of the campus, dedicated in October 1990, united Nike employees – who previously had been scattered across a couple dozen buildings throughout Portland, Oregon – into six buildings that took the names of elite athletes, including Joan Benoit Samuelson, Michael Jordan, John McEnroe, Steve Prefontaine and Mike Schmidt. Nike’s explosive growth in the 1990s, and the hiring spike that ensued, prompted an expansion that roughly doubled the size of the campus, with new buildings named after Nike athletes such as Ken Griffey Jr., Mia Hamm, Jerry Rice and Pete Sampras.

July was a rough month for trade publishers that report their sales to the AAP’s StatShot program. Sales of adult trade titles dropped 13.6% in July compared to a year…

The PepsiCo brand embraces transparency with no artificial ingredients, new colors, and storytelling that starts with the humble farm-grown potato. PepsiCo announced the most significant brand redesign to Lay's potato chips in the brand's history, preparing it for its “next chapter.” Messaging focuses on “honoring” its farm-grown potatoes, natural ingredients, and the consumer appeal that made it the world’s top potato chip brand. Funny thing about that appeal, though: PepsiCo says 42% of “people who enjoy Lay’s don’t realize they’re made with real, farm-grown potatoes.” After refocusing on its roots, the company went to the branding mountaintop and came up with two underlying pillars that led to the visual cues now rolling out:

A growing consumer income divide is on Corie Barry’s mind, the executive told an audience at the Fortune Most Powerful Women summit. There’s a dispersion between higher and lower income shoppers in the U.S., one that Best Buy CEO Corie Barry called out during a Tuesday panel at the Fortune Most Powerful Women summit in Washington, D.C. “That is probably what keeps me up at night most,” Barry told the audience. “That reliance on the high-income consumer, while it makes it feel like there is resiliency in the overall market, that’s an issue because your low-income consumers are really struggling.” While consumer resilience remains a complex topic, retailers are also trying to remain resilient in the face of ever-evolving tariff policies — an obstacle particularly impactful to electronics retailers such as Best Buy.

Smurfit Westrock has been included on TIME Magazine’s World’s Best Companies 2025 list for the second year running. The company’s inclusion on the prestigious listing is based on strong scores across employee satisfaction, revenue growth and all three dimensions of ESG. Climbing over 400 places from last year’s list, Smurfit Westrock believes the achievement reflects its industry leadership and deep-rooted commitment to sustainability and its people. Highlights from the company’s latest Sustainability Report include the creation of a fully recyclable bed for the Paris Olympics and $2 billion of Green Bonds issued. “This recognition from TIME is testament to our performance-led culture and the talent and skill of our people. I am immensely proud of what we have achieved so far. As one of the world’s leading providers of sustainable packaging, we are committed to doing the right thing by all our stakeholders,” said Tony Smurfit, President and CEO of Smurfit Westrock.

The federal government shutdown that started Oct. 1 is just the latest in a host of challenges, along with tariffs, inflation and signs of economic weakness, that are bedeviling businesses as 2025 winds down. This makes smaller retailers — which lack the financial buffer most big chains have — especially vulnerable as the holidays approach. “Everyone loves shouting about shopping small or local, especially during the holiday season, but this year, small businesses are heading into their busiest period with a level of uncertainty they haven’t faced before,” said Jacob Bennett, co-founder and CEO of Crux Analytics, which works with small businesses and their banks. Summer ended sluggishly for the sector, according to the Fiserv Small Business Index for September, which leverages transaction data from more than 2 million U.S. small businesses across the country: Adjusted for inflation, retail sales dropped 1.4% year over year. Foot traffic is solid, but average basket size is down, according to Mike Spriggs, head of consumer insights at Fiserv. “That tells us the American consumer is still engaged — just price-aware and promotion-sensitive,” Spriggs said by email. Then there is the shutdown, which disrupted the loan program at the Small Business Administration — both access to new loans and management of existing ones. Among other consequences, this could disrupt inventory management, which has already been roiled by tariffs.

An unexpected vinyl records revival is having a dramatic impact on the music industry. In 2020, vinyl LP record albums outsold CDs for the first time since the 1980s. LP sales reached 43.6 million units in 2024, driven largely by Gen Z’s interest in analog experiences, aesthetic appeal and artist support. With no end to the trend currently in sight, vinyl music sales are projected to grow through at least 2035. The question is, why? Why are vinyl records coming back and why now? Research from the Vinyl Alliance points to four key reasons for the growth in sales of LP record albums. A. Tactile and Visual Appeal B. Superior Sound Quality C. Collectability and Exclusivity D. Support for Artists The vinyl resurgence has created a growing need for custom vinyl packaging.

Adobe released its online shopping forecast for the 2025 holiday season, covering the period from Nov. 1 to Dec. 31, 2025. Based on Adobe Analytics data, the analysis provides the most comprehensive view into U.S. e-commerce by analyzing direct transactions online, covering over 1 trillion visits to U.S. retail sites, 100 million SKUs and 18 product categories. Adobe Analytics is part of Adobe Experience Cloud, relied upon by the majority of the top 100 internet retailers in the U.S.* to deliver, measure, and personalize shopping experiences online. 2025 holiday season to surpass $250 billion online Adobe expects U.S. online sales to hit $253.4 billion this holiday season (Nov. 1 to Dec. 31, 2025), which represents 5.3% growth year-over-year (YoY). A record 10 days will see consumers spend over $5 billion in a single day (up from 7 days last year). Cyber Week (the 5-day period including Thanksgiving, Black Friday and Cyber Monday) is expected to drive 17.2% of overall spend this season, at $43.7 billion (up 6.3% YoY).

Barnes & Noble is continuing its post-pandemic success as it continues to attract store visits while planning to grow its footprint. From January to August of this year, the bookstore giant saw visits increase notably compared to the year prior, according to a recent report from retailer foot traffic data firm Placer.ai. Year-over-year increases were the highest in January (15.5%), May (10.2%), April (9.8%) and March (9.4%). With the exception of February, visits per location also increased year over year each month. Placer.ai highlighted the fact that Barnes & Noble is not only planning to open new stores this year, but it has also made key acquisitions of smaller, independent bookstore chains. Barnes & Noble first acquired Colorado chain Tattered Cover in 2023, and acquired California-based Books Inc. just last month. Location analytics reveal meaningful differences in customer behavior at Barnes & Noble and Books Inc. At a Barnes & Noble in Redwood City, Calif., 65.1% of visitors stayed more than 15 minutes, compared to 57.2% at a Books Inc. just 5.5 miles away in Palo Alto. Placer.ai says that longer visits reflect the success of Barnes & Noble’s experiential approach – stores designed not just for quick purchases, but for browsing, discovery and lingering.

Pixelle announced it has reached an agreement to sell its Chillicothe mill to U.S. Paper Mill, LLC, an affiliate of U.S. Medical Glove Company (“USMGC”). The buyer has committed to continuing Chillicothe’s legacy of industrial manufacturing and adding significant jobs in the local community. Pixelle is continuing to provide impacted employees with a range of support resources, including career transition services, job placement assistance, and ongoing access to Pixelle’s Employee Assistance Program to help navigate any career transitions. Additionally, Pixelle is allocating the entire $5.5 million in net proceeds from the transaction to an account established for the benefit of local unions and impacted employees.

Fox Entertainment Studios and HarperCollins's new Avon A imprint have announced a two-way development deal that will allow Fox to adapt titles from the YA-adult crossover imprint for the screen, while giving Avon A access to Fox original stories. The announcement marks the first publishing-entertainment partnership of its kind for Fox and HarperCollins, both of which are controlled by Murdoch family–owned media conglomerates.

Today, we’re announcing a new $100 million USD commitment over the next four years to expand our partnership with GiveDirectly and help empower an additional 185,000 people living in extreme poverty. We’re also funding new research, and pilot variants, to further understand how we can maximize the impact of each dollar. We wanted to take the opportunity to share how we got here, what we’ve learned so far, and our approach for this next chapter. A little bit of context: since starting Canva, we’ve been guided by a ‘simple’ yet ambitious Two-Step Plan. Step One is to build one of the world’s most valuable companies. Step Two is to do the most good we can. With more than 30% of Canva’s value (shares) committed to doing good in the world, this vision has shaped everything we do, from the products we create to the kind of company we’ve strived to be.

The holidays bring higher foot traffic, longer hours, and more pressure on already strained frontline teams. But despite being the public face of retail brands, frontline employees are often the last to hear about critical updates, receive recognition, or get even basic communications from leadership.  This disconnect isn’t just an annoyance, but a strategic vulnerability for retail brands. I just went into a store and had the owner apologize for the slow service and add, “As I’m sure you know, we just can’t get help.” With turnover still stubbornly high and seasonal hiring well underway, companies need to reevaluate how they engage, motivate, and retain their frontline teams. Employee turnover in retail settings remains a costly and disruptive challenge. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the retail sector saw a 60.9% turnover rate in 2024, among the highest of any industry. This turnover has two major impacts. First, it requires constant onboarding and training of new staff, which reduces operational efficiency. Second, it erodes morale among long-term employees, making retention of this talent even more challenging. Even the owner of that store I mentioned looked ready to quit and go home!

