Tue.May 28, 2024

article thumbnail

Kate Spade CEO: “The power of TikTok for product discovery is incredible”

Inside Retail

Liz Fraser is the brand president and CEO of Kate Spade New York and has had an extensive career in designer fashion. Here Fraser explains how being “an emotional brand” makes for the “magic” that creates Kate Spade New York’s unique omnichannel customer experience. And how the brand is harnessing the power of TikTok, through social listening. Before joining the Kate Spade New York team, Fraser was the president at Marc Jacobs, CEO at Anne Klein and had worked in the executive teams of Escada a

Boutique 257
article thumbnail

Gen AI: Google’s Not-so-Secret Weapon in the Battle for Search Engine Dominance

Retail TouchPoints

Last week Google announced a sweeping slate of product updates across its search, shopping and marketing interfaces at Google Marketing Live (GML), which followed an equally expansive set of updates from the Google I/O conference for developers the previous week. Chief among the dozens of new tools announced across both events was a roster of enhancements to the company’s core product, Google Search.

Insiders

Sign Up for our Newsletter

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

article thumbnail

Queensland retailers face strict new laws on display, sale of knives

Inside Retail

A new set of laws taking effect in Queensland this September will bring about several restrictions on the sale of knives and similar products. As the laws prohibit the sale of knives to minors under 18 years, retailers will have to perform age checks, provide instructions to their staff, display in-store signage, and restrict advertising of such products.

article thumbnail

TJX Leans into Off-Price Wave with Long-Term Plans for 1,300 New Stores

Retail TouchPoints

As continued inflation drives consumers toward more cost-conscious shopping, TJX — the parent company of TJ Maxx , Marshalls , HomeGoods and Sierra — sees an opportunity for expansion. CEO and President Ernie Herrman told analysts on a call discussing the company’s results for Q1 2025 (which ended May 4, 2024) that he plans to expand the conglomerate’s store footprint by at least 1,300 stores “over the long term.

Planning 297
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

Amazon Fresh Is the Newest Retailer To Slash Prices for Inflation-Conscious Consumers

Retail Wire

Battling the prolonged effects of inflation, major retailers such as Target and Walmart have already reduced grocery prices to attract customers, and Amazon has now joined the list in pursuit of the same goal.

Consumer 264
article thumbnail

The Top Five Challenges Hindering Retail Media Growth

Retail TouchPoints

The incredible success of retail media means it is here to stay and will continue to radically reshape the industry, and consumers’ expectations, as it matures. Forrester anticipates the retail media market will reach $85 billion by 2026. By 2027, it will be bigger than connected TV, digital audio and traditional television advertising combined. However, despite the undeniable value of retail media, some retailers are encountering frustrating challenges that are impeding their growth.

More Trending

article thumbnail

Walmart, Capital One End Contentious Credit Card Partnership

Retail TouchPoints

Capital One Financial and Walmart have officially ended a partnership that had designated Capital One as the exclusive issuer of Walmart consumer credit cards. The companies first teamed up in 2019 after Walmart chose not to renew its deal with Synchrony Financial, but the partnership hit a rough patch in 2023 when Walmart filed a lawsuit to exit its contract early, alleging that the financial institution was falling short on customer service requirements.

article thumbnail

“Been here before”: What’s changed since the last attempt at an ARA-NRA merger?

Inside Retail

It was long overdue but at last, the Australian Retailers Association (ARA) and the National Retailers Association (NRA) are finalising a merger. Or are they? Am I simply reading some archived stories from more than a decade ago and as recently as 2019 when merger proposals were abandoned ? It is a major step forward for an industry facing significant challenges if indeed the two most important associations representing retailers have finally come to the realisation that a merger was logical, ne

ATS 261
article thumbnail

Buy it Like Beckham: Soccer Superstar Named AliExpress Global Ambassador

Retail TouchPoints

Alibaba Group ’s international marketplace AliExpress has tapped sports and lifestyle icon David Beckham to be its new global ambassador, reinforcing the retailer’s role as the exclusive global ecommerce partner of UEFA EURO 2024. The international soccer tournament will take place June 14 to July 14, 2024 in 10 German host cities with 24 national teams competing.

article thumbnail

T-Mobile Acquires US Cellular in $4.4 Billion Deal

Retail Wire

T-Mobile has announced its acquisition of U.S. Cellular’s wireless operations and a substantial portion of its spectrum assets.

259
259
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

Guess? Names Andy Rosen as Executive Chairman

Retail TouchPoints

Guess? Inc. has appointed Andrew Rosen as Executive Chairman of Rag & Bone , which operates as an independent brand within the Guess? portfolio. Guess? and WHP Global joined forces to purchase Rag & Bone in February 2024 ; Guess? owns all of Rag & Bone’s operating assets, while the retailer and WHP Global jointly own the Rag & Bone intellectual property.

ATS 259
article thumbnail

Families Flee Canadian Cities for Affordable Suburbs

Retail Wire

The quest for affordable living is prompting young families across Canada to leave the country's largest cities for more economical options.

255
255
article thumbnail

Grill’d hires chef Matt Wilkinson as consultant

Inside Retail

Grill’d has named chef and restaurateur Matt Wilkinson as a consultant – just ahead of International Burger Day. “Having Matt on board will significantly impact Grill’d. His culinary expertise and dedication to food, local suppliers and sustainability perfectly align with our mission to provide healthy, delicious and nutritious options to our customers,” said Simon Crowe, Grill’d founder.

Shopping 162
article thumbnail

Cracker Barrel To Change Menu and Pricing Via ‘Strategic Transformation Plan’

Retail Wire

There are big changes coming for the beloved restaurant.

