What Hemp Brands Want From Federal Regulations
Congressman Morgan Griffith introduced the Hemp Enforcement, Modernization and Protection (HEMP) Act, proposing federal caps on THC levels for hemp‑derived edibles, beverages, topicals and inhalables. The bill would limit oral products to 10 mg per serving and 5 mg of delta‑9 THC per serving across categories, while placing higher limits on non‑intoxicating cannabinoids. Industry leaders welcome the move for regulatory certainty but warn that overly low caps could force brands out of the market. The legislation would place oversight under the FDA, aiming to weed out unsafe products.
How Brilliant Earth Is Capitalizing on Couples Shopping for Wedding Rings Together
Brilliant Earth opened a flagship showroom in Beverly Hills, expanding its 42‑store network and shifting from appointment‑only spaces to high‑traffic locations. The brand is redesigning the in‑store experience to cater to couples who now shop for engagement rings together, a...
Gymshark’s Jennifer Lai Discusses Building Range Before Chasing Titles
Jennifer Lai, a former Adidas and Dyson executive, has joined Gymshark to design and launch its first North American brick‑and‑mortar stores. She will oversee expansion, operations and people, creating a community‑first retail experience that mirrors the brand’s digital DNA. Lai...
Strong BFCM Season Underpins Significant KMD Brands Sales Boost
Outdoor‑wear retailer Kathmandu, part of KMD Brands, posted a 12.9% sales increase in the five months to December 25, driving a 7.9% rise in group revenue. The strong Black Friday and Christmas performance prompted KMD Brands to lift its full‑year EBITDA...
Shoppers Still Wary of AI Agents
Adoption of AI-powered shopping assistants is accelerating, yet most consumers remain hesitant to let these agents complete purchases autonomously. Recent surveys show that trust gaps center on payment handling, with many shoppers fearing fraud or loss of control. The friction...
Conversation with… Nina Daniels, Founder of Nina D
Swedish designer Nina Daniels founded Nina D in early 2020, turning a personal ritual of buying placemats into a handmade tableware brand. Launching weeks before COVID, she pivoted to an online‑only model, emphasizing luxury‑grade gift‑wrapping and handwritten notes to create a...
Reclaim Traffic with Smarter Ads
With AI chatbots and shopping agents siphoning organic visits, ecommerce marketers are shifting toward smarter ad targeting to sustain growth in 2026. A Harvard Business Review survey shows 74% of U.S. adults 18‑30 used an AI chatbot in the past...
Are You Impacted by Amazon KYC with Disbursements Held?
Amazon’s Know Your Customer (KYC) verification is once again stalling payouts for a growing number of sellers, with many reports of documents being rejected and disbursements withheld for months. The issue disproportionately affects UK merchants who cannot use a driving...
Relisting: Boost eBay Views Without Ad-Spending
David Brackin shows eBay sellers how a manual bulk relist of stale inventory can dramatically boost visibility without spending on Promoted Listings. By ending and restarting the bottom third of low‑engagement listings during their scheduled renewal, the items receive a...
SmartThings Ventures Ltd Expands Merchant Payment Capabilities With New Paytech Platform
SmartThings Ventures Ltd has launched the Paytech platform, a turnkey payment solution aimed at eCommerce and digital‑first merchants. The service consolidates transaction processing, settlement and reporting into a single, secure framework, reducing the need for fragmented tools. It emphasizes consistency,...
The Infinite Tail
The blog revisits the Long Tail theory, noting how platforms like YouTube and Netflix shifted consumer choice from a few hits to millions of options. It argues that large language models now push this trend further, enabling AI to generate...
5 Ways Hypersonix’s Pricing Automation Tools Are Transforming Modern Commerce
Hypersonix’s Pricing AI replaces manual spreadsheets with autonomous, data‑driven pricing, enabling retailers to react to market changes in hours instead of days. The platform monitors competitor moves and demand signals in near real‑time, applying margin guardrails to suggest or execute...
The High-Bandwidth Hub: Why Ecosystem Density Is the New Real Estate North Star
By 2026 fintech startups have shifted site selection from pricey downtown cores to high‑bandwidth hubs that combine talent, compute power, and data resources. Entrepreneurs now evaluate locations on ecosystem density—proximity to universities, incubators, and enterprise‑grade fiber or 5G/6G connectivity—rather than...
