Sat.Nov 16, 2024 - Fri.Nov 22, 2024

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The Christmas 2024 forecast: Trends from the bosses of Tesco, John Lewis, M&S, and Superdrug

Retail Gazette

The bosses of Britain’s biggest retailers are feeling positive about Christmas this year as early trading shows shoppers are starting to feel more confident about spending in the wake of easing inflation. M&S CEO Stuart Machin says the retailer is “very confident” about trading this year, while Tesco chief executive Ken Murphy says he’s “betting on a good Christmas” as customers display “a willingness to spend a little bit more to treat themselves”.

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How Programmatic Media Buying is Leveling the Playing Field for Smaller Retail Media Networks

Retail TouchPoints

It’s hard to find a topic that all marketers agree on, but if there is one, it’s likely that programmatic ad buying continues to be a dominant channel for advertisers looking to scale. In fact, it will make up the vast majority — over 91% — of the current U.S. digital advertising spend in 2024, according to eMarketer. With programmatic spend increasing and the platforms themselves launching more advanced services for advertisers of all sizes, there has never been a better opportunity for smalle

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It’s a shorter holiday season. Does that matter?

Retail Dive

There are five fewer days between Black Friday and Christmas Day compared to 2023. Here’s how retailers — and consumers — are preparing themselves.

Consumer 133
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Types of Tenancy Agreements To Be Aware Of

Retail Focus

When it comes to renting, choosing the right tenancy agreement can make a real difference in your experience. Whether you’re after stability, flexibility, or a mix of both, understanding the most common types of tenancy agreements can help you make the best choice. With help from SAM Conveyancing , here’s a rundown on the agreements you’re likely to encounter. 1.

Location 130
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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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Pret A Manger opens city debut at Gloucester Quays

A1 Retail

Peel Retail & Leisure has announced the opening of Pret A Manger at Gloucester Quays, bringing the popular British sandwich and organic coffee chain to the city for the first time. This announcement follows a series of food and beverage openings at Gloucester Quays – including a new Subway also now open on High Orchard Street – adding to the destination’s growing food options for its diverse catchment of all-day shoppers and locals and strengthening its reputation as a top 10 UK outlet.

ATS 111
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Puma Brings Immersive Entertainment Flagship to Las Vegas

Retail TouchPoints

Puma has unveiled a new flagship concept that includes activations, customization services and other tech-powered elements. Located at the BLVD , a new retail and entertainment destination in the heart of the Las Vegas Strip, this is the global sports brand’s second U.S. flagship. The 25,000-square-foot space spans three floors and represents Puma’s much broader “brand elevation strategy,” according to Arne Freundt, CEO of Puma.

Apparel 311

More Trending

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Saint + Sofia opens first store in Covent Garden’s Seven Dials

Retail Focus

Shaftesbury Capital has announced that Saint + Sofia, the digitally native, contemporary womenswear brand, has opened its debut bricks and mortar store in Covent Garden’s Seven Dials. Located at 35 Monmouth Street, the independent London-based fashion house is the latest brand to select the destination for its first-ever store, joining Covent Garden’s extensive roster of physical debuts.

Boutique 246
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Retailers warn National Insurance hike makes job cuts ‘inevitable’

Retail Gazette

The UK’s biggest retailers have warned of “inevitable” job losses as a result of the government’s decision to increase National Insurance. Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves has been warned that jobs will be lost, stores will shut, and prices will have to rise due to the hike. Reeves increased the rate of employers’ National Insurance by 1.2% to 15% from April, and also lowered the level where employers begin paying on each staff member’s salary from £9

Shopping 124
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Petco Helps Welcome Furry New Family Members, Chewy Sponsors Free Adoptions

Retail TouchPoints

Petco has introduced a new “Welcome to the family” program, available at stores beginning Nov. 25, 2024. The free booklets, for both dogs and cats, include practical guidance and shopping checklists created by the retailer’s veterinary, training and grooming teams, plus exclusive pet services and savings on Petco-owned brands. And just in case that’s not enough adorableness for you, Chewy has brought back its Chewy Claus letter-writing campaign.

Location 272
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Dusk’s sales increase in first 20 weeks

Inside Retail

Dusk posted higher sales in both online and physical stores in the first 20 weeks of the fiscal year. The home fragrance retailer’s sales rose 12.7 per cent year over year, with like-for-like sales growing 11.5 per cent. Online sales surged 41.2 per cent, while brick-and-mortar store sales jumped 10.7 per cent. “We have opened two new stores and further extended our reach with the launch of 12 pop-ups in flagship centres across the country,” said Vlad Yakubson, Dusk CEO and MD.

