The Next Evolution: How Retail Media Networks can Embrace the Brand Era - Retail TouchPoints
Now the retail media space must enter a further, critical evolution: creative enablement that unlocks brand investment.| Retail TouchPoints
Lululemon has been raising its profile in big-name sports, including a 2024 partnership with the NHL and its growing roster of sports-linked spokespeople, including PGA golfers Min Woo Lee and Max Homa, ATP tennis pro Frances Tiafoe and NFL player DK Metcalf. Now the athleisurewear mainstay will seek to score a touchdown with licensed apparel […]| Retail TouchPoints
Nordstrom is making its bid to be a major holiday destination with gift shops in every store that will feature more than 1,000 items, 90% of which will be priced under $100 and 60% under $50. In-store events will include special appearances by Santa at each store, with Nordstrom cardholders qualifying for free photos with […]| Retail TouchPoints
Calvin Klein has launched the Re-Calvin takeback program in the U.S., allowing consumers to responsibly say goodbye to apparel items from any brand and in virtually any condition. The program — powered by trade-in technology platform Trove alongside sortation and logistics partner Debrand — will sort items for reuse, recycling or responsible disposal, depending on […]| Retail TouchPoints
Now the retail media space must enter a further, critical evolution: creative enablement that unlocks brand investment.| Retail TouchPoints
Bed Bath & Beyond has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection and will implement an orderly wind-down of its businesses while seeking a potential buyer.| Retail TouchPoints
Beyond, Inc. will bring back a standalone Overstock.com site in approximately five weeks rather than the September 2024 target date announced earlier.| Retail TouchPoints
This story is part of Retail TouchPoints’ ongoing “Small Business, Big Ideas” series, focusing on smaller retail brands that have found big success and have even bigger ambitions. On the path to creating a category-disrupting product, coming up with an idea is often the easiest part. For entrepreneurs who decide they want to take action […]| Retail TouchPoints
RFID tag technology has traditionally faced operational challenges in cold, moist environments such as meat cases, but Walmart is attempting to overcome those challenges by deploying new RFID-enabled labels from materials identification technology provider Avery Dennison. Use of the readable tags in the meat, bakery and deli departments will help associates track inventory faster and […]| Retail TouchPoints
Target Corp., which has been struggling to achieve growth in a difficult economic environment, will cut 1,800 non-field jobs, amounting to approximately 8% of its global headquarters team, according to CNBC. The job cuts will be the first major layoffs at Target in a decade; employees will receive pay and benefits through Jan. 3, 2026, […]| Retail TouchPoints
For many years, ecommerce companies prioritized advertising on the web because it provided significant control over ad targeting, and it was relatively easy to place ads alongside content likely to attract their target audience. Meanwhile, mobile apps have historically had some problems. High ad exchange rates (around 20%) and higher funnel goals — around cost […]| Retail TouchPoints
U.S. consumers can now receive on-demand deliveries of sneakers and sports-related fashion from nearly 900 of Hibbett’s 1,000+ stores via the Uber Eats platform. Hibbett is the latest non-food retailer to partner with Uber Eats: in September 2025 Best Buy partnered with Uber Eats for on-demand delivery from its 800+ stores, following Dollar Tree and […]| Retail TouchPoints
New consumer research from AlixPartners reveals that despite rising inflation and concerns about the impact of tariffs, price alone is no longer the primary driver of consumer purchase decisions in the fashion and beauty sectors. Rather, the 2025 Consumer Sentiment Index report, Fashion: In Flux, reveals that a combination of value, authenticity and strong brand […]| Retail TouchPoints
Beginning early next year, Morrisons will roll out 10.8 million smart electronic shelf labels (ESLs) across its 497 stores, eliminating traditional paper labels and automating the repetitive manual tasks of repricing and relabeling products. The technology from VusionGroup will be integrated with Morrisons’ digital shelf-edge cameras to help efficiently guide associates to product gaps, speeding […]| Retail TouchPoints
Amazon has long been known as the Everything Store, and while the platform’s wide selection is one of its biggest selling points, it also can be one of its biggest pain points. To help, Amazon has released a new AI tool in the U.S. called “Help Me Decide” to assist customers deciding between similar products. […]| Retail TouchPoints
