M&S Joins Atlassian Williams F1 Team as Official Travel Kit Partner
Marks & Spencer (M&S) has signed a multi‑year agreement to become the Official Travel Kit Partner for the Atlassian Williams Formula 1 Team, outfitting drivers, engineers and staff with performance‑focused travel apparel. The partnership will see M&S supply wrinkle‑resistant, moisture‑wicking, four‑way stretch and water‑repellent garments across 24 races in 21 countries. M&S aims to leverage the global reach of Formula 1 to boost its brand profile beyond its core markets, especially as its Autograph menswear line has quadrupled in value over three years. Joint activations, including events at Silverstone, will highlight the collaboration throughout the season.
The Rise of Contactless Payments in Retail Post-Pandemic
Contactless payment adoption has accelerated in retail since the pandemic, driven by consumer demand for safety and speed. NFC cards and mobile wallets are now standard, prompting retailers to upgrade POS terminals and train staff. These investments have cut cash‑handling...
Whole Foods Market Is Transforming Flagship Store Windows Into a Month-Long Tribute to over 100 Female Founders, in Partnership with...
Whole Foods Market is converting the High Street Kensington flagship windows into a month‑long showcase of more than 100 female‑founded food and wellness brands, in partnership with Buy Women Built. The visual takeover runs from 25 February to 24 March and extends...
Authentic Brands, IAC Partner to Expand Dockers Across Americas
Authentic Brands Group and IAC have signed an agreement to expand Dockers apparel across Central America, the Andean region, Ecuador, and select Caribbean markets. IAC will manage manufacturing and distribution for men’s and women’s lifestyle apparel and accessories. The partnership...
Texas AG Sues Shein over Toxic Newborn Garments and Data Risks
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton filed a second lawsuit in three months against Shein US Services, accusing the fast‑fashion giant of selling newborn garments containing hazardous chemicals and mishandling minors' personal data. The complaint seeks an injunction, consumer restitution, and...
NShift Pushes for Integrated Returns Ahead of New EU Regulations
nShift warns EU and UK retailers that the upcoming Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR), effective July 2026, will ban the destruction of returned clothing, footwear and accessories. The firm recommends integrating returns with logistics, warehousing and backend systems to...
SoundHound AI Launches Sales Assist Agent at MWC 2026
SoundHound AI unveiled Sales Assist, a voice‑powered AI agent for retail, at Mobile World Congress 2026 in Barcelona. The agent uses the company’s Polaris speech‑recognition and a multi‑agent orchestration platform to deliver real‑time product recommendations, upgrade eligibility checks, and compliance...
Indonesia Weighs State-Led Revamp to Rescue Ailing Textile Sector
Indonesia is preparing a state‑backed overhaul of its textile and clothing industry, aiming to tighten integration across the supply chain. The sector, which employs roughly 3.75 million workers, has faced slowing growth, rising imports and eroding competitiveness over several years. Policymakers...
Ahold Delhaize in Figures: Key Figures From the Annual Report
Ahold Delhaize’s 2025 annual report shows total sales of €92.4 billion, up 5.9% on a comparable basis. Online sales grew 13.3% to €10.3 billion, marking the first time e‑commerce was profitable on a fully allocated basis. The retailer served 77 million customers weekly across...
Retail Media Measurement: Absence of Evidence Is NOT Evidence of Absence
Retail media measurement is often portrayed as broken, yet the same sampling‑based, attention‑agnostic methods underpin TV, radio and outdoor metrics. Industry bodies such as IAB Europe and the MRC have already issued standardized frameworks that enable closed‑loop attribution and incrementality...
Zalando Rolls Out Second-Hand Children’s Clothing
Zalando is extending its second‑hand platform to include children’s clothing, launching the service in fourteen European countries including Scandinavia and Ireland. Parents can purchase pre‑owned items and trade in worn pieces for vouchers toward future buys. The move is positioned...
SoundHound AI Launches Sales Assist Agent, Bringing Real-Time Agentic AI to the Retail Sales Floor
SoundHound AI unveiled Sales Assist, a voice‑powered, real‑time AI agent for retail floors, debuting at Mobile World Congress 2026. The solution leverages the company’s Polaris speech‑recognition and multi‑agent orchestration to deliver instant upgrade, bundle and compliance recommendations to in‑store staff...
