News Briefs

A large number of holiday shoppers will adjust their holiday spending this year, with many honing in on three main purchase drivers.

A new consumer survey from data and marketing company Data Axle found that 41% of shoppers are planning to reduce or shift their holiday spending due to rising prices and tariffs this year, with almost half (46%) of consumers planning to begin holiday shopping before November. With prices remaining high, nearly two-thirds (64%) say discounts and promotions are their top purchase drivers, followed by free shipping (61%) and limited-time offers (49%).

Over half of respondents (52%) in Data Axle’s survey said retailers fall short on personalization, often sending irrelevant offers or missing key preferences. To make up for this gap, nearly 20% of consumers plan to use AI-powered search tools like ChatGPT, Perplexity or Gemini to assist with gift discovery and purchasing this holiday season.

Data Axle says that retailers should be utilizing AI this holiday season to meet consumers' needs. The company recommends that retailers and brands use AI-driven predictive analytics to better understand behavioral data, use generative AI tools for marketing purposes, and more.

[READ MORE: How retailers can leverage AI and data analytics to navigate the holiday season]

“As you finalize your Q4 campaigns, think of AI not as automation, but as amplification,” said Courtney Black, senior public relations manager at Data Axle. “It helps your team do more with less, reach the right audience faster, and deliver experiences that feel thoughtful, timely and personal.”

As part of its exit, ownership of At Home transition to a group of its lenders, including funds affiliated with Redwood Capital Management, LLC, Farallon Capital Management, L.L.C., and Anchorage Capital Advisors, L.P.

At Home CEO Brad Weston and Redwood Capital Management representative Andrew Kilbourne have been appointed to At Home’s board. In the near term it's expected that industry veterans John Eck, who most recently served as CEO of Mattress Firm prior to its sale to Somnigroup, and Karen Stuckey, who spent 18 years at Walmart, will be appointed to the board.

At the time of its bankruptcy filing, At Home operated roughly 260 locations. After closing about 30 locations, it currently has 229 in 39 states.

“Today marks an exciting new beginning for At Home,” said Weston. “We are officially starting our next phase with renewed financial strength, flexibility and momentum. We’re taking decisive actions to become more relevant, more inspiring and more connected to our customers. This new chapter redefines what At Home can be — a brand that helps customers design and create spaces that reflect who they are and how they live.”

The implementation will begin with a new store opening in Mexico before the end of the year, followed by at least five additional new sites internationally. Marco’s Pizza opened 41 new locations over the first six months of 2025, adding that if current trends continue, it is poised for a 28% year-over-year increase in new store openings for 2025. 

In 2024, the pizza chain opened 70 new locations. Current franchisees are continuing to expand with Marco’s, as nearly 65% of 2024 signed agreements came from existing franchisees.

[READ MORE: Marco's Pizza continues global growth]

The CEO of Pacsun and four other retail leaders will be celebrated at the NRF Foundation Honors event in New York City on Jan. 11.

The individuals are being honored by the foundation with its annual “List of People Shaping Retail’s Future” awards, which highlight the wide range of companies, roles and products that are vital to retail and consumers. 

The 2026 honorees are:

• E.l.f. Beauty chief marketing officer Kory Marchisotto;
• Brooklinen CEO Billy May;
• American Eagle Outfitters Inc. chief global asset protection officer and chief security officer Scott McBride;
• Walmart Inc. executive VP and chief sustainability officer Kathleen McLaughlin; and
• Pacsun CEO Brieane Olson.

Alumni of The List include leaders across beloved brands, creative startups and more. The award highlights the wide range of companies, roles and products that are vital to retail and consumers.

“This impressive group of leaders highlights the impact that can be made across the numerous career paths available in the retail industry,” said Adam Lukoskie, executive director, NRF Foundation. “There are many paths to success in retail, and these honorees have demonstrated a commitment to making a lasting impact for future generations.”

The NRF Foundation provides more than $1 million in scholarships every year, connecting 80,000 learners and 3,700 educational and workforce partners with the retail industry. More than 300 retailers and industry partners support the work of the NRF Foundation to ensure that retailers have the quality talent they need for their stores, supply chain facilities and corporate offices.

Whole Foods Market has brought its smaller-store concept to a new market.

The natural and organic foods grocer has opened the fourth location of its Whole Foods Market Daily Shop, in the Crystal City neighborhood of Arlington, Va. At 10,000-plus sq. ft., it's the largest location of the concept to date, and also it's first outside of New York City. 

Whole Foods revealed in March 2024 that it planned to debut a “quick-shop,” smaller-store concept, with the format ranging between 7,000 sq. ft. to 14,000 sq. ft., which is about a quarter to half the footprint of an average 40,000 sq. ft. store. It paves the way for Whole Foods to expand in dense, metropolitan areas. 

Whole Foods opened its first Daily Shop in September 2024, in the Lenox Hill neighborhood of Manhattan’s Upper East Side. It has since opened in the city's Hells Kitchen neighborhood and in the East Village. Additional Daily Shop stores are planned for the New York metro area, including Hoboken, N.J., and Brooklyn’s Williamsburg neighborhood. 

As part of its ongoing commitment to support local communities, Whole Foods Market is contributing in-kind product to support the work of Northern Virginia Food Rescue. Whole Foods Market will also make donations to local nonprofits ALIVE!, Inc. and the Arlington Food Assistance Center.

Walmart is bringing a very special delivery truck to DreamHack Atlanta 2025.

As part of an offering called "Walmart Delivers," the discount giant has transformed five of its delivery trucks into experiential experiences that will stop at a wide range of events. The trucks are packed with interactive experiences, customizable giveaways and a curated assortment of items that visitors might not expect Walmart to have, all shoppable via QR code.

From Friday, Oct. 31 through Sunday, Nov. 2, Walmart is bringing the "Walmart Delivers Lo-fi Play" experience to DreamHack Atlanta 2025, a three-day gaming lifestyle festival at the Georgia World Congress Center. The Walmart Delivers experience will serve as a retro gaming hub celebrating lo-fi gaming, a segment of retro gaming focused on the aesthetic of the late 1980s and early 1990s. 

DreamHack attendees will have a chance to play famous retro video and board games, climb a live leaderboard, snap an eight-bit-style photo, and obtain a free assortment of Walmart-sold gamer merchandise.

"We are thrilled to welcome Walmart and their Walmart Delivers experience to DreamHack Atlanta,” said Andreas Jernberg, VP commercial at ESL FACEIT Group. “Our festival is all about celebrating the gaming lifestyle and bringing our community together. Their lo-fi gaming hub is a fantastic addition that adds a nostalgic spirit to our event, offering a unique and engaging experience for our attendees. It's great to see a brand like Walmart engaging with our community in such an authentic way."

The "Walmart Delivers" experience is touring across the country in cities like New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Dallas. Most recently, it stopped at New York Comic Con.

[READ MORE: Walmart launches digital marketplace for comic book collectors]