Author: Kim Souza

Kim Souza

Consumer spending up marginally in September

Consumer spending dipped in September with the retail sales of goods up 0.55% from a year ago, and down 0.32% from the prior month, according to a recent National Retail…

The Supply Side: Fire Dept. Coffee celebrates 1 successful year in Walmart

Rockford, Ill.-based Fire Dept. Coffee just celebrated its inaugural year as a Walmart vendor. Luke Schneider, CEO and founder of the company, said it’s been a wild ride to follow…

NRF: Holiday sales forecast at 2.5% to 3.5% growth from year ago

The National Retail Federation (NRF) predicts more normal growth for 2024 holiday sales. The growth forecast ranges between 2.5% to 3.5% from the prior year with total holiday sales between…

The Supply Side: ’Ugly’ fruit company owners get Walmart’s attention

Ben Moore, founder and CEO of The Ugly Co., and Matt Gorella, chief brand officer, have in the past year worked to get their all-natural fruit snacks into 400 Sam’s…

Consumer prices rose 2.4% in September

The prices of most goods and services ticked higher in September. The Consumer Price Index (CPI) was up 2.4% from the year-ago period, according to Thursday’s (Oct. 10) report from…

Report: Higher-income households fuel Walmart’s growth

Execs with Bentonville-based Walmart have in recent years often said they are reaching more affluent consumers who found them during the COVID-19 pandemic and have become regular omnichannel shoppers. Walmart…

Majority of Arkansas-based companies see third-quarter stock gains

Most of Arkansas’ publicly traded companies saw stock values improve in the third quarter compared to the second quarter. Five of the 11 companies had gains in stock prices over…

Challenges in beef industry pressure Tyson Foods’ earnings outlook

Tyson Foods has seen a turnaround in its chicken segment but industry challenges remain for the company’s beef segment which is weighing on earnings potential in the near term, according…

Port strike likely to disrupt supply chain, could cause inflation

Retailers import a significant amount through ports paralyzed by the strike of longshoremen who walked off their jobs at 14 ports from Maine to Houston on Tuesday (Oct. 1). A…

The Supply Side: High Impact Analytics grows staff, revenue, clients

Bentonville-based High Impact Analytics, a customer service firm for brands selling into Walmart and Sam’s Club, has been on a growth trajectory since pivoting its strategy in 2023. Revenue is…

Empowerment Summit: Women encouraged to ‘blaze forward’ and ‘bring your best self’

Thursday’s (Sept. 26) Women’s Empowerment Summit presented by Kimberly-Clark and hosted by the local chapter of NextUp was attended by more than 630. The event held in Rogers featured several…

Walmart Open Call wraps up after more than 800 meetings

After more than 800 meetings held on Wednesday in Bentonville, Walmart’s Open Call wrapped up with dozens of golden tickets handed out to those seeking to be a vendor. More…

Walmart seeking new products at 11th annual Open Call

Walmart opened its doors to more than 500 entrepreneurs on Tuesday (Sept.24) at the retail giant’s 11th annual Open Call. Jason Fremstad, Walmart head of supplier development and sourcing, said…

Sales tax revenue up almost 6% in four Northwest Arkansas cities

Bentonville, Fayetteville, Rogers and Springdale cumulatively reported revenue of $9.914 million, a gain of $551,000, or 5.89%, in their September sales tax reports. It was the first reporting month this…

Walmart and Sam’s Club supply chain divisions to merge

Walmart recently announced a merger of Sam’s Club’s corporate supply chain employees with Walmart’s internal supply chain. David Guggina, head of supply chain operations at Walmart, confirmed the news first…

The Supply Side: Ranch2Retail seeks to connect retailers with cattle supply chains

Rogers-based startup Ranch2Retail (R2R) is just what the name implies – a bridge between cattle ranchers and retailers who sell beef products and the supply chain that connects the two….

Halloween spending expected to dip 4.9% from 2023

Retailers set up for Halloween in August in hopes of enticing consumers. Halloween spending in 2023 was $12.2 billion, the largest spend on record and 15% more than 2022. The…

NRF: Retail sales improved more than expected in August

Consumer spending in August ticked higher and pushed overall retail sales – excluding automobiles and fuel – up 2.11% from a year ago. Core retail sales that also exclude restaurants…

Online grocery sales rise 7% in August to $9.9 billion

U.S. consumers spent $9.9 billion online buying groceries and consumables in August, up 7% from a year ago, according to a Brick Meets Clicks/Mercatus Group survey completed Aug. 31. The…

The Supply Side: Marketplace an expanding growth engine for Walmart

Walmart’s Marketplace business helped the Bentonville-based retail behemoth cross $100 billion in online sales last year. That was a milestone, but Walmart is doubling down with its bet that the…

The Compass Report: Arkansas metro economic growth ranges from resilient to stable

Family, relationships fueled Kirkwood’s long career at AOG, Summit

Waterpark, ACME property, Miss Laura’s on Fort Smith board study session agenda

Fort Smith Metro News Briefs: More consent decree work completed, Arvest Foundation 2025 grant tally