Today's Retail Pulse
Fresho acquires Nation Wilcox to dominate UK food‑wholesale software
Fresho, the Australian‑origin order‑management platform, has acquired 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 in IPO
Burger King Tests King Size Sliders in Ohio, Oregon as $400 Million Sales Push
Burger King began testing a new King Size Sliders Box in Columbus, Ohio, and Portland, Oregon, as part of its $400 million “Reclaim the Flame” turnaround. The limited‑time offering features three flavor combos and aims to draw budget‑conscious diners back to the brand.
BYD Teams with KFC China to Roll Out 9‑Minute EV Flash Chargers at Drive‑Thrus
Chinese EV maker BYD has signed a strategic cooperation agreement with Yum China to equip KFC drive‑thru locations with flash‑charging equipment that can replenish a vehicle from 10% to 97% in nine minutes. The rollout leverages BYD’s second‑generation Blade battery...
Podean Acquires Amerge, Expands European Marketplace Services in $4B Deal
Amazon‑affiliated agency Podean announced the acquisition of London‑based Amerge, its third purchase in six months. The deal, financed by Mountaingate Capital, adds European marketshare, $500 million of retail‑media spend and technology that will be folded into Podean’s Purvey.AI platform, strengthening its...
Walmart Marketplace Powers General Merchandise Surge
Walmart CFO John David Rainey told the JPMorgan Retail Roundup that the company’s marketplace is the engine driving its general‑merchandise push. The marketplace is expanding at a 20% annual rate, with home, hardlines and fashion categories outpacing 30% growth. Seller...
Menswear In The Post-Covid Age Is High Tech And High Touch
J. Hilburn, a Series D internet‑first custom menswear brand with 100,000 U.S. clients, is riding the post‑COVID return‑to‑office surge, offering stylist‑led, made‑to‑measure clothing. The market is consolidating as Billy Reid acquires Knot Standard’s direct‑to‑consumer business, adding AI‑fit software and targeting $45 million in...
From The Desk: Strategic Expansion and Evolving Consumer Engagement Define Retail in April 2026
Retail leaders are sharpening growth tactics in April 2026, with Empire Company buying Mayrand Food Group to enter Quebec's discount grocery market and Vessi opening its first U.S. store while integrating e‑commerce. Peavey Mart is scaling back to a seven‑store...
Why More Retailers Are Turning to Product Visualization to Win Online Shoppers
Retailers are increasingly adopting 3D and augmented‑reality product visualization to bridge the trust gap inherent in online shopping. Interactive models let shoppers view items from any angle, see true scale, and even place virtual copies in their homes. The technology,...
Aggregates Guide Tests, Brand Data Drives Decisions
Some individual brand illustrations of the relationship between campaign level CPMr and iROAS. Important to always view aggregate data as generally useful and specifically useless. Use aggregates to help you decide which things to test first and then check the data...
Costco Will Represent 'Large Retail Shock' In Thunder Bay
Costco announced plans for a standard‑sized warehouse in the Thunder Bay region, targeting a trade area of 100,000‑250,000 people. The development promises construction jobs, long‑term retail positions, and new property‑tax revenue for the city. Officials expect the store to draw...
2 Factors that Will Determine if Brands Can Make Consumer Refills Work
Personal‑care brands face mounting pressure from state‑level extended producer responsibility (EPR) rules, notably California’s requirement to shift 2% of packaging to reusable formats by 2027 and 10% by 2032. New Sustainable Packaging Coalition research of 1,300 U.S. adults shows strong...
Six Forces Redefining Canadian Grocery
Canadian shoppers are increasingly favoring domestic products as tariffs reshape buying habits, while a surge in deal‑seeking behavior is expanding discount retail channels. Health‑focused consumers are pivoting to low‑cost proteins and fibre‑rich foods, prompting manufacturers to reformulate and retailers to...
NozzlePro Launches Ecommerce Capability for Distributors
NozzlePro, a division of SuperKlean Washdown Products, launched an ecommerce platform on April 1 that lets distributors and end users browse, view list pricing, and purchase pressure‑wash nozzles instantly. The site offers immediate checkout at list price, full product visibility, and...
