Pinterest CPG Promotions Outperform Benchmark ROIs
Pinterest released research, commissioned by the platform and executed by Circana, that examined 17 matched market tests of Pin ads for consumer packaged goods (CPG) brands across multiple regions. The study found that 82% of campaigns generated positive incremental ROI and 76% delivered an ROI of 1.5× or higher. EMEA‑based campaigns outperformed the social‑media benchmark by 17%, underscoring Pinterest’s strength as a visual‑search platform that reaches shoppers during the decision phase. While the sample size is modest, the data suggests Pinterest can be a valuable channel for CPG marketers seeking measurable sales lift.
Amidst Economic Uncertainty, Small Businesses Are Investing in Marketing
Small businesses are bucking recession‑era caution by expanding, not cutting, marketing spend. In Constant Contact’s 2026 Small Business Now survey, 68% of owners say they will increase their marketing budgets and 74% will devote more time to promotion. The majority...
Retail’s War on Self-Checkout Misses Where Theft Actually Happens
Retail chains are rapidly scaling back self‑checkout lanes amid shrink concerns, but data shows roughly 80 percent of shoplifting happens before the register. The article argues that checkout‑focused security adds friction without cutting loss, and recommends store‑wide computer‑vision analytics to catch...
Produce Shoppers Experience Wanderlust
The FMI "Power of Produce 2026" report reveals fresh‑produce dollars are moving from grocery aisles to mass‑merchandise supercenters, club stores and online channels. Grocery‑channel share fell from 50 % in 2021 to 43.9 % in 2025, while mass‑merchandise stores rose to 24.8 %...
Coinbase Opens Services Marketplace for Agentic Commerce
Coinbase has launched Agentic.Market, a services marketplace that lets developers and AI agents discover, compare, and integrate tools for autonomous commerce using the x402 protocol. The platform spans categories such as inference, data, media, search, social, infrastructure and trading, and...
A Social Media Solution for Sparking Produce Sales
Social media is emerging as a powerful driver of produce sales, especially among Gen Z and millennial shoppers who spend over two hours daily on platforms. TikTok, YouTube and Instagram dominate meal‑inspiration sources for these younger consumers. Influencer‑led campaigns, such...
Red Lobster’s Endless Shrimp Is Back—With a Few Strings Attached
Red Lobster is reintroducing its iconic Endless Shrimp promotion for the first time since its 2024 bankruptcy, but with new restrictions. The chain will limit orders to two plates per table per visit and roll out the offer at select...
Target Announces May Store Openings
Target will open six new stores in May, adding to a goal of 30 locations for 2024. The openings span Arizona, North Carolina, Missouri and New Jersey, with five stores larger than the chain’s 125,000‑sq‑ft average. They are part of...
From the Archive: Boo.com
Boo.com launched in 1999 with a suite of cutting‑edge features—virtual‑reality advisors, multi‑currency checkout, seven‑language sites, and rotating 3D models—backed by $120 million in funding and a $500 million valuation. The site went live on 4 November 1999 but crashed under the strain of...
Kroger Dives Into What’s Driving Online Shopping Ahead of Deal Days
Kroger is launching its Online Deal Days promotion from April 22 to May 5, offering $30 off first pickup or delivery orders over $75 and unlimited free delivery on orders above $50. The event adds digital coupons with 25% discounts on...
Inside Bed Bath & Beyond’s Grand Vision For An ‘Everything Home’ Ecosystem
Bed Bath & Beyond is on an aggressive acquisition spree, buying eight brands this year to build an “Everything Home” ecosystem. The company secured the Container Store, Closet Works and Sweden’s Elfa for $150 million, added crypto‑finance platform Tokens.com, and agreed...
How Luxury Brands Are Quietly Leaning Into Artificial Intelligence
Luxury brands are quietly integrating artificial intelligence across operations, customer experience, and creative design. The AI market serving luxury is forecast to rise from $1.2 billion in 2024 to $5.6 billion by 2034, growing over 16% annually, with 45% of brands already...
As Agentic AI Usage Skyrockets, Retailers Face New Challenges and Risks
Retailers are witnessing a surge in agentic AI‑driven traffic, projected to rise 4,700% by 2025, prompting the rollout of autonomous shopping agents that can locate, purchase, and deliver items on behalf of users. This shift separates the human intent point...
