US Halloween Sales to Hit All-Time High 🎃

Halloween spending in the United States is projected to reach a record $13.1 billion this year, according to the National Retail Federation’s annual survey. That marks a sharp rise from $11.6 billion in 2024 and surpasses the previous high of $12.2 billion set in 2023.

🎃 More the Merrier: The NRF’s annual survey with Prosper Insights & Analytics found that 73% of Americans plan to celebrate Halloween in 2025, edging up from 72% the previous year.

👯 Costume Time: Costumes are expected to generate $4.3 billion, with children favoring Spider-Man, princesses and witches, while adults lean toward witches, vampires and pirates. Spending on pet costumes is forecast at $860 million.

🍬 Sweet Deal: Candy sales are projected to hit $3.9 billion, decorations $4.2 billion, and greeting cards $700 million — all higher than last year.

🐦 Early Bird: According to the survey, nearly half of shoppers are buying early, with 49% starting in September or earlier to secure items and avoid last-minute stress. Discount stores remain the top destination, followed by specialty costume shops and online platforms.

💲Tariff Problem: Tariffs remain a concern, with 79% of respondents citing higher prices, yet consumers are still prioritizing Halloween. Average per-person spending is expected to reach a record $114.45.

The United States’ three largest carriers — USPS, FedEx, and UPS — have announced their domestic holiday shipping deadlines for 2025, alongside peak season surcharges that will affect retailers and consumers alike.

USPS Deadline: For USPS, Dec. 17 is the cutoff for Ground Advantage and First-Class Mail, Dec. 18 for Priority Mail, and Dec. 20 for Priority Mail Express. Earlier dates apply for Alaska and Hawaii. Temporary holiday rate hikes on select package services will also run from October through January.

FedEx Deadline: FedEx deadlines vary by service, with Dec. 23 the last day for Priority Overnight and Next Day Air equivalents. FedEx 2Day shipments must be sent by Dec. 20, while Express Saver and three-day shipments have earlier cutoffs. The company is also rolling out demand surcharges ranging from $1.05 to $10.90 per package during the busiest weeks.

UPS Deadline: UPS is setting a Dec. 23 cutoff for Next Day Air, Dec. 20 for 2nd Day Air, and Dec. 19 for 3 Day Select. Ground deadlines will depend on distance. Peak demand surcharges will kick in late October, with residential delivery fees ranging from $1.55 to $8.75 per package for high-volume shippers, and oversize penalties climbing as high as $545.

Amazon is widening the reach of its Multi-Channel Fulfillment (MCF) program, allowing sellers to process and ship orders placed on other platforms including Walmart, Shopify and Shein. The move, announced by Dharmesh Mehta, vice president of Worldwide Selling Partner Services, marks a significant step in Amazon’s efforts to cement its role as a full-service logistics provider.

MCF already supports channels such as Etsy, Temu and TikTok Shop, handling picking, packing and delivery. By pooling inventory across platforms, sellers can reduce idle stock and streamline operations. According to Amazon, sellers using both MCF and Fulfillment by Amazon see an average 19% reduction in stockouts and a 12% boost in inventory turnover.

According to Amazon, the expansion would help brands “reach customers wherever they shop” while leveraging Amazon’s delivery network. The company also unveiled new supply chain features, including global warehousing and distribution, expanded logistics routes, and AI-powered customs clearance, aimed at building an end-to-end ecosystem for sellers.

Target will expand its next-day delivery service to 35 major U.S. cities by the end of October, covering markets such as San Francisco, Chicago, Los Angeles, and other key metropolitan areas.

The service will apply to most items available in Target stores, with free delivery offered on orders over $35. Members of Target Circle 360 and Target Circle Card holders will receive next-day delivery with no minimum purchase.

The move builds on Target’s stores-as-hubs strategy and comes as the retailer signals plans to extend the service to even more locations in 2026. Currently, Target provides same-day delivery to about 80% of the U.S. population and two-day shipping to 99%. Order Pickup and Drive-Up options will remain free for customers.

VF Corp. has agreed to sell its Dickies workwear brand to Bluestar Alliance in a $600 million cash deal, with the transaction expected to close by year’s end pending regulatory approval. The sale marks another step in VF’s effort to trim its portfolio and pay down debt as it refocuses on core brands The North Face, Vans and Timberland.

Dickies, which has seen uneven performance in recent years, was once part of a broader workwear division VF began paring down in 2018. Analysts said the move will cut little from VF’s earnings but significantly improve leverage, following last year’s sale of Supreme for $1.5 billion.

Bluestar Alliance, which has been rapidly expanding its fashion portfolio with acquisitions including Palm Angels, Off-White and Scotch & Soda, said it plans to grow Dickies by leveraging its consumer insights and operational scale.

J.M. Smucker is preparing another round of coffee price hikes, with executives warning that U.S. tariffs on imported beans are driving sourcing costs sharply higher. The increase, planned for early winter, will mark the company’s third this year and push retail coffee prices more than 20% above year-ago levels.

