John Lewis Bolsters Loyalty Scheme
John Lewis has expanded its loyalty programme with MyJL Beauty, offering a curated edit box worth £240 (≈ $305) to members who spend £200 (≈ $254) on beauty products. The retailer now has 3.8 million active loyalty members, a 4% increase year‑over‑year, and is backing the push with an £800 million (≈ $1.0 billion) store‑investment programme. New K‑beauty shop‑in‑shops with Skin Cupid will debut in Cambridge, Kingston and Leeds, while an online rollout of 20 Korean brands and a nine‑store Beauty Society consultation service further deepen the beauty offering.
Air Macau Partners with Datalex to Accelerate Modern Airline Retailing and Drive Revenue Growth
Air Macau has deployed Datalex’s Stellex Offer Shopping & Pricing Engine across seven digital channels, including its website, mobile app, Douyin, and MPAY. The solution delivers advanced shopping and pricing capabilities that sharpen fare precision, expand the airline’s product portfolio,...
Form Founders Discuss the Secrets Behind Their US$42m Activewear Brand
Form began as a free digital workout platform in 2020, then leveraged its tightly‑knit community to launch a vertically integrated activewear line in 2023‑24. The brand’s community‑first approach helped it sell out drops within hours, driving revenue past US$43 million by...
H&M Opens First Store in Rio De Janeiro
H&M opened its first Rio de Janeiro store at the Riosul shopping centre, expanding its Brazilian footprint after a São Paulo location and a local e‑commerce launch in 2025. CEO Daniel Ervér called Rio a key step in the brand’s Latin...
Luxury Unfiltered: Luxury’s Listening Problem Is Worse than the Industry Thinks
Luxury brands believe their problem lies in service, yet the real issue is an authenticity gap created by scripted adaptability. Associates follow pre‑loaded scripts that mimic personalization, leaving customers feeling classified rather than recognized. Younger, authenticity‑driven consumers detect this in...
IKEA Pricing Strategy Explained: 9 Tactics Behind Its Global Success
IKEA’s disciplined pricing system underpins its $48.6 billion global empire, spanning 500+ stores in 63 markets. The retailer posted $8.7 billion in online sales in 2025 and expects a 20‑50% jump in 2026. By blending psychological pricing, price‑first product design, AI‑driven personalization,...
Supergoop Partners With Target and the PGA as It Chases Mass Appeal
Supergoop has named January Digital as its agency of record for media planning and buying, covering brand, performance and retail spend. The decision follows the hiring of former Peloton CMO Lauren Weinberg, who met January Digital founder Vic Drabicky early...
Temu and QIMA Partner to Strengthen Product Testing and Platform Compliance
Temu announced a partnership with QIMA to embed independent product testing and certification services directly into its Seller Center. The collaboration initially covers electrical and electronic goods, jewelry, food‑contact materials, and light industrial products, offering on‑site factory inspections, digital compliance...
The Twin Regulation Test Facing UK Subscription Retailers
UK subscription retailers face a dual regulatory hurdle in 2026 as the EU enacts a “one‑click return” right of withdrawal on 19 June and the UK rolls out its Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act. Both regimes demand that cancellation be...
Inside Thayers’ TikToker-Led Product Development Strategy, with Nina Pool and Shelby Ann Bell
Thayers turned TikTok stars Nina Pool and Shelby Ann Bell into product consultants for a new Hydrating Milky Mist priced at $14.99. The concept originated from Pool’s June 5, 2025 TikTok, prompting Bell’s DIY spray test and a flood of community requests. Within 24 hours...
Quick Commerce Firms Face Heat as Riders Stay Off Peak Hours
India's quick‑commerce firms are grappling with a rider shortage as extreme heat deters couriers from working peak afternoon hours. To retain staff, companies are offering extra pay of roughly $0.10‑$0.18 per delivery on top of a base $0.24‑$0.36 per order....
How Urban Outfitters Co-Creates Campaigns with Gen Z
Urban Outfitters is reshaping its marketing by co‑creating campaigns directly with Gen Z creators, challenging the myth that the cohort lacks attention span. Head of brand marketing Cyntia Leo says the retailer taps real‑time social listening and user‑generated content to craft...