Wayvia Launches Shoppable Next Generation
Wayvia unveiled Shoppable Next Generation, an AI‑powered shoppable media platform that links every marketing touchpoint—display ads, social posts, email—to a real‑time purchase path. The solution surfaces live pricing and inventory from both physical and online retailers, and feeds confirmed sales...
How Advertisers Are Thinking About Meta’s Affiliate Tool Rollout
Meta unveiled a suite of creator‑focused affiliate and checkout tools at Shoptalk, extending shoppable Reels on Instagram and product‑tagging on Facebook. The affiliate program, backed by partners such as Amazon, eBay, Temu, Shopee and Mercado Libre, lets creators earn commissions...
The Iran War Will Change How Consumers Spend
Forrester analyst Dipanjan Chatterjee links the emerging Iran war to shifts in U.S. consumer behavior, drawing parallels with World War II consumer surveys. He argues that soaring energy prices will depress confidence and push spending toward essentials. The analysis forecasts heightened...
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Starbucks and Dutch Bros Take Different Paths to Growth – Placer.ai Blog
Starbucks’ "Back to Starbucks" turnaround is delivering a 4.9%‑5.9% lift in traffic over the last two quarters, signaling early momentum for the legacy coffee chain. Dutch Bros is generating double‑digit same‑store visit growth—12.3% to 17.9% YoY—through aggressive footprint expansion and a...
Amazon’s Summer Beauty Event Returns April 27
Amazon is reviving its Summer Beauty Event for a fourth consecutive year, running from April 27 through May 10. The two‑week promotion arrives ahead of Mother’s Day and the peak summer shopping window, positioning the retailer to capture heightened demand for skincare,...
Lululemon Pushes Into Mexico With Stores, E-Commerce
Lululemon is rolling out a dedicated Mexican e‑commerce site, lululemon.mx, while simultaneously planning a rapid store rollout. The company aims to open eight new locations this fiscal year, bringing its Mexican footprint to more than 30 stores by year‑end. The...
Australia Post Offers eBay Sellers In-Store Printing of Shipping Labels
Australia Post and eBay have launched a "Print in Store" service that lets Australian eBay sellers generate a QR code to print shipping labels at participating post offices at no extra cost. The feature removes the need for a home...
Consumers Are Taking a New Purchase Journey on Social
SMW 2026 research reveals that 82% of traditional search queries are fact‑seeking, while social search taps community advice to shape purchase decisions. The study highlights a "critical gap" where brands focus on factual answers but miss the emotional and comparative dialogue...
Target to Open 6 New Stores in May
Target announced six new store openings slated for May, adding locations in Arizona, Missouri, New Jersey and two in North Carolina. Five of the sites exceed the chain’s average 125,000‑sq ft footprint, with two approaching 150,000 sq ft. The roll‑out supports Target’s broader...
How Amazon’s Artist Merch Operation Is Changing the Game for Fans
Amazon has turned concert merchandise into a frictionless, home‑delivery experience by pairing QR‑code ordering with its Just Walk Out technology. The service debuted with Doja Cat in 2023 and now powers pop‑up stores for Mariah Carey, LE SSERAFIM and Drake, letting fans grab...
This Major North London Shopping and Dining Hub Is Getting Three New Retailers
Coal Drops Yard, the flagship shopping and dining precinct in King’s Cross, is adding three new tenants this spring. Global lifestyle retailer Anthropologie will open its 21st UK store in a 2,852‑sq‑ft unit on May 6. Outdoor apparel brand Outsiders Store...
AGNE Deploys GoSpotCheck to Noost Shelf Visibility
Associated Grocers of New England (AGNE) is rolling out Form’s GoSpotCheck mobile platform across its network of more than 630 independent supermarkets in the Northeast. The tool captures real‑time shelf data during field visits, feeding instant analytics on planogram compliance,...
Lidl to Open Its First Ever Pub, as Private Label Readies to Shake up Alcohol
Lidl is constructing its first‑ever pub in County Down, Northern Ireland, an 84 sqm venue that will serve 60 patrons and sell the retailer’s private‑label wines, beers, spirits and off‑trade alcohol. The project circumvents the region’s strict licensing rules after a High...
