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What changed in retail regulation and policy this week?
Government decisions, new rules and policy shifts reported this week.
02
On August 28, 2026, President Donald Trump announced plans to waive tariffs on imported ground beef for 90 days and initiate legal actions to allow ranchers to process their own meat.
Read at foxbusiness.com ↗03
The Victorian Parliament has passed new workplace protection order laws, though the Australian Retail Council and major retailers like Coles and Woolworths criticize the legislation for lacking interim orders.
Read at insideretail.com.au ↗04
President Donald Trump signed an executive order on August 26, 2026, to reduce tariffs on specific ground beef imports.
Read at bloomberg.com ↗05
President Donald Trump issued a proclamation to increase the U.S. beef tariff-rate quota by 300,000 metric tons to lower consumer prices.
Read at foxbusiness.com ↗06
President Donald Trump announced a plan to temporarily lift tariffs on up to 300,000 metric tons of foreign beef imports to lower grocery prices in the United States.
Read at theguardian.com ↗07
The EU's Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) reached general application on 12 August 2026.
Read at imrg.org ↗08
The Australian Competition & Consumer Commission (ACCC) launched an investigation on August 7, 2026, into food fraud allegations following a July 27, 2026, report by the ABC programme Four Corners.
Read at foodnavigator.com ↗8 of 22 regulation and policy events are listed; the rest were ranked lower by importance and multi-source corroboration and are not shown.
What funding rounds and acquisitions happened in retail this week?
The week’s notable investments, financing rounds, acquisitions and strategic deals.
09
The Italian Competition and Market Authority (AGCM) approved the acquisition of grocery retailer Emmeci and property firm Mega by Unes Maxi, a subsidiary of Gruppo Finiper Canova.
Read at esmmagazine.com ↗10
Fashion startup Atorie, co-founded by Redouane Ramdani and Luis Angulo, announced a $9.5 million seed funding round on August 27, 2026.
Read at techcrunch.com ↗11
Modella Capital has reportedly advanced to the second round of bidding to acquire the discount retailer Poundland.
Read at retail-systems.com ↗12
Gordon Brothers, the owner of the UK discount retailer Poundland, is exploring a potential sale of the chain and has approached Modella Capital as a prospective suitor.
Read at thegrocer.co.uk ↗13
FRP Development Corp. and Woodfield Development have commenced construction on the first phase of a mixed-use project in Estero, Florida.
Read at multihousingnews.com ↗What products launched in retail this week?
Notable product launches, releases and platform updates from the week.
14
Walmart has launched a new women's fashion brand called Scenario, featuring a 280-piece collection of apparel and accessories.
Read at thestreet.com ↗15
T-Mobile is implementing a new policy requiring customers to use the T-Life app to check into its retail stores.
Read at thestreet.com ↗16
Peter Rahal, the founder of David, is launching a new candy brand called HallPass.
Read at inc.com ↗17
Marks & Spencer has implemented AI-powered animal welfare monitoring across its entire UK dairy supply chain, covering 46 farms.
Read at retail-systems.com ↗18
Target is launching its new Beauty Studio on September 10, 2026, across more than 600 stores and its website.
Read at modernretail.co ↗19
John Lewis is opening its flagship Platter restaurant at its Oxford Street store in London this week as part of an £800m multi-year investment.
Read at thegrocer.co.uk ↗20
Costco and Instacart announced a new partnership on August 26, 2026, allowing customers to order custom cakes and party platters for delivery.
Read at thestreet.com ↗21
Walmart announced it will begin supporting Apple Pay and Google Pay in its U.S. stores and Sam's Club locations.
Read at digiday.com ↗8 of 38 product launches events are listed; the rest were ranked lower by importance and multi-source corroboration and are not shown.
What financial results were reported in retail this week?
Earnings, guidance and other financial results reported this week.
22
The August reporting season in Australia highlights shifting consumer behaviors amid cost-of-living pressures.
Read at theguardian.com ↗23
Dollar Tree reported a 7% year-over-year increase in net sales and a 3.7% rise in comparable sales for the second quarter of 2027.
Read at thestreet.com ↗24
On August 28, 2026, several major corporate and legal developments occurred in the advertising and tech sectors.
