Fri.Oct 22, 2021

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Spanx Acquired by Blackstone, Now Valued at $1.2B

Retail TouchPoints

Shapewear brand Spanx has taken its first outside funding 21 years after its founding, with global investment firm Blackstone set to take a majority stake in the company at a valuation of $1.2 billion. The acquisition will enable Spanx to accelerate its digital transformation and grow its global footprint. Founder Sara Blakely told CNBC that the company also was making a big push into other apparel categories, including denim, and wants to continue expanding its direct-to-consumer sales, which a

ATS 299
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John Lewis opens Christmas Emporiums across 10 stores

Retail Focus

John Lewis opens one-stop-festive shop Christmas Emporiums across 10 of their stores. The Emporiums, a destination for fun and inspirational experiences, will host in-store events and festive workshops, offer personalised gifting experiences alongside an offering of presents and decorations, making it a magical day out for the whole family. John Lewis – Christmas Emporium opens – on Tuesday 19th October 2021.

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Burberry Names Akeroyd its Next CEO

Retail TouchPoints

Burberry has appointed Jonathan Akeroyd as CEO and Executive Director, effective April 2022. Akeroyd is currently CEO of Gianni Versace SpA , a position he has held since 2016. He will succeed Marco Gobbetti, who was named Burberry CEO in 2017. Gobbetti is leaving Burberry at the end of 2021 to take the reins at Salvatore Ferragamo. Gerry Murphy, Burberry Chair, will head the company until Akeroyd comes aboard in April.

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Quality Street and John Lewis announce the return of in-store pick and mix stations

Retail Focus

Quality Street and John Lewis are making the nation’s sweet dreams come true as they announce the return of in-store pick and mix stations. Shoppers will be able to create their own bespoke collection of favourites from the 12 delicious sweets in this year’s pick and mix assortment, as well as personalise the collector’s tin which has been specially produced for John Lewis.

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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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Amazon Wants to Help U.S. SMBs Sell Abroad — on Amazon, of Course

Retail TouchPoints

This year Amazon overtook Walmart to become the biggest retailer in the U.S. — but the fact is, Amazon is a big business powered by lots and lots of small ones. More than half of all products purchased on Amazon are sold by third-party sellers, most of which are small- and medium-sized businesses (SMBs). “Today when a consumer buys a product [on Amazon], the odds are better than not that it’s going to be a third-party seller’s product,” said Andy Jassy, who succeeded Amazon Founder Jeff Be

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Deloitte: 75% of shoppers are worried about stockouts this year

Retail Dive

Six in 10 retail executives are also worried about receiving holiday orders on time, the research firm found.

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Amazon launches in-store pickup, local delivery option for businesses

Retail Dive

Amazon Local Selling may ease a friction point that is becoming increasingly tense heading into the 2021 holiday season — delivery.

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Instagram drives luxury watch brand marketing and sales

Retail Wire

Luxury watch brands are turning to Instagram to create awareness for their new products, and companies such as Breitling are using commenters on the social media site as an advisory board. “We show them new products, concepts or ideas one to two years in advance,” said George Kern, Breitling CEO. “And here and there, we change our mind or our approach to designs, and test designs in other directions.”.

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Guest Post: 6 Best Business Management Tips While Investing in Customer Experience

Hyken

Grey Idol is the marketing director at altLine by the Southern Bank, a trusted provider of invoice factoring and accounts receivable financing. He shares six ways companies and their brands can deliver an exceptional customer experience. Companies and their brands are no longer built through advertising but through experiences, and these experiences are customer-driven.?

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Record port traffic may not be cleared up for six months or a year

Retail Wire

One-hundred vessels, a record, are currently waiting to dock at ports along the West Coast, according to Kuehne+Nagel. “We would expect this can continue even longer than six or twelve months. There’s no sign of relief,” said CEO Detlef Trefzger. “This is a bullwhip effect we experienced. And it’s getting worse at the moment.”.

ATS 130
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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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Why multi-brand retailers can't afford to ignore in-store digital marketing networks

Retail Dive

In-store digital marketing networks: the key to unlocking the full storytelling potential of RMNs

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Lack of warehouse space complicates supply chain issues

Retail Wire

Retailers are trying to stock up on goods to meet orders for the holiday season but warehouse space is currently at a premium, meaning that some may not be able to find a place to inventory goods for future fulfillment.

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Report: 85% of consumers will continue pandemic shopping behaviors this season

Retail Dive

Alvarez & Marsal also found over half of shoppers expect their financial situation to stagnate or worsen in coming months, leading them to spend less.

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Fritz Hansen creates beige, white and rose showroom in Shanghai

Dezeen

Danish brand Fritz Hansen has opened a showroom in Shanghai 's Jing'an district, which is the brand's latest outpost in China. Located in the ShanKang Li lifestyle and dining hub, the 220-square-metre showroom is decorated in a palette of beige, white and rose. Fritz Hansen has opened a showroom in Shanghai. The directly owned showroom marks the latest step in Fritz Hansen 's expansion into China following its first Chinese store in Xi'an in 2019 , which was opened in collaboration with a local

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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 Weekly Closeout: AAFA urges more action on shipping crisis

Retail Dive

The trade group said the administration has yet to address certain issues, and Outdoor Voices introduces the concept of snack leggings.

