News Briefs

A longstanding auto services and tire chain officially has new ownership.

The acquisition of The Pep Boys-Manny, Moe & Jack Holding Corp. by Mavis Tire Express Services Corp. for approximately $700 million in cash has been completed. Pep Boys will retain its brand identity as part of the Mavis family of brands.

Icahn Enterprises, which bought Pep Boys in 2016, has retained the owned real estate previously transferred to it from Pep Boys, as well as the AAMCO Transmissions and Precision Tune Auto Care Businesses.

With the addition of nearly 800 Pep Boys locations, the Mavis network now includes more than 4,400 service center locations across the United States and Canada, including a substantially expanded presence across the Western United States.

Based in White Plains, N.Y., Mavis is owned by BayPine LP, Consumer Partners. The company’s banners include Mavis Discount Tire, Mavis Tires & Brakes, Midas, Express Oil Change & Tire Engineers, Brakes Plus, Tire Kingdom, NTB (National Tire & Battery), Town Fair Tire and Tuffy.

[READ MORE: Midas rolls out new 'industrial' and 'urban' shop concepts]

“Closing this transaction marks an important milestone for Mavis and an exciting next chapter for Pep Boys,” said Stephen Sorbaro, co-CEO of Mavis. "Our focus now turns to bringing our organizations together, supporting our technicians and store teams, and building on the strengths of both brands. Together, we have an even greater opportunity to provide customers with dependable service, and I look forward to what’s ahead."

Advisors

Covington & Burling LLP and Bullard Law Group, PLLC served as legal counsel, Jefferies served as exclusive financial advisor, and C Street Advisory Group served as strategic communications advisor to Mavis. Brown Rudnick LLP served as legal counsel to IEP (the parent company of Icahn Enterprises).

Shoppers at Walmart and Sam’s Club stores will have a new streamlined method for making payments.

Beginning Monday, Aug. 24, 2026, Walmart Inc. will be adding tap to pay using Google Pay to its payment options at select Walmart and Sam’s Club stores, with plans to roll it out to all U.S. stores by the end of 2026 and to fuel stations by mid-2027.

Customers will also be able to add their eligible Walmart, Sam's Club and OnePay (a fintech jointly backed by Walmart and investment firm Ribbit Capital previously known as One) cards to their digital wallets. Sam’s Club shoppers can also use the Scan & Go mobile payment solution. 

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

According to Walmart, providing Google Pay tap to pay is part of a broader effort to make it easier for customers to use and manage their money, which also includes high-yield savings accounts, buy now pay later services and a digital wallet with peer-to-peer payments in the OnePay app, as well as making the InComm Payments Vanilla Direct financial network available nationwide at more than 4,700 stores.

In addition, Sam’s Club customers Sam’s have access to to the Sam’s Cash cashback program and Sam’s Club credit, with opportunities to earn Sam’s Cash through qualifying purchases and programs.

“It all comes back to giving customers and members more choice and making everyday shopping a little easier — from how they manage their money to how they pay at checkout,” Walmart said in a corporate blog post.

Private label products are continuing to improve their standing with shoppers.

More than half (58%) of consumers say they don't care whether a product is a national brand or a private label, according to a new report from NielsenIQ (NIQ). Sixty-eight percent of consumers view private label products as a good alternative to national brands, while 69% believe they offer good value for money.

Younger consumers are especially keen on private brands, as 67% of Gen Z consumers believe private label products are just as good as national brands.

NIQ found that roughly one-third of “price-constrained” consumers will switch to lower-priced products or whichever brand is on promotion. The shift in perception towards private brands comes as fast-moving consumer goods prices rose 26% globally between 2021 and 2025, according to the report.

NIQ noted that consumers’ fluid shopping behavior is creating new opportunities for retailers to grow private label offerings beyond traditional value tiers.

[READ MORE: Survey: Labor Day sale shoppers to prioritize essentials]

“This is one of the most significant shifts happening in consumer goods today,” said Ramon Melgarejo, president of e-commerce at NIQ. “Consumers are no longer evaluating products primarily based on who makes them. They are evaluating whether a product delivers the right mix of quality, value, convenience and relevance. That has created a much more democratic and competitive shelf than we've seen historically.”

