Tue.Jan 10, 2023

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Amazon Expands Buy with Prime Availability to all U.S. Marketplace Sellers

Retail TouchPoints

Amazon ’s Buy with Prime feature — which allows retailers to offer the benefits of Prime membership on their own DTC websites — will be available to all U.S.-based Amazon merchants at the end of January. The offering was previously only available by invitation. Additionally, Amazon is adding a new feature to the Buy with Prime package that will enable merchants to display ratings and reviews from Amazon customers on their own online stores.

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Black Friday sales boosted retail spending in November

Inside Retail

Retail spending increased 7.7 per cent year on year in November as consumers spent $35.9 billion in stores and online, according to data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS). On a monthly basis, turnover rose 1.4 per cent boosted by Black Friday sales on clothing, footwear, furniture and electronic goods. Australian Retailers Association (ARA) CEO Paul Zahra, described the results as “phenomenal” considering the disruptions the industry has weathered.

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The 2022 Retail Innovator Awards

Retail TouchPoints

Every year, Retail TouchPoints asks you, the retail community, to share the executives you believe are driving the industry forward. This year, we have 17 executives that are pushing limits in store design, sustainability, omnichannel experiences, and more. Listen in to see which practitioners are joining the Innovators Circle! Learn more about our winners, and their incredible accomplishments, by checking out the awards report: [link].

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ARA seeks government action to address retail worker ‘crisis’

Inside Retail

As the retail labour shortage worsens, the Australian Retailers Association (ARA) has urged the government to increase migration and provide support services for women and pensioners to boost workforce participation. According to data released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics, there were about 49,900 vacancies across the retail sector as of November last year – an increase of 8.2 per cent over August.

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A Roadmap For Modernization: How To Break Free From Your Monolith Before July 31, 2026

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.

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Holiday Leftovers? Here are 4 Ways Sellers can Minimize Excess Inventory

Retail TouchPoints

The past year presented a plethora of challenges for retailers. Among them were unpredictable shipment of supplies and waning consumer demand that left many with excess inventory. Amid the mayhem of the current holiday shopping season, online sellers are frantically working to move products. Despite these efforts, a glut of unsold inventory is threatening to put a damper on the new year.

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Value vs values: How will customers respond to The Iconic allegations?

Inside Retail

In December 2022, The Sydney Morning Herald revealed that online fashion retailer The Iconic underpaid hundreds of staff a total of about $1 million over a seven-year period. It is also alleged that certain staff were required to work in extreme conditions at the company’s warehouse, to the point where – in some cases –it’s alleged that their skin turned blue from the cold.

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Bicycle retailers join tyre recycling program

Inside Retail

Tyrecycle and bicycle retailer Revolve Recycling have partnered to launch a tyre recycling program, aiming to reduce waste from bike shops. . The companies say bicycle tyres and tubes will be collected from bike stores and bicycle owners combined by Revolve Recycling, and shipped to Tyrecycle by Bingo Industries for conversion into new products made in Australia at Tyrecycle’s new Erskine Park facility.

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Build-A-Bear Names New Tech Chief

Retail TouchPoints

Dara Meath. Build-A-Bear Workshop has hired Dara Meath as its new SVP and CTO and placed her on its senior leadership committee, reflecting the retailer’s commitment to its ongoing digital transformation efforts. Meath will report to Build-A-Bear’s CFO Voin Todorovic. Meath brings more than 20 years’ experience in technology leadership roles, most recently as Digital CIO and Leader of Data, Digital and Ecommerce at Conair, where she provided strategic direction and tactical execution guidance fo

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Instagram to remove shopping tab

Retail Dive

Despite getting rid of a dedicated commerce destination, the social media company said it is still investing in shopping experiences.

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DoorDash Debuts Package Pickup Service to Streamline Returns

Retail TouchPoints

DoorDash has introduced Package Pickup, allowing consumers across the country to have the service deliver up to five return items per trip to UPS, FedEx or the USPS. DoorDash will charge a flat fee of $5 ( $3 for DashPass members), and shoppers will get their first package pickup for free during January 2023, traditionally a heavy month for post-holiday returns.

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Humans + Agents = Rethinking Enterprise Commerce with AI

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

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Despite global scrutiny, BNPL is on the rise in Singapore. Here’s why

Inside Retail

According to GlobalData’s e-commerce analytics, Singapore’s e-commerce market is set to reach US$17.9 billion in 2026, as consumers increasingly shift from offline to online purchases. And one of the driving factors could be the growing popularity of buy now, pay later (BNPL) apps. “BNPL services are gradually gaining prominence in Singapore, with a growing preference for flexible payment methods among consumers,” Neralla Rama Ravi Teja, a retail analyst at GlobalData, told Inside Retail.

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Joann Aims for $200 Million in Annual Savings Fueled by Lower Ocean Freight and Overhead Costs

Retail TouchPoints

Joann is pursuing a $200 million annual cost reduction plan that aims to be fully delivered by early fiscal 2025, President and CEO Wade Miquelon said on an earnings call for its fiscal Q3 2023. About half of the reduction will come from supply chain savings, largely driven by reductions in ocean freight costs. Another 30% will be from cost of goods sold improvements, while the remainder will be from reductions to overhead costs.

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Why your margins may not have had a merry Christmas

Inside Retail

The global pandemic forced more businesses online and accelerated the use of online marketplaces. In what was a silver lining of the pandemic, businesses small and large found newer, innovative ways to sell their goods and services. But selling your products to anyone, anywhere, comes with the requirement to calculate, collect and file tax returns. Depending on how businesses go about this, you can either support growth targets or eat away your margins by wearing the tax.

