Tue.Feb 14, 2023

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Super Bowl LVII Ads: Temu Debuts, Rakuten Time-Travels to the 1990s

Retail TouchPoints

With algorithms and AI now “deciding” what ads each person sees, and delivering them through an increasingly splintered media landscape, events like the Super Bowl are one of the few places where marketers still get the opportunity to speak to a mass audience. And with Super Bowl ad rates running to $7 million for a 30-second spot, the pressure is on to create commercials that are truly memorable, using humor, celebrities, nostalgia, and, when all else fails, animals (talking and otherwise).

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Australian Retail Outlook 2023: Paradigm shifts and fresh perspectives

Inside Retail

After multiple paradigm shifts in 2022, retailers are facing a very different landscape in the months ahead. Let’s start with shoppers finally emerging from a Covid-19 cocoon of contemplation and online shopping. In a short period, their mindset shifted from lockdown doldrums to finally getting ‘back to normal’ with a bit of catchup spending and a lot of treating themselves after the hardships of the last two years.

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5 Tips on Connecting with Consumers from the Founder of ‘Disrupter’ Brands Hello and Eos

Retail TouchPoints

Craig Dubitsky is behind some of the most disruptive CPG brands of the last decade — he founded the Hello oral care and Eos lip balm brands and was an early investor in cleaning brand Method. But whatever you do, don’t call him a disrupter. “Disruption — I hate that word; you don’t want to disrupt,” he said at an event hosted by retail management platform Trax in January 2023.

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Kmart underpins strong quarter for Wesfarmers – but inflation fears loom

Inside Retail

Wesfarmers has reported a 14 per cent increase in interim profit, with its Kmart arm sales up by 114 per cent. However, the company says its retail business will soon face headwinds due to ongoing inflation and interest rate hikes. The retail business of Wesfarmers comprises Bunnings, Officeworks, and the Kmart Group – which includes Kmart, Target and Catch.

Planning 264
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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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Amazon CEO says it will ‘go big’ on grocery stores

Retail Wire

Amazon.com CEO Andy Jassy said that the retail and technology giant will “go big” on brick and mortar grocery stores despite the fact that the company recently hit pause on its expansion efforts. “We have a history of doing a lot of experimentation and doing it quickly. And then, when we find something that we like, doubling down on it, which is what we intend to do,” he said.

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Very Enhances Search and Browsing Options with AI-Powered Features

Retail TouchPoints

UK-based digital retailer Very has partnered with AI-powered product search and discovery platform Constructor to transform its product discovery experience across online and mobile channels. Constructor’s technology will help Very deliver highly personalized shopping experiences and journeys aimed at driving engagement, loyalty and conversions. Very offers products across fashion, tech, homeware, toys, sports equipment and other categories from more than 2,000 brands.

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The New Digital Dilemma: How to Elevate Customer Relationships in an Increasingly Commoditized Marketplace

Retail TouchPoints

Consumer-facing brands have spent hundreds of millions of dollars over the past few decades creating unique customer experiences in their physical brick-and-mortar locations. Whether it’s retail bank branches that look more like cafés, Main Street wealth management and insurance agency outposts that bring a regional aesthetic to big national brands or global apparel retailers that have made their stores feel like curated boutiques, businesses have worked hard to connect with their customers.

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The secret to fighting racial profiling in stores

Inside Retail

In 2021, an IGA store in Australia was publicly called out for racial profiling. The store, in Melbourne’s west, had posted a sign on the cash register mentioning the need for “extra assistance” if an African customer were to walk into the store. A photo of the racist sign went viral on social media and was picked up by news outlets like SBS. For Black, Brown and Indigenous People of Colour, this was not new news , but something that has been a perpetual issue and conversation in their communit

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FT: Amazon CEO Preparing to ‘Go Big’ on Grocery Investments

Retail TouchPoints

Amazon CEO Andy Jassy is reportedly planning to double down on the ecommerce giant’s physical grocery business despite recently announced plans to put growth on hold , according to the Financial Times. Jassy blamed the company’s grocery struggles on a lack of “normalcy” during the pandemic and noted that it was ready to “go big” on brick-and-mortar as customer behaviors stabilize.

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What Company Do You Admire Most??

Hyken

Do you remember being asked, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” When you’re a child, the typical answers are aspirational, such as being a doctor, a fireman, a superhero, an athlete, and more. I have a grown-up version of this question. It’s not about what you want to be. It’s not even about you. It s about your company. You may be grown up, but your company should always be developing and evolving, so the question is now about your company’s aspirations.

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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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Why tourists and big city flagships are key to Takashimaya’s recovery

Inside Retail

Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry said there were 210 department stores in Japan at the end of 2019 but attrition in the ensuing three years reduced that number to just 192 by the end of 2022. In January, several more departed: Takashimaya closed its unit in Tachikawa, in Western Tokyo, which had poor growth prospects and in the last year was contributing barely more than 1 per cent of Takashimaya’s sales in Japan.

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Advertisers have abandoned Twitter in big numbers

Retail Wire

More than 62 percent of Twitter’s top advertisers as of September were no longer on the social media site by January, according to data from Pathmatics by Sensor Tower. Major brands including Coca-Cola, Unilever, Jeep, Wells Fargo and Merck are among the companies that refrained from advertising on Twitter in January.

