Tmall Ramps up Merchant Support as Focus Shifts to Profitability
Tmall announced an expanded merchant‑support program that pivots from pure traffic subsidies to profit‑protecting cash incentives, larger subsidies and AI‑driven efficiency tools. The platform reported a 15% year‑on‑year rise in brands with GMV above RMB 100 million (≈$14.5 M), more than 13,000 brands reaching eight‑figure RMB sales, and a $17.3 B GMV from its “Super Launch” initiative. For 2026 Tmall will add roughly $8.7 B of dedicated traffic for new product launches and invest $1.4 B in AI tools to streamline merchant operations. The strategy targets high‑spending 88VIP members to lift merchant margins and overall platform profitability.
Beyond Aggregator Dependency: How Balancing Your Channels Turns Into a Strategic Advantage. A Practical Framework
Restaurants are rethinking reliance on third‑party delivery aggregators as commissions climb above 30% and data walls limit customer insights. A new framework advises brands to treat aggregators as acquisition tools while building intuitive direct channels that capture up to 60%...
‘Obsess Over Your Customer’: The Secret To Staying Afloat As A Heritage Label In A Trend-Obsessed Market
SABA, a 60‑year‑old Australian fashion label, is leveraging a customer‑obsession mindset to stay relevant in a trend‑driven market. General Manager Lucinda Grice Ross emphasizes that the brand’s timeless DNA—quality, construction, and strong lines—must be paired with modern lifestyle insights. The company...
Puma to Launch AI Concierge
Puma announced it will introduce an AI‑powered store concierge focused on its running product range. The virtual assistant will guide shoppers, recommend items, and answer product queries in real time. Deployment is slated for Puma’s flagship locations beginning in 2027,...
Jollibee to Open New Location on East 42nd Street in Midtown Manhattan
Jollibee announced a new restaurant at 14 East 42nd Street in Midtown Manhattan, slated to open on March 31, 2026. The outlet will be the brand’s third Manhattan location, positioned between Fifth and Madison Avenues near Grand Central Station. It will operate daily from...
Save Up to 51% on Activewear During the Last Day of Amazon’s Big Spring Sale
Amazon’s Big Spring Sale wraps up with activewear discounts ranging from 15% to a massive 51%, spotlighting items like Champion’s crewneck sweatshirt and Amazon Essentials Tech Stretch T‑shirts. Two tees can be purchased for under $15, while other picks such...
Charles Tyrwhitt Names Luke Donald Global Sports Ambassador
Charles Tyrwhitt has appointed European Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald as its global sports ambassador, marking the brand’s first professional golfer partnership. Donald will front the summer “Summer’s in Swing” campaign launching in May and represent the label at corporate and...
Retail Pharmacy Growth Raises Stakes for Hospitals
Retail giants are accelerating their pharmacy footprints, with Amazon planning same‑day prescription delivery in 4,500 U.S. cities by the end of 2026 and Walmart promoting 3,000 pharmacy technicians while raising wages to $22‑$40.50 per hour. Walgreens and CVS are also...
Bad Address Data Starts at Checkout — and Carries Through Fulfillment
Inaccurate address data remains a major pain point for retailers, with 6.5% of U.S. mail undeliverable and up to 20% of customer records degrading each year. Melissa’s e‑book shows that errors introduced at checkout can cost $1 to validate, $10...
Collectible Labubu Maker Pop Mart Signs 7K-SF Lease at 680 Fifth Avenue
Pop Mart, the Chinese maker of Labubu plush toys, has signed a lease for a 7,000‑square‑foot store at 680 Fifth Avenue, marking its fifth New York City location. The corner spot at West 54th Street joins existing outlets in Times...
AI Pushes B2B Ecommerce Toward Fewer Platforms as Budgets Shift
Artificial intelligence is prompting B2B ecommerce leaders to trim fragmented software stacks and invest in unified, AI‑enabled platforms. Redpoint Ventures reports that 45% of CIOs are redirecting spend toward AI while 54% are consolidating vendors, targeting systems that blend ecommerce,...
Walmart Mexico Extends Strategic Partnership with Vusion
Walmart de México y Centroamérica is expanding its partnership with Vusion to roll out the EdgeSense connected‑store platform across all Walmart Express locations by the end of 2026, with a subsequent rollout to its Supercenter fleet. The deployment will install...
