News Briefs

Tariffs and other economic uncertainties have been a boon for secondhand and thrift stores.

That’s according to a new report from foot traffic analytics firm Placer.ai, which found that during the third quarter of 2025 (between July 1 and August 22), overall visits to thrift stores rose 10.1% year over year. Average visits per location rose 9.6.

In other insights, during the second quarter of this year visits to thrift stores were up 39.5% compared to the second quarter of 2019 — far exceeding the 9.5% growth seen across the broader clothing industry, noted the report.

“This visit growth advantage reflects a mix of factors, including heightened economic pressures and sustainability concerns,” the report stated. “In addition, while much apparel shopping has shifted online — and digital resale platforms like ThredUp are gaining traction — thrifting remains inherently experiential and in-person.

Other insights from Placer.ai’s “Thrift Store Visit Growth Outpaces Apparel as Tariffs Loom” report are below:

• The median household income of areas feeding visits to thrift stores has risen steadily since 2019, reflecting a significant broadening of these stores' customer base beyond their traditional lower-income demographic. The median household income of areas feeding visits to thrift stores rising to $75,500 during the first half of 2025  — up from $73,300 during the first half of 2019.
• Geographically, thrift shopping has also expanded beyond its urban roots. The share of visits from rural, semi-rural, and suburban communities has climbed consistently over the past six years.

According to 13th annual “2025 Resale Report” from online resale platform ThredUp, The U.S. secondhand apparel market (includes online and in-store resale as well as the donation/thrift sector) grew 14% in 2024, which marked its strongest annual growth since 2021 and outpacing the broader retail clothing market by five times.

Freddy’s Frozen Custard & Steakburgers has changed hands.

Investment funds affiliated with global private equity firm Rhône have acquired the Wichita, Kan.-based hamburger chain from Thompson Street Capital Partners. Terms of the sale were not disclosed. 

Freddy’s was acquired by Thompson Street Capital Partners in March 2021. Founded in 2002, the chain currently operates over 550 locations across the United States and Canada and generated more than $1 billion in system wide sales in the past year. In January, Freddy's said its goal is to reach 800 restaurants by 2026.

The chain is known for cooked-to-order steakburgers, shoestring fries, freshly-churned frozen custard treats and more.

“Rhône looks forward to bringing its experience with global consumer brands to its most recent investment in Freddy’s as the company expands its footprint and further improves its guest experience,” said Lucas Flynn, a managing director at Rhône. “We see a compelling opportunity to partner with Chris and the rest of the leadership team to help bring the unique Freddy’s offering to more customers around the world and support the company in this next chapter of growth.”

[READ MORE: Freddy's makes Canadian debut with Winnipeg store]

Following the acquisition, the Freddy’s executive team will remain unchanged, with Chris Dull continuing to lead the charge as president & CEO. The chain says it “remains committed” to providing the same quality food guests have come to enjoy, while “positioning itself to expand into new markets.”

“This acquisition marks a pivotal moment for Freddy’s,” said Dull. “Over the last few years, we’ve seen steady growth and surpassed many milestones for our brand, while simultaneously strengthening our franchise system and building a loyal guest following. We’re excited to take our success to the next level with this new partnership with Rhône. Together, we look forward to unlocking even greater opportunities for the Freddy’s franchise family.”

Salomon is putting down more roots stateside.

The French sports lifestyle brand has opened its second U.S. store, in the heart of Chicago’s Bucktown neighborhood. It follows the opening of Salomon’s store in New York City last year.

Other U.S. locations are in the works. James Zheng, CEO of Salomon parent company Amer Brands, told analysts on the company's recent earnings call that Salomon will open in Woodbury Common Premium Outlet, Woodbury, N.Y., and Williamsburg, Brooklyn, this fall. It also is opening in West Hollywood.

“Our first U.S. store in New York City continues to show incredible traction with our consumers and we plan to open three to four more in the greater New York area this year or early next year,” Zheng said. “We are focused on San Francisco, Los Angeles and Miami in 2026.”

The Bucktown outpost offers an extensive selection of Salomon’s sportstyle and performance products, and is designed with distinct zones dedicated to highlight both categories. Located near a multi-use recreational trail and park, the store is positioned to become a hub for Chicago’s running community. A pop-up coffee bar and lounge space is located in the rear of the space.

“Bucktown is more than just a store — it’s a physical expression of Salomon’s belief in community and the joy of movement,” said Jenny Taylor, VP of marketing at Salomon. “Whether it’s a morning jog, braving a Chicago snowstorm, or heading out with friends, our goal is to meet people where they are with performance and style that works for their everyday lives."

Salomon was founded in 1947 the French Alps. It is now part of Amer Brands, whose portfolio includes Wilson, Atomic, Arc’teryx and others.

With prices remaining high, consumers are doing their due diligence at the grocery store.

According to a new survey from Talker Research, a quarter of shoppers admit that they often get overwhelmed with choices in the grocery store, and more than half (54%) feel pressure to always try and make the “right” purchase. 

The survey found that the average shopper spends four minutes deliberating each item, and nearly a third (32%) spend longer than that. Seven-in-10 of those surveyed want to be “100% certain” that every item in their cart is right for them.

Among the 36% who report having “aisle anxiety” (or anxiety during the decision-making process) at the grocery store, being overwhelmed by different options and being crowded by others are the top causes.

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More than a third (36%) consider themselves to be “product detectives” who research the items they plan on purchasing by inspecting labels, packaging and certifications. Forty-percent of consumers in the Talker Research survey said that they research food products more today than they did five years ago, with “healthier for you” (38%), non-toxic or “clean” (20%) products being top-of-mind. Sustainable (45%), purpose-driven (40%) and ethical (38%) items are also high on the list for “product detectives.”

Many shoppers said that as long as their decisions feel like the best for themselves (42%) and give them a “clear conscience” (30%), the time spent investigating the product is well worth it.

Talker Research surveyed 2,000 American adults for its report, which was commissioned by organic tea brand Traditional Medicinals.

The Home Depot continues to expand its offerings as it looks to grow its business and better serve professional contractors (pros) across their entire project.

The home improvement giant said it has completed the acquisition of GMS Inc. through its specialty trade distribution subsidiary, SRS Distribution Inc. The total enterprise value, including net debt, of the deal was approximately $5.5 billion.  (Home Depot purchased SRS for about $18.25 billion in 2024.)

GMS is a leading distributors of specialty building products including drywall, ceilings, steel framing and other complementary products related to remodeling and construction projects in residential and commercial end markets. Together GMS and SRS will provide a unique value proposition to serve the residential and commercial pro more holistically, including with more fulfillment and service options, Home Depot stated in a release.

“The addition of GMS further enhances SRS's position as a leading multi-category building materials distributor, bringing differentiated capabilities, product categories and customer relationships that are highly complementary to SRS's business today," said Ted Decker, chair, president and CEO of The Home Depot. "We want to serve the Pro across their entire project, and the combination of SRS and GMS will enable cross-selling synergies, strengthen our capabilities, and bring even more opportunities to grow with this important customer."

At the end of the second quarter, the Home Depot operated more than 2,353 stores, over 800 branches and more than 325 distribution centers that directly fulfill customer orders across all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, 10 Canadian provinces and Mexico.