Today's Retail Pulse
Fresho acquires Nation Wilcox to dominate UK food‑wholesale software
Australian‑origin order‑management platform Fresho has bought UK ERP specialist Nation Wilcox, creating the largest software suite for British food wholesalers. The combined platform now serves over 400 wholesalers and caterers and processes more than £2 billion (≈$2.5 billion) in annual GMV.
Also developing:
By the numbers: Spinny targets $250-300M IPO raise
Wegmans Releases Statement on Facial Recognition Technology
Wegmans Food Markets released a statement clarifying that its facial recognition technology is deployed in only a small fraction of stores and is used exclusively for security purposes. The company emphasized that it does not collect retinal scans or voice prints, retains data only as long as necessary, and does not share the information with third parties. Wegmans also noted compliance with New York City’s biometric‑data signage law and that the system targets only individuals previously flagged for misconduct. The clarification follows privacy‑advocate criticism of the retailer’s signage indicating broader biometric use.
Charlotte Tilbury CEO Demetra Pinsent Exits the Brand
Charlotte Tilbury chief executive Demetra Pinsent will leave the luxury cosmetics brand after 14 years, with her last day set for February 26. Founder Charlotte Tilbury will assume both creative and commercial leadership as president, chairman, and chief creative officer. Pinsent helped grow the company...
David’s Bridal Is Turning 300 Wedding Tasks Into One Click | eTail West 2026
In this OmniTalk Retail interview at eTail West 2026, David’s Bridal CEO Kelly Cook outlines the company’s “Aisle to Algorithm” strategy, an AI‑driven, asset‑light approach that condenses the 300‑task wedding planning process into a single click. She describes the “tech...
Verify Emails Instantly to Protect Sender Reputation
Sending cold emails to addresses that don't exist kills your deliverability. Seen people tank their sender reputation overnight because 15-20% of their list was dead addresses. Built a free tool that verifies any email in seconds. Checks the format, domain, and...
Solving Furniture Decision Fatigue Through AI and Retail Partnerships at Furniture.com | eTail West 2026
In this episode, Ann Mazinga chats with Alex Seaman, SVP and co‑founder of Furniture.com, about the platform’s AI‑driven solution to furniture‑shopping decision fatigue. Furniture.com aggregates dozens of trusted retailers into a single, agentic checkout experience, using AI to standardize product...
CourtPilot – Recover Money Through Small Claims Court Guided by AI
CourtPilot, an AI‑powered legal platform, enables UK e‑commerce sellers to file small‑claims cases without a solicitor. For a one‑off £97 fee, users receive AI‑generated court documents, evidence analysis, and step‑by‑step guidance for claims up to £10,000. The service begins with...
RTP Network Marks Record 2 Million Transactions in a Day
The Clearing House’s Real‑Time Payments (RTP) network set two historic milestones, processing 2.05 million transactions in a single day on Feb. 13 and reaching a daily value peak of $8.36 billion on Feb. 18. The surge reflects accelerating adoption among retail users, digital‑wallet transfers,...
Great Clips Taps Into Quarterback Kirk Cousins’ Love for Value Haircuts in New Campaign
Great Clips leveraged NFL quarterback Kirk Cousins as a brand spokesperson in a January 2026 promotion tied to the College Football Playoffs, offering a $9.99 haircut coupon. The 24‑day campaign generated an 11.6% sales lift and a 7.4% rise in...
Roots Appoints Rosie Pouzar as Chief Commercial Officer
Toronto‑based premium outdoor brand Roots has appointed Rosie Pouzar as its new Chief Commercial Officer, elevating her from Head of Omnichannel Growth. Pouzar, who previously led Sephora Canada’s retail expansion, will oversee commercial strategy, operations, and customer insight across Roots’...
Bio Creative Labs Expands with Dual Whole Foods Rollout
Bio Creative Labs is rolling out its new BELIEVE hair‑care line and Petal Fresh Skin ResQ Hello Hydration skincare collection across every Whole Foods Market in the United States. The dual launch bypasses regional testing, reflecting the company’s confidence in...
Raise Prices Now: Stop Giving Customers a Hidden Tax
Are you paying a 50% tax you didn't vote for? You're just gifting it to your customers instead of the government. Here's how: Say you're a store doing $3M at 10% margins makes $300K in profit. You finally raise prices 15%, something that's LONG...