1-800-Flowers named Melanie Babcock its first chief marketing and growth officer, continuing the gifting company’s daunting transformation under new chief executive Adolfo Villagomez. Babcock will lead marketing, brand positioning, customer acquisition and retention, and growth initiatives, reporting to Villagomez, the struggling company’s new CEO -- and a former CMO of Home Depot. Beyond its flagship flowers business, the Jericho, N.Y.-based company owns Harry & David, Shari’s Berries and Moose Munch Popcorn. Earlier this month, 1-800-Flowers reported an annual loss of $200 million, with revenue down 8% to $1.69 billion.

The better a brand meets consumers’ expectations, the more loyal they will be. That’s according to the 17th annual Brand Key Loyalty Leaders List, an identification of the top 100 brands according to their ability to create customer loyalty.  Amazon topped this years’ ranking, with digital innovation, entertainment platforms and long-standing heritage brands among 2025’s leaders. Rounding out the top five were google, Microsoft, Apple and Coca-Cola. 2025 Loyalty Leaders — Top 25 1. Amazon (Online Retail) 2. Google (Search) 3. Microsoft (Tech) 4. Apple (Smartphones) 5. Coca-Cola (Beverages) 6. Samsung (Smartphones) 7. Paramount+ (Video Streaming) 8. ChatGPT (AI) 9. TikTok (Social Networking) 10. Levi Strauss (Apparel Retailers) 11. Discover (Credit Cards) 12. McDonald’s (Fast Food) 13. Netflix (Video Streaming) 14. PayPal (Online Payments) 15. Dunkin’ (Coffee) 16. Disney+ (Video Streaming) 17. Hyundai (Automotive) 18. Walmart.com (Online Retail) 19. Toyota (Automotive) 20. Domino’s (Pizza) 21. Trader Joe’s (natural foods) 22. Nike (athletic footwear) 23. The Home Depot (retail home improvement) 24. American Express 9credit cards) 25. Jeep (automotive)

Retailers and restaurants alike made headlines in September with store expansions and new formats.  Here are the major stories as reported by Chain Store Age, starting with the most recent. Costco Q4 tops Street, to open 35 new warehouses; holiday mix to look ‘different’ As it continues its strong financial performance, the wholesale club chain opened 27 new warehouses, including three relocations, during its recently completed fiscal year. Jack & Jones to make U.S. debut at five shopping centers — here's where The Denmark-based apparel retailer, which operates more than 4,000 stores worldwide, will make its U.S. store debut at five Brookfield Properties-owned shopping centers, starting in November at The Mall in Columbia, Columbia, Md. The move into the U.S. market follows Jack & Jones’ recent expansion in Canada. Toys”R”Us to open 10 U.S. flagships by year-end; locations include… The toy retailer, in partnership with Go! Retail Group, said it is planning to open 10 new flagships and 20 seasonal holiday shops in the U.S. by year's end. Target opening seven stores in October — here are the locations The discounter will open seven stores in October, with six of the locations topping Target’s 125,000-sq.-ft. average as it continues to lean into its larger footprint. The openings are part of the 20 new locations that Target plans to open this year. Primark marks 10 years in U.S. with new leases, planned entry in new state The global value fashion retailer, which opened its first U.S. store in Boston in 2015, said it is dedicated to U.S. growth. It has 33 stores across 13 U.S. states.

Walmart Inc. continues expanding its infrastructure to support timely delivery of online orders. The discount giant plans to open a new fulfillment center in Kings Mountain, N.C. Walmart expects the estimated $300 million investment to create more than 300 new jobs in Gaston County, N.C.  The 1.2 million–square-foot facility is slated to open in 2027 and will ship large items such as patio furniture and lawnmowers directly to customers as soon as next-day. “As our e-commerce business continues to grow, this new fulfillment center will play a critical role in helping us serve customers faster,” said Karisa Sprague, senior vice president, supply chain, Walmart U.S.

Finance leaders are remaining cautious about the economy with 2026 around the corner. Deloitte’s latest CFO Signals survey, which captures insights from finance chiefs in North America and around the globe, revealed that the overall level of confidence in current and future business conditions edged up in the third quarter of 2025, coming in at 5.7. The previous quarter, the score stood at 5.4, and one year ago, it was at 5.  Despite the slight increase, CFOs appear to be on the fence about the current status of the North American economy. Only 20% of the respondents think the region’s present economy is “very good” or “good.” Only 8% think it's “very bad” or “bad,” while the rest are neutral. CFOs remained risk averse in the third quarter, according to Deloitte’s survey. Only 36% of respondents said they think now is a good time to be taking on greater risk. This figure is just slightly above the reading last quarter, and on par with the two-year average of 39%.

Fast-growing grocery chain Sprouts Farmers Market has its sights set on opening stores from coast to coast, which would more than triple its location count. The Phoenix-based retailer surpassed 450 stores in 24 states this year and hopes to eventually reach 1,400 stores throughout the U.S, its CEO Jack Sinclair said Monday during a presentation at the Groceryshop conference in Las Vegas. Sinclair did not share how long it could take to reach that potential scale. Over the past few months, Sprouts opened new stores in Utah, Texas, Tennessee and Maryland, among others. It plans to open at least 35 new stores by the end of this year. The retailer is growing financially, as well, with an 18% increase in net sales to about $4.5 billion in the first half of the year, according to financial statements. Its net income grew from just over $209 million in the first half of 2024 to almost $314 million a year later.

MIDLAND is once again proud to participate in PRINTING United Expo 2025 event in Orlando FL.  Conveying a commitment to the Graphic Arts community, MIDLAND will unveil compelling new products which are innovative, sustainable, and fulfill unmet needs in the market.  Corporate End Users, Brand Owners, Sign, Display & Point of Purchase printers will see MIDLAND’s Fusion Board, a new pulp-based recyclable FSC® certified rigid board that can replace Foamed PVC, Styrene and other plastic based non-recyclable substrates. MIDLAND’s new high bright Digital Edge Uncoated for HP Indigo B2+ Press Technology is the highest quality uncoated grade on the market providing stellar ink adhesion at a value-added price point. MIDLAND’s booth #2345 is a “must” on your list of companies to see at PRINTING United Expo 2025. Stop by our booth and learn how these new products will give you a competitive advantage and boost your bottom line.

Canadians got a big surprise late Thursday afternoon, when the union representing Canada's postal workers suddenly called for a nationwide strike.  The move came hours after the federal government announced major reforms to Canada Post, instructing the Crown corporation to end home delivery and close some rural mail outlets.  Canada Post lost $448 million before tax in the first half of 2025, following a loss before tax of $30 million in the first half of 2024. Why did this happen? The union representing 55,000 postal workers says it was caught off-guard by the government's changes and argued Canada Post and the government are creating the conditions that drive down demand for its letter and parcel services. Canada Post workers do not currently have a collective agreement. They've been in contract talks for almost two years over issues like wages and part-time workers, while the postal service keeps incurring significant financial losses. Earlier this month, the union rejected the government's offer of a 13 per cent pay increase, saying it fell short of the union's demand for 19 per cent. While CUPW said it was willing to work with Canada Post to allow weekend delivery and the addition of part-time workers, it said the corporation walked away from the negotiating table. What happens to my mail now? Canada Post said in a statement that no mail or parcels will be processed or delivered during the strike, and service guarantees for items already in the mail are suspended.  "No new items will be accepted until the national disruption is over," it wrote.

Target is debuting new experiences centered on toys during the holiday season. For the first time, the big-box retailer is hosting free, in-store toy demonstrations at all stores every weekend from Nov. 8 through Dec. 21, according to a company press release. The retailer will also debut a kids catalog next month to highlight top gifts for various ages and interests. Shoppers will be able to scan a QR code within the catalog to simplify the creation of wish lists. Both elements are a means for Target to highlight its toy offerings, as the company centers on affordable options for families. The company is offering thousands of toys under the $20 mark, many of which are new or exclusive products, per the company.

Secondhand shopping has become commonplace for Americans as inflation and tariffs have increased the price of goods and the stigma around it has faded. The overwhelming majority (93%) of Americans bought a secondhand item in the past year, while over half (54%) have sold a secondhand item, revealed mobile marketplace OfferUp’s "2025 Recommerce Report." The U.S. re-commerce market is projected to grow 34% by 2030, reaching a valuation of $306.5 billion, accounting for 8% of total retail spending, the report said. In other findings, while apparel often dominates the resale conversation, it represents only 25% of the resale market, a small fraction of the $200 billion-plus multi-category U.S. recommerce economy. A majority (70%) of Americans say the stigma around secondhand shopping has lessened over the past year. OfferUp says the shift has been driven by a growing focus on sustainability and reducing waste (56%), the popularity of sharing secondhand finds with friends and family (53%), and the ease of using apps to browse, buy and sell (49%).

