Abercrombie & Fitch Forecasts Muted Annual Sales Amid Tariff Uncertainty
Abercrombie & Fitch announced it will factor a 15 percent U.S. tariff into its fiscal 2026 outlook, projecting net‑sales growth of 3‑5 percent and earnings per share between $10.20 and $11. The company estimates the tariff will shave about 70 basis points from net sales, a smaller hit than the 170‑basis‑point impact it warned of for 2025. Analysts had expected 4.2 percent sales growth, so the forecast falls slightly short, while the EPS midpoint exceeds expectations. Shares fell roughly 7 percent after the release.
Simbe Becomes First Retail Robotics Company to Achieve UL 3300 Certification for Autonomous Robot Tally
Simbe announced that its autonomous shelf‑scanning robot Tally has earned UL 3300 certification, making it the first retail robotics company to achieve the standard. The certification validates Tally’s mechanical, electrical and software safety after passing more than 40 rigorous tests for...
High-Touch, High-Tech: Revieve’s Beauty & Wellness Index 2025 Signals a New Era of Guided Beauty Commerce
Revieve released its Beauty & Wellness Index 2025, showing guided diagnostics now initiate 60‑75 % of beauty journeys and deliver two‑to‑three‑fold higher completion rates. The data, drawn from millions of AI‑driven skin analyses, quizzes and virtual try‑ons, highlights longer engagement, especially in...
The Power to Pivot: Operational Velocity as a Key Retail Metric
Retail leaders are urged to prioritize operational velocity—the speed at which campaigns, inventory signals, and creative assets can be adjusted—over merely tracking click costs. The article argues that agility, not additional tools, is the true growth catalyst, recommending automated kill...
Amex Taps Customers for Fraud Fight
American Express is leveraging direct conversations with cardholders who have faced fraud to gather real‑time intelligence on scam tactics. The data helps the firm refine detection models as U.S. consumers lost $12.5 billion to fraud in 2024, a 25 percent rise. Executives...
Giro Sport Design Expands UK Retail Presence with VIA Partnership
Giro Sport Design has teamed up with UK retailer VIA to extend its direct‑to‑retail footprint in Britain. Starting in 2025, the partnership will showcase a curated range of Giro road and gravel helmets and footwear, including 2026 launches, within VIA’s...
Frictionless Self-Serve Market Launched At Co-Op Live
Co‑op Live in Manchester has opened Europe’s first AI‑driven, frictionless self‑serve market, built with Oak View Group, AiFi and Boxbar Tech. Shoppers tap a cashless card, pick items, and leave while computer‑vision cameras track each purchase. The system is designed...
Video Forum: Justin Honaman, Amazon Web Services, Part 2
In a recent Video Forum, Justin Honaman, global head of retail, restaurants and consumer goods business development at Amazon Web Services, explained the concept of agentic commerce and its potential to reshape retail interactions. He highlighted how AWS’s cloud and...
How Brooks Brothers Is Refreshing the Oldest Apparel Brand in the US
Brooks Brothers, the United States' oldest continuously operating apparel brand, launched the "Make It Yours" campaign to reposition itself for a new generation of shoppers. The initiative emphasizes individuality while honoring the label's heritage, showcasing classic items such as Oxford...
FedEx Hub Chemical Spill Leads to Postal Service Shipping Restrictions
The U.S. Postal Service has placed an embargo on Priority Mail Express shipments until Friday following a chemical spill at FedEx’s Memphis World Hub on Feb. 25. The spill forced a partial shutdown of the facility, which can sort up to 484,000 packages...
Jelly Products Are Taking over Beauty Cabinets Again Thanks to Elevated Formats
Jelly‑textured beauty products are experiencing a resurgence, driven by high‑profile launches from Sol de Janeiro, Makeup by Mario and Milk Makeup. Sol de Janeiro introduced a solid‑stick Jelly Perfume Balm that promises ten‑hour fragrance longevity, while Mario unveiled a two‑in‑one Jelly Jar Lip & Cheek...
Decathlon Enters the Market for Bicycle Leasing
Decathlon has launched a consumer e‑bike leasing service in Belgium, offering daily and monthly rates that include maintenance, insurance and zero‑deductible theft coverage. The subscription starts at €1.25 per day or €38 per month, with contract lengths of 12, 24...
