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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N Brown Group announced a busy month of brand expansions, most notably adding The North Face to its Jacamo, JD Williams and SimplyBe platforms. The partnership launches an 85‑piece collection supported by a nationwide out‑of‑home campaign from 8‑31 March, with special projection ads in Manchester. Six additional brands, including Only & Sons and Little Mistress, are also being introduced across the retailer’s sites. The rollout starts 9 March for men’s lines and expands to women’s ranges by mid‑month, covering sizes S‑XXL and price points from £24 to £175.
Gant has launched a temporary pop‑up shop inside Manchester’s Selfridges, running until late May. The space showcases the brand’s Spring‑Summer 2026 menswear line, highlighted by striped rugby shirts, chinos, and Harrington jackets that blend classic American sportswear with modern sophistication. A...
I was talking to a 7-figure founder recently who was convinced his trend was dying. He has a clothing brand, he rode the wave hard, and did $100K+ months for the first four months. Then in September, his CPA doubled overnight and...
Offline payments let retailers accept card transactions when the internet drops by storing encrypted payment data on the POS device until connectivity returns. Shopify POS offers this capability for up to 24 hours, giving merchants a safety net during outages at...
The Wilson store at Mall of America uses a deep‑green façade to instantly convey its tennis heritage and upscale, country‑club vibe. The color choice acts as a silent brand ambassador, communicating the company’s legacy before shoppers step inside. This single,...
Artificial intelligence assistants are emerging as a primary channel for product discovery, compressing the traditional list of search results into a single answer. This upstream shift moves the consumer decision point into a system retailers cannot control or directly measure....
Zurich Airport has renewed its duty‑free and retail concession with Avolta until 2035, covering 17 locations and all food‑and‑beverage, convenience and duty‑free segments. The extension provides long‑term planning certainty and unlocks targeted capital for upgrading commercial spaces. Avolta will expand...
eCom is a low opex game. He who can spend the most on marketing wins the SERP. The 25>15>10% evolution is underway. https://t.co/MP1L7T7MZ5
On Thursday, Amazon experienced a widespread outage that left shoppers facing the familiar "dog page" error and prevented checkout, locker pickups, Kindle access, and seller dashboard functions. The disruption lasted roughly six hours, during which product listings returned 404 errors,...
IKEA is piloting a "store‑within‑a‑store" concept by hosting France’s Decathlon inside its Croydon location, marking the first time a major global brand occupies dedicated space in an IKEA blue‑box store. The hosts debate whether the partnership makes sense, noting both...
The episode examines Schlotzsky's new, smaller‑footprint store prototype that re‑emphasizes its deli identity and cuts operating costs by 20‑25% through self‑order kiosks, digital pickup zones, and a lean back‑of‑house layout. Chief Brand Officer Donna Varner explains the rebranding back to...
In a Modern Retail Podcast episode, Newell Brands’ learning and development chief Kris Malkoski explains how Graco is reshaping its pricing playbook amid AI‑driven insights, tariff volatility, and price‑sensitive shoppers. The discussion reveals Graco’s use of artificial intelligence to fine‑tune...
Fugazi, the Los Angeles‑born streetwear label founded by Trevor Gorji in 2017, is launching its second brick‑and‑mortar shop in West Hollywood. The brand’s first flagship opened in New York’s Lower East Side in 2024 and includes the le Gaz café, blending retail...
Marx Realty has broken ground on a 58,000‑square‑foot expansion at Cross County Center in Yonkers, adding a 14,000‑sq ft single‑story building and a 44,000‑sq ft two‑story structure. The project includes a four‑acre park and boardwalk that will serve as the mall’s new...
Listrak’s 2026 Beauty and Fashion Benchmarks report, analyzing 130 billion emails and SMS messages from 1,000 e‑commerce clients, forecasts major shifts in retail. Larger retailers such as Gap and Old Navy are launching proprietary beauty brands to capture growth, while AI‑enabled...
Nike has teamed with renowned graffiti artist Kunle Martins, known as IRAK, to release an all‑black Air Force 1 "City Hero" featuring a scratch‑away heel emblazoned with his hand‑style lettering. The sneaker is being sold exclusively through a SNKRS Stash...