Modern Retail Podcast: How ICE Activity Became an Issue Retailers Big and Small Can No Longer Ignore
The Modern Retail Podcast examines how increased Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) activity in cities such as Minneapolis is reshaping the retail landscape. Executives are grappling with heightened security concerns while shoppers stage protests that threaten foot traffic. Brands are...
Wing Launches Drone Delivery for Walmart in Greater Houston in Biggest Expansion Yet
Wing has launched its drone delivery service for Walmart customers across Greater Houston, marking the company’s most ambitious expansion to date. The service promises deliveries of everyday essentials, groceries, and OTC medicines in as little as 30 minutes using lightweight...
Elavon Introduces Payments App Integrated With Microsoft 365 Applications
Elavon, a U.S. Bank subsidiary, has partnered with Microsoft to launch Elavon Live Payments, a payments app embedded directly within Microsoft 365. The solution, now listed on the Microsoft Marketplace, operates inside Outlook and Teams, allowing users to create invoices,...
Affirm Becomes Expedia Group’s Exclusive BNPL Provider in US
Affirm has become the exclusive buy‑now‑pay‑later provider for Expedia Group’s U.S. travel brands—including Expedia, Hotels.com and Vrbo—under an expanded multi‑year partnership. The agreement will also extend to Canadian travelers on select properties in the coming weeks. The move adds Expedia...
The Weekly Closeout: Valentine’s Day Spending to Top $29B, Merit to Raise Prices
This week’s retail roundup highlights a record $29.1 billion spend on Valentine’s Day, driven by higher‑income shoppers expanding gift lists to include friends, coworkers and pets. Beauty brand Merit announced price hikes and a higher free‑shipping threshold as logistics costs climb....
Perplexity Adds Microsoft’s Azure as a Cloud Service Provider
Perplexity AI signed a three‑year, $750 million agreement with Microsoft to run its services on Azure, leveraging the Azure Foundry platform for access to frontier models from X, OpenAI and Anthropic. The partnership runs alongside Perplexity’s existing relationship with Amazon Web...
SoFi Scales Cross-Selling as Loan Originations Hit Records
SoFi reported a record‑breaking fourth quarter, delivering its first billion‑dollar revenue run and $10.5 billion in loan originations, surpassing the $10 billion threshold. The company added a record 1 million new members, reaching 13.7 million, and opened 1.6 million new products, with 40% coming from...
Costco and Instacart Say ‘Si’ and ‘Oui’ to Same-Day Delivery in Europe
Costco Wholesale has introduced same‑day grocery delivery in France and Spain, leveraging Instacart’s technology platform. The service launches across all Costco locations in both countries, including Paris, Mulhouse, Bilbao, Madrid, Seville and Zaragoza. Instacart will work with local European partners...
Walmart’s Choice for New CEO Signals Intent to Expand Digital Footprint
Walmart announced that John Furner will assume the role of CEO on February 1, 2026, succeeding Doug McMillon. Furner, the current head of Walmart U.S., is recognized for his tech‑savvy leadership, including early advocacy for drones and AI‑driven initiatives. The appointment...
Embedded Finance to ‘Explode’: Panel
Embedded finance is set to explode as apps embed payments, lending, and other services, according to a Cross River Bank panel. Executives highlighted the stickiness created when platforms, lenders, and brands acquire customers simultaneously. They also noted a surge in...
Visa Doles Out Stablecoin Advice
Visa has launched stablecoin advisory services to guide financial institutions, merchants and tech firms on integrating digital assets, debuting the offering last month. The move coincides with the expansion of stablecoin‑enabled cards to about 50 countries and a settlement run...
Amazon Slicing 16K Jobs in Re-Organizational Strategy
Amazon announced it will eliminate approximately 16,000 positions worldwide as part of a re‑organizational effort that began in October 2025. The cuts aim to reduce hierarchical layers, increase ownership, and cut bureaucracy across the company. Affected U.S. employees receive up to...