Face Masks Are Having a Major Glow-Up with Next-Gen Materials
Face masks are undergoing a major transformation as next‑generation formulations packed with high‑performance ingredients move them from occasional indulgences to core steps in daily skincare routines. UK retailer Boots reports selling a mask every five seconds, underscoring the category’s rapid...
Kérastase Is Rebooting Chronologiste Range with Breakthrough Formula ‘Caviar of Longevity’
Kérastase, the L’Oréal‑owned luxury hair‑care brand, is reviving its Chronologiste line with a new “Caviar of Longevity” formula. The launch centers on an Overnight Youth Serum that combines patented Pro‑xylane and ochrohyta algae to protect hair function and scalp health....
Hailey Bieber’s Rhode Taps Love Story’s Sarah Pidgeon as Face of Spring Collection
Hailey Bieber’s e.l.f.-owned beauty brand Rhode has signed actress Sarah Pidgeon as the face of its spring collection. The line introduces two new Pocket Blush shades—Teacup pink and Candy Apple red—the first red hue for the product. Limited‑edition Peptide Lip...
Dutch Bros' First Los Angeles Location Has Everything but the Drive-Thru
Dutch Bros opened its first Los Angeles walk‑thru store near USC in late November, marking the chain’s initial foray into an urban, drive‑thru‑free format. The location has become the chain’s top‑performing shop, with mobile‑order traffic three times the system average....
Cracker Barrel Sees some Progress in Rebound From Logo Saga
Cracker Barrel’s traffic fell 10.1% YoY in the quarter ending Jan. 30, driving a 7.1% same‑store sales decline, the second consecutive period of steep foot‑traffic loss after its controversial logo change. The chain has shifted focus to food quality, service and its...
Target to Launch Premium Beauty Studio Spaces as Part of Turnaround Strategy
Target announced a $2 bn turnaround plan aimed at reviving growth after several quarters of sales decline. Central to the strategy is the rollout of premium Beauty Studios that combine specialty‑level presentation with broad accessibility, alongside a 30% expansion of its...
True Beauty Lashes Taps Perfect Corp. For Personalized Lash Recommendation
True Beauty Lashes has partnered with Perfect Corp. to launch LashLovr, an AI‑driven personalized lash‑matching and virtual try‑on platform. The service uses Perfect Corp.’s Virtual Try‑On and Face Analyzer APIs to overlay recommended lashes on a shopper’s face in real...
Consumers Spending More Time to Find Best Price
Synchrony’s March 2026 "In Sync with Consumers" survey shows more than half of U.S. shoppers are devoting extra time to locate the best price, with generative AI playing an expanding role. Over 52% of consumers used Gen AI during the holiday...
US Apparel Import Data in 2025 Points to Four Key Sourcing Trends
U.S. apparel imports in 2025 show the category’s share of consumer spending slipping to 2.08%, down from 2.10% in 2023 and 2.23% in 2021. The decline signals a reshaping of sourcing strategies, with analysts highlighting four emerging trends: accelerated nearshoring...
Adidas Attributes 2025 Sales, Profit Surge to ‘Strategic Discipline’
Adidas reported a robust sales surge in 2025, propelling net profit up 67 percent. The company credited the growth to heightened consumer demand across its footwear and apparel ranges. Executives highlighted a renewed focus on "strategic discipline," encompassing tighter cost...
Greenwashing Has Just Become a Much More Serious Issue – Are You Ready?
Retail brands face heightened scrutiny in 2026 as the UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) wields expanded powers under the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024. Greenwashing can also be prosecuted as a criminal offence under the Economic Crime...
Evri and Bloq.it Join Forces to Expand UK OOH Parcel Locker Network
Bloq.it and Evri have sealed a multi‑year partnership to embed Bloq.it’s NEXT smart lockers and its new standalone returns unit, drop, across hundreds of Evri locations in the UK. The first installations launch in March 2026 at East of England...
Zeeman Appoints Former Ahold Delhaize Manager as New CEO
Zeeman announced that Boudewijn van Nieuwenhuijzen will assume the chief executive role on August 1, 2026, succeeding Erik‑Jan Mares after a nine‑year tenure. Van Nieuwenhuijzen brings more than two decades of international retail, FMCG and wholesale experience, most recently as CEO of Super Indo,...
