retail chains

Walmart has publicly committed that it will not use customer data to set personalized prices, saying bluntly 'We won't do it.' The pledge comes as major retailers face growing scrutiny over how they harvest shopper data, including concerns that companies could charge different customers different prices based on their purchasing habits and profiles.

McDonald's has launched a new advertising network, moving into the fast-growing retail media business. The move means the fast-food chain will sell ad space and use its customer data to help brands reach consumers, following a broader trend among retailers building advertising arms as a new source of revenue.

Attention is turning to the beauty category as a potential growth battleground between Walmart and Ulta Beauty. The question is whether the discount giant's expanding beauty offering threatens the specialty retailer's foothold, as both companies chase a category that has been one of the most resilient parts of retail spending and increasingly competitive among major chains.

Investors and retail watchers are weighing whether Kohl's or Macy's can sustain its dividend as both department-store chains struggle with declining sales and shrinking profits. The debate centers on which company has the stronger balance sheet and cash flow to keep paying shareholders while it restructures its business amid broader pressure on traditional brick-and-mortar retailers.