{"id":15778,"date":"2025-08-18T07:04:26","date_gmt":"2025-08-18T07:04:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dmsretail.com\/RetailNews\/the-weekly-closeout-walmart-settles-5-6m-lawsuit-target-drops-halloween-assortment\/"},"modified":"2025-08-18T07:04:26","modified_gmt":"2025-08-18T07:04:26","slug":"the-weekly-closeout-walmart-settles-5-6m-lawsuit-target-drops-halloween-assortment","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dmsretail.com\/RetailNews\/the-weekly-closeout-walmart-settles-5-6m-lawsuit-target-drops-halloween-assortment\/","title":{"rendered":"The Weekly Closeout: Walmart settles $5.6M lawsuit, Target drops Halloween assortment"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <p><a href=\"https:\/\/dmsretail.com\/online-workshops-list\/\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-496\" src=\"https:\/\/dmsretail.com\/RetailNews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/RETAIL-ONLINE-TRAINING-728-X-90.png\" alt=\"Retail Online Training\" width=\"729\" height=\"91\" srcset=\"https:\/\/dmsretail.com\/RetailNews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/RETAIL-ONLINE-TRAINING-728-X-90.png 729w, https:\/\/dmsretail.com\/RetailNews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/RETAIL-ONLINE-TRAINING-728-X-90-300x37.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 729px) 100vw, 729px\" \/><\/a><\/p><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<div class=\"text-to-speech\">\n    <button class=\"text-to-speech__button button\"><br \/>\n        <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"text-to-speech__button__icon\" src=\"https:\/\/www.retaildive.com\/static\/img\/play.svg?500116090725\" alt=\"\"\/><br \/>\n        Listen to the article<br \/>\n        <span class=\"text-to-speech__button__audio-length\">7 min<\/span><br \/>\n    <\/button><\/p>\n<div class=\"text-to-speech__controls\">\n        <audio controls=\"\" class=\"js-text-to-speech\" preload=\"none\"><source src=\"https:\/\/res.cloudinary.com\/dmgi9movl\/video\/upload\/q_1\/v1755273394\/news\/text_to_speech\/walmart-pay-settlement-consumer-protection-target-halloween_x54gjx.wav\" type=\"audio\/mp3\"><\/source><\/audio><\/p>\n<div class=\"text-to-speech__controls__text\">\n            This audio is auto-generated. Please let us know if you have feedback.\n        <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>It\u2019s been another week with far more retail news than there is time in the day. Below, we break down some things you may have missed during the week and what we\u2019re still thinking about.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>From consumers\u2019 planned spending cuts to Manscaped&#8217;s launch at Canadian Tire, here\u2019s our closeout for the week.<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"standard-heading\"><span><span><span><span><span>What you may have missed<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span><span><span><span><em><span>Consumers eye spending cuts<\/span><\/em><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>As of the end of July, 51% of the population is planning to cut spending because of weakening economic conditions, according to a Thursday note from TD Cowen. Those who make less than $50,000 and younger consumers, ages 18 to 34, are expected to pull even back more.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>Of those who will pull back across discretionary and staples, nearly 60% will cut their spending on clothing and 31% will cut footwear purchases.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>Additionally, nearly 90% of those who eye cuts have high intentions to closely monitor price increases on clothing accessories, which \u201chighlights unpredictability of elasticities and mitigation efforts across the sector,\u201d per the analysts.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><em><span><span><span><span><span><span>Manscaped launches at Canadian Tire <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>Expanding its North American presence, personal grooming brand Manscaped on Tuesday announced it would <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>sell in 500 Canadian Tire stores<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><span><span><span><span><span><span> and on the retailer\u2019s website.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>\u201cWhen it comes to personal care, many consumers discover and purchase new products during their everyday shopping trips, which is why it\u2019s so important for Manscaped to be available where they already shop,\u201d Catherine Cronin, vice president of Retail at Manscaped, said in a statement.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><em><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>Spanx<\/span>\u00a0introduces new shapewear collections<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<figure class=\"image-right inside_story\">\n<div class=\"figure_content\">\n<div><img decoding=\"async\" data-imagemodel=\"-1\" src=\"https:\/\/imgproxy.divecdn.com\/iq8v2wcD5lkPfeOJvjtclbjqSM0O5iA8lGnGp5BMrAc\/raw:1\/Z3M6Ly9kaXZlc2l0ZS1zdG9yYWdlL2RpdmVpbWFnZS9TUEFOWHN1cGVyc2N1bHB0X1RyYW5zZm9ybV9jb2xsZWN0aW9uLmpwZw==\"\/><\/div>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\"inside_story_caption\">\n<p>The Spanxsupersculpt Transform collection.<\/p>\n<p>mage courtesy of Spanx<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>In celebration of National <span><span>Shapewear<\/span><\/span> Day, <span><span>Spanx<\/span><\/span> <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>debuted two collections to its assortment.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><span><span><span><span><span><span> The company introduced its <span><span>Spanxsupersculpt<\/span><\/span> Transform and Spanxsupersmooth Sheersense to its line.