Marketing 264
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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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Pret A Manger opens city debut at Gloucester Quays, diversifying food offer

Retail Focus

Peel Retail & Leisure has announced the opening of Pret A Manger at Gloucester Quays, bringing the popular British sandwich and organic coffee chain to the city for the first time. This announcement follows a series of food and beverage openings at Gloucester Quays – including a new Subway also now open on High Orchard Street – adding to the destination’s growing food options for its diverse catchment of all-day shoppers and locals and strengthening its reputation as a top 10 UK outlet.

ATS 246
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Space NK hails double-digit customer growth as profits surge

Retail Gazette

Space NK has posted strong results for the financial year ending in March with sales and profits soaring. Pre-tax profit rocketed from £1.5m to £7.5m while turnover jumped more than a third (34%) to £196.5m year-on-year. The premium beauty retailer’s growth has continued into the current financial year, with half-year sales up 38% year-on-year.

Wholesale 114
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Study: How Retailers are Managing the Tug-of-War Between Employee Satisfaction and Profitability

Retail TouchPoints

Employee satisfaction plays a central role in store operations. After all, when employees are happy and engaged, they create more productive and profitable store environments. But one survey found that nearly one in every two frontline employees are unhappy with their job due to low pay, inflexible hours, poor leadership and a lack of growth opportunities.

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Bunnings breached privacy laws, Privacy Commissioner says

Inside Retail

Bunnings breached privacy laws by using facial recognition technology (FRT), the Privacy Commissioner determined. From November 2018 to November 2021, Bunnings implemented a trial FRT at 63 stores in Victoria and NSW, capturing the faces of every visitor. Privacy Commissioner Carly Kind said that while her office acknowledges the potential for the technology, its benefits must be weighed against its impact on privacy rights. “In this instance, deploying facial recognition technology was th

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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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From Saudi Arabia to the South of France: Diriyah spotlights retail investment opportunities at Mapic

Retail Focus

Diriyah Company , Saudi Arabia’s mixed-use developer driving the transformation of historic Diriyah into a premier global destination, is set to participate in MAPIC 2024, 26-28 November in Cannes, France. At this leading global retail property event, Diriyah Company will present the latest developments of its flagship project, with a focus on Diriyah Square—the dynamic centrepiece of the 14-square-kilometer masterplan.

ATS 246
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Shogo Onodera transforms existing surfaces in Tokyo boutique to "avoid making anything new"

Dezeen

Marble covered with plaster and metal treated with acid are among the repurposed materials used by Japanese architect Shogo Onodera to minimise waste while fitting out the flagship store of fashion brand IZA Tokyo. The boutique takes over an existing retail space in the city's Shibuya district, where the previous tenant had left the interior largely intact with much of the display furniture and internal surfaces still in functional condition.

Boutique 100
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3 Hidden Traps for Retailers this Holiday Season

Retail TouchPoints

Have you started your holiday shopping yet? Odds are you haven’t, since only 32% of U.S. shoppers start in October or earlier. However, this year, you and retailers are facing the same problem: a quirk of the calendar means there are only 27 days between Thanksgiving and Christmas, five fewer days than usual, so retailers have a number of tricky balancing acts they’ll need to pull off to make sure it really is the most wonderful time of the year.

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Adore Beauty plans multi-store rollout as it pursues omnichannel growth

Inside Retail

Adore Beauty plans to expand its national retail store network over the next three years to accelerate its omnichannel growth. The company is targeting the opening of more than 25 stores as part of its three-year strategy, which was announced at its annual meeting in Melbourne. The stores, which will leverage existing infrastructure and strength of the Adore Beauty brand, will help broaden the company’s addressable market, increase brand awareness and boost customer acquisition.

Planning 246
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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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The Beaverbrooks Group Chairman honoured with ‘Lifetime Recognition Award’ for outstanding workplace commitment

Retail Focus

The Chairman of The Beaverbrooks Group has been awarded the Best Companies ‘Lifetime Recognition Award 2024’ for his outstanding commitment to the workplace over his career. Mark Adlestone OBE is just the second person in Best Companies’ history to receive this prestigious recognition. Beaverbrooks has also celebrated 21 years in the Best Companies rankings, this year being hailed as the UK’s 3 rd Best Retail Company to Work For and 14 th Best Company to Work For in the UK.

Boutique 182
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Small but mighty: backing the UK’s independent retailers through Shop Small

Retail Times

Retail Times publishes international & UK retail news covering products, data, tech, packaging, people, research, comment and more besides! A Retail Times’ sponsored post By Dan Edelman, general manager, UK Merchant Services at American Express Small, independent retailers play a huge role across the UK, bringing vibrancy and acting as the heartbeat of local communities.

