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With the holiday season just concluded, the challenge of managing merchandise returns is a reality for many retailers. According to the latest data from the National Retail Federation (NRF), merchandise returns are projected to reach an astounding $890 billion in 2024, accounting for approximately 16.9% of sales. While this underscores the inevitability of returns, it also highlights the need for retailers to refine their digital strategies.
If you don’t have your narrative set, someone else will tell your story, said Katie Welch, the chief marketing officer of Rare Beauty. That was one of the key messages delivered on the second day of Retails Big Show, the National Retail Federations (NRF) annual conference and expo, which is being held in New York City this week. Major players in the retail industry like Tracee Ellis Ross, the founder and co-CEO of Pattern Beauty; Tommy Hilfiger, founder of the iconic eponymous apparel bran
Artificial intelligence (AI) has been a headline topic at the National Retail Federations annual Big Show , and NVIDIA is undoubtedly one of the companies leading the industrys innovation in this sector. Typically known for its Graphics Processing Units (GPUs), which power breakthrough technologies for companies like Meta and Open AI , NVIDIA is now staking a claim in the retail industry by powering solutions for companies ranging from LOral to Lowes and Walmart.
Poundland is launching its new Against Retail Crime initiative this week, making its “largest-ever investment into anti-theft technology and security” to address the growing issues of shop theft, abuse, and harassment faced by its employees. The value retailer is significantly enhancing its security infrastructure, including the introduction of anti-theft technology and communication headsets for its staff across its 800-plus stores.
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.
The leaders of Macys Inc. s three retail banners Macys , Bloomingdales and Bluemercury took the stage together on Sunday, Jan. 13 at the NRF Big Show in NYC, offering a rare opportunity to hear from all three brands in unison, particularly as the company continues to face activist pressure. Tony Spring, Chairman and CEO of Macys Inc., Bloomingdales CEO Olivier Bron and Bluemercury CEO Maly Berstein discussed their individual businesses, as well as the companys larger turnaround effort, current
Majestic Wine has reported its best-ever Christmas as it served a record number of shoppers over the key festive period. The wine specialist saw sales rise 1.9% over the six weeks to 30 December, beating its previous record for festive sales set in 2023. It said its performance was boosted by the launch of seven new stores last year and the rise of its growing specialist on-trade supply arm, Majestic Commercial.
From eye-catching brand partnerships to strategic category expansion, Farm Rio is slowly but surely taking the world by storm, one tropically patterned print at a time. Tropical fruits and flowers. Jungle prints. Indigenous-inspired textiles. These are just a few of the design elements flourishing in the colourfully fashionable world of Farm Rio. In an era dominated by minimalist and monochromatic fashion labels and trends like quiet luxury, retailers like this Brazilian-born brand are a breath
From eye-catching brand partnerships to strategic category expansion, Farm Rio is slowly but surely taking the world by storm, one tropically patterned print at a time. Tropical fruits and flowers. Jungle prints. Indigenous-inspired textiles. These are just a few of the design elements flourishing in the colourfully fashionable world of Farm Rio. In an era dominated by minimalist and monochromatic fashion labels and trends like quiet luxury, retailers like this Brazilian-born brand are a breath
Currys is pleased to announce the expansion of Currys Connected Media into all its UK&I stores. Partnering with in-store media specialist PRN (a STRATACACHE company), the omnichannel retailer is enhancing its already flourishing retail media network. By transforming in-store screens into dynamic media spaces, Currys will enable brands to advertise on displays within its shops.
Australian-grown e-commerce agency MindArc has spent 14 years building and growing its portfolio of enterprise retail clients. It has earned Shopifys prestigious Platinum-tier Partner status and is now celebrating its new well-earned tier partner status. As one of only 12 agencies worldwide to achieve this recognition, MindArc now offers retailers access to Shopifys highest enterprise support and service level.
