BMW Digital Founder Urges Brands to Trade Moments for Commitments
NeAndre Broussard, chief executive of BMW Digital and founder of the Black Menswear movement, told ADWEEK’s Social Media Week that brands should abandon fleeting viral moments in favor of lasting community commitments. Drawing on six years of building a culturally resonant Black‑men’s fashion brand, he highlighted BMW Digital’s reach—nearly one million followers and more than 40 activations across three continents. Broussard outlined four principles—listen, partner with trusted platforms, invest beyond campaign cycles, and amplify community voices—to turn consumers into heroes. He cited net‑sentiment scores in the high 90 % range as proof that the approach drives genuine engagement.
Rent the Runway Turns to Marketplace, Other Sideline Businesses to Stoke Revenue
Rent the Runway is diversifying beyond rentals by offering dry‑cleaning services to hotels, expanding its advertising arm, and launching an online marketplace in March. Revenue rose 7.7% year‑over‑year to about $330 million, while gross margin slipped, yet the company posted a...
Tariffs, War Impact Fastenal Growth in Q1
Fastenal reported fiscal Q1 sales growth, driven primarily by an expanding digital footprint that outpaced overall revenue. The company highlighted macro‑level headwinds, including higher oil prices, carrier surcharges, and tariff uncertainty linked to the U.S.–Israel conflict with Iran. These pressures...
KATSEYE Continue Gap Partnership With Personalized Hoodies For Complex
KATSEYE and Gap have launched a second limited‑edition collection, six “KAT” hoodies each designed by a different group member, dropping exclusively on Complex on April 14. The pieces reinterpret Gap’s classic VintageSoft Arch Logo hoodie with cultural motifs, flags, and...
GIANT Announces Plans for New Ephrata Store
The GIANT Company announced plans for a new 39,000‑square‑foot grocery store in Ephrata, Pennsylvania, located at the intersection of W. Main Street/Route 322 and Hackman Road. The outlet will be the second GIANT location in the borough and part of a...
Photoroom Intelligence Launches Globally
Photoroom, an AI‑powered imaging platform that processes over seven billion photos a year, has launched Photoroom Intelligence, a global insights and research service that sets performance benchmarks for AI‑driven visual commerce. The new platform highlights a shift from experimental AI use...
Rosé in Focus: Maison Mirabeau Collabs with Hong Kong Deli Chain
Maison Mirabeau has teamed with Hong Kong’s leading grocer and restaurant group Feather & Bone to roll out a multi‑channel activation of its Provence rosé portfolio. The partnership spans brick‑and‑mortar stores, online platforms, and on‑trade dining venues, featuring large‑format bottles, bespoke...
Costco Reveals Shift in Shopper Spending Behavior
Costco’s Q2 results show a robust expansion of its membership base, with executive memberships reaching 40.4 million—a 9.5% year‑over‑year rise—and total paid members climbing 4.8% to 82.1 million. Despite a $5‑$10 hike in membership fees last September, renewal rates remain strong, holding...
Ralph Lauren’s Grip Loosens on Tennis
The Australian Open swaps its long‑standing title sponsor Ralph Lauren for Hugo Boss, marking a strategic shift toward luxury‑sport branding. Tory Burch seeks a $346 million loan to repurchase General Atlantic’s stake, reflecting a broader trend of luxury retailers using debt to regain control....
Rising Delivery Expectations Increase Pressure on Online Fulfilment and Parcel Services
New research from UK parcel carrier Whistl shows that damaged or missing items and missed deliveries remain the most common consumer complaints in e‑commerce. The study also finds that inadequate customer support turns logistical hiccups into reputational damage, especially for...
The Challenges Facing Toast in the Drive-Through Lane
Toast Inc., known for its tabletop POS, announced the launch of Toast Drive‑Thru, a dedicated solution for the roughly 140,000 U.S. drive‑through restaurants. The offering builds on the 2023 Delphi acquisition, a $10 million display system, and incorporates an AI assistant...
Big Difference in E.U., U.S. Return Rules
The European Union enforces a statutory 14‑day right of withdrawal for online purchases, obligating merchants to process refunds within that window and reimburse original delivery costs. In contrast, the United States lacks a federal return law, allowing retailers to craft...