The Great Consumer Divide: Why the Middle Is Disappearing and Why Brands Should Fear It
Retailers are witnessing a rapid erosion of the traditional middle segment as shoppers split between low‑price value and high‑premium experiences. Across grocery, pet food, fashion, automotive and coffee, brands positioned at the extremes are gaining share while mid‑tier offerings lose...
Planning to Attend Merchant Payments Ecosystem (MPE) 2026? We’ve Got a Little Bonus for You
The Merchant Payments Ecosystem (MPE) 2026 conference will take place in Berlin from March 17‑19, gathering Europe’s leading merchants, acquirers, fintechs and regulators. Organisers are offering a 10 % discount with the code payspace10 through March 17, lowering ticket costs for attendees....
TrumpRx Delayed Amid Potential Anti-Kickback Concerns
The White House postponed the rollout of TrumpRx, the federal direct‑to‑consumer drug marketplace. Officials cite potential violations of the federal anti‑kickback statute as a key factor, prompting HHS to issue a guidance bulletin outlining required safeguards. Major manufacturers including Pfizer,...
Birks Group Reports 11.8% Holiday-Period Sales Increase
Birks Group reported an 11.8% increase in net sales for its FY2026 holiday period, ending Dec. 27, 2025. The growth was driven by recent European Boutique store acquisitions and stronger sales of branded jewelry and timepieces across both physical locations and e‑commerce...
Sengarmi.sn: Sport and Cosmetics Revolution in Dakar 2026
Sengarmi.sn is reshaping Dakar’s 2026 fitness surge by pairing pharmaceutical‑grade sports supplements with dermatologist‑approved tropical skincare. The platform offers creatine, whey isolate, high‑calorie gainers, BCAAs and Omega‑3s, plus local‑flavored bundles, while also stocking SPF‑50+ serums and moisturizers designed for high...
German Companies Unite to Launch EU-Based Product
Three German software firms—STACKIT, Adesso, and Empiriecom—have launched the German Digital Commerce Operation Model, an end‑to‑end ecommerce solution that keeps all data and processes within Europe. The platform stores information in Germany and Austria, complying with GDPR and offering zero‑access...
Crypto Network Mesh Reaches Unicorn Status with $1 Billion Valuation
Crypto Network Mesh announced it has reached unicorn status, achieving a $1 billion post‑money valuation after closing a $200 million Series B round. The funding was led by Andreessen Horowitz and Sequoia Capital, with participation from several sovereign wealth funds. Mesh’s decentralized protocol...
NICE Strategy Leader Talks Agentic AI, Retail Industry Trends
At NRF 2026, Tom Yang, head of sales strategy and transformation at NICE, highlighted the rise of agentic AI in retail customer experience. He explained how NICE’s purpose‑built, AI‑powered platforms turn engagements into proactive, safe, and intelligent actions, enabling retailers...
Levi Strauss, Walmart, Amazon Lead Brand Keys Loyalty Index
The 28th annual Brand Keys Customer Loyalty Engagement Index (CLEI) identifies Levi Strauss, Walmart and Amazon as the top loyalty leaders for 2026, alongside sector champions such as Dick’s, Costco and Whole Foods. The study highlights a rapid rise in...
Levi Strauss Sees European Revenue Rise
Levi Strauss & Co. reported a resilient fourth quarter, with net revenues rising 1% to $1.8 bn (5% organic) despite wholesale pressure. Europe stood out, posting an 8% reported and 10% organic increase, while the U.S. saw a 7% decline on...
Digital Wallet Use Still Lags in the Physical Store
The PYMNTS Intelligence study shows digital wallets are twice as likely to be used for online retail purchases (16%) than in physical stores (8%). Consumer payment preferences now align more with shopping channel than with age, as e‑commerce adoption converges...
Why Fraud Doesn’t Look Like Fraud to a Data Scientist
Fraud no longer looks like a discrete incident; data scientists see it as subtle behavioral deviations across a dynamic transaction ecosystem. Traditional rule‑based defenses create excessive false declines, eroding revenue and customer trust. Visa’s shift to deep‑learning models delivers 15‑20%...
