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.
Also developing:
By the numbers: Spinny targets $250-300M IPO raise
Ecommerce Sector Ready to Adapt to Looming EU Import Reforms
Europe is moving to impose a €3 (≈$3.30) customs duty and handling fee on parcels valued below €150 (≈$164), but industry leaders say the change will not cause the sharp volume drop seen in the U.S. after its de‑minimis exemption was removed. The U.S. experience showed that e‑tailers quickly rerouted shipments and opened new markets, such as Peru, within weeks. At the TIACA Executive Summit, executives from Atlas Air, BoxC and Amazon highlighted ongoing investments in compliance technology, AI‑driven visibility, and faster delivery standards. Despite tighter rules, the underlying demand for cross‑border online shopping remains robust.
Kroger Rolls Out Electronic Shelf Labels to Nearly All Cincinnati-Dayton Stores
Kroger has installed electronic shelf labels (ESLs) in all but one of its 104 stores across the Cincinnati, Northern Kentucky and Dayton region, representing roughly 25% of its national footprint. The rollout, part of a broader national deployment, is intended...
Hey Savi, PayPal Launch UK's First Agentic Commerce Platform; Debenhams Joins
Hey Savi and PayPal have rolled out the United Kingdom’s first agentic commerce platform, enabling shoppers to discover and purchase fashion items from over 10,000 brands without leaving the app. Debenhams Group is the inaugural retailer to integrate the AI‑driven...
Amazon Melds Rufus, Alexa+ for ‘Alexa for Shopping’ Feature
Amazon unveiled “Alexa for Shopping,” a unified AI assistant that blends its Rufus product‑research tool with the conversational capabilities of Alexa+. The feature lets shoppers type or speak queries directly in the Amazon search bar, generating personalized guides, dynamic product...
Multiple Linear Regression–Artificial Neural Network (MLR-ANN) Model for Assessing Customer Satisfaction Using SERVQUAL Scale in Online Food Delivery Services
A recent study examined customer satisfaction in online food‑delivery platforms using the SERVQUAL framework and a hybrid Multiple Linear Regression–Artificial Neural Network (MLR‑ANN) model. Data from 216 users revealed that efficiency, fulfillment and compensation positively influence satisfaction, while system availability,...
How One California Couple Turned Old Electronics Into a Thriving eBay Business
eWaste Direct, a California electronics recycler with nearly two decades of experience, runs the eBay storefront Angie’s GreenGo Surplus. The store refurbishes and resells thousands of laptops, phones and component parts that would otherwise become landfill waste. By pairing skilled...
THG Fulfil Partners with Mirakl Connect to Power Global Marketplace Growth
THG Fulfil announced a strategic partnership with Mirakl Connect, an AI‑powered multichannel selling platform, to deliver an end‑to‑end solution for brands expanding onto retailer‑operated marketplaces such as Debenhams. The integration merges Mirakl’s AI‑driven marketplace management with THG’s global fulfilment network...
Can Cettire Crack China? The High-Stakes Bet Behind the Tmall Pivot
Cettire, the ASX‑listed luxury dropshipper, announced a flagship presence on Tmall Global, aiming to tap China’s $61 billion luxury market. The move follows a trading halt, consecutive losses and the loss of its US cost advantage after the de‑minimis exemption ended....
Unilever Says It Won't Miss India's Premium Boom Like It Did in China
Unilever CEO Fernando Fernandez warned the company will avoid the late‑entry mistakes it made in China by accelerating the launch of global prestige home‑and‑personal‑care brands in India. The consumer‑goods giant sees India as the "largest exponential growth opportunity" of the...
Tariffs Forced Temu to Slash Its U.S. Ad Spend on Nearly Every Platform
Temu, the Chinese e‑commerce platform, slashed its U.S. advertising budget by roughly 95% year‑over‑year, dropping from the top spender on X to the 51st position. The cuts spanned major channels—YouTube, TikTok, Snapchat and Instagram—all seeing steep declines, while Pinterest spending...
ThredUp Bets Wedding Guest Outfits Can Drive Secondhand Growth
ThredUp is targeting the summer wedding season by debuting a dedicated “Wedding Guest Shop” and an AI‑powered “Dress Code Decoder” that matches outfits to specific invitation dress codes. The company surveyed 1,400 recent wedding attendees, finding that many feel pressure...
