Know What's Happening in Retail
Know What's Happening in Retail
AI start‑ups deploy virtual‑try‑on tech to slash $850 billion retail return losses
AI start‑ups such as Catches are launching virtual‑try‑on platforms that create realistic digital twins of shoppers, aiming to reduce the retail sector’s $850 billion return problem. The National Retail Federation reports that 15.8% of U.S. sales – 19.3% online – were returned in 2025, eroding margins. Generative AI and cheap cloud compute now make these tools cost‑effective.
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Rezolve Ai announced it will demo its production‑ready agentic commerce platform at Shoptalk 2026 in Las Vegas. The solution lets shoppers move from discovery to checkout within a single conversational experience, powered by the company’s proprietary brainpowa model suite, Brain Commerce and Brain Checkout. Early deployments have delivered up to 29× ROI, a 10% conversion lift and 50% growth in search‑driven revenue. The booth will also host live theater sessions with partners such as Microsoft, Estée Lauder and Sonae Group.
The Placer.ai analysis shows that U.S. brick‑and‑mortar retail foot traffic does not mirror population distribution. Sun Belt states such as Texas and Florida generate a larger share of visits than their population would predict, while coastal and Northeastern states under‑index....
Eddie Bauer filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in February 2026 and announced the closure of all its physical stores, shifting focus to online sales and wholesale partners. Data from Placer.ai shows a 9.7% year‑over‑year decline in store traffic in 2024, far...
The $500K-$1M range is where most brands stall out. Too big to keep running on gut calls. Too small to justify a $15K/month retainer. Every dollar has to work and you don't have the infrastructure to know if it is. That's the...
Vallarta Supermarkets opened its sixth Inland Empire location on April 1, 2026, a 60,000‑sq‑ft store in Rancho Cucamonga. The new outlet introduces the chain’s Costa de Oro seafood restaurant concept and adds 219 jobs to the local economy. Grand‑opening festivities include...
DoorDash announced a partnership with Foot Locker, Kids Foot Locker and Champs Sports, adding nearly 1,300 store locations to its Marketplace. Shoppers can now order sneakers, apparel and accessories through the DoorDash app for same‑day delivery. The deal ties the...
Lakeside Shopping Centre has leveraged over £100 million of brand‑partner investment to upgrade its retail environment, driving a 3.2% rise in footfall and a 4.4% increase in sales in 2025. The centre now welcomes more than 17 million visitors annually, with average...
Macy’s announced it will still close 65 of the 150 stores slated for shutdown, but the timeline stretches to 2028 instead of the previously expected earlier dates. The change follows a earnings call where CEO Tony Spring highlighted positive comparable...
Amazon and Winn Dixie have broadened their grocery‑delivery partnership to six additional Florida counties, adding Tampa Bay and surrounding cities to the service footprint. Customers can now order more than 15,000 Winn Dixie products through Amazon’s website or app, alongside the retailer’s...
Amazon remains the clear U.S. marketplace leader with roughly $300 billion in third‑party sales, dwarfing eBay’s $39 billion and the next tier of platforms. Temu, TikTok Shop and Walmart have converged in a tight $15‑22 billion GMV band, each leveraging distinct supply‑chain, content...
Amazon announced a €5 billion investment in Poland between 2026 and 2028, adding to the €10 billion it has already spent since 2012. The funding will support a new 200,000‑square‑meter fulfillment center in Dobromierz equipped with 5,000 robots, expanding its logistics footprint...
Associated Wholesale Grocers (AWG) has rolled out SmartMeals, an AI‑powered meal‑planning and shopping assistant developed with Breez AI. The tool is now live in nearly 100 independent grocery stores and offers personalized recipes, budget‑smart recommendations, and custom‑branded experiences. SmartMeals has driven...
Digital loyalty specialist Loyalzoo has partnered with POS provider Priority to embed its CRM directly into the new MX™ POS terminals. The built‑in solution gives merchants immediate access to customer data, AI‑powered segmentation and tiered loyalty programs without separate installations....
Lowe’s announced an expanded partnership with RELEX Solutions and Accenture to create a unified, AI‑driven inventory replenishment platform covering its entire product assortment, stores and distribution centers. The collaboration builds on RELEX’s existing seasonal‑business support and adds automated ordering, stock‑out...
