Stake Launches Clothing Brand Stake Supply
Australian fintech platform Stake has entered the apparel market with Stake Supply, its first clothing and accessories label. The debut collection, called Drop 1, offers eight minimalist‑styled items ranging from apparel to a basketball, all sold online. Stake’s senior brand designer Abbey Brown says the line mirrors the platform’s focus on functionality and premium everyday staples. The move extends Stake’s brand beyond digital trading services, aiming to deepen customer engagement.
E-Commerce Fraud Set to More Than Double to $131 Billion by 2030
Juniper Research projects global e‑commerce fraud to surge from $56 billion in 2025 to $131 billion by 2030, a 133 % increase. The spike is largely driven by "friendly fraud," which now accounts for the majority of chargeback disputes. Existing merchant defenses are...
Omnichannel Grocery: How Connected Retail Experiences Can Unlock Value Across Customer Touchpoints
Instacart is positioning its end‑to‑end platform as the backbone of omnichannel grocery, arguing that the hybrid shopper is now the default. The company claims a 30‑35% lift in customer lifetime value when retailers fully integrate digital and physical experiences. Its...
Co-Op Price-Match Ad Banned After Aldi Complaint
The UK Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) issued three rulings on Co‑op’s price‑match campaign that compared its "Everyday Essentials" to Aldi. While two complaints – about the overall clarity of the claim and the completeness of the product list – were...
When Shoppers Become the Audience: How Retail Theatre Is Rewriting the Store
Retail theatre is shifting stores from pure transaction hubs to staged experiences, where staff act as cast and purchases become props. In Melbourne, the MC Takeaway pop‑up replaces food with plush collectibles, turning a simple order into a nostalgic performance....
The Social Outfit CEO on Building Commercial Success Through an Ethical Model
The Social Outfit, a Sydney‑based fashion brand that blends charity, retail and manufacturing, employs refugee and migrant women while operating its own workroom and stores. CEO Amy Low is adding commercial systems—cash handling, sourcing, inventory controls—to a model that has...
Aldi Invests £22 Million in Price Cuts
Aldi has committed £22 million to slash prices on hundreds of items, ranging from fresh produce to household essentials. The discounts include staples such as red lentils, porridge sachets and organic oats, as well as meat and cheese products. By lowering...
AI-Powered Fragrance Company Osmo Raises $70 Million in Series B Funding
AI‑driven fragrance startup Osmo announced a $70 million Series B round, led by Two Sigma Ventures and backed by Alumni Ventures and Patrick Collison. The capital will fund a move to a new manufacturing hub in New Jersey and the addition of three...
Fitigues Is Back After Its Founders Reclaim the ‘90s Casual Brand
Fitigues, the iconic 1990s casualwear label, has returned after founders Steve and Andi Rosenstein reclaimed its intellectual property from Sycamore Partners. The duo opened a new flagship store in Scottsdale’s luxury shopping center and added a location at Newport Beach’s...
Puma Is Fueling Engagement and Community Feedback with an AI Platform Centered on Co-Creation
Puma relaunched its AI Creator platform in January, inviting fans to co‑design the Olympique de Marseille 2027‑28 third kit. The contest attracted over 35,000 unique users, who spent an average of eight minutes each, produced five designs per participant and...
Goodwill Plans 100 New Stores for 2026 After Hitting Record Revenue in 2025
Goodwill Industries posted a record $7 billion in revenue for 2025, its strongest performance in 125 years, and processed roughly 300 million store transactions. Its online platform, ShopGoodwill.com, achieved $450 million in gross merchandise value, underscoring digital growth. To capitalize on rising thrift...
Plustek eScan Scanner Speeds Auto Dealership's Digital Transformation.
Plustek’s eScan document scanner is accelerating the digital transformation of Lynch Family auto dealerships. The hardware’s plug‑and‑play design eliminated the need for employee training, while built‑in remote management cut IT installation and support costs. Integrated directly with the dealership’s Docuware...