Amazon.com Inc. has agreed to pay $2.5 billion and overhaul its popular Prime membership program after federal regulators accused the company of using deceptive tactics to lock millions of consumers into subscriptions and then making it intentionally difficult to cancel. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced the deal Sept. 25, calling it one of the largest consumer protection settlements in its history. The order requires Amazon to pay a $1 billion civil penalty — the largest ever tied to a violation of an FTC rule — along with $1.5 billion in refunds to an estimated 35 million customers who were charged for unwanted Prime subscriptions or faced obstacles when trying to leave the service. FTC chair Andrew Ferguson described the outcome as “a monumental win for the millions of Americans who are tired of deceptive subscriptions that feel impossible to cancel.” He said Amazon’s enrollment and cancellation flows were designed as “subscription traps,” steering consumers into sign-ups without consent and frustrating efforts to exit.

Heading into the season, shoppers and retailers alike are getting squeezed by tariffs and mounting economic uncertainty. Throughout the first half of the year, retailers have repeatedly said on earnings calls that consumers are acting resilient. This is despite the fact that macroeconomic pressures, such as tariffs, are impacting both shoppers and companies alike.  Some retailers have continued to see sales rise, even in traditionally discretionary categories, while others are struggling to keep up.  But retailers are responding. Target, for one, recently announced an October deals event — joining Walmart, Amazon and others — to entice consumers to shop early. Ahead of the holidays, Target has doubled its merchandising assortment and expanded its same-day delivery capabilities to new markets.  The mass merchant’s vice president of experiential store operations, Michael Scrafford, recently told Retail Dive during a live virtual event that newness and meeting customers where they shop — in stores or online — is key this season.

A recommendation by Postmaster General David Steiner not to raise prices in January 2026 for Market Dominant products, which includes First-Class Mail, was accepted by the governors of the United States Postal Service. The price of a stamp to mail a 1-ounce single-piece First-Class letter will not increase in early 2026. “We continually strive to balance our pricing approach both to meet the revenue needs of the Postal Service and to deliver affordable offerings that reflect market conditions,” Steiner said. “We have therefore decided at this time to forgo a price change for First-Class Mail postage and other Market Dominant services until mid-year 2026.” Matt Jensen, MIDLAND Postal Affairs Manager clarifies that "Market Dominant" mail includes: first class mail, periodicals, marketing mail including catalogs, and package services. Additional clarification on included mail: Tabbed catalogs/direct mail under three ounces typically mail as a Marketing Mail letter Untabbed catalogs/direct mail under one pound typically mail as a Marketing Mail flat Heavier pieces over one pound typically mail as Package Services

Check out the latest report from J.Schmid and CohereOne. The data is in, and Labor Day weekend signaled a strong start to the fall season. The weekend drove strong engagement, with apparel and outdoor brands leading growth. Home retailers also saw strong performance. Read the full report here. https://jschmid.com/marketing-kpis-labor-day-weekend-2025-trends/

Private equity firm Atlas Holdings is acquiring The ODP Corp., parent of Office Depot, in an all-cash deal valued at approximately $1 billion. The agreement underscores ODP’s ongoing pivot from retail office supplies toward its growing business-to-business (B2B) ecommerce and distribution operations. Atlas will pay $28 per share for ODP’s 30.08 million outstanding shares. The companies expect to close the transaction by year’s end. That deal comes as ODP’s market value has shrunk from more than $5 billion a decade ago, reflecting declining consumer demand for paper, printers, and related supplies.

At Accelerate, Amazon’s annual conference for third-party sellers in Seattle, the e-commerce giant’s top brass pitched independent merchants on how artificial intelligence will transform selling on its marketplace. Thousands of sellers filled the convention hall for product demos, policy changes and, in a rare appearance, a keynote fireside chat with CEO Andy Jassy. Jassy, who succeeded founder Jeff Bezos as CEO in 2021, reflected on Amazon’s 25-year partnership with independent sellers, saying that the decision to open the marketplace “was quite an animated debate inside of Amazon” at the time. Ultimately, broader selection and lower prices outweighed internal resistance, he said. Today, more than 60% of units sold on Amazon come from independent sellers, a group Jassy described as “our very top customers.” In recent years, it has become more common for Amazon leadership to frame sellers as customers, Jeff Cohen, Amazon Ads’s former principal evangelist, recently told Modern Retail. “In the early days, Jeff Bezos always saw the shopper as the primary customer, but there’s been a shift to recognize brands and sellers as customers, too,” he said. That shift is reflected in how Jassy has tried to run Amazon as “the world’s largest startup” — cutting bureaucracy, pushing for faster decision-making and leaning on technology to solve inefficiencies. But Amazon’s track record shows how difficult that shift can be. Fee hikes, sudden policy changes and complex inventory rules have repeatedly sparked backlash, with merchants saying they feel squeezed by costs and stripped of control. Some sellers have become less loyal to Amazon, branching into platforms like TikTok Shop, Walmart and Shopify.

A mixed-use retail destination is on its way to the site of the former Motorola headquarters outside of Chicago. Full-service real estate firm UrbanStreet Group has announced the groundbreaking of the Veridian master-planned community’s retail district, a 30-acre "urban-inspired" destination that will bring new shopping, dining and entertainment experiences to Schaumburg, Ill., a northwestern suburb of the Windy City. The first phase of the retail district at Veridian will deliver 100,000 sq. ft. of retail and restaurants, anchored by a 26,000-sq.-ft. The Fresh Market grocery store, along with 321 modern apartments. At full build-out, UrbanStreet says the district will include more than 200,000 sq. ft, of retail and restaurant space and over 600 residential units, adding to the 225-acre site already home to TopGolf.

The Association of American Publishers (AAP) released its StatShot report for June 2025 reflecting reported revenue for Trade (Consumer Books), Religious Presses, Higher Education Course Materials, and Professional Publishing. Total revenues across all categories for June 2025 were down 1.3% as compared to June 2024, coming in at $1.1 billion. Year-to-date revenues were down 1.7%, at $6.3 billion for the first six months of the year. Year-to-date Trade revenues were down 2.8% at $4.3 billion for the first six months of the year. Hardback revenues were up 0.7%, coming in at $1.5 billion; Paperbacks were down 8.1%, with $1.5 billion in revenue; Mass Market was down 29.8% to $42.0 million; and Special Bindings were down 1.5%, with $89.9 million in revenue.

Canva is incredibly proud to share that Fast Company has recognized Canva in its 2025 Innovation by Design Awards. We’ve been named a winner in the Large Business category, and a finalist in both the Artificial Intelligence Design and Design Company of the Year categories. These honors are a celebration of our community, our team, and the power of visual communication to move the world forward. Being recognized by Fast Company alongside some of the world’s most forward-thinking brands is a reminder of not only how far we’ve come, but how much possibility still lies ahead.

After years of retooling their businesses for search engines, brand and retail leaders say they’re getting ready for a new frontier: GEO. The term, which means generative engine optimization, refers to optimizing web content to show up in results from AI-driven search platforms, like ChatGPT or Google Gemini. It’s a new way for brands to stand out and reach customers, especially considering that nearly 60% of U.S. consumers have used a generative AI tool for help with online shopping, per an August 2025 survey from Omnisend. If a customer asks an AI engine about buying lip gloss or a T-shirt, the relevant brands want to make sure they show up. But it’s not an easy journey, executives conceded this week in interviews with Modern Retail and during panels at Shoptalk Fall in Chicago. Brands and retailers have spent decades crafting their SEO playbook, figuring out which keywords to include on product pages, blogs and additional web content to show up in Google or Yahoo. Now, with GEO, platforms like ChatGPT and Perplexity are pulling and ranking information — oftentimes, in response to hyper-specific inquiries, rather than one-word or two-word requests. This could also have financial consequences for brands, especially as these agents start enabling checkout.

Concerns about price increases due to tariffs won’t stop consumers from celebrating Halloween this year. Halloween spending is expected to reach a record $13.1 billion this year, according to the National Retail Federation’s annual consumer survey conducted by Prosper Insights & Analytics. The figure is up from $11.6 billion last year and tops the previous $12.2 billion record set in 2023. Per-person spending has reached a record high of $114.45. That's nearly $11 more than last year and up from the previous record of $108.24 in 2023. Most Halloween shoppers (79%) anticipate prices will be higher this year specifically because of tariffs, the survey found. Despite reservations, nearly three-quarters of consumers (73%) plan to celebrate the holiday, in line with last year’s 72%.  Candy continues to be the most popular purchase, with total spending expected to reach $3.9 billion. Across other categories, 71% plan to purchase costumes and spending is expected to reach $4.3 billion.

Domtar joined Cégep de Jonquière and other public and private partners to support the development of the TERRE Center. The TERRE Center will be a CAN$23 million renewable energy research facility in the Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean region of Québec. Domtar’s Wood Products business contributed lumber construction materials at the start of the TERRE Center’s construction in August. “At Domtar, we firmly believe that innovation comes through collaboration. Supporting a project like the TERRE Center, which combines knowledge, technology and sustainability, means investing in the future of our industry and our community,” says Michael Plourde, Director of Technical Services and Planning at Domtar. The donation, made alongside Boréal, reaffirms Domtar’s deep roots in the region and its support for high-impact community projects. It also champions the company’s 2030 sustainability strategy objective of reaching $20 million in community investments over five years.

