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 hiring of Tobia Prevedello as general manager for Europe, the Middle East and Africa, underscoring Arc’teryx’s push into new markets. Parent company Amer Sports recently posted a 30% revenue jump to $1.8 billion and is leveraging IPO proceeds to accelerate brand expansion.
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...
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...
Most US Eddie Bauer Stores Likely to Close as Operator Preps Bankruptcy
Eddie Bauer's U.S. operating company, run by Catalyst Brands, is preparing to file for bankruptcy. The filing threatens the closure of most of the brand’s more than 250 North American retail locations. Authentic Brands Group, which owns the Eddie Bauer...
Genesco CFO to Exit
Genesco announced that CFO Sandra Harris will depart on March 6, with CEO Mimi Vaughn stepping in as interim CFO while a search for a permanent replacement begins. The footwear retailer reported a 3% year‑over‑year increase in Q3 net sales to $616 million...
Small Operational Gains, Big Impact: Building Fulfillment Agility
Retailers seeking fulfillment agility are shifting from massive overhauls to incremental improvements. A GXO and Retail Dive survey of 150 brand and retail leaders highlights five focus areas—inventory optimization, flexible workforce, purpose‑driven technology, cross‑functional decision‑making, and strategic 3PL partnerships. Small,...
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....
Nordstrom Names Chief Supply Chain Officer
Jason Bell was promoted to executive vice president and chief supply chain officer at Nordstrom, assuming the role immediately and adding transportation oversight to his duties. Bell, who joined Nordstrom in 2021 as senior vice president of supply chain operations,...
Inside Pat McGrath Cosmetics’ Bankruptcy
Pat McGrath Cosmetics, the luxury beauty label founded by Dame Patricia McGrath, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in January 2026, citing an unsustainable capital structure and liquidity constraints. The company estimates liabilities between $50 million and $100 million and seeks to reset its...
Tractor Supply Reins in Guidance After Weak Finish to the Year
Tractor Supply Co. reported Q4 2025 results that missed its own outlook, with net sales rising 3.3% year‑over‑year to $3.9 billion while comparable sales were essentially flat. Gross margin slipped 10 basis points to 35.1% and net income fell about 4%...
Crocs Puts Self-Expression over Algorithmic Sameness with New Platform
Crocs introduced its first global brand platform in nearly a decade, "Wonderfully Unordinary," to replace the 2017 "Come As You Are" campaign. The new platform emphasizes self‑expression and real‑world experiences as a counterpoint to the algorithmic sameness dominating digital culture....
The Backroom: Saks Global and the Bankruptcy that Everyone Saw Coming
Saks Global filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on Jan. 14, 2026, barely two years after its $2.7 billion acquisition of Neiman Marcus. The deal left the luxury retailer unable to meet vendor payments, triggering inventory shortages that crippleed sales during the critical holiday season. Observers...
Simon Property Group Flags $100M Saks Global Investment in Rent Dispute
Simon Property Group’s $100 million stake in Saks Global is now in jeopardy after the luxury retailer filed for bankruptcy. Simon has asked a Texas bankruptcy court to terminate the leases on a Saks Off 5th store at Woodbury Common and a...
Allbirds to Close All US Stores, Save 2 Outlets
Allbirds announced it will close all of its full‑price stores in the United States by the end of February, leaving only two outlet locations operational. The retailer’s U.S. footprint shrinks from 21 stores to two, while two full‑price stores remain...
Target Expands Beauty Assortment, Adds 60 New Brands
Target is rolling out its largest spring beauty assortment yet, adding roughly 3,000 new products from more than 60 brands such as Supergoop and Morphe. Over 90% of the items are priced under $20, and the refreshed in‑store layout highlights...
Home Depot’s Key to Great AI Experiences? Ensure It Remains an Authority
Home Depot is moving beyond a wait‑and‑see approach, actively shaping how AI agents interact with shoppers. The retailer insists that its AI‑driven chat and voice assistants uphold the same brand voice and service standards as an in‑store associate. It is...
How Macy’s Is Flexing Its Style Crew Affiliate Program Beyond Social Media
Macy’s is scaling its Style Crew affiliate program from 600 to 1,000 creators, adding storefronts on macys.com and offering 12% commissions. The initiative drove a 315% revenue jump, 327% traffic surge, and 30‑40% conversion lift among top influencers in 2025....
American Eagle to Close Quiet Logistics Business
American Eagle Outfitters announced the shutdown of its Quiet Logistics fulfillment business, ending the anti‑Amazon strategy launched with the 2021 acquisition of Quiet and AirTerra. The closure will see Boston and Dallas centers cease operations by mid‑2026, while the Atlanta...