Victorian Plumbing Announces Change of Leadership as Founder CEO Prepares to Step Down
Victorian Plumbing announced that founder‑CEO Mark Radcliffe will step down and move to a non‑executive director role, with group managing director Stephnie Judge taking over as chief executive on 1 April 2026. Judge, who joined the company in 2013, is credited...
Clarks Managing Director of EMEA Exits the Business
Olivier Motteau, Clarks' managing director for Europe, the Middle East and Africa, announced his departure after nearly four years at the helm. He joined the historic footwear brand in February 2022, bringing senior experience from New Balance, Tommy Hilfiger, Timberland...
Luxury Unfiltered: The AI Reckoning Will Separate True Luxury Brands From Imitators
A viral Citrini Research report envisions AI‑driven white‑collar job loss, wealth concentration and a 38% S&P 500 decline. The analysis warns that luxury brands that rely only on heritage and price will falter as the aspirational middle disappears. The next generation...
ETGIRS 2026: Manish Malhotra Maps the Journey From Costume Designer to Global Luxury Brand Builder
At ETRetail GIRS 2026, designer Manish Malhotra outlined his 20‑year evolution from Bollywood costume artist to global luxury label. He highlighted the discipline learned on film sets, the pivotal Delhi flagship opening, and the need for a distinct, cinema‑inspired brand...
Zadig & Voltaire Appoints Dan Sablon as Creative Director
Zadig & Voltaire has named Dan Sablon as its new creative director. Sablon, formerly fashion director at Lui, culture director‑at‑large for Vogue France, and former womenswear designer for Marc Jacobs, also collaborated on Carhartt and Fenty × Puma projects. Founder Thierry Gillier...
‘The Right Types of Promotions’: Woolies Lures Customers Back with Lower Prices
Woolworths has halted a multi‑year sales slump by slashing prices and expanding weekly specials, driving a 3.4% revenue increase to $37.1 billion in the first half of FY 2026. The retailer added over 350 items to its Lower Shelf Price range, now...
ETRetail GIRS2026: Is Gastro-Entertainment Retail’s Next Big Growth Engine
Eatopia is pioneering gastro‑entertainment retail by pairing high‑quality Indian cuisine with curated music experiences, notably collaborating with singer Shankar Mahadevan. The chain standardizes recipes and operational SOPs to deliver identical flavors from India to the UAE, achieving a repeat‑customer rate...
Predictability Is Boring!
David Cooke of BDM argues that airport retail remains stagnant, relying on long‑term leases and static shopfronts despite high foot traffic. He proposes pop‑up stores as a fast, low‑risk solution that can be deployed within days, delivering higher brand visibility...
From Avoiding Bad Ads To Demanding ROI
Integral Ad Science (IAS) is shifting from merely blocking bad ads to proving that media quality drives measurable ROI for brands. CEO Lisa Utzschneider says advertisers now demand evidence that premium placements improve efficiency, prompting IAS to deploy AI models...
Can Solid Perfume Be the Next Body Mist?
Solid perfume is emerging as a fast‑growing fragrance format, with Sol de Janeiro’s new Jelly Perfume balms leading the latest wave. The alcohol‑free sticks prioritize a skin‑felt, intimate scent rather than room‑filling projection, echoing a broader consumer desire for subtlety...
How IKEA Got Closer to Its Shoppers with New Small-Format Stores, Best Buy Partnership
IKEA U.S. announced four new stores in Chicago, Tulsa, Fort Collins and Los Angeles, bringing its 2026 rollout to ten locations, including its first city‑center store in LA and first Oklahoma outlet. The retailer posted $5.3 billion in total sales for fiscal 2025, with...
Make Every Location Your Best Location: Drive More Revenue From Your Underperforming Stores
Fast Casual’s new white paper, sponsored by Momos Guest AI, reveals that multi‑location restaurant and retail brands can reclaim up to $28 million annually by revitalizing their lowest‑performing stores. The report highlights that 96 % of unhappy guests never complain, and that...
K11 Musea Posts Record Golden Week Traffic, Luxury Sales Jump
HK's K11 Musea posted its strongest Golden Week results since opening, with foot traffic up 10% year‑on‑year. Tourist spending surged 60%, highlighted by a single HK$2 million transaction, while luxury sales rose 40% and watches‑jewellery jumped 140%. The mall’s festive programming...
