Alina Selyuk

About 8 percent of Costco store workers are represented by the Teamsters union. That's about 18,000 people in six states. The union demands better pay and benefits, pointing to Costco's record financial gains. And now the chain has announced a pay increase for non-union workers, according to an internal memo the CEO sent to staff seen by NPR.

About 8 percent of Costco store workers are represented by the Teamsters union. That's about 18,000 people in six states. The union demands better pay and benefits, pointing to Costco's record financial gains. And now the chain has announced a pay increase for non-union workers, according to an internal memo the CEO sent to staff seen by NPR.

Starting in March, most store workers would get a raise of $1 per hour for a minimum above $30 an hour. Entry-level pay will go up 50 cents for a minimum of $20 an hour. The raise is similar to one Costco gave last year. Costco teamsters argue it's only happening thanks to union pressure and that the company is still shorting its workers. Alina Seluch, NPR News.

Starting in March, most store workers would get a raise of $1 per hour for a minimum above $30 an hour. Entry-level pay will go up 50 cents for a minimum of $20 an hour. The raise is similar to one Costco gave last year. Costco teamsters argue it's only happening thanks to union pressure and that the company is still shorting its workers. Alina Seluch, NPR News.

Nordstrom is over a century old. It's a more upscale department store and it's been feeling lots of pressure from discount chains, but also from brands selling directly to shoppers. CEO Eric Nordstrom, President Pete Nordstrom and the rest of the Nordstrom family have been trying to take the company private for years.

Nordstrom is over a century old. It's a more upscale department store and it's been feeling lots of pressure from discount chains, but also from brands selling directly to shoppers. CEO Eric Nordstrom, President Pete Nordstrom and the rest of the Nordstrom family have been trying to take the company private for years.

Public stock markets tend to demand constant growth, which has been a struggle for most department stores. Now the board of directors has finally approved a deal. The family already owns about a third of the stock and will become the majority shareholder.

Public stock markets tend to demand constant growth, which has been a struggle for most department stores. Now the board of directors has finally approved a deal. The family already owns about a third of the stock and will become the majority shareholder.

Together with Mexico's Liverpool, the Nordstroms will buy all the shares for about $4 billion, plus they'll assume more than $2 billion in company debt.

Together with Mexico's Liverpool, the Nordstroms will buy all the shares for about $4 billion, plus they'll assume more than $2 billion in company debt.

Yeah, so the $25 billion grocery merger is over. Yesterday, the deal got a double whammy of legal losses. A federal judge in Oregon and a state judge in Washington, in two separate cases, blocked the merger from going through in rulings that were about an hour within each other. And this was after two years of the companies trying to get this merger approved.

Yeah, so the $25 billion grocery merger is over. Yesterday, the deal got a double whammy of legal losses. A federal judge in Oregon and a state judge in Washington, in two separate cases, blocked the merger from going through in rulings that were about an hour within each other. And this was after two years of the companies trying to get this merger approved.

Yeah, so the $25 billion grocery merger is over. Yesterday, the deal got a double whammy of legal losses. A federal judge in Oregon and a state judge in Washington, in two separate cases, blocked the merger from going through in rulings that were about an hour within each other. And this was after two years of the companies trying to get this merger approved.

And they did have an option to appeal and keep fighting, but Albertsons has now walked away. Albertsons has sued Kroger, claiming willful breach of contract, failure to put in best efforts to secure regulatory approval of the merger. Now, Kroger has quickly rebutted, saying it is Albertsons that's deflecting its own responsibilities. So they're now in a trading blame stage.

And they did have an option to appeal and keep fighting, but Albertsons has now walked away. Albertsons has sued Kroger, claiming willful breach of contract, failure to put in best efforts to secure regulatory approval of the merger. Now, Kroger has quickly rebutted, saying it is Albertsons that's deflecting its own responsibilities. So they're now in a trading blame stage.

And they did have an option to appeal and keep fighting, but Albertsons has now walked away. Albertsons has sued Kroger, claiming willful breach of contract, failure to put in best efforts to secure regulatory approval of the merger. Now, Kroger has quickly rebutted, saying it is Albertsons that's deflecting its own responsibilities. So they're now in a trading blame stage.

Yeah, yeah. It was in late 2022 when Kroger first said it would buy Albertsons. It bid nearly $25 billion, and this would have combined the two biggest supermarket chains in the U.S. And you might know these chains under different names. Kroger runs Ralph's, Harris Teeter, Fred Meyer, King Soopers, and others. Albertsons owns Safeway and Vons.

Yeah, yeah. It was in late 2022 when Kroger first said it would buy Albertsons. It bid nearly $25 billion, and this would have combined the two biggest supermarket chains in the U.S. And you might know these chains under different names. Kroger runs Ralph's, Harris Teeter, Fred Meyer, King Soopers, and others. Albertsons owns Safeway and Vons.

Yeah, yeah. It was in late 2022 when Kroger first said it would buy Albertsons. It bid nearly $25 billion, and this would have combined the two biggest supermarket chains in the U.S. And you might know these chains under different names. Kroger runs Ralph's, Harris Teeter, Fred Meyer, King Soopers, and others. Albertsons owns Safeway and Vons.

They have thousands of stores, and they knew this merger would be a tough sell for regulators. And indeed, the Federal Trade Commission sued them, so did several states, asking courts to block the merger. Overall, the process has been very expensive and a pretty unpopular deal. It's been criticized by Democrats and Republicans.