Today's Retail Pulse
Luxury brands surge into Bangkok’s premier malls
Siam Piwat’s flagship centers, Siam Paragon and IconSiam, are seeing a rapid influx of luxury retailers as Bangkok climbs to the world’s fourth spot for new luxury openings. Since 2023, more than 40 luxury houses and concept stores have launched, adding over 14,000 sqm of premium space, with The Row and Roger Dubuis debuting their first Southeast Asian boutiques.
IKEA Slashes Patio Prices by up to 40% in Spring Outdoor Sale
IKEA has launched a spring promotion that discounts patio furniture by as much as 40%, featuring 11 highlighted deals across tables, chairs, sofas and accessories. The sale targets homeowners looking to upgrade balconies, decks and backyards without breaking the bank.
PCC Community Markets To Open New Store In Seattle’s Madison Valley
PCC Community Markets, a 73‑year‑old community‑owned grocery co‑op, will open its 17th store in Seattle’s Madison Valley this fall at 2925 E. Madison Street. The project, long‑planned after a lease signed a decade ago, will feature the co‑op’s full assortment of...
Andy Jassy Defends Amazon’s $200B AI Investment in Letter to Shareholders
Amazon CEO Andy Jassy used his 2025 shareholder letter to defend a $200 billion AI capital‑expenditure plan for 2026, emphasizing that the spend is tied to concrete AWS growth opportunities. He highlighted a $4 billion commitment to expand rural delivery networks, positioning...
Fresh Gourmet Rethinks Bacon Pieces Placement with Produce Rollout
Fresh Gourmet, the salad‑topping specialist, has introduced two new bacon‑piece products—one real and one uncured. Unlike its traditional placement in the center aisles, the company will stock the items alongside fresh vegetables in the produce department. The move is framed...
Zig + Star Launching in US
British fashion label Zig + Star, founded in 2021 by former Topshop buyer Ali McAleavy, announced its U.S. entry in the second half of 2026. The brand will launch through dropship partnerships with four of the country’s largest department stores, followed by a...
Dr. Will’s to Launch Olive Oil Mayo Into Tesco
Dr. Will’s is rolling out its Olive Oil Mayo to more than 600 Tesco stores across the UK starting 27 April, adding to an existing portfolio that already includes avocado oil mayo and several hot sauces. The new product is sold in...
The Campaign Customers Wrote Themselves – How Trust Earned Tapi’s Biggest Brand Moment
Tapi, the UK’s leading flooring retailer, has launched its largest ever brand advertising campaign, turning authentic Trustpilot reviews into animated shoes, slippers and socks that speak at floor level. The rollout follows a rapid expansion phase that included the 2024...
Edinburgh Gin Launches Latest RTD Innovation, the Edinburgh Gin Hugo Spritz
Edinburgh Gin has introduced the Hugo Spritz, a new ready‑to‑drink (RTD) cocktail, debuting in Sainsbury’s on 16 April and soon rolling out to Tesco, Morrisons and regional outlets. The 250 ml can offers a 5% ABV blend of floral elderflower, honeyed fruit...
Unilever Buys Grüns, Expanding U.S. Supplements Push
Unilever announced it will acquire Grüns, a rapidly expanding U.S. vitamins, minerals and supplements brand known for its gummy‑based greens products. Founded in 2023, Grüns has secured shelf space at major retailers such as Target, Walmart, Costco, Sam’s Club and...
APP's Ecommerce Surge Beats Expectations, GenAI Boosts Performance
Another $APP note this morning from BTIG after they hosted a call with an adtech consulting firm (ie expert) earlier this week (I was on the call)... Lots of positive commentary... the expert said that $APP's push into ecommerce continues to...
Fulfilmentcrowd Expands US Network with Three Strategic Fulfilment Centres
Fulfilmentcrowd has expanded its U.S. footprint by launching three new fulfilment centres in Newark, New Jersey; Chicago, Illinois; and Los Angeles, California. The sites replace the company’s former two locations and provide over 600,000 sq ft of combined warehouse space, delivering coast‑to‑coast coverage for...
