Tue.Feb 25, 2025

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How Retailers can Build Their Fan Base with Frictionless Research Strategies

Retail TouchPoints

Generative AI (gen AI) is poised to unlock between $240 billion and $390 billion in economic value for retailers, according to McKinsey. Currently, those retailers that understand their customer base, launch gen AI products that fit their audience and implement them using a phased approach are satisfied with their progress but this only accounts for 1% of McKinseys retail respondents.

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Woolworths profit falls 20.6 per cent amid strikes, changing consumer habits

Inside Retail

Woolworths Group booked lower profit in the first half, attributed to the 17-day industrial action impacting its supermarket business last December and a trend of customers seeking more value when shopping. The group’s net profit fell 20.6 per cent to $739 million after earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) slid 14.2 per cent to $1.45 billion.

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Ecommerce in 2025: How Data Quality Powers Growth and Customer Satisfaction

Retail TouchPoints

This sponsored content is brought to you by Melissa. Ecommerce businesses can better understand and serve their clientele when interactions are powered by clean customer data. Customer profiles that are correct, current and enhanced with demographic and geographic data allow organizations to personalize communications, optimize marketing efforts and uncover new customer prospects.

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Morrisons trials exclusive discounts for the disabled community

Retail Gazette

Morrisons has teamed up with the discount platform Purpl to offer exclusive savings for disabled shoppers in the UK. The supermarket will give disabled customers 10% off when they spend 25 or more on groceries online at Morrisons.com. To access the discount, customers must sign up for Purpls free platform and verify their disability status using accepted documentation, such as PIP, DLA, Blue Badge, Disabled Bus Pass, Disabled Persons Railcard, or Access Card.

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Smart Tools & Strong Teams: A People-First Approach to AI in Sales

Speaker: Matt Sunshine, CEO at The Center for Sales Strategy

AI isn’t replacing salespeople—it’s empowering them. The most forward-thinking sales organizations are using AI to enhance human performance rather than eliminate it. From coaching and messaging to prospecting and pipeline accountability, artificial intelligence is giving managers and SDRs the new tools they need to work smarter, sell better, and close more.

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Hommey’s founder on the importance of integrating retail and head office teams

Inside Retail

After establishing itself as a successful social media and e-commerce-led brand, Australian homewares brand Hommey quickly diversified its strategy and expanded into physical retail. Justin Kestelman founded Hommey in 2020 and opened its first store in 2021 and its second in 2022. Now, with a greater knowledge of what it takes to blend online convenience with tangible experiences, Hommey is opening the doors to its third retail hub in Fitzroy.

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Lovesac and Habitat for Humanity Partner to Support Local Community Causes

Retail TouchPoints

The Lovesac Company is partnering with global nonprofit Habitat for Humanity to provide sustainable furniture to homes at a more accessible price point. With its proprietary Designed for Life approach , Lovesac has developed a reputation for designing, manufacturing and selling comfortable and high-quality accent chairs, sectionals and its namesake sacs.

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Atlanta Arena Adopts Cashierless Checkout for ‘Hawks Express’ C-Store

Retail TouchPoints

State Farm Arena , home of the Atlanta Hawks NBA team, has opened a Hawks Express cashierless checkout store powered by AiFi and Verizon. Customers enter the store, select their items and exit, with purchases being automatically processed through their mobile payment method. Sports stadiums, with their combination of limited square footage and shoppers eager to return to the game, have become optimal locations for autonomous stores.

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Ikea’s US expansion plan: New stores, lower prices and a major NYC flagship

Inside Retail

Since entering the US 39 years ago, Swedish furniture giant Ikea has come to dominate the furniture and home goods market with its wide array of accessibly priced products, unique store layouts and dedication to providing top-tier customer service. Recently, Ikea has been seeing major gains in its US business, increasing its market share by 13.6 per cent in the past five years.

Planning 130
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Athleisure Faceoff: How Lululemon, Vuori, Alo and Fabletics are Making Their Case to Consumers

Retail TouchPoints

For decades the world of sports apparel was dominated by a few big names Nike , Adidas , Puma with newer upstarts like Under Armour and Gap Inc.s Athleta chipping away, slightly, at their dominance. But in the last decade, these global powerhouses all have struggled to maintain their position as consumers athletic apparel go-to. Scandals , failed attempts at modernization, uninspired product offerings and bloated balance sheets have created an environment ripe for disruption.

