Retail & Consumer Goods

Hartland, Wis. – October 02, 2026 -- Batteries Plus signed 19 new franchise agreements and opened 13 new locations across six states in the third quarter of 2026, extending a multi-year expansion run for the specialty battery and power solutions retailer.

New stores cluster across Florida, Texas, Utah, Pennsylvania, Arizona and Alabama

The Q3 openings mark continued geographic diversification for the chain, which now signs 60 to 70 new stores annually, according to the company. Batteries Plus recorded its strongest signing year in 2021 and has sustained that pace through the pandemic recovery period.

"The continued pace of growth we're seeing clearly reflects power and connectivity, and Batteries Plus is uniquely positioned to deliver both," said Victor Daher, Vice President of Global Franchise Development for Batteries Plus.

Atlanta – October 01, 2026 -- Habitat for Humanity International has launched the Carter Circle, a new leadership-level giving program, naming Lowe's, State Farm, Wells Fargo and Whirlpool as its inaugural corporate partners.

Four major corporations commit to leadership-level housing investment

The four companies join 14 individual and family foundation donors as the founding members of the Carter Circle, a recognition tier for partners making strategic, high-level financial commitments to Habitat's affordable housing mission. Individual donors in the inaugural cohort include the Edwardson Family Foundation, the Larson Foundation, the Staley Family Foundation, and philanthropist J. Ronald Terwilliger, among others.

Boston -- October 01, 2026 -- Wayfair Inc. (NYSE: W) will release third-quarter 2026 financial results before market open on October 01, 2026.

Wayfair schedules Q3 earnings call for November 4 at 8 a.m. ET

The company confirmed the quarter ended October 01, 2026, with a conference call set to review results the same morning the figures are published.

Investors can register in advance for the webcast and dial-in access

Wayfair said participants may register ahead of time for the webcast, with a separate dial-in option also available. An archived version of the webcast will be posted to the company's investor relations site shortly after the call concludes.

Dublin – October 01, 2026 -- Temu has added a dedicated geographical indications (GI) category to its Brand Registry Portal, giving rightsholders a direct channel to flag potential GI infringements across all of the platform's markets.

Temu builds GI tool after 100+ meetings with European trade groups

The feature stems from feedback gathered across more than 100 meetings with trade associations, chambers of commerce and start-up networks in Europe, where sellers cited complexity as a recurring barrier to online trade. GI products derive their value from a specific geographical origin, carrying economic and cultural weight for the producers and regions behind them.

A Temu spokesperson said the company aims to give GI rightsholders a clearer path to work directly with the platform to protect the authenticity tied to their products' heritage.

St. Helena, Calif. – October 01, 2026 -- Tres Agaves Tequila launched in the UK and Ireland on October 1, marking the family-owned Mexican producer's first entry into European on-premise and independent retail channels. The rollout extends to Germany, Switzerland, the Nordics and Spain in the following months, with a formal European trade introduction scheduled at Bar Convent Berlin in mid-October.

Single-source Amatitán production anchors the brand's European pitch

Tres Agaves distills every batch from a single source in Amatitán, built on nearly two decades of direct grower relationships. The brand carries USDA and Mexican organic certification and NOM-registered production status, credentials it is now extending to European bartenders and independent retailers for the first time.

Chicago – – October 01, 2026 -- Cars.com Inc. (NYSE: CARS) has appointed Trent Ziegler as Chief Financial Officer-Designate, effective October 01, 2026, with formal succession to the CFO role on October 01, 2026.

Ziegler replaces Sonia Jain, who transitions to Executive Advisor through October 01, 2026

The staggered handover is designed to ensure an orderly transition of financial leadership at the automotive marketplace operator. Jain will remain available to the company in an advisory capacity for nearly five months following the formal changeover.

NEW YORK – September 30, 2026 -- Eighty-six percent of advertisers say slow audience fulfillment could cause them to cut spending or abandon a retail media network partner, according to GrowthLoop's 2026 Commerce Media Investment Index. The study, conducted with Ascend2, surveyed nearly 300 U.S. and Canadian marketing professionals involved in retail media network (RMN) or commerce media network (CMN) advertising decisions.

Advertisers will pay more for faster data delivery

Eighty-five percent of respondents say they would pay a premium for same-day audience fulfillment, while 92% would increase spend with faster activation. Ninety-four percent said they would likely spend more with partners offering self-service audience-building tools. Advertisers reporting the strongest ROI are five times more likely than others to receive custom audiences the same day.

Miami – September 30, 2026 -- Analysis of more than 2.5 million boats across Florida, Ohio, Texas, and Virginia found that just 6% to 13% of repeat buyers stay with the same manufacturer on their next purchase, according to new data from Boats Group.

Repeat owners make up a quarter of the market but rarely return to the same brand

Boats Group identified approximately 637,000 repeat owners—those associated with two or more boats—among the records studied. Repeat owners represented 25.6% of owners in Florida, 31.3% in Ohio, 20.6% in Virginia, and 18.0% in Texas. Despite this scale, brand loyalty on the next purchase ranged from just 6% to 13% across all four states.

Chicago – – September 30, 2026 -- TeamSnap, the youth sports management platform, has launched TeamSnap Sampling, a national product distribution offering that has already scaled campaigns to more than 2 million samples through its Activation Network.

Brands including Kraft Mac & Cheese and Meiji Hello Panda are placing products directly with sports families

Meiji Hello Panda ran a sampling campaign through youth sports leagues that produced a 64% lift in brand familiarity and a 22% increase in monthly purchases among participating league families. Kraft Mac & Cheese and Capri Sun have also joined the sampling network to reach active sports households.

Durham, N.C. – September 30, 2026 -- Sixty-three percent of U.S. adults said they would or might let an AI shopping assistant choose brands on their behalf if it consistently saved them 20% on purchases, according to a nationwide survey of 2,000 Americans conducted by Talker Research on behalf of payments platform Spreedly.

The findings arrive as AI shopping agents, including Meta's newly launched Muse, expand from product discovery into checkout, intensifying scrutiny over how much purchasing authority consumers will cede to automated systems.

Younger consumers show the weakest brand loyalty against AI-driven savings

Thirty-four percent of Gen Z and 30% of Millennials said they would abandon brand loyalty if an AI assistant consistently found the best products at the lowest prices. Among parents with children under five, 60% said they would let AI select brands for a consistent 20% savings.