Retail Wire
JUNE 11, 2025
Indiana is the latest flash point in Kroger ’s spreading labor unrest. Members of United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 700 — representing roughly 8,000 clerks, meat-cutters, and pharmacy techs across central Indiana — rejected a tentative four-year agreement by a lopsided 74% “no” vote. The “no” vote automatically activated strike authorization, giving leaders the legal power to call a walkout at any moment.
Inside Retail
JUNE 12, 2025
Legacy retailers and heritage brands are facing a potential reckoning in the digital age. With consumers shifting their attention to social media , mobile-first browsing and e-commerce experiences that lack physical interaction, long-standing brands can no longer rely on nostalgia, name recognition or traditional TV ad buys to drive growth. The reality is that the path to purchase has changed, and those unwilling to change with it risk being left behind.
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Retail Wire
JUNE 5, 2025
Craft retailer Michaels has confirmed, via a June 5 press release , that it has completed the acquisition of both the intellectual property and private label brands previously held by JOANN including the slated incorporation of the latter’s Big Twist brands into the broader Michaels product selection. As part of bringing JOANN’s loyal customers into the Michaels fold, the retailer has launched a dedicated landing page featuring updates and a curated selection of products.
Retail TouchPoints
JUNE 10, 2025
Retail is undergoing a generational shift, and at the center of it is a powerful and misunderstood consumer: Gen Z. Born between the mid-1990s and early 2010s, this generation already outnumbers Gen X in raw terms and now commands over $360 billion in spending power in the U.S. alone. However, Gen Z doesn’t shop like their predecessors. They’ve grown up in a world shaped by social media, rapid technological advancement and rising social consciousness.
Speaker: Jason Cottrell and Gireesh Sahukar
Retailers know the clock is ticking–legacy SAP Commerce support ends in 2026. Legacy platforms are becoming a liability burdened by complexity, rigidity, and mounting operational costs. But modernization isn’t just about swapping out systems, it’s about preparing for a future shaped by real-time interactions, AI powered buying assistants, and flexible commerce architecture.
Inside Retail
JUNE 8, 2025
Peter Halkett will become the new CEO of Oroton Group later this month, succeeding Jenny Child. Halkett, who had been CEO of women’s clothing label Rebecca Vallance since January, will assume the role on June 16. He previously held leadership roles at Brandbank Group, Moochi and APG & Co. “Oroton is an iconic Australian brand with a proud heritage and significant opportunities ahead,” he wrote on LinkedIn.
Retail Focus
JUNE 10, 2025
As global supply chains become increasingly complex, the demand for transparency has never been greater. Retailers face mounting pressure from consumers, regulators, and stakeholders to demonstrate ethical sourcing, sustainable practices, and operational accountability. Traditional supply chain systems, built on fragmented and often manual processes, struggle to offer real-time visibility.
Experience Retail Today brings together the best content for retail owners from the widest variety of industry thought leaders.
Retail TouchPoints
JUNE 11, 2025
AI has already raised consumer expectations across the board. People expect hyper-personalization, and they expect things to happen faster. What used to take a day should take an hour, and what took an hour should take a minute. When it comes to purchasing decisions, CPG brands and retailers still rely heavily on visuals, shelf presence and advertising to stand out.
Retail Focus
JUNE 5, 2025
Adaptability has long been the cornerstone of a successful UK business. Even the longest-standing retail brands that are known for a very specific corner of the market have innovated in different ways over the years. In the last 20 years, several new paths to innovation and adaptability have emerged, and uniquely, businesses can cost-effectively tap into almost all of them.
The Retail Doctor
JUNE 9, 2025
Retail's dirty little secret? Most of our systems don’t talk to each other. For years, we’ve bolted on new tech in hopes it would create clarity. Instead, we ended up with disconnected software—each tool with its own data, interface, and logic. The warehouse couldn’t see labor needs. POS had no idea what was stuck in the receiving area. Scheduling was a guessing game.
Retail Wire
JUNE 5, 2025
Procter & Gamble is laying off about 7,000 employees over the next two years. With unpredictable tariff costs and erratic consumer demand, the household goods maker is undergoing some reorganization. With around 108,000 workers as of June 2024, the job cuts represent about 6.5% of the workforce. The layoffs will mainly affect non-manufacturing jobs.
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AI agents already analyze trends, draft content, and trigger actions across leading commerce platforms. Yet most organizations still rely on workflows built for human‑only teams, losing speed, margin, and customer loyalty. Humans + Agents: Rethinking Enterprise Commerce in the Age of AI Collaboration shows how to close that gap. In one concise read you’ll see where agent gains surface first, how early adopters prove ROI, and which lean controls keep innovation moving without risking data or bran
Retail TouchPoints
JUNE 10, 2025
Walmart has introduced Sparky, a smiley-faced generative AI-powered assistant capable of synthesizing reviews and offering mobile app users occasion-based recommendations. The retailer promises that it will soon enhance Sparky’s capabilities to include reordering, service bookings and the ability to understand text, image, audio and video inputs. The “Ask Sparky” button in the Walmart app can offer insights to prepare for virtually any occasion.
