Know What's Happening in Retail
Know What's Happening in Retail
AI start‑ups deploy virtual‑try‑on tech to slash $850B in retail returns
AI firms such as Catches are launching virtual‑try‑on platforms that create digital twins of shoppers, aiming to reduce the retail sector’s $850B return problem. The National Retail Federation notes that returns accounted for 15.8% of U.S. sales and 19.3% of online sales in 2025, eroding margins. Generative AI and cheap cloud compute now make these solutions cost‑effective.
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Golden Goose reported FY25 revenue of €734 million, a 15% year‑on‑year rise, driven by a 21% surge in direct‑to‑consumer sales that now represent 81% of total revenue. The brand added 17 new stores, bringing its global footprint to 232 locations, with strong growth across Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Asia‑Pacific. Chinese private‑equity firm HSG, alongside Temasek, became majority shareholders, reinforcing the company’s international expansion plans. New sneaker launches and a concept store in Osaka underscore its blend of craftsmanship and community.
Chow Tai Fook Jewellery Group has created a global creative director role and appointed David Tse to fill it, signaling a strategic push to elevate the brand on the world stage. Tse, who previously led Hermès’ Shanghai creative team and...
Nigerian entrepreneur Samuel Oyedemi is launching SKAAP, a scan‑and‑go platform targeting small and medium retailers in Canada and the United States. After a modest pilot in Calgary, Edmonton and Saskatchewan that enrolled about 200 users, the startup plans a U.S....
The Australian Retail Council (ARC) has been launched as a new national peak body, merging the Australian Retailers Association and the National Retail Association. Developed with branding agency FABRIC, ARC’s new visual identity aims to give retailers a single, unified...
Dutch Bros reported a 28% revenue increase to $1.64 billion for 2025, driven by 154 new store openings that brought the system to 1,136 locations. Adjusted EBITDA rose 31% to $303 million and average unit volume hit a record $2.1 million. The company...
Retailers now operate across physical stores, online platforms, and multiple suppliers, creating overlapping legal obligations. LegalVision highlights five top legal risks—lease restrictions, mishandled customer returns, non‑compliant e‑commerce disclosures, vague supplier agreements, and inadequate employment contracts—and offers practical mitigation steps. The...
Anheuser‑Busch completed a $490 million acquisition of 85% of Austin‑based RTD brand BeatBox, finalizing a deal announced in December. BeatBox, which posted over $340 million in retail sales and a 50% revenue jump last year, joins AB InBev’s expanding Beyond Beer portfolio...
Best Buy is discounting LG’s 48‑inch 2025 B5 Series OLED TV to $649.99, a 50% cut from its $1,299.99 list price. The model ships with the Alpha 8 AI Processor Gen 2, 120 Hz refresh, Dolby Vision, HDR10, and Filmmaker mode. Compared with other...
A Decodo analysis of over one million price points shows that Amazon, Walmart, Kroger and other major retailers regularly employ dynamic pricing, with price cuts outpacing hikes. Amazon leads with 116,509 adjustments and a 35.3% average drop, while Walmart and...
The 2025 holiday season proved fulfillment is now a front‑line consumer experience, as Adobe reported over $10 million in online spend each minute on Cyber Monday and NRF said holiday spending topped $1 trillion. While 91% of shoppers entered the period confident...
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On @Whatnot, the live shopping platform, beauty sales grew almost 800% in 2025, now representing one of its fastest-growing verticals. Buyers are purchasing nearly 4,000 beauty items per hour. More in the Live Shopping Update, presented by Whatnot: https://t.co/s9HQHL6Je5 https://t.co/VKyyHOKjyK
The NHS Concept to Commerce trade show in Las Vegas (March 31‑April 2, 2026) is launching a Hosted VIP Program for qualified product, sourcing and private‑label teams. Hosted buyers receive travel support, VIP access, on‑site assistance and heightened visibility. The program also includes...
DFS has partnered with ITV to embed its brand into the 19th season of Britain’s Got Talent, featuring 10‑second TV commercials and bespoke sofas on set. The campaign includes an Amanda Holden‑branded sofa collection, social media sponsorship, and a competition...
Whole Foods is piloting a system in its Philadelphia store that lets shoppers scan QR codes or use the Amazon app to order national‑brand items not stocked on the shelves. Employees pull these Amazon‑fulfilled products within minutes and stage them...
Retailers aiming for 2026 growth are realizing that multilingual discovery alone does not translate into sales. AI‑driven search engines now treat simple translations as low‑authority, reducing visibility in key markets. At the same time, poorly adapted product pages, checkout flows,...
