Thu.Sep 28, 2023

article thumbnail

Meta Debuts Suite of New AI Tools Including Chatbots, Celeb Voices and Image Editing

Retail TouchPoints

Meta debuted a series of new AI-powered tools for its social platforms, including Facebook , Instagram , Messenger and WhatsApp , at its annual developers conference Meta Connect on Sept. 27. And while Meta hasn’t completely abandoned its namesake, the metaverse — reveals at the event also included the new Quest 3 VR headset and upgrades to its line of smart glasses with Ray-Ban — the company has clearly shifted its focus to this year’s hottest technology, AI.

Planning 325
article thumbnail

New Balance follows Nike, Puma in phasing out kangaroo skins 

Inside Retail

Athletic giant New Balance has altered its sourcing policies, aiming to phase out its use of kangaroo skins and halt sales of kangaroo-based shoes by next December. The move comes after Nike and Puma announced plans to stop the use of wildlife skins to make soccer cleats earlier this year. Nike said it will halt sourcing and sales of kangaroo skins by the end of this year. “… There’s no question that the decisions will diminish the financing of the commercial massacres of kangaroos in the

Finance 264
Insiders

Sign Up for our Newsletter

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

article thumbnail

Give the Gift of a Hyper-Personalized Shopping Experience this Holiday Season

Retail TouchPoints

The continued advancement of retail technology and ecommerce have set new standards for a quality online shopping experience. Todays’ customers expect seamless omnichannel shopping experiences that are highly personalized. In fact, 80% of customers say they’re more likely to purchase from brands that personalize, according to Deloitte. However, most ecommerce retailers today have already invested in personalizing their online shopping experience — so why are retailers still struggling with custo

Shopping 278
article thumbnail

Accent Group marks 800th store with Nude Lucy opening at Miranda

Inside Retail

Footwear retailer Accent Group has opened a Nude Lucy store at Westfield Miranda in NSW, the group’s 800th store. The new store opening is part of the Accent Group’s plan to expand the footprint of all of its 15 brands as it sees a strong return on investment in brick-and-mortar retail. “Staying focused on the basics like real customer satisfaction, add-on sales and always looking for opportunities has been instrumental for our success to date,” said Daniel Agostinelli, CEO at

ATS 264
article thumbnail

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.

article thumbnail

Wawa Unveils New Store Design, Brick-and-Mortar Expansion Plans

Retail TouchPoints

Convenience store chain Wawa has unveiled its first “next generation” store design, in Henrico, Va., to showcase the company’s focus on designing for efficiency, and has revealed more details on its store expansion plans in Ohio and Kentucky. The new exterior design for the Virginia store has a defined centered entry point, a “V”-shaped column and a cantilever roof canopy.

Planning 278
article thumbnail

Sycamore to buy Chico’s for $1B

Retail Dive

The agreement strikes a deal that eluded the private equity firm four years ago, despite repeated attempts then to acquire the women’s apparel retailer.

Apparel 130

More Trending

article thumbnail

Retail appointments of the week

Inside Retail

GameStop names billionaire Ryan Cohen as CEO in turnaround push By Aditya Soni of Reuters GameStop on Thursday named billionaire Ryan Cohen as its CEO and chairman, tightening the activist investor’s grip on the ailing video game retailer that he intends to turn around. The brick-and-mortar retailer that once attracted gamers has struggled in the age of online downloads, drawing it to the heart of a clash in 2021 between hedge funds betting on its demise and retail traders pumping up its p

Finance 130
article thumbnail

Sycamore Partners Acquires Chico’s for $1 Billion

Retail TouchPoints

VC firm Sycamore Partners will purchase Chico’s FAS for $1 billion in a deal that will take the apparel retailer private. Shareholders will receive $7.60 per share in cash, representing a 65% premium to the company’s closing stock price on Sept. 27, 2023, the last trading day prior to the transaction. Chico’s operates more than 1,200 stores in the U.S. and sells internationally via 58 franchise locations in Mexico.

