"Neiman Marcus Group has eliminated an unspecified number of corporate roles, which affects less than 1% of its workforce," as part of a strategic realignment announced in February, according to Retail Dive. "At that time about 500 people, or about 5% of its workforce, lost their jobs. The latest move boosts 'cross functional collaboration,' which created the redundancies, according to the company’s statement last week."

"In recent months, major retailers like Gap, Stitch Fix, Victoria’s Secret, Kohl’s, the Vitamin Shoppe and the RealReal have appointed men to chief executive positions previously held by women," according to The New York Times. "The underrepresentation of women in retail C-suite roles 'is more pronounced because it’s building off of a female base, which should generate theoretically through the ranks more executive leadership,' said Kathy Gersch, the chief commercial officer at Kotter International, which helps large companies train potential leaders. 'But we’re not seeing some of that happen.'”

"Four years into a plan to eliminate its carbon emissions, Amazon.com Inc. has lost a key endorsement from the world’s leading watchdog of corporate climate goals," according to the Los Angeles Times. That group is the Science Based Targets initiative, which "removed Amazon from its list of companies taking action on climate goals after the tech behemoth failed to implement its commitment to set a credible target for reducing carbon emissions."

"The 150th anniversary of the 501 this year has given Levi’s and the denim industry at large an opportunity to reflect on the style’s significance in history and pop culture and revisit the original qualities that make the pant a mainstay in fashion," according to Sourcing Journal. So a Levi's historian "presented vintage jeans from the company’s San Francisco archives and the histories unique to each garment" at Project Las Vegas.

"When Overstock.com announced it would pay $21.5 million  for the recently shuttered Bed Bath & Beyond chain—renaming itself earlier this month—its share price instantly soared around 65%, adding roughly $600 million to Overstock’s valuation. It may go down in marketing history as one of the most successful rebrands of all time," per Fast Company. "In fact, it can be considered a case study of sorts—one that’s hard to duplicate, but instructive nonetheless.Step one for an effective brand do-over: Start with a bad brand. The name 'Overstock' suggests bargains, but it also strongly suggests a liquidator."

"Twisted Tea Hard Iced Tea, a brand of Boston-based The Boston Beer Co., announced its first-ever high-ABV test launch: Twisted Tea Extreme, an 8% take on its hard iced tea lineup," according to Beverage Industry. The product is now rolling out across five test markets — New York, Montana, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Vermont -- with the test allowing "Twisted Tea to hone in on the higher-ABV space and gather direct drinker feedback before growing elsewhere."

With "roughly 90 percent of stores now open midnight or later as staffing improves," Wendy’s has begun to advertise its late-night business again, per QSR magazine. "Wendy’s in Q2 saw the late-night daypart generate double-digit sales growth" as well as "higher average checks and more delivery" orders.

The ecommerce giant's "cuts include all but three of its 30 clothing labels, such as Goodthreads and Lark & Ro," per The Wall Street Journal. Amazon is taking this step "as it works to fend off antitrust scrutiny and shore up profits."

The retail giant said customers will be able to have Starbucks food and beverages delivered straight to their car through "Drive Up," its free curbside service. "The service has been in the works since late 2021, 'after guests overwhelmingly requested the feature,'" per USA Today. "'Drive Up with Starbucks' will roll out to more than 1,700 Target stores with both a Starbucks and curbside service by early October."

Competing mega-toy companies Mattel and Hasbro have taken "different Hollywood paths," according to the Hollywood Reporter. "Fast forward to this year and the diverging paths — Should you build and buy or license content? Do you go all in or let partners play a bigger role? — have played out for the toy companies, with Hasbro changing course toward Mattel’s playbook of licensing and partnerships with the major studios."