Amazon Expands Grocery Delivery Partnership with Winn-Dixie in Florida
Amazon and Winn‑Dixie have broadened their grocery‑delivery partnership to cover most of Florida, adding same‑day service in nine major metro areas and surrounding neighborhoods. Customers can now order from more than 15,000 Winn‑Dixie items via Amazon.com or the app. The...
Choosing a Last Mile Partner? Start With Their Failure Plan
Last‑mile carriers are increasingly judged on how they recover from disruptions, not just on on‑time delivery rates. Brands should probe partners about early‑issue detection, escalation protocols, and transparent communication during storms, demand spikes, or tracking lapses. Resilience hinges on a...
Steve Smyth, Taco John’s
Steve Smyth, with more than two decades at Taco John’s, has overseen operations, training, and now leads the Restaurant Technology division. Over the past 13 years he launched mobile ordering and delivery, migrated the chain to a cloud‑based POS, and...
In-N-Out’s Owner Says the Chain Will Never Offer Online Ordering. Here’s Why.
In‑N‑Out’s owner Lynsi Snyder‑Ellingson reaffirmed the chain’s refusal to adopt online ordering, emphasizing that real‑time customer interaction and ingredient freshness are core to the brand. She explained that digital platforms would erode the personal experience that defines the company’s culture....
Instacart Acquires Instaleap to Expand Its Enterprise Platform Internationally
Instacart announced the acquisition of Colombia‑based grocery‑tech firm Instaleap, a move aimed at extending its enterprise platform beyond North America. Instaleap, founded in 2019, provides a fulfillment‑solutions platform used by retailers in roughly 30 countries across Latin America, Europe and...
Save A Lot Debuts La Tierra De Sabores Hispanic Private Label Brand
Save A Lot is relaunching its Hispanic private‑label line as La Tierra de Sabores, merging the former Tio Santi and Caracara brands into a single offering. The refreshed assortment keeps core items such as tortillas, seasonings and cheese while adding...
Yet Another Chinese E-Commerce Platform Heading West: RedNote Launches Redshop
Chinese social‑commerce giant Xiaohongshu, known as RedNote, is set to roll out Redshop, a cross‑border e‑commerce platform, in June. The initial launch will feature a curated group of sellers focused on artisanal and handmade goods. Redshop will debut in eight...
Brands Briefing: 40-Year-Old Travelpro Invests in Video, Creators to Compete with Béis, Away and Other Digitally-Native Players
Travelpro, the 40‑year‑old luggage maker famed among airline crews, is revamping its marketing to attract Gen Z and millennial travelers. The brand is pouring resources into short‑form video, creator collaborations, and educational content, launching a "Made to Move" campaign across TikTok,...
Walmart Marks First Triple-A Game Integration with EA Sports FC 26 Campaign | Exclusive
Walmart is debuting its first brand integration inside a triple‑A video game by partnering with EA Sports FC 26. The retailer’s campaign, launched on April 16, centers on a two‑week “Full Throttle” in‑game challenge that awards Ultimate Team packs and other virtual...
Successful E-Commerce Pricing Strategies for Retailers
E‑commerce retailers are moving from intuition‑based pricing to data‑driven, real‑time strategies as cost‑of‑living pressures make shoppers more research‑oriented. Capterra reports 49% of consumers now research purchases and 60% compare prices, forcing retailers to adopt dynamic, value‑based and loyalty‑focused models. AI‑enabled...
Pet Honesty Expands Retail Presence at Walmart Stores
Pet Honesty announced a nationwide expansion of its products into Walmart stores, raising its total U.S. retail footprint to almost 13,000 locations. The brand will feature a permanent in‑store display that highlights its clean‑label, science‑backed supplements for dogs and cats....
9 Mistakes To Avoid In The Grocery Self-Checkout
Self‑checkout kiosks now appear in over 96% of U.S. grocery stores, offering speed and labor savings. However, shoppers frequently make mistakes—such as buying alcohol, scanning too fast, overloading the lane, mis‑labeling produce, or neglecting bag sensors—that cause delays and require...
Candy Now Tastes Different. It’s Not Just You.
Brad Reese, grandson of Reese’s creator, accused Hershey of altering the classic Peanut Butter Cups recipe, alleging swaps of real milk chocolate for compound coatings and peanut butter for a creme. Hershey responded that core Reese’s products remain unchanged, but...