LK Bennett Website to Shutter Within Days
LK Bennett announced that its e‑commerce site will cease operations within days, offering deep discounts of 80%‑90% on remaining inventory. The brand is also running a store‑wide clearance with at least 70% off as its physical locations prepare to close...
M&S Hires AllSaints Exec to Lead Merchandising Transformation
Marks & Spencer has hired Anjali Nakarja, a former AllSaints and Primark executive, to spearhead a sweeping merchandising transformation across its fashion, home and beauty divisions. Nakarja will focus on embedding data‑led decision making and modernizing planning processes, drawing on...
In Pictures: Selfridges Unveils New Members’ Club in Loyalty Push
Selfridges has opened 40 Duke, a members‑only club that blends personal shopping, hospitality and cultural programming for its Unlocked loyalty members. The venue features 24 private suites, a club lounge, a private dining room, a terrace restaurant and flexible exhibition spaces,...
How Abercrombie & Fitch Uses Geofencing for Customer Feedback
Abercrombie & Fitch is leveraging geofencing through its mobile app to capture feedback from shoppers who leave stores without purchasing. By detecting entry and exit from a store’s virtual perimeter, the retailer sends a push survey about an hour after...
AI Dresses Me, Showcasing Stitch Fix’s Comeback
In this week's @ReadTheAisle newsletter, I cover OpenAI drama, outraged Amazon sellers...and me getting dressed by an AI. Stitch Fix's Vision tool generated this image of me using real inventory, and calibrated to my style profile (which, yes, I need to...
Thin Catalogues Need Browse, Not AI Search
I had a conversation recently that reminded me how badly empty search results can damage an early-stage ecommerce site. The team was excited about adding AI-powered search, and the logic was hard to argue with on the surface. Modern feature,...
Marketplace Briefing: Amazon Sellers Face Cash Crunch as Fees, Policy Changes Spur Order Delays, Price Hikes and Supplier Renegotiations
Amazon announced it will begin deducting advertising costs directly from seller earnings starting April 15, ending the practice of allowing merchants to finance ads with credit cards. The shift is expected to tie up as much as $800,000 in working capital...
Amazon Advances Rural Delivery Push with New West Virginia Facilities
Amazon opened two small‑scale fulfillment facilities in Davisville and Beaver, West Virginia, creating roughly 500 jobs and enabling same‑day delivery within a 65‑mile radius. The sites focus on household goods, pet supplies and other high‑frequency items, extending Amazon’s rapid‑shipping network...
SAMY & L’Oréal Launched TikTok Shop in Spain Together: Here’s What the First Year Taught Them
When TikTok Shop launched in Spain in late 2024, L’Oréal partnered with influencer agency SAMY to test social commerce. Over the first year, SAMY produced 18 live shopping events—42 hours of content—expanding from L’Oréal Paris to Maybelline, NYX and Garnier....
Dippin’ Dots Signature Beaded Ice Cream Enters the Freezer Aisle
Dippin’ Dots’ signature beaded ice cream is now available in grocery freezers nationwide in three flagship flavors—Cookies ’N Cream, Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough and Ultimate Brownie. After a slight reformulation that lets the beads stay stable at the typical 0 °F store freezer, J&J Snack Foods can offer multi‑pack...
Libas’ Next Big Thing After Hitting The ₹600 Cr Revenue Mark
Libas, the Indian ethnic‑wear brand founded in 2014, has surpassed the ₹1,000 Cr (~$120 M) annual revenue run‑rate after a decade of bootstrapped growth. The company began by targeting affordable workwear for women online, later pivoting to a fast‑fashion model that slashed...
Brand Concepts Bets on Premium Push with Off-White Entry, Eyes Metro Expansion
Brand Concepts Ltd announced the launch of Off‑White in India, marking a strategic push into the premium and luxury segment. The company will roll out five flagship Off‑White stores over the next three years, starting with Bengaluru and later Delhi...
Why "Anything Else?" Is Costing You 10% of Every Sale
Retail associates who close with the generic “Anything else?” are leaving roughly 10% of each sale on the table. The question forces customers to make the final decision themselves, causing add‑on opportunities to evaporate at the register. Companies that train...
