News Briefs

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New York has become the third state in the nation, joining Maine and Connecticut, to pass legislation that limits companies from using consumer data to set prices.

Legislators in New York on June 4 passed the One Fair Price Act, which curbs personalized pricing, also known as surveillance pricing. The practice occurs when companies use artificial intelligence and algorithmic to review consumers’ personal data, such as their browsing history, real-time location, inferred family size or income to set prices or discounts for consumers, according to Consumer Reports.

The bill now heads to New York Governor Kathy Hochul for consideration.

“If signed, New York’s legislation will help protect consumers from personalized pricing,” said Grace Gedye, senior policy analyst at Consumer Reports. “It will put limits on how companies can use consumers’ data to profile them and charge them the most they are willing to to pay. Governor Hochul will no doubt be met with a lot of corporate lobbying to weaken this bill in the months to come. We urge her to stand with New Yorkers and push to strengthen protections, rather than diminish them.”  

The bill was also supported by the AARP, which addressed bill critics who said it would hurt customers from receiving discounts such as targeted coupons. (Colorado recently vetoed a similar surveillance pricing bill.) 

“Part of the bill allows for preserving bonafide discounts,” said Beth Finkel, state director of AARP New York. “That means of sales, coupons, loyalty programs. It’s what consumers expect and rely on.”

Other states, including California and New Jersey, are considering comparable acts.

A growing number of families are getting a jump start on back-to-school shopping.

According to a recent survey from TeacherLists, 20% of families now intend to begin back-to-school shopping in June, a 9% increase compared to 2024 levels and consistent with 2025 findings.  

An early start on back-to-school shopping helps families avoid what can be a difficult period. Nearly six-in-10 (59%) parents surveyed associate back-to-school shopping with being stressful, financially challenging, or something they dread. More than a third (36%) of families report that it takes three or more trips to complete shopping for requested school supplies.

Thirty-six percent of families said they have had difficulty finding their child's school supply list, while 19% say locating the list remains difficult year after year. A large majority (85%) of parents say they would use a verified, centralized supply list if it were available through retailers.

[READ MORE: Back-to-school shoppers to utilize AI tools to find best deals, value]

“Taken together, the findings suggest that the challenge for many families is not simply when they shop, but how easily they can access and coordinate the information required to shop effectively,” said TeachersLists. “Early planning is increasing, but fragmentation in supply list access continues to create unnecessary complexity.”

TeacherLists’ Preseason Parent Survey was fielded in May 2026 and featured 2,500 respondents self-identified as parents or guardians of K-12 students. 

TeacherLists works with schools and districts nationwide to digitize and distribute millions of school supply lists each year. The platform is free for families, schools and districts.

One of the country’s most popular cookie brands is going on a nationwide summer road trip.

Oreo will unveil a pop-up dedicated to its soft, cake-baked snack cakes on June 12 in New York City’s Meatpacking District. “The Soft Life" pop-up is designed to immerse customers in the "new and improved" Oreo Cakesters brand. The marketing push follows the product’s reformulation, which was optimized for softness and flavor.

The pop-up will feature a soft-baked bakery counter where guests can order Oreo Cakesters-to-go, a scent discovery experience and an interactive giveaway experience featuring numerous Cakesters merch items. It will also feature a “cloud pillow pit” with an overhead mirror for photo opportunities.

After its initial stop in New York City, a custom-branded Airstream camper will embark on "The Soft Life" Summer Tour. The tour will bring the sensory experience and sampling across the country, with stops in:

•Milwaukee, July 2-4;

•Chicago, July 10 – 12;

Columbus, Ohio – August 1-2;

•Bethlehem, Penn.; – August 7 – 9; and

•Asbury Park, N.J.,August 14 – 16

Additional tour stops in California and Texas will be announced at a later date.

"We know today's snackers want dynamic, on-the-go treats, and we are thrilled to deliver our softest, most delicious Orea Cakesters yet," said Melissa Renny, senior director, cakes & pastries at Mondelēz, whose portfolio includes Oreo. "While we kept the nostalgic flavor long-time fans expect, we wanted to celebrate this upgraded recipe in a big way that would pique the interest of new consumers. 'The Soft Life' goes beyond just tasting the product — it immerses fans in a playful, pillowy world where they can truly feel the softer side of Oreo Cakesters."

Canada has become the first Walmart market outside of the U.S. to offer the Walmart+ paid subscription program.

Walmart+, initially launched in the U.S. in September 2020, is now available for customers of Walmart Canada, the Canadian subsidiary of Walmart Inc., for $8.97 per month or $89 annually.

The program provides Canadian customers with unlimited same-day delivery from store on orders of $35 or more, free shipping with no order minimum from the Walmart.ca e-commerce site and savings on Express Delivery orders that arrive in two hours or less. Members also receive a subscription to the Crave streaming service. Walmart+ is the only membership to offer Crave as an embedded benefit at no additional cost.

This program replaces Delivery Pass, a paid subscription program Walmart Canada introduced in 2023 with free next-day delivery of more than 65,000 items, for the same annual price of $89. Existing Delivery Pass members will automatically become Walmart+ members.

[READ MORE: Walmart Canada introduces delivery subscription program]

"Walmart+ is a game changer for Canadians, especially the busy families who rely on our everyday low prices," said Catherine Theberge-Conner, head of membership, Walmart Canada. "With Walmart+, Canadians can access a unique membership offering that combines unlimited grocery and general merchandise delivery with benefits beyond retail – all for only $89 per year. Canadians are going to love the level of convenience, assortment and value they get with Walmart+, with more to come."

New customers can sign up for a free 30-day trial of Walmart+ on the Walmart Canada website.

Headquartered in Mississauga, Ont., Walmart Canada is an omnichannel discount retailer operating more than 400 stores nationwide.

Bad Ass Coffee of Hawaii is growing its footprint through traditional and non-traditional formats.

The chain says it now has six non-traditional stores spanning trailers and food trucks, coffee kiosks, carts and counters, drive-thru only kiosks, and "captive audience" shops inside venues such as airports, sporting arenas, grocery stores and shopping malls. Bad Ass Coffee cited the recent opening of the brand's flagship presence at a 19,000-sq.-ft. travel plaza in Kenosha, Wis., developed in partnership with multi-unit operator Paul Bhardwaj of Golden Oil.

The non-traditional growth comes as Bad Ass Coffee continues to grow its traditional store footprint. AWA Investments, Bad Ass Coffee’s largest investor and a multi-unit operator with stores spanning from Nashville, Tenn., to the Florida Panhandle, recently committed to a 10-unit agreement spanning the Gulf Coast of Alabama and the Florida Panhandle.

Between both formats, Bad Ass Coffee anticipates between 25 and 30 new store openings this year. The brand currently has more than 100 locations in various stages of development.

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"Our franchisees are operators first, and the conversation keeps coming back to flexibility," said Tom Wylie, president and chief operating officer of Bad Ass Coffee. "When you're building inside a territory, having more than one format to deploy changes the math. A traditional cafe anchors the market. A kiosk inside a travel plaza, airport terminal, arena or grocery store extends the brand into traffic patterns a single cafe can't capture. That optionality is how we accelerate development with the multi-unit partners who are driving our growth."

Founded in 1989, Bad Ass Coffee of Hawaii operates more than 45 locations nationwide.