Retail 16 February 2026 - 20 March 2026

IKEA Dundee Store Opens After Delay as Small-Format UK Expansion Picks Up
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IKEA Dundee Store Opens After Delay as Small-Format UK Expansion Picks Up

IKEA opened its first Dundee store on Monday after a paperwork delay, launching a small-format Plan and Order Point at Kingsway West Retail Park. The outlet offers 250 home items for immediate purchase, with most larger goods ordered in. The opening is part of Ingka’s shift to city sites and follows recent job cuts and investment plans after a sales decline. Dundee joins Edinburgh and Glasgow in IKEA’s Scotland network.
March 23, 2026
Wesfarmers Stock Holds Near A$74 as Investors Weigh Retail Strength Against Rate Pressure
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Wesfarmers Stock Holds Near A$74 as Investors Weigh Retail Strength Against Rate Pressure

Wesfarmers shares traded near A$73.64 Friday, within a A$73.38-A$74.38 range, as investors assessed resilient Bunnings and Kmart earnings against weaker retail trends. The company posted a 9.3% rise in first-half net profit to A$1.1 billion in February but flagged softer second-half trading. Australia’s recent rate hike and higher fuel prices have raised concerns about discretionary spending. The interim dividend is set for payment on March 31.
March 20, 2026
Primark Raises Pay to £13 for Great Britain Staff, Expands Repair Service as Retail Wage Race Intensifies
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Primark Raises Pay to £13 for Great Britain Staff, Expands Repair Service as Retail Wage Race Intensifies

Primark will raise pay for over 27,000 retail workers in Great Britain to at least £13 an hour from April 1, with London staff earning at least £13.71. The company also expanded its clothing-repair service to three stores after a successful Manchester pilot. The pay hike comes as British retailers face higher labour costs and weak sales, with Primark’s like-for-like sales down 2.7% in the 16 weeks to Jan. 3.
March 18, 2026
Wesfarmers Limited’s Bunnings Expands Auto Range With 500 New Products in Fresh Growth Push
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Wesfarmers Limited’s Bunnings Expands Auto Range With 500 New Products in Fresh Growth Push

Bunnings will add 500 automotive products and expand floor space for the category by 30% across Australia and New Zealand, raising its in-store range to over 1,200 items. The move intensifies competition with specialist auto retailers as Wesfarmers seeks to maintain growth amid uneven consumer spending. Wesfarmers shares rose 1.47% to A$75.46 on Tuesday. Bunnings generated A$10.7 billion in revenue in the half-year to December 31.
March 11, 2026
Costco Holds Off on Special Dividend as Digital Personalization Adds $470 Million in E-Commerce Sales
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Costco Holds Off on Special Dividend as Digital Personalization Adds $470 Million in E-Commerce Sales

Costco reported quarterly net sales up 9.1% to $68.24 billion and net income of $2.04 billion, but CFO Gary Millerchip said there are no plans for a new special dividend. Digitally enabled sales jumped 22.6%, with e-commerce product recommendations generating over $470 million. Paid memberships reached 82.1 million. The company ended the quarter with $17.38 billion in cash.
March 9, 2026
Gap Inc shares slide after tariff warning, Athleta slump clouds 2026 outlook
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Gap Inc shares slide after tariff warning, Athleta slump clouds 2026 outlook

Gap warned U.S. tariffs will cut profit this quarter and issued a 2026 earnings forecast below Wall Street expectations, sending shares down 7% after reporting fourth-quarter results. Net sales rose 2% to $4.2 billion, but gross margin fell 0.8 percentage point to 38.1% due to tariffs. Athleta sales dropped 11%, while Old Navy and Gap brand sales increased. Gap approved a $1 billion share buyback and raised its dividend.
March 6, 2026
Coles Group Ltd Faces Fresh Pricing Scrutiny as Digital Shelf-Label Trial Raises Dynamic Pricing Questions
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Coles Group Ltd Faces Fresh Pricing Scrutiny as Digital Shelf-Label Trial Raises Dynamic Pricing Questions