Jimmy John’s Opens First Saskatoon Location
Jimmy John’s opened its first Saskatchewan restaurant in Saskatoon on February 24, marking the brand’s entry into the province and extending its Canadian footprint. The location at 120‑225 Payne Bend offered the first 100 guests a free 6‑inch sandwich and drink,...
Kroger Expands Savings Programs to Improve Access to GLP-1 Medications
Kroger is expanding its pharmacy savings programs to include manufacturer‑sponsored discounts for GLP‑1 weight‑loss drugs. The retailer now pairs medication access with nutrition counseling, fresh‑food options, and registered dietitian services, creating a one‑stop wellness hub. In select states, customers can...
𝗟𝗲𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁 𝗗𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗸
Hy‑Vee’s partnership with Wonderful Pistachios & Almonds showcases disciplined merchandising through a wood‑crate display that blends warmth with clean visual hierarchy. The packaging features clear, easy‑to‑read pricing and a subtle vertical rhythm that creates movement without clutter. By positioning the...
Walmart: Supply Chain Spending Set to ‘Peak’ Next 2 Years, CEO Says
Walmart’s CEO John Furner said the retailer’s supply‑chain capital spending will likely peak this year and next, as automation projects accelerate. Twenty‑three of its 42 U.S. distribution centers are being retrofitted with robotics, and similar initiatives are beginning abroad. About...
Fresh Thyme Let Its Store Brand Go ‘Stale.’ Now It’s Working to Revive It.
Fresh Thyme Market announced a 2026 overhaul of its private‑label line, adding roughly 200 new items and modernizing packaging to align with its refreshed logo. The retailer aims to lift private‑label penetration by 6% by year‑end, emphasizing protein, fiber, organic...
Payoneer Applies for Bank Charter
Payoneer has filed an application with the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency for a U.S. national trust bank charter, to be branded as PAYO Digital Bank. The charter would let the firm issue, send and receive stablecoins, provide...
USPS Tests Picture Proof of Delivery Capability
The U.S. Postal Service is field‑testing a new camera feature on its Mobile Delivery Device app that captures photos of delivered packages. The pilot runs in Phoenix, New York City, Dallas and Fargo, but images are not yet available to customers....
Food Lion Feeds Turns Oranges Into Meals Through Orange Bag Campaign
Food Lion Feeds has launched its Orange Bag campaign, running Feb 25–Mar 17, 2026, inviting shoppers to buy specially marked navel orange bags that translate into meals for Feeding America and local food banks. Since its 2019 debut, the initiative has generated more...
How the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act Impacts Retail
The Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA) now forces U.S. retailers to prove that imported goods are free of forced labor, shifting the evidentiary burden to importers. Within its first year of enforcement, Customs and Border Protection detained more than...
The Multimillion Dollar Mistake: Why the Technology Business Case Isn’t a Strategy
Retail and e‑commerce leaders are repeatedly overspending on warehouse and fulfillment platforms because they mistake a technology business case for a supply‑chain strategy. Vendor‑supplied ROI models promise payback in 12‑18 months but ignore data quality, process complexity, and organizational readiness....
TV Media Buyers Want Outcomes – So Nielsen Is Introducing More Advanced Audiences
Nielsen announced the addition of more than 200 advanced audience segments to its Nielsen ONE cross‑platform dashboard, drawing on Scarborough’s extensive U.S. consumer surveys. The new segments span demographics, purchase behavior and lifestyle categories, and are intended to improve TV...
Reading Your Data Tea Leaves: What Your Metrics Are Really Trying to Tell You
Retailers are pouring millions into data pipelines, yet most use the insights merely to streamline operations—faster email sends, quicker inventory moves, and real‑time dashboards. The article argues that this productivity focus creates generic experiences that annoy customers. By shifting from...
AMC Is Closing More Theaters: List of Doomed Cinema Locations Will Grow in 2026 as Meme Stock Craze Sputters
AMC Entertainment announced it will continue closing more theaters than it opens, citing a weak financial outlook. Q4 2025 revenue slipped to $1.28 billion, a 1.4% decline, while global attendance fell nearly 10% to 56.3 million. U.S. attendance dropped 7.5% and international attendance...