VCs Hit Jackpot as FMCG Giants Go on D2C Acquisition Spree
Venture capital firms such as Fireside Ventures, Eight Roads Ventures and Peak XV have secured multi‑bagger exits by selling stakes in Indian D2C brands to FMCG conglomerates. USV Pharma’s Rs 1,583 crore purchase of Wellbeing Nutrition, Hindustan Unilever’s Rs 824 crore acquisition of Oziva and its...
Ramenya Shima to Open First Overseas Outpost in Hong Kong
Ramenya Shima, a Tokyo‑based ramen specialist, will open its first overseas restaurant in Hong Kong’s Causeway Bay next month. The 1,200 sq ft venue at Sugar+ will seat 24 guests and replicate the warm wood interior of its Shibuya flagship. The menu...
Young India Shifts to Solitaires as Prices Decline 30%
Diamond prices in India dropped about 30% year‑on‑year, prompting a 25‑35% surge in solitaire demand among 28‑40‑year‑olds. A 1‑carat engagement ring now sells for roughly ₹5‑5.5 lakh, down from ₹7‑8 lakh, making diamonds a cheaper alternative to gold‑heavy jewellery. First‑time purchasers in...
McDonald’s Australia Trials Global Beverage Platform for McCafé
McDonald’s Australia began a trial on February 25 of ten handcrafted beverages across more than 500 restaurants in Victoria and Queensland. The rollout marks the second market to test the company’s new global beverage platform, extending McCafé beyond coffee to include...
Ace Looks to Regain Its Convenience Crown Amidst Evolving Customer Expectations
Ace Hardware’s Spring 2026 Convention in Louisville gathered over 12,000 attendees, including a record 4,566 retailers, to address a slipping convenience reputation. CEO John Venhuizen outlined a five‑point plan to reclaim the “convenience crown,” focusing on expanding store proximity, reducing...
Thai Beauty Retailer Konvy Opens First Store in Philippines
Thai beauty retailer Konvy launched its first brick‑and‑mortar flagship in the Philippines, occupying a prime spot at Robinsons Galleria in Pasig City. Founded in 2012 as an e‑commerce platform in Thailand, Konvy has been adding physical stores to complement its...
Why Asia Is H&M’s Testing Ground for a New Model of Physical Retail
H&M has opened a concept store in Seoul’s Seongsu district, turning the space into an experiential retail lab. The three‑level venue showcases curated, locally‑relevant assortments and cultural programming rather than traditional fast‑fashion layouts. By blending fashion with art, community areas...
Profits Fall at Accent Group Despite Resurgent Store Network
Accent Group’s net profit after tax plunged 40.5% in the first half of FY2024 despite a 5.7% revenue rise to $810.5 million. Like‑for‑like retail sales grew modestly 0.9% while wholesale jumped 9.4%, but higher operating costs and lease negotiations eroded earnings....
What Does Ssense’s Rescue Deal Mean for Its Future?
Ssense, the Montreal‑based luxury e‑commerce platform valued at $4 billion in 2021, filed for bankruptcy in August 2025 after US tariff hikes and operational missteps eroded its margins. In February 2026 the Atallah brothers secured court approval to purchase the company’s...
Bad Daddy’s Announces Monthly Drop of Limited-Time Menu Items
Bad Daddy’s Burger Bar is launching Big Bad’s Monthly Drops, a rotating lineup of limited‑time burgers beginning in March. The inaugural offering, the French Onion Smash Burger, combines a smashed beef patty with caramelized onions, Swiss and provolone, onion straws,...
Steven Madden Ltd (SHOO) Q4 2025 Earnings Call Transcript
Steven Madden reported mixed Q3 2025 results, with consolidated revenue rising 6.9% to $667.9 million thanks largely to the Kurt Geiger acquisition, while core wholesale revenue fell 10.7% amid steep China‑U.S. tariffs. Direct‑to‑consumer sales exploded 76.6% year‑over‑year, offsetting margin pressure as gross margin...
Arko Corp. (ARKO) Q4 2025 Earnings Call Transcript
Arko Corp reported Q3 2025 adjusted EBITDA of $75.2 million, down year‑over‑year but above the midpoint of its guidance, while net income rose to $13.5 million. The company highlighted progress on its dealerization program, converting 350 stores and targeting over...
