Tue.Jun 03, 2025

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Agentic AI is No Longer Speculative

Retail TouchPoints

Just six months ago, the idea of a business seriously incorporating Agentic AI into its operations would likely have been dismissed as premature. While generative tools, predictive analytics and conversational AI have all advanced rapidly, the notion of software agents autonomously breaking down and executing human workflows remained largely theoretical.

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CX and personalisation are top priorities for brands, but execution is lagging

Inside Retail

If there were a buzzword to capture the last twelve months in the retail industry, it would be customer experience (CX). The term neatly summarises a customers impression of a brand based on their interactions with a brand from first contact to post-purchase follow-up. A retailer’s CX maturity the ability to consistently deliver a high-quality, engaging and personalised experience across all touchpoints is made more complicated by the rising demand for a unified shopping experience that

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CVS Plans to Close 271 Stores in 2025 as Part of Multi-Year Savings Plan

Retail TouchPoints

In August 2024 , CVS Health identified a multi-year opportunity to deliver $2 billion in savings via a variety of methods, and one of those methods will be closing a total of 271 physical stores in 2025, according to the pharmacy retailers 2024 Annual Report. These closures are in addition to the 900 stores CVS shuttered between November 2021 and December 2024; the retailer still operates more than 9,000 locations.

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Auto Repair Company Monro To Close 145 Stores as Financial Struggles Mount

Retail Wire

About 145 Monro Muffler stores are closing. After a recent period of declining sales, the automotive service company decided it would be best to shutter its underperforming stores. It has not yet been announced which stores are on the closing list. Across 32 states, there are currently 1,260 locations owned by the company and 48 franchised stores. Monro recently conducted a comprehensive review of its store portfolio, the company stated in a press release obtained by WBNG 12 News.

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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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PayPal Credit Introduces Physical Card for Brick-and-Mortar Payments

Retail TouchPoints

Over the next few weeks, PayPal will roll out physical payment cards to eligible U.S. PayPal Credit customers, adding a tangible way for consumers to pay for in-store purchases. The cards, issued by Synchrony , expand on PayPal Credits digital offering and will be usable everywhere that Mastercard is accepted. Eligible existing PayPal Credit customers will be notified about their card upgrade during the coming weeks.

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St James Quarter celebrates raft of F&B investment from trio of leading operators

Retail Focus

St James Quarter has announced that three market-leading F&B brands have invested in the prime destination. itsu, the popular healthy fast-food restaurant, has re-opened at the destination, and will be joined by Black Sheep Coffee and Pret A Manger. itsu has relaunched as a company-run restaurant, the site having previously been a franchisee. Trading from 2,000 sq ft, itsu will offer its signature sushi, rice and noodle bowls, and range of Asian salads and snacks from its location on Regist

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Dollar General Posts Q1 2025 Earnings Report, Stock Soars as a Result

Retail Wire

Investors holding Dollar General certainly had something to celebrate today following the company’s most recent Q1 2025 earnings report, as outlined via a June 3 press release. The report checked most boxes in terms of important fiscal metrics: net sales moved upward by 5.3% to $10.4 billion, same-store sales ticked up by 2.4%, operating profit improved 5.5% to $576.1 million, diluted earnings per share (EPS) increased 7.9% to $1.78, and cash flows tied to operations moved upward by 27.6%

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Grocery Stores Emerge as the Last Piece to the Mixed-use Puzzle

Retail TouchPoints

Despite shaky economic conditions that have caused a void in other real estate sectors, retail remains strong, with a historically low vacancy rate of 4.1%. Within that crunch for space, grocery brands, such as Aldi which plans to open 800 new stores by 2028 stand out from the pack with their high growth trajectory and low closure rate. However, they need somewhere to go within a retail landscape that is short on new investments and development.

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From prohibition to participation: Exploring the shifting cannabis retail market

Inside Retail

What do retailers and brands like The Travel Agency, Sundae School and Edie Parker have in common with one another? They all reflect larger changes taking place within the US legal cannabis retail industry, which is projected to grow 41.4 per cent in the next five years, from US$31.4 billion in 2024 to US$44.4 billion in 2029. In a report dubbed From prohibition to participation: Measuring the impact of cannabis and psychedelic mushroom legalisation on consumer spending, Coresight Researchs seni

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Dunkin’ Summer Menu Just Leaked, and It Has Some of the Summer’s Best Flavors, Including 3 Frozen Coffees

Retail Wire

Dunkin’ is getting ready for the summer with some unique, fun flavors. Recently, the popular coffee chain’s summer menu was leaked, and fans are in for a treat. Let’s take a look at what we know about this leak so far. The Leaked Dunkin’ Summer Menu According to Food & Wine , the It Girl-approved Pink Spritz was just announced by Dunkin’, but more products might be coming soon for your next drive-thru coffee run.