Microsoft Lets Merchants Update Store Names and Domains in Merchant Center
Microsoft Advertising now lets e‑commerce merchants edit their Merchant Center store name and domain directly, removing the need for support tickets. Store‑name changes undergo editorial review while existing ads keep running, and domain updates require ownership verification before activation. The...
Würth Expands E-Procurement Integration to Streamline B2B Purchasing
Würth Group is broadening its integration with SAP Business Network to automate B2B indirect procurement across its extensive sales and distribution footprint. By linking purchase orders, delivery confirmations and invoices, the company aims to replace fragmented, manual processes with a...
Retail Media’s Measurement Problem Is A Trust Problem – And Incrementality Is The Way Forward
Retail media spending is surging, yet marketers struggle to prove true performance because attribution models often credit sales that would have happened anyway. The industry’s fragmented measurement standards make cross‑platform comparison unreliable. Incrementality—measuring the causal lift of ads—offers a clearer...
Guess Drops Second Campaign with Hyunjin
Guess unveiled the second wave of its Spring/Summer 2026 global campaign, starring Hyunjin of K‑pop group Stray Kids. The Los Angeles‑based denim label is using the partnership to inject a bolder, more expressive energy into its heritage denim line. A Korea‑led creative...
GigaCloud Partners with Otto Group to Expand European Marketplace Assortment
GigaCloud Technology Inc. announced a partnership with Otto Group to broaden the latter’s European B2B marketplace assortment. The collaboration will introduce select GigaCloud sellers, primarily furniture and appliance brands, onto Otto’s platform across more than 30 countries, tapping GigaCloud’s Asian...
The Costco Hot Dog Themed Bourbon Customers Are Buying Just For The Label
Costco partnered with Rare Character to release a limited‑edition, hot‑dog‑themed bourbon priced at $85.99. The single‑barrel, 11‑year‑old whiskey appeared in a Washington, D.C. store and sold out within 24 hours, driven largely by the novelty label rather than the spirit...
The Biggest Fashion Collabs You Missed in March
Dazed Digital’s March roundup spotlights the season’s most buzz‑worthy fashion collaborations, from Guess Jeans × Hysteric Glamour’s retro denim capsule to Y‑3 × Mercedes’ futuristic sportswear line and Nike × Palace’s limited skate collection. The featured drops blend streetwear grit with luxury polish, generating rapid sell‑outs and intense...
Snowflake Intelligence for Retail: Scaling Enterprise AI
The Mark Anthony Group (MAG) has moved from a traditional data warehouse to Snowflake Intelligence, turning its data platform into a generative business intelligence engine. By mandating Snowflake Secure Data Sharing in vendor RFPs, MAG streamlined real‑time data integration and...
Why TikTok Shop’s Real ROI Was Never Meant to Stay on TikTok
TikTok Shop is being re‑positioned from a narrow sales channel to a powerful demand‑generation engine, a shift highlighted by Greek sun‑care brand Carroten’s rapid U.S. expansion. Leveraging over 13,000 creators, the brand generated 152 million views, sparking a cascade that lifted Amazon...
Ulta Doubled Store Fulfillment Capabilities in 2025
Ulta Beauty doubled its ship‑from‑store footprint in fiscal 2025, increasing the number of U.S. stores that fulfill e‑commerce orders from roughly 500 to over 1,000. The expansion was powered by an AI‑driven order‑management system that optimized inventory allocation across stores....
Dollar General Slashes 1,500 SKUs, Boosts In-Stocks
Dollar General has eliminated more than 1,500 SKUs, driving a leaner product mix and reducing fourth‑quarter merchandise levels by 5.7%, equivalent to a $379 million drop. Inventory fell to $6.3 billion, while in‑stock rates improved by roughly 250 basis points year over...
Mars Gum Brands Mix Memes, ‘Borrowed Nostalgia’ in Global Campaign
Mars Snacking’s OEFY gum portfolio launched the global “Total Overthink of The Head” campaign, remixing Bonnie Tyler’s 1983 hit and weaving in viral memes to speak to Gen Z’s overthinking moments. The initiative, developed with BBDO Chicago and Omnicom, forms...
