Schuh Manchester to Launch Local Creative Window Project
Schuh Manchester is launching a three‑month local creative window project at its Market Street store, beginning 23 March. In partnership with Manchester‑based Heads Creative, the permanent window will host quarterly takeovers by emerging local talent, starting with stylist Lili Donovan, artist Brandina Chisambo, and songwriter Roukaya B. The initiative is part of Schuh’s refreshed “Do More Good” purpose strategy, emphasizing culture and community for its Gen Z and Gen A customers. The brand aims to turn its storefront into a discovery space that celebrates youth creativity and community engagement.
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Costco Now Lets You Order Custom Cakes Online — Here’s How It Works
Costco has introduced a digital ordering channel for its custom cakes through the member app, ending a decades‑old paper‑form process. Shoppers can now select size, flavor, and decorations on their phones and receive an email receipt confirming the request. The...
Launch Your Own Private-Label Brand
Retailers are increasingly launching private‑label brands to capture higher margins, tighten supply‑chain control, and create exclusive product assortments. By sourcing directly from manufacturers, merchants can eliminate intermediaries, set unique specifications, and differentiate their shelves from competitors. The article outlines a...
What if the Corner Store Funded the Community? A Cleveland Business Is Exploring the Model
Cleveland’s Be at Ease Convenience Store has reopened with a “Spending With Purpose” model that earmarks a negotiated slice of every purchase for rotating local nonprofits. Partnerships shift every 90 days, currently involving Seeds of Literacy and Community of Hope,...
When Are The Best Times To Shop At Walmart?
Walmart shoppers looking to avoid crowds should target early weekday mornings, especially Tuesday mornings when shelves are fully restocked after the weekend rush. Trae Bodge advises weekend shoppers to go in the morning or evening if they must shop then,...
3 Perks You Didn't Realize Come With MyLowe's Pro Rewards Program
Lowe’s MyLowe’s Pro Rewards program offers contractors free standard shipping and same‑day delivery on eligible orders over $25, subject to weight and size limits. Members also gain upgraded purchasing tools, including volume discounts, Scan‑to‑Pay, order quoting, and Pro Business Solutions...
Charlotte Tilbury, Hermés, Dior and More Luxury Beauty Brands Get Rare 15% Discount at Nordstrom
Nordstrom’s Spring Beauty Savings Event offers a rare 15% discount on luxury brands such as Charlotte Tilbury, Hermès, Dior, and Tom Ford, with deeper cuts of 25% on Estée Lauder/Lancôme and 20% on MAC. The promotion runs through March 15 and includes free gift...
Urban Outfitters Launches Vans Shop-in-Shop
Urban Outfitters has introduced a Vans shop‑in‑shop at its Herald Square flagship, featuring custom‑built structures, live camera feeds and a curated mix of sneakers, apparel and accessories. The activation also incorporates musicians Thomas Day and Juliet Ivy, marking the first...
Heineken Doubles Down on India, Eyes 'Biggest Untapped Beer Market'
Heineken announced it will intensify its focus on India, calling the country the world’s biggest untapped beer market. The brewer, which controls United Breweries and the Kingfisher brand, already commands close to 50% of Indian beer sales. It cites structural...
New Sunbit CMO Shachar Scott Talks Fintech, Brand Trust and Marketing Leadership
Buy‑Now‑Pay‑Later platform Sunbit has hired Shachar Scott as its first chief marketing officer, bringing experience from Snap, Bumble and Meta Reality Labs. Scott sees the role as a "zero‑to‑one" opportunity to build product, brand and communications from the ground up...
Best POS System for Retail Stores in 2026
Choosing the right point‑of‑sale (POS) system is now a strategic decision for retailers, as modern platforms combine inventory, payments, reporting, and omnichannel capabilities into a single cloud‑based hub. In 2026 the market is led by Vibe, Square, Shopify, Lightspeed, and...
B2B and B2C Companies Increase AI Investment as Agentic Commerce Gains Traction
Artificial intelligence has moved from pilot projects to core infrastructure across B2B and B2C ecommerce, with 95.5% of surveyed firms reporting at least one AI capability. Companies are applying AI to both front‑end experiences—such as product discovery, chatbots and personalization—and...
