Inside The Inkey List’s 2026 Gameplan to Dominate the US and Invest in Its ‘Superpowers’
The Inkey List, now in its eighth year, has unveiled a "surgical" 2026 roadmap that leans on its core "superpowers"—cutting‑edge ingredients, innovative formats, affordability and education—to boost US awareness, especially among Ulta Beauty shoppers. The strategy also targets additional UK market share, fresh NPD launches, expansion of its InkeyLab testing hub, and a reformulation of a beloved hero SKU. CEO Mark Curry emphasizes learning a distinct Ulta playbook after outperforming expectations last year. Despite 2025 tariff‑driven price hikes, the brand entered the year with solid financial footing.
LK Bennett Clearance Sale Deepens in Bid to Shift Stock
LK Bennett, the UK premium womenswear label, launched a deeper clearance, raising discounts to at least 60% across all merchandise. The sale follows its January acquisition by US restructuring firm Gordon Brothers, which bought the brand and intellectual property out...
Retail's Future Is Tied up in Agentic Commerce, Yes? Well, up to a Point, Says BestBuy, Wayfair, and Electrolux with...
A new Logicbroker survey shows 90% of enterprise retailers expect AI agents to influence at least 20% of online orders by 2027, with over a third anticipating agents handling more than half of transactions. Kingfisher is already rolling out Google...
OPINION: Five Forces Reshaping the Checkout in Germany
German retailers are accelerating POS modernization as labour costs rise, regulations tighten, and consumer payment habits shift. Cash still accounts for about 35% of sales, but card usage is projected to climb to 42% within five years, while contactless and...
Online Grocery Shoppers Prioritize Health Over Taste
A Purdue University study of 1,200 U.S. consumers finds that health and nutrition now eclipse taste as the primary driver for online grocery shoppers, with only 37% ranking taste first. Nutritional targets and health goals were cited by 59% and...
Zalando Is Scaling up Its Use of AI-Powered Warehouse Robots
Zalando is rolling out AI‑powered warehouse robots to multiple European distribution centers. After a pilot where ten robots processed roughly 100,000 picks per day, the company plans up to fifty installations, starting in Germany and Italy and expanding to the...
DeSL, TSG Partner to Enhance Digital Supply Chain for Textiles
DeSL has entered a strategic agreement with Textile Solutions Group (TSG) to broaden its AI‑driven product lifecycle management (PLM) platform across the global textile and apparel market. The partnership will integrate DeSL’s SaaS PLM suite with TSG’s manufacturing and execution...
C-Life Group to Expand Prince’s Apparel Lines in North America
Prince, the historic racquet‑sports brand, has partnered with New York‑based C‑Life Group to relaunch its apparel line across North America. The collaboration will cover men’s, women’s and children’s sportswear, activewear, outerwear and swimwear, with the first collection slated for a...
Sephora to Make Belgian Debut in Brussels
Sephora will launch its first Belgian stores in Brussels, with openings slated for June at Docks Bruxsel and City2. The retailer plans to open about ten locations in the French‑speaking region before expanding into Flanders. Sephora currently runs 3,400 stores across...
MCM Begins Year-Long 50th Anniversary Celebration
German luxury label MCM is marking its 50th anniversary in 2026 with a year‑long campaign that includes a refreshed logo, a digital content series, and refreshed versions of iconic products such as the Ella Boston handbag and Liz tote. The...
More Promotions, Modern Stores, Storytelling: Jumbo CEO Jesper Højer’s Plan
Jumbo’s new CEO Jesper Højer unveiled a multi‑year plan to revive the retailer’s lagging performance. The strategy emphasizes aggressive promotions, especially on meat, and a comprehensive modernization of store formats. Højer also pledged to streamline the executive committee and eliminate...
Sonali Bendre-Led The Happy Pawdcast Teams up with The Souled Store for Co-Branded Line
India’s pet‑focused podcast The Happy Pawdcast, hosted by Sonali Bendre, announced a co‑branded merchandise line with online retailer The Souled Store. The partnership follows Season 2’s strong performance, which reached over 14 million pet lovers, generated more than 20 000 hours of content,...
