Today's Retail Pulse
World Cup fuels retail showdown as Nike, Adidas, Puma and New Balance gear up for 2026 tournament
The 2026 FIFA World Cup, co‑hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico, is projected to add more than $40 billion to global GDP. Leading sportswear brands are planning high‑profile product drops and experiential activations to capture the surge in soccer enthusiasm.
A New Way to Create a Digital Wardrobe From Your Google Photos
Google Photos is adding an AI‑driven digital wardrobe feature that will scan users' photo libraries, identify clothing items, and organize them into a searchable collection. The tool lets users filter by category, mix and match pieces, and generate virtual try‑on previews before dressing. Rolling out this summer, the feature will debut on Android devices before arriving on iOS. The capability aims to simplify daily styling decisions and reduce the “nothing to wear” dilemma.
Museums Turn Art Into Merchandise with AI‑Powered Pipeline
Most museums have great art they want to turn into actual merchandise, but no clue how to actually make stuff. Finding factories, building prototypes, checking quality, all that. Accio Work handled the whole pipeline for them. Mucha's great-grandson used AI to...
Amazon Extends Annual Pet Sale
Amazon is extending its annual Pet Day promotion from two to five days, running May 11‑15, 2026. The sale will feature discounts on thousands of items across categories such as grooming, food, toys, and health products for dogs, cats, fish, horses,...
Lids Taps Jameis Winston and Paul Wall for World Cup Wear Many Caps Campaign
Lids, the global headwear retailer, has rolled out its "Wear Many Caps" campaign ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The campaign features NFL quarterback Jameis Winston and Houston rap icon Paul Wall in a series of comedic videos that blend...
Albertsons Expands Free Curbside Prescription Pickup Nationwide
Albertsons Companies announced that its DriveUp & Go service now offers free curbside pickup for eligible pharmacy prescriptions at more than 1,700 stores nationwide. Customers can order online or via the Albertsons app, select a pickup window, prepay and have medications delivered...
E642: Here’s the SOP On How to Actually Make Millions with Supplements
In this episode, host Dave interviews John Smitty of NutraMarketers about the massive U.S. supplement market—roughly $33 million in daily Amazon sales, or about $1 billion a month. They break down a step‑by‑step SOP for small brands or solopreneurs, emphasizing problem‑focused product...
March Amazon Best Sellers
The March Amazon Best‑Sellers roundup highlights a surge in kitchen gadgets, home upgrades, and select fashion pieces. Items like a 5‑in‑1 rotary cheese grater, multi‑plug outlet extender, and striped bath towels topped the list, reflecting consumers’ focus on functional home...
Eye on Point of Sale: MoneyGram Adopts Stripe for Retail Locations; Lightspeed Divests Upserve
MoneyGram will modernize its roughly 500,000 global retail locations by adopting Stripe’s point‑of‑sale hardware and digital payment options, including tap‑to‑pay, pay‑by‑link and QR codes. The partnership gives MoneyGram’s cash‑first customers more ways to fund transfers and promises faster, more connected...
A Japanese Retailer Is Trying to Stop Pokémon Card Scalpers by Making Them Take a Test First
Japanese electronics retailer Bic Camera is piloting a new anti‑scalping protocol at its Ikebukuro, Tokyo store. Customers who want the latest Pokémon TCG booster box must pass a 15‑question quiz, show a Bic Camera rewards card or app, and allow...
Starbucks Turnaround Plan Is Paying Off, CEO Says
Starbucks reported a 7.1% year‑over‑year rise in North American same‑store sales for Q2 2026, driven by a 4.3% lift in traffic and higher average ticket sizes. CEO Brian Niccol called the quarter the “turn in our turnaround,” citing the Green Apron...
The Cost of Untrained Retail Associates Is Hiding in Your P&L
The article exposes a hidden "floor tax" that erodes retailer profit margins: high associate turnover and insufficient sales training create a gap between a store’s potential and its actual performance. Replacement costs range from $17,000 to $68,000 per employee, while...
Bed Bath & Beyond Returns to Revenue Growth
Bed Bath & Beyond posted its first revenue increase in 19 quarters, with net revenue up 6.9% to $248 million for the quarter ended March 31, 2026. CEO Marcus Lemonis credits an improved product assortment, customer‑experience investments and tighter cost control for...
