News Briefs

Dollar Tree is feeling upbeat about its future.

In a presentation during its annual Investor Day event in New York City on Oct.15, the discounter offered a three-year outlook that yields a 12% to 15% compounded annual growth rate in earnings per share for fiscal years 2026 to 2028. (The outlook is based upon underlying annual EPS growth of 8% to 10%, increased by the absence of recent discrete cost items tied to tariff mitigation, multi-price store conversions, lost distribution capacity, and the sale of Family Dollar).

Dollar Tree also affirmed its third-quarter and fiscal 2025 outlooks. In addition, the retailer provided business updates for the third quarter fiscal 2025 which included comparable same-stores sales growth of 3.8% quarter-to-date.  It also said is has repurchased 2.8 million shares for $271 million quarter-to-date.

In July, Dollar Tree completed the sale of its struggling Family Dollar business to private equity firms Brigade Capital Management and Macellum Capital Management for an aggregate base purchase price of $1.01 billion in cash. 

“We are excited about this new chapter in Dollar Tree’s history,” stated CEO Mike Creedon in an Investor Day press release. “Our ability to offer merchandise at a range of prices frees us to optimize our assortment. Our refreshed leadership team is energized, aligned, and committed. Our strategy is clear, and our ambition is bold — to build Dollar Tree for the next 40 years and beyond as a company that wins with customers, empowers associates, strengthens communities, and delivers exceptional long-term returns for shareholders.”

Dollar Tree operates more than 9,000 stores and 18 distribution centers across 48 contiguous states and five Canadian provinces under the brands Dollar Tree and Dollar Tree Canada.

In today’s retail and restaurant markets, waiting to adopt AI and 5G is like leaving carts at the register: costly and avoidable.

On Thursday, Oct. 23, at 2 p.m. ET, a Chain Store Age webinar sponsored by Ericsson and Juniper Networks will examine how next-generation networking and intelligent automation are already transforming leading retail and restaurant brands, driving speed, personalization, and resilience at scale.

Join Dee Dee Pare, senior product marketing manager of Ericsson, Jai Thattil, senior director – industry & sustainability marketing of Juniper Networks, and Dan Berthiaume, senior technology editor of Chain Store Age, for the webinar.

Takeaways from the discussion will include:

• Why 5G matters now and how to unlock ultra-fast, reliable connectivity to enable seamless in-store experiences.
• Putting AI into action by automating operations and tailor engagement with real-world use cases that are delivering results today.
• Avoiding common pitfalls by learning the top challenges retailers face when adopting AI and how 5G helps solve them
• Seeing how retailers boosted performance with the integrated Juniper-Ericsson solution.

Click here to register for the webinar and join Dee Dee, Jai, and Dan Thursday, Oct. 23,  at 2:00 p.m. EST. Live viewers will have the opportunity to pose specific questions for the expert Ericsson and Juniper Networks speakers to answer.

Numerator data offers insight into the purchasing habits of the youngest consumers.

Gen Alpha, representing consumers age 14 and under, is the first demographic cohort born entirely in the 21^st century (the preceding age demographic Gen Z is usually considered to have begun in approximately 1997). As previously reported by Numerator, Gen Alpha consumers possess approximately $28 billion in purchasing power.

However, new data from Numerator reveals that 53% of parents of Gen Alpha children report giving them some sort of weekly allowance, averaging at about $22. The most popular items Gen Alpha consumers purchase with their allowance money are snacks (59%), entertainment (34%), electronics (31%) and beverages (31%).

Spending varies by age, with Numerator analysis indicating Gen Alpha consumers age 1-5 are most likely to buy toys (64%) and snacks (51%), while those age 6-10 focus more on both toys (70%) and snacks (65%), but also like to purchase entertainment (35%) and electronics (29%).

Older Gen Alpha consumers age 11-14 shift their spending priorities to apparel (42%), electronics (42%), and beauty or skin care products (30%). 

[READ MORE: Study: Gen Alpha spending power hits $100B]

Two-in-three surveyed parents of Gen Alpha consumers say their child prefers shopping in-store, with the top reasons being family time outside the home (47%) and the sense that shopping trips are fun (45%). Among 11–14-year-olds, 48% learn about new products from influencers and internet personalities, a rate that now rivals in-store discovery. 

Gen Alpha social media preferences

• YouTube – 56% (including 43% of Gen Alpha consumers under 10).
• TikTok – 22%
• Snapchat – 12%
• Instagram – 12%

Numerator uses a nationally representative panel to track Gen Alpha shopping behavior and consumer preferences through purchase-verified surveys and purchase panel.

Ulta Beauty has ended its search for a new finance head.

The beauty giant has appointed Christopher DelOrefice as its next CFO, effective Dec. 5. Chris Lialios will continue to serve as interim CFO until then, at which time he will transition back to his role as senior VP — controller. Lialios was named to the interim role in June, following the departure Paula Oyibo.

DelOrefice joins Ulta from Becton Dickinson & Company, where he has served as executive VP and CFO since September 2021. Prior to Becton Dickinson, he spent more than 20 years with Johnson & Johnson, where he held financial leadership roles of increasing responsibility.

"Chris brings deep financial expertise and a proven track record of delivering leading financial performance and building high performing, engaged teams across global organizations,” said Kecia Steelman, president and CEO, Ulta Beauty, “With demonstrated experience leading core finance functions, global operations, strategy, corporate development, and enterprise transformation for public companies, Chris will be a great partner to our team as we continue to execute our Ulta Beauty Unleashed strategy and deliver long-term value for all our stakeholders.”

Ulta Beauty operates approximately 1,500 stores across the U.S.

One of the nation's leading sellers of fine photographic equipment is celebrating its 25th anniversary with the opening of a flagship in New York City’s SoHo neighborhood.

Described as a “one-of-a-kind" retail destination, the new Camera West location is designed as a bridge between the company’s physical and digital channels. It integrates Shopify POS with the brand's existing e-commerce platform to provide a seamless connection across every customer touchpoint. Shoppers can access their order history, purchase records and personalized recommendations — whether they buy in-store or online.

Camera West said the flagship underscores its continued commitment to innovation, craftsmanship and community, and sets the stage for further expansion, including a forthcoming location in San Francisco’s Union Square.

"Camera West was built around one simple goal: delivering unique, personalized experiences for every customer," said Ben Carpenter, marketing director at Camera West. "Our customers are travelers, adventurers, and creators. Unifying those experiences through Shopify allows us to focus on what truly matters: relationships. With support from Shopify and P3 Media, we've been able to bring our vision of seamless, connected retail to life in New York City — and this is just the beginning."

 The SoHo outpost also introduces an expanded product category: fine timepieces. The items are curated to reflect the same craftsmanship and artistry that define Camera West's legacy in photography, the company said.