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.
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By the numbers: Spinny targets $250-300M IPO raise
Kinton Ramen Introduces 1st Food Court Concept at Waterfront Centre Vancouver
Kinton Ramen launched its first food‑court concept at Waterfront Centre in downtown Vancouver, a 350‑500 sq ft quick‑service format that delivers the brand’s signature ramen in a faster, more convenient setting. The location is the chain’s 12th in British Columbia and the inaugural site of a province‑wide food‑court rollout. The company also announced a partnership with HMSHost to open a Terminal 3 outlet at Toronto Pearson International Airport later this year, expanding its presence in high‑traffic venues across Canada.
Croma Bets on Health-Tech Push, Brings in Smart Rings, Partners Oura
India’s leading electronics retailer Croma, part of the Tata Group, announced a strategic push into health‑tech, adding smart rings to its portfolio and formalising a partnership with Finnish wellness brand Oura. The retailer aims to offer advanced wearables that provide...
Australia’s Social Selling Is Booming, PayPal Data Shows
PayPal’s eCommerce Index shows that 67% of Australian businesses now sell through social media, making social selling a mainstream channel. Social platforms account for 11% of all online sales, rising to 14% among firms that actively use them. Small and...
‘Forever Chemicals’ Probe in Activewear Lays Bare Fashion’s Greenwashing Problem
The Texas Attorney General has opened a formal probe into Lululemon to determine whether its activewear contains per‑and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), the so‑called “forever chemicals.” Lululemon asserts it eliminated PFAS in 2023 and that any remaining use was confined to...
Walmart Holds Its Ground as Target Finds Its Footing – Placer.ai Blog
Walmart posted steady year‑over‑year visit growth in Q1 2026, with same‑store traffic mirroring overall gains and indicating that existing locations are fueling demand. Target, after a soft finish to 2025, saw weekday traffic rise sharply in early 2026, suggesting the new...
Calgary Boutique Espy Experience Expands Under Megan Szanik
Calgary boutique espy experience, founded by Megan Szanik in 2009, has grown from a 1,500‑square‑foot discount concept to a flagship over 12,000 sq ft. The store shifted from price‑driven sales to a service‑first model that emphasizes fit, styling and confidence‑building experiences. About...
M&S Pivots to ‘by Eye’ Bra Fitting
Marks & Spencer is replacing its traditional bra‑fitting process with a "by eye" method after a successful 23‑store trial. Fitters will now estimate cup and band sizes and suggest a range of styles, with physical contact only if adjustments are...
New ‘Voices of Retail Report’ Highlights What’s Needed to Drive Growth on UK High Streets
Spring & Autumn Fair and wholesale platform Faire released the ‘Voices of Retail Report’, analysing 650 UK independent retailers and over 2,000 shoppers. The data shows 71% of independents are stable or growing, with those that invest in brand storytelling,...
JYSK to Open up to 100 Stores in Major European Cities
JYSK, the Danish furniture and home‑ware chain, will roll out up to 100 new stores in central European capitals and large cities over the next three years. The first 30 locations, each about 800 sqm, are slated to open before the...
Cold Chain, Hot Demand: How Quick Commerce Is Rewriting India's Ice Cream Playbook
India’s ice‑cream market is being reshaped by quick‑commerce platforms that deliver single‑serve products in minutes. Dairy Day’s new brand Ob & Gob, sold in a can, exemplifies a shift from freezer‑based retail to algorithmic shelves on apps like Blinkit and Swiggy Instamart....
UK High Street Suffers 'Worst April in Decade'
UK high‑street sales slipped 1.6% in April, marking the eighth straight month of decline and the worst April outside the pandemic decade. Overall footfall was negative for the first three weeks, only turning modestly positive (+1.7%) in the final week....
How Cadillac Fairview Drives Shopping Centre Productivity
Cadillac Fairview drives high shopping‑centre productivity through a deliberate operating model that leverages location, tenant curation, and continual reinvestment. With 14 Canadian malls, 38% of the population lives within a 20‑minute drive, creating a built‑in traffic engine. The firm continuously reshapes...
