UPS and USPS Join Forces Again 🤝

Amazon posted stronger-than-expected Q3 earnings and revenue, reaching $180.17 billion in sales and $21.2 billion in net income. Growth was powered by surging retail demand and a major rebound in AWS, which CEO Andy Jassy says is growing at its fastest pace since 2022.

🏆 Retail Wins: Total net sales grew 13% YoY to $180.2 billion; North America sales hit $106.3 billion, international sales at $40.9 billion. Ads were another standout, rising 24% to $17.7 billion, while online and physical store sales increased 10% and 7%, respectively, with Prime delivery speeds reaching record levels.

💰 Big Spends: Amazon has raised its 2025 capital spending forecast to $125 billion, up from its previous estimate of $118 billion.

📉 Job Loss: Amazon is cutting around 14,000 corporate roles globally, saying it needs to operate more “leanly” to move faster on artificial intelligence opportunities.

UPS and the U.S. Postal Service have reached a preliminary agreement to restart collaboration on Ground Saver deliveries — UPS’s budget service that trades speed for cost. If finalized, USPS will once again handle last-mile delivery, helping UPS improve efficiency and reduce rising costs after bringing the service fully in-house earlier this year.

The backstory: Ground Saver (formerly UPS SurePost) previously relied on USPS for doorstep delivery. That stopped in early 2025 when UPS withdrew due to shifts in the USPS contract under Louis DeJoy.

With the new USPS Postmaster General, David Steiner, talks resumed. UPS states that both sides now agree in principle on volumes and rates, and the details will be finalized over the coming months.

Why now? Ground Saver parcel volume plunged 32.7% YoY in Q3 as UPS reduced Amazon deliveries and struggled with lower delivery density. Handling deliveries alone has been costly — UPS reported a $85 million hit in Q2 due to more residential delivery stops than expected. The USPS partnership is viewed as a means to restore efficiency and improve margins.

President Donald Trump’s tariffs could add $40.6 billion in extra costs for consumers and retailers during the 2025 holiday season, according to a LendingTree analysis. The report estimates that consumers will bear $28.6 billion, or about $132 per shopper, while retailers absorb roughly $12 billion.

LendingTree’s chief consumer finance analyst Matt Schulz said the added cost could force families to cut back on gifts or go into debt.

Electronics buyers face the steepest increase, with an estimated $186 extra per shopper, followed by $82 more for clothing and accessories. Personal care products, beauty items, toys, food, and candy will see smaller increases of $12–$14 per buyer. According to the report, while demand for popular gifts like electronics and clothing is expected to remain, some consumers may be forced to reduce their spending.

Lululemon Athletica has struck a deal with the National Football League and Fanatics to produce and sell officially licensed NFL fan apparel for the first time.
The collection includes apparel for all 32 NFL teams and will be sold through NFL Shop, Fanatics platforms, and team stores.

Products include hoodies and items across Lululemon’s core clothing and accessories lines. The company’s shares rose about 4% after the announcement, despite the stock being down 53% for the year.

This move marks Lululemon’s latest effort to expand beyond its yoga roots into competitive sports and attract new consumer segments. The brand has faced slowing demand from cost-conscious shoppers and higher expenses linked to U.S. trade policies. Lululemon previously partnered with the NHL to sell merchandise to hockey fans, signaling a broader push into major sports leagues.

Apple expects its best-ever quarterly sales this holiday season, driven by strong demand for the newly launched iPhone 17. The company forecast revenue growth of 10%–12% year-on-year for the quarter ending December, ahead of Wall Street’s 6% estimate.

Chief financial officer Kevan Parekh credited the upbeat outlook to a “great start” for the iPhone 17, launched in September. Apple reported record annual net income of $112 billion, up 20% from last year. Quarterly revenue came in at $102.5 billion, up 8% and slightly above analyst expectations of $101.6 billion.

Early sales data showed iPhone 17 demand outpacing last year’s iPhone 16 by 14% in the US and China. However, revenue from China fell 4%, amid competition from Huawei and regulatory pressures. CEO Tim Cook said he expects China sales to return to growth in the December quarter, citing stronger store traffic.

Kroger is expanding its partnership with Uber to offer grocery delivery through the Uber Eats platform from more than 2,600 of its 2,700 stores starting in early 2026.

