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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Evereden, the kid‑focused beauty brand that hit $100 million in sales, announced its Generation E program, granting equity stakes to three Gen‑Alpha creators aged 14, 15 and 17. The teenagers—Embreigh Courtlyn, Kaili Asa and Madison Rae—bring combined millions of followers and will advise on product development, brand voice and community initiatives. The move coincides with Evereden’s rollout into all 640 U.S. Sephora stores and its dominant 60% Amazon market share for kids’ skincare. By turning influencers into owners, Evereden aims to deepen authentic connections with the fast‑growing Gen‑Alpha consumer segment.
Neo Naturelle, a federally registered Canadian skincare brand founded in 2019 by chemist Nila Cook, is expanding nationwide to serve women experiencing hormonal changes such as perimenopause and menopause. After the pandemic forced a digital‑first launch, the company now combines...
In the Glossy Podcast’s London Fashion Week edition, Mytheresa chief buying director Tiffany Hsu offers a buyer’s lens on the Fall 2026 collections. She highlights Burberry’s outerwear‑led show, the romantic opulence of Simone Rocha and Erdem, and the sculptural concepts of newcomers...
Gymboree is reviving its brand by launching co‑branded collections, beginning with a limited‑edition Marchesa line priced between $20 and $170. The retailer also introduced everyday collaborations with Peter Rabbit and Hello Kitty, aiming to attract both special‑occasion and casual shoppers....
Retailers now bear direct responsibility for delivery performance, as a UPS Capital 2025 report shows consumer blame shifting from carriers (39 % vs 83 % in 2022) to retailers. Fast delivery ranks above price for 31 % of shoppers, and 85 % of merchants...
Titan Managing Director Ajoy Chawla said India’s recent online betting ban, GST rationalisation and income‑tax‑slab relief have freed roughly ₹10,000 crore a month for middle‑class consumers, boosting discretionary spending. The extra cash is translating into stronger demand for Titan’s jewellery brands, though...
Joyce Group reported a 29% jump in net profit to $5.1 million for the first half of 2026, driven by an 11.2% revenue increase to $81.6 million. Normalised EBIT rose 21% to $14.8 million, with margins expanding from 16.6% to 18.2%. The KWB...
Harvey Norman reported half‑year 2026 sales exceeding $5 billion, a 6.9% increase driven largely by its franchise network. After‑tax profit rose 15.2% to $321.9 million as operating expenses fell to 17.8% of revenue. Australian franchisee sales grew 4.8% to $3.5 billion, now representing...
Dior Beauty has launched its largest Southeast Asian boutique at Siam Takashimaya within Bangkok’s IconSiam complex, uniting fragrance, makeup and skincare under a single roof. The store showcases Dior’s new global retail concept, featuring the private VVIC Lounge for one‑on‑one...
Steve Pastor, founder and CEO of Kings of Neon, explains how the custom neon signage firm scaled from a 2019 side venture to a global partner for brands like Formula 1 Las Vegas, Netflix and BMW. He credits three non‑negotiables—quality, speed...
Conversational AI is moving from website bots to messaging apps, with WhatsApp emerging as the flagship channel for retail in markets such as Hong Kong, Singapore and India. Sanuker’s Woztell platform lets retailers stitch ecommerce, CRM and ERP data into...
99.7% to target on CM this month. Great growth teams are committed to a hierarchy of metrics. Every month is going to involve different trade offs to reach your goal. But great forecasting and execution requires being clear on the...
Tools for Humanity, the iris‑scanning startup co‑founded by Sam Altman, is rolling out its World ID platform with high‑profile brand partners. A Gap store in San Francisco now hosts an Orb device that captures facial and eye data, while Tinder...
Credential‑based fraud and login friction are eroding conversion for high‑value e‑commerce shoppers, prompting merchants to seek stronger, lower‑friction authentication. Passkeys, built on FIDO public‑key cryptography and unlocked via biometrics or PIN, promise to eliminate password reuse and phishing risk. PayPal...
Target rolled out a dedicated Space Jam 30th‑anniversary endcap, featuring licensed basketballs, secret‑stuff bottles, and a popcorn bucket. The display was tightly curated, avoiding SKU sprawl and presenting a single nostalgic story. The article argues that while nostalgia captures shopper...