The Cotswold Company , a digitally-led brand specialising in handcrafted furniture and homeware, has officially opened its 11th UK showroom in Marlow. The new store, located on the high street, spans over 3,500 square feet and features a range of the brand’s best-selling collections, including bedroom, living, and dining furniture. Founded in 1996 in the Cotswolds, The Cotswold Company combines traditional woodworking techniques with a digital-led omnichannel approach.
Retail Times publishes international & UK retail news covering products, data, tech, packaging, people, research, comment and more besides! Nisa has kicked off 2025 with a major boost for its retail partners, by removing the fuel levy and extending its pricing campaign, in a move which reflects the wholesalers commitment to strengthen its proposition and support its retailers through a challenging economic environment.
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.
Asda chairman Allan Leighton has launched his first set of cost-cutting at the grocer, following its disastrous Christmas period. The beleaguered supermarket cut roles for 13 regional managers last week under a shake-up designed to reduce headcount and improve performance, The Telegraph reported. The cost-cutting measures come after Asda delivered its worst Christmas since 2015, with sales falling 5.8% during the 12 weeks to 29 December, according to data from Kantar.
Higgidy , known for their premium pies, are marking National Pie Day on 23rd January with their first-ever dedicated retail space a Pop-Up Pie Shop. Located at 27 Goodge Street, London W1T 2LD, the shop will offer five of their signature pies at just 2 each, bringing a warming treat to shoppers in the capital. Celebrating the Great British Pie The Higgidy Pie Pop-Up will open its doors at 10 am on National Pie Day, filling the streets of London with the enticing aroma of freshly baked pies.
Ocado Retail delivered a strong finish to its financial year, with sales growth accelerating in the fourth quarter as weekly orders reached a milestone of 500,000 for the first time. The joint venture between Ocado Group and M&S saw retail revenue rise 17.5% to 715.8m in the 13 weeks to 1 December, versus growth of 15.5% in its previous quarter, as active customers rose 12.1% to 1.12m.
Melbourne Fashion Hub will launch a pop-up event featuring 10 local fashion design students and recent graduates, from March 21 to 23. The designers are Abha Gupta, Alexandra Pennell (Atopic Designs), Annalise Joyce, Danielle Carbone, Jessie Cunningham-Reid, Marko Plavsic, Misato Yukimoto, Moira Rodriguez, Tasmin Martin, and Xiaotao Shu. The featured designers will showcase their collections, each with narratives on various topics such as chronic illness, body autonomy, cultural heritage, and he
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.
Design studio Uchronia has overhauled womenswear boutique Koibird in London 's Marylebone, introducing a gradient colour scheme and details including a giant planet sculpture and a floor made from painted lava stone. Uchronia designed the store, as well as its in-house nutrition bar Koi 11, with the aim of giving the interior an "eclectic" feel. Hand-painted lava stone tiles cover the floor at Koibird in Marylebone "The concept for the Koibird renovation was to create an immersive and dynamic sp
Back-to-School (BTS) purchases in Australia are expected to generate approximately $2.7 billion in sales as students prepare to return to their schools. According to the Australian Retailers Association (ARA), the estimated expenditure is $150 million (5.9 per cent), higher than last year’s BTS spending due to population growth and inflation. A study conducted by ARA and Roy Morgan shows that 5.1 million (24 per cent of Australians aged 18+) will spend an average of $525 on BTS-related ite
Retail Times publishes international & UK retail news covering products, data, tech, packaging, people, research, comment and more besides! Today, Marks & Spencer has announced the introduction of 85 zero or lower emission vehicles to its supply chain logistics fleet. As part of its Plan A roadmap to Net Zero by 2040, the retailer has committed to move to low carbon logistics, increased use of new technologies and cleaner fuels.
City Chic Collective expects to report lower sales revenue in the fiscal first half, despite a positive holiday trading period. The plus-size women’s fashion retailer forecasts to report sales revenue of $69.5 million in the 26 weeks to December 29, down 3.6 per cent from the year-ago period. It estimates a 2.8 per cent increase in Australia-New Zealand revenue as stores and online business performed above the company’s expectations. “We expect this momentum to continue into H2
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.
