Costco's luxury favorites, Walmart's big bet, and McDonald's egg promise: Retail news roundup

Updated February 28, 2025

Costco and bulk-buying go hand-in-hand, but the retailer won’t sell just anything – although its for Rolex watches and even Porches. Walmart may have lost its revenue crown to Amazon, but it’s , all while winning favor with President Donald Trump. McDonald’s says it has cracked the code and , at least for now. Meanwhile, – only to push shoppers away. Check out these stories and more in this week’s roundup.

Costco $COST (COST) is best known for its no-frills, bulk-buying experience, but the warehouse giant also moves a surprising amount of luxury goods.

Walmart $WMT (WMT) is betting big it can win over affluent shoppers, outpace Amazon $AMZN (AMZN), and gain favor with President Donald Trump.

McDonald’s is bucking the trend of rising egg prices – at least for a limited time.

Target $TGT (TGT) announced it was scaling back its Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) efforts one month ago. Now, the retail giant is seeing a rapid decline in store visits.

Papa John’s is gaining ground in the competitive pizza market, outperforming Domino $DPZ’s as the latter struggles with a tough macroeconomic environment.

The restaurant industry is on edge, urging President Donald Trump to exempt food and beverage imports from a proposed round of tariffs set to take effect on March 4, which could cost the sector $12 billion.

Inflation is hitting consumers hard, and both grocery shoppers and restaurants are feeling the squeeze.

Ben & Jerry’s (UL) founders, Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield, are reportedly in talks to buy back their namesake ice cream brand from Unilever.

Starbucks $SBUX is laying off 1,100 corporate employees as part of an effort to streamline operations and focus on its core business, CEO Brian Niccol said in a statement on Monday.

Restaurants continue to respond to price-weary consumers with value meals and deals. The latest to entry the fray: Subway.