Quince Expands to Canada
Quince has launched a dedicated Canadian website, marking its first international expansion. The online retailer offers a curated assortment of apparel, accessories, and home essentials, available now via its web store and the Apple App Store, with Google Play support...
Moleskine Opens First Neighborhood Concept Store in US
Moleskine opened a 280‑square‑foot boutique on New York’s Upper East Side, marking its first neighborhood‑concept store in the United States. The shop is the sixth Manhattan location and part of a broader plan to open more U.S. stores and renovate...
Bob’s Discount Furniture Eyes up to $2.48B Valuation in IPO
Bob’s Discount Furniture filed to go public, seeking a valuation between $2.3 billion and $2.48 billion. The company plans to sell 19.45 million shares at $17‑$19, raising up to $369.6 million to pay down roughly $350 million of debt. In the twelve months ending September 28,...
WHP Global to Pay $300M for Controlling Stake in Lands’ End
WHP Global agreed to pay $300 million in cash for a 50% controlling stake in Lands’ End. The deal creates a joint venture where Lands’ End transfers its intellectual property and licensing assets but continues to operate its direct‑to‑consumer and...
Private Label Sales Set Another Record in 2025
Private‑label sales in the United States reached a record $282.8 billion in 2025, climbing 3.3% from the prior year. The growth rate was nearly three times faster than that of national brands, which only rose 1.2%. Refrigerated items led category gains...
De Minimis’ End, Tariffs Spur Headwinds for Aritzia
Apparel retailer Aritzia faced higher import costs after the U.S. de‑minimis exemption ended, prompting it to shift all U.S. e‑commerce fulfillment to its expanded Ohio distribution center. Despite a 410‑basis‑point pressure from tariffs and the exemption loss, the company’s gross...
Retail’s Risky AI Commerce Bet
Retailers are increasingly embedding their product catalogs into external AI assistants such as ChatGPT and Google Bard to capture shoppers where they spend time. This shift promises instant, conversational commerce but forces brands to hand over transaction data and customer...
Why Your ESP Alone Won’t Carry You Into 2026
Retail marketers still rely heavily on email and SMS, but traditional ESPs only reach customers they already know. With up to 95% of website traffic remaining anonymous, the gap between known and unknown shoppers is widening and eroding engagement. Adding...
4 Challenges Growing eCommerce Businesses Often Overlook — and How to Address Them
Elavon outlines four common challenges that fast‑growing eCommerce firms often overlook: reaching the right customers, seamless payment processing, fraud protection, and scaling without overburdening systems. The company recommends integrated, all‑in‑one solutions that combine payment, marketing and analytics to reduce administrative...
Payments for Retail: How Membership-Style Saves Money
Retailers are squeezed by rising costs and thin margins, and payment‑processing fees are a hidden drain on profitability. Traditional tiered, flat‑rate, or interchange‑plus models tie fees directly to sales volume, penalising growth. Membership‑based pricing swaps per‑transaction markups for a predictable...
Target Adds Former Nike Innovation Chief to Board
Target announced that former Nike chief innovation officer John Hoke will join its board in March, while ex‑HanesBrands CEO Steve Bratspies will come aboard in April. Both will serve on key committees—Hoke on governance, sustainability, compensation and human‑capital, Bratspies on audit,...
The Weekly Closeout: Reebok Teams with Karol G and Will January Storms Ice Out Retail Sales?
Reebok announced a multiyear partnership with Grammy‑winning Colombian star Karol G, naming her a global brand ambassador and co‑designer for upcoming Classics‑inspired footwear and apparel. Hasbro bolstered its board with former Nintendo of America president and COO Doug Bowser and...
Caleres Taps Interim CFO; Details Saks Bankruptcy Impact
Caleres named its chief accounting officer, Daniel Karpel, as interim CFO after Jack Calandra resigned effective Jan. 15 and will leave by Jan. 30. The company launched an external search for a permanent finance chief. Caleres also revised its Q4 guidance, flagging...
Nordstrom to Move Downtown Seattle Rack Store to Historic Building
Nordstrom is relocating its downtown Seattle Rack store to a nearby historic building, creating a 39,000‑square‑foot off‑price space that will open in spring 2027. The move highlights Rack’s role as a growth engine within Nordstrom’s broader strategy, contrasting with rivals that...
CEOs Know AI Is Important. But What Should They Do with It?