This Week in Grocery News: Empire’s ‘Strategic’ Deal, Discount versus Conventional
Empire Company announced the acquisition of Quebec discount retailer Mayrand, giving it a strategic foothold in the province’s discount and warehouse grocery market. FreshCo, Empire’s discount chain, is launching three new stores in the Halifax area, marking its first entry...
Kroger and Flashfood Expand Partnership to Reduce Food Waste
Kroger is extending its collaboration with surplus‑grocery app Flashfood to every store in its Mid‑Atlantic division, covering more than 100 locations across Virginia, West Virginia, Ohio and Kentucky. The rollout follows a successful pilot in 16 Richmond stores and aims...
Ya Dough'n Pizza Scales to Multi‑State Brand Using Pre‑Order, Limited‑Menu Model
Ya Dough'n Pizza, founded by Garett Goodman, turned a COVID‑era backyard pop‑up that sold 25 pizzas a week into a four‑location brand. The company relies on weekly pre‑orders and a tight menu to test demand, and it now targets six...
Arc'teryx Promo Codes and Deals: Save Up to 50%
Arc'teryx is leveraging a suite of promotions to make its high‑priced outerwear more accessible. The brand’s outlet offers up to 50% off past‑season jackets, while the Rebird trade‑in program refunds 30% of an item’s original retail value as store credit....
Allbirds Sold for $39 M as Nike Stock Falls 75% Since 2021, Sneaker Segment Crumbles
Allbirds, once valued at $2 billion, is being sold for $39 million as Nike’s shares have slumped 75% since their 2021 peak. The twin blows highlight a broader contraction in the sneaker segment, driven by excess inventory, shifting consumer tastes and macro‑economic...
GAP's Coachella Hoodies Are More than Merch
GAP has unveiled a limited‑edition GAP × Coachella hoodie line, priced at $100, available in black, navy and gray. The collection features the word “COACHELLA” in GAP’s bold font and can be personalized at a pop‑up “Hoodie House” on the festival grounds...
Apple to Close Three Mall Stores, Prompting Outcry From Loyal Customers
Apple announced it will shut its Trumbull Mall, Shops at North County, and Towson Town Center stores, citing declining mall traffic. The move has drawn criticism from a customer base that values the brand’s retail experience, while analysts note the...
Avalara Adds Integration with Clover for Tax Compliance
Avalara announced a new integration that embeds its DAVO automated tax compliance tool directly into Fiserv's Clover point‑of‑sale platform. The solution will automatically set aside sales‑tax amounts each day, track obligations in real time, and file returns on merchants’ behalf....
Amazon Luna to End Third‑Party Game Purchases and Bring‑Your‑Own Library by June 2026
Amazon announced that Luna will no longer allow purchases from EA, Ubisoft, GOG or other third‑party stores, and the Bring Your Own Library feature will be retired on June 3, 2026. Users can stream existing third‑party titles until June 10,...
Apple to Close Three U.S. Stores, Including First Unionized Outlet, Prompting Stock Scrutiny
Apple Inc. will shutter three U.S. retail stores in June—Trumbull, Connecticut; Escondido, California; and Towson, Maryland—citing mall‑level challenges. The Towson site, the first Apple store where workers unionized in 2022, raises questions about labor dynamics and the stock’s near‑term trajectory.
Amazon Adds 3.5% Fuel Surcharge to Third‑party Deliveries as Oil Prices Surge
Amazon announced a 3.5% temporary fuel surcharge on its Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) and related third‑party services, effective April 17. The charge targets sellers, not Prime customers, and could pressure the $172 billion marketplace segment while AWS and advertising continue to...
Google Core Update Shifts Ecommerce Visibility to Specific, Value‑Rich Sites
🚨 After analyzing some of the ecommerce winners and losers from the Google March Core Update, the clearest pattern is that it redistributed visibility unevenly across query sets, with no single obvious explanation behind all shifts and a few late...
