News Briefs

Consumer sentiment fell again in May amid growing concerns about trade policy and inflation. 

Sentiment fell 2.7% in May to 50.8, down from 52.2 in April, according to The University of Michigan’s Consumer Sentiment Index’s preliminary results for the month. 

With regard to current economic conditions, the index fell 3.7% in May to 57.6, down from 59.8 in April. Looking ahead, the expectations index fell 1.7%;% to 46.5 — its lowest point since 1980. It is now down 32.4% year over year. 

Year-ahead inflation expectations surged to 7.3% from 6.5% last month. Worries about higher prices have spiked from 2.6% in November. 

“Sentiment is now down almost 30% since January 2025,” said Joanne Hsu, director, surveys of consumers, University of Michigan. “Uncertainty over trade policy continues to dominate consumers’ thinking about the economy.” 

Tariffs were spontaneously mentioned by nearly three-quarters of consumers, up from almost 60% in April, she noted.

While most index components were little changed from May, current assessments of personal finances sank nearly 10% on the basis of weakening incomes, noted Hsu. 

Interviews for the preliminary results closed two days after the announcement of a pause on some tariffs on imports from China.

“Many survey measures showed some signs of improvement following the temporary reduction of China tariffs, but these initial upticks were too small to alter the overall picture —consumers continue to express somber views about the economy," said Hsu. “The initial reaction so far echoes the very minor increase in sentiment seen after the April 9 partial pause on tariffs, despite which sentiment continued its downward trend.

A global French retail giant is helping ensure sustainability in its non-food product sourcing operations.

Carrefour Global Sourcing, part of French retail conglomerate Carrefour S.A. Group which operates more than 14,000 hypermarkets, grocery stores, and convenience stores, will leverage the CBX supplier management and compliance suite from TradeBeyond to support its responsible sourcing initiatives.

Carrefour Global Sourcing will implement TradeBeyond supplier management and compliance solutions to manage its supplier base covering non-food products. This will help ensure full transparency and compliance with various European sustainability laws.

In addition, the retailer will employ TradeBeyond supplier portal and supply chain mapping tools to onboard new vendors more efficiently, conduct in-depth supplier screenings, digitize contracts, manage all compliance documents, and monitor adherence to key environmental, social, governmental and social compliance standards. The platform integrates with the Amfori Business Social Compliance Initiative to provide real-time sustainability data, helping ensureCarrefour’s suppliers meet ethical labor standards and regulatory obligations.

“Carrefour is deeply committed to sustainability, and partnering with TradeBeyond allows us to take that commitment even further by introducing advanced digital oversight into all tiers of our supply chain," said Jean-Daniel Gatignol, managing director at Carrefour Global Sourcing. "With TradeBeyond’s multi-enterprise platform, we can reduce compliance risks while ensuring our sourcing operations align withmconsumer expectations."

The retailer will also utilize TradeBeyond sustainability tools such as lifecycle assessment (LCA) solutions in an effort to gain deeper insights into product specification and bill of materials used. Carrefour Global Sourcing’s implementation of TradeBeyond’s platform is part of a long-term strategy to digitally transform its global sourcing processes.

[READ MORE: Gartner: What drives supply chain network changes?]

Burger King is giving its restaurants a make-over.

The fast-food giant plan to remodel about 400 of its locations this year, according to a report by USA Today.  The remodels are part of a multi-year plan to accelerate sales growth and drive franchisee profitability, which Burger King announced in 2022. Called “Reclaim the Flame,” the plan includes remodels and locations as well as upgrades in restaurant technology, kitchen equipment and more.

“We still have a lot of remodels to get done," said Joshua Kobza, CEO of Burger King parent company Restaurant Brands International, during the company’s May 8 earnings call. "We've got a lot of restaurants that aren't at the modern image."

Burger King expects to complete about 2,000 remodels by 2028, at which point more than 85% of its U.S. restaurants would reflect the new modern image, which emphasizes digital ordering and drive-thru, the USA Today report said.

Dollar Tree Inc. is growing closer to reaching 10,000 namesake stores nationwide.

The discount retailer has opened its 9,000th Dollar Tree location with a new store in Plano, Texas. The new location features Dollar Tree’s latest store format, which aims to enhance the shopping experience and offer an expanded selection of products.

