retail chains

Walmart has publicly committed that it will not use customer data to set personalized prices, saying bluntly 'We won't do it.' The pledge comes as major retailers face growing scrutiny over how they harvest shopper data, including concerns that companies could charge different customers different prices based on their purchasing habits and profiles.

A retail chain that has operated for 43 years is shutting down and has launched a liquidation sale as it winds up business. The closure marks the end of a decades-long run for a well-known name in the sector, and shoppers are being alerted to discounted inventory as stores prepare to close for good.

McDonald's has launched a new advertising network, moving into the fast-growing retail media business. The move means the fast-food chain will sell ad space and use its customer data to help brands reach consumers, following a broader trend among retailers building advertising arms as a new source of revenue.

Attention is turning to the beauty category as a potential growth battleground between Walmart and Ulta Beauty. The question is whether the discount giant's expanding beauty offering threatens the specialty retailer's foothold, as both companies chase a category that has been one of the most resilient parts of retail spending and increasingly competitive among major chains.

A fashion retailer founded 17 years ago is shutting down all of its stores, according to a report by TheStreet. The closure marks the end of a young brand that had built its business around physical retail locations. Details on the number of stores affected, the reasons behind the decision, and the impact on employees have not yet been disclosed.

Investors and retail watchers are weighing whether Kohl's or Macy's can sustain its dividend as both department-store chains struggle with declining sales and shrinking profits. The debate centers on which company has the stronger balance sheet and cash flow to keep paying shareholders while it restructures its business amid broader pressure on traditional brick-and-mortar retailers.

Major US grocers Walmart, Aldi and Kroger are moving in the same direction as Costco on a retail policy, according to a report from TheStreet. The story suggests the country's biggest supermarket chains are converging on a strategy pioneered by the warehouse club, prompting shoppers to discuss what the change could mean for prices and the in-store experience.

A report details Spirit Halloween's real estate strategy, explaining how the seasonal retailer secures short-term leases and why its pop-up stores appear in specific locations each autumn. The company occupies vacant retail spaces left behind by bankrupt chains, turning empty storefronts into temporary Halloween shops.

Lowe's Companies has started a pilot program offering drone delivery with a roughly 20-minute turnaround for customers. The home improvement retailer is testing the service as part of a broader push by retailers to speed up last-mile delivery using drones. The move puts Lowe's alongside other major chains experimenting with aerial delivery to cut delivery times and costs.

Planet Fitness plans to open a location on South Hill, adding a national gym chain to the area's retail landscape. Separately, former state lawmaker Matt Shea has purchased a building on Division Street for use by his ministry. The double commercial real estate news is reported by The Spokesman-Review in its Dirt column, which tracks development in the Spokane region.