The Federal Trade Commission and 17 states have sued Amazon, which prompted a long-awaited antitrust fight with the ecommerce giant. "The 172-page suit, the federal government’s most significant challenge to the power of the online store, accused Amazon of protecting a monopoly over swaths of online retail by squeezing merchants and favoring its own services," per Forbes.

Kansas City Chiefs' Travis Kelce is facing backlash from right-wing fans for his appearances in advertisements for Bud Light, the beer brand boycotted by some conservatives, and Pfizer Covid-19 vaccines. "Kelce posted an advertisement on Instagram in partnership with Pfizer over the weekend, urging people to get the updated Covid-19 booster shot and the flu shot, citing Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidance that encourages people to get both shots at the same time," reports Forbes. 

TikTok is planning to offer steep discounts this holiday season starting next month, according to internal documents reviewed by Bloomberg News, which also said the social media app is “hoping these bargains can attract consumers to its newly launched marketplace as it aims to compete with Amazon and Walmart.” TikTok is hosting training sessions next week for merchants selling on its marketplace and is offering to subsidize discounts of as much as 50% to entice seller participation in its Black Friday program, which begins Oct. 27 and runs through Nov. 30.

Just call it the "Taylor Swift Effect." The 12-time Grammy Award winner's trip to watch Kansas City Chief's Travis Kelce play football has resulted in a swell of social media chatter as well as increased jersey sales for the All-Pro tight end. "According to sportswear and fan merchandise company Fanatics, Kelce's jersey was one of the top five for the NFL on Sunday," per ESPN. He "saw a nearly 400% spike in sales throughout the Fanatics network of sites, including NFLShop.com."

A Skechers location in Gardenia, Calif. has created a Costco-like food court. Skechers CEO Michael Greenberg says the concession area, called Food Spot, has boosted the store’s sales. "At least part of the buzz is attributable to Food Spot’s unsubtle emulation of Costco, whose low-cost food courts are a highlight of any visit to the bulk retailer," per SFGate."Even from a graphic design standpoint, the Food Spot menu (pictured above) is an uncanny copy of Costco’s, right down to the hospital-blue font and red borders bracketing each item."

Adidas Originals is launching a global brand platform. The effort "pays homage to the Trefoil iconography that’s been used in its marketing and products for over 50 years," per Marketing Dive. "The campaign, which introduces tweaks to the Trefoil’s visual scheme, promotes footwear through a guiding theme around threes. A trio of new short films showcases signature Superstar, Gazelle and Samba shoe models and how their cultural status has evolved over time."

Hy-Vee is launching the full-scale version of its retail media network, Hy-Vee RedMedia. "The West Des Moines, Iowa-based retailer described the platform as a disruptor in the retail media landscape that will connect brands directly with Hy-Vee’s customer base across multiple platforms, including both online and in-store," per Supermarket News. "This venture will help build brand affinity through meaningful and personalized interactions, Hy-Vee said in a statement."

The Writers Guild of America and the labor group representing studios and streamers have reached a tentative deal on a new contract that could end the 146-day writers' strike. "The parties came to terms on a provisional three-year agreement — which will need to be ratified by WGA members to take effect — on Sunday after studios responded to last-minute union asks that day," per The Hollywood Reporter. "Specifics of the deal affecting around 11,500 WGA members weren’t available as of press time, though they will emerge in the next few days as the union seeks to sell its members …

Four tech brands were ranked by consumers in the top 25 most innovative U.S. companies. Toyota, Apple and Louis Vuitton took the top three spots in the 6th annual American Innovation Index, with Trader Joe’s and John Deere rounding out the top five. "With the exception of Apple, the top 10 consisted predominantly of retailers and automotive brands," per Chain Store Age. 

British-American model Georgia May Jagger is starring in 7 For All Mankind’s fall campaign set on the streets of London. Called “The London Edition,” the campaign showcases the Los Angeles-based brand’s range in denim and ready-to-wear. "Jagger, the daughter of The Rolling Stones’ Mick Jagger and model Jerry Hall, previously posed for campaigns for Wrangler, Pepe Jeans and Hudson," reports Sourcing Journal.