Kroger’s Fueling Empire Grows as Competitors Threaten
Kroger now runs 1,731 fuel centers, eclipsing major convenience‑store chains such as Wawa and QuikTrip. The network, built since 1998, is tied to Kroger’s loyalty program, offering fuel discounts that encourage grocery spend. Recent promotions saw the company quadruple fuel...
How Prime And A Smarter Alexa Are Giving Amazon An AI Shopping Edge
Amazon launched Alexa+, an AI‑powered upgrade to its voice assistant, to all users in March 2025. The new assistant can handle complex conversations, place orders, manage smart‑home devices, and suggest recipes, all while leveraging Amazon’s 30‑year e‑commerce expertise. Early data show...
Is Microwave Popcorn Ready for Disruption? Opopop Thinks So
Opopop, a Colorado‑based popcorn startup founded in 2018, is moving from a direct‑to‑consumer model into mass retail with a Walmart rollout after a successful Target test. The company has reengineered its premium, flavor‑wrapped kernel kits into single‑use microwave bags that...
3 Strategies to Help CPG Marketers Drive Breakthrough Results with Less Money
C‑price‑goods (CPG) marketers are confronting tighter budgets and fragmented media while consumer attention splinters across devices. A new InMarket "Breakthrough Outcomes" report, highlighted by VP Matt Knust, distills three strategic pillars—precise timing, creative clarity, and real‑time personalization—that drove incremental ROAS up...
Fresh Fizz Organic Soda Doubles Its Retail Footprint As It Enters National Distribution With Sprouts Farmers Market
Fresh Fizz, an organic soda brand founded by Yoni and Rebecca Schwartz, has secured its first national retail account with Sprouts Farmers Market, placing its products on roughly 500 Sprouts shelves. The launch includes a range of artisanal flavors—such as...
Why Fashion Brands Are Betting Big On Q-Commerce Ads
India’s quick‑commerce (q‑commerce) market surged to roughly ₹64,000 crore ($6.9 bn) in FY25, growing at a 142% CAGR and now serving 33 million monthly users across 150+ cities. Leading platforms—Blinkit, Zepto and Swiggy Instamart—are turning advertising into a major revenue stream, with Blinkit...
New York Dispensary Brand Execs on the Nuances of Cannabis Financing
Luxury cannabis retailer The Travel Agency is expanding across Manhattan and Brooklyn, guided by a finance‑led leadership team. CEO Paul Yau, a former CFO, partnered with CFO Roy Cysner, whose background spans Warby Parker and BuzzFeed, to embed rigorous financial...
TechCreate Group Ltd. And pQCee Intend to Collaborate on One of the First Quantum-Safe QR Hybrid POS Terminal
TechCreate Group Ltd. announced a partnership with quantum‑security firm pQCee to embed NIST‑approved post‑quantum cryptography into its QR‑Hybrid point‑of‑sale terminals. The collaboration will replace vulnerable RSA and ECC algorithms with quantum‑safe encryption, aiming to thwart harvest‑now‑decrypt‑later attacks. Both companies plan...
The Home Depot Acquires Automation Firm
The Home Depot announced the acquisition of SIMPL Automation, a firm that combines advanced engineering with artificial‑intelligence to streamline distribution‑center operations. The deal, whose financial terms were not disclosed, adds AI‑driven robotics and real‑time analytics to Home Depot’s supply‑chain toolkit....
Winning Google Ads Campaign Structures For DTC Ecommerce via @Sejournal, @MenachemAni
The article stresses that Google Ads account structure is the linchpin for DTC ecommerce success because each search query is an explicit buying intent. It outlines three costly mistakes—launching every campaign type simultaneously, duplicating products across campaigns, and segmenting Performance...
Race Day Starts Before You Get to the Track: StubHub and New Era Team Up for F1’s North American Season...
StubHub and apparel brand New Era have announced a strategic partnership to sell bundled ticket and merchandise packages for Formula 1’s North American races. The collaboration will debut ahead of the 2024 season, covering the Miami Grand Prix, the United States...