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Unwrap Holiday Growth: The Top Benefits of Joining an External Loyalty Program this Season

Retail TouchPoints

As the holiday season approaches, retailers are under intense pressure to deliver results, with only 27 days between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Rising debt and higher cost of living are contributing to forecasted slower retail sales this year, making it more crucial than ever for brands to stand out. While events like Black Friday and Cyber Monday are still expected to attract crowds and drive online traffic, competition for consumers’ carefully guarded share of wallet will be fiercer tha

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What the class action against Coles and Woolworths means for ‘The Big Two’

Inside Retail

The ACCC’s lawsuit against Coles and Woolworths for allegedly misleading consumers about the price of essential products has now been spun into a class action lawsuit by the Gerard Malouf and Partners law firm. For Jim Ritchie, founder and strategy partner at branding agency US+US, the price drop class action and ACCC legal action against the Australian supermarket points to something much larger.

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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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Retail Trends in Vaping: What’s Driving Sales for Vape Juice Brands

Retail Focus

The vaping industry has seen a lot of growth over the years, driven by evolving consumer preferences, regulatory changes, and advancements in technology. For vape juice brands, staying competitive in the retail market requires a deep understanding of the latest trends influencing sales. By tapping into these trends, brands can better cater to consumer demands and position themselves for success.

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HMV pauses store openings and warns of job cuts following national insurance spike

Retail Gazette

HMV has suspended its new store openings across the UK as it claims the upcoming tax rises has made it too risky to invest. Owner Doug Putman told The Telegraph he does not see the music chain opening any new shops in 2025 after previously targeting between five and 10 each year. He blames the move solely on the Budget and claims the country will be missing out on as much as £5m annual investment.

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Amazon Doubles Down on Live Shopping for Black Friday

Retail TouchPoints

Amazon has partnered with video commerce platform TalkShopLive to beef up its livestreaming efforts this holiday season with new shows from Martha Stewart, Jennifer Hudson and more. The collaboration will kick off on Black Friday, with TalkShopLive producing a series of new shows for Amazon Live , the e-tailer’s livestreaming service. Martha Stewart, Jennifer Hudson, Eva Mendes, and Kimberly Schlapman of the country music group Little Big Town will each host live shows showcasing a curation of A

Shopping 277
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Nick Scali at risk of missing profit guidance due to container shipment delay

Inside Retail

Nick Scali is at risk of not meeting its first-half net profit guidance for Australia and New Zealand due to delays in the delivery of its products. One of the furniture retailer’s freight forwarders and custom agents is now under the administration of a liquidator, resulting in the company’s containers remaining stuck at the port. Nick Scali has made an application to the Federal Court of Australia to facilitate the release of the company’s containers through giving certain un

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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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Why VPS Hosting Is a Game-Changer for Online Retail Businesses

Retail Focus

The online retail industry is going from strength to strength. However, with increased competition and growing customer expectations, staying ahead in the market requires more than just a user-friendly website. It demands robust infrastructure capable of handling high traffic, ensuring security, and offering scalability. Virtual Private Server (VPS) hosting is proving to be a game-changer for online retail businesses, offering the perfect mix of performance, flexibility, and affordability – keep

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Morrisons slashes debt by £2.4bn following restructuring

Retail Gazette

Morrisons has completed a major debt restructuring, including the repayment of an additional £200m, bringing its total debt reduction to £2.4bn since its acquisition by Clayton, Dubilier & Rice. The supermarket giant confirmed it has now reduced its debt by nearly 40%, from £6.2bn to £3.8bn. The restructuring included extending its Term Loan Facilities from 2027 to 2030 and reducing both the cost of the debt and the overall debt level.

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Chewy Challenges Robotics Providers to Improve Autonomous Warehouse Picking

Retail TouchPoints

Chewy and nonprofit robotics hub MassRobotics have created the CHAMP (Chewy Autonomous Mobile Picking) Challeng e, offering $30,000 and the potential to work with Chewy going forward to the winning robotics manufacturer. The challenge addresses the physical demands involved in handling large, heavy products, such as bags, boxes and pails of dog food and cat litter, within confined warehouse spaces.

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H&M to phase out Monki as it expands Weekday label

Inside Retail

To streamline its brand portfolio, H&M Group will integrate the Monki label into its Weekday brand and rebrand all of its Monki stores. The full merger of Monki into the Weekday platform is slated for next year, covering both online and off-line retail. As part of the integration, some Monki stores will be converted into multi-brand Weekday destinations, while others will be closed.

Consumer 246
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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.