Yara India to Ramp up Digital Strategy to Strengthen Retailer Connectivity
Yara India is accelerating its digital agenda by onboarding most of its channel partners onto the Retailer Ordering System (ROS) within the Yara Connect mobile app, boosting last‑mile product traceability. The move dovetails with expanded R&D into biological fertilizers, reflecting...
Understand Customers First, Then Drive Sales Effectively
We have to start putting ourselves in the customer’s shoes more often… 👀 Because it just doesn’t make much sense trying to increase your sales without understanding how people actually buy. Save this because it’s full of practical information. 🧵
Shopify Extends Native B2B Tools to All Subscription Plans
Shopify is expanding its native B2B wholesale suite to merchants on its Basic, Grow and Advanced tiers, a shift that could lift reorder frequency by up to 4.1 times. The rollout aims to let smaller sellers manage DTC and wholesale...
Desert Island Stores: Peter Cross
Peter Cross, former customer‑experience director at John Lewis Partnership, shares his retail inspirations in a Desert Island Stores interview. He praises John Lewis for its service culture, cites Spain’s Mercadona record €42 bn turnover (≈$45.8 bn) and its fresh private‑label range, and highlights Wallapop’s...
Costa Coffee Strengthens London Footprint with Pipeline of New Stores and Site Upgrades
Costa Coffee is allocating up to £3.5 million (about $4.5 million) to expand and upgrade its London estate. The chain plans to open up to seven new stores in 2026 and refurbish more than 10 existing locations, targeting high‑footfall commuter hubs. The...
Clearspring Launches Biggest Advertising Campaign in Its 33-Year History, Join the Family
Clearspring, the UK’s leading organic and plant‑based food family business, has launched its biggest advertising campaign in its 33‑year history. The three‑week rollout beginning April 6 will span billboards, Tube ads, taxi placements and digital channels in London, Bristol, Brighton and...
Instamart Turns Everyday Items Into Million‑Rupee Purchases
Biggest Purchases in Swiggy Instamart 🤯 • A Bengaluru User spent ₹4.36 Lakh on noodles alone. • A Mumbai user spent ₹16.3 Lakh on Red Bull. • A Bengaluru user ordered ₹1.7 Lakh iPhone. • A Chennai user ordered 228 condom totalling ₹1 Lakh
Universal Commerce Protocol Upgrade Launches on Shopify
New version of Universal Commerce Protocol (UCP 2026-04-08) just got finalized. Carts (!), Catalog discovery features, Order status,, Signals support, ... Big step step function upgrade for agentic commerce. https://t.co/Q9hGXUUmLr Coming soon to every Shopify storefront.
Ather Energy Doubles Retail Footprint to 700 Outlets in FY26
Ather Energy announced that it now operates 700 Experience Centres across India, more than doubling its retail footprint from the previous year. The expansion, driven by aggressive entry into central and non‑metro markets, lifted its national two‑wheeler market share to...
Top 12 Brooks Running Shoes on Sale
Brooks makes some of the best running shoes on the market, and I've hand-picked the 12 best deals at Amazon, with up to 30% off and prices from just $86. https://t.co/cbjBWrg4Ez
Live Social Shopping: Time to Dig Deeper Now
Please let this be the post that forces you to start really digging in deep on what’s going on in live social shopping 🛒 https://t.co/pMu340vBxg
Reitmans Unveils “Bold New Era” For Canadian Fashion
Reitmans, Canada’s century‑old women’s apparel retailer, is marking its 100th anniversary with a refreshed logo, high‑profile brand ambassadors and an upgraded retail concept in the Greater Montreal area. The company also completed a migration of its e‑commerce platforms to Shopify,...
PayPal Embeds Payment Links Into Canva Designs
PayPal has integrated its Payment Links service directly into Canva’s design platform, allowing creators to embed checkout buttons or QR codes within digital and printed assets. The feature lets users generate PayPal‑hosted payment pages, customize product details, and accept funds...