Tariff Volatility Pushes Global Supply Chains Into Regional Reset in 2026
Genpact’s supply‑chain chief warns that escalating tariff volatility is driving firms to diversify suppliers and shift toward regionalized networks by 2026. Pandemic‑era investments in control towers and risk‑monitoring tools have equipped shippers to react quickly without external advisory projects. Companies...
Why Social Media Demands a Strategic Rethink
Social media has moved from a peripheral branding tool to the core of product discovery, trust building, and direct sales. Brands like American Eagle demonstrated the impact, gaining 790,000 new customers in six weeks and boosting denim sales 34%. The...
Elizabeth Arden Taps Leighton Meester to Front First Perfume Launch in Eight Years
Elizabeth Arden has introduced its first perfume in eight years, unveiling Eternal Aura with actress Leighton Meester as the campaign face. The floral‑amber fragrance, co‑created by perfumers Natasha Côté‑Mouzannar and Anne Flipo, launches at $69 alongside a $47 body balm. The global rollout...
Inside Beiersdorf’s Strategic Bet on Longevity Amid Beauty’s ‘Paradigm Shift’
Beiersdorf, the German owner of Eucerin and Nivea, is betting on longevity by commercialising an epigenetic breakthrough called Epicelline. After 15 years of research and screening over 50,000 ingredients, the company claims Epicelline can reactivate youth‑related genes, effectively turning back...
Maki & Ramen Noodles Its Way Into The O2 for First London Opening
Maki & Ramen opened its first London restaurant inside The O2’s Entertainment District, occupying a 1,991‑sq‑ft space with 70 covers. The menu features Tonkotsu ramen and premium sushi, reflecting the brand’s expansion plan launched in 2015. The opening coincides with...
Luxury Falls, Resale Rises as UK Consumers Tighten Spending Into 2026
Cardlytics analysis of 23 million UK bank accounts shows that Christmas 2023 reinforced value‑led spending rather than loosening budgets. Luxury and designer fashion baskets shrank 12% year‑on‑year, while discounter grocery spend rose 3% and fast‑fashion fell 10%. Resale marketplaces such as...
Exclusive: Dermatica Breaks Into Hair and Scalp Care
Dermatica, known for personalized skin‑care, has launched a clinician‑prescribed hair‑loss treatment service targeting women. The offering includes a daily scalp serum, a monthly treatment plan, and an online dermatologist consultation after users submit photos and questionnaire responses. Customers receive regular...
How Retailers Can Stay Ahead in a Shifting Market
Retail is rapidly evolving from pure shopping to experience‑driven community hubs, where visitors seek places that reflect their values and daily lives. Ingka Centres leverages its global reach and local insight to design mixed‑use destinations, exemplified by the upcoming Lykli...
Roblox Outstrips TikTok as Fastest Growing Commerce Channel for Gen Z
Roblox has become the fastest‑growing commerce channel for Gen Z, posting a 54% year‑on‑year rise in order volume, far outpacing TikTok’s 10% increase. Gen Z shoppers placed an average of 20 purchases on Roblox in the past year, while TikTok...
Rebuilding Retail in 2026: Why CDO Retail Exchange Arrives at a Critical Turning Point
The CDO Retail Exchange 2026 brochure has launched as UK and EMEA retailers move from experimental pilots to commercially‑driven data and AI initiatives. After two years of proof‑of‑concept projects, retailers are demanding measurable ROI on pricing, replenishment, personalization and loyalty programs....
Euphoria MUA Donni Davy on Half Magic’s Rise to the Top and Cracking the UK Market
Donni Davy, the lead makeup artist for HBO's Euphoria, is expanding her maximalist brand Half Magic into the UK through a Sephora boutique launch. The line, co‑founded with A24 after the show's looks went viral, will ride the momentum of season...
Screenverse Leaders Share Insight on DOOH Buying Strategy
Screenverse executives David Weinfeld and Montana Accavallo discussed premium buyer expectations on the CX Innovators podcast, highlighting how data‑driven demands are reshaping digital‑out‑of‑home (DOOH) buying. They explained that integration of supply‑side and demand‑side platforms is crucial for securing repeat, high‑value...
