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Real talk — we all know what the next few months look like. You’re in the middle of your Q4 plans, juggling a million platform changes, watching your CPMs climb and trying to figure out how to make this holiday season different from last year’s chaos. Trust me, I’ve been there, living that same spreadsheet life, wondering if throwing more budget at broader audiences is really the answer.
It’s official – long gone are the days of the standalone Black Friday and Cyber Monday discounts. Now, securing sought after products at the best price is becoming increasingly chaotic for consumers, with prices fluctuating during a number of weeks across the Golden Quarter. Forget deal or no deal, it’s more like deal or disappointment for consumers, leaving much to be desired in terms of results for retailers.
Like most retailers of a certain age, The Paper Store debuted in brick-and-mortar — in this case a modest family-run newsstand in Maynard, Mass. that opened in 1964. And while the retailer has embraced ecommerce, its focus hasn’t wavered from providing an experiential, discovery-oriented in-person shopping experience for a wide range of product categories including apparel, décor, beauty and gifts.
Tesco and Waitrose are among the supermarkets facing backlash after a BBC investigation alleged their ‘Italian’ tomato purée may contain tomatoes grown and picked in China using forced labour. A BBC Eye investigation found that Britain’s largest supermarket is one of several supermarkets marketing its own-brand tomato purée as ‘Italian’, but claimed contains tomatoes grown in both Italy and China.
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.
Last month, Amazon moved into the budget e-commerce space through the launch of a discount website, Haul, which offers consumer products priced under US$20. Haul positions Amazon to directly compete in the fast-growing discount retail market, particularly against established players like Temu and Shein, which have gained substantial market share in recent years with their low-price business models.
JYSK reports turnover is up +13.6 percent on 2022/2023 to €120m across IRE and UK Customer growth has increased by +20 percent YoY with 400,000 new customers Five new store openings across IRE and UK in FY24 Danish furniture and sleeping retailer JYSK, has revealed a record-breaking turnover of €120m up 13.6 percent on the previous year for IRE and UK for 2023/2024.
Dean Salakas is selling The Party People to Sydney Party Decorations, the same entity that bought The Party People’s Mega Party Warehouse store in Campbelltown earlier this year, for an undisclosed price. As part of the agreement, Salakas will step down from The Party People effective December 17, after 17 years in the role. “It’s a mixture of emotions but I am so grateful for my journey having worked with some great people and partners along the way,” Salakas wrote on LinkedIn
Dean Salakas is selling The Party People to Sydney Party Decorations, the same entity that bought The Party People’s Mega Party Warehouse store in Campbelltown earlier this year, for an undisclosed price. As part of the agreement, Salakas will step down from The Party People effective December 17, after 17 years in the role. “It’s a mixture of emotions but I am so grateful for my journey having worked with some great people and partners along the way,” Salakas wrote on LinkedIn
Sports Direct tycoon Mike Ashley was “met with a complete stone wall” after his request for personal data following a demand from HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) for £13.6m in additional taxes, the High Court has heard. The retail billionaire launched legal action against the government body over claims of “extensive” breaches of data protection obligations, The Times reported.
Happiness might seem super unpredictable, but it’s one of the most simple, predictable and fundamental principles of human behaviour. Whether it’s the joy of a celebration, the pride in achieving something from a goal we have set, or the pleasure we get from a retail encounter, happiness consistently comes from the same source: the alignment of our perceptions with our expectations.
As 2025 beckons, slight economic improvements such as easing inflation are tempered by high interest rates and cost-of-living pressures that continue to impact both consumers and small businesses. For many online retailers, higher National Insurance contributions and new tax policies are adding to operational costs. As PayPal’s 2024 e-Commerce Index highlights, 89% of UK businesses express economic concerns, and 46% cite rising costs.