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Allbirds Opens First Denver Store

VMS

Footwear and apparel brand Allbirds (San Francisco) has opened a new store and community center at the Cherry Creek Shopping Center in Denver, according to a press release. The store is the brand’s first in Denver and 34th worldwide. The 2900-square-foot space speaks to the brand’s sustainable purpose, with displays that educate shoppers around its use of merino wool, sugarcane and other natural materials in place of petroleum-based synthetic fibers.

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Washington Prime Group CEO out as bankruptcy winds up

Retail Dive

The mall REIT is now majority owned by investment firm SVP Global, after debt forgiveness that helped lighten its load by almost $1 billion.

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Forever 21 CEO Steps Down After Less than Two Years

VMS

Daniel Kulle, CEO of Forever 21, has stepped down after less than two years in the position, reports WWD. According to an e-mail he sent to colleagues, Kulle said he had resigned the position two weeks ago and plans to take time off “to find out my next move.”. Kulle worked at H&M for 25 years before joining Forever 21 as CEO. Developers Simon Property Group and Brookfield Property Parterns, along with Authentic Brands Group, purchased the fast-fashion brand out of bankruptcy in February 202

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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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Spanx sells majority stake to Blackstone

Retail Dive

The deal values the brand, known for its shapewear, at a total of $1.2 billion. Founder Sara Blakely will step into the role of executive chairwoman.

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Sales and confidence both fall as retail forecasts turn negative

Talking Retail

Rising inflation and falling consumer confidence are combining to put pressure on retailers, according to the latest data. In an interview with the Financial Times this morning, the Bank of England’s chief economist said that inflation is likely to hit 5% by early 2022. His prediction followed recent comments from Bank of England governor Andrew. This story continues at Sales and confidence both fall as retail forecasts turn negative.

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Moosejaw Opens Bentonville, Ark. Store

VMS

Outdoor retailer Moosejaw (Madison Heights, Mich.) opened its first physical store in Arkansas, in Bentonville, home of parent company Walmart, according to a press release. The brand was acquired by Walmart in 2017. “Bentonville has become one of the top mountain biking destinations in the US, so we wanted to be there and bring cool brands like Evil and Rocky Mountain Bikes to the area,” said Eoin Comerford, Moosejaw CEO.

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Jollyes pet stores seeks 150 animal lovers to kickstart retail careers

Retail Times

Jollyes, the Pet People, is offering animal lovers a dream opportunity as it recruits 150 young people to work in its stores.

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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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Menu price increases work for Chipotle

Retail Wire

Chipotle Mexican Grill said that price increases it put through enabled it to offset higher prices on beef and shipping. The fast casual chain posted adjusted earnings per share of $7.02, well above the $6.32 expected by analysts. Net sales rose nearly 22 percent during the most recent quarter.

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Merit Commercial Real Estate Breaks Ground on $500 Million Alsatian Oaks Master-Planned Community Near San Antonio

Shopping Center

Castroville, Texas — Merit Commercial Real Estate has broken ground on Alsatian Oaks, a 435-acre, master-planned community in Castroville, a town adjacent to San Antonio. The project represents an investment of more than $500 million. When complete, Alsatian Oaks will… The post Merit Commercial Real Estate Breaks Ground on $500 Million Alsatian Oaks Master-Planned Community Near San Antonio appeared first on Shopping Center Business.

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VF Corp takes a hit right in the supply chain

Retail Wire

VF Corp. fell short of analysts’ expectations in the most recent quarter as the parent company of The North Face, Timberland and Vans was hurt by warehouse stoppages in Vietnam.

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No Magic Solution

LS Retail

©iStock/vchal The Plymouth candy company Maud Borup has been around for more than 100 years. Christine Lantinen purchased the company in 2005, when it had $100,000 in sales. Today, sales at the privately-held company are up to $45 million. Besides a worker shortage, Maud Borup is experiencing – as many importers and exporters are – higher shipping costs.

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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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Neiman Marcus CFO finds a better career fit at Tailored Brands

Retail Wire

Brandy Richardson is leaving her position as CFO at Neiman after 15 years with the company to join Tailored Brands, the parent company of Men’s Wearhouse.

ATS 100
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It’s all in the easier digital transformation…

Cisco Retail

The technology and business world has effectively shifted to a remote or, for some, a hybrid work environment. While we struggled into this new lifestyle seemingly overnight, we were also working to ensure the diverse voices across the globe were also heard and their needs met. Liz Fosslien , a co-author and illustrator of the Wall Street Journal Best-seller No Hard Feelings: The Secret Power of Embracing Emotions at Work and an expert on how to make work better said, “Diversity is having a seat

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Tesco tests GetGo tech to see if it can best Amazon’s Just Walk Out

Retail Wire

Tesco launched its first checkout-free store in Central London using the chain’s GetGo technology. The retailer is deploying the tech at a 2,000-square-foot Tesco Express convenience store. Customers choose items they wish to purchase and check out using the company’s mobile app. Tesco has not indicated whether it plans to expand the tech’s test beyond the current location.

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B&Q opens largest store in a decade

A1 Retail

B&Q opens its new Colchester store at Stane Park. Colchester is B&Q’s first purpose-built digital store as the brand commits to e-commerce growth. The Mayor declares the store officially open with ribbon cutting ceremony. B&Q’s new Colchester store was declared officially open today with a formal cutting of the ribbon by the Mayor of Colchester, Councillor Robert Davidson.

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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.