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The situation: Nike鈥檚 turnaround will likely take some time. In FYQ4, the company鈥檚 sales fell 12% YoY (11% on a constant-currency basis), reflecting what CFO Matthew Friend called the 鈥渓argest financial impact鈥� from the company鈥檚 reset strategy. Still, he expressed confidence that 鈥渉eadwinds will moderate from here,鈥� emphasizing Nike鈥檚 focus on execution and controlling what it can. Our take: Turning around a company the size of Nike is like trying to turn around an ocean liner in rough waters. Change takes time, especially amid headwinds like tariffs and shaky demand, and execution missteps keep dragging on performance. Nike is adjusting course鈥攍eaning back into wholesale, cleaning up its inventory, and getting more surgical with product drops鈥攂ut calm seas are still a ways off.

The news: Lululemon is suing Costco for selling dupes. In a lawsuit filed June 25, the athleisure brand accuses the wholesale giant of infringing on its design patents by selling knockoff sweatshirts, jackets, and other activewear. Lululemon seeks an immediate halt to sales of the disputed products and unspecified monetary damages. Our take: For nearly as long as there have been name brands, there have been knockoffs. But the rise of dupe culture on TikTok鈥攃ombined with increasingly cost-conscious consumers looking鈥攊s pushing more shoppers toward cheaper alternatives and more brands to the brink. It's become a growing headache for companies like Est茅e Lauder, which have struggled as buyers opt for low-priced lookalikes. Lululemon鈥檚 lawsuit marks a significant escalation in the brand鈥檚 efforts to protect its designs. If it succeeds, it could set a precedent鈥攁nd signal that the era of unchecked dupes may be nearing a turning point.

What鈥檚 next for Capri after the Versace sale? The company is looking to offload Jimmy Choo to focus on Michael Kors, but the latter needs a wholesale reinvention to succeed.

Established brands pivot to reembrace wholesale, while digital natives鈥攆acing rising ad costs鈥攕truggle to find their second act.

The big picture: Nike鈥檚 return to Amazon is only one prong of its increasingly expansive wholesale strategy, which aims to reach 鈥渃onsumers wherever and however they choose to shop,鈥� per a company statement. Recent partnerships show the scope of that ambition.

That jump in demand is reflected in pricing: Cox Automotive鈥檚 Manheim Used Vehicle Value Index, which measures prices paid at wholesale auctions, rose 4.9% YoY in April to its highest level since October 2023. Looking ahead: Both Carvana and CarMax are confident that the tariffs will make used cars appear to be a good deal compared with new vehicles.

CarMax鈥檚 combined unit sales across retail and wholesale totaled nearly 380,000 in Q1, up 5.8% YoY, helping it increase revenues and profits more than expected. CEO Bill Nash expects the company to grow sales and market share this year, as tariffs disrupt vehicle supply and drive shoppers to seek more affordable options. Our take: Cars are an essential expense for a majority of Americans.

Rhode鈥檚 higher price point gives e.l.f. entry into more exclusive beauty retailers like Sephora, while e.l.f.鈥檚 manufacturing capabilities will help Rhode expand its wholesale presence. Editor's note: This content is part of 蘑菇AV鈥檚 subscription Briefings, where we pair daily updates with data and analysis from forecasts and research reports.

Sam鈥檚 Club is on a winning streak: The Walmart-owned wholesale club is making several notable moves with an eye toward improving the customer experience.

That move follows Ikea slashing its wholesale prices by roughly 15% during its 2024 fiscal year. Though those price cuts resulted in lower overall FY revenues, the company said they led people to buy more, boosting its operating profit. Bob鈥檚 is benefiting from its no-frills, value-priced offering and focus on high-traffic shopping centers as opposed to malls.

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.

Shah pointed to the response to 2019 tariffs, when suppliers that held their wholesale costs steady were able to capture market share and offset margin pressure through higher sales volumes. The company鈥檚 global sourcing footprint also helps. The company鈥檚 supplier base spans over 100 countries鈥攊ncluding a strong presence in the US.

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.

Zooming in: The letter calls out that PBMs and their parent companies control the entire prescription manufacturing, wholesale, retail, and dispensing process. The letter states:. Each of the six largest PBMs has its own affiliated pharmacies. Five of the top six are also a part of parent conglomerates that operate insurance companies and medical clinics.

US orders at the world鈥檚 biggest wholesale market in Yiwu have completely dried up, vendors told The Wall Street Journal. While some companies were willing to offer concessions when the tariff rate was a mere 20%, that鈥檚 out of the question now that Chinese imports to the US face a duty of 145%.

鈥淎 lot of it is going to come down to whether they can license more sports content that's going to drive wholesale increases in subscribers,鈥� Verna said. 鈥淪ome of it may come down to what happens to the competition, especially considering how fragile some of its competitors are.鈥�. As consumers look to cut costs, trimming subscriptions won鈥檛 be their first move, said 蘑菇AV analyst Ross Benes.

It鈥檚 taking a similar approach with its wholesale partners. Foot Locker is working closely with Nike to calibrate its merchandise and inventory levels to support full-price sales, the retailer鈥檚 CCO Frank Bracken said. Looking ahead: Nike expects the downward pressure on sales and gross margins to ease following the current quarter, helped by its efforts to rightsize inventory and fresh products.

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

Players like United Wholesale Mortgage, Rocket Mortgage, Fairway Independent Mortgage Corporation, and CrossCountry Mortgage comprised 15 of the top 25 US mortgage lenders by originations in 2024, per The Motley Fool.