Black Friday, one of the most anticipated days of the entire retail calendar, has officially passed, and the results of this shopping event revealed some unique findings. Despite some concerns that Black Friday sales may have been diminished by month-long discount offerings, the shopping holiday proved surprisingly fruitful. According to data provided by Adobe Analytics, online Black Friday shopping in the US hit new heights in 2024, with consumers spending a record US$10.8 billion online on Fri
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.
The lure of discounts drove payday shoppers in-store on Black Friday, as many sought to snatch deals on early Christmas gifts, according to the latest data from RetailNext , the leading analytics solution for bricks-and-mortar retailers. Original data from RetailNext’s shopper traffic platform, which captures billions of store visits globally every year, showed that UK footfall on Black Friday (29 Nov 2024) improved by +40.5% week-on-week, rising to +45% in London compared to the week prior.
One of the most prevalent trends in the beauty industry across both the colour cosmetic and skincare categories is dupes. But until recently, the haircare category had been slow to adopt the new wave of affordable and accessible beauty. Jordan Mylius’ haircare brand Hairification is one of the first in the haircare category to answer the consumer call for efficacious products at an accessible price point with the introduction of his new H24 range “Dupe culture is certainly part of our beauty cul
Wally’s Wine & Spirits , a gourmet retail destination that offers wine, artisan cheese, charcuterie and a select menu of California-French food, will debut a new concept from Reuben Brothers at Century Plaza in Los Angeles next year. Set to open in summer 2025, the new Wally’s concept will feature a 2,500-square-foot interior and a 1,500-square-foot outdoor terrace, creating an open-air dining experience within one of the architectural waterfront spheres in front of the Fairmont Hotel along
Department store chain David Jones has launched its online app, a cornerstone of the retailer’s three-year, $65 million technology transformation project. David Jones tapped software engineering consultancy Mindera to develop the app, features of which will include personalised wish list notifications, product recommendations, express checkout, native live chat and loyalty program integration when David Jones Rewards relaunches in the middle of next year. “We know that 70 per cent of
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.
New data from Nespresso Professional, which supplies B2B coffee solutions for the office and HORECA sectors across the UK, has highlighted consumer curiosity for so-called ‘functional coffees’ that come with added health and wellness ingredients like protein, collagen, and vitamins. The research comes as Nespresso Professional launches Forte Extra – a variant of its top-selling Professional coffee, Forte, but with added caffeine.
Thailand’s Big C, the retailing arm of Berli Jucker (a vertically integrated company that also has its nose in manufacturing and distribution of consumer products and packaging) talked up its bottom line rather than its top one when it presented its third-quarter results to investors on November 18. It’s getting to be a habit. Still, it’s understandable given that Thai consumers continue to balk at spending while many of them are still heavily in debt.
Shaftesbury Capital has announced that Asian-inspired artisanal café concept, Nagare Coffee, is set to join Soho. Taking its first-ever West End site at 2 Newburgh Street, just off Carnaby Street, Nagare Coffee will add a boutique café to the destination, as it continues to evolve its F&B offer. With a neutral and minimalist aesthetic, Nagare Coffee has chosen Soho for its second bricks and mortar location, launching this December in a 1,300 sq ft space.
U.S.-based online resale platform ThredUp has divested its European business, Remix , in a management buyout led by Florin Filote, the General Manager of Remix. When ThredUp acquired Remix in July 2021 , it believed the move would be a growth driver for its business, but under continued financial pressure the company announced in August 2024 that it was planning to exit Europe and become “a U.S.
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.
Sofology boss Emma Dinnis will step down at the end of the month as owner DFS merges its management teams to create a “more simplified structure”. As part of this restructure, the sofa giant’s DFS chief executive Nick Smith will step into the newly-created role of group chief customer and commercial officer, as he takes over leadership of Sofology alongside his existing responsibilities.