Patchi Expands Into Lifestyle as Global Rebrand Debuts in Malaysia
Patchi, the Lebanese luxury chocolatier, unveiled a global rebrand in Malaysia to mark its 50th anniversary. The new visual language swaps the traditional black‑and‑gold palette for softer mint green, cream and orange tones, while interior layouts become more open and...
SM Malls Defy Cost Surge with Stronger Sales
SM Prime Holdings reported that first‑quarter mall foot traffic in the Philippines held steady despite higher fuel prices, matching last year’s levels while sales rose to near double‑digit growth. Mall revenues jumped 8% to PHP20.4 billion (about $364 million), representing 61% of...
Starbucks Is Seeing a Resurgence, Thanks to Younger and Lower-Income Customers
Starbucks reported a sharp rebound in quarterly sales, prompting the company to lift its full‑year outlook. The surge is attributed to a wave of younger and lower‑income customers drawn by new menu items such as ube macchiatos, matcha drinks, and...
Flipkart and Kinnect India Turns ‘Double Sale’ Into ‘Sale on Sale’ with SASA LELE 2.0
Flipkart and Kinnect India have revived their viral summer promotion with SASA LELE 2.0, branding it as India’s first “Sale pe Sale” – a sale stacked on another sale. The campaign doubles the discount experience across categories, from electronics to apparel, and leans heavily...
EBay Inc (EBAY) Q1 2026 Earnings Call Transcript
eBay reported Q1 2026 GMV of $21.2 billion, up 8% on an FX‑neutral basis, driven by a 19% surge in U.S. sales while international volumes slipped slightly. Revenue rose 13% to $2.96 billion, bolstered by advertising that generated $544 million, and non‑GAAP operating...
ETSY Inc (ETSY) Q1 2026 Earnings Call Transcript
Etsy reported a $2.8 billion consolidated Gross Merchandise Sales (GMS) for Q1 2026, a 4.8% year‑over‑year decline, while revenue rose 4% to $673 million and adjusted EBITDA reached $169 million, delivering a 25.1% margin. The take rate improved to 24%, up 200 basis points,...
New Square AI Agent Automates Daily Tasks for Main Street Sellers
Square, a Block subsidiary, has launched Managerbot, an AI‑powered business agent, in open beta for U.S. non‑franchise food, retail and health‑beauty merchants. Integrated directly into the Square Dashboard, Managerbot goes beyond the conversational Square AI by monitoring operations, surfacing insights...
141-Year-Old Candy Store Chain Closes All Retail Locations
Iconic Texas candy maker Lammes Candies announced it will shut down all retail locations, ending a 141‑year legacy. The decision follows a tough environment marked by soaring cocoa prices, higher labor expenses, and reduced consumer spending on non‑essential treats. The...
Why Walmart Refuses To Accept Apple Pay Despite Daily Complaints From Customers
Walmart continues to reject Apple Pay and other NFC tap‑to‑pay methods, citing a strategic choice to keep payment data within its own ecosystem. Instead, shoppers must use Walmart Pay or Scan & Go, which rely on QR codes and a dedicated app. The...
Travelers Spend Over $500 on Non-Travel Purchases Per Trip, Expedia Group Study Finds
Expedia Group’s latest study shows travelers spend an average of $500 on non‑travel purchases per trip, roughly a quarter of their total travel spend. The survey of 3,500 decision‑makers across seven countries found that 62% of travelers made at least...
Google and Mastercard Contribute Agentic Commerce Standards to FIDO Alliance
The FIDO Alliance announced two new technical working groups to create open standards for AI‑agent authentication and commerce. Google donated its Agent Payments Protocol (AP2) and Mastercard contributed its Verifiable Intent framework to the Payments Working Group. The Agentic Authentication...
Shortcut To Popularity: Grubhub's Loyalty Program
Grubhub is launching a month‑long Gold Days promotion for its Grubhub+ loyalty program, running May 1‑31. New members can sign up for six months at a 99‑cent monthly rate, a 90% discount off the regular $9.99 fee. During the campaign, members...
These Three Shoe Brands Raked in Almost $100 Million on TikTok Shop During the Last 12 Months
TikTok Shop generated nearly $100 million in shoe sales for Crocs, Hey Dude, and QVC between April 2025 and March 2026, with Crocs alone accounting for $52.4 million. The broader top‑10 U.S. TikTok shoe sellers posted $163.7 million in revenue, underscoring the platform’s rapid emergence...
