News•Feb 25, 2026
Payoneer Applies for Bank Charter
Payoneer has filed an application with the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency for a U.S. national trust bank charter, to be branded as PAYO Digital Bank. The charter would let the firm issue, send and receive stablecoins, provide custody and reserve management, and convert digital assets to fiat, but it would not permit taking deposits or lending. Payoneer cites the move as a critical step in embedding stablecoin capabilities into its payments ecosystem for roughly two million SMB users. The filing follows a wave of OCC charter requests from crypto‑focused firms.
By Payments Dive
News•Feb 25, 2026
USPS Tests Picture Proof of Delivery Capability
The U.S. Postal Service is field‑testing a new camera feature on its Mobile Delivery Device app that captures photos of delivered packages. The pilot runs in Phoenix, New York City, Dallas and Fargo, but images are not yet available to customers....
By Supply Chain Dive
News•Feb 25, 2026
Food Lion Feeds Turns Oranges Into Meals Through Orange Bag Campaign
Food Lion Feeds has launched its Orange Bag campaign, running Feb 25–Mar 17, 2026, inviting shoppers to buy specially marked navel orange bags that translate into meals for Feeding America and local food banks. Since its 2019 debut, the initiative has generated more...
By Mass Market Retailers
News•Feb 25, 2026
How the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act Impacts Retail
The Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA) now forces U.S. retailers to prove that imported goods are free of forced labor, shifting the evidentiary burden to importers. Within its first year of enforcement, Customs and Border Protection detained more than...
By Total Retail
News•Feb 25, 2026
The Multimillion Dollar Mistake: Why the Technology Business Case Isn’t a Strategy
Retail and e‑commerce leaders are repeatedly overspending on warehouse and fulfillment platforms because they mistake a technology business case for a supply‑chain strategy. Vendor‑supplied ROI models promise payback in 12‑18 months but ignore data quality, process complexity, and organizational readiness....
By Total Retail
News•Feb 25, 2026
TV Media Buyers Want Outcomes – So Nielsen Is Introducing More Advanced Audiences
Nielsen announced the addition of more than 200 advanced audience segments to its Nielsen ONE cross‑platform dashboard, drawing on Scarborough’s extensive U.S. consumer surveys. The new segments span demographics, purchase behavior and lifestyle categories, and are intended to improve TV...
By AdExchanger
News•Feb 25, 2026
Reading Your Data Tea Leaves: What Your Metrics Are Really Trying to Tell You
Retailers are pouring millions into data pipelines, yet most use the insights merely to streamline operations—faster email sends, quicker inventory moves, and real‑time dashboards. The article argues that this productivity focus creates generic experiences that annoy customers. By shifting from...
By Retail TouchPoints
News•Feb 25, 2026
AMC Is Closing More Theaters: List of Doomed Cinema Locations Will Grow in 2026 as Meme Stock Craze Sputters
AMC Entertainment announced it will continue closing more theaters than it opens, citing a weak financial outlook. Q4 2025 revenue slipped to $1.28 billion, a 1.4% decline, while global attendance fell nearly 10% to 56.3 million. U.S. attendance dropped 7.5% and international attendance...
By Fast Company Retail
News•Feb 25, 2026
Tariff Volatility Pushes Global Supply Chains Into Regional Reset in 2026
Genpact’s supply‑chain chief warns that escalating tariff volatility is driving firms to diversify suppliers and shift toward regionalized networks by 2026. Pandemic‑era investments in control towers and risk‑monitoring tools have equipped shippers to react quickly without external advisory projects. Companies...
By FreightWaves
News•Feb 25, 2026
Why Social Media Demands a Strategic Rethink
Social media has moved from a peripheral branding tool to the core of product discovery, trust building, and direct sales. Brands like American Eagle demonstrated the impact, gaining 790,000 new customers in six weeks and boosting denim sales 34%. The...
By Retail Gazette
News•Feb 25, 2026
Elizabeth Arden Taps Leighton Meester to Front First Perfume Launch in Eight Years
Elizabeth Arden has introduced its first perfume in eight years, unveiling Eternal Aura with actress Leighton Meester as the campaign face. The floral‑amber fragrance, co‑created by perfumers Natasha Côté‑Mouzannar and Anne Flipo, launches at $69 alongside a $47 body balm. The global rollout...
By Cosmetics Business
News•Feb 25, 2026
Inside Beiersdorf’s Strategic Bet on Longevity Amid Beauty’s ‘Paradigm Shift’
Beiersdorf, the German owner of Eucerin and Nivea, is betting on longevity by commercialising an epigenetic breakthrough called Epicelline. After 15 years of research and screening over 50,000 ingredients, the company claims Epicelline can reactivate youth‑related genes, effectively turning back...
By Cosmetics Business
News•Feb 25, 2026
Maki & Ramen Noodles Its Way Into The O2 for First London Opening
Maki & Ramen opened its first London restaurant inside The O2’s Entertainment District, occupying a 1,991‑sq‑ft space with 70 covers. The menu features Tonkotsu ramen and premium sushi, reflecting the brand’s expansion plan launched in 2015. The opening coincides with...