Store Openings Checklist: Stockroom & Receiving Setup
Store openings often falter not because of fixtures or POS issues, but due to chaotic back‑of‑house operations. The article outlines a checklist that treats stockroom and receiving as a launch system, defining zones, ownership, and verification steps. By establishing clear...
Stitch Fix Revenue Rises as CEO Credits AI Tools in Q2
Stitch Fix reported a 9.4% rise in Q2 net revenue to $341.3 million, marking its second consecutive quarter of growth despite a 0.5% contraction in the broader U.S. apparel market. CEO Matt Baer credited enhancements to assortment, client experience, and new...
Best Buy Is Already Selling the MacBook Neo for Less than Retail - and Yes, There's a Catch
Best Buy is offering open‑box MacBook Neo laptops for $568, roughly $30 below the $599 MSRP, shortly after Apple launched the device on March 11. The Neo, an entry‑level 13‑inch notebook, runs the A18 Pro chip, 8 GB RAM and a 256 GB SSD, targeting...
Big Y Invests $130M in Home State Expansion
Regional supermarket chain Big Y announced a $130 million expansion to add six new stores in Massachusetts and two in Connecticut. The investment moves the retailer toward its goal of 100 locations by its 100th anniversary in 2036. The plan includes...
AWG Brands Adds 63 Products in Early 2026 Expansion of Private-Label Lineup
Associated Wholesale Grocers (AWG) is rolling out 63 new private‑label products in Q1 2026, expanding its AWG Brands portfolio across Best Choice, Superior Selections, Tippy Toes, TopCare and Simply Done. The additions span grocery, household and infant categories, emphasizing both...
Weis Markets Rebounds with Strong Q4 Driven by Ecommerce and Pharmacy Growth
Weis Markets posted a robust fourth quarter, with revenue climbing 5% to $1.3 billion driven by a 21% surge in ecommerce sales and higher pharmacy volumes. Comparable sales excluding fuel rose 2.5%, and full‑year revenue reached $4.96 billion, up 3.5% YoY. Despite...
Salomon Opens in Mexico First Latin American Flagship Store
Salomon, an outdoor‑apparel brand under Amer Sports, has traditionally focused on Europe and North America. The launch of Casa Salomon in Mexico City marks its first flagship in Latin America, a region where outdoor recreation and urban running are growing...
Shoppers Plan to Buy More Produce After USDA Food Pyramid Update
The USDA unveiled an updated food pyramid on Jan. 7, 2026, and Acosta’s shopper community found that 80% of consumers were aware of it within three weeks. Respondents said they plan to buy more fruits and vegetables while cutting back on...
Bombas Steps Up Its Game With Bombas Sport, Targeting Growing Athletic Market
Bombas has launched Bombas Sport, a dedicated performance sock sub‑line targeting activities such as running, skiing, and studio workouts. The new line has driven a 40% year‑over‑year increase in new customers and nearly doubled repeat purchases, pushing performance products to...
The Weekly Closeout: Amazon Notches a Win Against Perplexity, Reebok Reenters Soccer
Reebok announced a high‑profile return to performance soccer, signing striker Dušan Vlahović and unveiling its upcoming "Sidewinder" cleat. In parallel, Amazon won a preliminary injunction forcing AI search startup Perplexity to destroy data harvested from its site, highlighting growing legal...
“AI Brand or Product Recommendations Are Extremely Inconsistent”
A joint SparkToro and Gumshoe.ai study found that AI chatbots such as ChatGPT, Claude and Google AI produce wildly inconsistent brand and product recommendations. Across nearly 3,000 prompts from 600 volunteers, the generated rankings changed almost every time, with no...
Gen Z Shopping Habits: Young Consumers Still Love Brick-and-Mortar Stores
A YouGov study reveals that Gen Z remains strongly attached to brick‑and‑mortar retail, with 22 % visiting clothing stores at least monthly—twice the rate of the general population. Over half (51 %) browse in‑store to see what’s available, and 15 % convert online discoveries...
Jefferies Analyst Says Nike Wholesale Is Back on Track at Dick’s: Here’s Why
Jefferies analyst Randal Konik says Nike’s wholesale business is regaining momentum at Dick’s Sporting Goods, citing strong product‑led demand and collaborative activations. He highlights that both Dick’s and Foot Locker have completed inventory clean‑ups, removing pressure on Nike’s sell‑through. Konik notes...
