News Briefs

A U.K.-based footwear brand is expanding its new retail concept across the pond.

Clarks has opened its first Cloudsteppers store in the U.S., a 1,255-sq.-ft. location at the La Palmera shopping center in Corpus Christi, Texas. Known for their signature “walk-on-air” feel, Cloudsteppers sandals and other footwear products combine “lightweight comfort, dependable quality, and exceptional everyday value,” the company said. The brand is best known for its Breeze Sea flip-flops which, according to data from market research company Circana, are America’s No.1 flip-flop brand for women.

Clarks plans to open additional Cloudsteppers locations in the U.S. The company has confirmed that two new stores will open in Florida and North Carolina within the first half of 2026, with additional locations to be announced soon.

In addition to footwear, Cloudsteppers' new Corpus Christi outpost features casual lifestyle essentials at price points starting at $9.99. The line-up includes soft-touch t-shirts, hoodies, caps, bags and water bottles, all designed with relaxed, easy-wear details that reflect the brand’s comfort-first aesthetic.

Clarks says it chose the 1 million-sq.-ft. La Palmera for its debut Cloudsteppers store in the U.S. because of its reputation as a premier shopping destination and its proximity to Texas’ coastline.

“Launching Cloudsteppers as a standalone lifestyle concept is a major milestone for us,” said Peter Quirke, VP of retail in the Americas at Clarks. “Cloudsteppers has really grown into its own in America, and we’re excited to bring the next evolution of the brand to the U.S., giving consumers even more to enjoy with an in-life retail experience and an extended range.”

[READ MORE: First Look: New Balance opens SoHo location]

Founded in 1825, Clarks operates more than 600 globally, with more than 170 in the U.S. and Canada.

Brentwood, Tenn.-based GBT Realty has submitted plans to bring a Sprouts Farmers Market to Spring Hill, Tenn., a rapidly growing suburb 25 miles south of Nashville.

The 23,000-sq.-ft. Sprouts will serve as the anchor at GBT’s under-construction Port Royal Marketplace, which will include 16,000 sq. ft. for inline shops. The company is also developing three outparcels that it expects to populate with medical service, apparel, food and beverage, and fitness brands upon its completion in 2027.

Spring Hill is one of the fastest growing cities in Tennessee, seeing its population double from 30,000 in 2010 to some 60,000 in 2023.

The city was the site of a Saturn Corporation production facility, where the Saturn Ion and Vue vehicles were produced. In 2024, General Motors and South Korean joint-venture partner LG Solutions opened a $2.3 billion Ultium Cells battery cell manufacturing facility on the property.

Recently, GM re-opened its auto plant and hired 1,000 new employees.

GBT is a longtime partner of Sprouts. It has developed more than a dozen stores for the brand and has another 12 in its pipeline. 

The Brentwood, Tenn.-based developer has been involved with the development, construction, leasing and management of over $8 billion of real estate totaling 40 million sq. ft. in 31 states. Included is more than $5 billion of acquisitions and dispositions, along with 9 million sq. ft. of single-tenant net lease delivered since 2012.

The Kroger Co. is building upon its in-store digital advertising capability in a new category.

The grocery conglomerate, which began deploying technology from Barrows Connected Stores to let participating brands deliver animated content in the store in June 2025, is now implementing Looma video screens in wine and spirits sections of its stores.

Leveraging the Looma in-store platform, Kroger co-locates screens with merchandise, enabling liquor brands to deliver video-based storytelling, product education and personalized recommendations. The retailer is installing the screens across almost 600 stores following a successful multi-year pilot in 50 stores. 

During the pilot, Kroger was able to grow alcohol category sales, improve end cap execution, and achieved a 98% customer satisfaction rating. Featured alcohol brands saw 2-4x incremental return on ad spend, as well as gains in brand awareness and first-time customer acquisition.

“We’ve spent the last decade preparing for this moment, building what we believe is far and away the strongest in-store media platform in the market,” said Cole Johnson, founder and CEO at Looma. “We are enabling brands to tell their story directly at the point of decision.”

The content that airs on Looma’s network is produced or edited by a global network of independent filmmakers, editors, and creators who specialize in point-of-decision content.

[Read more: Kroger expands retail media network to connected TV, video]

Based in Cincinnati, The Kroger Co. operates approximately 2,800 stores under a variety of banners across the U.S., including Kroger, Fred Meyer, Ralphs, Dillons, Smith's, King Soopers, Fry's, QFC, City Market, Owen's, Jay C, Pay Less, Baker's, Gerbes, Harris Teeter, Pick 'n Save, Metro Market and Mariano's.

California has more Dutch Bros locations than any other state — more than 200 — but none in Los Angeles. Now, finally, Los Angelenos will be able to quaff iced, espresso-laced concoctions like the Cocomo and Double Torture.

Its first shop in the City of Angels opened in late November at 3726 Figueroa Street, near the University of Southern California. College locations are a fixture of the Tempe, Ariz.-based company, whose playful coffee-based (and other) drinks appeal to younger demographics.

“I could not be more grateful for the opportunity to bring Dutch Bros Coffee to Los Angeles,” said regional operator Brady Benner. “Bringing this location to the Exposition Park and the greater Los Angeles community means we will have a space to bring love and light to each person we meet every day.”

Interestingly, L.A.’s first shop is the chain’s 1,111th.

Prices on everyday goods continued to climb in November.

Everyday household purchases increased 0.38% in November, following a 0.03% increase in October and a 0.66% increase in September, according to Numerator’s November 2025 Numerator Consumer Price Index. Prices for everyday goods are up 2.2% compared to the same month in 2024.

Numerator also found that November 2025 showed the third-highest monthly rate of inflation since the beginning of the year. 

The higher prices came as many consumers began their shopping for the holiday season. Retail sales (excluding restaurants, auto dealers and gas stations) fell 0.04% month over month in November, but were up 4.66% year over year, according to the CNBC/NRF Retail Monitor. That compared with increases of 0.6% month over month and 4.89% year over year in October.

“Inflation for everyday consumer purchases appears to be stuck between 2% and 2.5% per year, above the 0.5% to 1.5% inflation we were seeing prior to the pandemic,” said Leo Feler, chief economist at Numerator. “These are groceries and personal care items that consumers buy most frequently. It’s not surprising that inflation and affordability remain top of mind for consumers.”

[READ MORE: Circana: November sales steady, but key holiday shopping weeks lack momentum]

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.

Temu has launched an app that lets sellers list and manage products on its platform directly from their Shopify accounts.

Through this app, retailers on the Shopify e-commerce platform can manage product listings, inventory, and fulfillment for Temu sales seamlessly from one place. The app is now available on the Shopify app store and provides users access to Temu's Local Seller Program in more than 30 markets where the program operates, including the U.S., Mexico, U.K., Germany, France and Italy.

Temu introduced the Local Seller Program in 2024 to enable local businesses to sell and fulfill orders within their own markets. With the app, Shopify retailers can sell to customers across Temu without having to build separate infrastructure for each market. 

By syncing their product catalog with Temu's platform, retailers can instantly list products in more than 30 markets in Temu's Local Seller Program. Key app features include one-click product sync, real-time inventory updates, and automated order and shipping coordination.

"Shopify retailers can now easily reach new customers on our global platform," said a Temu spokesperson. "This app is part of our efforts to lower barriers and create growth opportunities for businesses worldwide while giving shoppers greater convenience and choice."

Temu is owned by Chinese e-commerce company PDD Holdings with U.S. headquarters in Boston and focuses on selling low-cost items, many of which until earlier this year had been directly shipped to U.S. customers from Chinese facilities.