Fischersund, the Icelandic art‑perfume collective, staged its inaugural scented concert in Paris at Dover Street Market, unveiling the new fragrance Faux Flora No. 1. The immersive event blended live music, projected visuals, and a 5‑ml perfume vial to create a multisensory narrative inspired...
Saks Global announced a second wave of store closures, shuttering 12 Saks Fifth Avenue locations and three Neiman Marcus stores by the end of May. Combined with earlier cuts, the company has now announced the closure of 20 Saks and four...
Aldi’s cheeky Instagram reply to McDonald’s recent product flop highlighted the grocer’s aggressive digital tone. Meanwhile, Oregon City launched the nation’s first 600‑sq‑ft micro‑grocery, echoing New York bodegas’ compact model. H‑E‑B swiftly corrected a false closure rumor, Iceland settled a...
Meghan Markle’s As Ever launched in March 2025 as an artisanal food‑focused lifestyle brand, quickly gaining a cult following with sell‑out jam drops, candles, wine, and limited‑edition chocolates. After a year of partnership with Netflix, the brand announced it is now...
Kroger announced a footprint‑optimization plan in June 2023 to close roughly 60 stores nationwide. To date, 33 locations have shuttered and three more are confirmed for 2024, spanning the Kroger banner and subsidiaries such as Fred Meyer, Harris Teeter, and King Soopers....
Brands are turning to live commerce to liquidate excess inventory, gaining real‑time pricing, product visibility, and storytelling that traditional bulk liquidation lacks. Platforms such as Whatnot, eBay Live, and Poshmark Live let sellers showcase condition and price instantly, targeting niche...
Nordstrom celebrated its 125th anniversary while navigating a turbulent U.S. department‑store landscape. The family partnered with Mexico’s Liverpool to take the retailer private, preserving a 51% stake and freeing the business from quarterly market pressures. Pete Nordstrom highlighted the company’s...
Retailers habitually rely on successive markdowns before considering liquidation, harming profitability. The article explains that markdowns shift sales to low‑margin items and occupy valuable space, while liquidation, when executed via vetted platforms, recovers capital and restores assortment mix. It argues...
Hermès deliberately limits Birkin supply, turning scarcity into a brand advantage and driving strong resale premiums. The company’s boutique‑level allocation relies on client relationships rather than sheer spend, reinforcing exclusivity. A vibrant secondary market, exemplified by platforms like Rome Station,...
Distribution Solutions Group (DSG) is embedding ecommerce and AI across its three main brands—Lawson Products, Gexpro Services and TestEquity—to boost sales efficiency and capture new customers. In Q4, Lawson’s online channel posted an 18% revenue increase, with over 30% of...
Retailers are turning to modular construction to keep pace with rapidly shifting consumer habits and the rise of pop‑up, dark‑store, and hybrid formats. Off‑site fabrication slashes build times, allowing stores to open in weeks rather than months while meeting code...
Swift has introduced a new framework for retail cross‑border payments, with over 25 banks slated to process transactions under the rules by June. The initiative expands Swift’s traditional focus on interbank and commercial transfers to consumer‑level payments, targeting faster settlement,...
Sassafras Beauty, a Davis, California independent cosmetics and salon retailer, will close within eight to twelve weeks, likely in May 2024, after owner Danielle Crane failed to sell the business and faced unsustainable rent of nearly $10,000 per month. The...
Best Buy’s U.S. online marketplace generated roughly $300 million in gross merchandise value in fiscal Q4 2026, supported by more than 1,100 third‑party sellers. The platform earns commissions and advertising fees, helping lift the retailer’s gross profit rate despite a 1% dip...
Nordstrom celebrated its 125th anniversary as a $16 billion retailer, having evolved from a Seattle shoe store into a full‑line department chain. In 2023 the Nordstrom family partnered with Mexico’s Liverpool to take the company private, giving it greater speed and...
Voomi Supply announced a $10 million financing round led by Asymmetric Capital Partners, with participation from Highmount Capital, David Hawkins, and existing backer Operator Partners. The capital will accelerate development of its AI‑driven B2B ecommerce platform, broaden its supplier network, and...
Amazon’s website and mobile app experienced a six‑hour outage on March 6, 2026, after a software code deployment went awry. The disruption prevented customers from accessing product pages, checking out, and viewing account information, prompting more than 20,000 issue reports. Amazon’s...