Value Retailers Set to Outpace Premium as Apparel Growth Picks Up In Q4 FY ’26
Value apparel retailers are projected to post about 16% year‑on‑year revenue growth in Q4 FY ’26, outpacing premium chains. HDFC estimates V‑Mart Retail will grow 24% to Rs 9.7 bn (~$104 m) and Vishal Mega Mart 16% to Rs 29.7 bn (~$319 m), while Shoppers Stop lags at...
Tier-2 and 3 Cities Drive Next Wave Of Growth For India’s D2C Sector
India’s tier‑2 and tier‑3 cities are now the primary engine of growth for the country’s direct‑to‑consumer (D2C) market, accounting for roughly two‑thirds of new orders in FY 2025‑26. Buyers in these regions contributed about 60% of incremental gross merchandise value (GMV)...
South London’s New Ikea Will Be the First of Its Kind in the World – and It Opens This Week
Ikea’s Croydon store is launching a 1,188 m² Decathlon shop‑in‑shop, marking the first global partnership of its kind. The French sports retailer will offer more than 5,000 items ranging from tennis gear to mountaineering equipment, complete with its own entrance and...
Hear Direct From Leading Broadcasters and Streamers at the CTV Summit 2026
RetailX will host the CTV Summit 2026 on May 14 in London, limiting attendance to 200 senior marketers and broadcasters. The agenda features keynotes from Netflix, Channel 4, Sky Media, ITV and a case study by Back Market, alongside a discussion of...
NIQ Brandbank and Prodx Unite to Advance Retail Personalization
NielsenIQ announced a strategic collaboration between its Brandbank product‑content service and Prodx, a provider of enriched, structured data. The partnership creates a unified, real‑time data foundation that lets U.S. retailers activate high‑quality product information across search, discovery and retail media...
Nearly Half of UK Shoppers Experience Payment Failures at Checkout, Research Finds
Nearly half of UK shoppers—46%—reported a payment failure at checkout in the past year, according to Transaction Network Services (TNS). The study links most breakdowns to fragmented network connectivity rather than the payment software itself, especially in POS systems, kiosks...
Lush Head of Retail on Its Experiential Retail Plans for 2026
Lush’s UK&I head of retail, Kasey Swithenbank, outlined a slate of experiential initiatives slated for 2026, including fragrance readings, on‑site skincare services and a new events‑booking feature in the Lush app. The retailer is deepening its omnichannel capabilities with click‑and‑collect,...
FatFace’s Stores Director on How Its Styling Service Allows It to Connect with Customers
FatFace has launched a complimentary in‑store personal styling service called Face to Face, initially trialled in six UK stores. The offering includes booked or walk‑in appointments with themed sessions such as "All About The Basics" and "Wardrobe Transformation." At the...
Henkel Bloo Taps Into Retail Media With WPP Media Partnership
Henkel has teamed with WPP Media to launch a retailer‑led, full‑funnel commerce strategy for its Bloo toilet‑cleaning brand. The initiative deploys a connected retail media system that leverages shopper data and closed‑loop measurement to deliver consistent messaging from brand exposure...
Brands Falling Short on Emotional Drivers
A new Phaedon research report reveals that U.S. consumer brands are overestimating loyalty, as customers note a persistent gap between valued emotional drivers and brand delivery. While companies score well on reliability, data security and program clarity, they fall short...
Global Brands See Revival in China as Retail Nationalism Cools
Chinese investors are adopting a more measured playbook for acquiring Western fashion houses, favoring minority stakes and slower expansion after previous over‑ambitious attempts. Domestic challengers such as Anta and Urban Revivo are pushing into markets traditionally dominated by Nike and...
Lemonade Dolls Founder Lemon Fuller Breaks Down Its Earth Day Campaign
Lemonade Dolls, a slow‑fashion lingerie label, launched a seven‑day Earth Day "Transparency Passport" campaign that pulls back the curtain on its supply chain. Each day spotlights a different pillar—from factory workers and recycled fibres to solar‑powered production, waste‑reduction packaging, and...
Hookflash Hits the Bullseye with Darts’ Giant Digital Brief
Nodor Group, the maker of Winmau and Red Dragon darts, has hired digital agency Hookflash to overhaul its e‑commerce platform and drive direct‑to‑consumer (D2C) growth. The agency will apply a data‑driven conversion‑rate‑optimization (CRO) and experimentation framework to increase website value....