U.S. retail spending improved in March, growing by 3.3% year-over-year according to the most recent Circana data.“Topline numbers appear healthy, but appearances can be misleading. Retailers are navigating an environment where calendar shifts, promotions, and temporary tailwinds are masking deeper vulnerabilities in consumer spending,” said Marshal Cohen, chief retail industry advisor for Circana (more).

White Castle is partnering with Automated Retail Technologies to satisfy burger cravings nationwide, with 1,000 automated kiosks set to roll out from coast to coast. “This partnership provides a fun new way for consumers to experience White Castle,” said Jamie Richardson, chief marketing officer at White Castle (more).

Lululemon has announced its new CEO, Heidi O’Neill, who will take the helm on September 8. O’Neill had previously served as president of Consumer, Product & Brand at Nike, working for 25 years for the footwear and apparel company (more).

Tesla CEO Elon Musk has stated that older models may require updates in order to be capable of unsupervised full self-driving (FSD). The number of vehicles impacted rests in the 4 million range (more).

Tractor Supply is continuing its rampant growth arc, seeing first quarter sales improve by 3.5% even as it opened 40 new locations during the same quarter. “New stores remain a hallmark of our performance,” said CEO Hal Lawton (more).