Jysk Accelerates Belgian Growth with Six Openings in One Day
On March 18, Jysk opened six new stores in Belgium, five of which occupy former Leen Bakker premises, raising its national store count to 76. The retailer plans ten more openings later this year, targeting at least 125 locations across...
How Can Retailers Use Micro-Influencers?
Retailers such as Disney Store, ASOS, Zara and others are shifting to micro‑influencers for campaigns. These creators have modest followings but are deeply embedded in niche communities, delivering higher engagement and authentic storytelling. Agencies like Coolr and Iris note that...
Lidl Owner Schwarz Completes Acquisition in Romania
Schwarz Group, the parent of Lidl and Kaufland, received approval from Romanian competition authorities to acquire a majority stake in La Cocoș, a retailer operating large hypercash stores. The deal cements Schwarz’s market‑leadership position in Romania, where Ahold Delhaize currently ranks second....
Country Road Group Posts Modest Sales Growth as Turnaround Gains Traction
Country Road Group posted a 2.3% rise in total sales and a 2.5% increase in comparable store sales for the first half, driven by stronger performance at Country Road, Witchery and Politix. The modest growth aligns with the company’s January...
Asics Steps up Retail Expansion with 304sqm Chadstone Flagship
Asics opened a 304 sqm flagship store at Melbourne’s Chadstone Shopping Centre, its second‑largest Australian location. The larger format lets the brand display its full performance portfolio—running, netball, football and licensed apparel—in a single space. Designed with Japanese‑inspired timber and bamboo,...
Luxury Unfiltered: Why Most Luxury Brands Are Talking to the Wrong Part of the Brain
Daniel Langer argues that luxury buying decisions are driven first by emotion, with rational analysis serving only as post‑purchase justification. He notes that ultra‑high‑net‑worth individuals have risen 44 % since 2019, yet many clients now view luxury as overpriced because brands...
EXCLUSIVE: Vanessa Kirby Is Lancôme’s New Global Ambassador
British actress Vanessa Kirby has been appointed Lancôme’s new global ambassador. The partnership underscores the brand’s emphasis on “sophisticated vulnerability” and everyday natural beauty, resonating with Kirby’s personal history and recent transition to motherhood. She will headline upcoming campaigns for...
How Hong Kong Apparel Brand Sau Lee Appeals to the American Fashion Lover
Hong Kong‑based Sau Lee, founded by designer Cheryl Leung in 2014, has positioned itself as a modern Chinese heritage label for American consumers. By reimagining classic cheongsam silhouettes with contemporary prints, diverse sizing (00‑14) and price points from $228 to...
Who Is the Modern Male Shopper Now?
The modern male shopper has moved from muscle‑centric marketing to demanding ingredient transparency and functional benefits. Protein brands now highlight whey isolate purity, grass‑fed sourcing and the absence of additives, while men increasingly view protein as everyday nutrition. Skincare, haircare...
Vitamin Shoppe Debuts ‘Suppie Awards’ and SuppCo Unveils Certification Program as Third-Party Validation Drives Category Growth, Plus News
The Vitamin Shoppe unveiled its first Suppie Awards, a brand‑focused accolade created with Hearst Magazines, while supplement‑tracking startup SuppCo launched a “Tested by SuppCo” certification program featuring a roster of leading supplement brands. Both initiatives aim to provide third‑party validation...
Warm February Fuels 30% Surge in Summer Product Sales; Beverage, Ice-Cream and AC Makers Cheer
An unusually warm February in India, with temperatures up to 31.9 °C, triggered a 25‑30% jump in sales of beverages, ice‑cream and air‑conditioners compared with the rain‑soaked February of 2025. Executives say the early heat is providing a strong tailwind for...
Shop Price Inflation Eased in February as Retailers Cut Prices
Shop price inflation in the UK slowed to 1.1% year‑on‑year in February, down from 1.5% in January, as intense retailer competition curbed price growth. Non‑food prices fell 0.1% while food inflation stayed elevated at 3.5%, reflecting persistent pressure on grocery...
