Retail & Consumer Goods

NEW YORK – October 29, 2026 -- 52Launch, a consumer product development and original design manufacturing (ODM) company, has opened a New York City office on West 34th Street in Midtown Manhattan. The firm has brought more than 730 products to market since its 2016 founding.

Satellite office extends 52Launch's reach beyond its Massachusetts base

The company is headquartered in Framingham, Massachusetts. The Manhattan site gives it a presence in a second major market and a route to additional prospective clients along the East Coast.

The office will support the full service suite: market research, brand creation, industrial design, marketing strategy and manufacturing.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – October 29, 2026 -- Twenty-nine percent of U.S. consumers plan to do most of their holiday shopping in early to mid-December, up from 19% in 2025, while Black Friday's share fell from 25% to 17%, according to the Bank of America 2026 Holiday Spending Survey.

Fewer shoppers also plan to start early. Only 38% say they have shopped or will shop earlier this year, down from 52% in 2025. Bank of America Institute's Consumer Checkpoint nonetheless shows holiday spending increasing at a solid rate through September, so sentiment is running cooler than actual spending.

Mary Hines Droesch, Head of Consumer and Small Business Products and Analytics at Bank of America, said consumers are being "more deliberate" this year, even as the bank's spending data shows a healthy season start.

Toronto – October 29, 2026 -- A2Z Cust2Mate Solutions Corp. (NASDAQ: AZ) will release third-quarter 2026 financial results after market close on Wednesday, November 11, 2026, covering the quarter ended September 30, 2026.

Management call starts at 5:00 PM Eastern Time on release day

The smart retail technology company will hold a conference call at 5:00 PM Eastern Time on November 11 to discuss the results. Investors can dial 1-877-317-6789 (U.S. toll-free), 972 3-374-1008 (Israel, Tel Aviv) or 1-412-317-6789 (international). A live webcast is also available.

Retail media and the Hedia acquisition frame the company's risk disclosures

A2Z describes its business as a connected in-store commerce platform built around an AI-powered Smart Cart. The platform combines shopper engagement, retail media, data and in-store intelligence. The company says retail media is a growing part of its business.

Euless – October 29, 2026 -- Paris Baguette opened its 29th Texas bakery cafe in Euless on October 9, adding to a North American network of more than 300 locations as it targets 1,000 sites across the U.S. and Canada by 2030.

Four-owner franchise group opens at 2920 Rio Grande Blvd

The cafe sits at 2920 Rio Grande Blvd in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. It is operated by franchisees Swapna Varala, Sunaina, Anusha and Deepthi, who run the business as a women-owned franchise.

Varala has a hospitality and services background and owns restaurant businesses across North America. The other three owners are software engineers. According to the company, the group chose the brand for its bakery cafe concept and its potential to build ties within local communities.

Oakland, Calif. – September 24, 2026 -- The Clorox Company (NYSE: CLX) board of directors has declared a quarterly dividend of $1.25 per share on common stock.

Payment date set for November 13, 2026

Shareholders of record as of the close of business on October 29, 2026 will receive the payout on November 13, 2026.

Clorox maintains history of consistent dividend payments

The company cited a long-standing track record of regular dividend distributions and annual increases to shareholders.

Australia – October 29, 2026 -- Rio Tinto has transferred ownership of the Argyle Pink DiamondsTM brand to luxury jewellery group Boodles, completing the transition on 1 October 2026.

Boodles acquires last Argyle pink diamond inventory and brand assets

Under the agreement, Boodles bought the last remaining Argyle pink diamond inventory. It also assumed ownership of a suite of trademarks tied to the brand, plus the associated website and digital marketing assets. The release did not disclose financial terms.

Rio Tinto selects family-owned buyer with 228 years of trading history

Rio Tinto Diamonds General Manager Sales and Marketing Patrick Coppens described Boodles as a family-owned company with 228 years' experience. He said Rio Tinto's priority was to place the brand with an owner that understands its history and can "responsibly steward" it into the future.

Chicago – October 29, 2026 -- Meat snack brand Chomps has signed a national partnership with Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA), committing funds to health and wellness programming that could reach more than 4 million young people a year across 5,500 Clubs.

Chomps will fund nutrition education and support Club staff

As a national partner, Chomps will invest in programming aimed at building lifelong healthy habits. The package also covers nutrition education and resources for Club professionals. Chomps, which describes itself as America's fastest-growing meat snack brand based on SPINS data, did not disclose the size of its financial commitment.

Chomps co-founder and CEO Rashid Ali said that "not every kid has access to the same opportunities," framing the deal as an extension of the company's mission beyond its products.

Essen – October 29, 2026 -- Hieber's Frische Center, Denns BioMarkt and EURONICS won Gold at the 2026 Deutscher Prospekt Award, which drew 130 corporate entries, the German free-newspaper association BVDA said at its annual conference in Essen.

The association presented the awards before about 170 invited guests. The prize honors mainly printed advertising inserts judged on relevance, design, sensible extension into digital channels and sustainability.

Three Gold winners span regional, food and non-food retail

Hieber's Frische Center won Gold in the Regional category. Denns BioMarkt took Gold in Classic Food, and EURONICS won Gold in Classic Non-Food.

TOKYO – October 29, 2026 -- transcosmos has partnered with Tokyo-based Metaverse Creators Inc. to distribute VRChat 3D content to overseas buyers through Geek Jack, its cross-border e-commerce platform for entertainment products.

Avatars, outfits, hairstyles, accessories and other items planned, produced and sold by Metaverse Creators will be added to Geek Jack gradually. Metaverse Creators is led by CEO Kazuo Wakamiya.

Language, payments and marketing barriers drive the deal

Japanese creators' 3D content is drawing growing overseas interest on VR social platforms such as VRChat. Language, payment processing, marketing and sales operations still hinder individual creators seeking to expand internationally.

The partnership pairs Metaverse Creators' 3D production expertise and creator network with Geek Jack's cross-border e-commerce infrastructure.

STOCKHOLM – October 29, 2026 -- Hygiene and health company Essity raised its EcoVadis sustainability score to 90 out of 100 from 88 in 2025 and retained the Platinum medal, the highest tier awarded by the rating provider.

Essity ranks in the top 1% of companies EcoVadis assessed over 12 months

The score places Essity among the top 1% of companies EcoVadis assessed worldwide over the previous 12 months. EcoVadis has assessed more than 175,000 companies across over 180 countries.

The assessment evaluates the quality of a company's sustainability management system. It reviews policies, actions and results across four themes: Environment, Labor & Human Rights, Ethics, and Sustainable Procurement. Assessments draw on international sustainability standards and are reviewed by sustainability experts.