NBCUniversal is bringing its “Virtual Concessions” ecommerce ad capability — which launched this summer during the Paris Olympics — to its holiday special, Christmas in Rockefeller Center, on NBC and Peacock on Dec. 4, 2024. Example of a Virtual Concessions ad. (Image courtesy NBCUniversal) Alongside live coverage of the 92 nd annual tree-lighting ceremony in NYC’s Rockefeller Center, viewers will be able to shop for holiday snacks and gifts from the comfort of home.
Retail Times publishes international & UK retail news covering products, data, tech, packaging, people, research, comment and more besides! Decentralized forms of payment are revolutionizing e-commerce in a variety of ways. By removing the need for third-party involvement in financial transactions, these markets foster empowerment for buyers and sellers in the retail sector.
Former Tusk cafe bar operator Monaco Willows is facing court for allegedly underpaying and deducting money from a worker’s pay without permission. The Fair Work Ombudsman received a request for assistance from a visa holder who worked as a full-time chef with Monaco Willows from October 2021 to April 2023. The company allegedly deducted a combined $3610 from the employee’s pay, which it said was for food, coffee and drinks, without the worker’s authorisation in writing.
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 Times publishes international & UK retail news covering products, data, tech, packaging, people, research, comment and more besides! Online retail has transformed the way consumers shop, revolutionizing the retail industry over the past two decades. With the advent of new technologies, online retail is experiencing continuous growth, providing both opportunities and challenges for retailers.
I’ve done a lot of business with this company over the past five years, and it’s always been a great experience. About twice a year, they send out a survey. I’ve always shared glowing comments and high scores – until recently. First, a little background. The surveys are always short, and because I like the company, I always fill them out. Since I’ve never had anything negative to say or guidance to offer, I assume that’s why I never heard back from them.
Retail Times publishes international & UK retail news covering products, data, tech, packaging, people, research, comment and more besides! Yorkshire based Ellers Farm Distillery, co-owned by Ricky Gervais, has announced the launch of three new Dutch Barn flavoured vodkas: Black Cherry, Mediterranean Citrus, and Balinese Vanilla, just in time for Christmas.
French outdoor adventure and lifestyle brand Salomon has recently become a staple of style-conscious sneakerheads, despite traditionally being known for its functional hiking and trail apparel. Today, the Salomon customer includes Pilates princesses whose ‘fit checks’ on social media have contributed to the virality of the shoe styles, whilst the brand still caters to its core original consumer of adventure seekers.
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 Times publishes international & UK retail news covering products, data, tech, packaging, people, research, comment and more besides! From 2 December, four major UK cities will become home to the first ever ‘Magical mince pie windows’, kicking off Sainsbury’s mince pie December donation to Comic Relief. In recognition of the Christmas table staple, every penny from each pack of by Sainsbury’s and Free from classic mince pies, sold from now until the new year, […] If you wan
RTFKT , the Web3 sneaker brand that Nike acquired in 2021 , will wind down operations by the end of January 2025, transitioning into an archived site to showcase the designs created for the platform. Nike will maintain its.Swoosh Web3 brand — in October 2023 Nike released the first IRL sneaker design tied to its.Swoosh Web3-enabled platform — however, the company now appears to be more focused on real-world concerns.
Retail Times publishes international & UK retail news covering products, data, tech, packaging, people, research, comment and more besides! The UK’s leading manufacturer of Wagyu beef, Warrendale Wagyu is thrilled to unveil a festive collaboration with Farmison & Co offering three exclusive, limited-edition Wagyu Christmas joints. Designed by executive development chef Jeff Baker, and guaranteed to be the star of the spread, these centrepieces combine the finest Wagyu beef with innovativ
Grill’d has opened a restaurant on Elizabeth Street, North Hobart, its first restaurant in Tasmania. The store is the burger restaurant chain’s 173rd since it opened its first, on Glenferrie Road in Hawthorn, 20 years ago. “We’ve listened, and we’re finally delivering the world’s most delicious, healthiest burgers to the Apple Isle,” said Simon Crowe, Grill’d founder and MD. “For years we’ve had numerous Tasmanians visit one of our rest
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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