PMI Builds Commerce Engine to Glean Customer Insights
Philip Morris International (PMI) has launched an omnichannel commerce engine in South Africa to reach informal‑market retailers that account for up to 75% of counterfeit tobacco sales. The solution uses USSD short‑codes on feature phones, multi‑language support, and low‑cost scooter deliveries to enable tiny orders and collect real‑time purchase data. By turning these small stores into data sources, PMI can better forecast demand, prevent stockouts, and promote smoke‑free alternatives. The platform is now being piloted in other African markets with a market‑agnostic design.
Yu Foods’ Revenue Doubles To ₹75 Cr In FY26: Cofounder Bharat Bhalla
Yu Foods, a D2C instant‑meal brand, saw operating revenue surge 114% to ₹75 crore (≈$9 million) in FY26, up from ₹35 crore the year before. The company’s net loss widened marginally to ₹8 crore (≈$1 million), while EBITDA margin improved to –4%. About 40% of...
Dunkin’ Donuts to Exit India as Jubilant FoodWorks Ends 15-Year Franchise Deal
Jubilant FoodWorks announced it will not renew its franchise agreement with Dunkin' Donuts, planning to wind down all Indian Dunkin' outlets by Dec 31 2026. The decision follows a FY24‑25 performance of roughly $4.4 million revenue against a $2.3 million loss, stark against its...
High Energy Prices Are Driving Shoppers to Discount Stores
Shoppers in the Netherlands and Germany are rapidly shifting to discount supermarkets as energy prices surge following the war in Iran. Foot‑traffic data from Accurat for weeks six to thirteen of 2026 shows a marked increase in visits to low‑price...
Chinese New Year: In 2026, Luxury Brands Put Spectacle Centre Stage
Luxury houses dramatically elevated their Chinese New Year 2026 activations, turning festive symbolism into immersive, culturally resonant experiences. Brands such as Céline, Loewe, Valentino and Miu Miu staged multi‑city installations that blended traditional rituals with contemporary storytelling and technology. The campaigns...
Colruyt Brings Nutrition and Health Together on a Single Site
Colruyt Group launched its first integrated group site in Oostkamp, West Flanders, combining a Colruyt supermarket, Jims fitness club, a Colruyt Group Academy, and a Collect&Go pickup point under one roof. The supermarket opened in February, the gym followed in...
Amazon Discloses 3.5% Fuel & Logistics-Related Surcharge
Amazon announced a 3.5% fuel and logistics surcharge on its marketplace orders, aimed at offsetting rising diesel and transportation expenses. The fee will be applied automatically at checkout and affects both direct‑to‑consumer sales and third‑party sellers. The move follows a...
Belgian Shopping Center Is Embracing ‘Livestream Commerce’ on TikTok
Waasland Shopping in Saint‑Nicolas, Belgium, has launched a monthly livestream commerce series on TikTok, featuring influencer Jaël Ost and guest creators. The inaugural broadcast on April 2 attracted roughly 12,500 live viewers and generated an equal number of likes, while shoppers...
The Body Shop Marks 50 Years Globally, 20 Years in India; Eyes 20%+ Growth
The Body Shop celebrated its 50th global anniversary and 20th year in India, announcing a goal of more than 20% revenue growth this fiscal year and a plan to double its Indian business within four to five years. The retailer...
The New Power Broker in Consumer Decisions Is AI
Artificial intelligence assistants are moving from occasional utilities to routine, general‑purpose tools that answer consumer questions and make recommendations. This shift replaces search engines as the default interface for everyday decision‑making, allowing AI to synthesize answers rather than list sources....
Why Gen Z Uses BNPL and Installments Differently
Consumers are no longer choosing payment methods out of habit; they select tools that fit a specific financial objective at checkout. A PYMNTS Intelligence study shows that in January 2026, 31% of shoppers used credit‑card installment plans while only 12%...
JW Anderson Opens Permanent Space on Luxury Womenswear Floor in London's Selfridges
JW Anderson has secured a permanent boutique on Selfridges' luxury women’s floor in London, moving beyond recent pop‑up experiments. The space showcases a curated mix of ready‑to‑wear, accessories, and heritage‑inspired pieces, emphasizing UK craftsmanship and Japanese denim. The launch follows...
