McDonald's 'collectors meal,' Costco's crackdown, the FTC's food fight: Retail news roundup

Big Food is in limbo, but America seems to be lovin’ McDonald’s more than ever. That may have something to do with its association with “value” — a word the chain mentioned at least 90 times during its most recent earnings call. Meanwhile, McDonald’s is hoping its new lineup of collectibles will elicit the joy of a nostalgic Happy Meal with a promotion it’s launching on Aug. 13, but only for a limited time.
Costco Wholesale says not so fast to outsiders. The retail giant announced a ‘Netflix-style’ crackdown on its membership policy in an effort to weed out non-members and card sharing between family and friends. In big retail, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) wants to launch a probe to figure out why grocery prices are so gosh darn high. Which means Walmart and Costco Wholesale may soon be required to provide information on their sales, costs, and profits for commonly purchased items.
In the trenches of summer things are hot, and that’s not always a good thing. In May, Walmart’s Zoom call was anything but routine for roughly 300 employees who learned they would need to relocate or lose their jobs.
Separately, Samsung recalled over 1 million stoves nationwide due to safety concerns, in part because pets could knock the knobs, and accidentally trigger a fire hazard.

McDonald’s said this word 90 times in its earnings call, and Americans do seem to be lovin’ it

Big Food is in limbo, but America seems to be lovin’ McDonald’s more than ever. That may have something to do with its association with “value” — a word the chain mentioned at least 90 times during its most recent earnings call.
Costco is doing a ‘Netflix-style’ crack down on memberships

Costco Wholesale announced a ‘Netflix-style’ crackdown on its membership policy in an effort to weed out non-members and card sharing between family members and friends.
McDonald’s is dropping a ‘collector’s meal’ with throwback toys for adults

McDonald’s is hoping its new lineup of collectibles will elicit the joy of a beloved Happy Meal. The promotion gets underway on Aug. 13, but only for a limited time.
The FTC is coming after high grocery prices

Walmart and Costco Wholesale may soon be required to provide information on why their grocery prices are so high.
Samsung is recalling 1 million stoves because pets can easily knock the nobs

Just days into August, Samsung announced a major recall of over 1 million stoves nationwide due to safety concerns that pets could accidentally trigger a fire hazard.
Walmart employees were caught off-guard by the company’s mandate to relocate

Walmart’s Zoom call in May was anything but routine for the roughly 300 employees who learned they would need to relocate or lose their jobs.
Wendy’s CEO is bullish on breakfast despite earnings miss

Wendy’s is making the case that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, at least when it comes to lifting profits.
Taco Bell reigns supreme in Yum! Brands’ portfolio

As pesky inflation keeps cash-strapped consumers from dining out, Taco Bell is giving Yum! Brands a modest sales boost — even as KFC and Pizza Hut stagger.
You won’t see a value meal at Shake Shack anytime soon — it doesn’t need one

Shake Shack says its burgers and fries remain a hit among consumers – and a pricing shakeup isn’t coming soon.
Snickers and Pringles merger? Snack brands may converge

Confectionery king Mars could soon own Pringles maker Kellanova in a bold acquisition move – signaling a major shakeup in the snack food industry.
Snackers are feeling salty, leaving chocolate sales melting

Sweets are getting really pricy for consumers in the inflation economy — so much so that it’s gnawing away at sales for chocolate giant Hershey’s.
Instacart is getting a big boost from grocery delivery

Instacart is getting a big boost from its grocery delivery business – a signal that even in the inflation economy – shoppers are still spending and increasing the number of orders they place on the platform.