News Briefs

Caribou Coffee has made it permanent.

The specialty coffee retailer has appointed Scott Kennedy as president and CEO effective immediately. He previously served as CFO and was appointed to the role of Interim CEO in March 2025. succeeding John Butcher, who stepped down from the role on March 14. .

Before joining Caribou in 2019, Kennedy spent 14 years in executive positions at Target Corp., including the last six years as president, financial & retail services. Earlier, he spent almost 16 years at KPMG, with the last two years as partner.

"I am confident Scott's focus on building a winning team and culture along with delivering exceptional guest experiences in our Caribou coffeehouses everyday will help make this great brand a great business," said José Cil, chairman, Caribou Coffee.

[READ MORE: Panera Bread creates transformation & strategy office, taps outside leader]

Caribou Coffee is part of Panera Brands, alongside Panera Bread and Einstein Bros. Bagels.

Members of Amazon’s Prime subscription service will soon no longer be able to share one of its benefits with people outside their home.

Amazon is ending its “Prime Invitee Program,” which allows Prime members to share free shipping benefits with others outside their household. The program was launched in 2008.

“Prime benefit sharing through the Prime Invitee program will end on 1 Oct. 2025,” the company stated on its “help & customer support” page. “Prime invitees will lose access to the shared Prime delivery benefit, but can use Amazon Family instead.”

Through Amazon Family, Prime members can share Prime benefits with an account for one other adult in their household (residing at the same address) and up to four profiles for children. Up to four teens can also be included if they were added before April 7, 2025. Additional adults will need their own Prime Membership, the company stated.

Amazon is encouraging Prime invitees to sign up for their own Prime membership at a special discounted rate of $14.99 for one full year (and then $14.99 per month after that).

On Tuesday, Reuters reported that U.S. sign-ups for Prime membership  fell short of last year’s total and targets despite its extended length. This year marked the first time Prime Day, which has been a two-day event since 2017, lasted four days.

Uber Eats has added an electronics giant to its platform.

The delivery service and Best Buy have partnered to bring more than 800 stores to the platform. Starting today, Best Buy customers can order a wide range of electronics, appliances, and tech essentials on Uber Eats for delivery right to their doorsteps through on-demand delivery or a scheduled drop-off.

To order Best Buy products through Uber Eats, users simply open the app and go to the “Retail” or “Electronics” category, then search for Best Buy and browse a wide selection of tech and home products. Once they add the items, choose a delivery time, and place your order, users can track their delivery in real time.

To celebrate the launch, Uber Eats is offering $20 off Best Buy orders of $60 or more using the code BESTBUY10. Uber One members will be able to enjoy $0 delivery fees on eligible orders along with other exclusive savings.

Best Buy is the latest retailer to hit the Uber Eats platform. Dollar Tree, Dollar General, and Five Below have all recently been added.

“Consumers today expect everything from groceries to gadgets to arrive at their doorsteps quickly and reliably,” said Hashim Amin, head of grocery & retail for North America at Uber. “With this partnership, Uber Eats and Best Buy are making it easier than ever for customers to access the latest technology, whether it’s a necessity or something fun. We’re thrilled to help bring Best Buy’s trusted assortment into the on-demand economy.”

[READ MORE: Best Buy promotes teen art with Microsoft collaboration]

Based in Minneapolis, Best Buy operates more than 1,000 retail stores in North America.

Central New Jersey’s first enclosed mall has executed a deft changeover in its food, beverage, and entertainment lineup.

After 27 years as a tenant in Edison’s Menlo Park Mall, Rainforest Café decided not to renew its lease. Owner and operator Simon Property Group wasted no time finding a suitable replacement. Round1 Bowling & Arcade will take over the Rainforest Café space, as well as three other tenant spaces, with an opening planned for May 2026.

Round1 is not the only newcomer to Menlo Park Mall. Levi’s opened there a few months ago, Dunkin’ plans to open its space by the end of the year, and Ford’s Garage is set to open in 2026, as well.

Menlo Park Mall was a retail real estate innovator in the Garden State. First emerging as an open-air center in 1959, the structure was fully enclosed in the mid-Sixties, anchored by JCPenney, Bamberger’s, ShopeRite, Safeway, and Montgomery Ward. Nordstrom arrived in the 1980s.

In the Nineties, Menlo Park was converted to 1.3 million-sq.-ft., two-story mall with galleria style skylights, marble flooring, dramatic lighting, and a food court graced with trees and sculptures.

The trees and sculptures were removed in 2015 and a raised “Dining Pavilion” was constructed in the space. The Round1 location will also take up square footage previously inhabited by Steve & Barry’s, Fortunoff, and Sollers College.

The latest perk for Walmart’s paid membership program includes an enhanced video streaming benefit and a new streaming partner.

Beginning Monday Sept. 15, 2025, members of the Walmart+ program will receive an upgraded streaming offering called "Video Streaming Choice" and the chance to receive free access to the ad-supported Peacock streaming platform. 

Walmart has offered Walmart+ members free access to the ad-supported tier of the Paramount+ subscription streaming offering since 2022. Now, members will have the choice of either the ad-supported Paramount+ or Peacock platform at no additional cost.

The retailer has bulked up Walmart+, initially launched in September 2020, with numerous additional benefits over the years. Walmart+ now offers 12 benefits as part of the annual $98 fee, including free same-day delivery on grocery and Rx, free shipping with no order minimum, gas discounts, and 5% unlimited cashback through the recently announced OnePay CashRewards Credit Card.

[READ MORE: Walmart-backed fintech and Synchrony to launch Walmart credit card]

"The additional option of Peacock Premium adds even more value and more choice to our membership, without raising the price," said Deepak Maini, senior VP of Walmart+. "By offering the ability to switch between two top-tier video streaming services, we’re empowering our members to customize their entertainment experience and enjoy significant savings. This is just one of the many ways we’re evolving Walmart+ to meet the needs and wants of today’s consumer."

Ace Retail Holdings is upgrading its stores.

The retailer, a wholly-owned division of Ace Hardware Corp., has launched a multi-year initiative to remodel more than 80 Westlake Ace Hardware and Great Lakes Ace Hardware stores with a new brand-centric design aimed at creating an enhanced hardware shopping experience. The company, which operates more than 250 stores under the Westlake Ace Hardware, Great Lakes Ace Hardware and other banners, said it plans to make a significant investment in the initiative over the next five years, installing the concept in about 20 locations annually.

The new concept (dubbed “Elevate³") was introduced at Ace Hardware’s fall 2024 convention in Chicago. It reimagines the traditional hardware store by creating immersive brand experiences in four key areas: paint, power, backyard & barbeque, and home preservation. The format turns the sections into inviting destinations that make shopping easier and more inspiring, the company said.

In addition, select Westlake Ace and Great Lakes Ace locations will feature “The Kitchen Connection” and “Apparel Shops” as store-within-a-store concepts. The Kitchen Connection will showcase gourmet foods (with frequent samplings and seasonal tastings), cookware, kitchen utensils and linens from leading brands. The Apparel Shops will offer popular workwear and lifestyle clothing brands, including Carhartt and Ariat.

“The new Elevate³ Ace store concept delivers a game-changing, transformative, and memorable retail experience,” said Joe Jeffries, president and CEO of Ace Retail Holdings. “In addition to providing a fresh showcase for the Ace Helpful Promise, the design allows us to better serve our customers and neighbors by creating distinctive spaces that elevate and showcase best-in-class brands across the store with feature presentations in BBQ and power.”