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In the early 2010s, technology forecasters and business analysts painted a compelling picture of the future of customer service: chatbots would dramatically cut labor costs and transform how consumers interacted with brands. Fast forward to today, and the reality has yet to live up to the hype. While chatbots have found their place in the customer service ecosystem, they havent achieved the dominance and ubiquity that many predicted.
Temu has been ranked the fastest-growing website in Australia after recording a 72 per cent increase in unique visitors last year. The Chinese online marketplace took the top spot in Similarweb’s 2025 Digital 100 Australia report which measures the top 250 websites across various categories. Property.com.au and chatgpt.com were in second and third places, respectively.
Following a raft of stores closures in 2024, retail advisory firm Coresight Research predicts that closures will escalate further this year, to approximately 15,000. Store openings are expected to remain steady at approximately 5,800 (compared to 5,970 in 2024), but that would still represent a net loss of more than 9,000 stores. Supporting these expectations is the fact that more than 2,000 planned closures already are underway this year.
The Mercers Company has announced that Bloom Perfumery, the famous Londonperfumery, has relocated within Covent Garden. Opening a larger location within The Yards , and accommodating the brands significant growth and popularity, Bloom Perfumerys new flagship store is triple the size of its previous site. Bloom Perfumery selected The Yards 2,900 sq ft 4 Slingsby Place site, relocating from Langley Court, to accommodate the influx of visitors the store receives, as well as the brands growing colle
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.
Regional grocery chain Wegmans has partnered with Uber Eats to offer on-demand delivery from stores in Massachusetts, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, New Jersey and Washington, D.C. this month, with plans to add locations in New York, Pennsylvania and Delaware in February. Wegmans already works with DoorDash and recently expanded that partnership to additional supermarkets in the chain.
New Zealand entrepreneur Emma Lewisham is setting out to change the course of the beauty industry with her eponymous brand. After forging a successful corporate career as a strategy and marketing executive for Japanese tech company Brother International, Lewisham was inspired to reflect on the potentially harmful ingredients in the skincare she was using after a series of personal events.
Grocery Outlet Holding Corp. , which operates more than 520 stores under various banners, and the 166- store supermarket retailer The Fresh Market have each named new leaders. Jason Potter, a 30 -year grocery retail veteran, will take on the President and CEO roles at Grocery Outlet as of Feb. 3, 2025. Current Fresh Market COO Brian Johnson will become that retailers President and CEO, also on Feb. 3.
Grocery Outlet Holding Corp. , which operates more than 520 stores under various banners, and the 166- store supermarket retailer The Fresh Market have each named new leaders. Jason Potter, a 30 -year grocery retail veteran, will take on the President and CEO roles at Grocery Outlet as of Feb. 3, 2025. Current Fresh Market COO Brian Johnson will become that retailers President and CEO, also on Feb. 3.
Indian retail conglomerate Reliance Industries Limited has signed a franchise agreement with American luxury department store Saks Fifth Avenue to expand its luxury retail portfolio through its subsidiary Reliance Retail, the company said in its third-quarter financial report last week. Specific details regarding the inaugural Saks Fifth Avenue store’s launch timeline and location in India have not yet been announced.
Skechers has reimagined its store at Canadas West Edmonton Mall as its first Performance location, featuring an immersive experience that includes an expanded sales floor, half-size pickleball and basketball courts and a range of technology showcases. Image courtesy Skechers Designed as an experiential playground where customers can try out Skechers sports-focused footwear technology, the 7,500-square-foot store offers a gallery of the brands innovations for players at every skill level.
Schuh has started a voluntary redundancy process with its staff as it looks to trim costs across the footwear chain. The retailers president Colin Temple told The Scotsman that due to ongoing challenging economic conditions and rising costs, we have made the difficult decision to restructure our business. We are going through a voluntary redundancy process in some areas of business,” he said.
REI has named Mary Beth Laughton, a former REI board director with experience at Sephora, Athleta and Nike on her resume, to serve as President beginning on Feb. 3, 2025, and then taking on full CEO responsibilities on March 31, 2025. Laughton will replace Eric Artz, who will be retiring in March. Artz, who had previously been the outdoor retailers COO, took over the CEO role in February 2019 when the previous CEO, Jerry Stritzke, resigned after an investigation into a personal consensual relati
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
Today, Victoria Centre has announced that a remarkable 13,347 was raised for Nottinghamshire Hospice, its charity of choice in 2024.To achieve this incredible figure, the centre hosted fundraising initiatives and activities throughout the year. This included charitable collection spaces at the Centre, donations from the iconic Emett Clock, staff-led initiatives such as Christmas Jumper Day and an in-house tuck shop.