HI-CHEW and Menchie's Frozen Yogurt have launched a limited‑edition HI‑CHEW Grapefruit flavor, a citrus‑forward frozen yogurt available at Menchie's locations throughout March. The non‑fat, artificial‑color‑free product draws on HI‑CHEW’s Sweet & Sour Mix to deliver a sweet‑tart taste positioned as...
ThredUp has teamed up with grocery‑delivery startup Misfits Market to launch a Clean Out resale program that lets shoppers trade unwanted clothing for Misfits Market grocery credit. Participants generate a prepaid label, ship any apparel to ThredUp, and receive credit...
Do it Best Group has launched Retail Pulse, a data‑driven platform that transforms independent hardware dealers’ POS and purchasing data into clear, actionable insights. By aggregating more than 1,000 member datasets, the tool creates tailored peer groups and highlights opportunities...
Ahold Delhaize announced that Stephane Deutsch will assume the role of Brand President of Super Indo, its Indonesian supermarket chain, effective June 22. Deutsch succeeds Boudewijn van Nieuwenhuijzen, who is departing the company. Deutsch currently serves as CFO of TotalEnergies Marketing Egypt and has held senior...
Warehouse robotics are moving beyond Amazon and Walmart as subscription‑based models lower entry barriers. A 2025 MHI study shows robot usage in warehouses jumped to 48%, with 64% of respondents adopting robotics‑as‑a‑service (RaaS) or SaaS solutions. Mid‑size firms like Superior...
U.S. Census Bureau reports October 2025 retail sales rose 2.2% year‑over‑year. Thirteen states and the District of Columbia posted positive changes, with New York leading at a 6.1% increase. Building‑materials and garden‑equipment dealers fell 5.4% YoY, while West Virginia saw a 16.1%...
Coca‑Cola becomes the first supplier to join Carrefour Belgium’s new sustainability plan, promoting refillable glass bottles. Coca‑Cola Europacific Partners will roll out a lighter one‑liter refillable glass bottle in Belgium this year, cutting production and transport emissions. The partners are...
Victoria Leeds, owned by Redical, announced that Randox Health will open its first standalone clinic in Yorkshire, occupying a 734 sq ft unit in the Victoria Quarter. The clinic will provide a full suite of blood tests, comprehensive health checks, specialised diagnostics...
Victoria Leeds, operated by Redical, has secured Randox Health for its first standalone clinic in Yorkshire, occupying a 734 sq ft space in the Victoria Quarter. The new clinic will provide a full suite of preventative health services, including comprehensive blood tests,...
WHSmith has opened its seventh store within the Extra Motorway Service Area network at Leeds Skelton Lake services on the M1. The new outlet replaces the former Urban Express unit and creates six local jobs, offering a broad assortment of...
![[In the Picture] The Salvation Army Opens Virtual Thrift Store in Roblox](/cdn-cgi/image/width=1200,quality=75,format=auto,fit=cover/https://i0.wp.com/www.retaildetail.eu/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/Schermafbeelding-2026-03-02-141608.png)
The Salvation Army launched Thrift Score, the first virtual thrift store on Roblox, on February 19. The digital shop lets Gen Z and Gen Alpha purchase virtual items modeled after real second‑hand goods. The initiative blends sustainability, gaming, and charitable...
Retailers are placing seasonal merchandise, such as Easter items, on shelves months before the holiday because the design, manufacturing, and shipping processes require six to nine months of lead time. EY Canada partner Georgianna Ma explains that early placement helps...
Quick‑service restaurants are pivoting toward bright, sugary beverages to win over Gen Z and millennial diners who are less price‑sensitive than older consumers. Brands such as Blank Street Coffee, Starbucks and Dutch Bros have seen cold, flavor‑forward drinks now dominate a large...
Modella Capital, the owner of TG Jones, has engaged consulting firm Teneo to craft a restructuring plan for its high‑street portfolio. The plan follows Modella's 2025 acquisition of WH Smith’s 480‑store network, which it has been rebranding as TG Jones. Roughly 80 of...
In this episode, host Chris Walton and Richard McKenzie, CEO of Valak (Rolik Group), dissect why U.S. grocery e‑commerce remains unprofitable despite a 19% penetration rate. They identify the primary cost drivers—inefficient picking/packing, high last‑mile expenses, and low basket sizes—and...
Loblaw’s partnership with Flashfood diverted more than 21 million pounds of near‑expiry food from landfill in 2025, delivering over $58 million in grocery savings to Canadian shoppers. The program attracted 92 000 new Flashfood users, expanding its reach to over 900 Loblaw‑branded stores...