A technology giant leads all brands in popularity with Gen Z consumers.

When asked to name a brand they are loyal to and would recommend without hesitation, a group of more than 900 Gen Z consumers surveyed by research technology company Rival Technologies most frequently mentioned Apple. The top 10 brands cited most by respondents are:

1. Apple.

2. Nike.

3. Costco, including its Kirkland private label.

4. Adidas.

5. Samsung.

6. Amazon.

7. Lululemon.

8. CeraVe.

9. Starbucks, Uniqlo, Dove, Walmart (tied).

Apple, Nike and Costco were named more often as the next nine brands combined.

Only 11% of respondents say brands understand them "really well," and 45% of respondents say they will be unconditionally loyal to a brand that understands them compared to 5% who say they will be unconditionally loyal to a brand that does not.

[READ MORE: AI is affecting brand loyalty – here’s how]

Other findings

• Almost two-in-three (64%) respondents said they will stick with a brand they like rather than switch based on price or try something new.
• Only 9% of respondents said influencers are a loyalty driver.
• Price and value (82%) and product quality (80%) far outranked alignment with personal values (36%) as factors that influence loyalty.
• Gen Z consumers in the U.S. were nearly three times as likely as those in Canada to say brands understand them "really well" (17% compared with 6%) and about twice as likely to be unconditionally loyal.
• Negative reactions to brand messaging rose from 22% among 18- to 20-year-olds to 34% among 25- to 29-year-olds, while disengagement remained high across every age group.

Rival Technologies surveyed 903 Gen Z participants across the U.S. and Canada, drawn from its proprietary panels, in July 2026.

One of America’s largest diner chains is launching a new national catering platform.

In partnership with ezCater, Denny’s Catering gives participating restaurants access to workplace demand while creating a new sales channel for franchisees. More than 400 Denny’s locations nationwide are now available for corporate catering on ezCater, with hundreds more slated to join as the rollout expands in the coming weeks.

Guests will also be able to place catering orders directly through Dennys.com.

"This is more than a new way to order Denny's; we're opening a meaningful new growth channel for the Brand and our franchisees," said Chris Bode, president and CEO of Denny’s. "With participating restaurants coming online nationwide, we have an opportunity to bring Denny's breakfast leadership and comfort food to more customers, more occasions and more communities. Our focus now is on disciplined execution and building catering into a lasting part of our restaurant growth strategy."

Denny’s says that catering is the first major initiative to advance from strategy into national implementation under Project Grand Slam, the chain’s growth roadmap focused on “strengthening restaurant performance, enhancing the guest experience and creating sustainable long-term growth across the system.

[READ MORE: Survey: Friends, food key for on-site office workers]

"Breakfast is the most used search filter on ezCater, making Denny’s a sure favorite for workplace orderers nationwide," said Cindy Klein Roche, chief growth officer at ezCater, whose platform also includes chains like Five Guys, Del Taco and more. "Tapping into corporate catering unlocks a high-value channel for Denny’s franchisees, while giving our workplace customers a delicious way to boost morale and start the workday connected."

Headquartered in Spartanburg, S.C., Denny’s operates more than 1,460 restaurants worldwide.

Amazon is giving verified higher education students access to resources for developing skills and careers in cloud and artificial intelligence technology.

Verified students who sign up for Student Rewards obtain exclusive access to credits, premium content, and certification vouchers. The initiative represents a commitment of more than $500 million in resources to support university students globally with the training, tools, and certification to obtain careers in cloud and AI.

When a university student (18 or older) verifies their enrollment and completes their Builder Center profile, they immediately receive 12 months of premium access to the Skill Builder platform including more than 900 courses, hands-on labs, certification exam prep, and game-based learning.

As students earn badges through actions on Builder Center — publishing articles, commenting, and maintaining engagement — they can obtain additional rewards. To register, students can sign into Builder Center and complete verification through SheerID. They then upload a photo and fill out the “about” section, which unlocks a year of Skill Builder premium access.

Participants can also join AWS Student Builder Groups, which are student-led communities at universities in more than 60 countries that explore cloud technology, build projects, and grow skills with peers.

[READ MORE: Amazon doubles AI education investment to $800K]