Sainsburys is to cut 3,000 jobs as part of a drive to simplify its business and address rising costs, including a 140m leap in employer national insurance contributions from April. The supermarket will close its remaining cafs, hot food counters, patisserie, and pizza counters, and reduce senior management roles by an estimated 20%, Reuters reported.
Despite shareholders unequivocal approval of Myers deal with Premier Retails Apparel Brands last week, many retail experts remain sceptical of the logic of combining the two businesses. From a practical standpoint, even from a marketing standpoint, I can’t see a logic behind the rationale for a department store with, essentially, 50 stores or 60 stores across Australia to buy another 600 or 700 smaller stores, Gary Mortimer, a Professor of Retail Marketing and Consumer Behaviour at the QUT
Rituals is set to double down on its growth plans after topping 2bn (1.77bn) in sales for the first time in its 25-year history. The Amsterdam-based beauty and wellness brand reported a 21% increase in sales for the 2024 financial year, reaching 2.1bn (1.77bn), up 23.5% from 1.7bn (1.4bn) in 2023. The growth is largely driven by strong sales in Europe and a growing presence in Asia.
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.
Living, Giving, Working, and Dining in style: Ambiente 2025 is set to be a trade fair showcasing leading brands. With its four segments, it encompasses all facets of modern lifestyles and workstyles. Visitors can expect a “Whos Who” of international brands catering to all aspects of life. In 2025, many renowned brands will once again return to the Frankfurt trade fair.
The Range owner CDS Superstores has relaunched Homebase’s website following its acquisition of the brand out of administration last year. The retailer said the redesigned site provides “an upgraded online shopping experience for all household and garden requirements” Homebase.co.uk features an enhanced browsing experience, improved functionality and online offers and special promotions, all backed by the DIY chain’s trusted customer service.
Charles Tyrwhitt is proud to announce the opening of its first store in Norwich today, expanding its presence across the country. This exciting new addition to the brands portfolio brings its timeless British menswear and impeccable craftsmanship to one of the UKs most historic and dynamic cities. Located on Castle Street, the Norwich store sets the stage for the brand’s renowned shopping experience, showcasing a curated collection of Charles Tyrwhitts iconic products, including their sign
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.
iStock/solarseven The fifth annual Trade in Transition 2025 study surveyed over 3,500 supply chain executives across the world. The findings reveal firms are being forced to adapt at speed to rising protectionism and shifting geopolitical alliances. Research unveiled by Economist Impact and DP World at the World Economic Forum highlights this strategic pivot, driven by geopolitical uncertainty which is likely to grow with the America first policies of the new administration in the United States.
Bloom Perfumery , the renowned London-based perfumery, has relocated to a larger flagship store in The Yards , Covent Garden. The move marks a significant milestone for the brand, which has grown substantially in popularity, requiring a new space three times the size of its previous location on Langley Court. The new store, located at 4 Slingsby Place, spans 2,900 sq ft and is designed to accommodate Bloom Perfumerys impressive collection of over 60 fragrance brands and more than 1,000 perfumes.
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.
Kitchen remodelling projects are one of the cornerstones of the renovation and home improvement industries, as this area is more likely to see wear and tear than any other part of your house. Cooking, preparing, and serving meals are essential parts of daily life, but they also create a lot of mess. The use of cleaning products paired with the steam, the oils, the ingredients that can get spilled and the cookware that is sometimes dropped create irreversible damage in time.
Retail Times publishes international & UK retail news covering products, data, tech, packaging, people, research, comment and more besides! Following todays release of Primarks figures for the 16 weeks ending 4 January 2025; Alice Price, apparel analyst at GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company, offers her view: Primark has got off to a disappointing start in FY2024/25, with total revenue rising just 0.4% to 3.4bn in the 16 weeks ending 4 January 2025, […] If you want more in
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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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Australian reusable drinkware brand, Made by Fressko, has spent the last decade building a sustainable empire and after a landmark season of sales in 2024, its co-founders are ready to take the brand to new heights. Sean Atme and Lucas Ciancarelli have not only maintained their friendship from early childhood but scaled Fressko, the business they launched in 2014, globally.
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