How Just Eat Takeaway.com Moves From Food Delivery to “On-Demand Retail”
Just Eat Takeaway.com is broadening its instant‑delivery platform beyond meals, adding partnerships with electronics retailer MediaMarkt and second‑hand seller CeX. The shift stems from observed cross‑selling, where customers added health, pet care, and other non‑food items to grocery orders. Pete...
Flaconi Expands to the UK, Spain and 5 More Countries
Flaconi, the German online perfume and beauty retailer, announced expansion into the United Kingdom and Spain, plus Hungary, Ireland, Norway, Portugal and Romania, raising its market footprint to 19 European countries. The company reported a 27% revenue increase to €651 million...
Homeland to Close 4 Stores, Consolidate Others
Homeland Stores, a HAC, Inc. banner, will shut four Oklahoma locations within the next 45 days and is consolidating operations in three markets ahead of a July 1 reopening. The retailer is also listing ten additional Oklahoma stores for sale as...
EU Duty Changes Are Coming. Are You Ready for July?
From 1 July 2026 the EU will scrap the €150 (≈ $165) de minimis exemption, imposing a €3 (≈ $3.30) duty on each imported item. The change targets low‑value parcels that have surged with cross‑border e‑commerce and aims to curb undervaluation. UK brands shipping directly...
How Forty Five Ten Is Rebuilding Its Brick-and-Mortar Footprint Post-Covid
Luxury multi‑brand retailer Forty Five Ten, which shuttered all locations during the 2020 pandemic, has reopened its brick‑and‑mortar presence with a new 4,800‑sq‑ft boutique in Fort Worth, Texas. The store launched on March 21 inside the Museum Palace shopping center,...
Sprouts’ CEO Says the Chain Needs to Be a Better ‘Value’ for Shoppers
Sprouts Farmers Market missed its 2025 sales targets as price‑sensitive shoppers slowed comparable‑store growth and transaction volume. The chain is now emphasizing "value" through clearer product pricing, health‑trend relevance, and convenient ready‑to‑eat options. A newly launched loyalty program will gather...
ALDI Rolls Out New Website Using Instacart's Enterprise Technology
ALDI U.S. has launched a redesigned website and mobile app powered by Instacart’s Storefront Pro enterprise platform. The partnership makes Instacart the exclusive fulfillment provider for ALDI’s online channels, delivering same‑day delivery and curbside pickup in as fast as an...
Driving the Future of Make-Up: How Eurofins C&PC Turns Testing Into a Strategic Advantage
Eurofins Cosmetics & Personal Care is positioning scientific testing as a strategic advantage for makeup brands, moving beyond mere regulatory compliance. The firm offers advanced analytical, clinical, and emotional evaluation services that verify ingredient safety, performance claims, and consumer sentiment....
EXCLUSIVE: Leaked Pitchdeck Reveals Amazon’s Pitch to Get Advertisers on Rufus
Amazon is preparing to roll out Sponsored Ads on its AI‑driven shopping assistant Rufus, moving the feature from open beta to a general‑availability launch. The leaked pitch deck reveals that advertisers will be charged on a cost‑per‑click (CPC) basis and...
Made by Shein: The Ultra-Fast Fashion Giant Is Pitching Itself to Aussie Clothing Labels
Shein is courting Australian fashion labels to join its Xcelerator program, a supply‑chain‑as‑a‑service platform that plugs brands into its AI‑driven manufacturing, logistics and e‑commerce network. The initiative, which already supports 20 brands worldwide and has generated more than $400 million in...
From Visibility to Predictability: Why Retail Needs Flow Intelligence Across B2B Transactions
Retailers are increasingly hitting transaction failures at the handoffs between modern integration platforms rather than within any single system. This creates an "assurance gap" where dashboards show green but orders, invoices, or settlements remain incomplete. Flow intelligence overlays existing commerce,...
Primark Launches Adaptive Swimwear Range in Partnership with Victoria Jenkins
Primark has introduced the high‑street’s first adaptive swimwear line, created with award‑winning designer Victoria Jenkins. The collection includes a women’s black tankini priced at £14 (≈$18) and men’s cargo swim shorts at £12 (≈$15), both featuring side‑tube access, waistband pulls...
Marks & Spencer To Try Again In U.S. With Nordstrom Womenswear Tie-Up
Marks & Spencer is re‑entering the United States by launching a 60‑piece womenswear capsule in 30 Nordstrom stores and online. The collection, featuring the brand’s Per Una line, represents an asset‑light partnership rather than standalone stores, a stark contrast to...
