01
What changed in retail regulation and policy this week?
Government decisions, new rules and policy shifts reported this week.
02
The EU Directive on Empowering Consumers for the Green Transition (EmpCo Directive) comes into force on September 27, 2026, affecting all companies operating within the EU.
Read at esgtoday.com ↗03
The Competition Bureau of Canada reached a consent agreement with Kalibrate on September 24, 2026, to address competition concerns regarding its Market Intelligence data product.
Read at canada.ca ↗04
Wakefern Food Corp. has initiated a recall of Wholesome Pantry Organic Unsweetened Apple Sauce due to elevated levels of patulin detected during FDA testing.
Read at foodsafetynews.com ↗05
The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) is implementing a Device Management System (DMS) to track all mobile phones in Nigeria via IMEI registration.
Read at techcabal.com ↗06
Six Senate Democrats, led by Senator Elizabeth Warren, sent a letter to US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer on Monday, September 21, 2026, demanding that the Trump administration provide tariff refunds directly to consumers.
Read at semafor.com ↗07
Nestlé's Russian subsidiary announced it will continue commercial operations in Russia despite a presidential decree issued on September 18, 2026, which placed its assets under the temporary control of LEV Management.
Read at esmmagazine.com ↗08
IAB Europe has released a proposal to standardize the measurement of in-store retail media by dividing stores into five zones and calculating 'opportunity to see' metrics.
Read at insideretail.com.au ↗8 of 12 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
Amazon plans to invest $3 billion into its Indian quick commerce business by 2030 to expand its network of neighbourhood warehouses.
Read at esmmagazine.com ↗10
AO World has completed the acquisition of camera retailer Jessops from Peter Jones using existing cash resources.
Read at retail-systems.com ↗11
Schwarz Group, the owner of Lidl, is among the potential bidders for Tesco's Central European business, which includes 561 stores across Hungary, the Czech Republic, and Slovakia.
Read at esmmagazine.com ↗12
Crosta Mollica and the Nestlé-backed European Pizza Group (EPG) have announced a merger to create a pizza company valued at €1bn (£900m).
Read at thegrocer.co.uk ↗13
Beauty retailer Sephora has signed a lease to relocate its Meatpacking District store in New York City to 401 West 14th Street.
Read at commercialobserver.com ↗14
Accent Group directors have voluntarily submitted themselves for re-election at the upcoming annual general meeting on November 20, 2026, in Australia.
Read at insideretail.com.au ↗15
Costco has ended its partnership with Deschutes Brewery, resulting in the discontinuation of the Kirkland Signature Helles-Style Lager and Kirkland Signature Vintage Ale.
Read at thestreet.com ↗16
Starbucks has signed an agreement with the Tamil Nadu state government to establish a global capability centre in Chennai, India, which is expected to create approximately 800 technology jobs.
Read at esmmagazine.com ↗What products launched in retail this week?
Notable product launches, releases and platform updates from the week.
17
Lowe's has launched a drone delivery service in partnership with DoorDash and Alphabet's Wing.
Read at thestreet.com ↗18
Costco officially discontinued its online marketplace, Costco Next, in September 2026.
Read at thestreet.com ↗19
US supermarket chain Kroger Co. has announced its enterprise-wide artificial intelligence strategy, which leverages decades of proprietary retail data and predictive modeling.
Read at esmmagazine.com ↗20
Tapestry, the parent company of Coach and Kate Spade, has integrated its products into Google Search and the Gemini app, allowing direct purchases via a 'Buy' button.
Read at consumergoods.com ↗21
Boots is launching its official store on TikTok Shop in the UK on September 28, 2026.
Read at thegrocer.co.uk ↗22
Amazon announced at its 2026 Accelerate conference that U.S. sellers can now manage eBay, Shopify, TikTok Shop, and Walmart operations directly within Seller Central.
Read at marketplacepulse.com ↗23
Impossible Foods is launching four plant-based protein products into Tesco supermarkets in the UK, marking the company's first retail entry in the country.
Read at thegrocer.co.uk ↗24
Sephora launched its official TikTok Shop storefront in September 2026, featuring an exclusive holiday value set from POV Beauty.