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>\u201cWhile <span>Spanx<\/span> has evolved and expanded over the past 25 years, continuing to deliver innovation and integrating it into new categories like apparel and active, the legacy of our <span>shapewear<\/span> roots is at the heart of everything we do,&#8221;\u00a0Chief Design Officer Pascale Gueracague said in a statement.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>Spanxsupersculpt is designed with bonded panels and flexible boning, while Spanxsupersmooth is the brand\u2019s lightest collection.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<h3 class=\"standard-heading\"><span><span><span><span><span>Retail therapy<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span><span><span><span><em><span>Time to get spooky<\/span><\/em><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><span><span><span><span><span><span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>While it\u2019s still sweltering in much of the country, retailers are readying fall goodies for the upcoming spooky season.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<figure class=\"inside_story\">\n<div class=\"figure_content\">\n<div><img decoding=\"async\" data-imagemodel=\"-1\" src=\"https:\/\/imgproxy.divecdn.com\/29YQR4183TT1tB0RkeGMPnrFCtWMRkmYUFd1tohnSX0\/raw:1\/Z3M6Ly9kaXZlc2l0ZS1zdG9yYWdlL2RpdmVpbWFnZS9IYWxsb3dlZW4tRGlnaXRhbC1UYXJnZXQtRmVhdGhlcmx5LUZyaWVuZHMuanBn\"\/><\/div>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\"inside_story_caption\">\n<p>Image courtesy of Target<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>Target this week announced it <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>added more than 1,500 festive products to its website<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><span><span><span><span><span><span>, including costumes, decor and treats.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>\u201cWe know millions of families love Halloween and don\u2019t want to wait until October to shop, so Target is ready with over 1,500 new items so you can start preparing right now,\u201d Rick Gomez, chief commercial officer at Target, said in a statement.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>The mass merchant said most items are under $25, with some as low as $1.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>Happy haunting, everyone.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span><span><span><span><em><span>Pumpkin spice is so back <\/span><\/em><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>Adding to the early fall vibes, brands are starting to bring back their seasonal pumpkin spice products. We\u2019ve seen the usual suspects using pumpkin spice \u2014 from lattes to baked goods \u2014 but one company is trying to attract fall lovers with a new take on the flavor.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>Laughing Cow this week announced it is launching its latest limited-edition flavor: Pumpkin Spice. The flavor \u2014 which is <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>available now through November<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><span><span><span><span><span><span> \u2014 features cinnamon and pumpkin blended into the brand\u2019s signature cheese wedges.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<figure class=\"image-right inside_story\">\n<div class=\"figure_content\">\n<div><img decoding=\"async\" data-imagemodel=\"-1\" src=\"https:\/\/imgproxy.divecdn.com\/JBJRvZ6qdm62NZzLjNZGfZO0R-2PmcDPp7zSLDlZI1o\/raw:1\/Z3M6Ly9kaXZlc2l0ZS1zdG9yYWdlL2RpdmVpbWFnZS9CZWxfQnJhbmRzX0xhdWdoaW5nX0Nvd19QdW1wa2luX0NoZWVzZV9QbGF0ZS5qcGc=\"\/><\/div>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\"inside_story_caption\">\n<p>Image courtesy of Bel Brands USA<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>&#8220;This limited-edition variety delivers all the cozy, craveable notes of the season, combined with our signature creamy texture. It&#8217;s a fun, flavorful twist that will instantly elevate any snack or spread all season long,\u201d Jessica Dillon, senior brand director of The Laughing Cow, said in a statement.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>To entice consumers to try out the product, Laughing Cow included a number of recipes in its announcement, including Autumn Delight Crostinis, Pumpkin Spice S&#8217;Mores Bites and Pumpkin Spice Cheesecake Dip.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<h3 class=\"standard-heading\"><span><span><span><span><span>What we\u2019re still thinking about<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span><span><span><span><em><span>$42<\/span><\/em><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>That\u2019s how much Ulta is charging per guest for <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>birthday parties at its stores<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><span><span><span><span><span><span>. The parties are 75 to 90 minutes long, can host between four to 12 people<strong> <\/strong>and include tutorials, guided sessions and games. For $13 and up per person, a birthday party can add stylist services to their group, including hair tinsel or accent braids. Guests can book the parties through their Ulta Beauty account.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<section class=\"storylines-carousel-wrapper hide-small show-large\" id=\"desktop-carousel\"\/>\n<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>As part of the deal, the birthday boy or girl will receive a 20% off coupon for their next visit and all guests will receive a gift bag filled with skin care, makeup and body care products. That goodie bag is a $100 value, according to Ulta\u2019s website, and the products included will be age-appropriate.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>\u201cWe are committed to providing healthy, gentle and effective products through curated assortments and brands formulated with tweens and teens in mind,\u201d the website reads.