STORES

Erin Cabrey

Retail Brew swapped the Big Apple for Sin City last week, heading to Las Vegas for Groceryshop to hear industry leaders weigh in on the industry’s most pressing topics.

As it turns out, the biggest topics on grocery’s mind are the same ones—AI and the concept of “value”—as last year. But they weren’t necessarily retreading old ground: As retailers have executed more consumer-facing applications for AI, discussions became more results-driven than theoretical, while many grocers shared a more nuanced approach to the idea of value than in years past.

Keep reading here.—EC

      

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CONSUMER BEHAVIOR & TRENDS

Frederic J. Brown/Getty Images

Sure, it’s still September, but it’s never too early to start talking about Halloween.

For starters, as Retail Brew previously reported, NRF’s Halloween survey shows that Americans are expected to spend a record $13.5 billion on Halloween this year, exceeding 2025’s $13.1 billion.

That figure might seem like a contradiction to consumers’ current cautious approach to discretionary spending, but Method1’s national study of 1,200 US consumers found 45% are more permissive about indulging than they were a year ago.

Still, per NRF, 49% of shoppers will start purchasing items for the occasion in September or even before that, much like last year, with a noticeable uptick in the number of people shopping before October over the past 10 years.

For now, Halloween spending is projected to remain relatively steady this year, averaging $115.14 per person compared to $114.45 in 2025. But that doesn’t mean shoppers aren’t keeping a close eye on their budgets and being more deliberate about what they buy for the holiday.

Keep reading here.—JS

      

Sponsored By Storyblok

Black Friday asks one question: Are you a Scrambler? Or…don’t tell us…are you a Smooth Operator? Only Storyblok’s Black Friday Readiness quiz knows for sure. Take it in two minutes and receive your Black Friday Readiness score with resources to prep for the sales season ahead. So the real question is, are you ready for Black Friday? Find out.

RETAIL

Gary Hershorn/Getty Images

Shoptalk Fall is coming to Nashville this week, and Retail Brew will be in attendance. The industry conference brings together thousands of retailers and brands to share best practices and strategies for tackling 2027. This year, organizers are trying out a new format called “Retail Unplugged,” where participants can engage in “candid conversations and peer-to-peer conversations” without the fluff. Retailers sending speakers include executives from Best Buy, Tractor Supply, Bob’s Discount Furniture, and Ulta Beauty, to name a few.

Here’s what else is going on in retail:

Keep reading here.—AV

      

Sponsored By Wunderkind

It’s a buyer’s market. 51% of consumers already use AI to shop this BFCM season, 46% plan to spend more than last year, and 40% deliberately abandon carts hoping for a follow-up offer. Wunderkind’s insights can help you make heads and tails of these signals ahead of Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Dig into the research.

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swapping skus

Today’s top retail reads.

Wigging out: Despite tariffs, Chinese exports of wigs and hair extensions rose 12.4%. (Business of Fashion)

Abso-trucking-lutely: New York City will distribute a total of $5 million to businesses that agree to receive deliveries during off-hours to help ease traffic. (Gothamist)

Leica house on fire: How the storied camera brand Leica went from near-bankruptcy to record sales. (the Wall Street Journal)

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