News Briefs

Amazon continues expanding the functionality of its mobile artificial intelligence customer tool known as "Rufus."

Amazon made a substantial splash in the still-emerging AI shopping tool space in 2024 with Rufus, a generative AI-based expert shopping assistant trained on Amazon’s product catalog, customer reviews, community Q&A, and information from across the web to answer customer questions; make recommendations based on conversational context; and facilitate product discovery within the mainstream Amazon shopping experience.

[READ MORE: Amazon releases mobile generative AI shopping assistant]

The online giant, which unveiled a number of new features for its Rufus AI shopping assistant such as text and visual search and a 30- and 90-day price tracker in November 2025, is now rolling out two more capabilities.

Customers can open the detail page of any product, find the “Compare with similar” button, and Rufus will show them a quick comparison of similar products. In addition, shoppers can click on “Why you might like this” on select detail pages and receive an explanation of why the item may be a good fit based on their individual shopping preferences.

All U.S. Amazon customers have access to Rufus and can start using it by tapping the chat bubbles with sparkle icon in the Amazon Shopping app or on desktop.

Amazon continues to test new concepts in brick and mortar.

The company has proposed a mega-store in the Chicago suburb of Oak Brook, reported the Chicago Tribune. The development includes a 225,000-sq.-ft., Amazon store and a two-level, 150,000-sq.-ft. Ashley Furniture store, the report said. The project needs final approval from Oak Brook approvals.

Earlier this year, Amazon received approval to build its first big-box store, a 229,000-sq.-ft. building in Orland Park, Ill. The store is expected to offer a mix of groceries, general merchandise and household essentials. Amazon also cited its plans to develop a “mass physical store format that brings customers distinctive selection, value and convenience.”

In late January, said it had made the “difficult decision” to close its Amazon Go and Amazon Fresh physical stores, converting various locations into Whole Foods Market stores. In announcing the closures, the company said it was not abandoning brick and mortar, and emphasized it would continue to test new physical store experiences, Amazon also cited its plans to develop a “mass physical store format that brings customers distinctive selection, value and convenience.”

Nearly all of President Trump's tariffs in 2025 were passed on to Americans  in the form of higher costs.

That’s according to an analysis from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. With the average U.S. tariff on imports rising to 13% in 2025, up from less than 3%, "nearly 90% of the tariffs' economic burden fell on U.S. firms and consumers," the report said. The analysis pushes back against arguments from some that the tariffs  are paid by foreigners.

For the eight-month period from January through August, U.S. importers bore 94% of tariff costs. By November, exporters were shouldering slightly more of the burden, but U.S. importers remained on the hook for 86% of tariffs, according to the analysis. 

"In sum, U.S. firms and consumers continue to bear the bulk of the economic burden of the high tariffs imposed in 2025," the report said. 

The analysis found that between January and August of last year Americans took 94% of the hit from Trump’s tariffs. During September and October, that edged down to 92%, settling to 86% in November, reported Reuters.

Reuters noted that a recent report by the Congressional Budget Office came to a similar finding, stating that “higher tariffs directly increase the cost of imported goods, raising prices for U.S. consumers and businesses.”

In the near term, “U.S. businesses will absorb 30% of the import price increases by reducing their profit margins; the remaining 70% will be passed through to consumers by raising prices,” the report said.

Despite increasing operating costs and economic pressures impacting consumers, the National Restaurant Association is bullish on the dining sector for 2026.

According to the group’s State of the Restaurant Industry 2026 report, consumer spending is expected to push restaurant industry sales to a projected $1.55 trillion nationwide, with real (inflation-adjusted) sales gains of 1.3% projected. The report added that restaurant operators are expected to add approximately 100,000 jobs in 2026, bringing total industry employment to 15.8 million.

[READ MORE: Survey: Tech problems mount for QSR employees]

The National Restaurant Association outlined the three main takeaways it has for the industry this year:

•Operators are dealing with a challenging business environment. Persistent cost pressures, such as uneven traffic and rising costs, will continue to affect revenue and profitability.

•Consumer resilience will be tested. Lingering inflation and a cooling labor market are tightening household budgets, particularly among low- and middle-income consumers. Operators will need to respond with more creativity and technology to deliver value, the experiences customers seek, and improved productivity.

•Increased focus on workforce development, tech improvements. This will create future-ready employees; breakthrough efficiencies in the areas of digital ordering, automation and data analytics; and cultivate tomorrow’s talent by developing a skilled, adaptable workforce that delivers exceptional service while embracing innovations that drive long-term competitiveness.

The full report can be found here.

An upscale home furnishings brand has added a veteran retailer e to its C-suite.

Arhaus Inc. has named Michael Rengel as chief merchandising officer, effective Feb. 23. He will lead the company's merchandising and product strategy across furniture and décor categories, supporting the company’s focus on assortment differentiation, product leadership and disciplined growth.

Rengel brings more than 25 years of experience across merchandising, product and brand development and sourcing. He joins Arhaus from apparel retailer Express, which he joined in 2019. Most recently, from January 2025, he served as chief merchandising officer and design officer for Express and Bonobos. (In 2024, a consortium called Phoenix — led WHP Global and including Brookfield Property, Simon Property Group and Centennial Real Estate — acquired Express and Bonobos.)

Prior to Express, Rengel held merchandising roles at Belk and American Eagle Outfitters.

“Michael is a proven merchant leader and operator with deep expertise in product strategy, assortment architecture and building assortments that resonate with customers,” said Arhaus founder and CEO John Reed. “As we continue to build on our differentiated model rooted in artisan craftsmanship, timeless design, and a highly personalized service experience, Michael will be instrumental in strengthening cross-functional collaboration, elevating our product strategy, and shaping the next chapter of our growth.”

[READ MORE: Study: $8.7B in annual home décor purchases fueled by social media-driven trends]

“I have long admired Arhaus’ commitment to artisan craftsmanship, enduring design, and a highly personalized client experience,” said Rengel. “I look forward to partnering with the talented team to build on that foundation by deepening our product leadership, strengthening cross-functional collaboration, and supporting sustainable, long-term growth.”

Founded in 1986, Arhaus operates more than 100 showrooms across the U.S., along with its e-commerce site.

Prices on everyday consumer goods trended downwards in January after months of increases.

That’s according to the January 2026 Numerator Consumer Price Index (CPI), which found that prices for everyday household purchases declined 0.23% in the first month of the year, following a 0.25% increase in December and a 0.35% increase in November.

In January, prices for everyday goods were up 1.8% compared to one year ago. The month prior, prices were 2.4% higher year over year.

A similar trend is expected for the comparable categories covered in the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ CPI release scheduled for Friday.

“The year began with colder temperatures — and some welcome cooling in inflation,” said Paul Stanley, senior economist at Numerator. “January marks the lowest level of inflation since February 2025, offering consumers modest but meaningful price relief on essential purchases.”

[READ MORE: NRF: Core retail sales inch up in January in fourth consecutive monthly gain]

Similar to the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis’ Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE) price index, the Numerator CPI tracks prices and changes in consumer purchases over time. The data covers approximately 20% of the consumption basket captured in the overall PCE price index, and closely tracks the PCE Food & Beverage index, offering a reliable signal of retail price changes experienced by U.S. consumers.