Retailers will be forgiven if their heads are spinning after this turbulent year of near-constant shifts in the landscape thanks to both AI and tariffs. Now, the holiday season is upon us with a (perhaps predictably) unclear picture of where consumers’ minds are, because their heads are spinning too. To help us all cut through […]| Retail TouchPoints
This summer, a new line of Costco hoodies, jackets and pants went viral. Consumers claimed that they looked and felt very similar to their Lululemon favorites – namely the “subca” hoodie, “define” jacket and “ABC” pants – but at a fraction of the cost. The Lululemon “Scuba” hoodie, for example, can retail for up to […]| Retail TouchPoints
E.l.f. Cosmetics will collaborate with Amazon-owned video game livestreaming platform Twitch to allow viewers to seamlessly purchase E.l.f. products directly through Twitch streams. The “eyes.lips.first.” shoppable element, powered by Amazon Ads, will initially appear on the official E.l.f. Twitch channel, e.l.f.YOU! Since launching on Twitch in 2020, E.l.f. has built a community engaging with gamers, […]| Retail TouchPoints
AI will drive $260 billion in global online sales and $1.6 trillion in in-store sales this holiday season, according to Salesforce. Not entirely surprising given that 62% of consumers say they now trust AI to guide their brand decisions, on par with traditional search. But as consumers rapidly test out and become regular users of these new tools, brands […]| Retail TouchPoints
Southeastern Grocers, which has been through a series of ownership changes over the past few years, will rebrand in early 2026 with a name that carries a century of retailing history: The Winn-Dixie Company. The rechristened supermarket also will narrow its focus to its home state of Florida — it has reached agreements or is […]| Retail TouchPoints
Glik’s is implementing Aptos ONE POS and OMS, both cloud-native solutions, to deliver powerful omnichannel and customer engagement capabilities. This strategic initiative will yield key benefits, including more unified customer experiences across physical and digital channels, POS mobility, and simplified, centralized store operations management. Founded in 1897, Glik’s is a remarkable example of retail resilience […]| Retail TouchPoints
It’s no secret that cybercrime is a growing threat to every organization, and retail companies are no exception. In fact, 80% of retailers experienced a cyberattack, according to a 2024 report, and 22% faced as many as 15 attacks. These incidents don’t just result in lost sales: they can significantly damage brand reputation and erode […]| Retail TouchPoints
As with many other elements of holiday 2025, the seasonal employment picture is somewhat contradictory. Amazon, one of the country’s largest retail employers, is standing pat: it will once again hire 250,000 seasonal workers, the same number as in 2024. And some retailers, notably Dick’s Sporting Goods, are planning to boost holiday hiring, from 8,000 […]| Retail TouchPoints
The National Retail Federation (NRF) has named the five new members of The List of People Shaping Retail’s Future 2026, scheduled to be celebrated at the NRF Foundation Honors on Jan. 11, 2026. The honorees are: “This impressive group of leaders highlights the impact that can be made across the numerous career paths available in […]| Retail TouchPoints
Walmart has teamed up with Stadium Goods to bring a selection of top sneaker brands to its marketplace. The deal follows similar integrations with other collector-driven marketplaces, including comics site Shortboxed, luxury resale platform Rebag and sneaker site StockX. “Our customers trust Walmart to deliver not only everyday essentials, but also the latest and most […]| Retail TouchPoints
UK-based athleticwear brand Gymshark will make its U.S. wholesale debut this week in 12 Dick’s Sporting Goods House of Sport stores across 10 states. In-store spaces will feature fixtures designed and clad to effectively display the Gymshark branding, as well as mannequins based on Gymshark athletes and specialty mannequin stands made from actual weight plates, […]| Retail TouchPoints
Rite Aid may not disappear from the retail landscape completely after all. Following its second bankruptcy filing in May and the subsequent shuttering of all its stores, the pharmacy retailer has retained Hilco Global to manage the sale of its brand, website domain, private label brands and some of its “front-end” loyalty data. Bids to […]| Retail TouchPoints
In-person retail events are becoming more important than ever — and they’re more than just a way to hand out samples or drive short-term sales. As shoppers seek out in-person connections, don’t miss the moment to make your brand matter. When done right, these retail events, or “retailtainment” events, can create meaningful shopper touch points, […]| Retail TouchPoints
