🕔 Retail Daily Minute | Kohl's Doubles Down on Babies R Us as Sephora Falters, Walmart+ Adds CITGO & Harps Names First AI Director

Hello Omni Talk Fans! As you will see from today’s headlines, now a regional grocer is betting on a head of AI to steer its business.

Is this a trend with staying power?

I plan to ask just that at my panel at Shoptalk Fall in Nashville. Stay tuned for the answer.

In today’s Retail Daily Minute:

Kohl’s expands its Babies R Us shop-in-shops to 56 more stores and adds an exclusive collection, even as Sephora at Kohl’s sales decline for a second straight quarter.
Walmart+ adds CITGO to its Gas Savings benefit, growing the network from 13,000 to more than 17,000 stations without raising the membership price.
Harps Food Stores names Will McDoniel its first-ever director of AI strategy and innovation as the grocer looks to modernize beyond store growth.

Plus, a quote from a Guttenberg classic.

👇 Listen now

Today’s Top Headlines

1. Kohl’s Expands Babies R Us Shops as Sephora Sales Keep Sliding

Kohl’s is adding Babies R Us shop-in-shops to 56 more stores, led by California and Texas, and launching an exclusive line of bibs, blankets and crib sheets. The push comes as Sephora at Kohl’s, roughly 10% of revenue, saw sales slip 4% in Q2 after a Q1 dip, while overall store traffic declines have eased in recent months. (Read More)

2. Walmart+ Adds CITGO, Expands Gas Savings to 17,000+ Stations

Walmart+ has added CITGO to its Gas Savings benefit, growing participating stations about 30% from 13,000 to over 17,000 nationwide, where members save 10 cents per gallon. The biggest access gains come in the Southeast, Midwest and Northeast, and the $98 annual membership price stays the same despite added member value. (Read More)

3. Harps Food Stores Names Will McDoniel Its First Director of AI

Harps Food Stores has promoted Will McDoniel, a 12-year company veteran and former meat and seafood category manager, to the newly created role of director of AI strategy and innovation. He will find AI use cases and speed adoption as Harps, now at 177 stores across eight states, follows peers Kroger and Ahold Delhaize USA. (Read More)

4. FedEx Rolls Out a Shopify App to Stop Surprise Import Charges

FedEx launched Duty and Tax, a $99-a-month Shopify app that shows shoppers a guaranteed import cost at checkout and covers any overage. Part of its new Global Trade Navigator suite, it targets surprise delivery fees that 68% of small businesses say hit their customers, and rivals similar checkout tools from UPS and Zonos. (Read More)

5. Amazon to Invest $230M in Pay, Benefits for Whole Foods Staff

Amazon will invest over $230 million in pay and benefits for 100,000+ U.S. Whole Foods workers, lifting average hourly store wages above $21 from Sept. 28. Starting in 2027, staff get Amazon health plans, One Medical, up to 20 weeks of paid parental leave and Career Choice, as Amazon plans 100+ new Whole Foods locations. (Read More)

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