Consumer 179
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Bill clamping down on retail crime goes before parliament

Retail Gazette

Labours promised Crime and Policing Bill, which includes tougher laws on retail crime, will be put before parliament on Tuesday (25 February). The bill, which will mostly apply in England and Wales, contains over 50 measures including stricter penalties for shoplifting of items under 200 and making it a new offence to assault a shop worker. It also contains new Respect Orders, which are reminiscent of the Anti-social Behaviour Orders introduced by the last Labour government before it was abolish

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AI In The Aisles: The Executives Guide To Better In-Store Experiences

Speaker: Steve Worthy, MBA

The rapid rise of AI-powered displays, touchless technology, and sensory marketing is reshaping the future of in-store engagement. Yet for many retail executives, the real challenge is not identifying new tools - it is knowing which signals to trust, which inputs to prioritize, and how to architect decisions that elevate in-store leadership rather than dilute it.

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Capri Group Brands to Roll Out RFID in European Markets

Retail TouchPoints

Capri Holdings will deploy the iD Cloud RFID solution from Nedap across all its Alcott and Gutteridge banners, covering stores in Italy, Austria, Germany, Spain, Greece, Armenia and UAE. The initial phase of the rollout will focus on optimizing in-store operations and customer experience, followed by the implementation of loss prevention and supply chain solutions.

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Playing to win: Hasbro unveils new growth strategy

Inside Retail

Hasbro has revealed its fiscal year 2024 financial results and unveiled a new strategy plan, ‘Playing to Win,’ that would take the business through 2027. Hasbro’s revenue dropped 17 per cent, owing mostly to the EOne divestment. Discounting this impact, revenue fell 7 per cent. The 4 per cent growth in the Wizards of the Coast and Digital Gaming division was offset by reductions in consumer products and entertainment.

Returns 130
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Mastering eCommerce: How to Successfully Sell Serialized and Configurable Products Online

M19 Retail

Mastering eCommerce: How to Successfully Sell Serialized and Configurable Products Online Selling serialized and configurable products online can seem complex, but it also offers incredible opportunities to enhance the customer experience, boost SEO, and increase sales. Understanding how to manage these products effectively is key to success in the ever-competitive eCommerce landscape.

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Retail Technology Show Partners With the Retail AI Council To Bring the Latest Cutting-Edge Artificial Intelligence Innovation to RTS 2025

365 Retail

The Retail Technology Show (RTS), the industrys flagship event which brings the wonder of retail to life, has partnered with Retail AI Council to bring the latest innovations in artificial intelligence (AI) to its 2025 show. According to RTS latest data, AI is now the top technology UK retail leaders believe will unlock and accelerate growth for their businesses in 2025.

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New Research-Backed Strategies to Empower Managers as Culture & Engagement Leaders

Speaker: Beth Sunshine, SVP, Up Your Culture

When culture isn’t consistently lived out across the organization, engagement suffers—and it often starts with a disconnect at the top. In this session, Beth Sunshine, SVP of Up Your Culture at The Center for Sales Strategy, will reveal how HR and executive leaders can close the gap between vision and execution by equipping frontline and mid-level managers to become culture carriers.

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Gymshark names new chief commercial officer amid US expansion

Retail Gazette

Gymshark has promoted its general manager of North America Kim Dolder to the role of chief commercial officer. Dolder, who willreport directly into founder and CEO Ben Francis , will continue to operate out of New York and lead Gymsharks US office. In her new role, she will ensure that brand “has the single architecture in place to become a fully omnichannel enterprise” Dolder will also be responsible for creating and implementing strategies that drive revenues, introduce new product

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New M&S AI Wine Finder tool to help customers pick the perfect bottle

Retail Times

Retail Times publishes international & UK retail news covering products, data, tech, packaging, people, research, comment and more besides! Today, Marks & Spencer has announced customers can use its new Wine Finder tool powered by AI technology to help them select the right bottle of wine for their palate. Available online for more than 500 stores and on point-of-sale marketing in 20 Foodhalls, the new tool asks a few quick questions about personal preferences […] If you want more

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Cisco and NVIDIA Unite to Propel AI into the Enterprise

Cisco Retail

Today Cisco and NVIDIA announced a mutual intent to expand a partnership that brings together two of the industrys most innovative data center networking and compute leaders. Our collaboration will help enterprises accelerate AI projects and make it easier for more customers than ever to standardize on Cisco as they modernize their data center networks.

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schuh partners with Waste Design Studio, Are You Mad

Retail Times

Retail Times publishes international & UK retail news covering products, data, tech, packaging, people, research, comment and more besides! Leading fashion footwear destination schuh has partnered with Conscious Creative Unit and Waste Design Studio Are You Mad to transform its post-consumer waste materials such as donated footwear, returns bags and pallet wrap into usable and creative objects for schuhs retail spaces.