Niceshops: ‘Revenue Increased 20% in 2025’
Austrian e‑commerce provider Niceshops reported a 20 percent revenue jump to €169 million in fiscal 2025, alongside an EBITDA increase to €8 million. After cutting 20 percent of its workforce in 2024, the firm now employs roughly 400 staff and serves 1.3 million active customers...
H-E-B to Build Supermarket on Former Landfill Site
H‑E‑B announced plans to construct a new supermarket on a dormant landfill in Buda, Texas, backed by more than $20 million in public incentives. The retailer will fund land remediation and roadway upgrades, while the city and county cover up to...
How Boll & Branch Spotted Scammers Attempting Generative AI Fraud
Boll & Branch, a $300 million luxury bedding retailer, narrowly avoided a return‑fraud scheme when a scammer used generative AI to submit a fabricated photo of a ripped sheet. The AI‑generated image contained a visible watermark, which the seven‑person CX team flagged...
EuroShop 2026: The Store Is Becoming Smarter, More Flexible – and Far More Experiential
EuroShop 2026 in Düsseldorf showcased a decisive shift in physical retail toward intelligent, adaptable, and experience‑focused stores. Brands are embedding AI and digital merchandising directly into fixtures, turning the shop floor into a connected ecosystem. Modular displays and reconfigurable lighting...
The Friday Checkout: Which Competitor Does Publix Watch the Closest?
Regional grocers like Publix face pressure from both low‑price discounters and high‑tech mega‑retailers. Dunnhumby’s retailer scorecard highlights Costco, WinCo, Trader Joe’s and Aldi as the most threatening competitors due to their quality‑and‑value mix. Publix’s consumer insights leader, Lorin Drake, says Costco’s...
Cornish Bakery ‘RISES’ with Significant New Brand Concept
Cornish Bakery is launching a new licensed concept called RISE, extending its brand into larger, community‑focused bakeries across the UK. The first three RISE locations—Betws‑y‑Coed, Portsmouth’s Gunwharf Quays, and Falmouth—will feature expanded floor space, extended trading hours, and a menu...
How Vessi Sells Waterproof Shoes
Vessi, a Canada‑based direct‑to‑consumer sneaker brand, leverages its patented Dyma‑tex fabric to sell waterproof yet breathable shoes. Director of ecommerce Ray Hua explains that Meta ads dominate customer acquisition, while TikTok and Reddit generate traffic with low conversion quality. The...
D2C Fashion Brand Odette Plans Kidswear Launch and 100-Store Expansion by FY ’28
Odette, a direct‑to‑consumer fashion brand founded in 2021, announced a June 2026 launch of a kidswear line and an aggressive rollout to 100 exclusive brand outlets by FY ’28. The company already operates over 35 stores across major Indian metros and is...
3 C-Stores Taking Car Washes to the Next Level
Convenience‑store operators are re‑imagining car washes as profit centers, adding subscription plans and digital loyalty ties to drive recurring revenue. Circle K’s parent runs standalone brands Clean Freak and Rainstorm, while Loop Neighborhood Market runs an app‑only subscription model that links...
Retailers Are Boarding The Airport Retail Boom
India’s airports are evolving into major fashion destinations as passenger traffic tops 350 million annually, driving a surge in non‑aeronautical revenue. Retailers such as Marks & Spencer, Levi’s and luxury houses like Hugo Boss are expanding storefronts across existing and upcoming terminals, despite rents...
Happy Belly Food Group Targets up to 50 New Restaurant Openings as Same-Store Sales Remain Strong: Sean Black Interview
Happy Belly Food Group plans to open 30‑50 new restaurants across Canada this year, building on strong same‑store sales despite industry cost pressures. The expansion will focus on four core brands—Yolks, Rosie’s, Heal and iQ Food—and target growth markets in...
Some Struggling Kona Grill Locations to Be Rebranded
The One Group will rebrand five underperforming Kona Grill locations to its sister concepts Benihana or STK, part of a broader portfolio optimization after consecutive years of double‑digit same‑store sales declines. Conversions are slated to cost between $1 million and $1.5 million...
