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The influencer marketing industry was priced at £21 billion in 2024 and is projected to rise to £25 billion pounds by the close of 2024. Consumers commonly invest in the product recommendations of their chosen influencer; others are turned away by what they deem inauthentic content. In the run-up to Christmas and in the digital age of the investigative consumer, Somebody Digital reveals how brands and consumers alike can cut through the noise to uncover genuine, impactful influence.
Walmart , the world’s largest retailer, is rolling back a number of its diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, multiple sources report. The backtrack is wide-ranging and includes : A decision not to renew the operation of an equity racial center set up in 2020; Pulling out of the Human Rights Campaign’s LGBTQ+ rights index; No longer giving priority treatment to suppliers based on race or gender; Stopping the usage of the terms “DEI” and “LatinX” in its commun
Chatime Australia and its executive is facing penalties due to the underpayment of employees at 19 stores across Sydney and Melbourne. The Federal Circuit and Family Court has imposed $120,960 penalty against Chatime Australia and $11,880 against the bubble tea chain franchisor’s MD Chen Zhao for the offence. The Fair Work Ombudsman said that the company paid its employees flat rates as low as $7.59 to $24.30 per hour.
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.
Reviving Asda’s fortunes could take three to five years, according to Allan Leighton, the supermarket’s former CEO who has returned to drive its turnaround efforts. Speaking with The Guardian , Leighton, who took over the role from Lord Stuart Rose yesterday (25 November), said his initial priority would be to “restore Asda’s DNA”, including making improvements to price and availability, and hiring a new CEO.
When you’re on a budget, every small method of improving customer experience counts. Quality doesn’t have to mean expensive; you can make thoughtful, affordable upgrades to give you an edge and impress your customers without spending more than you can afford. Here are 5 simple, budget-friendly ways to boost how customers perceive your brand and add a touch of luxury to your products or services.
The past year has been brutal for big retailers when it comes to cybercrime. Breaches have compromised customer records, disrupted online sales and caused network outages that impacted customer deliveries. It’s not as though these companies had no defenses. They did. The alarming reality is that hackers are adopting new methodologies to overcome traditional defensive technologies – and are succeeding.
The past year has been brutal for big retailers when it comes to cybercrime. Breaches have compromised customer records, disrupted online sales and caused network outages that impacted customer deliveries. It’s not as though these companies had no defenses. They did. The alarming reality is that hackers are adopting new methodologies to overcome traditional defensive technologies – and are succeeding.
Most mornings, Meng Zhaoran rises early and heads to a park near his Shanghai home. “My way to relax and get inspiration is to get up at 5 in the morning and walk in the park. I love to enjoy the trees, to picture the trees, to watch the trees – they give me energy and comfort,” he said. They also inspired the latest season – the sixth, dubbed Tree – launched by the rapidly growing Chinese fine-fragrance brand Documents, which Zhaoran founded.
In today’s competitive marketplace, maintaining a strong relationship with retailers is crucial for product manufacturers. Retailers are the gatekeepers to consumers, offering manufacturers a platform to display and sell their products. However, this relationship is a delicate one that requires careful nurturing to avoid pitfalls that could damage it.
There is no escaping the subject of sustainability, with retailers under increasing pressure to implement changes to make them into a more planet friendly operation. Of course, this is much easier said than done, with “going green” not something that can be done overnight and instead requires careful thought and planning. While there are some more obvious steps retailers can take to bolster sustainability such as switching plastic-based bags for paper alternatives and putting in place product re
For the last half decade, U.S. and European retailers have observed – and, often, participated in – the social-commerce explosion happening in China and elsewhere in the Asia-Pacific region (APAC) while wondering if, when, and to what extent the same thing would happen at home. The “if” and “when” are now clear. TikTok, Instagram, YouTube and others have enabled in-app purchasing during videos and livestreams (the most popular flavor of social commerce in APAC) that WeChat, Taobao, Douvin and ot
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.
Recently, I have been examining what I call ‘The Invisible Enemy’ facing Australian and global retailers. This pervasive, almost intangible force is dismantling the traditional pillars of retail with alarming speed. Once, we knew our competitors. They were visible in malls, high streets, shopping centres, or online marketplaces. But today, the competitive landscape has dramatically shifted, and traditional retailers find themselves grappling with an enemy they can no longer see or predict.
Asda has brought back its former CEO Allan Leighton as its executive chair, succeeding Lord Stuart Rose, in a bid to turn around the struggling chain. Leighton helmed Asda from 1996 to 2001 and is credited with turning around the struggling chain, alongside current M&S chair Archie Norman – pulling the grocer from the brink of insolvency to orchestrating its bumper £6.7bn sale to Walmart in 1999.
UK retailers are expected to see a boost in footfall on Black Friday (29 Nov 2024), with the lure of discounts unlocking pent-up post-payday spending, after many shoppers held back on purchasing in October in order to bag Black Friday deals, according to the latest data from RetailNext , the leading analytics solution for bricks-and-mortar retailers.
With retail sales bouncing around as the UK economy chugs along, marketers in the sector are seeking the best way to keep their customers happy and prevent them from spending their money in another store. They have good reason to fear a fall in retention — savvy shoppers are scouting around for the best deals , so it’s no wonder building loyalty may seem harder than ever.
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.
With the evolution of retail media networks, brands and retailers are seizing the opportunity to shape consumer behaviour in real-time, using in-store touch points to elevate the shopping experience. Nowhere is this more evident than in Australian supermarkets where – following international trends – the deployment of digital screens is driving significant increases in sales of participating brands.