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Breaking The Commerce Bottleneck: Your SAP Exit Plan Starts Now

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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A Shared, Global Movement: Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI)

LS Retail

iStock/melitas The conversation around Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) has never been more pressing, as organizations worldwide navigate complex landscapes shaped by local policies, cultural expectations, and evolving workplace demographics. It is a shared, global movement. To explore these challenges and opportunities, Seramount recently hosted a webinar titled DEI Lessons from Around the World, featuring insights from their partners at Inditex and Kellanova alongside their expanding Glo

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lululemon announces Lewis Hamilton as its newest ambassador

Retail Times

Retail Times publishes international & UK retail news covering products, data, tech, packaging, people, research, comment and more besides! Today, lululemon isproud to officially welcomeLewis Hamiltonas its newest ambassador. The brand will powerthe seven-time Formula 1 World Championstraining,recovery and lifestyle needs with its best-in-class product, while collaborating on future design innovation and global advocacy work.

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HRH The Princess Royal named as Patron of the Retail Trust 

365 Retail

Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal has taken over Patronage of the Retail Trust from her mother The late Queen Elizabeth II. Chris Brook-Carter, chief e xecutive of the Retail Trust , said: We couldnt be more honoured that The Princess Royal has become our Patron and in doing so continues the Retail Trusts 74-year relationship with The Royal Family.

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Pizza Express, Morrisons, Dishoom, & Wingstop join Deliveroo calling for the Crime & Policing Bill to protect delivery drivers

Retail Times

Retail Times publishes international & UK retail news covering products, data, tech, packaging, people, research, comment and more besides! Over 30 leading UK restaurants and supermarkets with over 3000 sites across the UK have written to the Home Secretary calling for greater protections for delivery drivers in the upcoming Crime & Policing Bill.

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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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The Blueprint for AI-Driven Connectivity

Cisco Retail

How are massive paradigm shifts in the market driving innovations in networking? Take a look at how global backbone networks like Arelion, which experienced a 42% growth in Internet traffic in 2024, are working with Cisco on their journey towards AI-ready connectivity.

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The importance of cavity fire barriers in commercial and residential properties

Retail Times

Retail Times publishes international & UK retail news covering products, data, tech, packaging, people, research, comment and more besides! In the UK, any firm planning to begin construction on new premises or renovations of existing premises should note that changes have been made to Britains fire safety legislation. As of November 2024, the British Standards Institution (BSI) released an extensive update to its fire safety standard.

Planning 102
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Ranpak unveils two new automated packaging solutions to enhance productivity

Inside Retail

Ranpak Holdings Corp , a global leader in sustainable paper-based packaging solutions for e-commerce and industrial supply chains, has introduced three new products that bring automation and protective paper technology together into integrated solutions. Its comprehensive line of packaging solutions empowers packers to achieve greater productivity, quality, consistency, and sustainability while also improving labour efficiency and ergonomics within packing operations.

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TK Maxx reveals Brits spending big on pre-birth celebrations despite cost-cutting trends

Retail Times

Retail Times publishes international & UK retail news covering products, data, tech, packaging, people, research, comment and more besides! As households across the UK face rising living costs, one area where Brits are still splurging is pre-birth celebrations. These events, including baby showers, gender reveals, and other pre-birth festivities, have seen a remarkable surge in popularity, carving out their own significant place alongside birthdays, weddings, and holidays.

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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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Powered by South Korea, Europe, Longchamp sets sales record

Inside Retail

Longchamps sales surged to a new record in the last fiscal year thanks to strong growth across all markets, especially South Korea and Europe. The luxury French brand reported a 20 per cent increase in sales in FY24. By region, Apac sales surged 34 per cent powered by a 93 per cent uplift in South Korea. Europe sales rose 33 per cent, with France recording a 19 per cent improvement.

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GO Outdoors trials body cameras in Stoke store to deter theft

Retail Times

Retail Times publishes international & UK retail news covering products, data, tech, packaging, people, research, comment and more besides! GO Outdoorshas recently been trialling body-worn cameras at its store in Stoke to find new ways to deter theft and keep store colleagues safe. The trial comes after GO Outdoors announced its partnership withThe Retail Trust, a leading charity that works to protect the lives of retail staff.

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May the Farce Be With You  

Hyken

The title may be a bit misleading. You dont want to be a victim of a farce. You want to experience a positive force. Before I go further, lets give a shout-out to one of our Shepard Letter subscribers, Joe Emmet of Empire Marketing, who suggested the title, which activated the creative force that led to this article. We have all been victims of a customer service or experience farce.

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The Co-operative Group announces new Board appointments

Retail Times

Retail Times publishes international & UK retail news covering products, data, tech, packaging, people, research, comment and more besides! The Co-operative Group (Co-op) is pleased to announce the appointments of Wais Shaifta and Lord Simon Woolley as Independent non-executive directors. Shaifta is an expert in digital growth and transformation and his experience in leading technology businesses brings depth of understanding of the role technology plays in delivering more value to member-ow

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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.