Read at modernretail.co ↗8 of 60 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.
25
Costco Wholesale reported fourth-quarter adjusted earnings per share of $6.60, exceeding analyst estimates of $6.53.
Read at esmmagazine.com ↗26
Starbucks has announced plans to close approximately 250 of its stores across the United States, representing about one percent of its total US footprint.
Read at retail-systems.com ↗27
Starbucks announced plans to close approximately 250 underperforming coffeehouses across North America.
Read at businessinsider.com ↗28
Costco CEO Ron Vachris reported that the company's digitally-enabled sales exceeded $33 billion in fiscal year 2026, marking a growth of over 20%.
Read at modernretail.co ↗29
Australian department store chain Myer reported a statutory loss of $276.5 million for fiscal 2026, driven by a $279.6 million impairment charge.
Read at insideretail.com.au ↗30
Co-op Group reported a revenue increase of 2.4% to £5.6bn for the first half of 2026, while underlying losses rose to £45m. The company, led by interim CEO Kate Allum, is currently undergoing a merger with Southern Co-op, which is under review by the UK's Competition and Markets Authority (CMA).
Read at thegrocer.co.uk ↗31
On September 23, 2026, the 10-year U.S. Treasury yield reached 5.12%, a 19-year high, driven by investor reactions to strong global economic output and ongoing geopolitical conflict in the Middle East.
Read at thestreet.com ↗32
KMD Brands reported a statutory loss of $333.5 million for the fiscal year ending July 31, 2026, despite a 6.5 per cent increase in groupwide sales to $847.4 million.
Read at insideretail.com.au ↗8 of 30 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.
33
The Real Bread Campaign has criticized Marks & Spencer for marketing products at its new Heathrow Terminal 5 store as 'freshly baked'.
Read at thegrocer.co.uk ↗34
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has initiated penal action against Amazon, Flipkart, Swiggy Instamart, Bigbasket, and Zepto.
Read at techmeme.com ↗35
A Louisiana attorney has been disbarred and banned from Walmart following an incident where he stole $385 worth of food and beverages.
Read at abajournal.com ↗36
Amazon has blocked Meta's Muse AI agent from shopping on its platform starting September 20, 2026, citing violations of its Conditions of Use regarding unauthorized access and data security.
Read at retail-systems.com ↗37
Swiss luxury fashion brand Bally is facing the potential closure of its last remaining retail store in Germany, located at Outletcity Metzingen, following the entry of its German subsidiary, B.D.
Read at thestreet.com ↗38
The law firm Morgan & Morgan filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Publix Super Markets and Quirch Foods in Pinellas County Circuit Court, Florida.
Read at supermarketnews.com ↗What research was published in retail this week?
New research findings and studies published this week.
39
Circana published a report in April 2026 analyzing the impact of global disruptions, specifically the Middle East-driven fuel crisis, on the Australian foodservice industry.
Read at circana.com ↗40
Researchers from the Revolution Plastics Institute, University of Bath, Oxford Brookes University, and the University of Sheffield released a report on September 24, 2026, regarding disposable cup usage in the UK.
Read at energylivenews.com ↗41
Circana released its 'How Advertisers Should Prepare for Holiday 2026' report on September 23, 2026, in Chicago.
Read at circana.com ↗42
According to the MPAC Survey published on September 22, 2026, approximately 46% of consumers in Spain admit to eating food past its expiration date.
Read at esmmagazine.com ↗43
Syndigo released its 'State of Product Experience 2026 – UK Edition' report, highlighting that 43% of British consumers abandoned purchases due to insufficient product information.
Read at internetretailing.net ↗44
Research by Ravelin indicates that 37% of British consumers engage in or plan to engage in refund abuse, the highest rate in Europe compared to France at 33% and Germany at 25%.
Read at internetretailing.net ↗What incidents and outages hit retail this week?
Incidents, outages and safety events reported this week.
45
Renewed fighting between Tigrayan forces and the Ethiopian federal government has triggered panic-buying and sharp price increases for fuel and staples in the Tigray region.
Read at courthousenews.com ↗1 of 11 incidents and safety events are listed; the rest were ranked lower by importance and multi-source corroboration and are not shown.