News Briefs

Target Corp. has apologized for — and stopped selling — a children’s Halloween costume that evoked a firestorm of online criticism.

The $25 “clown” costume was advertised on the retailer’s website and has since been pulled. The outfit featured a black-and-orange printed bodysuit, black gloves, mini top hat and an exaggerated smile with oversized white teeth. It was listed as the “Kids’ Glows under Blacklight Circus Clown Halloween Costume Bodysuit” from Target’s Hyde & EEK! Boutique line.

The costume sparked social media backlash, with critics saying it evoked racist stereotypes of Black people, specifically imagery associated with blackface and Jim Crow-era minstrel shows. Also, in a promotional image, a young black boy modeling the costume is shown standing with one leg and arm raised in a waving gesture, a pose that has long been associated with the minstrel shows.

“As a company, we know we got this wrong, and we are deeply sorry," Target said in a statement. “We know this is especially hurtful for our Black guests, team members and partners.”

Minstrel shows were a form of 19th-century American theater built around caricatures of Black people and culture. Performers, who were usually white, wore blackface and performed for predominantly white audiences.

Here is Target’s full statement regarding the costume:

“As a company, we know we got this wrong, and we are deeply sorry," the retailer said. "The costume is offensive and should never have been part of our assortment. It is no longer available for sale. We know this is especially hurtful for our Black guests, team members and partners. Removing the costume is an important first step, and the company is looking closely at how this happened and what needs to change to ensure this won’t happen again.”

The incident came about two weeks after Target unveiled its 2026 Halloween assortment. 

Academy Sports + Outdoors is partnering with a westernwear brand for a series of select in-store shops.

The sporting goods retailer and Ariat International plan to launch Ariat in-store shops at 200 Academy locations this fall. Academy says the new spaces will offer an immersive experience, making it easy for customers to explore an expanded assortment of Ariat apparel, accessories and footwear.

"For 20 years, Academy has been an incredible partner, helping Ariat reach more customers and grow our brand,” said Sharon Carpenter, VP of sales at Ariat International. “We're excited to expand our partnership by bringing Academy shoppers even more of the products they love. With industry-leading comfort, fit and performance, Ariat delivers the quality Academy customers can rely on every day.”

[READ MORE: Dick's Sporting Goods, Lids launch shop-in-shop collaboration]

The partnership with Ariat comes as Academy is continuing to expand its footprint of stores. The company opened two new stores in the third quarter, with nine more planned to debut soon. To date, Academy has opened seven new stores in 2026, with plans to open a total of 20 to 25 new locations this fiscal year. 

"We're excited to bring customers a new way to experience Ariat at Academy,” said Matt McCabe, executive VP and chief merchandising officer at Academy. “Together, we've built a highly visual endeavor that showcases branded walls, fixtures, tables and features within a space where shoppers can check out what's new, pick up their Ariat favorites, and prepare for more fun outdoors."

Founded in 1938, Academy operates more than 300 stores across 21 states.

Brookshire Grocery Co. has made it permanent.

The Texas-based grocer appointed Jerry LeClair as CEO, effective immediately. LeClair, who has served as interim chief since February, succeeds longtime Brookshire executive Brad Brookshire, who retired last year after 49 years with the company, including 10 as CEO. 

LeClair joined Brookshire in 2019 as executive VP, chief merchant officer. He was promoted to COO last year. Before joining Brookshire, he had executive leadership roles with Giant Eagle and Harris Teeter.  

Based in Tyler, Texas, Brookshire Grocery is a regional family-owned grocery business that operates more than 220 stores in four states – Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas and Oklahoma – with three distribution centers.  Stores operate under the banners of Brookshire’s, Super 1 Foods, Spring Market, Fresh and Reasor’s.

The resale market is booming — particularly when it comes to luxury goods.

The secondary luxury market is growing two to three times faster than the primary luxury market, according to a new report The Real Real, the world's largest online marketplace for authenticated luxury consignment. More than 50% of the company’s customer base is composed of Gen Z and millennials who increasingly view pre-used luxury as their first choice.

The report found that vintage resale is surging. Demand for vintage on The RealReal is up 432% since 2020, as shoppers increasingly hunt by specific decades and designers. (Decade-specific saved searches rose 135% year over year.) While the 1990s maintain their stronghold with the highest overall search volume. searches for 2000s fashion jumped 93%.

Other findings from The Real Real’s 2026 Resale Report, The (R)evolution of Resale, are below:

•Secondhand is becoming the first choice: 93% of Americans shop online for secondhand items. (Source: Capital One Shopping Report, March 2026)

•Nearly half (47%) of consumers actively evaluate an item’s potential resale value before making a purchase in the primary market.

•Luxury is local: Minneapolis buys and sells nearly nine times the national average of Thom Browne, for example, while Dallas buys two-and-a-half times more David Yurman jewelry. 

The most searched brands in 2026 are listed below:

•Chanel

•Louis Vuitton

•Prada

•Gucci 

•Miu Miu

•The Row

•Hermès

•Saint Laurent

•Bottega Veneta

•Balenciaga 

To read the full report, click here.

Whole Foods Market is expanding its footprint in both Northern and Southern California.

The natural and organic grocer will open two California stores next month: one at The Village in Elk Grove, Calif., on Sept. 16, and one in downtown San Diego on Sept. 23. The openings will bring Whole Foods' Golden State store total to 95.

Whole Foods says that both stores will feature more than 1,500 local items from California-based suppliers, along with full-service meat and seafood counters, specialty beverage departments offering craft beer and wine, prepared foods and baked goods, a wellness & beauty department and more.

[READ MORE: Numerator: Amazon-Whole Foods cross-shopping rises dramatically]

Founded in 1980, Whole Foods Market serves customers at more than 545 stores across the U.S., Canada and the U.K. 

The expansion in California comes as Amazon is reprioritizing its grocery footprint. The retail giant announced plans at the beginning of the year to close its Amazon Go and Amazon Fresh physical stores, converting various locations into Whole Foods stores. Amazon plans to open more than 100 new Whole Foods locations over the next few years.

A new survey reveals the factors that will make a shopper buy from a branded app instead of a marketplace app.

Two-in-three (66%) of 500 U.S. mobile app shoppers surveyed in July 2026 by marketing platform Rzr said a lower price would encourage them to make a purchase from a retailer or brand’s own app instead of a marketplace app like Amazon. Other top reasons include:

• Free or faster shipping (61%).
• Loyalty points or reward (50%).
• Products I can’t get elsewhere (36%).
• Easy returns (29%).
• Default to marketplace app (3%).

In the last 12 months, 40% of respondents have made a purchase from a marketplace app like Amazon, 38% have made a purchase from a website in their phone’s browser, 11% have made a purchase from a website on a computer, and 5% have made a purchase from a physical store.

When a brand offers both an app and a mobile website, 71% will purchase via the app while 19% will use the mobile website and 9% have no preference. 

[READ MORE: Consumer mobile commerce preferences are changing – here’s how]

Other findings

• Eight-in-10 (79%) respondents are willing to share their preferences or purchase history with a retail app in return for better deals or a smoother experience.
• Six-in-10 respondents make a purchase through a retail or brand app once a week or more.
• Two-in-three respondents have chosen one retailer over another because it had a better app.
• Two-in-three respondents have given up on a mobile purchase because the app or site was hard to use.
• More than one-third (35%) of respondents shop via retailer or brand apps during big sale events like Black Friday and Cyber Monday, while 24% use mobile websites and 23% use marketplace apps.