Meijer Ramps up Private Label to Cater to Nutrition Trends
Meijer announced a major expansion of its private‑label range, adding more than 120 items with at least 5 grams of fiber per serving and over 700 products delivering 10 grams of protein or more. The retailer highlighted new launches such as sesame‑protein...
Can Bed Bath & Beyond’s Bilt Partnership Simplify Its Experience?
Bed Bath & Beyond announced a partnership with Bilt to embed the home‑rewards provider’s Guest Experience Platform across its expanding brand portfolio, which now includes Kirkland’s and BuyBuy Baby. The collaboration aims to deliver a simpler, more intuitive shopping journey and unified loyalty benefits...
Retail Media Silos, Measurement, and Misconceptions Continue to Stymie Growth
Retail media spend is projected to near $70 billion in 2024, yet growth remains uneven. Amazon and Walmart dominate the market, using scale and first‑party data that smaller retailers can’t easily replicate. Executives at an ADWEEK House forum highlighted persistent challenges...
Gifting Marketplace Flowwow Rebrands to Udora, Separating From Russian Business and Raising €8.5 Million for European Growth
Udora, the former Flowwow gifting marketplace, closed a €9.2 million (~$9.9 million) private round and rebranded to signal a clean break from its Russian operations. Headquartered in Dubai, the company is focusing on European growth, expanding its product catalogue, AI‑driven personalization, and...
Cellular POS Terminals to Reach 247 Million by 2029 as Retail IoT Expands
The global installed base of cellular‑connected point‑of‑sale (POS) terminals is projected to grow from 184 million units in 2025 to 247 million by 2029, driven by a 7.6% CAGR, according to Berg Insight. In 2025, 53 % of all POS shipments already included...
Coach Partners Selfridges with Playground Experience
Coach has teamed with Selfridges to unveil a pop‑up playground experience designed by StudioXAG. The installation transforms a section of the flagship London store into an interactive, Instagram‑ready space featuring oversized accessories and tactile displays. The partnership aims to blend...
Traditional Grocers Could Learn a Thing or Two From Food Co-Ops
The National Co‑op Grocers released its 2025 Food Co‑op Impact Report, highlighting that co‑ops generate $2.8 billion in sales with 23% sourced locally—far above the 2% typical of traditional chains. Co‑ops work with an average of 187 local suppliers and 41...
AI Is The Biggest Driver Of Change In Retail, Says World Retail Congress Chair
At the World Retail Congress in Berlin, chair Ian McGarrigle declared AI the single biggest catalyst reshaping retail, warning that the 2030 winners will be those who invest heavily in artificial intelligence. German Digital Transformation Minister Karsten Wildberger stressed that...
Visa CEO Envisions Stablecoin, Agentic Benefit
Visa CEO Ryan McInerney said the company will treat stablecoin and emerging agentic commerce transactions with the same unit economics as its traditional card business. By building a "bridge layer" through Visa‑as‑a‑Service, Visa aims to capture revenue from digital wallets...
Digital Wave Technology® and ChannelEngine Partner to Accelerate AI-Driven Marketplace Growth
Digital Wave Technology and ChannelEngine have formed a strategic partnership that blends DWT’s AI‑native ONE Platform with ChannelEngine’s connectivity to over 1,300 global marketplaces. The joint solution unifies product data, automates enrichment, and streamlines order, pricing, and performance workflows across...
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12 Costco Items Shoppers Say Are Never Worth the Money
Costco’s bulk‑size model saves shoppers on many staples, but a recent consumer poll shows several categories fail to deliver value. Items such as organic English cucumbers, large soda packs, Kirkland bagels, bulk milk, and 64‑ounce soy sauce often spoil or...
Tesco Rolls Out Aldi Price Match to 2,000 Express Stores
Tesco has rolled out its Aldi Price Match scheme to more than 2,000 Tesco Express stores, marking the largest expansion since the program launched in 2020. The rollout adds over 200 everyday items—ranging from pasta and milk to lettuce and...
Bloomreach Launches Loomi AI for Shopify: A Single App for Personalizing the Entire Customer Journey
Bloomreach unveiled Loomi AI for Shopify, an embedded app that links Shopify stores directly to Bloomreach’s AI‑driven marketing and search suite. The solution lets merchants personalize search, browse, email, SMS and on‑site experiences using real‑time customer, product and commerce data,...