In 2026 online retailers must broaden payment options—from e‑wallets and BNPL to crypto—while confronting a surge in money‑laundering and fraud. UK data shows £337 million in AML losses last year, with retail accounting for 49 % of fraud value. Criminals are leveraging...
The article contrasts a "legibility economy"—where value stems from recognition by a select few—with an "access economy" that thrives on mass recognition. It uses Hermès’ limited‑edition "Quelle Idole" mini‑handbag and Taylor Swift’s ubiquitous branding as opposing case studies, illustrating how...
Red‑carpet activations are evolving from simple photo ops into fully immersive, experiential events. Major studios such as Disney, Netflix, Universal Pictures and Prime Video are building themed environments, interactive games, and low‑waste productions that invite talent, media and fans to...
Chinese coffee chain Cotti Coffee, known for its low‑price model, announced its entry into Belgium. The company will launch six outlets over the next two months, with two stores each in Brussels and Antwerp and additional locations in city centres....
Henri Nutrition, a Quebec‑based startup founded by a mother and her 9‑year‑old son, sold two million bars in its first year, expanding to 1,300 Canadian retail locations from just 40 a year earlier. The brand’s simple formula—no added sugar, seven ingredients...
MojoAuth announced an enterprise‑grade passwordless authentication platform tailored for large retail brands. The solution combines WebAuthn passkeys, OTP, magic links, and adaptive risk‑based MFA to eliminate passwords while supporting PCI‑DSS requirements and private‑cloud deployments. It is engineered to handle massive...
Charlotte Tilbury has hired Jerome LeLoup, former Rabanne Brand VP, as its Chief Marketing Officer effective March 2. LeLoup spent 13 years at Puig, rising from General Manager of Premium & Niche Brands to Brand VP of Rabanne. He will lead...
Tesco is reorganising its head‑office to give digital and quick‑commerce a central role, mirroring Walmart’s recent strategic overhaul. Both retailers reported robust online growth—Tesco’s e‑commerce rose 11.2% over the festive period, while Walmart’s online sales surged nearly 25% to exceed...
Jo Malone London, part of the Estée Lauder Companies, has appointed sisters Georgia May Jagger and Lizzy Jagger as global brand ambassadors for its new English Pear fragrance line. The campaign, built around a sisterhood narrative, will showcase the English Pear & Freesia and English Pear & Sweet Pea scents. It...
Wickes has launched Wickes Connected Retail Media, a first‑of‑its‑kind retail media network for the UK home‑improvement category, offering both onsite and offsite advertising capabilities from day one. The platform, built with Epsilon’s COREid identity graph, merges digital and in‑store signals...
Tesco has revitalised its iconic "Every Little Helps" slogan by launching a new brand platform centred on the question “Need Anything From Tesco?”. The initiative reframes the long‑standing tagline as a promise to support shoppers and local communities, linking everyday...
TikTok educators Alexis and Christina Androulakis are launching Leaked Labs, a direct‑from‑lab beauty brand that will debut on March 6. The company will release “controlled leaks,” limited early‑access drops of lab‑born formulas, starting with Leak 001 – Amplify Flexi Powder, a water‑activated,...
The closure of the Strait of Hormuz will force Indian garment exporters to reroute vessels around the Cape of Good Hope, adding 20‑25 days to transit times. Higher freight costs and longer shipping windows threaten the tight seasonal calendars of...
Medline Industries is scaling its AI‑driven supply‑chain platform, Mpower, in partnership with Microsoft, to provide a digital control tower that automates forecasting, inventory management and disruption alerts for hospital customers. The company is also expanding warehouse robotics, now operating AutoStore...
Love’s Travel Stops has revamped its loyalty program, now letting all drivers earn and redeem points on fuel and in‑store purchases across its 608 shops and 62 country stores. The unified Love’s Rewards program is accessed through an updated mobile...
Florence Roghe, founder of Collateral Projects, warns beauty start‑ups that rapid launches often lack a clear value proposition and long‑term roadmap. She stresses that products must deliver distinct, disruptive value in a crowded market, not just chase trends. Successful scaling...
Galeries de la Capitale, owned by Primaris REIT, is adding a wave of new retailers—including a 36,000 sq ft Winners store, a 3,750 sq ft lululemon, Kiokii, Lovisa, Chaudron Bavard, Beau et Bon, Boustan and a future 50,000 sq ft Les Ailes de la Mode anchor—boosting...
Effective 1 March 2026 France will levy a €2 small‑parcel tax (TPC) on every HS‑code classified item in packages valued at €150 or less shipped from outside the EU. The tax covers France, Monaco, Guadeloupe, Martinique and Réunion and applies regardless of...