Amazon Rolls Out Smart Bid V2, Upending Sponsored Products PPC Strategies
Amazon has deployed its upgraded Sponsored Products bid automation engine, Smart Bid v2, across all U.S. Seller Central accounts. The AI‑driven system adjusts bids per auction using demand forecasts, driving CPC spikes of up to 14% while delivering ROAS gains...
Shopify Rolls Out Summer ’26 AI Merchandising Suite to 2.3M Merchants
Shopify announced its Summer ’26 edition, embedding AI‑driven merchandising tools directly into the admin dashboard for its 2.3 million merchants. The suite, which launches for Shopify Plus users this week and all plans by July 14, claims an 11% median boost in...
Why Third-Party Credibility Is Retail’s New AI Discovery Advantage
Artificial intelligence is reshaping how shoppers discover retail brands, moving the moment of intent into AI‑powered search engines and shopping assistants. As AI tools synthesize product information, retailers face a new visibility challenge that hinges on credibility rather than sheer...
Busting Conventional Wisdom: The Number Of Bookstores Isn’t Shrinking, It’s Growing Robustly
The American Booksellers Association reports that independent bookstores are expanding, not shrinking, with membership rising by more than 500 to 3,417 stores—the highest level since the late 1990s. Growth comes from diverse formats, including pop‑up, mobile, and genre‑focused shops, reflecting...
SymphonyAI Launches CINDE Retail Media Intelligence
SymphonyAI unveiled CINDE Retail Media Intelligence (RMI), an AI‑driven platform that fuses merchandising, media and shopper intelligence into a single closed‑loop system. The solution plugs into existing retail‑media stacks and partners with third‑party measurement firms to deliver audience segmentation, causal...
I'm a Phone Reviewer - These Are the 5 Early Prime Day Phone Deals I'd Recommend
Amazon has rolled out early Prime Day discounts on five standout smartphones, ranging from flagship Androids to budget‑friendly models. The Google Pixel 10 Pro XL is 23% off at $1,019, while Samsung’s Galaxy S26 Ultra and Z Fold 7 are discounted 19% and 17% respectively. Mid‑range options...
Amazon Just Confirmed Prime Day 2026 — the Deals Start Sooner than You Think, and It'll Be a Great Time...
Amazon has announced that Prime Day 2026 will run from June 23 to June 26, extending the event to four full days and starting at 12:01 a.m. PDT on June 23. The retailer moved the sale earlier than its usual July slot to sidestep...
Amazon Sets Prime Day for June 23‑26, Offering Millions of Deals to Boost U.S. Consumer Spending
Amazon announced that its 2026 Prime Day will run from June 23 to June 26, delivering millions of exclusive deals to Prime members across categories such as fashion, home, groceries and back‑to‑school items. The event, which drops new offers every...
Meta’s AI‑Powered Advantage+ Catalog Ads Cut CPA by Up to 38%, Prompting Creative Overhaul
Meta’s new AI framework, anchored by Advantage+ Catalog Ads, is delivering 30‑38% lower cost‑per‑acquisition for top DTC brands. The shift compels advertisers to replace narrow audience stacks with broad targeting and diversified creative assets.
Naver Pushes AI Shopping Agent to Initiate Purchases, Redefining Korean E‑Commerce
South Korea’s Naver upgraded its AI Shopping Agent on June 1 to proactively push product suggestions on the Naver Shopping app, moving from a reactive search model to a push‑commerce approach. The change follows three months of beta testing and aims...
Walmart Rolls Out 30‑Minute Grocery Delivery in 33 U.S. Cities
Walmart announced the expansion of its 30‑minute‑or‑less delivery service to 33 U.S. markets, offering more than 100,000 items for a $10 fee to Walmart+ members. The move targets last‑minute shoppers and pits the retailer directly against Amazon Now and other...
AI Will Drive Retention Dashboards Directly via ChatGPT
I'm going to make a bold prediction: In 18 months, "going to your retention dashboard" is going to sound the way "burn it to a CD" sounds now. @omnisend just made a big move in that direction. They shipped their MCP... in...
