News Briefs

With summer approaching, consumers are planning to travel and eat out less in an effort to save money.

Most (83%) of consumers say saving money is a priority this summer, with 71% saying that it matters more than last year, according to a new report from Ibotta. The shift comes as gas prices have surged since late February amid the ongoing war in Iran.

Two-thirds of shoppers still plan to travel this summer, but nearly a third expect to take fewer trips. Cost is the dominant factor, cited by nearly seven-in-10 (68%) of those pulling back. Eighty-three percent of consumers said they expect grocery prices to remain high throughout the summer, underscoring the need to reel in spending.

Ibotta’s survey found that half of respondents plan to cook or grill at home more this summer, while 34% plan to stock up on easy meals to save money. Twenty-eight percent said they plan to try new recipes this summer, while 18% will host more gatherings instead of traveling.

At-home consumption is expected to rise this summer, with category data showing shifts towards fresh produce (+35 net spend intent), meat (+25) and lighter meals (+17). Discretionary categories like toys (-32), party supplies (-28), and alcohol (-15) are losing ground.

[READ MORE: KPMG: Consumers to prioritize experiences over non-essential summer spending]

“Several patterns are worth watching,” noted Ibotta in its report. “The basket is being rebalanced: Staples hold, discretionary categories soften. The center of gravity is shifting to the home: Fewer trips, more in-home activity. Promotions are becoming a decision driver: Value is shaping brand choice.”

For its summer spending report, Ibotta surveyed 500 consumers about their plans heading into summer 2026.

Amazon is taking a popular consumer e-commerce offering and making it available to participants in its business-to-business program.

Amazon Business is bringing same-day delivery of fresh, perishable groceries to business customers in more than 2,300 cities and towns across the country. Thousands of fresh grocery items—including dairy, produce, baked goods, and frozen foods from national and local brands—are now available for delivery on the Amazon Business digital storefront, in addition to millions of office products.

A growing U.K.-based coffee chain is expanding its presence in South Florida.

Black Sheep Coffee has signed a new multi-unit development agreement to expand across Miami Beach. The agreement will deliver a minimum of six locations across the area over the next five years, complementing Black Sheep Coffee’s existing Miami store – its first in Florida – in Coconut Grove.

Black Sheep Coffee says the portfolio is expected to include a mix of drive-thru, end-cap and in-line locations tailored to the area’s high-traffic, “lifestyle-driven” environment.

[READ MORE: NYC-based Gregorys Coffee launches franchise program]

“Miami is one of the most exciting cities in the world right now,” said Eirik Holth, co-founder of Black Sheep Coffee. “It’s fast-moving, creative, and full of people who are open to trying something new, which is exactly what Black Sheep is about.”

The Miami Beach development plans come as the chain plots continued expansion across Texas and Florida, with additional stores slated to open this year. Founded in 2013, Black Sheep Coffee now operates more than 140 locations worldwide across the U.K., Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and the U.S.

Last December, Chain Store Age spoke with Black Sheep Coffee’s co-founders about the brand’s U.S. expansion strategy and what sets it apart from other coffee chains.

“Miami is an important market for us as we continue to build our presence in the United States,” said Lewis Blakey, head of franchising at Black Sheep Coffee. “These new locations will complement our existing footprint in Coconut Grove’s Grove Central, as well as our upcoming opening in Doral. This partnership allows us to grow with intention while introducing more communities to what makes Black Sheep Coffee distinct.”

Publix Super Markets said that Todd Jones will retire as executive chairman, effective May 31.

Jones, a 46-year company veteran, will remain actively involved in the company as chairman of the Publix board, the grocer said. Jones, who began his Publix career in 1980 as a front-service clerk in New Smyrna Beach, Fla., worked in a variety of store positions before becoming a store manager in 1988. 

He went on to hold roles of increasing responsibility. In 2005, he was named senior VP of product business development. Jones was named president in 2008, CEO and president in 2016, CEO in 2019 and executive chairman in 2024.

“We celebrate Todd's 46-year career and are thankful for his exemplary service to our company, our associates and customers, and the communities we serve,” said Publix CEO Kevin Murphy. “In addition to being an outstanding operator and mentor, Todd has led with integrity and a deep commitment to our mission that will have lasting impact. We are grateful he will continue to provide leadership to Publix as our chairman.”

Employee-owned Publix has more than 1,400 supermarkets in Florida, Georgia, Alabama, South Carolina, Tennessee, North Carolina, Virginia and Kentucky.

Retail rents are on the rise to start the year.

According to CBRE’s Q1 2026 data, average asking rents increased 2.4% year over year to $24.59, fueled by ongoing low construction rates. This figure is just slightly above the 10-year year over year average percentage.

The real estate services giant noted that the overall retail availability rate increased by 10 bps to 4.9% in the first quarter, while new construction completions fell to a record-low 4.7 million square feet.

“Rent growth has been driven by low availability as a result of historically low construction completions, combined with positive net absorption for three consecutive quarters,” noted CBRE in the report. “Q1’s rent growth rate is in line with historical averages due to the amount of obsolete available supply, which therefore cannot command premium rents.”

[READ MORE: CoStar: Retail space construction down year over year in Q1]

In line with long-term trends, Sun Belt markets had the lowest availability rates in the first quarter of the year. Raleigh, N.C., Nashville, Tenn., Miami, and Charlotte, N.C. topped the list, while markets with large downtown areas like Manhattan and Los Angeles had higher availability rates due to increased demand for suburban retail, according to CBRE.

Texas accounted for five of the top 10 markets for completions, and over 30% of overall construction activity in Q1.

The report noted that excluding freestanding retail, the neighborhood community and strip center segment continued to lead absorption in the first quarter, accounting for 641,000 square feet in the first quarter. Power centers were the only segment that saw negative absorption to start the year, which CBRE credited to big-box store closures.

The full report can be found here.

Kohls is releasing a new artificial intelligence gift finder agent in time for Mother’s Day and also providing AI analytical capabilities to employees.

The department store retailer’s new gift finder is a conversational AI agent built on the Google Cloud Gemini Enterprise for Customer Experience platform. The agent is designed to act as a dedicated shopping companion, offering personalized gift ideas based on the intended recipient’s interests, hobbies and style. 

Shoppers can also upload an image to find similar items or ask for targeted suggestions, then seamlessly browse recommendations, view product details, and add items to their cart, all without leaving the chat. Kohl’s says it will analyze app interactions to better understand customer needs and adjust how the user experience evolves over time.

The Kohl’s gift finder follows the retailer’s December 2023 release of an AI-based holiday shopping tool called Kohl’s Storybook Magic that enabled customers to input details about themselves or their gift recipient into the platform and receive a customized story catered to their personality.

[READ MORE: Kohl’s offers AI holiday shopping tool, last-minute deals]

Kohl’s is also piloting a new AI analytics tool running on Google Cloud conversational analytics in the Google Looker reporting/dashboard tool for visualizing and reporting on that data. 

With the tool, associates will be able to ask straightforward questions to compare product trends by category or brand or better understand what may be driving sales, without needing to pull multiple reports or manually compile data. Over time, Kohl’s hopes the associate AI solution will streamline access to information and enable deeper data-gathering to better support a seamless, customer-first experience.