JD Sports has signed a multiyear agreement with Checkpoint Systems to deploy the ItemOptix RFID platform across its European footprint, beginning with more than 400 UK and Ireland stores by the end of 2024 and scaling to nearly 1,000 locations...
Amazon has launched same‑day grocery delivery and pharmacy services in Louisville, covering a 55‑mile radius. The rollout adds Louisville to more than 2,300 U.S. cities offering Amazon grocery delivery and moves the company toward its goal of nearly 4,500 cities...
Walmart is extending its low‑cost Onn brand into smart‑TV territory by introducing Google TV‑powered models for the first time. A Bluetooth certification filing reveals three series—SGQ, MQP and SQ—offering 55‑, 65‑ and 75‑inch 4K screens. Pricing is expected to stay...
"I think it’s the most sophisticated conversation that will exist on this topic." @oliviaakory's feedback after watching back this episode. She and @Davisg207 came by the office to talk about Cozy Earth's incrementality testing journey. I think it is incredibly instructive...
Retail atmosphere is driven more by people than by shelves. While visual merchandising and layout influence perception, the article argues that staff behavior, eye contact, and consistent appearance create the emotional experience that customers remember. Human cues reduce decision stress...
ACV Auctions reported Q4 2025 revenue of $184 million, a 15% year‑over‑year increase, and full‑year revenue of $760 million, up 19% from 2024. The company narrowed its quarterly net loss to $20 million, improving by 23% versus the prior year, while selling 192,757...
Shopify merchants can add a web‑to‑print storefront to let customers design and purchase customized printed goods, automating file preparation and production routing. The solution typically requires a SaaS platform like PrintXpand, integration with Shopify, and configurable SKUs, with implementation taking...
Flashfood reported a sharp rise in protein purchases as grocery prices climb, with ground beef sales up 28% and egg purchases soaring 90% year‑over‑year. Protein now accounts for more than 30% of the app’s total sales, reflecting consumer shifts toward...
Giant, Stop & Shop, and Martin’s are running a limited‑time promotion that awards four times the usual fuel points on purchases of selected third‑party gift cards between Feb 27 and Mar 12. Eligible cards include Airbnb, Delta, Disney, DoorDash, Southwest, Hotels.com, Lyft,...
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced a plan to allocate $70 million toward launching a city‑run grocery‑store program. The proposal comes as the administration confronts a $5.4 billion budget shortfall and a $127 billion 2027 budget request. The plan envisions one subsidized...
The retention stack at most brands is three platforms pretending to be one. Email in one tool. SMS in another. A "customer journey" that's really just a guess stitched together from disconnected data. Attentive solves this by putting email and SMS in...
Rackhams has partnered with Base.com to simplify expansion for established Amazon and eBay sellers onto the Rackhams marketplace. Base.com provides a multi‑channel operating system that centralises listings, inventory, pricing, and order fulfillment across major marketplaces and ecommerce platforms. The collaboration...
The U.S. home improvement products market is projected to reach roughly $688 billion by 2029, driven by an average 4% annual growth rate from 2026 through 2029. Despite lingering economic pressure, first‑quarter 2026 spending remained near record levels, anchored by repair...
The Zacks Retail‑Home Furnishings sector faces headwinds from high mortgage rates, weak housing turnover, and tariff pressures, resulting in a 7.3% underperformance versus the S&P 500’s 20.4% gain. Despite the bleak backdrop, digital tools such as augmented‑reality visualizers and AI‑driven personalization...
The 2026 State of Commerce Ops Report by Linnworks shows that mid‑market e‑commerce retailers in the U.K. and U.S. are experiencing robust year‑over‑year growth, with nearly 90% reporting moderate to significant expansion. However, the survey highlights that scalability hinges on...
Burger King is piloting an AI assistant named “Patty” inside employee headsets, embedding it within the BK Assistant platform to guide crew members, monitor equipment, and analyze service language. The system connects to the cloud‑based point‑of‑sale, enabling near‑real‑time inventory updates,...
💰 What is the most underrated retail SEO lever for 2026? Key takeaways from an insightful roundup by @SearchPilot : * Feeds decide eligibility. Weak product data does not push you down a few spots. It can remove you from...