China’s Meiyijia Enters Vietnam Under Ohmee Brand
China’s convenience‑store giant Meiyijia has entered Vietnam under the overseas brand Ohmee, launching three stores in Hanoi. The rollout marks the chain’s first retail footprint outside China after building a network of more than 40,000 domestic outlets. Meiyijia will rely...
Toys R Us Hong Kong Marks 40 Years with Ocean Terminal Flagship Revamp
Toys R Us Asia celebrated the 40th anniversary of its Hong Kong debut by unveiling a major overhaul of its Ocean Terminal flagship in Tsim Sha Tsui. The redesign introduces nine store‑in‑store concepts, including dedicated zones for Pokémon, Tomica, Bandai, Lego, Nintendo, Sanrio, Sylvanian Families,...
Spending to Hit Record $38 Billion for Mother's Day
U.S. consumer spending for Mother’s Day is projected to reach a record $38 billion in 2026, according to the National Retail Federation and Prosper Insights & Analytics. This eclipses last year’s $34.1 billion and the previous record of $35.7 billion set in 2023. The average...
18-Year Veteran’s Tips to Boost Online Store Sales
If your online store isn’t making sales, here’s the advice I’d give you (from someone who’s been selling products for 18 years). ⬇️
Inventory Management Challenges: Complete Guide To Avoiding Common (And Hidden) Pitfalls
The guide outlines the most common and hidden inventory‑management pitfalls that erode ecommerce margins, from inaccurate stock counts to fragmented multi‑warehouse coordination. It quantifies the financial toll of overstocking, stockouts, and forecasting errors, emphasizing how these issues damage revenue and...
Dairy Queen Trials AI Drive‑thru Ordering, Targets 99% Accuracy
JUST IN: Dairy Queen will test AI ordering at drive-thrus, aiming for at least 99% accuracy.
CashKaro Revenue Grows 72% to Rs 600 Cr in FY26; Narrows Losses
CashKaro, the Gurugram‑based cashback and affiliate commerce platform, posted FY26 revenue of roughly $72 million, a 72% jump from $42 million the previous year. The company’s gross merchandise value surged to about $1.2 billion, up from $720 million, largely driven by its EarnKaro app....
Chizmozza: From a Cheese Cart Idea to a 10-Year Success Story
Chizmozza celebrated its 10th anniversary, growing from a single cheese cart in 2016 to over 70 branches nationwide. Founder Marydae Hannah Ramos handled everything from recipe development to construction, often learning on the job. The brand survived the 2020 COVID‑19...
Ones to Watch 2026: Uni Beauty, Graza, Monday Haircare and More
Inside Retail Asia’s second "Ones to Watch 2026" roundup spotlights five fast‑growing CPG brands—Graza, House of Balance, Nguyen Coffee Supply, Monday Haircare and Uni Beauty. Graza, a U.S. olive‑oil brand, posted $48.4 million in 2024 revenue by blending premium Spanish olives...
Amazon Q1 2026: Revenue Up 17%, AWS Hits Fastest Growth in 15 Quarters
Amazon posted Q1 2026 net sales of $181.5 billion, a 17% year‑over‑year increase that beat the top of its guidance range. All three core segments accelerated, with North America sales up 12%, international sales up 19%, and AWS revenue surging 28%...
ThredUp AI Agents Personalize Shopping in Real Time
ThredUp introduced its first agentic AI experience, assigning real‑time personal agents to shoppers on its resale platform. The agents ingest clickstream data across channels and use reinforcement learning to reshape product listings instantly, aiming to boost conversion and retention. The...
DMALL Rolls Out AI-Driven Platform to 87 Cold Storage Stores in Southeast Asia
DMALL Inc. completed the integration of 87 Cold Storage Singapore supermarkets, hypermarkets and express stores into its unified AI-driven retail operating system within seven months. The rollout, the latest in DMALL’s Southeast Asian push, promises tighter supply‑chain visibility and faster...
