News Briefs

A new survey reveals how shoppers feel about post-holiday savings and where they plan to find them.

The new “Holiday Green” survey of 1,006 consumers conducted on behalf of online coupon platform CouponCabin reveals that more than 77% of respondents believe that there are better deals available after the holidays. 

Furthermore, nearly 51% of respondents plan to take advantage of these deals by making a large purchase immediately following the holidays in January. Respondents were most likely to say big box stores have good post-holiday deals (71%), followed by department stores (49%), online-only stores (48%), outlet stores (18%) and furniture stores (7%). 

When it comes to post-holiday purchases, most respondents spend between $100 and $499, with just over 50% planning to use holiday gift cards and money right after the holidays. 

Regionally, respondents in the Midwest are most likely to engage in high-ticket post-holiday spending, indicating they spend $5,000 or more. However, 53% of Midwest respondents said they are most likely to save holiday gift cards and money rather than spend it on post-holiday purchases, followed by those in the Southwest (48%) and Northeast (43%).

Holiday returns

Nearly 60% of respondents have exchanged a holiday gift to buy themselves something else. On average, these respondents exchange more than 20% of their received gifts. 

The most-returned holiday product categories, measured by the percentage of respondents who have returned a holiday gift that made a return in that category, are:

• Clothing (82%).
• Electronics (19%).
• Beauty (16%).
• Jewelry (13%).

[READ MORE: Here’s how consumers use AI for online shopping]

New year, new laws. As 2025 gets underway, the change of the calendar is ushering in regulations affecting grocers and consumers in various parts of the United States.

Below is a recap of some updates and mandates set to roll out on Jan. 1:

•In Michigan, retailers must sell eggs sourced from producers who follow cage-free production practices. The law applies to farms with more than 3,000 egg-laying hens and does not apply to liquid eggs or cooked eggs. 

The state requires that business owners, including grocers, obtain written confirmation from suppliers that their eggs come from a cage-free environment.

•Similar legislation is going into effect in Colorado, as producers in that state with more than 3,000 hens are required to move their birds to cage-free housing by Jan. 1. Mandates on cage-free production – typically costlier than previous practices –comes at a time when egg prices are already elevated due to episodic avian flu outbreaks.

•In California, food retailers must offer compostable bags for produce items. Plastic bags for pre-checkout use will not be allowed.

•Grocery taxes are being rolled back in Kansas after the New Year. Shoppers there will not pay state sales tax on groceries in 2025, although city- and county-levied taxes are still on the books. Illinois passed a similar law, but that won’t go into effect for another year, on Jan. 1, 2026.

This article contains highlights of an article that originally appeared on Chain Store Age sister publication Progressive Grocer. 

Yesway continues to grow its brick-and-mortar footprint.

The fast-growing convenience store chain has opened five new stores under its Allsup’s banner in Texas and New Mexico, giving it a total of 440 locations across nine states. The new Allsup’s stores in Texas are located in Mount Vernon, Lubbock and Keene, while the sites in New Mexico are located in Las Cruces and Farmington. 

The five new stores, each spanning 6,277 sq. ft., operate 24 hours a day. They offer a variety of products, including Allsup's signature burritos. Most locations also feature a beer cave, Western Union services, ATMs, and cryptocurrency and digital currency ATMs.

[READ MORE: Yesway continues rapid store expansion] 

"We could not have achieved this swift pace of growth in 2024 without the relentless efforts and exceptional dedication of our talented teams,” said Thomas Brown, chief real estate officer at Yesway. "Their hard work and commitment have been instrumental in reaching this milestone.”

Established in 2015 and headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas, Yesway operates 440 stores across Texas, New Mexico, South Dakota, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Wyoming, Oklahoma and Nebraska. Operating primarily under the Yesway and Allsup's store banners, the company offer high-quality grocery items and private label products.

Tractor Supply Company had added an online brand to its portfolio.

The country’s  largest rural lifestyle retailer has completed its acquisition of Allivet, a privately-held online pet pharmacy. The acquisition expands Tractor’s Supply total addressable market by $15 billion to $225 billion, the company said. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

“This acquisition complements and expands our existing ‘Life Out Here’ product and services line-up,” said Hal Lawton, president and CEO, Tractor Supply. “We look forward to providing our 37 million Neighbor's Club members with a value-oriented pet and animal prescription service and introducing Tractor Supply to Allivet's customers."

When the acquisition was first announced in October, Lawton noted that “Allivet is a best-in-class platform with an exceptional management team and a robust financial profile.”

Founded in 1992, Allivet has grown to be a leading online pet and animal pharmacy fully licensed in all 50 states with three distribution centers that allow it to reach a large majority of the U.S. with next day delivery.

[READ MORE: Tractor Supply hikes store expansion goal; 90 new locations on tap for 2025]

As of Sept. 28, 2024, Tractor Supply operated 2,270 namesake stores in 49 states and 205 Petsense by Tractor Supply stores in 23 states.

Japanese retailer Daiso is kicking off 2025 by expanding its footprint in the Golden State.

The discount chain, which sells household goods, stationery, beauty products and more, will open four new stores in California on Jan. 4. The new stores will span across the state, with a new location in Santa Maria on the Central Coast, a Foster City location in the Bay Area, and Apple Valley and Riverside stores in Southern California.

"We are thrilled to expand our presence in California with four new store openings," said Jack Williams, chief retail operations officer for Daiso USA. "California has been a key market for us, and we're grateful for the support of our customers. These new stores reflect the demand for Daiso's wide range of affordable and innovative products."

[READ MORE: Daiso to expand U.S. store count – here's where]

To celebrate the grand openings, Daiso will offer exclusive promotions at all four locations. The first 100 customers who make a minimum purchase of $30 on Jan. 4-5 will receive a special Daiso goodie bag.

"California shoppers have embraced Daiso's concept, and we're excited to make our products more accessible with these new locations," said John Clarke, chief development officer for Daiso USA. "We currently operate 167 stores across eight states, and these openings will allow us to serve our loyal customers while reaching new communities."

Daiso first entered the U.S. in 2005. Its American headquarters is in Anaheim, Calif.

More than a third of Americans took on debt this holiday season, with many spending more money than they planned to.

New data from LendingTree revealed that 36% of Americans took on debt this holiday season, with 65% having put purchases on a credit card and 24% on a store card. One-in-five (21%) used a buy now, pay later (BNPL) loan to make holiday purchases and 19% used a personal loan. Those who went into debt took on an average of $1,181, up from $1,028 in 2023.

Of the 36% who took on debt, only 44% of which had planned to. Parents of young children were the most likely to take on debt, at 48%, millennials ages 28 to 43 (42%) and those earning $30,000 to $49,999 (39%).  

Among those in debt from holiday shopping, six-in-10 (60%) say they’re stressed about it, with 69% of parents of young children saying so. Additionally, 42% say they regret spending as much as they did, and 21% expect it’ll take five months or longer to pay it off. Another 20% are only making minimum payments.

[READ MORE: Mastercard: 2024 holiday retail sales rise nearly 4%]

“Inflation is still a big deal in this country, and it’s having a huge impact on people’s finances, including their holiday spending,” said Matt Schulz, chief credit analyst at LendingTree. “If you were to only buy the same things you bought last Christmas, you’d likely have to spend more this year thanks to inflation. For many Americans, that means you either have to cut back on gifts or take on more debt. While people make lots of sacrifices to deal with higher prices, many may not want to sacrifice at the holidays, so debts continue to rise.”

The full report can be found here.