Retail Spend Up 4% YoY, Accelerating Through 2026
BofA: Retail spend +4.0% y/y in Mar; accelerating through 1Q26 -General merch stays solid, little change in Grocery -Apparel up with Luxury and Discount barbell strength -Home Improvement better m/m, but still slow https://t.co/49AMBHCEuj
A Retailer’s Guide to AI Shopping Protocols: ACP, UCP, and MCP Explained
Retailers must adopt three new AI‑shopping protocols—MCP, ACP, and UCP—to appear in AI‑driven product recommendations. MCP provides the data plumbing that lets agents read real‑time catalog information, while ACP handles ChatGPT‑specific checkout flows and UCP offers a platform‑agnostic commerce layer...
Amazon's Growth Lies in Physical Retail and On-Prem IT
Read Andy Jassy’s annual letter and these are two valid bull cases for Amazon: > 80% of retail is still in physical stores > 85% of IT spend is still on-prem https://t.co/MREb97tYrY
Major Coffee Chain Getting Rid of Rainbow Flags and Baristas Are Losing It
Philz Coffee announced it will remove rainbow and other LGBTQIA+ flags from its stores to create a "more consistent, inclusive experience," according to CEO Mahesh Sadarangani. The chain maintains that its support for the LGBTQIA+ community remains unchanged and will...
LOYA Skincare: Now Available in Harrods
From 20 March LOYA skincare will be sold in Harrods’ Knightsbridge store and online, marking its second UK department‑store partnership after John Bell & Croyden. The brand showcases its Swiss‑formulated line featuring the patented Microbloom™ transdermal system and HappyFeelBoost™ sensory technology. LOYA highlights its...
Hungry Boar Expands Range with Introduction of Two New Five-Pack Multipacks Into Tesco’s Chilled Aisle
Hungry Boar, the high‑protein meat snack brand, is adding two new five‑pack multipacks to Tesco’s chilled aisle starting 13 April 2026. The multipacks, available in Flamin’ Piri Piri and Original Pork, contain five 30‑gram sticks and are priced at £4 (about $5)....
Chopstix Announces Latest Store Opening at Preston Fishergate, Lancashire
Chopstix, the fast‑growing Asian quick‑service restaurant, announced the opening of its first store in Preston, Lancashire. The Fishergate location seats 50 guests, features order‑kiosks and a delivery focus, and will create 20 local jobs. The launch follows a rapid rollout...
EmpowerFresh Deploys AI Produce Ordering Platform At Kowalski’s Markets
EmpowerFresh has rolled out its AI-driven produce inventory and ordering platform at Kowalski’s Markets, the upscale Minnesota grocery chain. The system provides predictive forecasting, real-time inventory visibility, and automated ordering to reduce shrinkage and increase product turns. Store teams received...
PizzaExpress Brings Its Marry Me Chicken Pizza to Supermarkets Nationwide
PizzaExpress is expanding its chilled‑pizza portfolio by releasing the Marry Me Chicken pizza in Sainsbury’s stores nationwide on 15 April 2024. The pizza, first launched in restaurants in February as a Valentine’s Day special, features a hand‑stretched wood‑fired crust, béchamel sauce,...
Blank Street Lands on the West Coast
Blank Street, the New York‑born coffee chain famed for TikTok‑driven matcha drinks, is launching its West Coast debut with four Los Angeles County locations, two opening in June. The venture‑capital‑backed brand, now valued at roughly $500 million, has refined a scalable hospitality model that...
C-Store Operators Shift Focus From Fuel to In-Store Conversion
Convenience‑store operators are moving beyond fuel as the primary traffic driver, focusing instead on converting pump visits into higher‑margin in‑store sales. Analysts note that foodservice, beverages and ready‑to‑eat items now generate the bulk of profit and customer loyalty. Leaders such...
Merchant API Lands in Google Ads Scripts Ahead of Content API Sunset
Google Ads scripts will start supporting the Merchant API on April 22, 2026, as the legacy Content API for Shopping is slated for retirement on August 18, 2026. The Merchant API introduces a modular architecture that breaks functionality into sub‑APIs,...
From Floor Scrubber to $500M Sales: 7 Essential Skills
At 21, I was working 16 hours a day packing orders and scrubbing floors. By 27, I'd done over half a billion in sales. Here are the 7 skills I wish I knew back when I started: https://t.co/c73PaL9rN0
Turn Loyal Customers Into Powerful Word‑of‑Mouth Advocates
Loyal customers are your best advocates. Encourage word-of-mouth referrals by consistently delivering exceptional value and experiences - a reward program can't hurt either.