Inside Retail
JUNE 8, 2025
The Athlete’s Foot has opened a new generation concept store on Church Street, Brighton. Marking the brand’s 145th store nationally, and its 34th in Victoria, the new two-storey location brings a fresh approach to in-store design and customer experience. At its core is the MyFit 3D fitting zone, offering personalised fitting solutions in a modern, private setting.
Retail Focus
JUNE 11, 2025
EE is bringing the future face of retail to Nottingham with the launch of a new Experience store – the latest iteration of a cutting-edge retail experience concept created in partnership with global strategy and design studio, Dalziel & Pow. The Experience store is part of EE’s new strategy, which seeks to reinvent the role of retail in the telco industry by putting innovation, personal experience and community front-and-centre.
Small Biz Trends
JUNE 9, 2025
Key Takeaways Identify Common Pain Points: Recognizing challenges like long wait times, poor communication, and lack of personalization is crucial to improving customer experience. Streamline Processes: Enhance efficiency by refining service delivery and establishing clear, consistent communication practices to reduce customer frustration. Prioritize Customer Relationships: Implement a systematic follow-up process and personalized interactions to foster loyalty and increase conversion rates.
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Category Management is a cornerstone of a successful retail strategy. While it promotes collaboration between manufacturers and retailers to optimize category performance, challenges persist in its effective implementation due to hurdles in communication and collaboration across teams and partners, and more. In this guide, we outline five essential strategies for success in 2025 that will touch on all the essential pieces of a successful strategy and implementation.
Retail Wire
JUNE 5, 2025
It should come as no surprise that e-commerce giant Amazon is interested in pushing the boundaries of what is possible. As CEO Andy Jassy recently described in a blog post explaining the business philosophy of Amazon being a “why” company , the question of “Why can’t we have humanoid robots help deliver our customer orders?” has seemingly been promoted nearer to the top of the retailer’s list.
Retail TouchPoints
JUNE 10, 2025
Traditional brick-and-mortar retail is always evolving, and in the competitive market, retailers are more motivated than ever to create compelling in-store experiences. Modern consumers don’t just visit storefronts to shop — they come to engage with products and, more importantly, to connect with brands on a personal level. Creating an effective in-store experience is about more than aesthetics.
Inside Retail
JUNE 9, 2025
In its second major collapse in less than a decade, Toys R Us Australia and New Zealand has once again handed itself over to administrators , marking the latest chapter in a cautionary tale of retail miscalculation. Once the go-to destination for generations of Australian children, the beloved toy brand has been suspended from the Australian Securities Exchange and is now searching for buyers under the stewardship of administrators from BDO.
Retail Focus
JUNE 10, 2025
Asteri, the pioneering female-founded Saudi Arabian beauty brand named after Asteria, the Greek goddess of falling stars, has added two new stars to its constellation with the opening of new concept stores in Festival City Mall in Doha and Panorama Mall in Riyadh. The brand spaces, both designed by global strategy and design studio Dalziel & Pow , represent the region they are located in, celebrating local heritage and the beauty and diversity of Arab women.
Speaker: David Worrell, CFO, Author & Speaker
Your financial statements hold powerful insights—but are you truly paying attention? Many finance professionals focus on the income statement while overlooking key signals hidden in the balance sheet and cash flow statement. Understanding these numbers can unlock smarter decision-making, uncover risks, and drive long-term success. Join David Worrell, accomplished CFO, finance expert, and author, for an engaging, nontraditional take on reading financial statements.
Small Biz Trends
JUNE 8, 2025
Key Takeaways Customer Feedback is Essential: Actively encouraging complaints helps identify opportunities for improving products and services, ultimately leading to increased customer satisfaction. Complaints as Improvement Tools: Viewing complaints as valuable insights allows businesses to identify areas for enhancement and fosters a proactive culture focused on customer experience.
Retail Wire
JUNE 10, 2025
Big Lots has opened upwards of 80 locations as the retailer moves forward under new leadership. According to a press release , the retailer reopened 78 of its previously shuttered locations on Thursday, June 5. This makes 219 reopened stores since coming under the ownership of Variety Wholesalers. The reopened stores are located across Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia.