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New Babies ‘R’ Us Flagship at American Dream will ‘Set the Stage’ for National Rollout

Retail TouchPoints

Babies ‘R’ Us will return to brick-and-mortar retail in the U.S. this summer with the opening of its first flagship location since the brand’s 2018 bankruptcy. The store will be located at the American Dream mall in New Jersey, alongside the flagship of sister brand Toys ‘R’ Us , which opened there in December 2021. After filing for bankruptcy and shuttering all its U.S. stores, the Toys ‘R’ Us and Babies ‘R’ Us brands passed through a number of hands before being acquired by current owner,

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5 Tips for a Winning Category Management Strategy in 2025

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.

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New drive-thru grocery concept opens in Oklahoma

Retail Wire

JackBe Grocery has opened its first drive-thru grocery store in Oklahoma City and has plans for a second location in Edmond. Customers place their orders on JackBe apps and then pick up orders at their convenience rather than at a preset time. JackBe doesn’t charge for pickup.

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Redress founder Christina Dean on the next gen of sustainable fashion

Inside Retail

Consumers are paying more attention to sustainable fashion now than ever before. Yet is the concept being oversold by brands – and the industry at large? “The word sustainable is horribly overused,” says Christina Dean, founder of the Redress Design Awards , a global program to inspire young designers to innovate in eco-friendly fashion design. . “No one understands what it means.

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CVS making big investments in health clinics

Retail Wire

CVS Health is investing $100 million in Carbon Health, which operates 125 primary- and urgent-care clinics across the U.S. The pharmacy giant is also reported to be in negotiations to acquire Oak Street Health, which operates a chain of clinics for Medicare recipients.

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Amazon expands ‘Buy with Prime’ to all US merchants

Retail Dive

With help from Saas platform BigCommerce, the e-commerce giant is even looping sellers outside its own marketplace into its ecosystem.

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Cut Costs & Complexity: Smarter Fulfillment for Home, Furniture & DIY Brands

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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Online prices fell again in December

Retail Wire

The prices that consumers paid for goods online fell 1.6 percent year-over-year in December, according to Adobe. December was the fourth consecutive month during which online prices fell compared to 2021.

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Five Below to convert hundreds of stores to higher-priced concept

Retail Dive

The discounter sees roughly twice the spend from customers who purchase Five Beyond products and has received positive feedback on the format.

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Disney asking employees to return to their offices four days a week

Retail Wire

Disney CEO Robert Iger said in a memo to employees that the company will require workers to go back to their offices four days a week, likely Monday through Thursday. “Creativity is the heart and soul of who we are and what we do at Disney,” wrote Mr. Iger. “And in a creative business like ours, nothing can replace the ability to connect, observe and create with peers that comes from being physically together.

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Fitch: ‘Widening gulf’ between retail’s winners and losers to continue in 2023

Retail Dive

Default rates in the industry will likely remain low, but the firm is watching for bankruptcies from major players like Party City, Rite Aid and Bed Bath & Beyond.

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What Your Financial Statements Are Telling You—And How to Listen!

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.

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Tops Markets wants customers to see it as their neighborhood food store

Retail Wire

Tops Markets operates 150 stores and is focused on adapting each location to the neighborhoods they serve including assortment, displays and special services.

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Amazing Business Radio: Carla Guzzetti

Hyken

B2B or B2C…CX is CX . Putting the Human Experience First as a Business Strategy. Shep Hyken interviews Carla Guzzetti, Senior Vice President for Experience and Product Messaging at Extreme Networks. She shares how companies can design a better experience, in B2B and B2C industries, by focusing on the individual needs of their customers and employees.

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Bed Bath & Beyond is cutting prices and closing stores

Retail Wire

Bed Bath & Beyond CEO Sue Gove said that the retailer is looking to aggressively cut costs, including closing 150 stores that had been previously announced, and get its finances in order after a quarter where it lost $393 million.

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Bed Bath & Beyond sales fall 33% in Q3 as it seeks strategic alternatives

Retail Dive

After warning of a potential bankruptcy filing last week, the struggling home retailer’s operating loss swelled to over $450 million during the quarter.

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State of AI in Sales & Marketing 2025

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.

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Amazon rolling out ‘Buy with Prime’ for merchants outside its platform

Retail Wire

Amazon.com will enable merchants outside its online marketplace to make use of its payment and delivery services. In a pilot of “Buy With Prime” launched in April, shopper conversion increased by 25 percent, according to Amazon.

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What Are Virtual Fitting Rooms and How Do They Work? (2023)

Shopify

A virtual fitting room is a type of technology that allows shoppers to try on items virtually. Shoppers can virtually try on clothing items or beauty products without physically touching the item itself.

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Former McD’s CEO reaches deal with SEC over misleading statements

Retail Wire

Former McDonald’s CEO Steve Easterbrook has agreed to not serve as an officer or director of a publicly traded company for allegedly making misleading statements over his departure from the fast food giant. Mr. Easterbrook, who lost his job for violating McDonald’s personal conduct policy, also agreed to pay a $400,000 fine.

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A very golden quarter for London Designer Outlet as it reveals record-breaking December trading

A1 Retail

London Designer Outlet has recorded its best December performance since the centre opened in 2013, with sales totalling £10,464,749. Boxing Day sales were up 89% on 2021 and 2.9% on pre-pandemic (2019) – making it the second-best Boxing Day in the outlet’s history. Many of LDO’s most recognisable brands, including Levi’s, Puma, New Balance and Kurt Geiger experienced record trading days on Boxing Day.

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SEO vs. PPC: Which Strategy Is Best for Your Business?

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.