Coles is under scrutiny after confirming digital shelf labels remain on trial in 11 stores, without ruling out future dynamic pricing. The ACCC says dynamic pricing is legal if shoppers are informed, but new rules from July 1 will ban excessive grocery markups for large supermarkets. Coles recently reported a first-half net profit of A$511 million, down 11.3%. The company is also in Federal Court over alleged misleading discount claims.
March 6, 2026
Costco earnings beat as tariff refunds loom; CEO flags possible price cuts
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Costco earnings beat as tariff refunds loom; CEO flags possible price cuts

Costco reported fiscal second-quarter net sales of $68.24 billion, up 9.1%, and net income of $2.04 billion, beating Wall Street estimates. CEO Ron Vachris said the company could cut prices if it receives refunds from struck-down Trump-era tariffs, but timing remains uncertain. A federal judge has ordered the U.S. government to begin refunding importers, with up to $182 billion at stake.
March 6, 2026
Walmart stock jumps on $30 billion buyback, but cautious outlook keeps traders on edge
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Walmart stock jumps on $30 billion buyback, but cautious outlook keeps traders on edge

Walmart shares rose 2.1% to $129.24 after announcing a $30 billion share buyback and reporting holiday-quarter revenue of $190.7 billion with adjusted EPS of $0.74. The company forecast fiscal 2027 adjusted EPS of $2.75–$2.85 and net sales growth of 3.5%–4.5%. Walmart’s board approved a $0.99 annual dividend for fiscal 2027, payable in four installments starting April 6, 2026.
February 19, 2026
Tesco Clubcard just changed the rules — you can now pay for travel insurance with vouchers
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Tesco Clubcard just changed the rules — you can now pay for travel insurance with vouchers

Tesco Clubcard members can now use vouchers at face value to pay for travel insurance, with a minimum £5 redemption, according to the company’s website. The change comes as Tesco research found 70% of Britons have already booked holidays for 2026. Reward Partner codes are issued digitally via email or the Tesco app. A 10% discount applies to direct travel insurance purchases, excluding add-ons.
February 19, 2026
Walmart stock price slides in New York trade as earnings, CEO outlook near
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Walmart stock price slides in New York trade as earnings, CEO outlook near

Walmart shares slipped 1.1% to $127.43 in New York trading Wednesday, underperforming a rising S&P 500. Options markets are pricing in a 5% swing after Thursday’s earnings, the first annual forecast under new CEO John Furner. Leadership changes include David Guggina, a former Amazon executive, taking over Walmart U.S. Fourth-quarter revenue is expected at $190.43 billion, according to LSEG data.
February 18, 2026
Walmart stock slips as Evercore flags guidance risk ahead of Feb. 19 earnings
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Walmart stock slips as Evercore flags guidance risk ahead of Feb. 19 earnings

Walmart shares fell 2.6% to $130.34 Tuesday, underperforming retail peers after Evercore ISI warned of a possible cautious full-year outlook ahead of Thursday’s earnings report. The stock, up 20% this year, faces high expectations as investors await signals on consumer spending and margins. Costco, Target, and Kroger also slipped, while Amazon rose 0.8% in late morning trading.
February 17, 2026
Costco stock price holds near $1,018 as Presidents Day halts trading in COST
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Costco stock price holds near $1,018 as Presidents Day halts trading in COST

Costco shares closed up 1.96% at $1,018.48 on Friday, extending a three-session climb ahead of the U.S. market closure for Presidents Day. The stock remains about 5.5% below its 52-week high. Investors await Costco’s earnings and February sales report on March 5, with Fed minutes and Walmart results also in focus this week. January net sales rose 9.3% to $21.33 billion.
February 17, 2026
Walmart stock price in focus: WMT heads into earnings as investors rotate out of big tech
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Walmart stock price in focus: WMT heads into earnings as investors rotate out of big tech

Walmart shares closed at $133.89 Friday, up 0.2%, ahead of its fiscal fourth-quarter results due Feb. 19. U.S. markets were shut Monday for Presidents Day, with S&P 500 and Nasdaq futures posting small gains. Walmart’s valuation reached about $1.07 trillion after adding $179 billion in 2026. Investors await guidance on consumer demand and margins amid heightened expectations.
February 16, 2026
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