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A franchise disclosure document from Jamba Juice reveals that 130 franchise agreements have ended over the last three years, contributing to a shrinking store count nationally. The private equity-backed smoothie chain disclosed the terminations as part of standard franchise filing requirements.
Ron Johnson, who led Apple's retail division from 2000 to 2011, has published a new book titled 'Shop Different: How Retail Revealed Apple's Genius,' co-written with Zander Nethercutt. The book details his collaboration with Steve Jobs to design the Apple Store concept and grow it into one of the most profitable retail operations globally. Johnson also recently appeared on 9to5Mac's Overtime podcast to discuss the book and the store's early history.
Since taking over Net-a-Porter in April 2025, CEO Heather Kaminetsky has systematically solicited customer feedback and turned it into operational changes, including simplified return labels, standardized delivery driver uniforms, and expanded same-day delivery to the Jersey Shore. The approach has coincided with improved financial results for the luxury e-commerce retailer, which had been struggling before her arrival.
A wave of new regulations covering customs duties, AI disclosure, packaging, deforestation and privacy is hitting consumer markets this year, each with firm compliance deadlines. Though the rules appear unconnected, they share a common requirement: companies must be able to document and prove what they know about their prices, products and systems.
Toys 'R' Us and Go! Retail Group are rolling out 120 new standalone stores across the United States, timed to be ready for the holiday shopping season. Some locations will feature studio spaces designed for creators and toy influencers to debut products and host live events.
BonBon, a New York-based Swedish candy company known for its cult following, is expanding into major retail with launches at Target and FAO Schwarz. The brand's creative director says maintaining tight, hand-driven design control is central to preserving its Swedish candy identity as it scales into big-box retail.
Google has rolled out new infrastructure aimed at supporting agentic commerce, where AI agents complete purchases on behalf of users. A payments infrastructure veteran notes that the underlying payment systems for this technology remain unresolved, echoing a recurring pattern where new commerce tech launches on rails not built for it.
In a Fast Company interview, Walmart U.S. President and CEO David Guggina described how the retailer is combining its extensive store footprint, supply chain infrastructure, e-commerce operations and customer data into one integrated system. He argued this convergence lets Walmart respond faster to shifting customer needs and extract greater value from its existing assets.
Amazon has raised the minimum hourly wage for its frontline warehouse staff by $1, bringing starting pay to $20 an hour just as the company enters its busiest shopping period. The change affects hundreds of thousands of workers across its fulfillment network.
Medical apparel retailer Scrubs & Beyond is shutting down every one of its more than 100 physical stores spread across 30 states. The company has given no public reason for the closures, and as of Wednesday its customer service phone line had been disconnected.
Mixue, the Chinese soft-serve and tea chain founded by brothers Zhang Hongchao and Zhang Hongfu, now operates more than 47,000 stores worldwide, more than McDonald's, per the Wall Street Journal. The company built its footprint by targeting smaller Chinese cities and towns with cheap products, such as 45-cent cones, rather than competing in major urban markets. Mixue recently went public in Hong Kong and is valued around $10 billion.
The September 14, 2026 episode of 9to5Mac Daily covers recent changes to Apple's retail operations along with details on iPhone 18 Pro pre-orders. The podcast, hosted by Chance, summarizes these top Apple stories for listeners across platforms like Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, TuneIn, and Google Play.