By A1 Retail Magazine (UK)
News•Feb 25, 2026
Luxury Falls, Resale Rises as UK Consumers Tighten Spending Into 2026
Cardlytics analysis of 23 million UK bank accounts shows that Christmas 2023 reinforced value‑led spending rather than loosening budgets. Luxury and designer fashion baskets shrank 12% year‑on‑year, while discounter grocery spend rose 3% and fast‑fashion fell 10%. Resale marketplaces such as...
By ChannelX (formerly Tamebay)
News•Feb 25, 2026
Exclusive: Dermatica Breaks Into Hair and Scalp Care
Dermatica, known for personalized skin‑care, has launched a clinician‑prescribed hair‑loss treatment service targeting women. The offering includes a daily scalp serum, a monthly treatment plan, and an online dermatologist consultation after users submit photos and questionnaire responses. Customers receive regular...
By Cosmetics Business
News•Feb 25, 2026
How Retailers Can Stay Ahead in a Shifting Market
Retail is rapidly evolving from pure shopping to experience‑driven community hubs, where visitors seek places that reflect their values and daily lives. Ingka Centres leverages its global reach and local insight to design mixed‑use destinations, exemplified by the upcoming Lykli...
By A1 Retail Magazine (UK)
News•Feb 25, 2026
Roblox Outstrips TikTok as Fastest Growing Commerce Channel for Gen Z
Roblox has become the fastest‑growing commerce channel for Gen Z, posting a 54% year‑on‑year rise in order volume, far outpacing TikTok’s 10% increase. Gen Z shoppers placed an average of 20 purchases on Roblox in the past year, while TikTok...
By ChannelX (formerly Tamebay)
News•Feb 25, 2026
Rebuilding Retail in 2026: Why CDO Retail Exchange Arrives at a Critical Turning Point
The CDO Retail Exchange 2026 brochure has launched as UK and EMEA retailers move from experimental pilots to commercially‑driven data and AI initiatives. After two years of proof‑of‑concept projects, retailers are demanding measurable ROI on pricing, replenishment, personalization and loyalty programs....
By The Retail Bulletin (UK)
News•Feb 25, 2026
Euphoria MUA Donni Davy on Half Magic’s Rise to the Top and Cracking the UK Market
Donni Davy, the lead makeup artist for HBO's Euphoria, is expanding her maximalist brand Half Magic into the UK through a Sephora boutique launch. The line, co‑founded with A24 after the show's looks went viral, will ride the momentum of season...
By Cosmetics Business
News•Feb 25, 2026
Screenverse Leaders Share Insight on DOOH Buying Strategy
Screenverse executives David Weinfeld and Montana Accavallo discussed premium buyer expectations on the CX Innovators podcast, highlighting how data‑driven demands are reshaping digital‑out‑of‑home (DOOH) buying. They explained that integration of supply‑side and demand‑side platforms is crucial for securing repeat, high‑value...
By Retail Customer Experience
News•Feb 25, 2026
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...
By Retail Times (UK)
News•Feb 25, 2026
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...
By The Retail Bulletin (UK)
News•Feb 25, 2026
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...
By Retail Times (UK)
News•Feb 25, 2026
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...
By Just Style
News•Feb 25, 2026
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...
By Just Style
News•Feb 25, 2026
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...
By Just Style
News•Feb 25, 2026
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...
By AI-TechPark
News•Feb 25, 2026
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...
By Just Style
News•Feb 25, 2026
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...
By Retail Detail (EU)
News•Feb 25, 2026
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...
By InternetRetailing
News•Feb 25, 2026
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...
By Retail Detail (EU)
News•Feb 25, 2026
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...
By SalesTech Star
News•Feb 25, 2026
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...
By The Retail Bulletin (UK)
News•Feb 25, 2026
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...
By The Retail Bulletin (UK)
News•Feb 25, 2026
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...
By Luxury Daily
News•Feb 25, 2026
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...
By ETRetail (India)
News•Feb 25, 2026
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...
By The Retail Bulletin (UK)
News•Feb 25, 2026
‘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...
By Sydney Morning Herald – Business
News•Feb 25, 2026
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...
By ETRetail (India)
News•Feb 25, 2026
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...
By Airport World
News•Feb 25, 2026
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...
By Multichannel Merchant
News•Feb 25, 2026
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...
By Glossy
News•Feb 25, 2026
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...
By Fast Casual
News•Feb 25, 2026
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...
By Modern Retail
News•Feb 25, 2026
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...
By Inside Retail Asia
News•Feb 25, 2026
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...
By ETRetail (India)
News•Feb 25, 2026
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...
By Inside Retail Asia
News•Feb 25, 2026
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...
By ETRetail (India)
News•Feb 25, 2026
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...
By Inside Retail Australia
News•Feb 25, 2026
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...
By Hardware Retailing