In a world dominated by likes, swipes, and scrolls, it might sound counterintuitive—but young adults are drawn to direct mail and the tangible, personal connection it brings.    Gen Z (those born in the late 90s to early 2010s), the first fully digital-native generation, isn’t just glued to their screens. They’re actively engaging with marketing that shows up offline—especially in the form of tangible, thoughtfully designed mail. Gen Z Is Paying Attention to Print Raised in a digital world, this generation craves authenticity, tangibility, and real-world experiences that stand out from the constant scroll of online content. Gen Z grew up digital, but that also means they’re used to being constantly advertised to—on every platform that they interact with. Digital fatigue is real. For brands seeking to cut through the noise, direct mail is emerging as a go-to tactic for meaningful and memorable engagement with this powerful audience.

Every month, the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Census Bureau releases its first calculation of the previous month’s retail sales. Retail Dive reports on the results for core retail segments, (minus food, auto and fuel), using year-over-year comparisons. With a boost from the back-to-school season and higher prices as tariffs fuel inflation, August retail sales in the segments covered by Retail Dive rose 5.5% year over year, according to numbers released Tuesday by the U.S. Department of Commerce. E-commerce soared over 8%. “Consumer goods prices rose 0.5% in August, and 0.3% when excluding food and energy, suggesting a big part of the gain in sales actually stems from consumers paying higher prices rather than buying more goods last month,” Wells Fargo economists Tim Quinlan and Shannon Grein said in a research note following the government’s report. Broadly, underlying volumes rose by a scant 0.4%, “a marked deterioration from the 1.4% volume increase produced last month,” according to GlobalData research. The e-commerce surge was likely fueled by sales events last month, according to GlobalData Managing Director Neil Saunders. It’s notable because retail sales have been volatile month to month overall, but e-commerce has been up for 11 of the past 12 months, according to Wells Fargo.

Consumer sentiment slumped in September for the second consecutive month, dragged down by worries about job security, price pressures and the outlook for U.S. business, the University of Michigan said Friday, describing survey results. The university’s survey results echo those from the Conference Board and Federal Reserve Bank of New York, highlighting that faster inflation and a cooling job market are undermining consumer confidence. “Economic sentiment declined more than expected in September largely because Americans are fearful of losing their jobs,” Navy Federal Credit Union Chief Economist Heather Long said Friday. “After months of a frozen job market with little hiring outside of healthcare, people now see more industries turning to layoffs.” “The American consumer is feeling the squeeze from tariffs,” Long said, noting that “they are starting to see price increases on everything from food to furniture to auto repair.” Although consumers are still spending, “they are on edge and will be ready to shut their wallets if layoffs pick up this fall and winter,” she said.

Following the publication of Collage Group’s “2025 State of Brand Cultural Fluency” report, the cultural intelligence data company also looked at which brands are most resonant with Gen Z, and which brands are more differentiated in appealing to the generation (compared to consumers overall). Oreo was the top-performing brand overall with Gen Z, followed by YouTube, and Pringles. Nerds, Sour Patch Kids, and Spotify were the most differentiated brands with the generation. Marketing Daily caught up with Collage Group senior director of cultural insights Jack Mackinnon to discuss the report’s results, key points for marketers about how to appeal to Gen Z, and what marketers should avoid. How would you characterize the list of brands that are top-scoring or most-differentiated with Gen Z?  Jack Mackinnon: They look like Gen Z to me, and by that I mean people sometimes forget they’re young because they have this seriousness to them in response to the threats – economical, environmental, and health-related – they grew up with. But they’re still young, teenagers in some cases. They’re still gravitating toward candy brands, Pocky, Capri Sun. There’s also a factor of nostalgia as a stabilizing force. So these are brands that have a playful origin but have found a voice that has an edge to it. Duolingo is a good example of that. They tap into that annoying and aggressive side. Sour Patch Kids has had a similar approach of injecting an edginess into marketing emphasizing their sourness for a few years now. CeraVe has had some real playfulness with how they merge beauty, personal care and health with some humor that taps into Gen Z’s obsession with beauty.

A Swedish furniture and home decor giant is celebrating a key milestone with nine months of promotions. Ikea U.S. is launching a 40-week long customer appreciation campaign in celebration of its 40th anniversary. Now through June 29, customers can take advantage of exclusive product offers, gift card giveaways, limited-edition Ikea apparel, and special in-store events. "Since opening our first U.S. store in 1985, we've grown and adapted to meet the evolving needs of our customers," said Jordi Esquinas Gimenez, chief commercial officer at IKEA U.S. "What remains constant is our commitment to making well-designed, high-quality home furnishings affordable and accessible. This campaign is our way of celebrating our customers – thanking them for 40 years of trust and looking ahead to what we can build together in the future."

Marketing isn’t getting any easier. Audiences are more sophisticated, more skeptical, and more overwhelmed than ever. Join Sappi for “11 Ways to Get More From Your Marketing Today” at 1:00 p.m. ET on Thursday, September 25. Print has the power to cut through the noise, build trust and connect in meaningful ways. From boosting sustainability credentials and inspiring brand loyalty to enhancing creative design and working seamlessly with digital campaigns, print delivers results across the customer journey.

Visual communication is no longer optional: Design-led companies are achieving stronger brand cohesion, clearer communication, and faster go-to-market outcomes. Neuroscience shows it works: Creative visual content triggers memory encoding 74% faster and generates significantly more emotional engagement than dull alternatives. Gen Z demands it: 90% say they do their best work visually, and 83% use unapproved tools just to communicate effectively within outdated systems. Every week, the average company burns through nearly nine different visual communication tools, losing time, clarity, and cohesion in the process. Teams spend 25 hours producing work that could take 10. And despite investing billions into visual content creation globally, most organizations are losing value through fractured systems and text-heavy workflows that neuroscience now proves simply don’t work. Our newly-released State of Visual Communication Report reveals a striking truth: while some companies still debate the importance of visual communication, the most forward-thinking organizations are already seeing measurable ROI. And the reasons are as scientific as they are aesthetic: visually engaging content triggers memory encoding 74% faster than dull alternatives. This isn’t just a matter of design preference; it’s biology.

The firm predicts that sales between November and January could reach $1.62 trillion, with e-commerce sales projected to grow up to 9%. Holiday sales in the U.S. are expected to increase between 2.9% and 3.4% this coming season, according to a Deloitte forecast. Deloitte projects holiday sales from November through January will total between $1.61 trillion and $1.62 trillion, up from $1.57 trillion last season, as recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau.  E-commerce holiday sales growth will continue at a clip of between 7% and 9%, similar to the previous year. Total e-commerce sales are projected to reach between $305 billion and $310.7 billion, up from $285 billion in the 2024 season.

When Debbie’s crisp and pickle sandwiches weren’t getting much love, she and her sons turned to Canva to give their small business a fresh look. Then, with a new logo, menus that stood out, and social posts people actually noticed, Debbie & Sons quickly went from pickle to prosperity. This charming story sits at the heart of our latest UK brand campaign, proving that good design can take ideas from ordinary to extraordinary. Launching our ‘Really, Really Good Design’ campaign is taking creativity beyond the screen and into everyday life – from a limited-edition sandwich collaboration to bold billboard takeovers – to celebrate the transformative power of design. Our new campaign takes a playful spin on a serious truth: great design can be the difference between a good idea and a thriving business. Britain is full of brilliant ideas, but many struggle to bring them to life visually. In a world where first impressions matter more than ever, good design has shifted from luxury to necessity. It’s the difference between a presentation that gets polite nods and one that gets genuine excitement, or a social post that gets scrolled past versus one that stops thumbs in their tracks.

Following a near-record peak this summer as retailers stocked up before tariff increases, import cargo volume at the nation’s major container ports is expected to steadily decline for the remainder of the year. That’s according to the most recent Global Port Tracker report released by the National Retail Federation and Hackett Associates. The report follows the implementation of reciprocal tariffs across the globe, with a number of key trading partners being subjected to tariffs higher than the earlier 10% tariffs, noted the NRF. Also, more and more sectoral tariffs are impacting a wider scope of products “Tariffs have had a significant impact on trade,” said Hackett Associates founder Ben Hackett said. “The trade outlook for the final months of the year is not optimistic.”

Nearly 40 retail CEOs left their posts in the first seven months of this year, with six executives leaving in July alone, according to a recent report from Challenger, Gray & Christmas. That marked a 100% increase from the same period a year ago, when 19 CEOs in the industry left. Across all industries in the first half of the year, the number of CEO departures jumped 9% to 1,358, marking the biggest year-to-date total since Challenger began keeping track in 2002.