‘Tis the season for seasonal pop-ups: As Halloween-themed retailers race toward Oct. 31, Christmas shops already are stocking up on decorations, trees, gifts and elves on shelves. And considering that they’re only operational for a few months, these retail operations have an outsized impact. Clare Rose, head of specialty leasing at mall operator PREIT, which […]| Retail TouchPoints
Albertsons plans to invest heavily in its owned brands as it seeks to both boost customer loyalty and provide shoppers with some relief from inflationary price increases. In a conference call discussing the supermarket retailer’s Q2 results, CEO Susan Morris said she believes Albertsons can drive “outsize growth” in its private label brands, “reinforcing our […]| Retail TouchPoints
Macy’s has debuted a new 2.5 million-square-foot fulfillment center in China Grove, N.C. equipped with state-of-the-art automation and an advanced warehouse management system (WMS). The facility, which will support all product categories, will initially support customer fulfilment and store replenishment for the Macy’s nameplate, with plans to expand to additional Macy’s banners over the next […]| Retail TouchPoints
Value retailer Five Below will venture into the Pacific Northwest for the first time, opening eight new stores in Washington and Oregon on Friday, Nov. 7, with special grand opening celebrations slated for Saturday, Nov. 8. Store sites will include busy malls and neighborhood shopping centers, and assortments will feature brands including Lego, Disney Stitch, […]| Retail TouchPoints
The future of shopping is supposed to look like this: you tell your AI agent — whether powered by ChatGPT or Perplexity — that you need batteries, a new desk chair and maybe a vacation. Minutes later, the items are purchased, the trip is booked, and all you had to do was…nothing. This vision — […]| Retail TouchPoints
Self-described “embarrassing self-care” brand Norms has created a community retail space devoted exclusively to a difficult-to-spell, difficult-to-discuss subject: hemorrhoids. The Norms Clubhouse, open in NYC’s SoHo through Nov. 25, 2025, is a place where New Yorkers can learn, have shame-free conversations and purchase the brand’s array of hemorrhoid treatments, currently available on Amazon and including […]| Retail TouchPoints
Wayfair has launched My Projects, an integrated project management tool available exclusively to Wayfair Professional members. As part of the Professional ecosystem, the tool is designed to allow pros to create projects and source products directly from the Wayfair catalog, as well as assigning tasks, setting deadlines and tracking progress through status updates and dashboards. […]| Retail TouchPoints
DoorDash will bring autonomous delivery to the Phoenix metro area via an expansion of its partnership with Waymo and will promote the new service with a limited-time $10 Waymo promotion for DashPass members in Phoenix as well as Los Angeles and San Francisco, where Waymo already is a delivery option. Testing of the driverless deliveries […]| Retail TouchPoints
Today’s parenting consumer is time-starved, research-obsessed and driven by trust, making their path to purchase more intentional than ever. With an overwhelming number of options in the marketplace, brands can no longer rely on paid tactics alone to stand out. PR still plays a critical role not just in building awareness but in guiding parents […]| Retail TouchPoints
Bombas, known both for its comfy socks and undergarments as well as its social conscience, isn’t exactly a stranger to brick-and-mortar; its products have been available for several years at retailers including Dick’s Sporting Goods, Nordstrom and Scheels. But while direct-to-consumer (DTC) will remain the brand’s primary sales channel, it’s now taking some major steps […]| Retail TouchPoints
For several years now the term “retail media” has been buzzing around both retail and media circles. Whether you’re looking for a deeper understanding of the implications and applications of retail media or need a down-and-dirty explainer on what retail media actually is, you’ve landed in the right place. This special Retail TouchPoints resource hub […]| Retail TouchPoints
Per-consumer spending for the holiday season will average $890.49, down 1.3% from the 2024 record high of $901.99. That’s according to the National Retail Federation (NRF)’s annual consumer survey, conducted by Prosper Insights & Analytics. Shoppers remain concerned about the impact of President Trump’s tariffs on their holiday budgets: 85% are anticipating that they will […]| Retail TouchPoints
By the end of 2025, Toys ‘R’ Us plans to open 10 new permanent flagship stores in the U.S. as well as 20 seasonal holiday pop-ups.| Retail TouchPoints