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span><span><span><span><em><span>$5.6M<\/span><\/em><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>That\u2019s what <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>Walmart will pay to settle a customer protection lawsuit<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><span><span><span><span><span><span> in California, according to a release from the Office of the District Attorney in Santa Clara County. The lawsuit was filed by a team of district attorneys\u2019 offices in the state and alleged that Walmart charged customers more than the lowest advertised price and sold some items with less weight than shown on the label, a violation of California\u2019s False Advertising and Unfair Competition Laws.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>\u201cWhen someone brings an item to the register to be scanned, the price must be right,\u201d District Attorney Jeff Rosen said in a statement. \u201cThey expect it. California expects it. My Office expects it \u2013 and we will apply the law to make sure of it.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>As part of the settlement, Walmart will pay $5.5 million in civil penalties, roughly $140,000 to cover the costs of the investigation in California and must maintain employees responsible for price and weight accuracy in its California stores.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<h3 class=\"standard-heading\"><span><span><span><span><span>What we\u2019re watching<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><em><span><span><span><span><span><span>Amazon, Walmart battle it out with groceries<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>Putting itself in deeper competition with other retailers, Amazon on Wednesday announced it will <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>offer same-day delivery of perishable groceries<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><span><span><span><span><span><span> in over 1,000 cities and towns across the U.S., with plans to expand in the next year. The move signifies Amazon\u2019s desire to become a one-stop shop for more consumers.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<section class=\"storylines-carousel-wrapper show-small hide-large\" id=\"mobile-carousel\"\/>\n<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>For Prime members, the e-commerce giant is offering the service for free on orders of more than $25 and for $2.99 on purchases under that threshold. Non-Prime members will pay a $12.99 fee, with no order minimum.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>The company earned more than $100 billion in gross sales of groceries and household essential goods last year, not including revenue from Whole Foods and Amazon Fresh.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>Its latest expansion sets it up to compete more directly with retailers such as Walmart, for which the grocery category is a main revenue driver. Walmart U.S.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>garnered about $276 billion<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><span><span><span><span><span><span> in net sales from grocery during the 2025 fiscal year.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>Amazon\u2019s update came a day after<strong> <\/strong>Walmart announced it would <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>expand its 10% employee discount perk<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><span><span><span><span><span><span> to include groceries year-round, instead of only during the holiday season.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><p><a href=\"https:\/\/dmsretail.com\/online-workshops-list\/\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-496\" src=\"https:\/\/dmsretail.com\/RetailNews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/RETAIL-ONLINE-TRAINING-728-X-90.png\" alt=\"Retail Online Training\" width=\"729\" height=\"91\" srcset=\"https:\/\/dmsretail.com\/RetailNews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/RETAIL-ONLINE-TRAINING-728-X-90.png 729w, https:\/\/dmsretail.com\/RetailNews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/RETAIL-ONLINE-TRAINING-728-X-90-300x37.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 729px) 100vw, 729px\" \/><\/a><\/p><br \/><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Listen to the article 7 min This audio is auto-generated. 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It\u2019s been another week with far more [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":15779,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-15778","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blog"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dmsretail.com\/RetailNews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15778","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dmsretail.com\/RetailNews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dmsretail.com\/RetailNews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dmsretail.com\/RetailNews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dmsretail.com\/RetailNews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=15778"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/dmsretail.com\/RetailNews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15778\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dmsretail.com\/RetailNews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/15779"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dmsretail.com\/RetailNews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=15778"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dmsretail.com\/RetailNews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=15778"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dmsretail.com\/RetailNews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=15778"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}