Lidl Shopper? You Now Need to Earn Points to Get 'Freebies' And Money-Off Coupons Under Its Revamped Plus Loyalty Scheme
Lidl launched a revamped Plus loyalty scheme on May 5, 2026, shifting to a points‑based model where shoppers earn one point for every £1 (≈$1.27) spent. Points can be redeemed for 1p vouchers or “freebies,” but the new catalogue lists items...
Second‑Purchase Rate Drives E‑commerce Growth, Not First‑Time Sales
Most ecommerce brands spend the bulk of their time and effort acquiring first-time buyers, when their second-purchase rate is what determines whether the business compounds or burns cash. Here are 5 retention rules you need to know: → Build retention into the...
DoorDash Adds AI Tools for Merchant Onboarding, Photo Editing, and Auto-Generated Websites
DoorDash introduced a suite of AI‑powered tools to streamline merchant onboarding, enhance food‑photo presentation, and generate instant storefront websites. By pointing the system at an existing website, the AI automatically pulls photos, operating hours, and menu items, mirroring a similar...
Toronto’s Basil Box to Shut Down All Locations by May 14
Toronto‑based fast‑casual chain Basil Box announced it will cease operations at all remaining Canadian locations by May 14, 2026. The brand, known for its 100 % gluten‑free Southeast Asian bowls and mid‑range pricing of roughly $14‑$19 CAD ($10‑$14 USD) per meal, peaked at 17...
Google Ads Launches Beta Tool that Uses AI to Scan Websites and Automatically Add Products to Campaigns
Google Ads rolled out a beta feature called “Use AI to add products” that scans a merchant’s website and automatically populates product listings into ad campaigns. The tool performs a one‑time crawl, aiming to cut manual entry errors and speed...
Shopify Lays Off 30+ in Operations and Customer Support Reorganization, with AI Cited as Partial Cause
Shopify announced it laid off at least 30 employees in April as part of a broader reorganization of its operations and customer‑support functions in Canada and the United States. The cuts were attributed in part to "technological advancements," with internal...
RSA America, URM Stores Begin Digital Transformation Partnership
RSA America has partnered with URM Stores, a Spokane‑based wholesaler serving roughly 265 independent grocery retailers, to roll out a centrally managed loyalty, digital marketing, retail media and AI‑enabled commerce platform. More than 60 URM‑affiliated stores are already live, with...
E643: Dos and Don’ts for Amazon Imagery in 2026
In this episode, host Dave interviews former professional poker player turned Amazon seller Michael Shackelford about best practices for Amazon main gallery images in 2026. Michael explains how AI tools enable rapid iteration and A/B testing, recommends mixing plain‑white shots...
These 2 Grocery Stores Were Just Named the Most Trustworthy in the U.S.—Here’s Why They Earned the Title
A BrandSpark International survey of 35,000 Americans named Walmart and Aldi the most trustworthy grocery chains in the United States. Walmart captured 12 awards, leading in categories such as customer service, private‑label quality, and grocery pickup and delivery. Aldi earned...
Show Comparisons Early to Stop Confused Buyers Walking Away
Confused buyers don't convert, they leave. Give them the comparison before they go looking for it
Louis Vuitton Recruits Figure Skater Alysa Liu as Ambassador
Louis Vuitton announced that 20‑year‑old Olympic figure‑skating champion Alysa Liu will serve as its newest house ambassador. Liu debuted at the brand’s Fall/Winter 2026 runway, showcasing a Brown Speedy Patch Denim jacket and the Squire East West handbag. The partnership positions Liu...
NIQ Report Shows AI Now Steering Consumer Purchases, US Retail Media Spend to Hit $107.6B by 2026
NielsenIQ released its global study, The Commerce Revolution: Where East Meets West, revealing that artificial intelligence is increasingly deciding what shoppers buy. The report projects U.S. retail media advertising to reach $107.6 billion in 2026, underscoring the urgency for brands to integrate...