Albertsons Expands Free Curbside Prescription Pickup Nationwide
Albertsons Companies has rolled out its DriveUp & Go free curbside prescription pickup to more than 1,700 stores nationwide, letting shoppers order online, prepay and receive medications directly at their vehicle. The service can be added to grocery DriveUp & Go orders...
Hanoi Retailers Abandon Prime Locations Despite Plummeting Rents
Hanoi’s prime retail streets are seeing a wave of vacancies as merchants abandon storefronts despite landlords slashing rents by double‑digit percentages. The average asking rent for townhouses has dropped 13‑37% from 2025 peaks, and more than 30 units on Kim Ma...
Woodemon Allocates $1 Million to Launch Personalized Home Collection for Kids
Woodemon is committing $1 million to a new personalized home‑goods line for babies and children, expanding beyond its puzzle roots. The move follows a 2025 surge to $4.05 million in sales and 59,000 orders, underscoring a marketing strategy that blends craftsmanship with...
Walmart Launches $45 Cashmere Pop‑Up in SoHo, Aiming to Democratize Fashion
Walmart opened a fashion pop‑up at 210 Lafayette Street in Manhattan’s SoHo district, featuring cashmere, silk and leather shoes at discount prices. The temporary shop runs until May 10 and is the retailer’s fourth New York pop‑up, part of a broader...
Cart Capital Unveils “Build It Right” Pledge to Raise eCommerce Management Standards
Cart Capital founder Shelton Powell announced the Build It Right pledge, a personal‑commitment program urging eCommerce operators to adopt disciplined processes, weekly metrics tracking and long‑term planning. The initiative arrives as global online sales are set to top $7 trillion by...
Want a Pop Star Collab? Brands Need to Be Ready to Take Risks
At an ADWEEK House panel during the Possible conference, leaders from Maybelline, Nespresso, creative agency Croing and Latin Grammy‑winner Joaquina discussed how brand‑pop‑star collaborations have evolved. They emphasized that successful partnerships now require genuine artist‑brand alignment, deeper creative involvement, and...
Royal Mail Launches Parcel Postboxes for Medium-Sized Parcels
Royal Mail has introduced a solar‑powered parcel postbox that can accept medium‑sized parcels up to 24 cm high, 48 cm long and 43 cm wide. Around 600 of these new boxes will be installed across the UK over the next six months, beginning...
Starbucks Beats Q2 2026 Estimates, CFO Smith Flags Sales Momentum
Starbucks posted $9.5 billion in Q2 2026 revenue, up 9% year‑over‑year, and EPS of $0.50, a 22% rise, surpassing analyst forecasts. CFO Catherine Smith highlighted robust comparable‑sales growth, record‑high Rewards membership and a $3.1 billion cash infusion from its China transaction. The results...
Pure Hockey Acquires Perani's Hockey World, Expands to Over 110 U.S. Stores
Pure Hockey announced the acquisition of Perani's Hockey World’s 22 Midwest stores, raising its total U.S. retail presence to more than 110 locations. The deal deepens Pure Hockey’s brick‑and‑online reach and signals accelerating consolidation in specialty sports ecommerce.
My Instore Radio Adds Reporting Tool to Measure In‑store Audio Ads
My Instore Radio unveiled a reporting feature on April 27, 2026 that lets retailers see exact playback counts and match them with foot‑traffic data. The tool, available for single‑ and multi‑location clients, aims to turn in‑store audio from a guesswork...
Sprouts’ Achilles’ Heel Is Affordability. Can Its New Loyalty Program Mend That?
Sprouts Farmers Market, amid rapid expansion of its small‑store format, launched its first loyalty program, Sprouts Rewards, in October 2025 to combat growing affordability concerns among price‑sensitive shoppers. The program offers five points per dollar, personalized offers, member‑only events, and...
Bi-Rite Market Plans New Store in San Francisco's Richmond District
Bi‑Rite Family of Businesses, a Certified B Corp, announced plans for its fourth neighborhood market at 6001 California Street in San Francisco’s Richmond District, slated to open in 2027. The new store will revive a historic 1917 building that has...
Lacoste Bets on Heritage to Sharpen Premium Identity
French apparel house Lacoste, owned by MF Brands, is launching a comprehensive visual overhaul that revives its 1930s heritage. The new identity, created with Commission Studio, emphasizes the original crocodile logo with a red tongue and a deeper green, alongside...