US-Iran Conflict Begins to Disrupt India’s Q-Commerce and Logistics Sectors
The US‑Iran conflict is beginning to ripple through India’s quick‑commerce, e‑commerce and logistics ecosystem, driving higher fuel, diesel and urea costs and causing truck delays in key states like Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh. Packaging inputs have surged, with plastics up...
Ikea Is Testing Quiet Hours in Mons
IKEA’s Mons store in Belgium will hold two weekly quiet hours, each Friday from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m., during which music, non‑essential announcements and aisle logistics are halted. The trial runs from April 3 to August 28 and aims to create a calmer...
Sapling Spirits Expands Retail Footprint with Super Premium Vodka Launch in Sainsbury’s
Sapling Spirits, a climate‑positive super‑premium brand, is debuting its Naturally Smooth Vodka in 171 Sainsbury’s stores across the UK on 19 April. The vodka is made from organic winter wheat, distilled four times and blended with charcoal‑filtered water, earning multiple industry...
The Perfume Shop Is Set to Unveil a New Experiential Fragrance Counter Inside Superdrug at White Rose Shopping Centre, Leeds
The Perfume Shop is launching an experiential fragrance counter inside Superdrug at White Rose Shopping Centre in Leeds, opening in early April. The new space features a digital screen, a personalized ribbon‑printing machine, expert consultations, complimentary gift‑wrapping and a recycling...
Turkish Denim Brand Jendue Opens First US Store
Turkish denim label Jendue, founded in 2023, opened its first U.S. boutique in the upscale Town Center at Boca Raton, Florida. The store replaces a purely online model with a gallery‑style space featuring marble displays and gold fixtures, emphasizing the brand’s...
PayPal Doesn’t Have a Growth Problem – It Has a Positioning Problem
PayPal’s Q4 2025 results show modest top‑line growth but a stalled premium checkout segment. Net revenue rose 4% to $8.7 billion, while total payment volume jumped 9% to $475.1 billion. Branded checkout – the high‑margin engine – grew only 1% year‑over‑year, far below...
Decathlon to Offer Customers Instant Cash for Unwanted Sports Gear
Decathlon is rolling out a UK BuyBack program that gives customers instant cash for unwanted sports gear, starting with bikes. A new one‑hour bank‑transfer option and an online quick‑quote tool can value items at up to 45% of their original...
What Are the Top AI Fragrance Recommendation Platforms?
The global fragrance market, valued at $52.3 billion in 2025, is projected to more than double to $118.7 billion by 2036, spurring demand for AI‑driven scent discovery tools. Nine platforms—ranging from B2B engines like Inference Beauty to community sites such as Basenotes—offer...
‘Hot’ Property: Azzurri Group’s Chicken Chain and the Greenfield Tech Opportunity
Azzurri Group secured the UK‑Ireland master franchise for US‑origin Dave’s Hot Chicken in 2024 and plans to roll out at least 180 European outlets, with about 14 in the UK and Ireland by the end of 2026. The restaurant chain...
As The Works Axes Its Ecommerce Arm, How Can Physical Stores Compete with Online in 2026?
The Works announced it will close its ecommerce platform to double‑down on a store‑led growth strategy. While global ecommerce sales are projected at $3.88 trillion in 2026, 80 % of consumer spending still occurs in physical locations, giving discounters like Aldi and...
CVS Begins Rollout Of Smaller ‘Pharmacy-Only’ Stores
CVS Health announced the launch of its first pharmacy‑only store in Chicago and plans to open nearly 20 similar locations by year‑end. The new format, about 3,000 square feet, focuses on prescription fulfillment, vaccinations and a curated OTC assortment, cutting...
Superdry CEO Julian Dunkerton on What Makes His Stores Industry-Leading
Superdry’s new Oxford Street flagship, rebranded as a "reimagined space," combines the core label with partner concepts such as a Bench collaboration and vintage Ralph Lauren and Carhartt displays. Founder‑CEO Julian Dunkerton argues that today’s shoppers need immersive, differentiated experiences...
Starbucks Announces Plans for 500 New Stores Across the UK
Starbucks announced a plan to open 500 new stores across the United Kingdom over the next five years, with more than 75 locations slated for this financial year. The expansion follows the recent closure of 10 UK sites, including six...