Retail Times publishes international & UK retail news covering products, data, tech, packaging, people, research, comment and more besides! As a business taking significant strides to refresh both its brand identity and range within the UKs bustling independent sweet & confectionery sector, it probably comes as little surprise to learn that early 2025 will see the launch of an enhanced sugar-free sweets range.
Mall operators in parts of Asia increasingly like to see themselves as purveyors of culture, which fits well with the narrative of integrating retail with complimentary uses of space. First food and beverage, then entertainment, then education, then…culture. But how does this really work and is the cultural component of mall space, which unarguably is rising in multiple respects, reaching the broader shopping public or just a thin sliver?
Retail Times publishes international & UK retail news covering products, data, tech, packaging, people, research, comment and more besides! The Fear at Work Index reveals that cultural entropy costs retailers an estimated 10.8 billion annually. This makes up almost a tenth of the 122 billion lost annually across UK industries due to workplace fear, amounting to 5% of the nation’s GDP.
Billionaire brothers Mohsin and Zuber Issa are preparing to take their petrol station empire, EG Group, public with a New York stock market listing potentially as early as this year. The IPO could value the firm at around $13bn (10.7bn), equating to around 13 times its underlying earnings of $1.1bn last year and according to the Financial Times , would allow the brothers private equity partner TDR Capital to reduce its stake in the business over a decade after initially investing.
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
Retail Times publishes international & UK retail news covering products, data, tech, packaging, people, research, comment and more besides! Sainsburys switches its own-brand twin pack avocado packaging from plastic to paper in a move which will eventually save20.2 million pieces of plastic a year upon full rollout. Starting with a trial across 77 Sainsburys supermarkets, customers can purchasebySainsburys Ripe & Ready Avocados twin pack in paper packaging in selected superstores now.
The new showroom, which is strategically located in Marlow its first in Buckinghamshire strengthens the Cotswold Companys UK retail footprint and creates new opportunities to introduce the brand to consumers The Cotswold Company, the digitally-led premium handcrafted furniture and homeware brand, is pleased to announce that its 11 th UK store, located in Marlow, is now open.
Retail Times publishes international & UK retail news covering products, data, tech, packaging, people, research, comment and more besides! Poundland is launching its Against Retail Crime initiative this week as part of its ongoing efforts to address increasing shop theft, as well as abuse and harassment of its colleagues. Poundland is investing significantly in security enhancements.
On Friday the US Supreme Court justices expressed scepticism about a challenge from TikTok and its Chinese parent company ByteDance against a law signed by President Joe Biden, which would force the sale or ban of the popular short-video app by January 19 in the US. Some of the justices seemed to acknowledge Congress’ national security concerns over TikTok, given its ownership by what lawmakers deemed a foreign adversary.
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.
Retail Times publishes international & UK retail news covering products, data, tech, packaging, people, research, comment and more besides! Sellfware, the software arm of VJ Technology Group, has announced it has received a patent for itscore proprietary fulfilment platform, Opus, which gives retail clients full control to secure, supply or sell products in a variety of engaging customer journeys.
Morrisons has stood behind farmers as they protest against the government’s proposed inheritance tax changes, which are set to affect agricultural estates valued over 1m. The supermarket s head of agriculture, Sophie Throup, took to social media to back the farming communitys opposition to the controversial tax raid, describing the measures as a threat to small, family-run farms.
Retail Times publishes international & UK retail news covering products, data, tech, packaging, people, research, comment and more besides! Give a gift that says more than Happy Valentines Day with Hotel Chocolats range of imaginatively crafted Valentines gifts that shows that special person, what they truly mean this February. This year, Hotel Chocolat has bought back some well-loved recipes which are sure to make a statement, The Nice Slice Valentines Edition the luxury […] If you w
iStock/Supatman What's affecting me, my clients, my colleagues and other global small business owners: U.S. Chamber says there are signs of strength at start of 2025. In the UK, sustainable "green practices" is top on the small business list for 2025. Quote of the week: Don't follow trends, start trends. Successful artists don't follow trends; they create them.
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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