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If you’re among the growing number of people who shop regularly at Dollar General, you might want to start stocking up on your favorite items.The retailer has been aggressively downsizing its product lineup over the last few months, and says it plans to further reduce the number of items on its shelves over the coming weeks.The announcement came during Dollar General’s Q4 FY2026 earnings call in early March. During the call, COO Emily Taylor told investors that while the company saw a 5.9% increase in net sales over the quarter, it planned to significantly trim back on its inventory in 2026 in an effort to better strengthen its financial position and enhance the customer experience.“We do have a net reduction plan for 2026, and the team’s well underway on getting that executed,” Taylor said. Dollar General is reducing its product line upIt’s possible you’ve already noticed some of your preferred Dollar General products disappearing over the last few years. The retailer’s CEO, Todd Vasos, told investors that stock keeping units (SKU) reduction has “been the cornerstone of part of our stabilization of retail” for some time now.“I would tell you that the team has done just a fabulous job over the last two years, quite frankly, in reducing inventory,” he continued. “There’s more to come.” Related: Dollar General poised to win budget sector after these key movesTaylor echoed Vasos’ statements, telling investors that the product line-up reduction was a part of a larger effort to simplify Dollar General’s offerings and streamline its operations.“Over 1,500 SKUs have been taken out of the assortment,” Taylor said. “The team has done an excellent job of navigating that while also supporting growth in the business.”“It really does come together to support higher and better in-store conditions, which we’re measuring in terms of clean, in-stock, recovered, and engaged, and all metrics as it relates to that are up significantly versus prior year,” she continued. “[We’re] really excited about the results that the team’s achieved and really believe it gives us momentum as we move forward to continue to drive these results.”  Neither Vasos nor Taylor specified which items the retailer was planning to eliminate in 2026.

Dollar General says it plans to remove thousands of items from its product lineup in order to simplify the customer experience.Shutterstock.

Dollar General is refreshing its storesOne of Dollar General’s strategic growth pillars is enhancing the customer experience. To that end, it is working on decluttering its stores over the coming year.During the earnings call, Vasos told investors Dollar General will be introducing a new store format in 2026, as well as fully-remodeling or partially renovating the bulk of its existing stores.“This new format is designed to be more open and inviting, resulting in greater browsing and treasure hunt shopping as customers are exposed to more categories as they navigate the store,” Vasos said. “[The renovate and elevate] projects [for existing stores] include physical asset enhancements, merchandising updates, product adjacency adjustments, and category refreshes, all of which impact up to 80% of the total store,” he continued.More retail:Olive Garden is making big menu changes diners will loveSpectrum shifts gears as customers desert its servicesCostco quietly makes major checkout changesIf you’ve ever stepped inside a Dollar General store, you’re likely well aware of how cramped they can feel. I know my local store often has hand trucks stacked with yet-to-be-shelved inventory blocking entire aisles.Reducing the number of items on the shelves, and the amount of time it takes to stock those shelves, will help make it easier to keep the stores browsable and easy to maneuver.GlobalData Managing Director Neil Saunders told Retail Dive that the effects are already being noticed.“These improvements have also meant that many stores are now looking better and are easier to shop,” he said. “Admittedly, we still believe that Dollar General has some work to do on this front, but there has been a significant step-up over the last year.”Dollar General is staying committed to low pricesAll of this store refresh and product reduction talk makes it sound as though Dollar General is laying the groundwork to raise prices. But the retailer says you don’t have to worry about that.“While we continue to be pleased with our pricing position against competitors and other classes of trade, we know value is multifaceted, especially for our core customer,” Vasos told investors during the earnings call. “As a result, beyond our goal of keeping prices within 3-4 percentage points of mass retailers, we continue to offer compelling value through our extensive offering of more than 2,000 items at or below the $1 price point,” he continued.According to a December 2025 survey from Capital One and The Decision Lab, 77% of Americans feel anxious about their financial situations, and 56% worry about keeping up with the cost of living.With so many people tightening their purse strings, value-oriented retailers like Dollar General will be a lifeline for many — even if they no longer stock your favorite items. Related: Walmart launches genius new way for customers to shop

