News Briefs

Anti-trust concerns have been raised concerning Dick's Sports Goods' planned $2.4 billion purchase of rival Foot Locker.

Sen. Elizabeth Warren is asking the Federal Trade Commission and the Department of Justice to consider blocking the proposed acquisition, citing antitrust concerns, reported CNBC. Announced in May, the deal would give Dick's a global footprint for the first time along with significant weight in negotiating with athletic powerhouse brands such as Nike and Adidas. It has been unanimously approved by the boards of both companies. 

Sen. Warren has written a letter to the two agencies that was seen by CNBC in which she said the deal could raise costs, reduce competition and lead to lost jobs. She said it would create a “duopoly” in sneakers and other athletic footwear between the merged companies and its next largest competitor, JD Sports, the report said. 

“This is particularly concerning given that more than half of parents ‘plan to sacrifice necessities, such as groceries,’ because of rising prices for back-to-school shopping,” Warren wrote, citing a July survey from Credit Karma. “Higher prices on athletic footwear could lead to further economic hardship for parents.” 

Warren noted in her letter that Foot Locker and Dick’s currently compete with each other and with independent retailers to secure deals with suppliers. 

“The new giant would have significantly increased power to extract favorable conditions with manufacturers,” she wrote. “This could mean that independent retailers are at a disadvantage when it comes to negotiating with suppliers, which could give Dick’s and Foot Locker an incentive to engage in anticompetitive conduct to restrict suppliers from dealing with independent retailers.” 

To read the full CNBC report, click here.

Seven & i Holdings Co. Ltd. has launched what it calls the “transformation of 7-Eleven,” and it includes investments in stores and expansion.

The Japanese retail giant is embarking on the strategy following the failed takeover attempt by Canadian retailer Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc. In July, Couche-Tard, whose banners include Circle K, withdrew its $46 billion proposal to acquire Seven & i Holdings Co., citing a “lack of constructive engagement” by the Japanese company.

The new initiative includes the opening of 1,300, larger-format 7-Eleven convenience stores in North America (200 stores annually) and 1,000 stores in Japan through the year ending February 2031. (Seven & i Holdings Co. first announced its expansion plans it its fourth-quarter earnings presentation.)

“Sustaining success requires constant reinvention and innovation,” the company said in its transformation plan. 

The company has identified negative consumer perceptions around fresh food as one of its key challenges and, as such, said it will invest in stores and equipment to create a “distinctive” food offering to address the need to "draw customers with more differentiation.” As part of the strategy it plans to add 1,100 restaurants by 2030.

Seven & i owns and operates more than 85,000 7-Eleven stores globally. It has more than 9,300 stores in the United States under the 7-Eleven, Speedway and Stripes brands

Brookshire Grocery Company (BGC) is modernizing its fresh operations, moving away from static, legacy ordering systems to a faster, more connected digital experience.

The company will roll out Afresh’s AI-powered platform across its four banners: Brookshire's, Super 1 Foods, Fresh by Brookshire's and Spring Markets. The store ordering and inventory management solution will be deployed in the across the deli, produce, and market (meat and seafood) departments.

BGC was looking for a solution to improve in-stock conditions and item freshness, strengthen store execution and tailor assortment to local customer demand. Afresh stood out for its built-for-fresh technology that utilizes AI to address the complexities of perishable products such as variable demand, short shelf life and complex data. 

The solution equips store teams with intuitive tools that streamline forecasting, ordering, and inventory management while reducing waste, improving in-stock conditions, delivering fresher food, and driving measurable results.

"At Brookshire Grocery Company, we are deeply committed to delivering the freshest, highest-quality products to our customers," said Brad Brookshire, chairman and CEO for BGC. "Partnering with Afresh allows us to harness the power of AI to elevate our fresh departments and ensure smarter, more efficient operations across our stores. This collaboration is a huge step forward in our journey to innovate the fresh supply chain and enhance the shopping experience for every customer we serve."

Based in Tyler, Texas, Brookshire Grocery Company operates more than 215 stores operating under the Brookshire's, Super 1 Foods, Fresh by Brookshire's and Spring Market banners across Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas and Oklahoma.  

Boot Barn’s parent company has renewed its partnership with a leading pay-over-time provider.