As the summer comes to a close, hot-button issues like tariffs, manufacturing and pricing are continuing to dominate conversations at fashion brands. After the chaos of the last few months, some companies are managing to find a way forward. Abercrombie & Fitch Co. recently reported record net sales of $1.2 billion for its second fiscal quarter. Urban Outfitters, Inc. reported a record $252.2 million in net income for its first half of the year. Gap Inc., too, is continuing to reap the rewards of its larger turnaround, reporting positive comparable sales for the sixth straight quarter. Still, the fashion industry — like much of retail — remains on somewhat shaky ground when it comes to predicting demand and sales. Many apparel and footwear brands manufacture abroad, where new, higher tariffs threaten to throw a wrench in their growth plans. Global supply chain costs are on track to rise up to 7% above inflation by the fourth quarter, per Kearney. And apparel and footwear are considered discretionary categories — meaning that, for many shoppers, clothes or shoes may take a backseat to essentials like food and gasoline.

The U.S. Postal Service is at the heart of a postal system still dedicated to tying our country together today. Here’s one example: Recently, it issued “250 Years of Delivering,” a pane of 20 stamps by cartoonist Chris Ware that shows a carrier delivering mail across four seasons of the year. Kind of like the unofficial motto inscribed on New York City’s Farley Building: “Neither snow nor rain nor sleet nor hail shall keep the postmen from their appointed rounds.” According to a study by the Envelope Manufacturers Association, the industry accounts for 7.9 million jobs. Even more than USPS, that’s a lot of jobs in print, packaging, paper, and private delivery! There are a lot of people in workforces and businesses who use ink on paper to bring ideas to life. We’ve come a long way since the days of Franklin, railway mail, and big gleaming buildings made of limestone, granite, and marble. But the public service task remains the same. And improvements in printing, marketing, and automation technology make mail more relevant than ever.

Back in the spring, “Made in USA” became one of Amazon’s hottest search terms. Anxiety around tariff-induced price hikes had shoppers punching in patriotic queries, giving online merchants hope that domestic manufacturing may give them a competitive edge. But the momentum proved fleeting. New data from Momentum Commerce, a retail consultancy, shows that searches for “Made in America” products have since collapsed, reverting by July 2025 to nearly identical levels as the prior year. And even at their peak, those searches barely translated into sales.

If the retail industry has learned anything from the first half of 2025, it’s that the only constant is change and tariffs are no exception under the Trump administration. The will they, won’t they approach to U.S. trade deals has pushed retailers to rethink sourcing, increase pricing and put in inventory orders earlier than last year. A few companies have continued to thrive despite this tough environment, such as Walmart and the athletics brand On. Others, like Under Armour, Funko, and even off-pricers, have felt the sting of evolving geopolitical relations. Even the best performers are watching shifting tariff rates closely — and further strain is expected for the second half of the year.

This year’s edition highlights the challenging environment that motor carriers dealt with in 2024, but in the end the industry still delivered more than 72% of all domestic freight tonnage in the U.S. Among the key findings in this year’s report: Trucks moved 11.27 billion tons of freight in 2024, down from the 11.41 billion tons hauled the previous year.  In 2024, the industry saw revenues at $906 billion, down from $1.004 trillion in 2023.  Trucking employed 8.4 million people in industry-related jobs, including 3.58 million professional drivers in 2024.  The industry remains one made up of small businesses, with 91.5% of carriers operating 10 or fewer trucks and 99.3% operating fewer than 100 power units.  Trucks moved 67% of surface trade between the U.S. and Canada, and 85% of goods across the Mexican border in 2024.

Despite Target’s overall sales slump, the big-box retailer has found a bright spot in a popular, fast-growing sector: trading cards. Trading card sales at Target are up nearly 70% year to date and are on track to deliver $1 billion in sales this year, Target evp and chief commercial officer Rick Gomez told investors in the company’s second-quarter earnings call Aug. 20. Gomez said these trading card games like Pokémon, combined with the launch of the Nintendo Switch 2 game console, drove growth within its hardlines categories last quarter. Second-quarter net sales in hardlines, which includes toys and electronics, grew about 6% from 2024 to 2025. “Trend-forward tech accessories like brightly colored headphones and phone cases and toys priced under $20” have also helped shape growth, Gomez said. Overall, so far this year, strategic trading card game sales — which excludes sports trading cards — are up 101% from last year and represent about 10% of total toy sales in general, according to Juli Lennett, vp and toy industry adviser for Circana. Sports trading cards are up 48% year to date. Trading card sales on Walmart’s online marketplace soared 200% between February 2024 and June 2025, with Pokémon card sales growing over 10 times year over year, the retailer told Axios.

Tuesday, the Association of American Publishers (AAP) released the StatShot Annual report covering the calendar year 2024, estimating that the U.S. publishing industry generated a robust $32.5 billion in aggregate publishing revenue for books and course materials across print and digital formats, an increase of 4.1% as compared to $31.3 billion in 2023. “This year’s report shows encouraging levels of year-over-year growth across multiple categories during 2024 and paints a picture of an industry that is dynamic, fast-moving, and continuing to evolve,” commented Syreeta Swann, Chief Operating Officer, Association of American Publishers. “In reference to the five-year period covered by StatShot Annual, we saw the continuation of some long-term trends, including the dominance of print formats, which accounted for more than half of the overall market for each of the five years, and sustained growth for the Digital Audio format, which has seen a revenue increase of nearly 80 percent since 2020.” During 2024, Trade (consumer books) increased by 4.4% to an estimated $21.2 billion. Higher Education Course Materials revenue increased by 1.8% to $4.3 billion. PreK-12 Instructional Materials increased 5.1% to $5.3 billion. Professional Books increased 2.5% to $1.4 billion. University Presses increased 3.1% to $350 million. Print In the industry overall, print formats (Hardback, Paperback, Mass Market, and Special Bindings) accounted for 50.5% of publishers’ revenue. During the year, revenue from the Hardback format climbed 3.6% to $7.9 billion, while Paperbacks increased 3.2% to $7.8 billion. Within Trade, the Hardback and Paperback formats together accounted for nearly three-quarters of revenue (72.9%), maintaining their position as the most popular formats with $7.7 billion in revenue each. On a year-over-year basis within Trade, the Hardback format was up 3.6% and the Paperback format climbed 3.0%.

In this episode, Cory Connors welcomes Kristen Clark to explore why paper, especially paperboard from Metsä Board, is a sustainable packaging material. Kristen shares her journey from consumer packaged goods marketing to her current role at Metsa Board, highlighting the company’s deep commitment to sustainability and innovation. The conversation covers forest management, circular manufacturing practices, and the role of paperboard in replacing plastic packaging. Key Topics Discussed: Kristen’s career path from CPG marketing to sustainable paperboard Overview of Metsä Group and its cooperative model with 90,000 Finnish forest owners How Metsä Board uses every part of the tree to minimize waste Bioenergy generation from bark and branches Reforestation practices: planting 4–7 trees for every one harvested Lightweight yet strong paperboard that reduces carbon footprint Circular side-stream applications, including animal bedding and soil improvement Metsä Board’s goal to be fossil-free by 2030 (currently 89% there) Water efficiency and process improvements Paperboard’s role as a plastic alternative and common missteps in adoption Metsä Board’s packaging design teams in Finland and the U.S. Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) laws and their impact on paper recycling Virgin vs. recycled fiber: why both are needed for a healthy recycling loop

QR codes are expected to play a key role in holiday shopping this year. Roughly three-quarters (74%) of consumers say they are likely to scan a QR code during Black Friday and Cyber Monday shopping, according to a new report from Uniquode. Forty-four percent of consumers are more likely to scan a QR code during the two shopping holidays for the promise of a deal, while more than half (56%) shoppers say they will do so for a promotional offer. Nearly 50% of millennial and Gen Z respondents are “very likely” to scan QR Codes during retail sales, and 46% of Gen X say they are driven by deals by scan. Gen Z (41%) and millennials (40%) are also driven by discounts and deals, followed by faster checkout. More than a third (36%) of all consumers are not “entirely sold” on scanning QR codes.

President Mary Anne Hansan shared more about the phaseout of the industry marketing initiative. Corporate and market changes, and difficulty aligning the shifting priorities between paper and packaging stakeholders, contributed to the recent move to shut down a more than decade-old paper packaging marketing campaign, explained Paper and Packaging Board President Mary Anne Hansan. “Every referendum, it’s been increasingly more difficult to keep people on board,” Hansan said. “And many times, just like this time, it really has to do [with] what’s going on in the economy. The paper market has been contracting for years,” she said. On the corrugated side, companies are concerned about extended producer responsibility, Hansan said. Additionally, there’s been a lot of leadership turnover from the executives who were in charge when P+PB was developed and launched. “We’ve had an awful lot of CEO change,” Hansan said.

Online prices on back-to-school staples are up while discounts from brands are down this year, putting consumers in a difficult position. That’s according to the latest same-site sales data data from e-commerce platform Klaviyo, which revealed that year over year, the typical price paid for back-to-school items in July was up nearly 10%. Apparel and accessories saw the sharpest increase at 9% as tariff uncertainty led to increased costs. After a dip in the first quarter of the year, average selling prices (ASPs) on back-to-school items have risen every month since April.