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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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Lotte’s Samuel Kim on the company’s strategy to keep up with changing times

Inside Retail

When half of South Koreas retail activity happens online, the old rules of selling no longer apply for one of Asias largest retail conglomerates, Lotte. One of the big differences for South Korea is that we went digital better, faster and more extensively than any other country. This enabled a very different kind of online experience compared to other places, Samuel Sanghyun Kim, vice chairman and group CEO of Lottes retail division, shared at the National Retail Federations (NRF) Big Show Asia

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Father’s Day Spending To Hit Record High Amid Concerns for Economy: Study

Retail Wire

Despite worries surrounding the American economy and the impending tariffs , one study suggests that spending for this Fathers Day will break a record. The National Retail Federation and Prosper Insights & Analytics are predicting that spending will reach a record $24 billion in 2025. NRF Vice President of Industry and Consumer Insights Katherine Cullen said in a press release , Americans are embracing meaningful traditions and holidays, and this Fathers Day, spending on gifts and other holi

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Newbie announces new UK store opening in the Royal Borough of Windsor

Retail Focus

Newbie , the sustainable lifestyle brand within the Swedish fashion group Kappahl Group , is excited to announce a brand-new store opening in Windsor, UK on Thursday, 5th June 2025. With timeless design and a nostalgic style, Newbie offers carefully crafted clothing for babies, children, and women always made with love and care. The brand continues its expansion in the UK with further store openings in strategic locations across London and the UK later this year.

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Trader Joe’s Fans ‘Suspicious’ Over Untraditional New Grocery Item

Retail Wire

Trader Joe’s has just released an untraditional new grocery item, leaving some customers “suspicious” after seeing the product on social media. The supermarket chain recently introduced a new limited-time addition to its ready-to-eat meal lineup: a meatball calzone. Priced at $6.99 for 16 ounces, this Italian-inspired item is hearty enough to serve two adults, though one very hungry person could easily finish it solo.

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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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Essex’s first Crocs Outlet to open this week

Retail Focus

Braintree Village has announced that its brand-new Crocs store will open its doors this Friday, 6 th June. The store at the Essex-based outlet will be the first Crocs store in the region and the fourth Crocs outlet store in the country. The 1,369 sq ft unit will be located between Barbour and White Stuff. To celebrate the stores opening, there will be an array of offers for a limited time, including a free pack of Jibbitz charms with each purchase over 55 and an additional 20% off of the outlet

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Starbucks Unveils 4 New Summer Drinks and Brings Back a Beloved Dessert

Retail Wire

Starbucks is set to introduce four new beverage items in mid-summer, rounding out the warmer months with a series of exciting sips and the return of a beloved dessert. Reputable food blogger Markie Devo shared the news on Instagram , revealing that the new products will drop the first week of July. This quartet of cold drinks will hit the spot during summer’s heat.

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John Lewis promises to bring back employee bonus ‘as soon as possible’

Retail Gazette

John Lewis has vowed to bring back its staff bonus “as soon as possible” following a staff campaign. The retailer , which also owns Waitrose, has not paid a bonus to workers since 2022 as it has been focussed on turning the business around after three years of losses. A John Lewis and Waitrose spokesperson said: “Our bonus remains an important feature of our employee ownership model, and we’ve publicly stated that we are determined to pay one as soon as possible. “W

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Dollar General Plans 575 Added Stores in ’25

VMS

Dollar General Corp. (Goodlettsville, Tenn.) continues to expand at breakneck speed, with plans to add 575 stores this year. The brand, which calls itself “America’s neighborhood general store,” unveiled that number in the news release on its strong first quarter fiscal results for the period ended May 2. (For that period, its net sales increased 5.3%, to $10.4 billion, and its operating profit rose 5.5%, to $576.1 million.

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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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Educating Tomorrow’s Tech Workforce: A New Map for AI-Era Skills

Cisco Retail

What happens when AI doesn't replace jobs, but fundamentally transforms how they're performed?