A Virtuous AI and Chief Executive Group survey of over 300 mid‑market CEOs shows 98.5% believe AI adds value, yet only 7% have a company‑wide AI strategy. More than half are still in pilot phases and a third have merely explored...
Store Openings Slowed in 2025
Retail store openings stalled in fiscal 2025, expanding only 0.7% year‑over‑year, according to Telsey Advisory Group. The slowdown follows tighter capital‑expenditure plans and macro‑economic uncertainty. Forecasts show a rebound in 2026 with net openings rising 1.4%, driven by beauty, off‑price...
What’s up with Department Stores?
Department store closures are accelerating, with Saks Global filing bankruptcy and Macy’s planning to shutter 150 locations by 2026. Green Street reports rising mall anchor vacancies, linking the department‑store decline to 175 mall closures over the past 15 years. Despite...
Nike Shakes up Regional Leadership Team
Nike announced a major reshuffle of its regional senior leadership, with longtime Europe, Middle East and Africa head Carl Grebert retiring and being replaced by veteran César Garcia effective Feb. 2. In Greater China, Angela Dong will depart by March 31, succeeded...
How Macy’s Media Network Navigates Complex ‘Coopetition’ with Amazon
Macy’s Media Network partnered with Amazon’s Retail Ad Service (RAS) in August, becoming the first major retailer to pilot the platform ahead of the holiday season. The collaboration has attracted over 175 new brands to Macy’s sponsored‑products offering and bolstered...
Amazon Targets Pop-Up Retail with Upgraded Just Walk Out Tech
Amazon unveiled a portable, RFID‑enabled version of its Just Walk Out checkout lanes, designed for festivals, pop‑up shops and other temporary retail settings. The new lanes feature in‑lane screens, automated gates and enhanced cart visibility, and can be installed within...
Cautious Consumers Shunned Big-Ticket Items Last Year
U.S. consumers in 2025 prioritized smaller discretionary purchases—used goods, apparel, and dining—over big‑ticket items like electronics, furniture, and travel, according to Bank of America Institute data. A weakening labor market and waning sentiment drove this cautious behavior, a trend Moody’s...
At Michaels, Taking Party City and Joann’s Market Share Was Priority No. 1
Michaels CEO David Boone says the retailer’s top priority is seizing market share left by Party City and Joann’s exits. The chain has rolled out a Party Shop and Knit & Sew section in every store, added balloon bars, and plans to...
Overcoming the Barriers to Omnichannel by Recognising that One Size Doesn’t Fit All
Omnichannel retail is no longer a one‑size‑fits‑all proposition; success depends on tailoring strategies to each retailer’s customers, operating model, and growth goals. Consistent experiences across digital and physical touchpoints are now a baseline expectation, not a differentiator. Persistent challenges such...
Birkenstock Warns Tariffs Will Hurt More in 2026
Birkenstock warned that tariff pressures will erode profitability in fiscal 2026, projecting a 100‑basis‑point decline in both gross margin and EBITDA. The company’s 2025 strategy of front‑loading shipments and modest price hikes will not be repeatable next year. CFO Ivica...
Quince Collaborates with A$AP Rocky on Exclusive Products for ‘Don’t Be Dumb’ Album Release
Quince, the online fashion retailer, announced a limited‑edition collaboration with rapper A$AP Rocky to celebrate his new album “Don’t Be Dumb.” The partnership features a co‑branded vinyl priced at $22.99 and a $50 T‑shirt, both sold exclusively on Quince’s website. This...
Walmart Marketplace Expands Into Musical Instruments
Walmart announced the launch of its Premium Musical Instrument Shop, a curated third‑party marketplace featuring brands like Fender, Roland, Boss, Squier and Zildjian. The new storefront is the first phase of a broader push into professional‑grade music gear, adding amplifiers,...
Longtime Neiman Marcus Merchant Heads to Bloomingdale’s
Longtime Neiman Marcus merchant Russ Patrick has been hired as Bloomingdale’s general merchandising manager of home. Patrick brings more than three decades of luxury retail experience, most recently overseeing men’s, gifts, home and children’s categories at Neiman Marcus and Horchow. He said Bloomingdale’s...
Macy’s to Lay Off Nearly 1,000 at Connecticut Fulfillment Center
Macy’s announced the closure of its Cheshire, Connecticut fulfillment center, eliminating 993 positions. The shutdown will occur in phases, beginning with night‑shift staff on March 14, 2026 and ending with full‑time day workers by August 29, 2026. A small crew will remain...