Homebase Taps Henry Agg to Front Garden Centre Push in The Range Stores
Homebase has appointed garden designer Henry Agg as its first ambassador for the Garden Centres by Homebase, now operating inside more than 200 The Range superstores across the UK. Agg will host a monthly “Plant of the Month” in‑store series beginning...
NYC's Rùadh Opens at Harvey Nichols
Rùadh, the premium denim label founded by former Calvin Klein director Jac Cameron, opened its first UK boutique inside Harvey Nichols in New York City. The brand, launched online in Britain in spring 2025, leverages Cameron’s Scottish heritage and American denim expertise to offer...
Boots Opticians Unveils New Premium Store in London’s West End
Boots Opticians opened a new premium store on Wigmore Street after a seven‑week refurbishment, showcasing more than 40 designer frame collections, including exclusive Cartier and Chopard pieces. The flagship incorporates cutting‑edge clinical technology such as optomap eye scans, dry‑eye relief...
COVID-19 Impact on Shopping: Lasting Trends in Ecommerce & Payments
The pandemic reshaped U.S. shopping, cementing e‑commerce’s share at 16.6% of retail and driving a boom in online grocery sales projected to hit $250 billion by 2025. Contactless payment usage exploded, with roughly two‑thirds of consumers adopting the technology and 74%...
How Samsung Ads And Crumbl Got Their CTV Campaign To Perform Like Social
Samsung Ads partnered with Crumbl for a seven‑week CTV acquisition push in Q4, delivering over 16,000 app installs and five‑figure revenue while achieving a 23% conversion rate that outperformed the brand’s social campaigns. The integration with AppsFlyer gave Crumbl transparent,...
Exclusive: Can Skims’ Marketing Whiz Make Columbia Sportswear Cool?
Columbia Sportswear announced the appointment of Skims’ former chief marketing officer to spearhead a brand revamp aimed at younger, fashion‑forward consumers. The new executive will shift Columbia’s messaging from pure performance gear to a lifestyle‑centric narrative, leveraging influencer collaborations and...
Macy’s Reset: Bloomingdale’s Momentum, Beauty Bets and the New Department Store Model
Macy’s posted $7.6 billion in Q4 revenue and $21.8 billion for FY 2025, beating forecasts. Growth was largely driven by Bloomingdale’s, which has posted consecutive quarters of gains and captured market share as rivals Saks and Neiman Marcus navigate bankruptcy. The retailer is reshaping...
Fulfilling the Late Jean-Louis Dumas’ Dream, Hermès Unveils First Stand-Alone Store in Beijing
Hermès opened its first stand‑alone store in Beijing’s Taikoo Li Sanlitun, fulfilling a promise made by the late Jean‑Louis Dumas. The five‑story flagship, nicknamed the “bird cage,” houses 16 product categories and features a glass façade wrapped in rose‑pink and terracotta tiles....
Irish Airport Retailer Takes Over JFK T4 Stores From LVMH-Owned DFS
Irish travel retailer Aer Rianta International, together with International Shoppes, has secured the duty‑free and specialty retail concessions at JFK’s Terminal 4, replacing LVMH‑owned DFS as of April 1. The award is part of the airport’s $1.5 billion “North Star” redevelopment, which aims...
The Straight Dope on Seafood
Retailers targeting seafood shoppers must leverage eye‑catching displays and clear messaging to capture a demographic with higher household incomes and a willingness to spend on premium protein. Highlighting wellness benefits, affordability, easy‑prep recipes, and the relevance of seafood in GLP‑1...
How DeFacto Increased Experimentation 4x & Unlocked Data-Driven Growth
DeFacto partnered with Papersource to deploy Amplitude, consolidating web, mobile, and campaign data onto a single analytics platform. The unified system cut reporting cycles from weeks to days and boosted monthly experimentation by four times. Self‑service dashboards now let product,...
Ferrero Rocher to Host Immersive Pop-Up in Toronto
Ferrero Rocher is launching its chocolate squares in Canada with a national campaign that includes an immersive pop‑up at The Grand Bridge in Toronto’s The Well from April 10‑12. The brand previously conducted a sampling activation at the Union subway station kiosk...
WeWearAustralian Expands Into Physical Retail With SoHo Store
WeWearAustralian, an Australian fashion incubator, is opening its first permanent U.S. brick‑and‑mortar location in SoHo, Manhattan, a 5,000‑square‑foot space at 69 Mercer Street. The store will rotate up to 35 Australian fashion, art and home‑goods brands on a consignment basis,...
