Prospecting: What National, Regional Retailers Are Planning Next.

Prospecting: What National, Regional Retailers Are Planning Next.

U.S. retailers have been proactively responding to impending tariffs by stockpiling inventory and launching early holiday promotions. Major companies such as Amazon, Walmart and Target are advancing product orders and hosting sales events, such as Prime Day and Black Friday in July, to encourage early shopping, and many also are promoting store brands and American-made goods as alternatives to higher-priced imported products.

Big box pizza is calling on summer deals and value meals to win back customers. In 2024, nearly two-thirds of top pizza chains experienced declining sales, according to Technomic’s Top 500 Restaurants data, and many brands are introducing new ways to entice customers and reverse course on the slipping sales trends. So far this summer, Domino’s brought back its “Best Deal Ever” promotion, with a $9.99 deal on any pizza with any toppings running from July 7 through Aug. 3. The same week that Domino’s brought back its Best Deal Ever, Little Caesars introduced its own $9.99 promotion in the form of the company’s first-ever combo meal menu. The online-only “More for $9.99” menu lets customers pick different mix and match menu pairings for the same price.

Walmart has pledged up to $500,000 in grants and in-kind donations to Central Texas communities affected by severe flooding over the July Fourth holiday weekend. The commitment includes up to $250,000 in matches of donations by customers. The company, alongside the Walmart Foundation and Sam’s Club, is working with nonprofits to distribute food, water and other essential goods and services to those affected by the disaster.

Dollar Tree has finalized the $1.01 billion sale of Family Dollar to private equity firms Macellum Capital Management and Brigade Capital Management, marking the end of a challenging ownership period. Chesapeake, VA-based Family Dollar has named Duncan MacNaughton as its new chairman and CEO. Dollar Tree expects net proceeds of about $800 million from the sale and will focus on its more than 9,000 stores in the U.S. and Canada.

Starbucks has rolled out a new layered line of Frappuccino drinks for which the iced, blended beverages are topped with the coffeehouse chain’s signature cold foam. The new Strato line of beverages, named for the Italian word for “layer,” is now available nationwide. Although baristas could always add cold foam, made with flavored, aerated skim milk, to beverages upon request (at least since the cold foam was introduced in 2018), they can now be ordered that way via the chain’s app. They’re available in three flavors, each priced at around $5.95 for a medium “Grande.”

The Tractor Supply Company Foundation, in partnership with Operation Homefront, recently organized its second Back-to-School Backpack Fill Day for students at Fort Campbell, which is located on the Kentucky-Tennessee border. More than 200 volunteers, including Tractor Supply employees, 4-H state officers, interns, and FFA scholarship winners, worked together to fill 500 backpacks with essential school supplies and handwritten notes.

Warby Parker marked a milestone with the opening of its 300th store at Brookfield Place in New York City. The new location offers in-store eye exams and the full suite of optical goods, including the summer 2025 collection. Plans call for a total of 45 new store openings in the U.S. and Canada this year, with each location tailored to the community it will serve.