To celebrate the milestone, Dollar Tree is partnering with the Arbor Day Foundation to plant 9,000 trees in support of strategic reforestation efforts across eastern Texas, including within Davy Crockett National Forest and Sam Houston National Forest. Through this partnership, Arbor Day Foundation is helping to maximize Dollar Tree’s impact by providing “ecological benefits for future generations and restoring vulnerable ecosystems that help support the health of nearby communities.”

“Reaching 9,000 stores is a powerful indicator of the strength of our brand and the loyalty of our associates and customers,” said Mike Creedon, CEO of Dollar Tree Inc. “It’s also a testament to our profitable growth strategy, creating long-term value for our shareholders. And perhaps most importantly, every new Dollar Tree store helps us deliver on our promise to offer great value, convenience, and the ‘thrill of the hunt’ discovery for millions of families in North America.”

[READ MORE: Dollar Tree taps Walgreens veteran as new supply chain officer]

The store count milestone comes amid the pending transaction of Dollar Tree Inc.’s Family Dollar banner. In March, the company reached an agreement under which private-equity investors Brigade Capital Management and Macellum Capital Management will partner to acquire Family Dollar for $1 billion. Dollar Tree Inc. purchased Family Dollar for $8.5 billion in 2015.

As of Feb. 1, 2025, Dollar Tree Inc. operated 16,500 stores across 48 states and five Canadian provinces under the brands of Dollar Tree, Family Dollar and Dollar Tree Canada.

Home improvement retailers are gaining favor among consumers.

Sixty-four percent of home improvement shoppers say they would “definitely” shop at their local store again, an increase of nine percentage points from 2024, according to the J.D. Power 2025 U.S. Home Improvement Retailer Satisfaction Study. The report pointed to the proactivity of employees for the increase in satisfaction, as they are taking more initiative to keep the stores clean, and greeting and assisting customers. Customers are also browsing online more before visiting a brick-and-mortar location, improving their experience.

“The collaborative nature of customers and employees essentially working together toward the same goal has improved the shopping experience,” said Michael Taylor, senior managing director of the retail intelligence practice at J.D. Power. “Customers are coming into stores with greater knowledge of what they want, if store employees can make helpful suggestions, it increases the likelihood that customers will return to that store.”

[READ MORE: EXCLUSIVE Q&A: Lowe’s provides AI aid to shoppers and associates]

J.D. Power’s report found that Lowe’s ranked highest in customer satisfaction with a score of 680, and Ace Hardware ranked second at 672. The home improvement study average was 671.

Menards and The Home Depot came in just behind the average at 669 and 665 respectively. In last year’s J.D. Power survey, Menards ranked highest in customer satisfaction with a score of 678, followed by Ace Hardware (676) and The Home Depot (665).

Methodology

J.D. Power’s 2025 home improvement study is based on responses from 2,143 customers who purchased home improvement-related products from a home improvement retailer within the previous 12 months. The study was fielded from July 2024 through March 2025.

Ikea U.S. has launched a new rewards offering for members of its free loyalty program, which launched in 2011 and has over 21 million members nationwide.

The new rewards offering allows Ikea Family members to earn points throughout the entire customer journey, from planning to shopping and purchasing. The points can be redeemed for a variety of benefits, including discounts on purchases, delivery savings and free meals at the Ikea Restaurant. 

Members can earn rewards through a variety of ways, from one point for every $1 spent on online and in-store purchase to 50 points by creating an Ikea family profile, registering and attending an Ikea event, booking and attending a planning appointment, or creating a gift registry.

"Our Ikea Family members represent some of our most engaged customers nationwide and we wanted to provide enhanced value to them in every interaction they make with our brand,” said Nicole King, customer engagement & loyalty manager at Ikea U.S. “This is an exciting next step in our journey to create benefits for our most loyal customers, on top of all the perks they already know and love. From special discounts to surprise offers and personalized rewards, this new offering is our way of saying thank you for being part of Ikea Family.”

[READ MORE: Ikea expanding in Texas with three smaller-format locations]

To celebrate the new benefit, Ikea will host a limited-time “Spend and Earn” promotion from May 7-26. Consumers will earn $10 for every $100 they spend and will receive a voucher for their final earnings, which can be redeemed from June 3 to Aug. 31, 2025.