AWG Launches Wellwerks, Nüwerks Private Brand Wellness Program
Associated Wholesale Grocers (AWG) has introduced two exclusive private‑brand wellness lines—Wellwerks and Nüwerks—across its network of over 1,100 member retailers and 3,500 stores in 33 states. Wellwerks offers functional foods such as popcorn, granola and bars with protein, gut‑health and...
Brands Keep Treating Gen Z Like Younger Millennials, And It's Costing Them
Gen Z shoppers are leading a resale‑first mindset, with 64% turning to secondhand before buying new and 82% checking resale value first. Brands that continue to market to them as younger millennials miss the shift toward transparency, community‑driven discovery, and...
Domestic Sourcing Shapes Buying Decisions, HIRI Study Finds
A new Home Improvement Research Institute (HIRI) report finds that one in three U.S. homeowners consider a product’s American origin when buying home‑improvement materials, tools, and supplies. The "Made in America" label matters most for higher‑consideration items where quality, durability,...
Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and Jfkiat, Operator of Jfk International Airport’s Terminal 4, Select Jfk T4...
The Port Authority and JFKIAT have selected JFK T4 Retail Partners LLC, a joint venture of global travel retailer ARI, Queens‑based International Shoppes, and five New York small businesses, to redesign and operate the duty‑free and specialty retail concessions in...
Shaq-A-Licious SLAMS Brings Big Flavor to Final Four Weekend
Shaquille O'Neal and The Hershey Company have launched Shaq‑A‑Licious SLAMS, a new gummy candy that serves as the official gummy partner for the NCAA Final Four. The snack features crunchy‑coated watermelon, strawberry and orange gummies paired with a sour mango...
The Small Retailer’s Guide to Construction: 5 Steps to Your First Store Renovation
Retailers are pivoting from aggressive expansion to footprint optimization, earmarking roughly $7.6 billion for store expansions and refurbishments in 2025. The guide outlines five steps for small retailers to execute a first‑store renovation, from strategic planning and zoning compliance to selecting...
Dollar General Unveils New Home Collection by Singer-Songwriter and Entrepreneur Holly Williams
Dollar General is rolling out an exclusive home‑goods line called *xo Holly by Holly Williams* across roughly 20,000 stores in 48 states. The collection, inspired by the singer‑songwriter’s Southern roots, spans décor, kitchen, bedding and housewares. More than 50 items are...
Is Target’s New Strategy Already Working?
Target’s 2026 turnaround strategy is already showing measurable results, with weekly store visits rising 6.6% to 10.3% year‑over‑year according to location‑analytics firm Placer.ai. Traffic during the March Circle Days promotion outperformed comparable spring events in 2024 and 2025, indicating heightened...
UNFI Names First Chief Digital Services Officer
United Natural Foods, Inc. (UNFI) has appointed Alexis (Lex) Josephs as its inaugural chief digital services officer. The newly created role will oversee the expansion of UNFI’s digital services platform for both customers and suppliers. Josephs arrives with a track...
How American Independent Bookstores Made a Massive Comeback
American independent bookstores, once thought doomed by Amazon’s low‑price dominance, have staged a notable resurgence. Since 2020, sales at indie shops have risen roughly 20%, driven by community‑centric programming and curated inventory. Store owners have embraced hybrid models, offering online...
The Brands Behind 10 Popular Great Value Products At Walmart
Walmart’s Great Value private‑label line is largely produced by well‑known food manufacturers such as Land O'Lakes, Perdue, Tyson, Bimbo Bakeries, Krusteaz, Conagra, Wells Dairy, Fisher, Hefty and JBS Foods. The relationships are typically undisclosed, surfacing only through recalls, employee testimonies,...
How Decathlon Plans to Reach One Billion Customers by 2030s
French sports retailer Decathlon posted strong financial results in 2025, with gross merchandise volume reaching €20.7 bn (about $22.6 bn) and net revenue climbing 4% to €16.8 bn ($18.3 bn). Operating profit surged 21% to €1.8 bn ($2.0 bn) and net profit rose 16% to €910 m...
