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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Goods Not For Resale (GNFR) is the operational glue of retail, yet it remains a blind spot for many leaders. New research of over 100 retailers shows 38% view supplier performance as the biggest GNFR weakness during the peak "golden quarter," followed by procurement delays and cost overruns. UK clothing and footwear firms are expected to spend £3.9 bn on GNFR in 2025, and a modest 7% efficiency gain could save the sector £276 m. CCS McLays now offers a zero‑commitment GNFR review to unlock those savings.
Harrods has unveiled a circular fashion programme in partnership with charity retailer Traid to curb textile waste. The scheme will collect surplus clothing and materials, then sort them for reuse, repurposing or redistribution, keeping items out of landfill. Employees will...
New Gophr research shows UK hardware and DIY retailers increased same‑day delivery adoption from 22 % to 32 % year‑on‑year. Yet speed remains uneven: only 26 % can fulfil orders within an hour and 46 % impose conditions such as cut‑off times or location...
Kingfisher has entered a multi‑year partnership with Google Cloud to embed Vertex AI across its B&Q, Castorama and Brico Dépôt e‑commerce platforms in Europe. The collaboration replaces traditional keyword search with AI‑driven, conversational discovery and introduces agentic assistants that can...
A federal judge granted Amazon a preliminary injunction preventing Perplexity’s Comet browser agent from accessing Amazon’s systems, citing likely violations of the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act. The court distinguished user permission from platform authorization, ruling that even with a...
South Africa’s consumer regulators have released a joint position paper proposing new rules to hold offshore e‑commerce platforms such as Temu and Shein accountable. The draft guidelines would require foreign sellers moving significant volumes into the country to register locally,...
Ben Collier, co‑founder of Ocasta, describes a frontline operations platform that unifies communications, task management, knowledge, inspections, and coaching to eliminate guesswork for retailers. Built around real‑world store moments rather than head‑office assumptions, the system provides instant task tracking, photo...
Miss Amara, an Australian rug retailer, has launched a refurbished e‑commerce site and refreshed its brand identity to better align with its design‑led, customer‑obsessed strategy. The new platform offers streamlined navigation, richer educational content, and a smoother purchase journey across...
Udaan, the Bengaluru‑based B2B e‑commerce platform, will initiate a reverse flip to shift its corporate domicile from Singapore to India within weeks, a prerequisite for its upcoming IPO. The company aims to reach break‑even by mid‑next year while targeting an...
Kraft Heinz announced a five‑year deal to become the NFL's official condiment partner, giving roughly 20 of its brands high‑visibility placements at games and related events. The agreement arrives as the company has paused a planned split into two publicly...
The Iran war is accelerating a structural shift in luxury spending, exposing the fragility of the Gulf’s luxury model built on perceived regional stability. Travel disruptions and revised risk assessments are forcing ultra‑high‑net‑worth wealth to redirect away from Dubai and...
Lanvin Group is accelerating its multi‑year transformation as global luxury demand softens, reporting FY25 revenue of €240.5 million—a 17.6% year‑on‑year decline. After divesting the Caruso label, the group is concentrating on four core brands—Lanvin, Wolford, Sergio Rossi and St John—while tightening its...
UK‑based wellness brand Ancient + Brave launched its U.S. entry with a multi‑week pop‑up in Los Angeles, backed by influencer partnerships and out‑of‑home advertising. Head of U.S. marketing Hannah Rowe highlighted strong foot traffic, social engagement spikes, and valuable brand...
Instagram tested an AI‑driven “Shop the Look” feature that automatically tags products in creator posts, aiming to boost social commerce. The rollout, launched in February, sparked backlash as tags appeared without creators’ consent, linking followers to unvetted items and knockoffs....
Parker Thatch, an eight‑figure luxury handbag DTC brand, has turned its Orinda strip‑mall store into a hybrid retail‑studio space for weekly livestreams. The Friday broadcasts reach 179,000 Instagram followers and 101,000 YouTube subscribers, driving sales spikes of up to 50%...
Brands are racing to sign college athletes for NIL (Name, Image, Likeness) deals as March Madness draws record viewership, turning the tournament into a high‑impact marketing platform. Companies from footwear to fast‑food chains have partnered with stars like Azzi Fudd,...