Why the Shelf Is the Missing Layer in Retail Media
Retail media excels at building awareness but loses influence at the point of purchase, which still happens on the physical shelf. Finn Wikander argues that the shelf edge should be treated as a dynamic, digital communication layer that directly connects...
ASOS’s Melissa Lim Breaks Down New AI Stylist App Experience
ASOS has launched an AI‑powered Stylist app inside ChatGPT for UK and US shoppers, letting users browse, receive visual styling advice and click through to purchase on ASOS.com. The feature embeds high‑resolution images, video and livestream content directly into the...
Google Shopping’s AI Product Studio Boosts DTC CTR by Up to 22%
Google has embedded its AI‑driven Product Studio into Merchant Center Next, letting DTC brands generate lifestyle images and video loops without a shoot. Early pilots report CTR gains of 0.5 percentage points for a single brand and an average 22%...
JD.com’s 618 Promotion Sets Record User Participation and Fuels Omnichannel Growth
JD.com reported record‑high user orders and a 70% jump in offline foot traffic during the first 52 hours of its 618 Grand Promotion, driven by AI‑enhanced logistics and strong growth across personal care, smart home, fresh food and cross‑border categories.
Amazon Kicks Off Mid-Year Sale in Australia with Deep Discounts on PC Gaming Gear
Amazon has launched its annual Mid-Year Sale in Australia, running from June 1 to June 7, 2026, with steep discounts on PC gaming accessories. The event is open to all shoppers, though Prime members may see exclusive offers, and it...
The Mall Launches App with 10,000‑brand Universal Shopping Feed
The Mall, a startup founded by Ellie Konsker and Shreya Halder, launched a free app that aggregates more than 10,000 brands into a single, algorithm‑driven feed. The platform uses web‑scraping and large language models to keep product data current, offering...
The Promise the Floor Makes
Retail spaces make a silent promise through layout, fixtures, and adjacency before a product is even touched. Stores that keep that promise across the entire visit—especially on their busiest days—see higher dwell time and stronger brand loyalty. Independent retailers like...
Shopper Receptivity to In-Store Advertising Hits an All-Time High, Grocery TV Reports
Grocery TV’s 2026 In‑Store Shopper Perception Report finds shopper receptivity to in‑store advertising at an all‑time high, with 62% of shoppers buying a product after seeing a digital screen ad. Overall acceptance rose 23 points since 2023, pushing front‑end receptivity...
How to Know When You’re Ready for a Second Location (2026)
Retailers who have proven product‑market fit often view a second brick‑and‑mortar store as the fastest way to capture new customers and boost brand visibility. The guide outlines how to assess readiness, from setting a single measurable goal to running a...
Nice Côte D’Azur Airport Unveils New Retail Concepts to Elevate the Passenger Experience
Nice Côte d’Azur Airport completed an 18‑month retail overhaul, revamping 42 shops across 6,300 sqm of terminal space. The new mix showcases luxury brands, local artisan boutiques, and innovative concepts such as a second‑hand luxury fashion boutique. Executives say the redesign...
Amazon Launches Prime Day 2026 with Millions of Deals Across 12 Countries
Amazon announced its 2026 Prime Day, running June 23‑26, featuring millions of exclusive deals for Prime members in the U.S. and 11 other markets. The event promises deep discounts of 50% or more on fashion, home, groceries and more, underscoring...
Q1 2026 US Retail Sales Jump 5.6% at Target on Tax Refunds and BNPL Surge
Retail earnings surged in the first quarter of 2026 as unusually large tax refunds and a rise in buy‑now‑pay‑later (BNPL) usage boosted consumer spending. Target reported a 5.6% same‑store sales gain, while off‑price retailers such as Ross and Burlington posted...
Apparel Brand Dad Gang Teams up with Shopify on Limited-Edition Hat Drop as Sales Top $35 Million
Dad Gang, the dad‑focused apparel brand that has sold more than one million hats and topped $35 million in revenue, is launching a limited‑edition hat with Shopify. The exclusive, priced at $35, is limited to 2,500 units and will be sold...
Zoho, Uber, Paytm, BSE Invest Rs 220 Crore in ONDC
The Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) secured ₹220 crore (about $26.5 million) in primary capital from four major players: Zoho, Uber, Paytm and BSE Technologies. Zoho contributed the largest share at ₹70 crore, while Uber and Paytm each invested ₹60 crore and BSE...
