Tue.May 28, 2024

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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
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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.

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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.

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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
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Smart Tools & Strong Teams: A People-First Approach to AI in Sales

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.

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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
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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

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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.

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“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
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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.

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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.

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AI In The Aisles: The Executives Guide To Better In-Store Experiences

Speaker: Steve Worthy, MBA

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.

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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
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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.

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

Retail Wire

There are big changes coming for the beloved restaurant.

Planning 246
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New Research-Backed Strategies to Empower Managers as Culture & Engagement Leaders

Speaker: Beth Sunshine, SVP, Up Your Culture

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.

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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

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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.

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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

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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.

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Breaking The Commerce Bottleneck: Your SAP Exit Plan Starts Now

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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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.

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Toyota, Mazda, and Subaru Challenge Tesla With Combustion Engines

Retail Wire

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

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“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
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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
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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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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

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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
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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
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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.

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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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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
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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

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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.

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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
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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.