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Others, like Costco, have doubled down on previous commitments, hoping to capitalize on staying the course. Why it matters: T-Mobile鈥檚 rollback of DEI initiatives may help it gain short-term regulatory approval under current political conditions. However, the move risks long-term reputational damage and alienation of younger consumers.

Bulk buying suits warehouse clubs like Costco and Sam鈥檚 Club, where value and volume are baked into the model. But it鈥檚 unclear whether Target can replicate that success online鈥攁nd it hasn鈥檛 extended the test to stores, where bulky items could strain limited shelf space.

Even higher-income consumers, who are generally more resilient to price changes, are shopping at discount stores like Walmart, Costco, and Dollar General鈥攕ometimes alongside higher-end retailers. Customers are happy after switching鈥攁nd rarely look back. Brands hoping for a boomerang effect may be disappointed.

That鈥檚 not as easy as it sounds, because Walmart, Costco, and Amazon are some of the largest mass merchants in Canada. Many retailers have included 鈥淏uy Canadian鈥� signage in product aisles, flagging domestic goods. Loblaw has included symbols denoting products with prices affected by tariffs.

The lack of concern could be because most of these players鈥攊ncluding Walmart, Costco, Kroger, and Albertsons鈥攁lso operate pharmacies. So any spending decline for groceries could be offset by more customers picking up GLP-1 prescriptions. However, food and CPG companies are creating and changing products to meet the needs of GLP-1 patients.

Here鈥檚 how ad buyers ranked the retail media networks of 14 leading CPG-focused retailers鈥攊ncluding Ahold Delhaize, Albertsons, Amazon, Costco Wholesale, CVS, Instacart, Kroger, Target, and Walmart鈥攁ccording to the attributes they value most.

Amazon, Costco Wholesale, and other retailers now face an uphill battle to win recurring revenues in the era of subscription fatigue.

46.6% of US internet users are also Amazon Prime members, nearly two times as many as Costco (25.1%), the No. 2 biggest retail membership , according to data from Comscore.

US visitors spent an average dwell time of 37.3 minutes in H1 2024, outpacing both Walmart (31.8 minutes) and Target (28.7 minutes), per data from Placer.ai. Costco was the only one to increase dwell time between H1 2021 and H1 2024.

Partnering up: Affirm sealed a deal with Costco to become the wholesaler鈥檚 exclusive BNPL provider. This win combats Affirm鈥檚 recent loss of Walmart to Klarna. Affirm also benefited from recent tie-ups with Adyen, which helped the company burrow into the UK market.

On today's podcast episode, in our "Retail Me This, Retail Me That" segment, we discuss how Costco is getting on and the vision for the wholesale retailer in a crowded marketplace. Then, for "Pop-Up Rankings," we rank the two things Costco can take to the next level and two things it could do to get the naysayers to come back. Join our analyst Sara Lebow as she hosts vice president of content Suzy Davidkhanian and analyst Zak Stambor.

Private label products give retailers more control over sourcing, manufacturing, and pricing, which they can use to offer items for lower costs, encouraging consumers to try new products, leading to lifelong brand ambassadors who will swear by your brand. Here鈥檚 how Target, Walmart, and Costco are labeling up.

Walmart, Costco, and Kroger ecommerce sales will grow faster than average, since most food, beverage, and household essentials are sourced domestically. Consumers will continue to prioritize spending on these categories even as they cut back in other areas.

Companies like Costco have acted similarly, refuting a shareholder proposal challenging DEI practices. Yet others are giving into mounting pressure. Retailers like Walmart, Lowe鈥檚, and Target have shifted away from DEI since Trump鈥檚 election, and as Pride Month approaches, consumers will likely see this trend continue.

On the other hand, Costco, which has upheld its DEI policies, has only had positive growth since the start of the year. Monthly foot traffic rose 7.5% in March, while Target visits dropped 6.5% month-over-month and Walmart visits dropped 3.8% month-over-month, per Placer.ai. Costco reported net sales of $25.51 billion for the five weeks ending April 6, 2025, an increase of 8.6% YoY.

Albertsons, Costco, and Instacart are enhancing their retail media offerings. TikTok Shop reached a $1 million livestream. And three-time consecutive first place winner Walmart is developing immersive ways to shop and catering product lines to younger shoppers. Here鈥檚 our Unofficial Most Interesting Retailers List for June 2024.

Costco wants to build a store 65% larger than its typical warehouse: The Fresno, California, facility would combine ecommerce and traditional retail under one roof.

Albertsons is also working with vendors to lower prices, but its smaller size relative to companies like Walmart and Costco gives it less room to negotiate concessions鈥攚hich was one of the considerations that pushed it to seek a merger with Kroger. One lever it can pull to help margins is to increase its penetration of private labels, which accounted for 25.4% of Q4 sales.

AJ and Big Justice, aka CostCo guys, retail-focused (2.7 million followers). CostcoHotFinds, retail-focused (1.5 million followers). Working with influential creators to promote new brands, product launches, and exclusive collaborations, retailers can further enhance the appeal of private label brands among young shoppers. Implications for retailers and brands.

Costco and BJ鈥檚 Wholesale Club are expanding as well. Off-price retailers such as TJMaxx and Nordstrom Rack are also poised to win over value-driven shoppers. Their flexible buying models and ability to source merchandise locally help insulate them from rising import costs鈥攚hile appealing to consumers across income levels and regions.

But that hasn鈥檛 stopped retailers from trying: Walmart, Costco, and Target are among those pressuring manufacturers for lower prices鈥攁nd are likely to be at least somewhat successful, given their considerable market power. Any concessions will come at the expense of manufacturers鈥� already razor-thin profits.

Canada鈥檚 ecommerce market is catching up with global peers. A key factor: the growing digital presence of the 鈥渂ig three鈥� grocery players鈥攚hose ecommerce sales we鈥檙e forecasting for the first time.

Larger players like Walmart and Costco may gain share by leveraging their scale to absorb or negotiate around added costs. Ecommerce is particularly exposed. Beginning May 2, the administration will suspend the de minimis exemption for packages from China and Hong Kong. Goods valued under $800 will now face either a 120% duty or a flat $100 fee per item鈥攔ising to $200 after June 1.