Value retailer Dollar Tree has partnered with Legion Technologies to launch its first-ever workforce management solution, covering employees at its 9,000 stores and 18 distribution centers across North America. With the Legion mobile app, associates can request schedule changes, swap shifts, communicate with managers and access performance rewards and feedback via a single user interface. […]| Retail TouchPoints
Curacao will help its customers kickstart their holiday spruce-ups by offering up to $350 for old furniture and appliances, now through Nov. 2, 2025. Curacao, which has been serving Hispanic customers for 45 years, will pick up the items for free and provide participants with 0% financing and the chance to double their Curacao credit […]| Retail TouchPoints
As consumers increasingly begin their shopping journeys with conversational AI tools like Google’s Gemini, ChatGPT and Perplexity, there’s been a growing sense that’s it’s only a matter of time before the whole shopping journey — from initial query to purchase — will happen in these platforms. That time has come, with Shopify, Etsy, Salesforce and […]| Retail TouchPoints
Nearly 95% of consumers check online reviews before purchasing a product or service. They provide a valuable signal of trust for buyers based on other people’s firsthand experiences, and sellers rely on them to boost their reputations and sales in the crowded online marketplace. However, a new trend threatens to undermine this. Fake reviews generated […]| Retail TouchPoints
The National Retail Federation (NRF) is forecasting a 15.8% return rate in 2025, totaling $849.9 billion, according to the 2025 Retail Returns Landscape report created in partnership with Happy Returns, a UPS company. This represents a slight decrease from the 2024 return rate of 16.9% and $890 billion in sales of products that were eventually […]| Retail TouchPoints
A recent CVS Health survey of 2,200 consumers and more than 1,060 pharmacists and pharmacy techs reveals how highly customers value in-person pharmacy care: 80% of patients prefer it, and 48% would switch pharmacies if they were limited to digital-only options. To meet this need for face-to-face care, CVS Health plans to open nearly 100 […]| Retail TouchPoints
Ross Stores has engineered a flurry of store openings in September and October: 36 Ross Dress for Less and four dd’s Discounts stores in 17 different states. These brick-and-mortar debuts complete the 90 new locations Ross Stores had planned for its FY 2025, which ends in February 2026. The retailer now operates 2,273 stores under […]| Retail TouchPoints
The divide between brand and performance marketing is costing retailers revenue. Against today’s collapsed marketing funnel, the old playbook of awareness first, conversion later no longer applies. Shoppers move fast and unpredictably. They discover a product on TikTok, research reviews on Google, see a retargeted ad days later and still abandon their cart. Customers don’t […]| Retail TouchPoints
Coming off a quarter when it generated net revenues of $1.5 billion — a 7% increase over the same period the previous year — Levi Strauss & Co. President and CEO Michelle Gass revealed that the denim and lifestyle retailer had the potential to double its U.S. store count. However, she didn’t provide any timeline […]| Retail TouchPoints
Cancer treatments can change one’s looks, sometimes radically, and it’s often just one more aspect of the loss of control many cancer patients feel. JCPenney and Look Good Feel Better are addressing both these challenges with Look Good Feel Better workshops, free to those undergoing cancer treatment, that will begin rolling out later this year […]| Retail TouchPoints
Walmart will join Shopify, Etsy and Salesforce in linking its online catalog with the new ChatGPT Instant Checkout, enabling its customers to shop and buy its products directly within ChatGPT conversations. The Walmart-ChatGPT integration will take effect later this fall and will encompass both Walmart and Sam’s Club offerings. Walmart framed the move as another […]| Retail TouchPoints
[Update as of Oct. 14, 2025] Ecommerce customers of Salesforce — which include many large retail conglomerates such as L’Oréal Group, Pandora and Saks — will now be able to join Shopify and Etsy merchants in selling directly to customers within ChatGPT conversations. (Walmart also announced that it will integrating later this fall.) Salesforce has expanded […]| Retail TouchPoints
Ulta Beauty’s online marketplace is now live on the beauty retailer’s website and app. Plans to add a marketplace, built on the Mirakl platform, were first announced in March as part of the company’s Beauty Unleashed strategy, aimed at combating declining sales and market share losses. Ulta has framed the move as a way to […]| Retail TouchPoints