Mango Takes Major Step in US Expansion with New Mall of America Store
Spanish fashion retailer Mango opened a new 10,000‑square‑foot store at Mall of America, its first location in Minnesota. The outlet brings women’s and men’s collections designed in Barcelona and raises Mango’s US footprint to 65 stores. The launch follows Mango’s...
Waitrose Launches Food Lovers Uncut Series with First Guest Connor Swindells
Waitrose has introduced Food Lovers Uncut, a long‑form video series hosted by food influencer Will Hughes, known as What Willy Cook. The monthly YouTube program explores the kitchens and personal stories of well‑known food enthusiasts, beginning with actor Connor Swindells as...
Why Is Glossier Closing Stores to Chase Gen Z?
Glossier announced it will shutter nine of its twelve global stores over the next 2.5 years, retaining only flagship locations in New York, Los Angeles and London. The move follows a slowdown in millennial‑driven growth and a strategic pivot toward...
Best Buy Discount Codes and Deals: Up to 60% Off
Best Buy continues to thrive by blending a robust online platform with its extensive brick‑and‑mortar network, offering shoppers flexible fulfillment options. The retailer’s promotional arsenal includes a My Best Buy credit card that returns 10% on first‑day purchases, daily Top...
Thai Boat Noodle Chain ThongSmith Makes Hong Kong Debut
Thai boat‑noodle chain ThongSmith opened its first overseas store in Wan Chai, Hong Kong, bringing a premium take on the classic street‑food dish. The outlet features slow‑simmered broths and upscale proteins such as Wagyu beef and Kurobuta pork, mirroring the Bangkok...
Boucheron Opens Its First Flagship in China
Boucheron has opened its first Chinese flagship in Shanghai’s Xintiandi district, occupying a 278 sqm space in a restored 19th‑century shikumen building. The store is the brand’s third global flagship after Paris and Tokyo, blending Chinese and Western design cues. Its...
Fashion Briefing: How Trump’s ‘Made in America’ Executive Order Will Affect Fashion Brands
On March 13, the Trump administration issued an executive order tightening "Made in America" labeling rules, demanding that any product bearing the claim be verifiably produced in the United States. The order targets a wide range of consumer goods, including...
TikTok Shop Turns Shopping Into Shoppertainment in New Fishermen Integrated Spot
TikTok Shop partnered with Fishermen Integrated to launch the Ramadan‑Raya campaign “Bazar Direka Untuk …”, turning the shopping journey into a curated shoppertainment experience. The initiative runs from 1 March to 13 March 2026 and blends product curation, creator‑led content, original music and...
H&M Shuts Hobart Store, Exits Tasmania
How Baroma Is Building a Market for Culturally Rich Asian Fragrance Brands
Baroma, an editorial‑driven retailer, is creating a dedicated platform for under‑represented Asian niche fragrance brands, especially from China. By curating collections that embed authentic cultural narratives, raw‑material provenance, and small‑batch craftsmanship, it offers export‑ready packaging and storytelling infrastructure. The company...
Vietnam: Global Tech Partnerships Boost Regional Trade Safety
The ASEAN Product Safety Portal is being rolled out across member states to share real‑time data on unsafe goods, enabling regulators to swiftly remove hazardous items from online marketplaces. Technology‑driven monitoring and web‑scraping tools aim to cut flagged unsafe products...
Michaels Lowers Prices on More than 3,000 Items
Michaels announced price cuts on more than 3,000 items, spanning arts and crafts, DIY, party supplies, sewing and home décor. Discounts average roughly 10% and represent the final stage of a multi‑month value‑driven initiative. The retailer also rolled out an...
Meta Leases From Vornado Again, This Time for Retail Space
Meta has signed a 10‑year lease for the entire five‑story, 15,000‑square‑foot townhouse at 697 Fifth Avenue in Midtown Manhattan. The space will serve as a permanent retail showcase for Meta’s virtual reality headsets and Ray‑Ban smart glasses, following a successful...