Toast Launches Integrated Drive-Thru Platform for Quick-Service Restaurant Chains
Toast introduced Toast Drive‑Thru, an integrated platform that unifies point‑of‑sale, digital menu boards, kitchen display and AI voice‑ordering for quick‑service restaurants. Targeting over 140,000 U.S. drive‑thru lanes, the solution streamlines order capture and reduces hardware fragmentation. Early adopters report faster...
Flavor Sheriffs Wanted: Carl’s Jr. To Trade Free Sandwiches for Photos of Bland Food
Carl’s Jr. is rolling out a limited‑time promotion from April 14 through April 30, rewarding customers with a free Western Bacon Chicken Sandwich for uploading a receipt or photo of a bland competitor chicken sandwich via its mobile app. The new sandwich boasts...
Citykart Opens 22 Stores in 40 Days as Value Retail Competition Intensifies
Citykart accelerated its footprint in India by opening 22 new stores in just 40 days, investing roughly ₹1.5 crore (about $180,000) per outlet. The rollout concentrates on northern and central states, adding ten stores in Bihar and expanding into Tier‑2, Tier‑3...
Apparel Drives 25% of Retail Leasing in Top 7 Cities
Apparel drove roughly one‑quarter of the 4.3 million sq.ft. retail space absorption across India’s seven largest cities in the second half of 2025, according to ANAROCK’s RELEAP 2026 report. Chennai posted the highest city‑level share at 34.1%, followed by Mumbai (30.5%) and Pune...
Dollar General, QSIC Partner To Expand Chain's In-Store Audio Network
Dollar General has teamed up with QSIC to roll out an AI‑driven in‑store audio network across roughly 6,000 stores, doubling its reach to 12,000 locations by the second quarter of 2026. The QSIC platform will generate curated music playlists and...
TikTok Shop Dropshipping Guide for Brands in 2026
TikTok Shop is solidifying its role as a primary social‑commerce hub, and the new 2026 dropshipping guide equips brands to capitalize on its creator‑driven traffic. The guide walks marketers through seller‑center setup, third‑party logistics integration, and TikTok’s in‑app checkout, enabling...
How Rest, FLC Marketing Re-Framed Sleep in a Heat-Driven Market
Rest introduced its Evercool by Rest bedding line in the UAE, positioning cooling as a core sleep requirement rather than a luxury feature. The campaign, orchestrated by FLC Marketing, used a three‑phase "Cool Sleep System" to move consumers from awareness...
GoWit & Numatec Forge Retail Media Partnership in Spain and Italy
GoWit announced a strategic partnership with Numatec to roll out its AI‑driven retail‑media platform across Spain and Italy, leveraging Numatec’s local martech network. The deal targets the fast‑growing European retail‑media market, projected to reach €31 bn (≈$33 bn) by 2028, with Spain...
7-Eleven Is Closing Hundreds of Stores: List of Doomed Retail Locations Grows in 2026 as Chain Seeks to Reduce Costs
Japan’s Seven & i Holdings announced it will close 645 7‑Eleven stores in North America during fiscal 2026, while still opening 205 new locations, resulting in a net loss of 440 stores. The closures represent about 5% of its 12,272‑store...
Walmart Begins Accepting CareCredit Cards for Health and Wellness Purchases
Walmart and Synchrony announced that CareCredit cards will now be accepted for a broader range of health and wellness products both online and in all U.S. Walmart and Sam’s Club stores. The expanded list includes medical supplies, fitness equipment, sleep...
7-Eleven Is Closing 645 Stores — The Five-Year Decline Most Customers Don't See
7‑Eleven’s parent, Seven & i Holdings, announced it will shutter 645 North American stores by the end of fiscal year 2026, extending a five‑year pattern of net closures. The company plans to convert some sites into wholesale fuel locations and...
Google, DressX And The New Fashion AI Virtual Try-On Stack
Google’s AI Mode shopping experience now lets shoppers in the U.S., UK and India upload a photo and virtually try on billions of garment listings, proving that large‑scale virtual try‑on can work in real time. DressX, a fashion‑focused AI specialist,...