McCoy’s Building Supply Hops Into Spring with Family-Friendly Event
McCoy’s Building Supply celebrated the arrival of spring with a nationwide Easter‑themed "Hop To It" event on April 2, 2026. Families were invited to store locations to decorate 1‑gallon buckets using stickers and markers, while each site added photo backdrops,...
FikaGO Debuts in SoHo, Blending Pet Stroller with Modern Lifestyle Design
FikaGO, the Taiwan‑born pet mobility brand, opened its first New York pop‑up inside Flying Solo in SoHo on April 2, 2026. The store showcases the auto‑folding Free To Go 2 stroller and other eco‑friendly products, marking the brand’s transition from an...
DoorDash, Family Dollar Expand SNAP Payments for Online Grocery Orders
DoorDash and Family Dollar announced that SNAP recipients can now use EBT cards to pay for eligible groceries and household items through the DoorDash app at participating Family Dollar stores. The service is live in 48 states and Washington, D.C.,...
Fabletics to Open Its Biggest Retail Space in Europe
Fabletics will launch its largest European retail footprint—a 160 sqm shop‑in‑shop—inside Berlin’s iconic KaDeWe department store this spring. The space, located on KaDeWe’s newly redesigned fourth floor, will showcase the brand’s full range of women’s and men’s activewear, from high‑performance pieces...
Private-Label Sales Reach $330B, but Growth Expected to Slow
Private-label sales in the United States topped $330 billion, capturing roughly 24% of total retail value. Club stores accounted for almost half of that growth as shoppers chase lower‑cost alternatives. Retailers are layering sustainability, wellness and premium positioning onto store brands,...
Gopuff Introduces New Private-Label Line
Gopuff unveiled Crave Shoppe, a new private‑label brand focused on baked goods and snack‑size treats, featuring unconventional flavors such as Dill Pickle Cotton Candy and S’mores Marshmallow‑Filled Donuts. The lineup includes frozen desserts, doughs, confections, donuts, and bakery items, tapping a...
Tote Deploys AI Employee Agent With Loop Neighborhood Markets
Tote AI’s Genie employee agent has been rolled out across Loop Neighborhood Markets’ 50‑plus California stores, delivering instant answers to associate queries on customer service, POS operations, maintenance and payments. The deployment recorded 100% first‑contact resolution with zero escalations, operating...
Where Should Retail Media Networks Make Their Pitch for Ad Dollars?
Retail media is transitioning from a lower‑funnel, conversion‑only model to a full‑funnel, brand‑building channel, prompting networks to showcase broader capabilities. Major players such as Albertsons Media Collective and Walmart‑Vizio used this year’s IAB NewFronts to demonstrate scale, data assets, and...
Grocers Focus on Steep Discounts for Easter
Major U.S. grocers are rolling out aggressive Easter promotions, with Amazon, Kroger, Sam’s Club and Walmart‑owned stores offering deep discounts on ham, lamb, eggs and prepared meals. Amazon’s Whole Foods Prime members can get up to 30% off bone‑in spiral‑cut...
Home Depot Sees Worrisome Shift in Consumer Behavior
Home Depot reported FY 2025 net sales of $164.7 billion, a 3.2% increase year‑over‑year, confirming its position as the world’s largest home‑improvement retailer. While big‑ticket transactions above $1,000 rose 1.3%, appliance sales slipped to 8.5% of total revenue, down from 8.8% in...
Max Mara-Owned Marella to Open London Store
Italian label Marella, owned by Max Mara Fashion Group, opened its first United Kingdom boutique at 8 Marylebone High Street, a 1,410 sq ft flagship featuring the brand’s complete womenswear, footwear and accessories range. The store incorporates digital touchpoints and a minimalist lighting...
Almay Taps Miranda Kerr as Face of Brand Relaunch
Almay, a Revlon‑owned makeup brand, has appointed Australian model Miranda Kerr as its global brand ambassador to spearhead a brand relaunch. The new campaign, titled “Clean Makeup That Thinks It’s Skincare,” emphasizes a skin‑first philosophy and will be supported by...
Four New Stores Set to Open for Jumbo Belgium
Jumbo Belgium is set to open four new supermarkets, with locations confirmed in Lokeren, Ingelmunster, Sint‑Pieters‑Leeuw, and a forthcoming store in Mortsel. The Ingelmunster outlet will feature 1,650 m² of floor space, while the Sint‑Pieters‑Leeuw store occupies a 4,000 m² former Makro...