TheStreet aims to feature only the best products and services. If you buy something via one of our links, we may earn a commission.Why we love this dealThere are fewer things we like more than a fresh new pair of sneakers. Once a shoe more commonly worn for a workout, these days the endless amount of styles, designs, and prints make them a favorite shoe to keep in our closet. Not only are they super comfortable but they often provide great support and reduce impact on your joints when you’re walking or running while helping prevent injury, but they better stabilize your foot compared to other shoes. Plus, they’re a versatile shoe that can work with all kinds of outfits, and in a time where apparel and footwear can get pretty pricey, having something so multifunctional helps you save money in the long run. And if you know exactly where to shop, you can save even more money taking advantage of retail-specific sales. Right now, Amazon is selling the Nike Court Legacy Next Nature Shoes for 25% off. The sneakers are priced usually at $75, and on the Nike site right now that’s still what they’re selling for, but Amazon is giving you the chance to get them for just $56 during its Big Spring Sale. Not only that, but Amazon is offering the same sneaker in eight additional colors as well. Nike Court Legacy Next Nature Shoes, $56 (was $75) at Amazon

Courtesy of Amazon

Shop at AmazonWhy do shoppers love it?Nike is pretty dominant in the sneaker space, and for good reason. They create long lasting, iconic shoes that are both stylish and comfortable. The Court Legacy Next Nature Shoes follow in that regard with a synthetic leather and canvas durable outer layer, sturdy rubber bottom, and foam-enhanced supportive base. The overall design of this shoe is meant to honor tennis culture by bringing you a “time-tested staple” that blends sport and fashion with its tennis shoe-inspired silhouette and clean, sleek design. Made from at least 20% recycled materials, the shoes use the synthetic leather and canvas material to give the sneaker a lightweight, water-resistant exterior that has a closed-toe design with reinforced synthetic leather overlay for extra durability. Like all Nike sneakers, the well-known Nike swoosh is emblazoned on the side of each sneaker, though the color of it varies based on which of the eight available colors you choose. The inside of the shoe is lined with a cotton material that helps air circulate and is super breathable. This keeps your feet dry and cool instead of sweaty and damp. There is a foam-based insole cushioning that provides support and comfort, and it has a rubber backing to keep it securely in place. The shoes have the standard lace-up design for easy wear with a  full-length rubber outsole that has a herringbone pattern to provide multi-surface traction. Related: Amazon is selling New Balance Fresh Foam running shoes from just $25The shoes are advertised as women’s sneakers, but they can be worn by anyone. The shoes are availableAvailable in women’s sizes 5 through 12. You can reference the original Nike listing which has the corresponding men’s sizes to find the equivalent of a men’s shoeDetails to knowMaterial: Synthetic leather, canvas, rubber, cotton, and foam-based material. Colors: Nine.Sizes: The sneakers are available in sizes 5 through 12, with half sizes in between. Shoppers love that these sneakers are versatile, lightweight, and stylish. Although they run true to size, the sneakers can feel a bit tight when first wearing them but after a few days, they loosen and “fit perfectly.” The exterior is super durable while the interior feels soft and cozy on the feet. “They are very comfortable to wear all day,” one shopper said. Shop more deals Heydude Wally Slip-on Loafers, $52 (was $65) at AmazonAdidas VL Court 3.0 Sneaker, $70 (was $75) at AmazonUnder Armour Charged Surge 4 Sneaker, $40 (was $65) at AmazonWhen your tried-and-true kicks are well-worn and beat up, you can’t go wrong with the Nike Court Legacy Next Nature Shoes as a replacement option.