The directors of Kesslers London , Daniel Astarita and Rachael Evans, have announced the acquisition of German brand Genesis Mannequins. This acquisition, following their 2020 purchase of Proportion London, marks a significant milestone in the company’s journey toward innovation and sustainability in retail solutions. Genesis, celebrated for its creativity and craftsmanship, brings a legacy of high-quality manufacturing to Kesslers London’s portfolio.
In-store retail media has evolved into a critical tool for engaging customers at the point of purchase. In today’s digital-first world, where e-commerce dominates, the physical store remains a vital touchpoint for brands to connect with shoppers in immersive and memorable ways. From dynamic digital displays to voice-activated promotions, in-store media bridges the gap between digital innovations and tangible experiences, offering a unique opportunity to influence purchasing decisions in real-tim
The decision to close all its stores in 2020 could have been seen as a rare failure for beloved childrenswear brand Hanna Andersson. But instead, the 40 -year-old company turned its new digital-first status into an opportunity to enhance the customer experience by: Transitioning store managers into online personal shoppers who offer one-on-one shopping and styling advice; Leveraging its newly honed ecommerce chops to launch a resale marketplace that has made Hanna Andersson the most resold child
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
In an era where consumer expectations are sky-high and rising, Australian and New Zealand retailers are under pressure to deliver faster, more efficient last-mile logistics. Freedom Furniture, a leading retailer known for its diverse product range, faced unique challenges in maintaining a reliable, scalable logistics solution that could serve its network of 59 stores across both countries.
The Metrocentre Partnership has announced the opening of several new stores and upgrades within its Red and Platinum Malls, including a 3,933 sq ft store for premium fashion brand Reiss. The investment in retail space, encompassing over 55,000 sq ft of new openings, upsizes, and refurbishments, reflects the continued appeal of Metrocentre as a leading retail destination in the North East.
The longstanding, and so far unsuccessful search for Asda’s new CEO could receive a shot in the arm following the return of former chief Allan Leighton as its new executive chair this week. Leighton, who during his tenure as helmed the turnaround of Asda from the brink of insolvency to its £6.7bn sale to Walmart in in 1999, told The Guardian that one of his top priorities was filling the role.
An “overwhelming majority” of workers at a Whole Foods Market in Philadelphia have filed a petition with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) to hold a union election. A statement from the proposed union, the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 1776 , said: “No one should have to beg for fair compensation and better working conditions while working for one of the most profitable organic grocers in the world!
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.
Privately held French luxury skincare brand Clarins has opened its first direct-to-consumer (DTC) store in Australia and New Zealand after 70 years in the game. Jerome Bellony, managing director of Clarins Australia and New Zealand, spoke with Inside Retail about entering a new era in how the business connects with customers. He explained how the brand’s new store in Sydney’s QVB building is a space where beauty meets innovation and the values that have defined Clarins for the past seven decades
Award-winning makeup brand VIEVE has announced the opening of its new pop-up store at Buchanan Galleries in Glasgow. The store, set to launch on Thursday, 5th December 2024, will showcase the brand’s full collection, including exclusive new merchandise. The pop-up has been crafted by experiential agency Backlash , marking their second collaboration with VIEVE this year.
Retail Times publishes international & UK retail news covering products, data, tech, packaging, people, research, comment and more besides! Aldi is trialling 12 new loose fruit and vegetable lines in a bid to further reduce unnecessary packaging. In select stores across the North of England, the following items are now available to buy loose: Parsnips Carrots Broccoli Brown onions Red onions Ginger Pears Salad tomatoes Limes Lemons Oranges Garlic If rolled out across all […] If you wan
Macy’s reported preliminary earnings for its Q3 2024, which ended Nov. 2, 2024, but has delayed the full release of results while it investigates an incident in which it appears an employee hid millions of dollars of expenses for nearly three years. The irregularity was uncovered as the retailer was preparing its financial statements for the current quarter.
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.
Toys ‘R’ Us said its sales grew in the October quarter and expects further growth in the holiday trading period. The toy retailer’s sales during the three months ended October surged 168 per cent, or by $329,000, from the previous quarter, driven by its e-commerce performance. It also noted that Riot continued to perform well and expects the brand’s revenue to accelerate in the coming quarters. “With our streamlined operations and strong inventory position heading
Brazilian fashion brand FARM Rio has opened its second London store, this time in the heart of Marylebone Village. Known for its colourful designs inspired by the lush landscapes of Brazil, FARM Rio has created a retail space that blends its vibrant identity with the charm of its new London neighbourhood. Designed by renowned Brazilian architect Renata Gaia , the store captures the essence of Brazil’s rich fauna and flora, offering visitors an immersive experience that bridges art, nature, and f
AO has raised its full-year forecast once again, driven by a significant increase in both profits and sales during the first half of the year. For the six months ending 30 September 2024, the electricals retailer saw a 30% rise in adjusted profit before tax, reaching £17m, while total revenues climbed 6% to £512m. Operating profits grew by 11%, and B2C retail revenues saw a 13% increase, totalling £382m.
Liverpool ONE is set to have its busiest Christmas in five years, with record numbers of visitors predicted during the festive period. Europe’s leading retail and entertainment destination is expecting over four million visitors in the run up to Christmas, with the boost in visitors anticipated to top records since before the COVID-19 pandemic. Liverpool ONE is forecasting a 7% year-on-year increase in sales by the end of 2024, while footfall is expected to be 3% higher than 2023.
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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