Amazon’s Big Spring Sale runs March 25‑31, targeting the home‑refresh and health‑and‑wellness segments that have shown consistent growth. The event introduces three curated Top 100+ lists—All‑Category, Health & Wellness, and Spring Favorites—plus daily themed drops such as Home Refresh and Spring...
The 2026 Australian Retail Outlook highlights that AI is compressing digital transformation cycles, forcing retailers to innovate continuously. Leaders like David Jones’ Alex Carter and Outcast Clothing’s Airi Sutherland stress that the next year will demand hyper‑personalised, purpose‑driven experiences that...
On March 18, 2026, Alibaba Group Holding Ltd announced the launch of a new enterprise‑focused AI platform in China, aiming to ride the rapid growth of generative‑AI agents across Chinese businesses. The service, delivered through Alibaba Cloud, is positioned as...
The Association of Convenience Stores (ACS) said UK convenience retailers recorded 5.8 million shop‑theft incidents in the past year, down from 6.2 million the year before, while spending £313 million on crime‑prevention technology. The decline, reported in the ACS Crime Report released this...
On March 18, 2026, Saks Global announced that senior secured bondholders approved an additional £225.4 million of its bankruptcy financing package, completing the pre‑emergence funding needed to execute its five‑year restructuring plan. The deal, confirmed in Texas, gives the luxury retailer...
On March 18, 2026, Walmart disclosed that it will repurpose its recently shuttered Walmart Health clinics across the United States as clinical research sites. The move, announced by Walmart’s health‑care leadership, aims to leverage the retailer’s extensive store network to...
On March 17, 2026 the Reserve Bank of Australia raised its cash rate by 25 basis points to 4.1% in a narrow 5‑4 board vote. The decision, driven by lingering inflation and Middle‑East oil shocks, was immediately flagged by Australian...
In this episode of Uncensored CMO, Chief Commercial Officer Carly Natalizia breaks down how Gymshark has scaled its commercial engine to challenge industry giants like Nike and Adidas. Drawing on her 25‑year career—from finance at MBNA and Virgin Money to...
"Amazon Prime members get even more value with discounted delivery fees of $9.99 for 1-hour delivery and $4.99 for 3-hour delivery [in select cities]. Customers without a Prime membership pay $19.99 for 1-hour delivery and $14.99 for 3-hour delivery."
Marketplaces face coordinated identity fraud that threatens payouts, chargebacks, and brand trust. A specialized identity verification layer can quickly approve legitimate buyers and sellers while blocking malicious actors. The article ranks five top providers—AU10TIX, Jumio, Entrust IDV, Trulioo, and Shufti Pro—highlighting...
Gen Z’s preference for experiential, in‑store shopping is reviving malls, turning them into multi‑purpose omnichannel hubs. Retailers now use mall locations not just for sales but also for BOPIS, returns, same‑day pickup, and last‑mile distribution. However, the freight flow into...
MyFitnessPal has launched a data‑driven advertising business, expanding beyond its legacy mobile display unit to include video, interstitials, full‑screen takeovers, newsletter sponsorships and branded recipe integrations. The platform will leverage its opt‑in food‑logging data—averaging 16 items per user per day—to...
Former user Amit Patel, now CRO, is steering MyFitnessPal into retail media. The health‑tracking app will shift from a single third‑party display ad to a direct‑sales suite that includes video, interstitials, home‑screen takeovers, newsletter sponsorships and branded recipe units. It...
Best Buy launched its Tech Fest spring sale on March 16, running through March 22, positioning the event as a direct counter to Amazon's upcoming Big Spring Sale. The week‑long promotion features a Deal of the Day and deep discounts...
Afresh announced its AI platform now supports all grocery departments, adding center store, frozen foods, general merchandise, and health & beauty to its fresh‑food focus. The single AI engine uses separate data models and workflows per department to manage replenishment,...
Consumer AI agents are moving from pilots to live retail interactions, handling tasks like refunds and bookings. While context graphs help preserve memory and relationships, they remain infrastructure rather than true intelligence. The article argues that without stateful, outcome‑focused reasoning,...
ShopRite’s parent Wakefern is distributing free "Wellness Your Way" GLP‑1 starter kits to customers who fill their first GLP‑1 prescription at in‑store pharmacies. The blue mailer includes a diet guide from a registered dietitian, sample protein shake and collagen powder,...
