🎯 Today's Retail Pulse
Uber Eats adds retail returns service with major retailers
Uber Eats now lets customers schedule a courier to pick up returns for items priced $20 or more, charging a fee based on time and distance. The rollout starts with Best Buy, DICK’S Sporting Goods, Petco, Pacsun and Pet Food Express, marking the first on‑demand delivery returns offering.
Also developing:
By the numbers: Kering invests in Chinese fashion group Icicle
🚀 Top Retail Headlines
Hyper-Personal Shopping: The Rise of AI Shopper Bots
Drapers Hyper-personal shopping: The rise of AI shopper bots As retailers such as John Lewis and Frasers start to harness AI and its potential for easy hyper-personal shopping, Drapers explores the challenges they must tackle and priorities for businesses looking to stand out. The post Hyper-personal shopping: The rise of AI shopper bots appeared first on Drapers.
Drapers
Quick Commerce Growth Set to Moderate as Profitability Takes Centre Stage
India’s leading quick commerce platforms, including Blinkit and Instamart, are expected to report a moderation in growth for the January-March quarter, following several periods of rapid expansion. Analysts and industry executives attribute this shift to a strategic pivot towards improving margins and achieving profitability. The slowdown also coincides with intensifying competition in the sector, with […] The post Quick Commerce Growth Set to Moderate as Profitability Takes Centre Stage appeared first on Apparel Resources.
Apparel Resources – Business News
How Gen Alpha Is Changing the In-Store Experience
As younger consumers look for IRL experiences, some brands are exploring turning their stores into destinations, one expert said.
Marketing Brew
Uber Eats App to Start Picking Up Customers’ Returns for Thousands of Retail Locations
Stores participating include Best Buy, Dick's Sporting Goods, PacSun, Pet Food Express and Petco, with more retailers to come.
WWD
Albertsons Is the New Walmart when It Comes to Tech Dominance
The grocer continues to gain momentum through AI and other technology
Winsight Grocery Business
💰 Retail Fundraising
ALL THINGS Raises $4.5M in Funding Led by The Equity Studio
UK-based dairy brand ALL THINGS secured $4.5M in funding, led by The Equity Studio with participation from Access Industries and Active Partners. The capital will support supply chain expansion, vertical integration, and product development as the brand scales its cottage cheese and other dairy offerings across UK retailers and prepares for a US launch.
Kering Makes Minority Investment in Chinese Fashion Group Icicle
Kering announced a minority investment in Chinese fashion group Icicle (ICCF) as part of its new House of Wonders initiative. The investment, terms undisclosed, aims to support Icicle’s international expansion and product diversification. The deal was disclosed at Kering’s Capital Markets Day in Florence.
💬 Top Retail Social Posts
Thread by @Michaelwmchugh
Thinking Small Strategy built Walmart: ✈️ Go to the frontlines 🧠 Hire people smarter than you 🔁 Force constant change 🏪 Think one store, one customer Scale didn’t win—discipline did. Read more: https://michaelwmchugh.com/thinking-small-strategy-sam-walton/
Tweet by @MikeFritzell
Jardine Matheson is in talks to acquire CK Hutchison's supermarket business ParknShop and merge it with Wellcome. Competition in Hong Kong's grocery industry would go down significantly, with the combined entity controlling >50% of the market. https://t.co/4MD3n7ptN1