How much of your net worth is your business? Knot in your stomach? Keep reading. Roman Khan (@RomanEcom) spoke at one of our eComFuel events a few years ago. If you ever get the chance to meet Roman in person, do...
Borden Cheese has launched a nationwide contest to crown “America’s Favorite Grilled Cheese,” inviting consumers to vote for one of four recipe contenders through March 24, 2026. Each vote doubles as an entry to win a year’s supply of Borden cheese and...
How to build a $10M+ ecom brand (based on some of the most expensive lessons I’ve ever learned) PRODUCT & BRAND - Dropshipping isn't a business, it's a test - validate demand then move to white-label or you'll be racing to the...
SEO for AI—or AEO—is having a moment Profound just raised at $1B valuation But after talking to many brand leaders this week, most agree much of the hype in the space is outpacing results & no dashboard does the work for...
Walmart’s advertising business surged 46% to $6.4 billion in FY26, outpacing Amazon’s 22% rise to $68.6 billion. The dollar gap narrowed from roughly 15:1 to 11:1, though it remains sizable. Growth figures include the VIZIO acquisition, while Walmart Connect – the core...
ShopRank research shows Shopify powered 54% of new online stores in the Netherlands, 49% in France and 41% in Spain last year. Across seven major European markets, Shopify launched 148,044 new stores, outpacing WooCommerce’s 99,140 and PrestaShop’s 9,747. WooCommerce saw...
Puma CEO Arthur Hoeld is steering a turnaround by slashing staff, buying back excess inventory, and spotlighting a new training division. The company launched the $260 Puma X Hyrox Deviate Nitro Elite, its first shoe built specifically for the Hyrox fitness competition. Hoeld calls the...
The UK government has confirmed former Amazon executive Doug Gurr as the permanent chair of the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA). Gurr, who previously led Amazon’s UK operations, had been serving in an interim capacity before his appointment. He will...
Alternative parcel carriers such as Veho, Gofo, UniUni and Maersk E‑Commerce are intensifying competition with FedEx and UPS in 2026. They are rolling out new tech‑driven features like real‑time performance portals, AI‑optimized FlexSave delivery windows, picture‑proof‑of‑delivery and weekend service. Coverage is...
Outback Steakhouse recorded a 0.9% traffic increase in Q4, its first rise in four years, driven by the popular Aussie 3‑Course value meals, though same‑store sales slipped 0.6% because of lower pricing. The chain will allocate $50 million toward further restaurant...
Sofa Club, the online furniture retailer, has appointed Stephanie Rackley as its group marketing director. Rackley previously served as a marketing consultant and social media strategist at Caroline Gardner, and held senior roles at Medik8, Bare Minerals and Champneys. In...
Grupo Dia posted a profit in 2025 after seven consecutive loss‑making years, reporting €5.8 billion in total turnover, a 3.5% increase. In Spain, sales rose 8% to €4.6 billion, driven by a 7.4% rise in comparable turnover and the opening of 94...
Papa Johns announced it will shutter 300 underperforming North American restaurants by the end of 2027, targeting sites that generate less than $600,000 in annual sales and typically post negative four‑wall earnings. The closures are part of a broader transformation...
Target is rolling out a limited‑time collaboration with cult‑favorite lifestyle brand Roller Rabbit on March 7, offering more than 250 items that span apparel, travel gear, home goods and new categories such as luggage and outdoor products. The collection is anchored...
Colruyt Group is extending Sunday opening hours for its urban Okay City stores in Ghent, Antwerp and Liège, now staying open until 7:30 p.m. The change follows a trial that showed strong customer uptake and stable average turnover per shopping cart....
Kroger reported a 2.3% year‑over‑year rise in overall store traffic and a 2.8% increase in visits per venue for Q4 2025, signaling continued grocery demand resilience. At the same time, average dwell time slipped, indicating shoppers are making more frequent, mission‑driven...
French retailer Casino posted 2025 consolidated sales of €8.26 billion, up 0.5 % on a comparable‑store basis but down 2.5 % in published terms. The decline reflects the closure of roughly 1,000 small neighbourhood stores as the chain trims its footprint. Despite the...
Søstrene Grene will unveil its 400th global store at Manchester Arndale on 26 March, marking the sixth UK opening of 2026. The Danish retailer now operates more than 70 UK locations and aims for 100 stores by 2027, after a 130 percent...