Every holiday season, we hear the buzz of internal celebrations, “Company XYZ Celebrates Record Black Friday!” Carts are full, conversion rates are up and execs breathe sighs of relief. But when the dust settles, the numbers tell a different story: Q4 profit was down YoY, margins plummeted and Q1 sales have started off soft. What […]| Retail TouchPoints
Retailers have endured something of a rollercoaster ride over the last few years, but the good news is that, even as continuing price rises eat into available spending power, consumer spending remains robust. The question now is: how can retailers make the most of consumer resilience? According to the Lloyds Bank Business Barometer, released in […]| Retail TouchPoints
Edible Brands operates both corporate-owned and franchised Edible Arrangements stores, but these brick-and-mortar locations have a few key differences from other kinds of specialty retail. In fact, they’re closer in form to takeout-heavy fast casual restaurants — which Edible Brands also operates, in the form of the Rōti chain of build-your-own-meal-style restaurants (think Chipotle with […]| Retail TouchPoints
Retail CIOs are no strangers to volatility. From pandemic-induced digital acceleration to supply chain disruptions and shifting consumer habits, the last few years have reshaped IT priorities. Now, in 2025, economic pressures — ranging from inflation and cautious consumer spending to margin compression — are forcing retailers to once again reevaluate their IT investments. For […]| Retail TouchPoints
The Body Shop has been through a challenging year-plus since it entered administration (the UK’s version of bankruptcy) in February 2024 and closed all its U.S. brick-and-mortar stores in March 2024. Now the brand — which still has strong name recognition among Gen X and millennials — is returning to the U.S. market via Amazon […]| Retail TouchPoints
Walmart has introduced the first of 10 planned “Auto Care Centers (ACCs) of the Future” in Fayetteville, Ark., providing customers with a contactless self-service car care experience via the retailer’s mobile app. After making an appointment, customers put their car in a parking spot near the ACC, then use the app to drop their keys […]| Retail TouchPoints
In the nearly 10 years since Primark first landed on U.S. shores, the Dublin, Ireland-based retailer has been on a slow but steady growth path, with 33 stores in the country and more on the way. But Primark’s U.S. expansion represents more than just another international retailer crossing the Atlantic. The company’s commitment to maintaining […]| Retail TouchPoints
Gap Inc. has launched a social media advocacy platform that will serve as a centralized hub for creators to engage across the Old Navy, Gap, Banana Republic and Athleta brands, providing them with access to new releases, product seeding and exclusive promotions as well as content collaboration opportunities. Creators also will gain the ability to […]| Retail TouchPoints
Walmart Marketplace is determined to stake its claim in the collectibles arena, and it’s doing so at one of the largest pop culture events in the country: New York Comic Con (NYCC), running Oct. 9-12 at NYC’s Javits Center. The retailer has also added the Shortboxed comics marketplace, with a catalog of 75,000 books from […]| Retail TouchPoints
Citing tariffs, the Vermont-based outdoor gear company will focus on fly fishing and wingshooting, said company President Simon Perkins.| Retail TouchPoints
The rent-to-own retail sector puts a new spin on the classic “need vs. want” consumer equation. It’s designed for consumers who don’t have the financial resources to immediately pay for big-ticket purchases (and who don’t want to pay the interest that can accrue with buy now, pay later services or credit cards), but who are […]| Retail TouchPoints
When autonomous shopping agents start making product decisions on behalf of consumers at scale, the retail world will change forever. Retailers already are experimenting with AI-powered product recommendations, dynamic promotions and personalization. But in this new era of agentic commerce, when AI agents research, compare and complete purchases for people — autonomously — one critical […]| Retail TouchPoints
Aviator Nation, the lifestyle brand inspired by a 1970’s-era California vibe, wanted to mark the 60th anniversary of the iconic (and apparently undying) Grateful Dead. During a three-night “Dead & Company” celebration that attracted 180,000 Dead Heads to San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park in early August, Aviation Nation created an immersive sonic and visual environment […]| Retail TouchPoints
Amazon will deploy Amazon Pharmacy Kiosks in select One Medical offices across the greater Los Angeles area beginning in December, giving patients access to their prescriptions within minutes of their medical appointments. Powered by the retailer’s logistics expertise and technology, each kiosk will be stocked with a curated inventory of medications based on each office’s […]| Retail TouchPoints