The Duchess of Sussex’s lifestyle label As Ever is teaming with San Francisco‑based luxury flower purveyor High Camp Supply to release a limited‑edition Bloom Box. The box contains 18 gardenia, peony, mint and jasmine stems paired with As Ever’s peppermint tea and sage honey....
Swiss‑based sneaker brand On is revamping its Cyclon circularity program, replacing the 2022 subscription model with a resale‑donation‑recycling ecosystem. The new platform lets consumers trade in pre‑loved shoes, accessories and apparel for credits ranging from $20 to $55, with items...
Barrows Connected Store and QSIC announced a strategic partnership that merges Barrows' in‑store digital video network with QSIC's intelligent audio platform. The combined solution delivers synchronized, multi‑sensory campaigns measured against real‑world transactions, offering brands predictive targeting and closed‑loop attribution. By...
Philadelphia International Airport launched the Onsite Travel Essentials market between Terminals B and C, adding a new retail space that sells snacks, grab‑and‑go meals, electronics, toiletries, and a curated selection of local Philadelphia brands. Operated by PHL Food & Shops, the store also...
Retail media is evolving from a bottom‑funnel, search‑only model to a full‑funnel ecosystem that includes video, display, and off‑site formats. Amazon’s share of retail media spend dropped from 56% to 46% as marketers allocate more budget to Walmart and mid‑size...
A compelling case for more Incremental Attribution in your ad accounts. Maybe. I know many people are concerned with driving access to more NEW CUSTOMERS on meta. In a test across 13 accounts we found that IA campaigns delivered a 68% average...
Sephora’s U.S. chief marketing officer Zena Arnold explained how the retailer distinguishes fleeting fads from genuine behavioral shifts, using systematic trend‑filtering processes. She highlighted the shift to continuous beauty discovery, where brands must appear across creators, culture and community. Arnold...
Target is consolidating its spring savings promotion into a three‑day "Target Circle Deal Days" event running March 25‑27, 2026, down from the week‑long Target Circle Week held in 2025. The shortened format aims to deliver high‑impact deals on toys, women’s apparel,...
U.S. consumers showed surprising resilience in January, with discretionary retail sales climbing 6% year‑over‑year despite a dip in sentiment. Analysts, however, warn that rising credit‑card debt, higher delinquency rates and mounting fuel costs could erode that strength by 2026. Forecasts...
U.S. grocers are under increasing scrutiny as state and federal lawmakers target dynamic, or “surveillance,” pricing enabled by electronic shelf labels (ESLs). More than 100 price‑transparency bills have been filed in 33 states, while the UFCW’s national campaign backs the...
EE and Samsung are launching free AI masterclasses at EE’s Westfield White City studio, running daily through 5 April. The 20‑minute sessions, limited to eight participants, demonstrate Galaxy AI features on the new Samsung S26 Ultra, covering photography, translation, note‑taking and...
Cotopaxi, the outdoor‑gear brand known for its socially‑driven products, announced a plan to double its North American store footprint from 20 to 40 locations within the next three years. CEO Lindsay Shumlas said the expansion will push physical‑store sales—currently under...
refurbed has crossed €3 billion in cumulative GMV in under a year, following a €50 million funding round and its first profitable year. The marketplace expanded into 12 additional European countries, doubling its footprint and reaching an addressable market of roughly 486 million...
Banana Club, the Bengaluru‑based men’s fast‑fashion label, announced a plan to grow its physical footprint to 50 stores across India by the end of 2026, up from the current 17. The expansion is a core pillar of its long‑term growth...
Marks & Spencer retained its position as the UK’s strongest brand in the YouGov Best Brand Rankings 2026, even after a ransomware attack that erased £300 million of profit and £750 million of market value. The retailer’s long‑term brand strategy—modernising stores, shifting...
Focus on ecommerce? When speed is important for an order, good luck competing with Amazon -> Amazon begins 3-hour deliveries in ~2K US cities and towns and 1-hour deliveries in hundreds of those areas, after 2025 pilots; 90K+ products...
Cape Cod Café announced that its frozen pizza line is now stocked in over 400 Target stores nationwide, marking the company’s largest retail expansion to date. The rollout covers the Northeast, Mid‑Atlantic and Southeast, introducing cheese, pepperoni, buffalo chicken and...