The Modern Retail Marketing Summit Heads to Huntington Beach This April
The Modern Retail Marketing Summit will convene top brand and retailer marketers in Huntington Beach from April 20‑22, spotlighting how companies are navigating rapid shifts in SEO, influencer, and AI-driven channels. Speakers include ThredUp’s SVP Kristen Brophy, Thrive Market’s CMO Amina Pasha, PacSun’s CMO...
Why Retail’s AI Revolution Depends on Greater Network Resilience
Retail is rapidly evolving into an AI‑driven ecosystem, with technologies like computer‑vision loss prevention, dynamic pricing and personalized promotions relying on constant connectivity. Stores now operate as distributed data centers, where any network interruption instantly halts revenue and degrades the...
Plug Raises $20 Million Series A
Plug Technologies, a marketplace for buying and selling electric vehicles, announced a $20 million Series A round led by Lightspeed. The round also included participation from Galvanize and existing backers Autotech Ventures, Leap Forward Ventures, and Renn Global. Since its launch in...
Truist Launches AI-Enabled Platform to Automate Corporate Receivables
Truist Financial unveiled an AI‑enabled receivables platform that automates payment‑to‑invoice matching for corporate clients. Leveraging machine learning and business rules, the solution scans checks and electronic payments, extracts remittance data, and integrates with ERP systems for straight‑through processing. The platform...
How to Turn Packaging Into a Revenue Driver (Not Just Another Cost)
Packaging is no longer a hidden expense but a strategic growth lever. By treating packaging like a marketing asset, brands can boost conversion rates, lower customer acquisition costs, and increase average order value. Real‑world tests—such as a beauty brand’s $1.00...
Amazon Prime Sets Same- and Next-Day Delivery Record in 2025
Amazon reported that it delivered over 13 billion items with same- or next-day Prime service in 2025, a 44 percent increase from the previous year. U.S. shipments alone grew more than 30% to 8 billion items, with groceries accounting for over half of...
BuildDirect Expand Its U.S. Marketplace Footprint
BuildDirect.com Technologies Inc. completed the acquisition of Greyne Custom Wood’s operating assets for $450,000 in cash on February 1. The deal brings Greyne’s $6 million FY2025 sales, U.S. inventory, and marketplace fulfillment capabilities into BuildDirect’s platform. BuildDirect expects about $405,000 in...
Spotify to Use Checkout.com’s Global Acquiring Services
Spotify announced a partnership with Checkout.com to power its global payment infrastructure, leveraging the fintech’s Intelligent Acceptance, network tokenization, and authentication services. The arrangement will cover more than 180 countries, supporting Spotify’s 700 million monthly active users and 280 million paying subscribers....
Socure Unveils Unified Risk Platform for Government Agencies
Socure announced SocureGov RiskOS, a unified risk platform for government agencies to modernize digital identity verification. The solution merges Socure’s existing public‑sector offerings with new AI‑powered analytics, replacing fragmented legacy systems with a single ecosystem. It leverages behavioral analytics, device...
Looking Back at the 5 Biggest AI Lessons of 2025
In 2025 the AI industry learned that rapid feature rollout is insufficient without robust data infrastructure and governance. AutoDS’s CEO Lior Pozin discovered that once a solid foundation of data ownership and access was built, AI shifted from a novelty...
Stripe’s Stablecoin Expansion Faces Sanctions Scrutiny
Stripe’s 2025 acquisition of Bridge was intended to power a dollar‑backed stablecoin layer for faster, cheaper cross‑border payments. The Information reports that Bridge’s APIs were used in transactions linked to online scams and U.S. sanctions‑listed parties, prompting fresh compliance scrutiny....
When a Prepaid Issuer Goes Belly-Up, Who’s on the Hook?
The episode examines the fallout from Synergy’s sudden shutdown of its restaurant gift‑card program, leaving consumers with worthless prepaid cards and highlighting the lack of consumer recourse when such issuers fail. It details Costco’s voluntary refunds, despite no legal obligation,...
Arc’teryx Brings on Tommy Hilfiger Vet as First Chief Brand Officer
Arc’teryx has appointed Avery Baker, a former Tommy Hilfiger chief brand officer, as its first chief brand officer. Baker will oversee global brand strategy, marketing, communications and a new consumer‑experience team, reporting to CEO Stuart Haselden. The move coincides with the...