Apparel 263
article thumbnail

Retail appointments of the week

Inside Retail

GameStop names billionaire Ryan Cohen as CEO in turnaround push By Aditya Soni of Reuters GameStop on Thursday named billionaire Ryan Cohen as its CEO and chairman, tightening the activist investor’s grip on the ailing video game retailer that he intends to turn around. The brick-and-mortar retailer that once attracted gamers has struggled in the age of online downloads, drawing it to the heart of a clash in 2021 between hedge funds betting on its demise and retail traders pumping up its p

Finance 130
article thumbnail

GameStop Names Ryan Cohen CEO — for a $0 Salary

Retail TouchPoints

Just months after firing its previous CEO, Matt Furlong, GameStop has named Ryan Cohen to the post, adding the title to his roles as the company’s President and Chairman of the board of directors. In an unusual move, Cohen, an activist investor and Co-founder of Chewy , will receive no salary. GameStop generated net sales of $1.16 billion during its Q2 2023, which ended July 30, a 2.4% increase over the same period the previous year.

ATS 261
article thumbnail

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

article thumbnail

How the loneliness epidemic is hurting workplaces

Inside Retail

Despite improvements in technology making it easier than ever to stay in touch with loved ones, loneliness is on the rise. Earlier this year, the US Surgeon General, Dr Vivek Murthy, declared loneliness a public health epidemic. And with a growing number of businesses adopting remote and hybrid working arrangements, as well as a labour force with new priorities following the Covid-19 pandemic, this issue is impacting workplaces, too.

article thumbnail

Distributed ZTNA enables simple and scalable secure remote access to OT assets

Cisco Retail

Zero trust network access (ZTNA) is the ideal alternative to cellular gateways and VPN solutions for remote access. But in OT environments, ZTNA needs to be distributed.

126
126
article thumbnail

John Lewis eyes £150m sale of 12 Waitrose stores

Retail Gazette

John Lewis Partnership in understood to be in talks about raising as much as £150m from a sale and leaseback deal of a dozen Waitrose supermarkets. The business will begin marketing the stores from next week, which are predominantly located in the south of England with 20-year inflation-linked leases, Bloomberg reported. CBRE is understood to be acting as property agent, but sources told the publication that there was no certainty a deal would take place.

article thumbnail

Lululemon to discontinue Mirror as it teams up with Peloton

Retail Dive

Peloton will be Lululemon’s digital fitness content provider, and co-branded apparel will start selling through Peloton in select locations starting in October.

Apparel 122
article thumbnail

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.

article thumbnail

Customer-centric holiday campaign strategies for a cookie-less future

Retail Customer Experience

By pivoting the focus toward fostering customer loyalty, accumulating first-party data, and crafting personalized experiences, retailers can not only navigate a transition to a cookie-less future but emerge more resilient.

118
118
article thumbnail

Kohl’s appoints former Tuesday Morning CEO as director of stores

Retail Dive

Fred Hand, who was also the previous COO of Burlington, will oversee the retailer’s more than 1,100 stores.

116
116
article thumbnail

Neri&Hu divides Shanghai fashion boutique with fabrics and marble screens

Dezeen

Chinese studio Neri&Hu has completed a store interior for Ms MIN in Shanghai , China, to showcase the fashion brand's diverse use of materials. Located at the Taikoo Li shopping complex in central Shanghai, the 195-square-metre store was designed to evoke a sense of traditional home-based atelier that places materials and craftsmanship at its centre.

Boutique 113
article thumbnail

GameStop names Ryan Cohen CEO

Retail Dive

The move places the manager of the video game retailer's largest shareholder in charge of the company.

article thumbnail

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.

article thumbnail

Why Chief Customer Officer Is the Hottest Job in Retail

Retail Wire

Retailers, including Foot Locker and CVS, are appointing chief customer officers (CCOs) in response to changing consumer behavior and slumping sales. CCOs focus on the entire shopping journey, aiming to strengthen brand-consumer relationships and drive loyalty. This shift represents an evolution rather than an elimination of the CMO role, with the CCO tasked with building.

