Fri.Mar 03, 2023

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Target, Macy’s and Dollar Tree Prep for a Tough Year Despite Holiday Success

Retail TouchPoints

While the 2022 holiday season was an overall success , the specter of a potential recession was clearly looming over the retail industry in the final months of the year. That pressure can be felt in the Q4 2022 results and fiscal 2023 outlooks released by a multitude of retailers this week. Walmart has already warned of an economic slowdown in the coming year, noting that shoppers’ savings rates are about half of what they were during the pandemic.

Markdowns 311
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Miffy Brings Playful Charm to Chinatown London with Debut Pop-Up Experience

Retail Focus

Shaftesbury has announced that the beloved character turned globally recognised brand, Miffy, is set to launch its first-ever standalone pop-up activation on Chinatown London’s 78 Shaftesbury Avenue. The classic storybook character will be brought to life in the 400 sq ft space, as the destination celebrates the Year of the Rabbit. The 3-month long pop-up will also stock an exclusive selection of limited-edition products.

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Best Buy Shutters Up to 30 Larger Stores as it Shifts Omnichannel Operating Model

Retail TouchPoints

Best Buy is planning to evolve its operating model with a greater emphasis on smaller stores as the retailer plans to close 20 to 30 large-format stores, implement eight experiential store remodels and open approximately 10 additional outlet stores over the coming year. The retailer plans to invest $200 million in capital expenditures for both these physical store changes and routine store resets and maintenance, down from about $300 million last year.

Planning 299
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Vanilla Women’s Fashion Brand Joins Merry Hill

Retail Focus

Sovereign Centros has announced the upcoming arrival of Vanilla, a trendy women’s clothing brand, at Merry Hill, one of the UK’s top retail and leisure destinations. The store will take up a 4,500 sq ft space and will house both of the brand’s labels, Blue Vanilla and Pink Vanilla, offering a broad selection of affordable, high-quality clothing, footwear, and accessories.

Fashion 147
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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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Nordstrom to Wind Down Canada Operations, Closing 13 Stores and Ecommerce Site

Retail TouchPoints

Nordstrom will shutter its six full-line department stores and seven Nordstrom Rack stores in Canada, along with its Canadian website , in a move that is expected to save the retailer $35 million in EBIT in fiscal 2023 compared to fiscal 2022. The ecommerce site closed on March 2, and the company expects to wind down its brick-and-mortar operations by late June 2023.

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Liverpool ONE Chosen as Location for Sweaty Betty’s Largest Retail Store in the North of England

Retail Focus

Global activewear and lifestyle brand Sweaty Betty will open its largest retail store in the North of England at Liverpool ONE, according to property group Grosvenor. The 2,600 sq ft standalone city store on Peter’s Lane marks Sweaty Betty’s debut in Liverpool and will showcase the brand’s extensive range of women’s clothing, accessories, and footwear, all made with responsibly sourced materials and recycled bottles.

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Why Window Displays are Vital to Retail Stores

Retail Focus

Due to the boom registered by online commerce in the last couple of years, retail stores had to rethink their customer strategy. As such, the window displays became even more important since it’s a potential customer’s contact with the store. Through the window display, a store can communicate a wide range of messages, like the type of products available, discounts, the general atmosphere, or present the brand.

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Kroger Plans $770M Investment in Raising Wages, Boosting Benefits for Frontline Workers

Retail TouchPoints

Kroger will make a more than $770 million incremental investment in its associates during 2023 in order to raise average hourly rates, improve healthcare options and build new training and development opportunities, among other plans. This initiative builds on the $1.9 billion Kroger has invested in its workers since 2018. The grocer’s investments in its frontline workers have raised the company’s average hourly rate from $18 per hour in 2018 to $23.50 per hour today.

Planning 278
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How Do People Celebrate and Dress Up on Easter?

Retail Focus

Easter is a holiday that holds great significance in many cultures worldwide. It is a celebration and joy day marked by special traditions, customs, and events. One such custom is the Easter fancy dress. This article will explore how people celebrate and dress up on Easter. The History of Easter Celebrations Easter is a Christian holiday that celebrates the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Fashion 130
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Walmart to open 28 healthcare centers in 2024

Retail Wire

Walmart plans to open 28 new healthcare centers in 2024. That will bring the company’s total to 75. Walmart had 32 clinics operating at the end of 20922 and plans to open 17 more this year.

Planning 130
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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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How Can You Build A Brand Image? 3 Retailers That Have Mastered This

Retail Focus

There is much competition in the retail industry. Even before the emergence of online shopping, high street retail brands were doing everything possible to ensure they were developing an edge against their competitors. For example, many retailers in the past used consumer-based sales promotions to attract the attention of their target audience, such as ‘buy one get one free’ (BOGOF) offers.

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Senate to vote on subpoena for Starbucks CEO

Retail Wire

Sen. Bernie Sanders said that the Senate’s Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions committee would vote on March 8 on whether to issue a subpoena for Howard Schultz. Starbucks’ interim CEO has declined to appear in front of the committee to address questions about the coffee giant’s union-busting activities. Starbucks has maintained that Mr.