Retail TouchPoints
JUNE 5, 2025
For todays consumers especially younger generations sustainability is increasingly a priority. Theyre willing to change their behaviors (e.g. spending more on sustainable products ), but they dont want to do it alone; they want retailers to take some responsibility, too. The more retailers can support consumers desire to live more sustainably, the more loyalty theyll generate.
Inside Retail
JUNE 12, 2025
If the retail world needed any reminder that cultural relevance drives conversion, look no further than TikTok. What began as a Gen Z playground for dance challenges has matured into a global trend machine with direct purchase influence, and it’s reshaping how retailers think about product, placement and promotion. TikTok’s impact on retail is no longer speculative – it’s commercial.
Advertiser: ZoomInfo
AI adoption is reshaping sales and marketing. But is it delivering real results? We surveyed 1,000+ GTM professionals to find out. The data is clear: AI users report 47% higher productivity and an average of 12 hours saved per week. But leaders say mainstream AI tools still fall short on accuracy and business impact. Download the full report today to see how AI is being used — and where go-to-market professionals think there are gaps and opportunities.
Retail Focus
JUNE 9, 2025
As UK consumers navigate ongoing cost-of-living pressures, affordability and convenience remain decisive factors in where and how they shop. According to new research conducted by Ipsos, online marketplace Temu is rapidly gaining favour among British shoppers — not just as a source of budget-friendly goods, but also as a platform driving creative and entrepreneurial activity.
Small Biz Trends
JUNE 10, 2025
Key Takeaways Understanding the Concept: “Paying it forward” means performing acts of kindness without expecting anything in return, creating a ripple effect of goodwill in communities and businesses. Historical Significance: The idea has deep historical roots and has been promoted throughout various cultures, notably inspired by the 1916 novel by Catherine Ryan Hyde.
Retail Wire
JUNE 6, 2025
ALDI is slashing prices on over 400 grocery essentials for a savings spree that will last throughout summer 2025. Per a company press release , the grocery chain will cut prices on nearly 25% of its selection across its 2,400 stores. These items include everything from fresh meat for grilling and organic produce to pantry staples and summer favorites.
Retail TouchPoints
JUNE 10, 2025
Lowe’s has introduced its first Creator Network , giving creators/influencers the opportunity to share project-driven stories that build affinity both for Lowe’s and their own brands. The home improvement retailer is working with popular creator MrBeast , which has established a MrBeast Storefront on the Lowe’s site, and Lowe’s also will be the exclusive building partner for season two of the popular Amazon Prime reality competition show, Beast Games.
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When it comes to driving traffic and growing your online presence, businesses often ask: SEO or PPC—what’s the better choice? This guide breaks down the key differences between search engine optimization (SEO) and pay-per-click (PPC) advertising, highlighting their pros, cons, and best use cases. Whether you’re looking for long-term organic growth or immediate visibility through paid ads, we’ll help you determine which strategy—or combination of both—is right for your business.
Inside Retail
JUNE 5, 2025
American workwear retailer Dickies is holding a closing-down sale on its Australian website, while its New Zealand website has been closed for nearly two weeks. The brands Facebook and Instagram pages have posted closing-down sales for its Gold Coast and Brisbane outlet stores, with the outlets set to close on June 15. Under the Instagram post regarding the Brisbane and Gold Coast sale, a customer commented wht abt Auckland to which the official Dickies ANZ account replied saying, “No, tha
Retail Focus
JUNE 10, 2025
Leading British luxury designer, Lalage Beaumont London, announces the opening of its newest boutique at the UK Pavilion within Boundless Matro Boutique in Suzhou, China. The new boutique opening is the brand’s first retail partnership in China with Lalage Beaumont London stores located in Knightsbridge, Burlington Arcade and Belgravia along with stockists including the finest department stores and independent boutiques around the world.
Small Biz Trends
JUNE 8, 2025
Key Takeaways Tailored Strategy: Developing a customized holiday social media strategy enhances brand visibility and audience engagement during the festive season. Engaging Content: Focus on storytelling and diverse content types such as videos and user-generated content to foster deeper connections with your audience. Platform Utilization: Leverage specific platforms like Instagram and Facebook effectively, as they engage different demographics and facilitate community interaction.
Retail Wire
JUNE 11, 2025
Using Microsoft Azure’s OpenAI platform, Starbucks is adding a generative AI assistant to 35 stores this month. The technology’s intent is to help baristas improve efficiency and decrease service wait times. Named “Green Dot Assist,” the platform was introduced to North American store managers at Starbucks’ Leadership Experience earlier this week in Las Vegas.
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Late deliveries. Split shipments. Spiraling freight costs. For home, furniture, and DIY brands, fulfillment has never been more complex—or more critical. This report outlines how a smarter, AI-ready order management system (OMS) helps you reduce shipping costs, streamline project-based fulfillment, and ensure accurate inventory across every channel.
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