Opinion: How Label Ingredients Have Become Table Stakes for Emerging Brands
Emerging beauty brands are increasingly centering their positioning on clean labels, natural ingredients, cruelty‑free testing and transparent, clinically backed efficacy claims. The natural personal‑care segment now represents roughly 7.5% of the global market but has surged at a 9.2% CAGR...
Beauty Brands Are Failing Millennials. This Is How They Can Turn It Around in 2026
Beauty brands are missing the mark with millennials, the United States’ biggest beauty spenders, who average $2,670 per year. While marketers chase Gen Z trends and older‑age lines, millennials feel overlooked despite outspending Gen Z and boomers. Campaigns that rely on “millennial...
Koch Mezcal Lands in Hungary
Koch Mezcal, the Oaxacan premium agave spirit, launched in Hungary on April 10 through the Jan‑ker/Mr Alkohol platform. The entry follows previous rollouts in Sweden, Romania and the Baltics, marking a strategic foothold in Central Europe. Brand Venture brokered the...
U.S. Small Business Sales Hold Steady in March as Consumers Spend More Per Visit
U.S. small‑business sales were essentially flat in March, posting a negligible 0.1% month‑over‑month increase and no year‑over‑year growth, according to the National Retail Federation. At the same time, the average transaction value rose about 3% to roughly $58 per visit,...
Patrick Starrr’s One/Size Names First Brand Ambassadors for ‘New Era of Artistry’
Cosmetics brand One/Size by Patrick Starrr has appointed its first brand ambassadors as it expands globally. Influencer‑makeup artist Spencer Hedges, with over five million followers, joins as Global Brand Ambassador, while veteran celebrity artist Shanell Sorrells becomes the brand’s Educator...
JCPenney’s ‘Inside Lane’ Campaign Spotlights Women in Basketball
JCPenney unveiled the "Inside Lane" campaign, featuring five elite collegiate and professional women’s basketball athletes to align the retailer with the surge in women’s sports popularity. The initiative showcases diversity in geography, ethnicity, and body size while dressing the players...
London Label Poster Girl Launches Capsule Collection with OnlyFans
London fashion label Poster Girl has teamed with subscription platform OnlyFans for a limited‑edition capsule collection. The line features a £450 ($560) peacock‑blue latex short that sold out quickly, plus a £670 ($840) corset and dress, $31 thongs and a...
How Agentic Ecosystems Are Redefining the Consumer Experience
Agentic AI—multiple AI agents collaborating across a retailer’s systems—is poised to reshape both back‑office operations and the shopper journey. The MACH Alliance 2026 Enterprise Technology Report shows 99% of firms with composable architectures achieve measurable AI outcomes, and 75% of...
Huck’s Market Deploys Tote POS Platform
Huck's Market, a 135‑store Midwest convenience‑store chain, has begun rolling out Tote’s AI‑native point‑of‑sale platform, starting with a pilot in Carmi, Illinois. The system, designed specifically for fuel and convenience retail, promises faster transactions, an intuitive interface, and clearer visibility...
Could a Hellenistic Poet and Philologist Crack the Challenge of E-Commerce for High-End Retail Brands? Brunello Cucinelli Reckons to Have...
Italian luxury label Brunello Cucinelli has unveiled Callimachus, an AI‑powered e‑commerce platform designed to replicate the personalized service of its brick‑and‑mortar stores. Developed by the Solomei AI research centre, the site uses custom AI agents to interpret shopper intent and...
Temu Strengthens Intellectual Property Protection with IACC Membership
Temu announced its entry as a General Member of the International AntiCounterfeiting Coalition (IACC), aligning with more than 250 companies across 40 countries. The move expands Temu’s already robust intellectual‑property (IP) protection program, which includes a proactive monitoring database of...
Jollyes Seeks Out 160 New Store Locations with Huge Expansion Plans
Jollyes Pets announced a five‑year rollout of more than 160 new stores across Great Britain, adding to its existing 120‑store network. The retailer is targeting 3,000‑7,000 sq ft sites on retail parks or prominent roadside locations, with a particular focus on Birmingham,...
Retailers Stuck in Rebuild Loop as 31% Cling to Custom Integrations
A new Patchworks Retail Integration Report shows 31% of UK retailers still depend on custom‑built integrations, while only 13% have moved to Integration Platform as a Service (iPaaS) solutions. Financial pressure is evident, with 60% reporting losses from poor integration...