In-N-Out Refuses To Join Mobile Ordering Apps For One Big Reason
In‑N‑Out Burger has publicly refused to join mobile‑ordering platforms, saying the move would erode the personal interaction and freshness that define its brand. CEO Lynsi Snyder‑Ellingson emphasized that the chain’s culture, employee satisfaction and high‑quality ingredients would suffer if orders...
Publix Intensifies Its Battle with Kroger in Kentucky
Publix announced three new 55,000‑sq‑ft stores in Richmond, Versailles and Bowling Green, bringing its Kentucky footprint to about a dozen locations by year‑end. The expansion deepens its incursion into Kroger‑dominated territory. Publix reported fiscal‑year sales of $62.7 billion, up 5 % YoY, and...
Home Depot Slashes Prices on Outdoor Power Tools
The Home Depot is rolling out major price cuts on outdoor power tools, including self-propelled mowers, high-output blowers, and pressure washers built for serious cleanup. https://t.co/6QzHjKJU3u https://t.co/Yy3xTI3I0F
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Value Menus Are the Top Driver of Frequency for QSR Diners
Two‑thirds of Americans visit a quick‑service restaurant at least monthly, and 30% dine weekly, driven primarily by value menus. A YouGov study shows 66% of weekly QSR diners cite value or discount menus as the top motivator, outpacing clean dining...
The Payment Type Publix Doesn't Bother With Anymore
Publix announced it will retire its in‑app payment service, Publix Pay, effective March 2026. Launched in 2019, the QR‑code based system let shoppers link cards, store gift cards, and redeem digital coupons, but offered no unique rewards. Internal sources said...
Amazon DSPs in NYC Fight for Survival Against ‘No Subcontractor’ Proposal
The New York City Council is weighing the Delivery Protection Act, which would ban subcontracting for delivery firms and require city licensing, effectively forcing Amazon’s Direct Service Providers (DSPs) to either shut down or be absorbed into Amazon itself. The...
Sephora UK MD, Sarah Boyd, Joins the Retail Technology Show 2026 Headline Speaker Line-Up
Sephora UK Managing Director Sarah Boyd has been added to the headline speaker lineup for the Retail Technology Show (RTS) 2026 in London. Boyd will speak on the Spark Stage about Sephora’s rapid expansion to 20 UK stores and its...
How Connected Experiences Can Rebuild Consumer Trust
Marketers have flooded consumers with generic messages, eroding data quality and trust. A 2023 Optimove survey shows two‑thirds of shoppers want fewer communications, while siloed metrics like opens and clicks ignore actual sales impact. The article argues that AI‑driven, real‑time...
Lane7 Secures 30th Site with New Exeter Venue
Lane7 Group announced the opening of its 30th UK venue, a 27,000‑sq‑ft boutique bowling centre in Exeter’s Guildhall Shopping Centre, slated for early 2027. The two‑floor site will generate 30 local jobs and adds to a portfolio that now spans...
Simply Good Foods Posts 15% Sales Jump as OWYN Adds $33.8M in Q2 2025
Simply Good Foods (SMPL) posted $359.7 million in net sales for Q2 2025, a 15.2% increase year‑over‑year, powered by the first full‑year contribution from its OWYN acquisition ($33.8 million). The company flagged lower gross margin, tariff headwinds and a sharp decline in its...
Barron Trump’s $1 Million Yerba Mate Launch Targets Premium Ready‑to‑Drink Market
Barron Trump, a 20‑year‑old NYU sophomore, has filed a private‑placement SEC filing raising $1 million to launch Sollos Yerba Mate, a pineapple‑coconut flavored ready‑to‑drink beverage slated for a May 2026 debut. The venture, incorporated in Delaware and registered in Florida, positions...
Amazon Marketplace Faces 1.7 Million Steam Cleaner Recall Over Burn Hazard
Amazon is recalling about 1.7 million BISSELL Steam Shot cleaners sold in the U.S. and 96,000 units in Canada after reports of attachments detaching and causing burns. The recall, announced on April 9 2026, spotlights safety risks on the platform and pressures Amazon...