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“Retail is a third space”: Industry leaders discuss role of stores in 2023

Inside Retail

While online retail enjoyed a bumper few years during the Covid-19 pandemic, the spotlight is back on bricks-and-mortar as the channel to watch for the foreseeable future. Customers are increasingly interested in getting back out into the world and enjoying the physical act of shopping, resorting to e-commerce more for convenience. This week, at the annual eTail conference in Sydney, Zane Matthews, head of retail operations at Blooms the Chemist, Marta Skrabacz, head of e-commerce at Godiva ANZ,

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Super Bowl LVII went to the dogs

Retail Wire

Americans who watched commercials during Sunday’s broadcast ranked ads that featured dogs as their favorites. A spot from Farmer’s Dog was ranked number one in USA Today’s annual Ad Meter report. Two other spots, Amazon.com’s and Bud Light’s ad featuring Miles Teller, Keleigh Sperry and their dog Bugsy, were among the top six, according to the final tally.

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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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Retail sales recovery boosts Vicinity Centres’ bottom line

Inside Retail

Vicinity Centres says a resilient retail sector and an occupancy rate of 98.6 per cent across its malls helped drive a 20.5 per cent uplift in net property income during the first half. For the six months to December 31, the company recorded revenue of $357.1 million, up from $287.7 million of the corresponding period last year. However, tax-paid profit was down, at $176.3 million this year, compared with $650.2 million – a gap of $473.9 million – which the company said related to non-cash items

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EBay buys AI fraud detection company 3PM Shield

Retail Dive

The acquisition, which is the latest in a string of technology purchases, comes a week after the marketplace announced layoffs.

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Less than 50 per cent of retailers are ready to manage digital complexity

Inside Retail

In an effort to help retailers manage the rapidly increasing digital complexity both online and in-store, Incisiv, an industry insights firm, conducted a survey titled “Digital Complexity: Thriving in Unpredictable Times” in collaboration with Commercetools , Contentstack , and FluentCommerce. Gaurav Pant, chief insights officer at Incisiv, hosted a webinar with Michael Scholz, Nicolla Kinsella, and Jasmin Guthmann to discuss the survey results, providing valuable insights and direction to help

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Tuesday Morning files for Chapter 11, again

Retail Dive

In its second bankruptcy filing since 2020, the discount retailer is planning to shrink its store footprint further and refocus on high-traffic stores.

Planning 116
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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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Apparel sales drive Redbubble revenue in latest half

Inside Retail

Online marketplace Redbubble says strong apparel sales across both of its marketplaces delivered a solid result in the first half. As reported last month , the company’s marketplace revenue (MPR) reached $289.3 million after momentum improved in the second quarter. It was up by 3 per cent year on year and by 5 per cent on an underlying basis. Promotional initiatives improved the proportion of revenue from repeat purchases, which increased 47 per cent during the half.

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Walmart shuts the door on e-commerce-only stores

Retail Dive

The retailer is closing two locations that offer only pickup and delivery service, along with five other full-service stores.

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Burger King parent names new CEO

Retail Wire

Restaurant Brands International said that COO Joshua Kobza will become the company’s CEO, effective March 1. He replaces Jose Cil, who will stay with the company as an advisor for one year. Restaurant Brands International reported same-store sales growth of eight percent during the fourth quarter. The company owns Burger King, Firehouse Subs, Popeyes and Tim Hortons.

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Away exploring strategic options, including a sale: Bloomberg

Retail Dive

The brand once boasted a $1.4 billion valuation. But over the years it has experienced challenges, including several C-suite changes.

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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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Seniors take a hit from rising food prices

Retail Wire

Food prices are expected to rise seven percent this year on top of last year’s 10 percent increase, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Higher prices have become increasingly worrisome for older Americans, particularly those living on fixed incomes. “This is a group that has diabetes, heart disease and cancer risk,” said Dr. Preeti Malani, a professor of medicine at the University of Michigan.

ATS 100
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Funding 101: What to Know to Maximize Cash Flow for Online Business

Rangeme

You’ve heard the stories: “I got started with just $800.” or “Oh, you need at least $10,000 to successfully start an e-commerce business.” While the stories may vary, they all share one truth: You need funding to achieve long-term success for your online business. How do you know where to start? There are a variety of types of funding , each appropriate for different points along your e-commerce journey.

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Annual inflation rate ticked down slightly in January

Retail Wire

The Consumer Price Index in January was up 6.4 percent year-over-year, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Higher food and energy costs combined to keep the rate of inflation stubbornly high.

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Connected retail – the must have retail strategy for 2023

I Vend

iVend Retail Inventory Management iVend’s integrated connected retail platform helps customers worldwide Find out how it can transform your retail business. Read more Our physical and digital words are merging like never before, fuelling the growth of the metaverse * , and of rapidly growing technologies such as augmented reality ** We engage with a whole range of services via our mobile devices – from shopping to entertainment to banking.

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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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Reddit users find ways around ChatGPT’s safeguards

Retail Wire

ChatGPT is coded to stay within its lane and not address sensitive topics often associated with hate speech. A college student on Reddit has inspired others to find ways to workaround ChatGPT’s operating guidelines after finding success doing just that. The apparent ease with which individuals have bypassed ChatGPT’s guidelines is a caution to companies pushing ahead to incorporate the chatbot into their search and other functions.

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Lively moves into Canada

Retail Dive

The new market launch follows a number of changes at the intimates brand in recent years, including an acquisition and a CEO transition.

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Kum & Go considers selling its c-stores

Retail Wire

Kum & Go, which operates 430 convenience stores across 11 Midwestern states, is exploring strategic options for the family-owned chain. The company’s leadership is also looking at refinancing, real estate leasebacks and other forms of recapitalization as alternatives to an outright sale.

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Data Harmonization - Why Should Shopper Marketers Care?

Shopperations

CPG shopper marketers are awash in data. Finance data, shipments data, syndicated point of sale data, retail media performance data, shopper card data, website traffic data… the list goes on.

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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.