Planning 246
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

Ocode and Akeneo join forces to help brands implement the DPP (Digital Product Passport)

Retail Focus

Ocode, the French specialist in the identification of durable objects, recently announced a partnership with Akeneo , the Product Experience (PX) company and leading provider of Product Information Management (PIM) solutions, to integrate its Digital Product Passport (DPP) solution into the Akeneo App Store. “This partnership with Akeneo, a recognised leader in product information management, allows us to simplify compliance for their customers with our DPP solution that meets regulatory require

article thumbnail

Hess Shareholders Approve $53 Billion Chevron Merger Amid Exxon Dispute

Retail Wire

In a major development within the oil industry, Hess shareholders have approved the company’s $53 billion acquisition by Chevron.

162
162
article thumbnail

Søstrene Grene opens debut Hampshire store at Festival Place

Retail Focus

Sovereign Centros from CBRE has announced that Søstrene Grene, the popular homeware brand, has opened at Festival Place, Basingstoke. The Danish retailer has launched its debut Hampshire store at the top 25 UK retail and leisure destination, emphasising Festival Place’s continued appeal as a home for rapidly expanding, increasingly popular brands. The 14,546 sq ft Festival Place store incorporates the brand’s distinct Scandi aesthetic and unique in-store experience, with the opening marking the

article thumbnail

Virginia Tech Firm Fined for Discriminatory Job Posting

Retail Wire

A Virginia-based company, Arthur Grand Technologies Inc., has agreed to pay a $7,500 civil penalty following a discriminatory job posting that drew the attention of the DOJ.

147
147
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

How to make customer support a value add, not a cost

Inside Retail

Customer service, whether it’s self-service or a human interaction, is often the most salient touchpoint of the entire customer journey. And in many cases, it becomes a focus of the customer experience (CX) only when things go wrong. A frustration point for many customers is being put on hold in call centres. It starts with conflicting messages, where an automated system tells them their “call is very important” but then puts them in a queue for several minutes.

article thumbnail

Toyota, Mazda, and Subaru Challenge Tesla With Combustion Engines

Retail Wire

Toyota has joined forces with Mazda and Subaru to implement the new engines.

147
147
article thumbnail

“We see opportunity in changes”: BA&SH CEO on the evolving luxury market

Inside Retail

French womenswear brand BA&SH recently re-opened its Asia flagship shop in Hong Kong’s IFC mall. In an exclusive interview with Inside Retail , global CEO Pierre Arnaud Grenade discussed the brand’s expansion plans. “Our philosophy is to offer the ideal wardrobe that empowers women in their important life moments with joy, confidence and energy,” he told Inside Retail.

Marketing 130
article thumbnail

Sneaker Brands Compete To Uncover the Next Super Foam Innovation

Retail Wire

When designers at the Boston-based New Balance proposed adding a cushy foam to increase the midsole by approximately 2 millimeters, they had pushback.

ATS 130
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

RecycleSmart raises $1.15m as demand for responsible recycling surges

Inside Retail

Australian waste technology company RecycleSmart has reported that it managed to raise $1.15 million from 1014 investors, allowing it to accelerate its national expansion plans as demand increases for its responsible recycling services. Dubbed as Australia’s “Uber for waste,” RecycleSmart collects almost everything that cannot be placed in the yellow council bins (such as batteries, soft plastics, coffee pods, blister packs, vapes, polystyrene, electronics, and clothes) and recycles or repurpose

article thumbnail

Dollar Tree confirms more layoffs at corporate office

Retail Dive

The discounter has recently reviewed its underperforming Family Dollar business, shifted its pricing strategy and overhauled its leadership.

ATS 129
article thumbnail

Ocado to leave FTSE 100 after share price collapse

Retail Gazette

Ocado is set to leave the FTSE 100 after a drop in its share price, piling pressure on the business to consider ditching London for New York. The online grocery firm will be axed from the index during a quarterly reshuffle, according to the London Stock Exchange, after its valuation fell from a £22bn high in the pandemic to £3.6bn as of yesterday (28 May).

Marketing 124
article thumbnail

Don’t silo your customer experience: 3 tips for utilizing digital engagement tools

Retail Customer Experience

As the retail industry races to implement the latest digital engagement tools, it’s easy to lose sight of the entire customer experience.

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

Vuori opens first store in China

Retail Dive

The store marks the athleisure brand’s 67th location as it works toward its goal of opening 100 stores globally by 2026.

Location 116
article thumbnail

JD Sports, Iceland and Boots bosses rally behind Labour party

Retail Gazette

JD Sports chairman Andy Higginson and Iceland boss Richard Walker are among the 120 business leaders who have given their backing to Labour as the “party of change” ahead of the general election. In an open letter to The Times, the leaders said “it is time for a change” as the UK economy has been “beset by instability, stagnation, and a lack of long-term focus for too long now” Alongside the retail bosses, the letter has been signed by Pete Bowyer, director of

article thumbnail

GameStop raises $933M from stock sale

Retail Dive

The funds could go toward acquisitions or investments, which may be important as its core business shrinks.

115
115
article thumbnail

M&S will not bid for The Body Shop

Retail Gazette

M&S will not be making a bid for The Body Shop as administrators approach prospective buyers for the vegan beauty retailer. It emerged this weekend that the high street retailer along with retail giant Next had made early expressions of interest in submitting possible rescue bids ahead of an auction. However, a source close to M&S told Retail Gazette that the retailer would not be submitting an offer for the chain.

Shopping 115
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.