Von Dutch, the early‑2000s celebrity‑driven label, has been relaunched in the United States after its 2024 acquisition by brand‑development firm WSG Brands. WSG has rebuilt the brand’s infrastructure, expanded wholesale and direct‑to‑consumer channels, and secured high‑visibility collaborations with Gen Z influencers....
UK supermarkets are experiencing a notable decline in nitrite‑cured bacon sales, dropping 7.3% over the 12‑week period to January 25, equating to a £18.7 million loss. At the same time, nitrite‑free bacon is gaining traction, with sales rising 21.7% to £9.4 million....
Aldi UK is expanding long‑term supply agreements with British growers, aiming to secure at least 50 % of its domestic produce by the end of 2027. The contracts, lasting two years or more, will be open to both large and small...
Ollie's Bargain Outlet opened its first Minnesota store in Austin, about 100 miles south of Minneapolis, marking the retailer’s entry into its 35th state and a key milestone in its Midwest expansion. The Austin location continues Ollie's model of no‑frills,...
Danish entrepreneur Daniel Baven’s Noahs platform turns convenience stores and service stations into on‑site food hubs using modular kitchens and a digital ordering stack. The system lets retailers host rotating food brands—pizza, tacos, sandwiches—without major capital outlay, essentially acting as...
People always ask how @tobi and I split the job of running @Shopify. The answer is simple. Tobi builds the instruments. He is one of the best product minds in commerce. My job is storytelling. Championing merchants and explaining why what we’re building...
Grocery Outlet’s fourth‑quarter results fell short as the discounter shifted focus to expanding its assortment, neglecting the core price perception that drives its customers. Comparable‑store sales slipped nearly 1%, and the company posted a $235 million operating loss and a $218 million...
Consumers facing tighter budgets are turning to thrift stores and warehouse clubs for footwear, driving notable sales growth in both channels. Middle‑income and younger shoppers seek unique, affordable sneakers, while weight‑loss drugs like GLP‑1 have spurred size changes and increased...
Jefferies analysts argue that consumer companies embracing agentic AI will outpace rivals as algorithms prioritize product superiority, pricing and post‑purchase service. They highlight five stocks—Planet Fitness, Revolve Group, SharkNinja, YETI and Signet Jewelers—each with Jefferies price targets implying 60‑119% upside....
Europe’s e‑commerce market remains fragmented by languages, tax regimes and platform‑specific rules, forcing brands to adopt sophisticated back‑office operations. Luke Elliott of Pattern highlights that AI and real‑time data are now essential for meeting compliance, maintaining consistency and scaling across...
Kroger has created a new chief data and AI officer role, appointing Milen Mahadevan, president of its 84.51° analytics unit, to lead the effort. Mahadevan will consolidate all data and AI teams under his oversight while continuing to run 84.51°....
Co-op is investing £1.5 million to add more than 50 Toyota Proace City electric vans to its home‑delivery fleet, replacing older vehicles and expanding service to rural areas. The rollout supports the retailer’s online grocery growth, now available to 86 % of...
In this episode, the host highlights HomeGoods as a benchmark for retail brand experience, emphasizing its relentless focus on daily fundamentals such as store layout, product presentation, staff engagement, and robust processes. The discussion underscores that operational excellence—though rarely spotlighted—underpins...
Albertsons has launched a month‑long “Stock Up” sale from March 6 to April 2 across its Safeway, Vons, Pavilions, Jewel‑Osco, Shaw’s, Tom Thumb, Randalls and Acme banners. The promotion features “hottest prices” on national brands, four‑times reward points for Free for U loyalty members,...
Livingston Designer Outlet announced its 2026 charity partnership with Down’s Syndrome Scotland, a leading Scottish organization supporting individuals with Down’s syndrome. The outlet will host a year‑long series of fundraising events, awareness campaigns, and interactive activities, beginning on March 21...
US retail sales slipped 0.2% month‑on‑month in January, bringing total sales to $733.5 billion, though they remain 3.2% higher than a year ago. The decline outperformed the modest growth forecast but was attributed to severe winter weather curbing brick‑and‑mortar traffic. Health‑care,...
I think one of the reasons business owners complain so much about the prices of things is because they never really leverage the actual platform. They just end up using a feature or two. If you’re only going to use a...