Indian Women Triple Beauty Spend, Fueling $40B Boom
Women are spending three times more on beauty and personal care products than they did in 2012 when Nykaa launched. India’s Big Glow-Up Is Driving a $40 Billion Beauty Boom https://t.co/V566gz5UkN Always as good read @menakadoshi's @business India newsletter
AI-Caution Prompts Rising Demand for Authentic, Human-Led Content in Social Buying Journeys
New research from the Retail Technology Show surveyed over 1,000 shoppers and found that 53% distrust AI‑generated social content, rising to 58% among Gen Z. More than half (51%) believe AI threatens brand trust on social platforms, while 43% say authentic,...
Ulta Beauty CEO Hails Space NK Deal and Hints at Potential US Stores for the Chain
Ulta Beauty announced the acquisition of UK high‑street retailer Space NK for roughly $380 million, a deal completed in July 2025. CEO Kecia Steelman highlighted the UK’s fast‑growing market and Space NK’s strong culture as key reasons for the purchase. She emphasized that Ulta...
Philips Targets 5–6x Growth in Mother & Child-Care, 3–4x in Personal Health
Philips Avent is positioning India as its primary growth engine, aiming for 5–6× global expansion in mother‑and‑child care and 3–4× in personal‑health appliances. The company cites India’s activation ROI—nearly twice that of Europe or North America—as the catalyst for this aggressive...
Perfumer Jo Malone Breaks Silence Around Estée Lauder Companies’ Trademark Legal Action
Estée Lauder Companies has filed a UK High Court claim against perfumer Jo Malone, her new brand Jo Loves, and retailer Zara UK, alleging trademark infringement, passing off, and breach of a 1999 contract that limits her use of the Jo Malone name. Malone...
Diptyque’s Classic Candle Becomes Refillable for the First Time in 63-Year History
Diptyque is introducing refillable versions of its iconic Classic Candle, the first redesign since the brand launched in 1963. After a three‑year development effort, a wax insert that can be refilled will be available alongside new refillable glass vessels. The...
How Temu Gave a Quokka Coffee the Boost It Needed
Quokka Coffee, a two‑person UK coffee startup, listed its products on Temu in August 2025 and quickly saw the platform become a vital sales channel. Within five months Temu accounts for roughly 15% of the company’s orders—about 20 weekly shipments—and...
Lidl Plans 50 New Stores in £600m British Infrastructure Push
Lidl will roll out more than 50 new UK stores over the next 12 months, backed by a £600 million (≈$750 million) investment in its British infrastructure. The expansion will create almost 2,000 jobs and includes sites such as Abbots Langley, Warrington and...
As Millions Lose Weight on GLP-1s, They're Starting to Turn to Retailers to Refresh Their Wardrobes
Millions of Americans are shedding pounds with GLP‑1 drugs such as Wegovy, Foundayo and Ozempic, creating a new wave of demand for smaller clothing. Market research shows about 13% of adults are currently on a GLP‑1, with projections of 30 million...
How Regional Grocers Can Win With Fresh Over The Next Decade | 5IM
Jeremy Levine, senior director at Alvarez & Marsal’s Consumer & Retail Group, explains why fresh departments are a strategic priority for regional grocers, driven by consumer shifts toward healthier, protein‑rich diets and away from processed foods. He highlights that fresh...
Across the Atlantic: AI Lessons US Retailers Can Teach the UK
US retailers are leveraging AI to enhance every stage of the online shopping experience, from product discovery to checkout, driving higher visibility, conversion, and revenue. In contrast, UK retailers have concentrated on operational efficiencies such as content generation, customer service,...
This Popular West London Indoor Market Could Be Forced to Close
Queensway Market, a neon‑lit indoor market in west London, is slated for demolition to make way for a Whole Foods supermarket owned by Amazon. Residents have launched a Change.org petition on April 8 to stop the redevelopment, arguing the market is...
Dr. Martens Reshuffles Its Executive Team
British footwear maker Dr. Martens Plc announced a reshuffle of its senior leadership, appointing new General Managers for its European and Asian markets. The changes are part of a "consumer first" strategy that will split management into dedicated market teams...