Quad/Graphics, Inc., a marketing experience company that solves complex marketing challenges for its clients, today announced it has been selected as agency of record (AOR) by Scandinavian Designs, a nationwide retailer of modern home furnishings. This strategic collaboration reflects Scandinavian Designs’ decision to consolidate its creative and media strategy, planning and execution under one agency, choosing Quad for its integrated marketing solutions, commitment to data transparency and proven success among retail brands. Quad will work with Scandinavian Designs to help the brand grow its e-commerce footprint, bring the furniture shopping experience to the home through a revival of its catalog and help build its brand equity across the United States. With store locations in more than 50 U.S. markets, Scandinavian Designs is tapping Quad to streamline its brand experience through an integrated purchasing journey that makes direct connections with consumers at home, online or in a physical store.

Penske Media Corp. reportedly has warned offsite workers that they must return to the office for at least four days per week or risk termination. A memo sent last week by owner Jay Penske gave employees until October 4 to decide whether they will comply. But those who do not will be eligible for severance benefits, Status reports. Penske owns such publications as Billboard, Rolling Stone, Variety, The Hollywood Reporter and Deadline. “At a time we need to be solving problems faster, we find ourselves foregoing quick ad hoc brainstorming meetings, taking longer to find workable meeting times, and seeing uneven engagement from remote participants,” Penske said, according to Status.

Migration to the Lone Star State is driving a retail construction boom. That’s according to new data from commercial real estate services firm Colliers, which found that between January 2021 and January 2025, Texas recorded a positive net domestic migration of 0.9%. Although construction slowed in 2020 amid pandemic-driven uncertainty, by early 2025, more than 17 million sq. ft. was under construction, with growth fueled by the state’s largest cities of Dallas, Houston, Austin and San Antonio. Colliers notes that the Texas retail boom contrasts with the national landscape, where construction activity remains historically low. Just 6 million sq. ft. of retail space was delivered nationwide in the second quarter of 2025, bringing total space under construction to 47.9 million sq. ft.

Beyond Inc., which owns Overstock, Buy Buy Baby and Bed Bath & Beyond, is changing its formal company name, rebranding to Bed Bath & Beyond Inc. The move comes two years after Overstock.com Inc. paid $21.5 million for some of the previous iteration of Bed Bath & Beyond’s assets and intellectual property. Shortly after the acquisition, Overstock.com Inc. rebranded to Beyond Inc. With the new rebranding decision, Bed Bath & Beyond Inc. will begin trading under the ticker symbol BBBY on the New York Stock Exchange, effective Aug. 29, according to the company. Beyond Inc. reported in July that it had grown revenue in its fiscal Q2 compared to Q1 in 2025. However, its Q2 revenue still decreased year over year. President and chief financial officer Adrianne Lee attributed Beyond’s improvement over Q1 to seasonal average order value (AOV) improvement and the number of orders it delivered. AOV increased $25, while delivered orders grew 8%.

Confidence among U.S. chief executives shot up during the third quarter as trade fears eased. The Conference Board's Measure of CEO Confidence in collaboration with The Business Council rose to 49 in the third quarter, up 15 points from 34 In the second quarter. (A reading below 50 reflects more negative than positive responses.) The survey, which also gauges CEOs' expectations about future actions their companies plan on taking in capital spending, employment, recruiting and wages, was fielded from July 14-28. All three components of the index improved from deep pessimism to near neutral, with CEOs' views on current economic conditions making the sharpest recovery. Their six-month expectations for the economy as a whole and in their own industries also improved. Fear of recession within the next 12 to 18 months fell to 36% in the third quarter from 83% in the previous one. CEOs ranked geopolitical instability and cyber threats as top concerns for their industry, while concerns about trade and tariffs eased somewhat.

The Premier Direct-to-Consumer Marketing Agency Whether you’re launching a new brand, exploring direct mail for the first time as a digitally native company, or managing a complex marketing ecosystem as an established brand, we’re here to help. Unlike most data-driven direct marketing agencies, we’re fueled by bold ideas and strategic creativity. Reach out to Cohere One for a free consultation.

The state of returns in retail Returns are a critical and increasingly costly aspect of modern retail, with the volume of returns reaching nearly the $1 trillion mark in 2024. Retailers are rethinking return policies to strike a balance between protecting margins and evolving customer expectations. Returns — and their challenges — are rising. Here’s how retailers are responding. Nearly 40% of consumers return an online purchase ‘at least’ once a month How return policies fit into retail customer experience

Quad/Graphics, Inc., a marketing experience company that solves complex marketing challenges for its clients, has appointed Kristin “KJ” Jones and Evan Hughes as Senior Vice Presidents at Rise, a Quad agency. Building on a long-standing rapport and deep industry experience, Jones and Hughes now lead integrated teams together at Rise, focused on transforming the go-to-market approach for clients. Their work will combine their extensive agency experience with the power of Quad’s proprietary household-based data stack and omnichannel media solutions to help brands connect with target audiences through intelligent segmentation, modeling, testing and measurement. This unique data capability gives Rise and Quad a differentiated position in the market and unlocks greater value for clients. Both executives report to Joshua Lowcock, Quad President of Media. “KJ and Evan are exactly the kind of leaders Rise was built for: agile, transparent, and results-focused,” Lowcock said. “In an industry that is often opaque and unnecessarily complex, Rise delivers measurable value to clients with speed, smarts, and scruples.

Female shoppers are spending less than their male counterparts. During the first half of 2025, year-over-year demand for discretionary products among women fell flat, while unit sales from men were up 3%, according to Circana. Female discretionary spending grew 1% during the same period, while male spending rose 2%.   The firm noted that discretionary spending has been challenged by elevated prices across retail food and beverage, non-edible consumer packaged goods and general merchandise “Female consumers are critical to retail performance, representing more than half of annual spending, and those purchase decisions,” said Marshal Cohen, chief retail industry analyst for Circana. “Shifts in spending behavior among female consumers reveal signs of broader consumer changes brewing.” Women seem to be opting for purchases that allow them to spruce things up, rather than a bigger ticket spend. Between January and June 2025, the majority of the pullback in spending among female shoppers impacted furniture, apparel, juvenile products and housewares.

Konica Minolta Business Solutions U.S.A., Inc. announced the formation of Konica Minolta Paper Solutions, a dedicated business unit delivering a comprehensive portfolio of paper products to customers across industries and around the world. The launch follows a strategic decision by parent company Konica Minolta, Inc. (KMI) to divest its shares in Konica Minolta Marketing Services Holding Limited (KMMS). As part of the transition, the paper division was excluded from the sale and is now fully integrated within Konica Minolta’s North American operations. Harris Atkins, a respected industry leader with more than 30 years of experience, has been appointed President of Konica Minolta Paper Solutions and will join the company’s executive leadership team. Most recently, Atkins served as President and CEO for KMMS in North America.

The July container volumes for the Port of Los Angeles tell the tale of the Trump tariff impacts. The front-loading of Chinese goods ahead of the tariff deadline pushed container volumes at the Port of Los Angeles to levels it has never seen in its 117-year history. The port processed 1,019,837 twenty-foot equivalent units, or TEUs, in July. Imports came in at 543,728,000 TEUs, also a record. "Shippers have been frontloading their cargo for months to get ahead of tariffs and recent activity at America's top port really tells that story," said Port of Los Angeles Executive Director Gene Seroka. "Port terminals in July were jam-packed with ships loaded with cargo — processed without any delay, much to the credit of our dedicated longshore workers, terminal and rail operators, truckers and supply chain partners."

Jimmy Zollo, the co-founder of Joe & Bella, thought India could be a viable alternative for the online retailer’s China-made socks. The company explored moving production there, drawn by lower costs and a perception that the country was politically “safe” from steep taxes enacted by the Trump administration. “Pricing seemed great,” Zollo said. “We actually were probably, in the next few weeks, planning on getting a few prototypes made to see if the quality hit our standard levels.” Then came the tariff news. With little warning, the Trump administration doubled duties on Indian imports to 50%, up from 25%, as part of a push to curtail the country’s purchase of Russian oil. The new rate is scheduled to go into effect on Aug. 27. The higher rate, combined with manufacturing timelines in India that were five times longer than those offered by Joe & Bella’s existing partners in China, quickly erased any potential savings.  The company scrapped its India tests. Although Joe & Bella previously manufactured some goods in Vietnam, the company has now consolidated all manufacturing back to China — for simplicity’s sake, according to Zollo. “Anyone could get hit at any time for any reason,” he said. “Sometimes the safest move is just to stay put.”