Four Reasons Why Retailers Need to Get Personal with Their Returns Policy
ASOS has introduced a tiered returns policy that removes the £3.95 fee for shoppers who maintain a low return rate, and it now lets customers track their return history directly in the mobile app. The move highlights a growing industry...
Canadian Retail News From Around The Web For January 30, 2026
Canada’s retail sector shows mixed signals as e‑commerce orders surged 20% in 2025 while payroll employment slipped 1.5% in November. Major players are investing heavily: GoodLife Fitness rolled out a year‑long multichannel campaign, Empire Company expects a $95 million operating‑income lift...
Empire Company to Close Alberta E-Commerce Facilities, Expands Third-Party Delivery Partnerships
Empire Company and its Sobeys subsidiary announced a restructuring of their grocery e‑commerce network, closing the Calgary and Edmonton fulfillment centers in Alberta. The move, combined with an expanded partnership with DoorDash, is projected to generate about $95 million of annualized...
Larry’s Catch Draws Three Offers on CBC’s Dragons’ Den
Larry’s Catch, a Canadian direct‑to‑consumer seafood delivery startup, appeared on CBC’s Dragons’ Den and secured three investor offers during its national television debut. The founders used the platform to showcase a subscription model that sources wild‑caught fish from sustainable family fisheries...
Luxury Briefing: Inside LMVH’s ‘Quiet Opulence’ Jewelry Brand, as Jewelry Outpaces Luxury
Fine jewelry has become the standout performer in luxury, outpacing fashion and leather goods. LVMH’s watches and jewelry division posted an 8% earnings increase in 2025, driven by Bulgari and Tiffany & Co.’s repositioning. Richemont similarly benefits from its jewelry...
Canadian Ecommerce Orders Rose 20% in 2025, with Top Brands Driving Half the Growth: Omnisend
Canadian ecommerce order volume jumped 20% year‑over‑year in 2025, but the surge was unevenly distributed. The top 10% of brands captured half of all order growth, highlighting a widening performance gap. Shoppers engaged with marketing less often, yet those interactions...
Walmart’s and Target’s Outgoing CEOs Leave Contrasting Legacies
After more than a decade, Walmart and Target will each install new CEOs next week, ending the tenures of Doug McMillon and Brian Cornell. McMillon left Walmart with expanded three‑hour delivery coverage, a thriving Walmart+ membership, and a reengineered advertising...
Glossy Podcast: Wholesale Overhauls, AI Strategies and More Hot Topics From Shoptalk Luxe in Abu Dhabi
At Shoptalk Luxe in Abu Dhabi, luxury brands highlighted a dual focus on AI integration and the renewed importance of human storytelling in retail. Executives said AI is best applied to back‑office tasks such as data analysis, while client‑facing experiences...
Billing Support Provides Scalable Billing Support for High-Growth E-Commerce Brands
Billing Support offers high‑growth e‑commerce brands a fully outsourced, 24/7 billing help desk that handles payments, refunds, and account queries across email, chat, phone and digital channels. The service scales with demand, allowing retailers to add support capacity during peak...
Country Road Group Increases Sales Despite Challenging December
Country Road Group posted a 2.3% sales rise for the 26‑week period ending 28 December, with comparable‑store sales up 2.5%. December performance softened to 1% growth, while net trading space grew 0.2% and online sales held at 27.2%. The newly appointed...
Avani K Chandan on Scaling The House of Ara in India’s Ready-to-Wear Market
The House of Ara, founded by designer Avani K Chandan, is scaling a craft‑led ready‑to‑wear label that translates heritage Indian textiles into modern, everyday silhouettes. The brand fills a market gap between fast fashion and high‑end ethnic wear by emphasizing slow...
Discover Decathlon’s New Shopping App Today
Decathlon has launched a dedicated mobile app for iOS and Android that consolidates its full product catalog, promotions, membership benefits, and order management in a single interface. Shoppers can browse inventory, check in‑store stock, scan barcodes for detailed product data,...
Lane Bryant Enters Canada via Walmart Partnership
Lane Bryant, the U.S. plus‑size fashion leader, is entering Canada through an exclusive partnership with Walmart Canada. The brand’s collection goes live online immediately and will appear in 320 Walmart stores nationwide starting February 1, 2026. In‑store sizes range from 1X to...