Global business relies on stability to operate, and oil prices are the cornerstone of that stability. But oil supply shocks caused by the Iran war, which just concluded its fourth week, have upended that stability, sending the global economy into a tailspin, France 24 reported.Goldman Sachs analysts spent their last note trying to estimate the impact of higher oil prices on the U.S. labor market, and they came to three conclusions about where the U.S. labor market is headed. At first, the stated U.S. rationale for the attack was to stop Iran’s nuclear ambitions. However, many pointed out that the Trump administration said last year that the U.S. and Israel had already “obliterated” Iran’s nuclear capacity.Israeli officials at the time did not agree with the “obliterated” adjective, but the Israel Atomic Energy Commission and IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir both agreed that the attacks set Iran’s nuclear ambitions “back by years, I repeat, years.”Well, just seven months later, they are back bombing Iran, but this time the objective is less clear and has constantly shifted, The Washington Post reported.Once again, “stability” is the name of the game in the global economy. But since we don’t currently have that, we have to rely on Goldman Sachs analysts to tell us what will happen to U.S. labor next, based on their expertise.Goldman Sachs draws 3 conclusions about oil shock’s impact on U.S. labor marketBrent crude futures rose toward $111 per barrel on Friday, March 27, near the highest level since June 2022, on reports that the U.S. is considering sending up to 10,000 additional ground troops to the region, per Axios, potentially embroiling the U.S. in a much longer conflict in the Middle East.The last time gas prices were this high was following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, when Brent crude prices reached $123.64 per barrel.Goldman Sachs conclusions on the labor marketThe impact of higher gas prices on the labor market is more muted than it was 50 years ago. Job loss estimates from different sources generally align with the Federal Reserve’s basic model.Traditional job gains in certain industries from increased prices will be more subtle this time.”First, we find that while higher oil prices still tend to reduce job growth and raise unemployment, the impact is roughly one-third as large as in 1975-1999, likely reflecting the lower oil intensity of U.S. GDP and surge in domestic shale production,” Goldman analysts said. The second conclusion the team came to was that other data sources agree with the Federal Reserve’s FRB/US report’s conclusion. “These estimates suggest that the oil price shock implied by our strategists’ baseline oil price forecast would raise the unemployment rate by 0.1pp, which is one of the reasons that we expect the unemployment rate to rise 0.2pp in total to 4.6% by 2026Q3,” Goldman said. That impact mostly reflects lower hiring and modestly higher layoffs in industries most exposed to discretionary spending. Goldman’s final conclusion: Any follow-on job gains in certain industries that have been observed in the past will be more muted now.”Significant improvements in extraction productivity in recent years suggest that job gains will likely be more limited this time, even if oil production expands. Accounting for both job gains in the energy industry and job losses elsewhere, we estimate that higher oil prices will reduce payroll growth by roughly 10k per month on net through year-end,” Goldman says.

Experts expect the unemployment rate to rise 0.2 percentage points to 4.6% by 2026Q3.MoMo Productions/Getty Images

Chevron CEO bemoans market uncertainty amid Iran warThis week, Chevron CEO Mike Wirth, speaking at the CERAWeek oil conference in Houston, was blunt about the current state of the oil industry. “They’re unpredictable,” Wirth told Bloomberg Television. “They’re volatile. The market opened up last night in Asia with some anxiety. Related: Morgan Stanley names top auto pick if gas prices stay high”Things in the Middle East looked like they were going to escalate,” he added. “The president came out with a message saying, ‘No, we’re removing this deadline that we imposed over the weekend,’ and the markets traded off. The fundamentals are very tight out there. “It will take time to rebuild inventories of the right grades of crude, the right types of products around the world to meet the demand,” Wirth explained, according to SeekingAlpha.As for when production will get back to normal, Wirth says it is “an uncertainty that we’re going to have to deal with as we go forward. We’ve seen tightness in distillate products like diesel and jet fuel, and in particular, Asia is facing some real concerns about supply.”And while oil futures have gone haywire since the war started, Wirth says they have not fully priced in the scale of the supply disruption that was triggered by the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.The market is instead trading on “scant information” and “perception,” while the physical supply of oil is probably tighter than the futures contracts suggest.Related: U.S. economy will show resilience, despite rising oil prices

