Breaking news, industry updates, and the latest developments shaping global retail, e-commerce, and commerce technology.
Three regulatory signals from the past five weeks point to US marketplace product-safety escalation arriving through customs and import-data enforcement rather than platform rulemaking. The first attributable action is likely before the end of Q1 2027.
Walmart reports second quarter fiscal 2027 results on August 20, with consensus near USD 186.77 billion in revenue and USD 0.74 adjusted EPS. The quarter is the first full period under the new Section 301 forced labor duties, and it closes a day before 50% tariffs on Canadian goods begin.
The Census Bureau publishes July retail and food services sales on Friday, August 14 at 8:30 a.m. ET, the last broad read on US demand before 50% Section 338 tariffs on Canadian goods take effect. June’s $768.6bn baseline was flattered by a late Prime Day, leaving July with a hard comparison.
Home Depot said chair, president and CEO Ted Decker has begun a temporary medical leave expected to last a few months. Senior EVP Ann-Marie Campbell and CFO Richard McPhail will split oversight of the retailer six days before it reports second quarter results.
The EU’s Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation entered into application on 12 August 2026, replacing a directive that governed the bloc’s packaging rules for three decades. A PFAS restriction, new conformity documentation and marketplace verification duties bite immediately, while the heavier design rules wait until 2030.
A fast-growing group of US states is moving to outlaw surveillance pricing, the practice of using a shopper’s personal data to set an individual price, …
Governor Mikie Sherrill signed the Fair Price Protection Act on July 23, 2026, banning retailers from using personal data to set individualized prices. The law also freezes new electronic shelf labels for a year as New Jersey joins Maryland and Connecticut.
Walmart-owned Flipkart will enter Indian food delivery within weeks, group CEO Kalyan Krishnamurthy told ETtech. Swiggy shares fell as much as 5.55% and Eternal dropped nearly 3% on the news.
Tractor Supply cut its full-year 2026 outlook after Q2 comparable sales fell 1.5% on weak May weather. The retailer will close about 75 Petsense stores and withdrew its long-term financial targets.
Nestlé reported 3.6% organic growth for the first half of 2026 as pricing and a coffee-led recovery lifted sales, while e-commerce reached 21.8% of group revenue. Net profit fell 31% on divestment write-downs as CEO Philipp Navratil pressed ahead with a CHF 3 billion cost program and a bottled-water joint venture.