DFI Retail Group’s ‘Significant Progress’ Drives Positive Earnings
DFI Retail Group posted a 35% jump in underlying profit to $270 million for FY2025, despite flat sales of $8.8 billion. Chairman Lincoln Pan credited portfolio simplification and a focus on higher‑margin categories for the performance. 7‑Eleven shifted toward ready‑to‑eat and non‑cigarette...
Pokémon Centre in Jewel Changi to Undergo Major Overhaul
The Pokémon Centre at Jewel Changi Airport will close on April 1 for a three‑month renovation that introduces a fully localised store concept. The refreshed outlet will showcase Singapore‑heritage‑inspired installations, an expanded merchandise mix and immersive experiences. Temporary pop‑up stores will operate...
New Standout Stores During Last Quarter: Hermès, Champion and More
Asian retailers are redefining physical stores as immersive lifestyle hubs. In the last quarter, Bape launched an all‑white flagship in Hong Kong featuring LED façades and a Bape Café, while Rapha opened its first mainland China Clubhouse in Shanghai, combining retail,...
Endeavour Group Sees Retail Profits Hurt by Low-Cost Push
Endeavour Group’s half‑year earnings show a 17.1% drop in net profit to $247 million despite a modest 0.2% rise in retail sales to $5.5 billion. The decline stems from an aggressive low‑price strategy that squeezed the retail drinks gross margin down 84...
Meet Yeti Boo, the AI Bigfoot Helping KANE Footwear Rethink Influencer Marketing
Yeti Boo, an AI‑generated Bigfoot persona, exploded on TikTok, reaching over 439,000 followers and catching the eye of brands. KANE Footwear signed the character as an “AI athlete” to promote its Revive AC recovery shoe, pairing the mascot’s off‑beat wilderness...
David Berggren: The Man Behind Furniture Connection
David Berggren founded Furniture Connection in 1999 to challenge high furniture prices and poor service, expanding from a modest Oak Grove store to a 46,000‑square‑foot showroom in Clarksville, Tennessee. The showroom, the largest in the city, lets shoppers test products...
If You Don’t See This on Your Amazon Purchase, Your Delivery Window and Returns Might Take Longer
Amazon distinguishes between items "Sold by Amazon" and third‑party listings, a split that directly affects delivery windows and return processes. Products owned and shipped by Amazon enjoy uniform Prime delivery times and streamlined QR‑code returns, while seller‑fulfilled items can face...
Unlocking Global Growth: A Practical Road Map for Cross-Border E-Commerce Success
Retailers are turning to cross‑border e‑commerce as domestic markets saturate, with global online sales forecast to hit $6.8 trillion by 2028. A Total Retail whitepaper, created with Melissa Data, highlights that address errors affect nearly one‑fifth of orders, driving costly failures....
Xometry Tightens Grip on AI Sourcing
Xometry is upgrading its AI‑driven marketplace with a new lead‑time prediction model and enhanced dynamic pricing logic. The lead‑time model, trained on a dataset four times larger, now incorporates supplier certifications, material requirements and specialized finishing specifications, improving forecasting accuracy...
PayPal and TCS Blockchain Modernize Logistics Payments
PayPal and TCS Blockchain have partnered to launch a blockchain‑based payment platform that uses PayPal USD (PYUSD) stablecoin to settle freight invoices. The solution promises same‑day, year‑round settlement and cost reductions of up to 90% compared with traditional invoice factoring....
Henry Schein Advances Global Ecommerce Rollout
Henry Schein is entering the next phase of its global ecommerce rollout, completing key North American deployments of its consolidated HenrySchein.com platform for dental and medical customers. The unified architecture standardizes the B2B purchasing experience and aligns ordering with data‑driven...
The Under-$100 Deals to Grab From Nordstrom’s End-of-Season Sale
Nordstrom’s end‑of‑season sale is offering up to 60% off on more than 10,000 women’s items, many priced under $100. The promotion highlights key pieces such as Pistola barrel jeans, Reformation tops, and Adidas Tokyo sneakers. Discounts span a wide range...
Amazon Begins Grocery Delivery for Cub
Amazon has launched a grocery delivery partnership with Minnesota‑based Cub, enabling Twin Cities shoppers to order Cub’s fresh produce, meat, private‑label brands and household items via Amazon’s website and app. The service offers same‑day delivery, two‑hour windows and free shipping...