McDonald's Is Shaking up Your Soda Run
McDonald’s is rolling out six new crafted sodas and caffeinated refreshers, including a Berry Blast Sprite with cold foam and a vanilla‑infused Dr Pepper, to tap the growing “dirty soda” trend. The drinks, which blend syrups, fruit‑based lemonade and foam, aim...
Xteink X3 Magnetic E‑reader Debuts at $80, Courting Niche DTC Shoppers
Xteink has launched the X3, a $80 magnetic e‑ink reader that snaps onto iPhone backs via MagSafe. The device, sold directly through the company’s website, targets gadget‑savvy consumers seeking a distraction‑free reading experience.
From Forgotten Bananas to Supper Saves: The Rise of Top-Up Shopping
Skip announced a partnership with Loblaw to support the growing trend of top‑up shopping, where consumers make frequent, small‑basket purchases. Drivers include urban living, time pressure, shrinking households and inflation‑induced price sensitivity. While lower average order values challenge margins, retailers...
Fashion House Coach Inks 13K-SF Deal for New Store at 645 Fifth Avenue
Coach, the leather‑accessories arm of Tapestry, is signing a lease for a 13,200‑square‑foot flagship at 645 Fifth Avenue, slated to open in 2027. The new "Coach House" will replace its three‑story boutique at 685 Fifth Avenue and occupy the base...
Closing the Loop: How Mastercard Is Building for Agentic Commerce
Mastercard is building an AI‑driven payment layer called Agent Pay that lets intelligent agents carry a shopper from recommendation to checkout without manual steps. Senior VP Craig Reiff says the technology exists, but scaling will hinge on embedding trust through...
Sprouts’ Traffic Takes Sudden Hit, but the Grocer Has a Plan
Sprouts Farmers Market reported a modest 1.8% year‑over‑year rise in overall visits for Q1 2026, yet same‑store traffic slipped 6.2% YoY, with monthly declines from 3% in January to 6% in March. The retailer is tapping its newly launched loyalty program...
Top E-Commerce Agencies
The article introduces a constraint‑first ranking of e‑commerce agencies, evaluating them on how well they solve specific growth bottlenecks rather than size. It outlines ten common constraints—margin pressure, data silos, retention gaps, and others—and assigns each agency a primary problem...
Prioritize Email Flows Over Campaigns with 5 Key Rules
Most ecommerce brands obsess over campaigns and ignore the flows that quietly do most of the work. Here are 5 email flow rules you need to know: → Send your welcome email instantly with no delay → Treat cart abandonment email one like...
Legacy Retailers Turn to Shop‑in‑shop Partnerships for Relevance
Legacy retailers like Party City and Staples are increasingly teaming up on shop-in-shops in a bid for relevance https://buff.ly/ZPd3Bn4
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Home Improvement's Long Winter May Be Thawing – Placer.ai Blog
Home Depot and Lowe’s posted modest but meaningful foot‑traffic gains in Q1 2026, with YoY increases of 1.9% and 2.0% respectively. The rebound follows several quarters of decline and aligns with comparable‑sales growth reported in their earnings. While January’s surge was amplified...
Modular Store Deploys Humanoid Robots for Service
Modular Retail Store Where Humanoid #Robots Serve Coffee, Ice Cream, and Chat with Customers via @ZappyZappy7 #AI #Robotics #Innovation #Technology https://t.co/3w6uONesr6
Amazon Converts Every Cost Into Revenue Stream
That 2015 slide from Social Capital stays evergreen: Amazon “turns every cost into a source of revenue”. https://t.co/vo9HXV0drt
This Doctor Saw a Problem Impacting Over 60% of Americans. The Business He Started to Solve It Makes $100 Million...
Dr. Lior Lewensztain, an MD/MBA, launched the fruit‑first snack brand That’s it. in 2012, initially selling at farmers markets. A Whole Foods national rollout propelled the company into major retailers such as Target, Costco and Walmart, driving annual revenue past...
Launch PrestaShop in Minutes with Hostinger
You can get a Prestashop online in just a few minutes, especially if you're a Hostinger customer. Here's how. https://t.co/GLnFCaPMll