Home Depot announced plans to open 12 new U.S. stores in 2026, spanning eight states. The rollout begins in spring with locations in Buckeye, Arizona; Leander, Texas; and Naples, Florida, followed by a larger fall wave across California, Texas, Tennessee,...
Affirm's CFO Rob O’Hare said the buy‑now, pay‑later lender could tighten its underwriting if U.S. economic stress intensifies, including dropping low‑margin loans, requiring down payments, and asking for more financial information. He emphasized these measures are hypothetical and that the...
VEVOR opened its first U.S. flagship retail store in Houston, a 32,000‑square‑foot space designed for hands‑on shopping. The launch follows more than 30 million online customers and introduces a “try before you buy” experience for DIYers, homeowners, and small businesses. Brand...
Save Mart Companies completed a remodel of its Madera, California store, adding a full-service butcher, seafood counter, expanded deli, bakery, and floral departments. The upgrade expands fresh produce, ready‑to‑eat items such as fruit parfaits, guacamole, and a larger selection of...
French sneaker label VEJA opened its third North American store and first West Coast location on Los Angeles’ iconic Abbot Kinney Boulevard. The 1923 building, known for its historic "Carnation" sign, was renovated by local studio OWIU, preserving original wood...
Amazon announced that its generative‑AI‑enhanced Alexa+ is prompting customers to make three times as many purchases as the original Alexa voice assistant. The upgraded assistant can handle complex, conversational requests, build shopping lists, place orders, and book reservations, moving beyond...
Artificial intelligence is accelerating a wave of in‑house creative adoption, as brands seek tighter data control and faster production cycles. A recent NewtonX/Adweek survey finds 32% of brands plan to handle nearly all creative internally within the next 12 months,...
Nearly 500 retail executives surveyed by Placer.ai indicate a cautiously optimistic 2026, with 55% confident in brick‑and‑mortar performance despite modest 1% visit growth. While 70% anticipate e‑commerce outpacing stores, a third remain more bullish on physical locations, underscoring a shift...
Fashion brand Kraus Jeans announced a plan to open 20 new exclusive‑brand stores in 2026, adding to its existing network of 27 outlets. The company has already launched 16 stores in the current fiscal year and recently opened a new...
Dobbies Garden Centres is investing £1.5 million to upgrade foodhalls in 48 stores, adding a refreshed look and a 2,000‑item range. The rollout, completed over six weeks, introduces an expanded in‑house bakery and partnerships with 33 specialist suppliers. Early trials showed...
Self‑service technologies (SSTs) are reshaping Swiss grocery retail, with 73% of shoppers demanding faster payments and 59% open to using self‑checkout solutions. A study of 75 shoppers revealed that while SSTs boost efficiency and data collection, they also turn customers...
Dave’s Hot Chicken, the fast‑growing US hot‑chicken chain, will open a 4,541 sq ft restaurant in Newcastle’s Eldon Square at the end of May, marking its first North East location. The venue will feature the brand’s signature graffiti‑style interiors and a focused...
The Inkey List, now in its eighth year, has unveiled a "surgical" 2026 roadmap that leans on its core "superpowers"—cutting‑edge ingredients, innovative formats, affordability and education—to boost US awareness, especially among Ulta Beauty shoppers. The strategy also targets additional UK...
LK Bennett, the UK premium womenswear label, launched a deeper clearance, raising discounts to at least 60% across all merchandise. The sale follows its January acquisition by US restructuring firm Gordon Brothers, which bought the brand and intellectual property out...
A new Logicbroker survey shows 90% of enterprise retailers expect AI agents to influence at least 20% of online orders by 2027, with over a third anticipating agents handling more than half of transactions. Kingfisher is already rolling out Google...
German retailers are accelerating POS modernization as labour costs rise, regulations tighten, and consumer payment habits shift. Cash still accounts for about 35% of sales, but card usage is projected to climb to 42% within five years, while contactless and...
Morrisons has teamed with Blue Light Card to give eligible key‑workers a 10% discount on Friday grocery trips of £40 or more, translating to roughly £20 a week in savings through April 24. The retailer also rolled out a loyalty boost...
A Purdue University study of 1,200 U.S. consumers finds that health and nutrition now eclipse taste as the primary driver for online grocery shoppers, with only 37% ranking taste first. Nutritional targets and health goals were cited by 59% and...
Zalando is rolling out AI‑powered warehouse robots to multiple European distribution centers. After a pilot where ten robots processed roughly 100,000 picks per day, the company plans up to fifty installations, starting in Germany and Italy and expanding to the...
