Beauty Giant Sues Walmart 🏛️

Cosmetic giant Estée Lauder has filed a lawsuit against Walmart in California federal court, alleging the retailer allowed counterfeit versions of its beauty products to be sold on Walmart.com through third-party sellers.

💄Fake Beauty: The complaint says fake products bearing the trademarks of La Mer, Le Labo, Clinique, Aveda, Tom Ford, and Estée Lauder were purchased and tested, including counterfeit versions of Advanced Night Repair serum and Clinique eye cream.

📉 Despicable Sales: Although the items were sold by third-party marketplace sellers, Estée Lauder alleges that Walmart actively promoted and facilitated the sales. The company described Walmart’s conduct as “extreme” and “despicable,” arguing shoppers could reasonably believe Walmart itself was the seller.

Walmart said it has “zero tolerance for counterfeit products” and will respond in court once formally served.

Uber will launch its delivery service in seven new European countries this year, intensifying competition in the region’s multibillion-euro food delivery market.

The company plans to enter Austria, Denmark, Finland, Norway, the Czech Republic, Greece, and Romania in 2026. Uber said the expansion is expected to generate an additional $1 billion in gross bookings over the next three years.

The move pits Uber more directly against Wolt, the Finland-based delivery platform owned by DoorDash, in several Nordic markets. Uber said its growing market share in major European markets, including the UK and Germany, has been driven by cross-selling to its ride-hailing customers and its Uber One membership programme.

The company is also pursuing automation in delivery, including drones and robots, as part of broader efforts to reduce costs and improve margins.

QXO agreed to buy closely held building materials distributor Kodiak Building Partners for about $2.25 billion in cash and stock, continuing its aggressive expansion strategy.

Under the deal, Kodiak’s owners will receive $2 billion in cash and 13.2 million QXO shares. QXO retains the right to repurchase those shares at $40 each. The transaction is expected to close early in the second quarter of 2026, subject to customary conditions. QXO said the acquisition will be highly accretive to its 2026 earnings and expand its addressable construction materials market to roughly $200 billion.

Kodiak, based in Colorado, generated approximately $2.4 billion in sales in 2025, with about 40% of revenue coming from growth markets such as Texas and Florida.

Amazon announced the expansion of its same-day prescription delivery service to about 4,500 cities and towns across the United States by the end of the year, adding nearly 2,000 new communities to its network. The company said the rollout will include states such as Idaho and Massachusetts as it scales its pharmacy operations nationwide.

The expansion underscores Amazon’s broader strategy to deepen its presence in healthcare and compete more directly with traditional pharmacy providers.

Amazon entered the prescription drug market in 2018 through its acquisition of PillPack and has steadily expanded its healthcare footprint. In October, it partnered with WeightWatchers to deliver medications, including injectable GLP-1 weight-loss treatments, to members of the program. The company also began filling select prescriptions at electronic kiosks inside its One Medical primary care clinics in December.

Nestlé is ramping up infant formula production around the clock to prevent shortages after a contamination crisis triggered recalls across more than 60 countries.

Five factories in France, Spain, Germany, Switzerland, and the Netherlands are now operating 24 hours a day to boost supply. Nestlé also sought special approval from Swiss authorities to extend night and holiday production at its Konolfingen plant.

The crisis began when Nestlé discovered bacteria capable of producing cereulide, a toxin that can cause nausea and vomiting. The recall expanded to become the largest in the industry’s history, with rival producers including Danone and Groupe Lactalis also pulling products.

Target announced a series of senior leadership changes as new CEO Michael Fiddelke begins reshaping the retailer’s executive team to spur growth and streamline operations.

Cara Sylvester will become chief merchandising officer, transitioning from her role as chief guest experience officer. Lisa Roath will step into the chief operating officer role, moving from overseeing food, essentials, and beauty.

Chief commercial officer Rick Gomez will leave the company, while Jill Sando, head of merchandising for apparel, accessories, and home, will retire. Both executives will remain temporarily to support the transition.

The company said the changes are intended to sharpen merchandising oversight, improve operational efficiency, and elevate the customer experience. Fiddelke described the shift as the start of a new chapter aimed at advancing strategy with greater speed and accountability.

The Council of the European Union has approved new customs rules that will end the long-standing duty-free threshold for low-value parcels entering the bloc.

From 1 July 2026, shipments valued under €150 will no longer be exempt from customs duties. Instead, a flat €3 duty will apply per item category in each shipment. The measure is part of a broader EU customs reform aimed at tightening oversight of cross-border e-commerce and modernising border controls.

EU authorities said the move responds to a surge in small parcels shipped directly from non-EU sellers to consumers. Billions of low-value packages now enter the EU each year, raising concerns about undervaluation, product safety compliance, and competitive pressure on EU-based retailers.

Shopify reported fourth-quarter revenue of $3.67 billion, topping analyst estimates of $3.59 billion. Gross merchandise volume rose 29% year over year to $123.8 billion, also ahead of expectations.

However, adjusted earnings came in at 48 cents per share, missing the 51-cent forecast. The company also said first-quarter free cash flow margins would be in the low to mid-teens, slightly below last year's, reflecting continued investment in artificial intelligence.

Despite stronger-than-expected revenue growth, shares closed down 6% as investors focused on the earnings miss and signs of margin pressure. Shopify also announced a $2 billion share repurchase program, signaling confidence in its long-term outlook and capital position

US retail sales were unchanged in December, pointing to a loss of momentum in consumer spending at the end of the year and adding to concerns about underlying economic weakness.

The Commerce Department said sales were flat after a revised 0.6% increase in November. Economists had expected a modest gain. On a year-over-year basis, retail sales rose 2.4%, slowing from 3.3% growth in November.

Spending fell in several discretionary categories. Furniture sales dropped 0.9% from the previous month, while clothing store receipts declined 0.7%. Analysts noted that tariff-exposed sectors showed softness, suggesting consumers may be pulling back on non-essential purchases.