Coca-Cola Is Betting on Smaller Sizes to Keep Sales Growing Amid Inflation
Coca‑Cola is expanding mini‑can offerings to attract price‑sensitive shoppers amid inflation. The 7.5‑ounce cans, priced at $1.29, debuted in convenience stores and posted strong first‑quarter performance. CEO Henrique Braun said the move is part of a broader affordability strategy as...
Bed Bath & Beyond Returns to Growth in Q1, Citing Omnichannel Success and Home Services
Bed Bath & Beyond posted a 6.9% year‑over‑year revenue increase to $247.8 million in Q1 2026, marking its first quarterly growth in 19 quarters. The retailer narrowed its net loss to $16 million, a $24 million improvement from a year earlier. CEO Marcus...
Health-E Commerce Partners with Talkspace on Mental Health Counseling Offer
Health-E Commerce announced a partnership with virtual therapy provider Talkspace, allowing consumers to purchase mental‑health counseling through its FSA Store and HSA Store using pretax dollars. First‑time patients who pay with FSA or HSA funds receive a $100 discount on...
Sierra to Open First Florida Store, Fourth Kentucky Location
Sierra, the outdoor‑themed off‑price chain owned by TJX Companies, announced it will open its first Florida store in Jacksonville and its fourth Kentucky store in Owensboro on May 30, 2026. The Jacksonville location occupies a 16,700‑square‑foot space previously held by Petco...
Amazon Launches an AI-Powered Audio Q&A Experience on Product Pages
Amazon introduced "Join the chat," an AI-powered audio Q&A tool on product pages within its Shopping app. The feature lets users ask product-specific questions and receive real-time, conversational audio answers generated by Amazon's "shopping experts." It expands the existing "Hear...
Vusion Named to TIME’s Top 10 Most Influential Retail Companies of 2026
Vusion was named to TIME’s Top 10 Most Influential Retail Companies of 2026 and the inaugural TIME100 Companies Industry Leaders list. The Chicago‑based firm earned the honor for its AI‑ and IoT‑powered platform that digitizes shelf edges with smart electronic labels,...
EXEC: New Balance Targeting Growth in Middle East
New Balance is positioning the Middle East as a core growth engine, now operating a 90‑store network that delivered a 35 % sales increase in 2025, outpacing its other markets. The company opened 15 new mono‑branded stores that year, twice the...
Pick Chewy and Global-E to Counter Headwinds in eCommerce
E‑commerce sales rose 5.3% year‑over‑year in Q4 2025, capturing roughly 16.6% of total U.S. retail spend, even as macro‑economic and geopolitical headwinds pressure margins. The industry is shifting toward omnichannel models that blend online and offline experiences, with Gen‑Z driving social‑commerce...
Blackstock & Weber Shutters NYC Flagship as Realities of Being a Retailer Set In
Blackstock & Weber announced the closure of its New York flagship after just two years, citing the harsh realities of brick‑and‑mortar retail. Founder Chris Echevarria reflected that the brand’s storytelling succeeded, but the inventory‑heavy store model strained resources. The 600‑square‑foot...
How Adobe Is Building AI and Agentic Tools for Brands—While Keeping an Eye on Actual Adoption
Adobe announced a suite of AI‑driven tools aimed at boosting brand visibility and agentic capabilities as AI‑assisted retail traffic surged 393% year‑over‑year in Q1 2026. The new Brand Concierge and LLM Apps let brands appear inside large language model interfaces, while...
TSG Launches 2026 Directory of POS Providers
TSG has opened the submission window for its 2026 Directory of POS Providers, inviting merchant‑facing technology firms—from SoftPOS to unattended solutions—to list their offerings. The directory serves as a sortable reference for payments executives, software vendors, private‑equity firms, and the...
Paytronix Releases Rewards Hub
Paytronix unveiled the Rewards Hub, a self‑service upgrade to its guest engagement platform that puts loyalty program management directly in marketers’ hands. The new hub lets brands create and adjust reward structures, point values and promotions instantly, while providing real‑time...
Bed Bath & Beyond CEO: AI Will Lead to ‘Significant Reduction in Headcount’
Bed Bath & Beyond is pivoting to an AI‑centric model, with CEO Marcus Lemonis warning that deeper AI integration will trigger a significant headcount reduction across functions such as supply chain, IT, accounting, marketing and merchandising. The company reported its first quarterly revenue...