PayPal Shares Sink Amid Online Branded Checkout Headwinds
PayPal reported a modest 1% Q4 growth in its branded‑checkout payment volume, a sharp deceleration from the prior quarter, and its shares fell 18% on the news. The earnings release also announced a leadership transition, with board chair Enrique Lores...
Peloton Lays Off 11% of Workforce
Peloton announced it is laying off 11% of its global workforce as part of a broader restructuring effort. The cuts support a $100 million cost‑savings plan aimed at stabilizing the business by the end of fiscal year 2026. The move follows...
QVC Introduces New Beauty, Wellness Products
QVC announced the addition of several new beauty and wellness brands, including K18, Make Time Wellness, Karma and Medicine Mama, and will launch dedicated live‑shopping shows to showcase these products. The move aligns QVC with competitors such as Ulta, Walmart...
Clutch Play: Advance Auto Parts Shifts New Loyalty Program Into Gear
Advance Auto Parts has introduced a three‑tier Advance Rewards loyalty program, replacing its Speed Perks scheme. The free‑to‑join tiers—1st Gear, 2nd Gear and Top Gear—award five to ten points per dollar and allow members to stack up to $100 in...
Safello Expands to Finland Where One-Tenth Holds Crypto
Safello, the Swedish crypto exchange, announced its launch in Finland, a market where roughly one‑tenth of the adult population already holds digital assets. The move introduces local fiat on‑ramps and a native app tailored to Finnish regulatory requirements. Safello aims...
Levi’s Launches Immersive Pop-Up Experience Ahead of the Super Bowl
Levi Strauss & Co. is debuting an immersive "Home Turf" pop‑up in San Francisco from Feb 3‑5, timed with the Super Bowl at nearby Levi’s Stadium. The three‑day event blends live music, a Jordan Brand sneaker collaboration, and workshops tied to the...
Booths Names New CEO Amid Leadership Shake-Up
Booths, the 178‑year‑old family grocer, has named Nigel Murray as its new chief executive, establishing a four‑role executive team that reports directly to him. Emma Booth, the sixth‑generation family member, was promoted to chief brand officer, becoming the first female...
Brands Briefing: Why Anthropologie Is Embracing Print Catalogs for Both Acquisition and Retention
Anthropologie is expanding its print catalog program, increasing annual issues from five to seven in 2026. The retailer will boost total circulation to 2.5 million copies, up from 2 million. A test‑and‑learn methodology drives the change, allowing the brand to send catalogs...
Why some Payments Companies Want to Be Banks
Fintech powerhouses such as Stripe, PayPal, Affirm, Revolut, Fiserv and Checkout.com are applying for federal or state banking charters. Analysts say the move promises greater control over payment settlement, cost savings and the ability to offer FDIC‑insured accounts. A special...
Claire’s Appoints Chief Brand Officer as It Readies for a Reset in the U.S.
Claire’s, rescued from liquidation by Ames Watson’s $140 million acquisition in August 2025, has made its first C‑suite appointment by hiring former Athleta executive Michelle Goad as Chief Brand Officer. Goad will report to Ames Watson co‑founders Lawrence Berger and Tom Ripley...
Geekplus Powers Live Warehouse Robotics for Immersive, Shoppable Fashion Runway
Geekplus is sponsoring the world’s first AI‑driven, immersive shoppable runway hosted by THG Studios and Topshop on Feb. 26, 2026 in Manchester. The event blends a fashion catwalk with a live Fulfilment Zone where Geekplus’ autonomous P‑series mobile robots perform real‑time picking...
Privy Acquires Sendlane to Strengthen Its Position as an Ecommerce Growth Platform
Privy announced the acquisition of Sendlane, an email and SMS marketing platform, to strengthen its unified ecommerce growth solution. The deal follows Privy’s 2023 purchase of Emotive and builds on a client base of more than 6,000 brands. Privy reports...