Rancher’s Premium Smokehouse Adds Kroger Retail Distribution
Family‑owned Rancher’s Premium Smokehouse is rolling out its entire sausage portfolio to Kroger stores across Texas, as well as Fry’s in Arizona and Smith’s in Nevada, just before the summer barbecue rush. The 12‑oz refrigerated packs feature four distinct flavors,...
Fashion Resale Platform Culture Circle Targets US $100 Million Revenue by FY ’27
Culture Circle, an Indian luxury fashion resale marketplace, reported FY26 GMV of Rs 153 crore (≈$16.1 million), a dramatic rise from $0.36 million in FY25. The platform now lists over 2.5 million products, serves more than five million monthly active users, and works with 7,000...
Rising Costs Are Driving Consumers to Be More Cautious with Their Spending
A Sampl survey of 2,010 UK adults finds that 83 % see prices higher than a year ago and 68 % are tightening their spending. Cost‑of‑living worries make nearly half of shoppers dread grocery trips, while only a third are willing to...
Ben & Jerry’s Opens UK’s First Mall Kiosk at Merry Hill
Ben & Jerry’s opened the United Kingdom’s first mall kiosk at Merry Hill, a super‑regional shopping centre now owned by Redical. The 270‑sq‑ft stand marks the brand’s debut mid‑mall presence in the UK, offering its signature ice‑cream flavours, loaded desserts...
Retail Shakeup in Store for Candler Park’s Charming Old Retail Strip
The historic retail strip on McLendon Avenue in Atlanta’s Candler Park is experiencing a revival after longtime anchors like Flying Biscuit Café and Dr. Bombay’s closed. Writing studio Lostintheletters has opened a bookstore‑creative space in the former Flying Biscuit spot,...
PayPal Says AI Shopping Agents Are Creating an Invisible Storefront Economy
PayPal’s first U.S. Agentic Commerce Pulse Survey of 498 merchants reveals that while 95% can detect AI agent traffic, only about 20% have structured, machine‑readable product catalogs needed for real‑time purchases. The majority—86% to 94%—anticipate agentic commerce will positively impact...
VF Corp CEO Pledges To Deep Brand Turnaround At Berlin Congress
At the World Retail Congress in Berlin, VF Corp. CEO Bracken Darrell outlined a "deep" brand turnaround that prioritizes long‑term equity over short‑term fixes. He acknowledged recent cost cuts, inventory normalization and leadership reshuffles have begun to stabilize the company...
Gros and Amazon Grocery Delivery Service in Rome: Fruit, Vegetables
European and American grocery retailers announced a wave of strategic moves in April 2024. Sweden’s ICA will deploy RELEX’s promotions platform, while Italy’s Gros teamed with Amazon to launch a 10,000‑product delivery service in Rome. In the UK, Lidl and...
Big Food’s Brand Reckoning: Why Scale Isn’t the Same as Resonance
Consolidation has long driven growth in CPG and retail, but the era of buying scale is hitting a wall as brands lose resonance after acquisition. Companies such as Kraft Heinz, WK Kellogg and PepsiCo are re‑examining sprawling portfolios to avoid...
Why the Next Era of Commerce Media Is a Human Challenge
The article argues that commerce media’s biggest obstacle has shifted from technology to organizational dysfunction. Brands remain trapped in siloed structures where brand, media, e‑commerce and commerce teams operate with separate budgets and KPIs, leading to duplicated effort and lost...
AI Shopping Creates an Opportunity for Retailers to Reimagine the New Storefront
Retailers are seeing website traffic fall as AI shopping assistants become the primary venue for product discovery and decision‑making. PayPal’s transaction data shows that purchases are increasingly completed outside of brand‑owned sites, with AI tools surfacing items based on price,...
Jaipur Edition Of D2CX Converge Decodes ₹100 Cr Playbooks For D2C Brands
Inc42 and logistics firm Shadowfax hosted the D2CX Converge meetup in Jaipur, gathering over 70 D2C founders to discuss scaling brands to the ₹100 cr (~$12 m) mark. The event highlighted Blue Tokai’s omnichannel growth to over ₹650 cr (~$78 m) and shared diverse...