Boot Barn Holdings Inc., which also operates e-commerce sites Sheplers and Country Outfitter, has extended its exclusive, multi-year partnership with Affirm. The renewed agreement allows consumers to continue using Affirm to pay over time – both online at checkout across all three brands and in-store at over 450 Boot Barn locations nationwide.

In-store, customers just open the Affirm app, search for “Boot Barn,” and tap “Shop in Store” to get started. Online, they simply choose Affirm at checkout. In both cases, consumers go through a quick eligibility check and, if approved, are offered customized biweekly or monthly payment plans starting at 0% APR and options up to 24 months.

[READ MORE: Boot Barn delivers strong quarter as sales rise 19%; lifts full-year guidance]

“Providing our consumers with a seamless shopping experience and flexible payment options is extremely important to our team,” said Jon Kosoff, chief digital officer at Boot Barn. “Given the success of our partnership with Affirm – particularly their ability to offer a range of plans tailored to our consumers’ needs, including longer-term options – extending the relationship was a natural next step.”

Boot Barn is one of nearly 360,000 retail partners who have partnered with Affirm, including Revolve, StockX, Dick’s Sporting Goods, Stitch Fix, and more.

“Boot Barn’s decision to extend its exclusive partnership with Affirm reflects the long-term trust we’ve built together,” said Pat Suh, senior VP of revenue at Affirm. “Boot Barn’s customers value quality, authenticity, and transparency – and that’s exactly what Affirm delivers.

A leading lifestyle retailer of western and work-related footwear and apparel, Boot Barn operates 474 stores in 49 states.

Bath & Body Works is moving onto college campuses.

As part of its strategy to target Gen Z, the personal care and home fragrance brand is selling its products in more than 600 campus stores, marking the first time it has ever distributed products at this scale outside its own stores. Bath & Body Works partnered with ICM Distributing Company Inc, a distributor of general merchandise, to bring the brand Bath & Body Works to stores on campuses nationwide.  

College students will be able to shop on campus from a curated assortment of Bath & Body Works’ top selling fragrances among Gen Z, with products that include body and lip care, hand soap, wallflower heaters and bulbs, candles and sanitizers.

“It was important for Bath & Body Works to expand into college campuses as it allows us to reach our Gen Z customers where they are and when they need us most,” said Betsy Schumacher, chief merchandising officer at Bath & Body Works. “By providing an easy and convenient way to shop the fragrances they know from a brand they love, we hope we can make their dorm rooms feel more like home.”

The campus rollout comes as Bath & Body Works  has positioned itself as a go-to brand for Gen Z. Earlier this year, the retailer unveiled a new store concept whose design incorporated Gen Z’s preferences into the format. 

In the April 2025 Piper Sandler Taking Stock with Teens survey, Bath & Body Works was named the No. 1 fragrance brand among American teens. The brand also ranked No. 3 as a beauty destination for in-person shopping and top 5 for loyalty programs among female teens.

Bath & Body Works has 1,900 company-operated locations in the U.S. and Canada, 524 international franchised locations (as of May 2025) and an online storefront.

After a flat performance in 2024, the U.S. toy market has returned to growth.

In the first half of the year, dollar sales of toys increased by 6%, units sold were up 3% and the average selling price, which has been flat for three consecutive years, grew by 3% versus the same period a year ago.

Looking at demographics, adults continue to drive market growth in toys, with sales increasing by 18% for recipients aged 18 and older. The growth in the adult market was nearly split between males and females. The growth in ages nine to 11 rose 9%, and the growth in ages 12 to 17 rose 6%. 

According to Circana’s retail tracking service, seven of the 11 supercategories posted dollar growth including games and puzzles (up 39%) and explorative toys (up 19%). Other supercategory growth areas included youth electronics (up 9%), action figures (up 8%), building sets (up 7%), arts and crafts (up 4%) and vehicles (up 2%).  

Licensed toys, which make 37% of toys sold in the U.S., grew by nearly four share points in the first half, compared to 2024, with sales increasing 18%. Every top growth property so far this year is connected to licensing, content or movie releases in some form. Video game properties were dominant among the top 10 gainers.

“The toy industry is showing strength during this period as consumers are holding their breath and waiting for higher prices to kick in,” said Jill Lennett, VP and toy industry advisor, Circana. “This resilience is especially important as we set our sights on the holiday season and what categories are critical for the consumer to bring joy to their loved ones.”