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Costco’s Gas Stations Are Making a Huge Change — Here’s What Customers Need To Know

Retail Wire

Costco offers a variety of popular ancillary services for its members, including a gas station with competitive prices. Now, however, the warehouse club is looking to make these services even more enticing. According to Men’s Journal , Costco has extended its members-only gas station hours until 10 p.m. nationwide, and certain locations are also opening earlier in the day.

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Old Navy shows off activewear with Lindsay Lohan in ‘80s-inspired spot

Retail Dive

The Gap brand, which reported a ninth consecutive quarter of market share gains, is now the No. 5 player in the active category.

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St James Quarter celebrates raft of F&B investment from trio of leading operators

A1 Retail

St James Quarter has announced that three market-leading F&B brands have invested in the prime destination.itsu, the popular healthy fast-food restaurant, has reopened at the destination, and will be joined byBlack Sheep CoffeeandPret A Manger. itsu has relaunched as a company-run restaurant, the site having previously been a franchisee.Trading from 2,000 sq ft, itsu will offer its signature sushi, rice and noodle bowls, and range of Asian salads and snacks from its location on Register Squa

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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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Shrink down, margins up at Dollar General a year after removing nearly all self-checkout

Retail Dive

The discounter expects to raise prices “as a last resort” as tariffs and the economy replace lost merchandise as its major concerns.

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A Purpose-Driven Partnership: How Community Is At The Center Of Cisco’s Newest Sports Endeavor

Cisco Retail

Today, Cisco is excited to add a new partner to our portfolio Monumental Sports & Entertainment (MSE). Our new multi-year collaboration will encompass the entire Monumental enterprise, including the NBAs Washington Wizards, NHLs Washington Capitals, WNBAs Washington Mystics, Monumental Sports Network (MNMT), and Capital One Arena. This new partnership will be an incredible platform for both our brands highlighting what becomes possible on the strength of Ciscos AI-ready technology.

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Tariffs squeeze off-price retailers more than expected

Retail Dive

The major players likely have greater exposure to import levies than previously thought, though their value proposition remains an advantage.

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M&S stores hold walk-in recruitment days following cyberattack

Retail Gazette

M&S is staging in-store recruitment open days to fill vacant staff positions while its online portal is unable to take applications. The retailer paused its online recruitment last month following a ransomware attack on its systems in April. M&S expects online disruption to last until early July while it reboots its programs. Related Story M&S CEO bags 7.1m pay packet 02/06/2025 x 12:20 PM The retailer’s stores have posted on Facebook to promote walk-in open days for multiple

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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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8,000 Extra Units Sold in Two Weeks: The Power of Data-Driven Pricing Strategies

Wiser

In todays competitive retail landscape, pricing is more than just a numbers game, its a strategic lever. For one global athletic footwear and apparel retailer, tapping into the right data at the right time unlocked major wins, including an 8,000-unit sales surge in just two weeks. The Challenge: Disconnected Omnichannel Pricing in a Global Business With operations spanning North America, EMEA, and APAC, this retailer was grappling with a fragmented pricing approach.

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How to Create a “Remember When” Experience that Keeps Customers Coming Back

Hyken

Why do customers go back to the companies they love doing business with? Thats what we asked more than 1,000 customers in our annual customer experience research , and here are some of the top reasons: Employees who are helpful and knowledgeable A friendly experience (thanks to employees) A convenient and easy experience A personalized experience Employees who show empathy Customers can decide to return based on any one or a combination of these experiences,or anything else they deem to be

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Obituaries: Co-Founders of Burlington, Dressbarn

VMS

Two pioneers in the discount retailing sector have passed away in recent months. They are both pre-deceased by their respective spouses, who also co-founded the businesses in question. Recently deceased are: Roslyn Jaffe, who co-founded Dressbarn (Mahwah, N.J.), and Monroe Milstein, co-founder of Burlington Coat Factory (Burlington, N.J.) Here’s an excerpt from Jaffee’s obituary by The New York Times as it appears on Legacy.com : “Determined to pursue higher education at a time when few women di

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80s casual classics to make southern debut at The Liberty Romford

A1 Retail

The Liberty Romford, the shopping centre owned and operated by Redical , has announced that retro clothing retailer,80s Casual Classics,has signed to open its first store in the South this summer, marking the brands fifth location and contributing to the destinations ongoing retail transformation. Spanning 2,340 sq ft,80s Casual Classicsnew flagship store will showcase 70s, 80s, and 90s-inspired apparel from nostalgic heritage brands, including Sergio Tacchini, Fila Vintage, Ellesse, Adidas Orig

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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.