Consumer 113
article thumbnail

Sainsbury’s introduces paper packaging to its toilet and kitchen rolls

Retail Gazette

Sainsbury’s has become the first UK supermarket to replace the plastic packaging on its own-brand kitchen towels and toilet rolls with a paper version. The supermarket said the move was the biggest plastics reduction it had made in its grocery business so far, saving around 485 tonnes of plastic each year. The paper packaging will launch across 27 products in-store and online from this week.

article thumbnail

Walmart Is Stripping Some Stores of Self-Checkout Lanes and Bringing Back Cashiers

Retail Wire

Walmart is removing self-checkout lanes from at least three stores in Albuquerque, New Mexico, replacing them with staffed checkout counters to enhance the shopping experience. Walmart spokesperson Josh Havens stated that the move is part of their continuous effort to improve customer service. The company has also previously mentioned plans to provide hands-on assistance to.

Checkout 113
article thumbnail

8th Annual Global Small Business Forum 10/20/23

LS Retail

©2023 Global TradeSource, Ltd. All rights reserved. ? ? ? Let's take on the world 10/20/23! ? ? ? Registration is OPEN for our 8th Annual Global Small Business Forum ( [link] ) brought to you by lead sponsor Associated Bank and hosted by Foley Lardner. Full disclosure: I [Laurel Delaney] serve as the Director for the Forum. We can't wait to see you Friday, October 20 from 8:00 AM CT – 11:30 AM CT.

Finance 111
article thumbnail

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.

article thumbnail

Nike Air Jordans Are Losing Resale Value. Is Sneaker Culture Moving On?

Retail Wire

Nike’s iconic Jordan brand, a significant revenue driver for the company, is facing a decline in resale value according to data from Altan Insights. On platforms like StockX, the premium paid on new releases of Nike’s Air Jordan 1 Retro High has dropped from 61% in 2020 to 4% in 2023. This has raised concerns.

113
113
article thumbnail

‘Shock and dismay’: Bankrupt Mitchell Gold has thousands of furniture shipments stuck in logistics limbo

Retail Dive

Ryder and other providers are storing millions of dollars worth of products in warehouses as they await payment from a company that is out of cash.

110
110
article thumbnail

Billionaire Chewy Cofounder Ryan Cohen Takes Over as Gamestop CEO

Retail Wire

Billionaire entrepreneur Ryan Cohen, co-founder of Chewy, has taken over as the CEO of GameStop, where he already held the position of executive chairman. Cohen, who owns a 12.1% stake in the company, succeeded former CEO Matt Furlong, who was dismissed after the company reported a larger-than-expected quarterly loss. Cohen won’t be receiving a salary.

113
113
article thumbnail

Asda takes aim at M&S as it launches Taste Match campaign

Retail Gazette

Asda has taken aim at M&S as part of its new ‘Taste Match’ campaign to promote product quality. According to the supermarket, hundreds of its products were voted “as tasty” or “tastier than” their M&S equivalents but at a lower cost. The grocer’s latest campaign claims it houses products with ‘M&S taste at Asda price’ following thousands of independent blind taste tests.

Grocer 109
article thumbnail

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.

article thumbnail

Showfields closes New York store in Manhattan

Retail Dive

The retailer closed its Miami location in July and will focus on its stores still open in Brooklyn and Washington, D.C.

Location 105
article thumbnail

Frasers Group, Primark and TK Maxx eye up former Wilko stores

Retail Gazette

Frasers Group, Primark and TK Maxx are among the retailers scouting former Wilko outlets for new stores. According to Drapers, Mike Ashley’s retail empire is in discussions with landlords about several ex-Wilko properties for its Sports Direct fascias, with a particular interest in retail park locations. Primark is understood to be exploring multiple sites belonging to the collapsed retailer with a focus on high streets, which could help the retailer test smaller-format stores.

Fashion 104
article thumbnail

The Backroom: Marisa Meltzer and the creation of Glossier

Retail Dive

The journalist’s new book "Glossy" makes waves as it pulls back the curtain on Glossier founder Emily Weiss and the beauty brand that changed the industry.

105
105
article thumbnail

Asda shakes up commercial team to fuel growth

Retail Gazette

Asda has made several changes to its commercial function at its head office in Leeds as it sets its sights on becoming the UK’s second-largest grocer. The supermarket said it was introducing eight new integrated business units to cover the different areas of the operation, which will all be led by a director who has full responsibility for sales and profitability in their sector.

article thumbnail

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.