The Funnel Is Dead: Now What?
Brandweek’s 2026 panel, moderated by ADWEEK’s Alison Weissbrot, declared the classic marketing funnel obsolete, urging brands to adopt a flywheel mindset. Leaders from SmartCommerce, Liquid Death, LYS Beauty, Kellanova, Sephora, and Argonaut shared tactics for omnichannel commerce, retail‑media data leverage,...
84.51° Report: Online Shopping Grows But In-Store Remains The Default
84.51°’s new Consumer Digest report shows that while 90% of shoppers are increasing their online grocery activity, 74% of trips still happen in physical stores. Digital research tools are now a key part of the purchase journey, but the final...
Customers Blindsided as Wren Kitchens Abruptly Shutters Showrooms and Home Depot Studios After Chapter 7 Bankruptcy
Wren Kitchens, the U.K.-based custom kitchen maker, filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy in Delaware on April 24, instantly shutting all U.S. showrooms and its Home Depot studio locations. The abrupt closure affects 15 standalone retail stores and dozens of in‑store studios across the...
Haut.AI to Sponsor Beauty Leaders Summit 2026 in Paris with Skin.Chat Giveaway
Haut.AI announced its sponsorship of the Beauty Leaders Summit 2026 in Paris, where senior beauty executives will convene to discuss the next wave of industry innovation. At the event, co‑founder and CEO Anastasia Georgievskaya will unveil the company’s “intelligence layer,”...
Nestlé USA Launches Minor's Kitchen
Nestlé USA has introduced Minor's Kitchen, a new line of chef‑crafted sauces that marks the company’s first foray into the U.S. at‑home condiment market. The range includes four premium flavors—Lemon Garlic Aioli, Creamy Korean BBQ, Spicy Chili Truffle, and American...
Shaftesbury Capital Adds Horatio and De La Vali to Adjacent Soho Spaces
Shaftesbury Capital has secured two adjacent retail spaces on Soho’s Marshall Street, welcoming independent footwear label Horatio and converting De La Vali’s pop‑up into a permanent store. Horatio occupies an 800 sq ft showroom featuring its signature loafers, laced shoes and unisex apparel, while...
CFOs Lean on AI, ‘Synthetic Audiences’ to Decode Consumer Behavior
Stubborn inflation and shifting consumer demand are forcing CFOs in retail to revamp forecasting and pricing strategies. A recent CFO Dive and Retail Dive panel highlighted how finance leaders are leveraging AI to generate synthetic audiences, drive precise markdowns, and...
Square Unveils Its Managerbot, And Toast’s New Device Goes Abroad
Square's POS unit launched Managerbot, an AI‑driven assistant embedded in the Square Dashboard, now in open beta for U.S. retailers. The bot monitors sales, inventory and staffing, delivering actionable recommendations that owners must approve. Meanwhile, Toast introduced its Go 3 handheld...
$188K in Delivery Fees Forced This Restaurant Owner to Ditch DoorDash and Uber Eats: ‘That’s Losses on Us’
Omaha restaurateur Javier Trujillo disclosed that his five eateries paid roughly $188,000 in delivery‑app commissions last year, prompting him to abandon DoorDash, Uber Eats and similar platforms. He said the fees eroded profit margins and even caused losses when drivers...
Nostalgia Wasn't Enough: What Went Wrong at Claire's
Claire’s announced the closure of all 154 stores in the UK and Ireland, eliminating 1,300 jobs. The teen‑focused jewellery chain, once a high‑street staple, fell victim to a post‑COVID dip in discretionary spending and fierce competition from cheap online retailers....
What Happened to Claire’s? A Cautionary Tale About Gen Alpha’s Shopping Habits
Claire’s announced the closure of all its UK stores, cutting 1,300 jobs after a second administration despite a rescue by Modella Capital last summer. The brand’s decline accelerated post‑pandemic, compounded by higher operating costs such as the NICS levy. Experts...
“Nesting”…Retailers Have A Gen Z Problem
Home‑improvement retailers are confronting a slowdown as Gen Z postpones homeownership, driving a 40 % drop in home‑sale volumes since 2020 and shrinking first‑time buyer share by half. Lowe’s revenue fell 10 % and Home Depot’s margins narrowed 20 %, while Wayfair logged $4.8 billion...