SUPPLY CHAIN

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As the holidays rapidly approach, consumers may want to look into whether Santa’s sleigh runs on diesel—because if so, somebody is footing the energy bill, and it might not be Old Saint Nick.

With the price of diesel fuel rising nearly 90% since the beginning of the year, according to the latest federal data, the question of whether the higher costs will trickle down to consumers looms over retailers looking to maintain margins while still keeping their prices low in a competitive environment.

The path from pump to purveyor is long and winding, however, and the short answer is it depends on how retailers manage their transportation costs.

“Retailers have really been doing a lot of work and a lot of logistics gymnastics to try and insulate consumers from having to feel those costs,” Jess Dankert, VP for supply chain at the Retail Industry Leaders Association (RILA), told Retail Brew.

This narrative may sound familiar.

Keep reading here.—AV

      

Sponsored By Paradox, a Workday Company

Enterprise Talent Leader Steve White emphasizes that talent acquisition leaders must first ask: “How does the business make money?”

This framing allowed him to position talent strategy directly as a revenue and growth driver for Gap Inc.’s ~80,000-employee footprint across Gap, Old Navy, Banana Republic, and Athleta.

The truth is, every single recruiting touchpoint directly impacts brand reputation and financial performance. Treating applicants poorly doesn’t just lose a candidate—it loses a customer.

Gap Inc. uses Paradox and its conversational AI assistant, “Bridget,” to eliminate manual bottlenecks, enable instant mobile scheduling, and deliver quick, consistent experiences for high-volume applicants at scale.

It’s about solving business problems, not just filling seats. Learn more about TA transformation and how Gap Inc. achieved it in this episode of The Frontlines.

STORES

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As the public backlash to tech-powered pricing practices continues, two major companies are playing defense.

After a Reuters report last week revealed McDonald’s is allegedly using AI to determine menu prices, the fast food giant issued an extensive statement refuting the claims.

“AI does not set the price of a Big Mac or any other menu item,” the company wrote. “It does not change prices. And it does not determine what an individual customer pays.”

The company clarified that it does not use dynamic pricing, but instead “provides franchisees with tools, resources, research and recommendations to help them make informed decisions.”

Keep reading here.—AV

      

Sponsored By WooCommerce

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OPERATIONS

Frank Sluis

After his first earnings report as CFO of Swiss running brand On, Frank Sluis said he was delighted by how broad growth was in the second quarter; the Asia-Pacific region accounted for more than 20% of global net sales, and the 16-year-old company’s global direct-to-consumer business grew 26% YoY.

“We have reached a younger audience, and now the consumers—basically the demographic 34 years and below—is now a third of our customer base, and that’s super exciting,” Sluis told CFO Brew.

Sluis came to On in May from Netherlands-based food retailer Ahold Delhaize, where he was CFO of its Europe and Indonesian regions. Even though he lacked specific experience in footwear and athletics, he said, his previous work centered around delivering a premium product via a premium brand.

Keep reading here on CFO Brew.—DL

      

Sponsored By UKG

Make work work. UKG’s workforce operating platform brings together HR, payroll, and workforce management in one solution. They help organizations make smarter, real-time decisions about staffing, pay, compliance, and productivity with the help of people-first AI and decades of labor data. See how they make it all work.

swapping skus

Today’s top retail reads.

Home is where the Hub is: Apple just unveiled its new HomeView Hub, the centerpiece of its push into the smart home category. (Bloomberg)

Disjointed: Johnson & Johnson is reportedly leaning toward spinning off its hips-and-knees business, as lawsuits weigh on its profits. (the Wall Street Journal)

Not on the menu: Starbucks has quashed rumors that it was weighing a purchase of Chipotle. (Reuters)

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Jobs

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