The deal will make Kroger’s full product assortment available for delivery via Uber Eats, marking a deeper shift toward store-based fulfillment rather than centralized warehouses. Shoppers will also be able to order restaurant meals via the Kroger app using Uber Eats’ delivery network.

Additionally, both companies plan to collaborate on retail media opportunities, enabling brands to target consumers more effectively using shared data. Members of Kroger’s loyalty program, Boost, will gain extended free access to Uber One, while Uber One members will receive free trials of Boost in return. The move builds on Kroger’s recent partnership with DoorDash, announced in September, to expand its delivery services.

Keurig Dr Pepper (KDP) is raising $7 billion from private equity firms Apollo Global Management and KKR to help fund its planned $18 billion acquisition of JDE Peet’s, the Dutch coffee company.

The financing aims to address investor concerns over rising debt and risk exposure as Keurig expands further into the coffee segment. Under the deal, Apollo and KKR will invest $4 billion in a coffee pod manufacturing joint venture, with Keurig retaining majority control.

They will also provide $3 billion in convertible preferred stock to Keurig’s beverage business. KDP shares rose as much as 10%, their biggest jump since March 2020, after the announcement. The new funding will reduce Keurig’s expected net debt to $31 billion, instead of the previously projected $38 billion.

Boot Barn is accelerating its expansion strategy, raising its long-term U.S. store target from 900 to 1,200 locations, more than double its current footprint of 489 stores.

The retailer expects to end fiscal 2026 with 529 stores and grow its network by 12–15% annually. CEO John Hazen said the revised target follows a detailed market study and consumer survey, which show a broader demand for Western and workwear apparel. The company estimates its total addressable market has expanded from $40 billion to $58 billion. Boot Barn’s growth is being fueled by the surge in “cowboy core” fashion.

In Q2 fiscal 2026, Boot Barn reported 18.7% growth in net sales to $505.4 million, with same-store sales rising 8.4%. Brick-and-mortar sales grew 7.8%, while e-commerce sales increased 14.4%. Other retailers, including Abercrombie & Fitch and Kendra Scott, are also entering the Western wear market to capitalize on the trend.

Home décor retailer At Home Group has officially emerged from Chapter 11 bankruptcy, having eliminated nearly $2 billion in funded debt. The company is now owned by a group of its lenders, who are providing $500 million in new exit financing to support its turnaround efforts. Its new ownership includes funds from Redwood Capital Management, Farallon Capital Management, and Anchorage Capital Advisors.

At Home entered bankruptcy in June, citing U.S. tariffs and cautious consumer spending as major pressures on its business. The retailer has permanently closed about 30 stores, and now operates 229 locations across 39 states, down from 260 at the time of its filing.

CEO Brad Weston called the restructuring an “exciting new beginning,” saying the company is entering its next phase with improved financial flexibility and renewed strategy. However, At Home remains vulnerable to the same headwinds that drove it into bankruptcy — including tariff-related costs and weak discretionary spending.

eBay issued a weaker-than-expected profit forecast for the fourth quarter, raising investor concerns ahead of the crucial holiday shopping season. The company said it expects adjusted earnings of $1.31 to $1.36 per share, below analysts’ average estimate of $1.39

Revenue for the quarter is projected to be between $2.83 billion and $2.89 billion, roughly in line with expectations of $2.8 billion. The forecast suggests pressure on profit margins, despite efforts to boost sales through used and refurbished goods as consumers seek cheaper options.

For full-year fiscal 2025, eBay projects revenue between $10.97 billion and $11.03 billion, exceeding analysts’ average estimate of $10.85 billion. Shares fell about 6% following the announcement.

UK retail inflation eased to 1.0% in October, down from 1.4% in September, according to data from the British Retail Consortium (BRC) and NIQ. This marks the slowest pace of annual shop price growth in over a year and is below the three-month average of 1.1%.

On a month-on-month basis, retail prices fell 0.3%, the first decline since March, signaling increased discounting by retailers. Non-food prices fell 0.4% year-on-year, deepening deflation from September’s 0.1%, driven by heavy promotions and weak consumer spending.

Food inflation eased to 3.7% from 4.2%, though fresh food prices rose to 4.3%, reflecting higher production and supply chain costs. In contrast, inflation for ambient groceries — packaged and long-life foods — dropped sharply to 2.9% from 4.2%.