Sportswear brand New Balance reported its fifth consecutive year of double-digit growth in 2025, the company said this week. The retailer achieved a record $9.2 billion in annual global sales, up 19% year over year. It was also the fifth consecutive year of global market share gains. New Balance CEO Joe Preston said in a press release Thursday that the footwear company saw record-setting results in almost every region, including more than 20% growth in North America and more than 30% growth in Europe. The retailer also opened an Asia Design Studio to unify its lifestyle apparel teams in the region.

Dear Industry Member: If you tuned into the postal-focused session on Oct. 7th during our 14th Annual National Forum, you heard former Rep. Kevin Yoder (R-KS) discussing his involvement in the new Keep US Posted campaign, which was cofounded by the ACMA, the Greeting Card Association and other industry groups. Today, I'm writing you to encourage you to also become involved with this vital effort. The goal of this campaign is to protect the long-term interests of vital market dominant mail interests, including catalogs, first-class letters, cards, periodicals - all mail that's protected by the postal monopoly. When the USPS announced its Delivering For America plan this past March, it made pretty clear that the core of its future would be in parcels rather than market dominant mail. Keep Us Posted was subsequently formed to ensure our mail has a future. Our Goals & Ask: This is not a fundraiser. If your future is to continue to be in the mail via catalogs or types of mail, we're just seeking the following: • For starters, please look over the Keep US Posted website then click this link and enter your information to add your organization to the list of campaign supporters. • Follow Keep US Posted on Facebook and Twitter, and share/retweet our content. Additionally, text the word “mail” to 52886 and tap the link to join as a consumer supporter. Share the Keep US Posted logo (click here) when you do this. • Share the site and Keep US Posted messaging on your LinkedIn feed with this suggested text: “I am proud to support Keep US Posted (www.keepUSposted.org). This new campaign is dedicated to amplifying our voices as we speak out against delays, postage hikes and other threats to businesses, consumers and the entire mail system. Collectively, we can make a difference. Join us. #keepUSposted." • For the near term, the campaign is pre-funded. What we need from you now is to agree to have your company name listed as a supporter and lend your voice, not your money. Simply click here to join. A member of the Keep US Posted leadership team will be in touch with further information. • Be willing to be our point of contact to engage in activities when called on and participate whenever possible. These include social media engagement, encouraging your suppliers and other colleagues to get involved and join in campaign grassroots outreach to Congress.

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.