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In push for growth, Nordstrom bets on Rack, exits Canada

Retail Dive

Amid Q4 declines, the department store is prioritizing its off-price business, rapidly expanding its footprint and improving its assortment.

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Costco sees signs of inflation easing

Retail Wire

Costco said that inflation in the most recent quarter was in the five to six percent range, down from six to seven percent in the prior three months. “We continue to see some improvements in many items,” said Costco CFO Richard Galanti. “Commodity prices are starting to fall — not back to pre-COVID levels … but continue to provide some relief — things like chicken, bacon, butter, steel, resin, nuts.

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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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Target to broaden assortment of products priced $15 and under

Retail Dive

The retailer is leaning further into its "Tarjay" reputation and will also expand its Apple and Ulta shop-in-shops.

Shopping 111
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Walmart CEO plans to run the retailer for at least three more years

Retail Wire

Walmart CEO Doug McMillon says he will continue leading the company for at least three more years as the retailer works to identify his successor. Mr. McMillon has held the top job at Walmart since 2014.

Planning 130
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QVC, HSN parent lays off 12% of its workforce

Retail Dive

The move, which affects some 400 employees, will generate $60 million in savings as Qurate Retail Group continues to work on its turnaround plan.

Planning 110
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Chicken and waffles ice cream is a thing at Baskin-Robbins

Retail Wire

Baskin-Robbins is selling chicken and waffles ice cream made with buttermilk waffle-flavored ice cream and bits that mimic the taste of chicken and waffles. It doesn’t actually contain chicken. “We pride ourselves on bringing innovative flavors to market, which is why when we saw the growing popularity of chicken & waffles on menus, we knew we had to create a bold flavor that would change the way our guests enjoy Chick’n & Waffles,” said Hannah Suits, director of

ATS 100
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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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Victoria’s Secret will reboot its fashion show this year as turnaround gains traction

Retail Dive

The once infamous event was canceled four years ago amid rising criticism of its messaging and the dawn of #MeToo.

Fashion 105
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Hershey faces calls for boycott over new Women’s Day campaign

Retail Wire

Fae Johnstone, a queer, trans and feminist activist, tweeted about being included in Hershey’s “Her for She” campaign for International Women’s Day. That led to calls on social media to #BoycottHersheys. The candy and snack company has been criticized for its inclusive messaging, which some on the right view as part of the “woke” culture.

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The Weekly Closeout: Walmart lands $1B a month in orders fulfilled by stores, Parade heads to Target

Retail Dive

Store fulfilled delivery sales have nearly tripled in two years at the big-box retailer, and the DTC intimates brand inks another major wholesale deal.

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Publix’s customers have plenty of reasons to like the grocery chain

Retail Wire

Publix has many fans in Florida and the other states where it has expanded. Many like the chain’s sub sandwiches and its buy one, get one promotions. Others appreciate that the chain will have an associate help customers get their bags to their cars.

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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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Ex-Twitter exec joins Peloton as new chief people officer

Retail Dive

Dalana Brand is the second executive at Peloton to bring experience from the social media platform. She will report directly to CEO Barry McCarthy.

ATS 105
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Mums join together for national campaign urging support for local this Mother’s Day

A1 Retail

With Mother’s Day coming up on the 19 th March, a new campaign features mums talking about the importance of shop local and how they would spend a local gift card for their town or city 14 busy mums have taken part in a ‘mums love local’ campaign encouraging people to think local when they spoil their mum this Mother’s Day, supporting local businesses at the same time.

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Showfields brings Hims & Hers, Chubbies to Miami store

Retail Dive

The South Beach store features a Cabana Curation, a Wedding Suite and a Mushroom Market to highlight DTC products.

Marketing 105
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The Way of the Future Is Through AI

LS Retail

©iStock/Black_Kira First there was ChatGPT , then DALL-E 2 and Midjourney , and now Blue Mail. Artificial Intelligence (AI) is coming into our world fast. If you are not familiar with any of these, check them out. AI technology will become the way of the future soon – sparking creativity and expanding the range of what's possible.

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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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TJX sees buying opportunities as retail sector falters

Retail Dive

The off-pricer’s CEO said product availability has been “phenomenal” as other companies look to offload product they can’t sell.

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Can refocusing on promotional mix over price win back customer loyalty?

365 Retail

In January 2023 grocery price inflation hit a record high of 16.7% according to the latest industry figures – it is now predicted that households will face an extra £788 on their annual shopping bill. Worried customers have already made adjustments to shopping patterns as shop sales fell by record numbers both in December and across the whole of last year as consumers cut spending.

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IKEA to use bio-based glue for reduced climate footprint

A1 Retail

To reduce the climate footprint of board production, IKEA is switching from fossil-based to bio-based glues. Today, 5 percent of the climate footprint of the total IKEA value chain is connected to the use of glue in board materials. With this change, the goal is to reduce fossil-based glue use by 40 percent and greenhouse gas emissions from glue by 30 percent by FY30.

ATS 59
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Hobbycraft offers £5 off to all customers in celebration of National Craft Month

Retail Times

Hobbycraft will be offering £5 off to ALL customers between Wednesday 1st March and Sunday 5th March in celebration of ‘National Craft Month’.

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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.