DeSL has entered a strategic agreement with Textile Solutions Group (TSG) to broaden its AI‑driven product lifecycle management (PLM) platform across the global textile and apparel market. The partnership will integrate DeSL’s SaaS PLM suite with TSG’s manufacturing and execution...
Prince, the historic racquet‑sports brand, has partnered with New York‑based C‑Life Group to relaunch its apparel line across North America. The collaboration will cover men’s, women’s and children’s sportswear, activewear, outerwear and swimwear, with the first collection slated for a...
Sephora will launch its first Belgian stores in Brussels, with openings slated for June at Docks Bruxsel and City2. The retailer plans to open about ten locations in the French‑speaking region before expanding into Flanders. Sephora currently runs 3,400 stores across...
German luxury label MCM is marking its 50th anniversary in 2026 with a year‑long campaign that includes a refreshed logo, a digital content series, and refreshed versions of iconic products such as the Ella Boston handbag and Liz tote. The...
Jumbo’s new CEO Jesper Højer unveiled a multi‑year plan to revive the retailer’s lagging performance. The strategy emphasizes aggressive promotions, especially on meat, and a comprehensive modernization of store formats. Højer also pledged to streamline the executive committee and eliminate...
E‑commerce brands typically start fulfillment in‑house, but rapid sales growth, rising shipping costs, and multi‑channel complexity often trigger a shift to third‑party logistics (3PL). The guide highlights five key signals—order‑volume spikes, escalating carrier fees, tighter delivery expectations, operational distraction, and...
India’s pet‑focused podcast The Happy Pawdcast, hosted by Sonali Bendre, announced a co‑branded merchandise line with online retailer The Souled Store. The partnership follows Season 2’s strong performance, which reached over 14 million pet lovers, generated more than 20 000 hours of content,...
Spanish fashion retailer Mango opened a new 10,000‑square‑foot store at Mall of America, its first location in Minnesota. The outlet brings women’s and men’s collections designed in Barcelona and raises Mango’s US footprint to 65 stores. The launch follows Mango’s...
Waitrose has introduced Food Lovers Uncut, a long‑form video series hosted by food influencer Will Hughes, known as What Willy Cook. The monthly YouTube program explores the kitchens and personal stories of well‑known food enthusiasts, beginning with actor Connor Swindells as...
Glossier announced it will shutter nine of its twelve global stores over the next 2.5 years, retaining only flagship locations in New York, Los Angeles and London. The move follows a slowdown in millennial‑driven growth and a strategic pivot toward...
Best Buy continues to thrive by blending a robust online platform with its extensive brick‑and‑mortar network, offering shoppers flexible fulfillment options. The retailer’s promotional arsenal includes a My Best Buy credit card that returns 10% on first‑day purchases, daily Top...
Thai boat‑noodle chain ThongSmith opened its first overseas store in Wan Chai, Hong Kong, bringing a premium take on the classic street‑food dish. The outlet features slow‑simmered broths and upscale proteins such as Wagyu beef and Kurobuta pork, mirroring the Bangkok...
Boucheron has opened its first Chinese flagship in Shanghai’s Xintiandi district, occupying a 278 sqm space in a restored 19th‑century shikumen building. The store is the brand’s third global flagship after Paris and Tokyo, blending Chinese and Western design cues. Its...
On March 13, the Trump administration issued an executive order tightening "Made in America" labeling rules, demanding that any product bearing the claim be verifiably produced in the United States. The order targets a wide range of consumer goods, including...
TikTok Shop is emerging as both a discovery engine and a conversion platform for beauty brands, influencing purchases across in‑app, e‑commerce, and physical retail channels. The platform’s halo effect has generated double‑digit growth in brick‑and‑mortar sales and a measurable lift...
TikTok Shop partnered with Fishermen Integrated to launch the Ramadan‑Raya campaign “Bazar Direka Untuk …”, turning the shopping journey into a curated shoppertainment experience. The initiative runs from 1 March to 13 March 2026 and blends product curation, creator‑led content, original music and...
Baroma, an editorial‑driven retailer, is creating a dedicated platform for under‑represented Asian niche fragrance brands, especially from China. By curating collections that embed authentic cultural narratives, raw‑material provenance, and small‑batch craftsmanship, it offers export‑ready packaging and storytelling infrastructure. The company...