Urban Outfitters Inc (URBN) Q4 2026 Earnings Call Transcript
Urban Outfitters reported a record third‑quarter revenue of $1.5 billion, up 12% year‑over‑year, and net income of $116 million, a 13% increase. All five brands posted positive comparable sales, with the Urban brand delivering a 13% global comp and Anthropologie achieving its...
Once Beloved Chicken Chain on Life Support After Closing More than 1,000 Restaurants
Boston Market, once a thriving rotisserie chicken chain with over 1,200 locations in the 1990s, has dwindled to fewer than 20 restaurants by early 2024. The decline accelerated after aggressive cost‑cutting eroded food quality and coincided with grocery retailers offering...
What’s Behind Shein’s $1.4B China Bet
Shein announced a 10 billion‑yuan ($1.4 billion) investment to build a smart supply‑chain system in Guangdong, China. The plan includes digital factory tools, a shared innovation center, and tighter integration of design, production, and logistics to keep its two‑to‑three‑week turnaround. By anchoring...
South Coast Plaza Names Tenley Zinke Executive Director of Marketing
South Coast Plaza has appointed Tenley Zinke as executive director of marketing, succeeding Debra Gunn Downing, who retires after 27 years. Zinke brings senior marketing experience from luxury brands such as Kering, LVMH, Tiffany & Co., Net‑a‑Porter, and Ralph Lauren....
Furniture.com Launches AI-Powered Discovery Platform
Furniture.com unveiled an AI‑powered discovery platform at eTail Palm Springs, shifting its site from a simple marketplace aggregator to a category‑level decision infrastructure. The new system uses conversational search, standardized specifications, and a single‑cart, multi‑retailer checkout to let shoppers compare...
Fresh Step’s Valentine’s Day Campaign Bolsters Its Brand Refresh – and Cat Adoptions
Fresh Step partnered with Bumble and Best Friends Animal Society for a Valentine’s Day "Date Cats, Not Humans" campaign, encouraging single users to swipe for adoptable cats. The initiative covered adoption fees and offered free litter throughout February, resulting in...
Half of U.S. Shoppers Worried About Artificial Ingredients in Food, Acosta Group Finds
Acosta Group’s 2025 shopper study reveals that half of U.S. consumers are concerned about artificial ingredients in food, while 58% read product labels regularly and 87% of health‑focused shoppers do so. The research, based on 1,083 respondents, shows 35% consider...
Dillard’s Holds Steady at the Holidays
Dillard’s reported flat Q4 performance, with retail sales slipping 1% to $1.9 billion and net income falling 5% to $203.7 million. Gross margin held steady at 36.1% while online traffic surged 19% year‑over‑year, offsetting flat in‑store visits. The retailer highlighted a modest...
Xometry Begins a Transition to a New CEO
Xometry announced that President Sanjeev Singh Sahni will assume the chief executive role on July 1, succeeding co‑founder Randy Altschuler, who will become executive chair. Sahni, a former Wayfair executive, has overseen global operations, product development, and technology since his...
Most Health-Focused Shoppers Read Labels Before They Buy: Report
Acosta Group’s new U.S. shopper survey shows label reading is becoming a routine part of purchase decisions, with 58 % of all respondents and 87 % of health‑focused shoppers checking ingredient lists before buying. The study highlights a flexible buying approach—two‑thirds of...
Home Depot Beats Q4 Expectations Even as Housing Market Remains Challenged
Home Depot reported fourth‑quarter sales of $38.2 billion, a 3.8% year‑over‑year decline, yet the results beat analyst expectations. Net income slipped 14.2% to $2.6 billion and operating income fell 14.4%, reflecting pressure from a sluggish housing market. Full‑year sales rose 3.2% to...
National Retail Solutions (NRS) Named Official POS Provider for Krauszer’s Food Stores as Legendary Chain Targets Nationwide Expansion
National Retail Solutions (NRS) has been chosen as the official point‑of‑sale provider for Krauszer’s Food Stores, a historic New Jersey convenience‑store chain with more than 300 locations. The partnership will roll out NRS’s integrated POS platform across all existing stores and...
Worldview | Asia’s Garment Factories Brace for Renewed Tariff Chaos
Asian garment factories are confronting a new wave of tariff uncertainty as the United States, European Union and regional partners reconsider duties on apparel imports. The potential reinstatement of higher tariffs threatens cost structures for manufacturers in China, while Vietnam,...