Read at exchangewire.com ↗25
Lovisa reported $938.8 million in sales for FY26, achieving double-digit revenue and profit growth.
Read at insideretail.com.au ↗26
Dollar General and Dollar Tree reported quarterly sales that exceeded analyst estimates as consumers sought lower-priced essentials amid economic uncertainty.
Read at esmmagazine.com ↗27
The Lego Group reported a 21% year-over-year revenue increase to 41.9 billion Danish kroner ($6.54 billion) for the first half of 2026.
Read at fastcompany.com ↗28
The fast-fashion retailer Shein is preparing for a public listing in Hong Kong.
Read at ft.com ↗29
Chinese food delivery company Meituan reported a revenue of 104.6 billion yuan for the quarter ended 30 June 2026, marking a 14.4% year-on-year increase.
Read at esmmagazine.com ↗8 of 32 financial results events are listed; the rest were ranked lower by importance and multi-source corroboration and are not shown.
What court rulings and legal actions hit retail this week?
Court rulings, filings and legal actions reported this week.
30
Walmart has agreed to pay $50 million to settle a lawsuit regarding its role in the opioid epidemic.
Read at nytimes.com ↗31
The UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has secured compensation for hundreds of heating oil customers whose orders were cancelled.
Read at gov.uk ↗32
US food producer Taylor Farms failed to submit mandatory workplace injury reports for at least 17 facilities between 2021 and 2025.
Read at retail-systems.com ↗33
Amazon is facing a class-action lawsuit regarding the unauthorized use of Twitch streamers' videos for AI model training.
Read at exchangewire.com ↗34
Greater New York Chamber of Commerce CEO Mark Jaffe has publicly criticized New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani's plan to open five city-owned grocery stores, calling the initiative disastrous for private business owners.
Read at foxbusiness.com ↗35
A coalition of immigrant-owned grocers is initiating a lawsuit against New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani to block his plan to open government-owned grocery stores.
Read at foxbusiness.com ↗36
The Second Circuit Court of Appeals has revived a class action lawsuit filed by three Connecticut-based Amazon employees seeking backpay for mandatory security screening time.
Read at courthousenews.com ↗37
Mattress retailer No Bull Mattress & More, legally known as Mattress Warehouse of Charlotte Inc., filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on August 24, 2026, in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of South Carolina.
Read at thestreet.com ↗What research was published in retail this week?
New research findings and studies published this week.
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A Gallup report released on August 28, 2026, indicates that alcohol consumption rates in the United States are stabilizing following a multiyear decline.
Read at cstoredive.com ↗39
Jordan Hirschfield of Javelin Strategy & Research released the 2026 Prepaid Consumer Sentiment Survey, highlighting that faster gift card redemption increases customer loyalty and store visits.
Read at paymentsjournal.com ↗40
A study from Olin Business School at Washington University in St. Louis indicates that buy-now, pay-later (BNPL) services may lead retailers to increase sticker prices to offset transaction costs, which can exceed 5%.
Read at paymentsjournal.com ↗41
Modern Retail+ Research published a 2026 report analyzing retail media network (RMN) strategies based on surveys of 125 marketers and interviews with executives from The Home Depot, Milani Cosmetics, and Tinuiti.
Read at modernretail.co ↗42
A report by Coresight Research and Aptos, published on August 25, 2026, reveals that 22% of retailers still rely on hybrid or on-premises point-of-sale (POS) systems.
Read at digitaltransactions.net ↗What incidents and outages hit retail this week?
Incidents, outages and safety events reported this week.
43
Ukrainian drone strikes on August 26, 2026, resulted in at least three civilian deaths across the Belgorod and Lipetsk regions of Russia.
Read at aljazeera.com ↗44
Exotique Foods Inc. of Ontario, Canada, has initiated a recall of Momchipz Veggie Chips Broccoli Florets & Cauliflower in the United States due to undeclared wheat.
Read at foodsafetynews.com ↗45
Security researcher Troy Hunt confirmed that a data breach at Carhartt affected 12.9 million individuals, significantly lower than the 25 million claimed by the hacking group ShinyHunters.
Read at theregister.com ↗3 of 8 incidents and safety events are listed; the rest were ranked lower by importance and multi-source corroboration and are not shown.