Shopify’s USDC Integration Shows How Platforms Could Pick Stablecoin Favorites
Shopify has embedded USDC stablecoin into its core payments stack, allowing merchants to accept digital dollars at checkout without new providers. The integration, built with Stripe and Coinbase, lets shoppers pay via crypto wallets and gives merchants the option to...
How AIOps Is Keeping Retail Lights on Behind the Scenes
Artificial intelligence for IT Operations (AIOps) is helping retailers keep e‑commerce platforms running smoothly by automatically detecting and fixing order‑flow glitches, pricing mismatches, downtime, and data‑sync issues. Machine‑learning models surface anomalies before customers notice them, enabling proactive remediation. A real‑world...
Video Forum: Jennifer Beatty, Emerson Group
Jennifer Beatty, vice‑president of sales at Emerson Group, announced the next Future of Commerce event, which will focus on the supermarket industry. The two‑day conference is scheduled for June 9‑10 in Nashville and will feature program highlights drawn from previous...
AI-Assisted Commerce Is Here. Trust Will Define Who Wins
Google introduced the Universal Commerce Protocol (UCP) in January 2026, creating a standardized, machine‑readable layer for product data, pricing, carts, payments and order tracking. UCP already powers AI‑driven purchases on Google Search’s AI Mode and Gemini for retailers like Etsy...
Publix Whips up a Batch of Its Own Cookies
Publix announced its entry into the cookie market with a spring launch of four private‑label flavors. The lineup includes Double Cookies & Cream, Vanilla Celebration, Double Chocolate, and Raspberry Cream Cheese, with more varieties slated for summer. The rollout follows...
NRF Projects 4.4% Retail Sales Growth This Year
The National Retail Federation (NRF) projects U.S. retail sales to rise 4.4% in 2026, reaching $5.6 trillion, outpacing the 10‑year pre‑pandemic average of 3.6%. The forecast, built with Oxford Economics, attributes growth to resilient consumer spending, especially among higher‑income households, and...
UNFI Ramps up AI, Digital Push Across Supply Chain
United Natural Foods (UNFI) is accelerating its AI and digital transformation by expanding the RELEX supply‑chain planning platform across its distribution network, with a dozen centers slated to go live next week and a full rollout expected by the end...
Doba Adds Walmart Marketplace Integration for Drop Shipping Sellers
Doba announced a verified integration with Walmart Marketplace, using OAuth 2.0 to automate product listings, inventory syncing, and order processing. The connection replaces legacy APIs, reducing manual errors and ensuring compliance with Walmart’s strict performance standards. Walmart ranks #2 among U.S....
Xandres Expands Its Secondhand Service Online
Xandres has launched its second‑hand platform, Xandres Preloved, via a dedicated website covering the Benelux region and Germany. After pilot programs in Ghent and Bruges, the brand is rolling out the service nationwide, allowing customers to buy and sell pre‑owned...
Coca-Cola Launches FIFA World Cup 2026 Campaign in Canada
Coca‑Cola has launched a nationwide FIFA World Cup 2026 campaign in Canada, featuring limited‑edition collectible cans, QR‑code contests, and Panini sticker‑tied bottles. The brand will also operate fan‑zone experiences in Toronto and Vancouver, offering product sampling, apparel customization, and social‑media‑ready installations....
Marks & Spencer Becomes ‘Exclusive Digital Wholesale Partner’ for David Gandy Wellwear
Marks & Spencer has launched David Gandy Wellwear on its Brands at M&S platform, becoming the brand’s exclusive digital wholesale partner. The partnership adds the designer’s best‑selling T‑shirts, loungewear, underwear and robes to M&S’s expanding third‑party menswear portfolio. Gandy, who...
Merchants Sound Alarm as Swipe Fees Hit $198B
Swipe fees in the United States surged to a record $198.25 billion in 2025, a 5.9% increase over 2024 and an 80% jump since the pandemic began. Credit‑card fees dominate, with Visa and Mastercard alone accounting for $118.8 billion, while total credit‑card...