CEO Mark Smucker said the company is pursuing alternative sourcing strategies, supply chain adjustments and “responsible pricing,” but tariffs on beans from Brazil and Vietnam — at 50% and 20% respectively — are leaving few options. Smucker buys about 500 million pounds of unroasted beans annually, much of it from these two countries.

The hikes follow earlier increases in May and August, with the company acknowledging that this round would be its fifth since mid-2024. According to the latest Consumer Price Index, coffee costs for U.S. consumers are already up 21% year-over-year.

CFO Tucker Marshall said sales volumes may dip, but the company still expects to generate an additional $100 million in revenue this fiscal year from higher pricing.

Shares of Chinese toymaker Pop Mart fell sharply this week, marking their steepest drop since April, as investors grew wary of fading demand for its star character, Labubu. The Hong Kong-listed stock tumbled nearly 9% intraday before closing down 6.4%, extending losses to about 10% in the past week.

Pop Mart’s valuation had soared on the back of Labubu’s global popularity, with celebrity endorsements from figures like David Beckham and Rihanna helping push its market cap to more than double that of Hasbro and Mattel combined. But analysts warn the company is too reliant on the trend, as resale prices of Labubu dolls have fallen 30–37% on Chinese platforms in recent months.

The sell-off came after JPMorgan downgraded Pop Mart to neutral and cut its price target by 25%, citing cooling demand. Despite the slump, the stock remains up more than 180% this year, fueled by strong second-quarter results, including multiple toy series outside the Labubu “Monsters” range.

Claire’s is set to retain as many as 950 locations following its $140 million acquisition by private equity firm Ames Watson, the company announced. RCS Real Estate Advisors, which handled lease negotiations, confirmed agreements to keep more than 800 stores open, with the potential to reach nearly 950.

The deal raises Claire’s valuation from the $104 million cited in August, when the retailer filed for bankruptcy for the second time in seven years. Court documents show 291 stores will still close, including 235 Claire’s and 56 Icing shops.

Ames Watson said it plans to lead Claire’s with a “smaller but stronger footprint,” focusing on revamped product assortments, refreshed marketing, and upgraded piercing services.

Saks Global, parent company of Saks Fifth Avenue, is in talks to sell a 49% stake in Bergdorf Goodman valued at about $1 billion, according to a Wall Street Journal report. Potential buyers include Middle Eastern sovereign wealth funds and other strategic investors, with a deal possibly closing early next year.

The move comes as Saks Global looks to ease debt from its $2.65 billion acquisition of Neiman Marcus last year, which created a combined luxury group housing Saks, Neiman Marcus and related real estate assets. Proceeds from the potential Bergdorf sale would support debt reduction efforts.

Alongside the talks, Saks Global is also selling $600 million in real estate holdings, part of a broader effort to unlock value from its property portfolio, currently estimated at $9 billion.

Kirkland’s Home will transition its entire store base into Bed Bath & Beyond locations over the next two years, with about 250 to 275 stores set for rebranding and 25 closures by January. The move comes just weeks after Bed Bath & Beyond Inc. acquired Kirkland’s brand assets and trade name for $10 million.

The Brand House Collective, Kirkland’s parent, said the strategy marks its entry into the wholesale market while also reviving the Bed Bath & Beyond name in core U.S. markets. Five new Bed Bath & Beyond Home stores are planned in Nashville this fiscal year.

Financially, the company is under pressure: Q2 net sales fell 12% year over year to $75.8 million, with comps down nearly 10%, and losses widening 39% to $20.2 million. Despite this, CEO Amy Sullivan emphasized the potential to grow through both the rebrand and expansion into other banners such as BuyBuy Baby and Overstock.

FedEx is ramping up reliance on U.S. and European markets as tariffs weigh on shipments from China. In its fiscal first quarter, the company cut trans-Pacific capacity by 25% after export volumes to the U.S. from China slumped. Executives warned tariffs could add $1 billion in costs in fiscal 2026.

Despite the China drag, FedEx posted a 3% revenue increase to $22.24 billion, topping analyst forecasts of $21.65 billion. Growth was fueled by robust demand in Europe and Southeast Asia, where the company logged its best new-business performance in two years.

CEO Raj Subramaniam said the commercial team had pivoted to capture emerging opportunities outside China, while Chief Customer Officer Brie Carere credited strong traction in Europe for offsetting trade lane pressures.

Forever 21 could be making a return to U.S. storefronts after shutting all domestic locations earlier this year. Authentic Brands Group, which owns the fast-fashion label’s intellectual property, confirmed it is in advanced talks with a retail operating partner to reopen stores.

The news comes just a day after Authentic announced new wholesale and e-commerce partnerships to keep the brand active in the U.S. market. Forever 21’s American operating company had filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, leading to the closure of its stores, though its overseas operations remain unaffected.

Authentic said the move is part of a broader strategy to balance digital sales with a renewed physical presence. While details on timing, store locations or scale have not yet been disclosed, the company promised more information in the coming year.