FDA Enforcement on Copycat GLP-1's Could Reshape Retail Pharmacy Economics: Q&A with David Graziano
The FDA’s crackdown on non‑approved or “copycat” GLP‑1 drugs is expected to push patients toward FDA‑approved therapies, elevating the role of retail pharmacies as primary access points. GoodRx’s head of retail network, David Graziano, says the company’s cost‑plus pricing model...
M&S Joins Atlassian Williams F1 Team as Official Travel Kit Partner
Marks & Spencer (M&S) has signed a multi‑year agreement to become the Official Travel Kit Partner for the Atlassian Williams Formula 1 Team, outfitting drivers, engineers and staff with performance‑focused travel apparel. The partnership will see M&S supply wrinkle‑resistant, moisture‑wicking, four‑way...
The Rise of Contactless Payments in Retail Post-Pandemic
Contactless payment adoption has accelerated in retail since the pandemic, driven by consumer demand for safety and speed. NFC cards and mobile wallets are now standard, prompting retailers to upgrade POS terminals and train staff. These investments have cut cash‑handling...
Whole Foods Market Is Transforming Flagship Store Windows Into a Month-Long Tribute to over 100 Female Founders, in Partnership with...
Whole Foods Market is converting the High Street Kensington flagship windows into a month‑long showcase of more than 100 female‑founded food and wellness brands, in partnership with Buy Women Built. The visual takeover runs from 25 February to 24 March and extends...
Authentic Brands, IAC Partner to Expand Dockers Across Americas
Authentic Brands Group and IAC have signed an agreement to expand Dockers apparel across Central America, the Andean region, Ecuador, and select Caribbean markets. IAC will manage manufacturing and distribution for men’s and women’s lifestyle apparel and accessories. The partnership...
Cookieless Server‑side Tracking Still May Require Consent
Cookieless server side tracking does not automatically mean you don't need consent for tracking. Depends on the data you track.
Boost Mobile Pilots Starlink Sales in 120 Stores
. @boostmobile has begun to test sales of @Starlink in ~120 stores. The pilot ties into EchoStar's pending sale of spectrum to SpaceX and builds on Starlink's growing retail strategy. h/t @wave7jeff - @Light_Reading https://t.co/Uc3v44JgC9
Texas AG Sues Shein over Toxic Newborn Garments and Data Risks
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton filed a second lawsuit in three months against Shein US Services, accusing the fast‑fashion giant of selling newborn garments containing hazardous chemicals and mishandling minors' personal data. The complaint seeks an injunction, consumer restitution, and...
NShift Pushes for Integrated Returns Ahead of New EU Regulations
nShift warns EU and UK retailers that the upcoming Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR), effective July 2026, will ban the destruction of returned clothing, footwear and accessories. The firm recommends integrating returns with logistics, warehousing and backend systems to...
SoundHound AI Launches Sales Assist Agent at MWC 2026
SoundHound AI unveiled Sales Assist, a voice‑powered AI agent for retail, at Mobile World Congress 2026 in Barcelona. The agent uses the company’s Polaris speech‑recognition and a multi‑agent orchestration platform to deliver real‑time product recommendations, upgrade eligibility checks, and compliance...
Indonesia Weighs State-Led Revamp to Rescue Ailing Textile Sector
Indonesia is preparing a state‑backed overhaul of its textile and clothing industry, aiming to tighten integration across the supply chain. The sector, which employs roughly 3.75 million workers, has faced slowing growth, rising imports and eroding competitiveness over several years. Policymakers...
Ahold Delhaize in Figures: Key Figures From the Annual Report
Ahold Delhaize’s 2025 annual report shows total sales of €92.4 billion, up 5.9% on a comparable basis. Online sales grew 13.3% to €10.3 billion, marking the first time e‑commerce was profitable on a fully allocated basis. The retailer served 77 million customers weekly across...
Retail Media Measurement: Absence of Evidence Is NOT Evidence of Absence
Retail media measurement is often portrayed as broken, yet the same sampling‑based, attention‑agnostic methods underpin TV, radio and outdoor metrics. Industry bodies such as IAB Europe and the MRC have already issued standardized frameworks that enable closed‑loop attribution and incrementality...
Zalando Rolls Out Second-Hand Children’s Clothing
Zalando is extending its second‑hand platform to include children’s clothing, launching the service in fourteen European countries including Scandinavia and Ireland. Parents can purchase pre‑owned items and trade in worn pieces for vouchers toward future buys. The move is positioned...