How a Fortune 100 Retailer Rebuilt Its Mobile Foundation To Outpace Desktop
A Fortune 100 retailer overhauled its mobile architecture, adopting a unified deep‑linking and QR‑code framework to accelerate app installs and transaction volumes. The new foundation integrated privacy‑first measurement tools, allowing the retailer to track cross‑channel performance without compromising user data....
Family Dollar to Open Smaller-Format Stores in Urban Locations
Family Dollar, now a private company after a venture‑capital buyout, announced plans to roll out an extra‑small box (XSB) store format aimed at dense urban markets. The retailer, which operates 7,250 locations, reported fiscal 2025 revenue of $13 billion and a...
FonQ Is Struggling: Payment Deferral and Online Store Shut Down
Dutch online home‑furnishings retailer fonQ is facing collapse after its holding company filed for a stay of payments. An administrator will now assess options to keep the business afloat. The company, which also owns brand Naduvi, saw CEO Itai Gross...
New Whole Foods Market in Los Gatos, Calif., To Open April 15
Whole Foods Market will open a new 43,130‑square‑foot store in Los Gatos, California on April 15, 2026, relocating from its 30‑year‑old location. The space is nearly double the size of the former store and adds a coffee‑and‑juice bar, expanded seating,...
Nikon’s Experiential Pop-Up at SXSW Targets Experienced Photographers and Creators
Nikon is running a week‑long experiential pop‑up beside SXSW in Austin from March 12‑19, offering free photo walks, studio sessions, light programming and panels. The brand targets about 2,000 experienced photographers and creators, hoping 60% will post on social media....
Why Delivery Reliability Now Matters More Than Speed
Retailers have spent a decade chasing Amazon‑style speed, but a Locus survey shows only 9% of shoppers believe promises are consistently met. Missed windows and silent delays erode trust, with 92% of customers abandoning a brand after just a few...
Global Signs Nectar Deal to Boost Digital Audio Activity
Global Media has struck a data partnership with Sainsbury’s Nectar360, merging first‑party shopper information with its own listener data on the DAX digital audio platform. The integration lets advertisers target UK audio audiences using anonymised purchase insights and directly measure...
Ikea Expands Its Secondhand Marketplace to Belgium
Ikea will launch its digital secondhand marketplace in Belgium on April 29, extending the service to six European countries. The free platform lets Ikea Family members scan items, receive auto‑generated pricing, photos and details, and sell for cash or a 15%...
A Lot Of A Little Is Still Not Enough
Bain’s 2026 analysis shows insurgent FMCG brands, representing less than 2% of the market, contributed 36% of the sector’s 2% aggregate growth in 2025. However, half of that growth stems from household and population increases, not genuine brand‑driven expansion. Established...
AI Tools Enter Retail Platforms as Canadian Adoption Grows
Canadian small‑business owners are moving from AI experimentation to everyday use, according to a 2026 Square survey showing 60 % of respondents already employ AI tools and 74 % are familiar with them. Commerce platforms such as Square, Shopify and Lightspeed are...
Kohl’s Stores Closing Update: CEO Reveals What Happens Next After Dozens of Locations Shuttered Last Year
Kohl’s announced the closure of 27 underperforming stores and its San Bernardino e‑commerce fulfillment center in early 2025, completing the shutdown by April. The closures spanned 15 states and followed a slump in comparable store sales during 2024. In November, Michael...
AI Is Changing How Shoppers Find Products – with Signs Pointing to Brands Creating AI-First Marketing Strategies
The Criteo 2026 Commerce & AI Trend Report shows AI is reshaping product discovery, with 47% of shoppers using it for comparison and 39% for finding new items, yet only 8% rely on AI to finalize purchases. Consumers crave “relevant...
How Delivery Platforms Are Becoming the New Digital Shelves for Brands
Food‑delivery aggregators such as Talabat, Deliveroo and Careem have turned into digital shelves for restaurants across the UAE and wider Middle East. Visibility on these apps—driven by algorithmic rankings, menu presentation and promotions—now determines a brand’s ability to attract orders,...