Amazon.com, Inc. announced customers in more than 1,000 cities and towns can now order fresh groceries with their Same-Day Delivery orders, with plans to expand to over 2,300 across the U.S. by year-end. This marks one of the most significant grocery expansions for Amazon as the company introduces thousands of perishable food items into its existing logistics network that is already optimized for speed and efficiency. Customers will have the option to order produce, dairy, meat, seafood, baked goods, and frozen foods, alongside the millions of items such as everyday household essentials, electronics, fashion, home and garden, and more already available for Same-Day Delivery on Amazon.com. Customers are looking to make their budgets stretch further, and that’s why Amazon is focused on offering a wide selection of national and local brands, including organic and natural options, at an incredible value through this new offering. For Prime members, Same-Day Delivery is free for orders over $25 in most cities. If an order doesn’t meet the minimum, members can still choose Same-Day Delivery for a $2.99 fee. For customers without a Prime membership, the service is available with a $12.99 fee, regardless of order size.

Eastman Kodak, the 133-year-old photography company, is warning investors thats it might not survive much longer. In its earnings report Monday, the company warned that it doesn’t have “committed financing or available liquidity” to pay its roughly $500 million in upcoming debt obligations. “These conditions raise substantial doubt about the company’s ability to continue as a going concern,” Kodak said in a filing. Kodak aims to conjure up cash by ceasing payments for its retirement pension plan. It also said that it doesn’t expect tariffs to have “material impacts” on its business because it manufactures its many of its products, including cameras, inks and film in the United States. Kodak had a century of success producing cameras and film. At one point in the 1970s, it was was responsible for 90% of film and 85% of camera sales in the United States, according to The Economist. Paul Simon’s hit song “Kodachrome” topped the charts in 1973.

Transcontinental Inc. announces the acquisition of two Canva Group businesses, Mirazed Inc., located in Saint-Hubert, Quebec, and Intergraphics Decal Limited, located in Winnipeg, Manitoba. This strategic transaction follows the acquisition of Middleton Group in June and strengthens TC Transcontinental’s position as a leader in in‑store marketing. Mirazed is recognized for its cutting-edge expertise in screen printing as well as large format digital printing, the production of promotional displays and point-of-purchase (POP) signage. Intergraphics specializes in industrial screen and digital printing. Together, these entities employ more than 200 skilled people and operate state-of-the-art production facilities that will significantly enhance TC Transcontinental's capabilities in Quebec and Western Canada.

The July 2025 USPS Marketing Mail rate increase is here, and it’s reshaping the economics of direct mail. While many marketers are focused on rising postage costs, fewer realize that how and where you enter mail into the USPS system now matters more than ever. Enter SCF dropship: a critical cost-saving tactic that can make or break your direct mail ROI moving forward. On July 13, 2025, USPS implemented an average 7.4% increase in Marketing Mail rates, up to 15% for some formats. And while that’s a challenge on its own, there’s a second, equally important change flying under the radar: the elimination of Network Distribution Center (NDC) entry discounts. That means marketers who used to benefit from NDC dropship rates are now facing higher costs for those same mail pieces, unless they shift strategy. The solution? SCF (Sectional Center Facility) dropship, which is now the deepest discount level available for most campaigns.

Visual storytelling isn’t just a branding tactic anymore – it’s a growth strategy. In today’s attention-starved digital world, the most successful brands aren’t just seen, they’re remembered. And increasingly, they’re winning by putting design at the heart of everything they do. In our latest webinar with Marketing Dive, we explored how forward-thinking marketing teams are transforming their creative approach to stand out and scale up. The panel brought together leaders from Ricoh, Exos, and Canva to unpack what it really takes to build a visual-first brand, and why that shift matters now more than ever.

A U.K.-based company ranks as the fastest-growing retailer in the U.S. following its acquisition of Alabama-based Hibbett in 2024. J.D Sports tops the National Retail Federation’s “2025 Hot 25 Retailers” list compiled by Kantar. The annual study ranks the fastest-growing retailers in the U.S. based on increases in domestic sales between 2023 and 2024.   JD Sports achieved 41.5% domestic sales growth after adding nearly 1,200 Hibbett, City Gear and Sports Addition stores across 36 states in a deal valued at approximately $1.1 billion. (List of all 25 retailers at end of article.) Rounding out the top five are Primark at No. 2 with 30% sales growth, followed by Uniqlo parent Fast Retailing (27.7%), Shell (26.8%) and Abercrombie & Fitch (15.2%). Primark and Abercrombie & Fitch both jumped two spots on this year’s list, while Fast Retailing remained at No. 3 for the second year in a row.

Regarding the Postal Service, I have several key points I would like to articulate today. First and foremost, the Postal Service needs to operate in a financially sustainable manner. This is not just a good idea, but it’s also required by law. We have faced significant challenges in the dynamically changing business environment that have put significant stress on our business model and have had a negative impact on the organization. But those obstacles from the past should not deter us from achieving financial sustainability. We will strive to align our costs to revenue on a consistent, long-term basis. To do so, prioritizing strategies to drive operational efficiencies and generate sustained revenue growth will be key. We will also focus on being your provider of choice any time you ship a package. Second, service is foundational to our success. Improved service for our customers—which in our case includes the entire American public—will lead to more volume and revenue, so service improvement will be a top priority for me and the management team, and we will remain committed to continuous improvement in our operational performance. Third, our recent transformation and modernization efforts have brought the Postal Service closer to private sector logistics practices. Both the pricing and product strategies have improved our competitiveness. We will continue to aggressively pursue those strategies.

New York Post Media Group, a subsidiary of Rupert Murdoch's News Corp., will launch a new daily Los Angeles-based newspaper called The California Post in early 2026, the New York Post's editor-in-chief Keith Poole told Axios. Why it matters: It's a ripe market, and one in which NYPMG — home to the New York Post, Page Six and Decider — already has a leg up. Los Angeles is home to the second-largest concentration of Post readers, per News Corp. The vast majority (90%) of the Post's digital readership lives outside of New York. Zoom in: The California Post will look and feel similar to its New York counterpart — delivering journalism, entertainment and celebrity gossip, sports news, local news, and opinion — with an edgy voice. The outlet will also feature national coverage from the New York Post that's relevant to a West Coast audience.

Consumers are savvy—and saturated. Between traditional holidays and standard sale seasons, they’ve seen it all… until they haven’t. Why Retailers Should Rethink the Calendar Predictability is the enemy of excitement. By staging shopping events outside the typical cadence, brands can: That’s where creative retail events come in. Unconventional promotions like Macy’s “Black Friday in July” flip expectations and generate buzz by offering shoppers a reason to engage when they least expect it. Why Retailers Should Rethink the Calendar Predictability is the enemy of excitement. By staging shopping events outside the typical cadence, brands can: Revive Off-Season Traffic: July doesn’t naturally scream “doorbuster,” but a well-timed promotion can turn summer lulls into retail highs. Create Curiosity: Unexpected sales pique interest—especially when branded cleverly. Customers are more likely to stop, scroll, or swing by when something feels fresh. Strengthen Brand Personality: A cheeky campaign like “New Year’s Clearance in August” or “Fall Preview Fest” reflects a retailer’s willingness to break molds and embrace fun.

USDA held a continuance referendum between July 14 and July 25 among companies contributing to the campaign. A majority of the voting companies voted to discontinue the national marketing campaign.  The program will be shut down over the next few months.  No assessments will be collected.  During that time, P+PB’s Papertarian campaign, featuring celebrity and actress Retta, will run on streaming TV through the end of September.  In addition, new infographics are available to P+PB companies through October 31, 2025 when the consumer and industry websites will go dark.

Today, most marketers don’t have print quality problems with vendors. The ink-on-paper product looks fine. But more of your prospects DO have visibility problems. They DO have cut-through-the-noise problems. They DO have a get-noticed-and-remembered problem. And guess what? Print just happens to be an excellent solution. Even so, the odds are pretty good that your competitors are still walking into meetings talking about color matching and on-time delivery. At this point, these are table stakes, not reasons to change vendors. To make the sale, you need focus on what marketers truly need now: A partner who understands how to make them stand out. The Real Problem Hiding Behind "We Don't Do Print" When a marketing director says, “We don’t really do print anymore,” what they’re often really saying is they don’t realize how strategic, creative, and measurable print can be today

Times are tough in the tween bling business. Claire’s — long a mall-based beacon of ear piercing and bedazzled barrettes — has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in Delaware. It’s the second time the brand has sought bankruptcy protection, having last done so in 2018. The company operates more than 2,700 stores in 17 countries, including nearly 200 Icing stores — a more mature concept it has been working to expand. In recent years, Claire’s has tried to evolve, launching marketing efforts aimed at a new generation of shoppers. But declining sales, a burdensome debt load, and rising tariff-driven costs in its supply chain have proven too difficult to overcome. The move doesn’t come as a surprise. Claire’s had reportedly been in discussions about restructuring options for weeks. Still, the bankruptcy signals just how difficult the current retail environment has become — especially for mall-dependent retailers already struggling to stay relevant with younger consumers.

