Walmart's gangbusters year, Starbucks' parental leave, and Taco Bell's new thing: Retail news roundup
Walmart has had an outstanding year, with shares up over 80% in 2024, boosting its market value to $768 billion and making it a top performer on the S&P 500 Consumer Staples Index. Starbucks will offer 18 weeks of paid leave for birth parents and 12 weeks for non-birth parents, with a 20-hour week minimum to qualify.The coffee chain has also hired its ever chief growth officer to help it fix its struggling China business. Meanwhile, Taco Bell has launched a limited-time offer of chicken nuggets.Check out those stories and more retail news highlights from this week.
Walmart had a gangbusters year
Walmart (WMT) has delivered an exceptional year that has transformed its market position. The retailer’s shares surged more than 80% in 2024, pushing its market value to $768 billion after adding $340 billion in market capitalization. The retail giant’s exceptional performance has been driven by its success in attracting wealthier shoppers and growth in advertising and marketing revenue, allowing it to emerge as one of the top performers on the S&P 500 Consumer Staples Index.
Starbucks is tripling its parental leave for U.S. baristas
Starbucks (SBUX) is expanding its parental leave benefits in hopes of keeping its in-store employees around.
Taco Bell is challenging McDonald’s with something new
Americans spent more last month — with one exception
U.S. consumer spending remained strong in November, signaling that the economy is still moving forward despite ongoing inflation concerns.
McDonald’s is testing a new store with no dine-in area
McDonald’s is hoping a new prototype store will help it stay ahead of the competition.
Amazon’s 10 most viral items of 2024
In 2024, Amazon’s (AMZN) top-selling products were heavily influenced by social media, with certain categories standing out thanks to platforms like TikTok.
The 10 best last-minute Christmas deals from Amazon, Walmart, and Target
Thanksgiving, Black Friday, and Cyber Monday may be behind us, but Christmas is just around the corner – and there’s still time to find the perfect last-minute gift.
Diners are still obsessed with Olive Garden and Longhorn Steakhouse
Casual dining isn’t dead.
Starbucks is trying something new to fix its China problem
Starbucks (SBUX) is doubling down on a new strategy to reclaim its footing in China, its second-biggest international market.