Personalised Promotions Are Reshaping Loyalty Strategies Across Multichannel Retail
Retailers are moving away from generic discounts toward personalized promotions that reflect each shopper’s preferences across stores, apps, and digital channels. By leveraging point‑of‑sale, e‑commerce and loyalty data, brands can deliver targeted offers that align with real‑time behavior. This shift...
Vinted Ventures Backs Tilt’s $26M Live-Commerce Round as Whatnot Pressure Mounts
Tilt, the London‑based live‑auction app, secured $26 million in new funding, with Vinted Ventures making its first investment in a live‑commerce platform. The round pushes Tilt’s total capital above $50 million as it expands across the UK, Italy, Spain and Poland, positioning...
Amazon Moves Prime Day Back to June and Keeps It a Four-Day Event
Amazon announced that Prime Day 2026 will run June 23‑26, maintaining the four‑day format introduced last year. The shift moves the flagship sale back to June, a schedule the company last used in 2021, and will feature deals across more...
Yodel by InPost Migration to InPost
Yodel is being fully absorbed into InPost, with the Yodel brand and its mobile app retired. Existing Yodel by InPost users must download the InPost app and sign in with the same phone number to migrate preferences automatically. The transition...
How Swisse Is Preparing for the Future of Search
Swisse Wellness appointed Alex Rienecker as head of digital five years ago and she now runs a 10‑person omnichannel team covering retail media, search marketing and CRM. The team has embraced TikTok to reach Australian consumers shifting toward social search,...
Tupperware Names Ankur Damani as India Commercial Director and Country Head
Tupperware has appointed Ankur Damani as Commercial Director and Country Head for India, effective May 26, 2026. Damani will lead an omnichannel growth strategy that blends retail, e‑commerce and partner networks to boost profitable expansion. The move reflects Tupperware’s broader shift from a...
Why Retailers Like Target and Aerie Are Moving Beyond Straight Affiliate Deals with Creators
Retailers such as Target, Urban Outfitters and Aerie are replacing generic affiliate schemes with hybrid creator programs that blend gamified communities, tiered rewards and performance‑based pay. Target has launched Club Target for emerging creators and an invite‑only Target Ambassadors tier...
Luxury Brands Play the Celebrity Card for Gen Z
Luxury houses are betting on Gen Z‑favored celebrities to revive relevance, but authenticity is proving decisive. Louis Vuitton’s appointment of Olympic skater Alysa Liu and its collaborations with Zendaya illustrate how a well‑matched star can amplify a collection, while mismatched...
Stitch Fix CEO Matt Baer on Why AI Can Supplement, but Not Replace, Human Stylists
Stitch Fix has spent the past year building an AI infrastructure to augment its signature personal styling service. Tools such as Stitch Fix Vision are being rolled out both to consumers and to stylists behind the scenes. At the Glossy...
Meituan Posts Another Loss, but Says Food-Delivery Wars Are Beginning to Abate
Meituan posted a third consecutive quarterly loss but met revenue expectations, indicating a tentative stabilization after a year of subsidy‑driven competition. Revenue reached ¥91 bn ($13.5 bn), up 5.6% year‑over‑year, while the adjusted net loss narrowed to ¥4.97 bn ($735 m) from ¥15.1 bn a...
How to Start an Ecommerce Store: My Exact Step-by-Step Plan
Steve Chou, who runs a 7‑figure private‑label store, outlines a step‑by‑step roadmap for launching an ecommerce brand from scratch. He advises starting with a problem‑solving product that can be sourced at a 66% gross margin, testing a small batch, and...
Chipotle Revives Generous Offer for Customers After Price Hikes
Chipotle raised menu prices by about 2% in early 2025, triggering a 1.7% drop in comparable restaurant sales year‑over‑year. To counteract price‑sensitive diners, the chain relaunched its Summer of Extras promotion from June through August, rewarding members with free entrees...
Strip-Mall Fashion Giant Quietly Closed 246 Stores, Plans More
The Cato Corporation, a value‑priced women’s fashion retailer, has shuttered 246 strip‑mall locations since 2022 and now operates 1,065 stores across 31 states. In Q1 2026 it reported net income of $9.3 million, a modest 3% same‑store sales gain and higher gross...