United Parcel Service investors counting on a dividend raise this year are going to be disappointed.That message came straight from UPS (UPS) CFO Brian Dykes, who made it crystal clear that the shipping giant is freezing its dividend in 2026. For anyone holding UPS as a dividend stock, this is a significant development worth understanding.The company has been paying out about 80% to 90% of its net income as dividends. That’s well above its long-term target of 50% to 60%.In other words, UPS is distributing more than it comfortably should, and management knows it.”We don’t expect the dividend to increase, and we’re not going to increase it in 2026…. But we are going to work ourselves back toward that target,” Dykes said during a March conference.So what’s going on at one of America’s most iconic dividend stocks? A lot, actually.UPS is a dividend stock under pressureMost people know UPS as the brown-truck company that shows up at their door. But it’s also one of the largest logistics networks on the planet, moving roughly 6% of U.S. gross domestic product (GDP) annually.The company has been going through one of the most dramatic transformations in its 118-year history. At its center is a deliberate decision to dump a large chunk of its Amazon business.Related: 30-year-old shipping company files Chapter 11 bankruptcyAt its peak, Amazon accounted for approximately 10% of UPS’s revenue, about $10 billion. Over the past two years, UPS has cut that relationship nearly in half, shedding approximately $5 billion in Amazon revenue and 2 million packages per day.Why? The Amazon business UPS is exiting is low-margin, high-volume work that’s increasingly handled by Amazon’s own delivery network. Rather than fighting for scraps, UPS is getting out and refocusing on higher-value customers: small businesses, health care logistics, and business-to-business (B2B) shipping.That pivot makes strategic sense long-term. But right now, it’s creating serious short-term pain.

UPS is exiting low-margin businesses.JEAN-CHRISTOPHE VERHAEGEN/ Getty Images

A pause on UPS dividend hikesThe first half of 2026 is shaping up to be rough for UPS. Three things are hitting the business at once.First, volumes are falling as the Amazon drawdown continues. Second, the company is transitioning its economy shipping product, called Ground Saver, back to the U.S. Postal Service, which carries transitional costs. Third, UPS is replacing its aging MD-11 aircraft fleet with new Boeing 767s, adding temporary lease expenses.All of that pressure is landing on the company’s income statement at the same time.For the first quarter of 2026, Dykes said domestic operating margins could land in the “mid-single digits”: a far cry from where UPS wants to be. More on dividend stocks:How much to invest in Ford stock for $1,000 in 2026 dividends189-year-old dividend stock offers 19% upside in March 2026Semiconductor dividend stock shows 40 percent upside as AI demand upFor context, UPS posted a 10.2% domestic operating margin in the fourth quarter of 2025 and is targeting a return to double-digit margins over time.The full-year 2026 guidance calls for roughly flat earnings per share (EPS) and consolidated revenue of around $89.7 billion, barely above the $88.7 billion reported in 2025.A dividend yield of almost 7%Here are the key dividend metrics UPS investors should know right now.Annual dividend: Approximately $6.56 per shareDividend yield: About 6.9% (based on recent share price levels)Dividend payout ratio (current): 80% to 90% of net incomeLong-term payout ratio target: 50% to 60% of net income2026 planned dividend outlay: Approximately $5.4 billion2026 estimated free cash flow: About $6.1 billion Annual dividend expense: Around $5.6 billionThe payout ratio is the number to watch. Until UPS gets margins moving back up, the dividend is frozen in place.What’s next for UPS stock?Dykes and CEO Carol Tomé both laid out a credible path to recovery for UPS.By the second half of 2026, the logistics behemoth expects to be running a leaner network, with 93 buildings already closed in 2025 and 24 more slated for the first half of this year. Automation is being deployed across the system, and facilities running automated operations cost 28% less per package than those running conventional operations.The company’s Digital Access Program, which connects small businesses to UPS services through online marketplaces, has grown from $150 million six years ago to more than $4 billion in 2025. That’s the kind of sticky, high-margin revenue that supports a healthy dividend stock over the long run.”Our strategy is not a shrink-the-company strategy,” Tomé said on the company’s fourth-quarter earnings call. “It’s a growth strategy in the best parts of the market.”For dividend investors, the message from Dykes is a cautious one: UPS is protecting the dividend, not growing it. Out of the 21 analysts covering UPS stock, nine recommend “buy,” nine recommend “hold,” and three recommend “sell.”The average UPS stock price target is $113, indicating an upside potential of 19% from current levels.Related: This Dow 30 dividend stock is up 100% in the past year