Christy Continues Retail Expansion with New Clarks Village Store
Christy, the 175‑year‑old British towelling and linen brand, will launch its third premium outlet in Clarks Village, Somerset, this April. The 1,059‑sq‑ft store will showcase the brand’s core collections with 30‑50% outlet pricing and a launch‑day gift‑with‑purchase offer. Under CEO...
Wells Fargo Upgrades This Discount Retail Chain on Store Growth and Value-Shopping Tailwinds
Wells Fargo upgraded discount retailer Ollie’s Bargain Outlet (OLLI) to overweight and raised its price target to $130, about 24% above the current share price. The upgrade follows a fourth‑quarter report that showed earnings in line with expectations and same‑store...
UK Brands Risk Billions as One-Third of Customers Switch Due to a Poor Digital Retail Experience
New MSQ DX research shows a widening perception gap between UK retailers and consumers, with one‑third of shoppers abandoning brands due to poor digital experiences. The gap is most acute among 25‑34‑year‑olds, where 64% switched brands in the past year....
From Bedroom Demos to Studio Dreams: Why Brands Ditch Influencers for High-Production Livestreams
Brands are abandoning low‑budget influencer livestreams in favor of high‑production, brand‑controlled video commerce. Zara’s recent five‑hour Douyin showcase, hosted by a supermodel, drew over one million viewers, illustrating the power of polished, immersive experiences. The shift is driven by the...
How Digital Asset Management Helps Retailers Scale up and Attract Customers
Retailers are still stuck with fragmented digital storage—44% use local servers and 41% rely on individual hard drives, while 51% track product details in spreadsheets. This patchwork creates version‑control issues and slows time‑to‑market. Canto’s State of Digital Content 2026 report...
The Need for “Grounded AI” – Not Hype
The 2026 Retail Technology Show in London gathered senior brand leaders from River Island, Pentland Brands, Goddiva, Noble Panacea and Azzurri Group to discuss retail’s next evolution. Panelists emphasized “grounded AI” as an enabler, citing River Island’s 80% drop in...
Minka Dink Joins the Latest Wave of King's Road Pop-Ups
London’s King’s Road is hosting a coordinated pop‑up programme covering more than 10,000 sq ft, with womenswear label Minka Dink returning for a third stint in a 1,728 sq ft unit from 21 March to 4 May. The space will then hand over to jewellery brand...
Shein Opens Office in Barcelona for Spanish Marketing
Shein has opened a new office in Barcelona, complementing its existing Madrid branch and signaling a deeper foothold in Spain. The hub will serve as a regional center for marketing, branding, and content production across Spain and Europe. Initially staffed...
Expressions Gift Card Kiosks Bring Personalization to Retail Gifting
Expressions Gift Card Kiosk merges personalized greeting cards with instant digital gift cards, printing on glossy stock in under 41 seconds. The self‑service unit occupies just four square feet, replacing traditional 20‑60‑foot aisles and reducing inventory valued up to $40,000...
What Makes the Automated Retail & Kiosk Innovation Show a Must-Attend Event?
The Automated Retail & Kiosk Innovation Show (ARKI) returns Dec. 14‑16, 2026 in Miami Beach, targeting operators, brands, and technology providers. Since its 2020 debut, the event has evolved from a pure tech showcase to a deployment‑focused forum emphasizing scalability, reliability, and...
From Vending Machines to Autonomous Retail: The Evolution of Grab and Go Shopping
Physical retail is rapidly adopting autonomous, checkout‑free models that let shoppers pick items and leave without scanning. The piece traces the technology from early vending machines through digital payments, smart vending, and finally AI‑driven grab‑and‑go stores. These stores rely on...
SiriusXM VP Talks Music Impact Within the Retail Digital Signage Experience
SiriusXM’s VP of commercial music, Stuart Larking, highlighted the growing role of music in digital signage, citing its ability to increase dwell time and sales. He noted that Pandora CloudCover’s new signage features let retailers pair curated, fully licensed music...
New Balance Adds Apparel to Its Resale Platform Reconsidered
New Balance is extending its Reconsidered resale platform, originally launched two years ago, to include apparel alongside its already‑circulated 100,000 pairs of shoes. The service refurbishes returned items and sells them through a dedicated site, while consumers can trade in...