PayPal Appoints New CEO
PayPal announced that board member and former HP chief executive Enrique Lores will become its new CEO and president effective March 1, replacing Alex Chriss, who has led the firm since September 2023. The board said the change reflects dissatisfaction with the company’s...
Walmart Connect Canada Academy Ad Certification Designed to Educate and Empower Advertisers
Walmart Connect Canada has launched the Walmart Connect Canada Academy Ad Certification, a free, self‑paced program designed to teach advertisers and partners the fundamentals of retail media and Sponsored Products on its platform. The certification includes two initial courses—Retail Media...
Widdop & Co Showcases WiddopDropship Platform Spring Fair
Widdop & Co has launched WiddopDropship.co.uk, a dropship platform that lets independent retailers list its full product range without holding inventory. The service was demonstrated at Spring Fair’s Hall 4 Village stand, highlighting a low‑risk growth model where Widdop fulfills orders...
Comic Relief’s First Ever Design-Yer Nose on Amazon
Comic Relief launched its first Design‑Your‑Own Red Nose on Amazon, letting the public customize the iconic red nose with personal artwork. Prices start at £2.50 and the range includes a collector pack, multipacks for groups, and Mr Doodle‑styled bucket hats...
Visa and UnionPay Partner on Cross-Border Money Movement Into Chinese Mainland
Visa and UnionPay have signed an agreement to connect Visa Direct with UnionPay’s MoneyExpress platform, allowing Visa’s global clients to send cross‑border remittances and payouts to more than 95% of debit cardholders in mainland China. The service, slated for a...
Self-Service Reshaping Retail in Australia
A recent IDC study, sponsored by Diebold Nixdorf, shows that over two‑thirds of Australian shoppers prefer self‑checkout, especially when alone or in a hurry. However, checkout delays, trust concerns, and rigid systems frustrate many consumers. Retailers are responding by investing in...
French Connection Group Looking to Expand in North American Market
French Connection Group announced a long‑term licensing partnership with G‑III Apparel Group to design, source, and distribute men’s and women’s apparel and accessories across North America. The deal leverages G‑III’s extensive retail relationships and supply‑chain infrastructure, giving French Connection a...
The Potential Impact of Walmart's ChatGPT Shopping Strategy
Walmart has teamed with OpenAI to let Sam’s Club members shop and checkout directly inside ChatGPT, extending its Sparky AI assistant to a conversational platform. The move follows similar AI‑shopping collaborations by Shopify, Etsy, Amazon and Target, signaling a broader...
URway Holdings Details AI Connect Bar Capabilities
URway Holdings introduced its AI Connect Bar, a unified communications platform that harnesses conversational voice AI. The solution was demonstrated at the NRF 2026 Retail’s Big Show, highlighting its potential for contact centers. Chief engagement officer Ed Crowley and CRO...
Why Small Retailers Are Ditching Tablets for Dedicated POS Terminals
Small retailers are replacing consumer tablets with purpose‑built POS terminals due to frequent downtime, durability issues, hidden costs, and security challenges. Internal analysis of over 10,000 merchants shows staff satisfaction rising, hardware replacements falling 41 %, and transaction completion improving after...
Weird Fish Delivers Record Christmas and Full Year Performance
Weird Fish reported its strongest Christmas quarter, with November‑December sales up 18.4% to £13.5 million and comparable sales rising 6.6% over the 12‑week period to 28 December. Online revenue grew 12% year‑on‑year, and outlet performance was particularly strong. Full‑year revenue hit a...
Belstaff Retail Digital Transformation with Unified Retail Integration
British heritage brand Belstaff completed an end‑to‑end digital transformation by replacing its legacy stack with a headless Shopify e‑commerce platform backed by NetSuite as a single source of truth. Integration specialist Patchworks provides the middleware that synchronises inventory, orders and...
UK Shoppers Expect Returns to Fit Around Daily Life
January is the busiest returns period in the UK, and new InPost research shows shoppers now demand returns that fit around their daily routines. Nearly two‑thirds of consumers choose return methods to avoid queues, and 64% find parcel lockers highly...