“Integrating Print and Digital Marketing” isn't a new topic, but the fact is that it really is very powerful. While some of the tactics are the same, we now see a big change in the behavior of the consumer, leading print service providers to think more creatively about print and digital integration. A funny thing happened on the way to the all-digital future, especially in the wake of the post-pandemic era: Everyone was wrong about that so-called “all digital future.” The constant barrage of digital-only promotion led to a collective screen fatigue, and audiences began to crave something they could touch, feel, and experience. This shift has created a golden opportunity. The most forward-thinking brands today aren’t choosing between digital and print; they are masterfully integrating them. They understand that a physical object, be it a direct mail piece, a product package, or a promotional item, can be a powerful gateway to a rich digital experience. But true integration goes far beyond just slapping a QR code on a flyer. It’s about creating a seamless, multi-sensory brand journey that surprises, delights, and engages customers on a deeper level. Let’s explore how to move beyond the basics and forge a truly effective, creative, and profitable link between your print and digital worlds

As the retail job market contracts, the analysis found companies in the sector also have not released hiring plans this year to date — a noteworthy development given that the holiday season is around the corner. Tariffs, inflation and economic uncertainty have prompted retailers to close stores and lay off employees, the report said. Many of those same challenges are impacting industries more broadly as well. “Closings of stores, units, or plants have led to 120,226 layoffs so far this year, while restructuring efforts have resulted in 66,879 job cuts. Bankruptcies accounted for another 35,641 layoffs,” according to the report. Indeed, multiple major retailers have shuttered locations amid broader corporate restructurings. Between 2024 and February 2025, retailers closed more than 9,900 stores, but they only opened 7,700 locations during that period, a JLL analysis found. While some retailers have issued pink slips to a fraction of their staff, others are shutting down most or all of their storefronts.

A lot can happen in less than three seconds. In the crowded craft beer aisle, that’s all the time a packaged beer has to catch a shopper’s eye. A study from Accelerated Marketing Insights by Quad used Tobii 3 eye-tracking technology to explore exactly what drives purchase behavior — and how design plays a starring role. Conducted last fall at Ray’s Wine & Spirits in Wauwatosa, WI, the study tracked 61 participants as they browsed 474 beers across 124 brands. The choice of location was intentional — just outside Milwaukee, a city steeped in brewing history and still deeply tied to beer culture. The study found that packaging design was the third most important consideration for choosing a beer, after flavor and price. In fact, 72% of participants said the packaging made them more likely to buy a beer. That’s not surprising to Shannon Anderson, director of research, Accelerated Marketing Insights by Quad. “Craft beer buyers come in to browse. They’re curious and open to trying something new. That makes visibility and shelf presence critical. If your can doesn’t get noticed, it doesn’t get purchased.”

Amazon’s retail enterprise, while immense and growing, is increasingly in the shadow of adjacent businesses like advertising, subscriptions and marketplace seller services. In Q2 those operations grew as fast or faster than its online and physical stores and together netted more revenue. The company’s stalwart cloud business also continues to be yet another boon to its e-commerce. Online plus brick-and-mortar net sales topped $67 billion, while advertising plus subscription fees plus seller services, where growth was mostly higher, topped $68 billion. Sales at the AWS unit rose 17.5% year over year to nearly $31 billion. “The solid growth and profitability of AWS and advertising should continue to outperform and support Retail,” Telsey Advisory Group analysts led by Joseph Feldman said in a note on the company’s Q2 report. This is a unique situation in retail, though Amazon is encountering many of the same challenges. Currently that includes uncertainty around tariffs. “There continues to be a lot of noise about the impact that tariffs will have on retail prices and consumption,” Jassy said. “Much of it thus far has been wrong and misreported. As we said before, it’s impossible to know what will happen.”

HarperCollins Children’s Books celebrates the 75th anniversary of one of the most beloved epic fantasy classics of all time—The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. The literary world was changed forever when four children stepped through a wardrobe and into the magical land of Narnia in C. S. Lewis’s The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, which originally published in the UK on October 16, 1950, and in the US on November 6, 1950. The Chronicles of Narnia has become a cultural phenomenon, with worldwide sales of the series reaching over 115 million copies, editions available in sixty languages around the world, and adaptations to film, TV, and stage. Most recently, Narnia has been optioned for a new upcoming adaptation to be developed by Netflix. 

The Association of American Publishers (AAP) released its StatShot report for May 2025 reflecting reported revenue for Trade (Consumer Books), Religious Presses, Higher Education Course Materials, and Professional Publishing. Total revenues across all categories for May 2025 were down 7.5% as compared to May 2024, coming in at $1.1 billion. Year-to-date revenues were down 1.8%, at $5.2 billion for the first five months of the year.

The market for knockoff products is at an all-time high, as social media trends and “dupe finder” accounts have led consumers to actively search for duplicate versions, or “dupes” of fashion, makeup and furniture products over the real thing.  These products differ from purely counterfeit products, as dupes do not claim to be the authentic item, but instead are openly marketed as convincing lookalikes of the original. Dupes are often seen as cost-effective alternatives to expensive name-brand products, which influencers and users share online to flaunt their affordable alternatives. The craze has not gone unnoticed by designers and brand owners, as popular brands can often spawn hundreds of duplicate listings on online marketplaces, drawing valuable customers away from their brands.

The United Parcel Service (UPS) revenue slipped in Q2, with its international segment mitigating the decrease. Part of that decrease came from reducing the volume of parcels UPS processes from Amazon. Director and CEO Carol Tome told investors on the carrier’s Q2 earnings call that its financial results “reflect the impact of a complex macro environment, driven by ever-evolving trade policies, as well as the significant actions we are taking to strengthen UPS’ competitive and financial positioning.” She cited data from consultancy firm McKinsey & Company that indicated consumer spending on discretionary categories, including restaurants and automobiles, outpaced growth in essential items for the first time in three years. Additionally, she said, manufacturing activity in the U.S. “remains soft.” In turn, those macroeconomic factors impacted market demand. “The overall U.S. economy demonstrated continued resilience, but our sector, specifically the U.S. small package market, was unfavorably impacted by U.S. consumer sentiment that was near historic lows,” Tome told investors.

Consumer confidence rebounded slightly in July as Americans felt more optimistic about the future even as they continued to worry that tariffs would lead to higher prices. The Conference Board’s Consumer Confidence Index rose by 2.0 points in July to 97.2 from 95.2 in June. The Present Situation Index — based on consumers’ assessment of current business and labor market conditions — fell 1.5 points to 131.5.  The Expectations Index — based on consumers’ short-term outlook for income, business, and labor market conditions — rose 4.5 points to 74.4.  “Consumer confidence has stabilized since May, rebounding from April’s plunge, but remains below last year’s heady levels,” said Stephanie Guichard, senior economist, global indicators at The Conference Board. “In July, pessimism about the future receded somewhat, leading to a slight improvement in overall confidence.”

Direct mail delivers proven results, but are you getting the best possible performance from your campaigns? Many marketers skip testing because they assume it’s too complex or too expensive. But here’s the truth: You don’t need a massive budget or sophisticated tools to run smart, insightful direct mail tests. In fact, small, strategic tweaks can lead to big boosts in response rates, ROI, and campaign learnings. Here’s how to make direct mail testing simple, practical, and worth your time.

Mattel’s goal is to keep prices as low as possible, according to executives.  “We’re committed to the uninterrupted supply for a wide range of high-quality products and providing the right balance of price and value for our customers,” said Ruh, who joined the company roughly two months ago.  With nearly 80% of toys imported to the U.S. coming from China, the category could prove to be especially vulnerable to the impact of tariffs. That is on top of a consumer base that is already stating prices will impact their purchasing behaviors during the back-to-school season, per an ICSC report.  However, CEO Ynon Kreiz doesn’t see consumers as any more price sensitive compared to a year ago, as the company has been working “very closely with our retail partners when we consider pricing” headed into the second half of the year and the holiday season.  The company expects the total tariff exposure for this year before any mitigating actions to be under $100 million. Mattel last quarter forecast a $270 million impact from tariffs.

There's no better place to invest in your team's growth than Paper Meets LIVE! Whether you're developing rising stars or deepening relationships with key partners, maximize your visibility and impact by bringing multiple members of your organization. Paper Meets LIVE! 2025, co-hosted by AF&PA and NPTA, will take place Sept. 16-18 at the Opal Sands Resort in Clearwater Beach, Florida. Representatives from virtually every segment of the paper industry supply chain attend this annual event. Attending can spark collaboration and connection, accelerate leadership development, and align your team around industry trends and opportunities.

Founded in 1775 — before the founding of our country, in fact — the United States Postal Service is celebrating 250 years of continuous service. In a statement on its website about the impressive achievement, the agency notes, “On July 26, 1775, a year before declaring independence from Great Britain, members of the Second Continental Congress appointed Benjamin Franklin the first American Postmaster General at a meeting in Philadelphia. Our founding fathers knew that a robust, reliable, and secure means of exchanging information was critical to unify the distant parts of our nation — and to maintain unity once we achieved independence.” So not only is Ben Franklin a pillar of the print community, he is also the father of the mail space as well. An impressive legacy to say the least.