A new Instacart integration with TikTok will enable select CPG advertisers to tap into the grocery services platform’s first-party retail media data, helping these advertisers enhance campaign targeting, drive purchases and measure performance — all within the TikTok Ads Manager tool. Soon, advertisers will be able to enhance shoppable ad formats via TikTok’s Smart+ campaigns, […]| Retail TouchPoints
REI will also shutter its Boston store and its Paramus, New Jersey location, according to a spokesperson.| Retail TouchPoints
Legacy brands from the Y2K era are making a big comeback, not by simply repackaging but by reinventing themselves for a digital-native generation that is pining for a non-digital era. Pacsun is a poster child for this, but the company’s Chief Merchandising Officer Richard Cox thinks the brand’s popularity with today’s young consumers has a […]| Retail TouchPoints
This spring, American Eagle Outfitters announced a $75 million inventory write-down and withdrew its fiscal guidance for 2025, citing macroeconomic uncertainty and operational challenges. The retail landscape is becoming more and more complex and is putting inventory precision under the spotlight. More than ever, inventory management has become not just an operational necessity but a […]| Retail TouchPoints
Every international retailer knows there are multiple differences — some minor, some dramatic — in consumer preferences between different countries. To successfully sell across borders, enterprise retailers require a country-by-country approach, carefully aligning product assortments, marketing communications and payment methods with local preferences. A recent SCAYLE survey of consumers in five key markets — the […]| Retail TouchPoints
Ingka Investments, the investment firm of Ikea parent company Ingka Group, has acquired U.S.-based logistics tech company Locus. The purchase will provide Ikea with an AI-powered logistics management platform featuring advanced route customization, real-time tracking and smarter uses of vehicles and resources. Integrating these capabilities will help Ingka Group enhance supply chain processes such as […]| Retail TouchPoints
Japanese apparel retailer Uniqlo will add 11 stores to its U.S. retail footprint next spring and summer, according to Fast Company. The new locations will include four NYC sites and stores in Chicago, San Francisco, Seattle, Boston, Washington, D.C. and Maryland’s Annapolis Mall. These additional stores will bring Uniqlo’s U.S. store count to nearly 90 […]| Retail TouchPoints
Bed Bath & Beyond, Inc. is launching a national franchise system to step up the brick-and-mortar return of Bed Bath & Beyond following the recent opening of the chain’s first store since its 2023 bankruptcy. BB&B Inc. said in a statement that a franchise model will allow it to operate a smaller footprint of corporate […]| Retail TouchPoints
[Update as of Oct. 7, 2025] CardVault by Tom Brady will open its seventh store, and first location in New York City, in SoHo on Oct. 8, housing the retailer’s signature showroom of cards, packs and collectibles, a collector’s lounge where fans can connect and rip packs, and a store-exclusive line of New York City […]| Retail TouchPoints
Fast fashion is now a term familiar to most consumers, but similar “buy-it-and-toss-it” mentalities pervade many other categories as well, with far less discussion around the environmental and human impact. In 2014 refurbished electronics marketplace Back Market set out to change this cycle, which it has dubbed “fast tech.” Now, the online platform is bringing […]| Retail TouchPoints
The modern retail calendar is packed with mega-events like Prime Day, Black Friday, Cyber Monday and others that can make or break a brand’s quarterly goals. These are no longer just moments; they’re movements. And while consumers may wait for the clock to strike midnight on a sale, savvy marketers know the real work starts […]| Retail TouchPoints
A new partnership between United Airlines and Instacart will give the airline’s loyalty members $0 delivery fees for orders placed before, during or after they take a domestic flight, making it easier to replace forgotten items on the go or restock the fridge for their return home. United MileagePlus members who link their accounts with […]| Retail TouchPoints
Accessibility issues on websites can cost retailers sales if left unaddressed. Here are five steps to remove friction and keep customers coming back.| Retail TouchPoints
Like its summer predecessor, the fall version of Prime Day — Prime Big Deals Days, taking place Oct. 7-8 — has become a major sales opportunity for more than just Amazon. Multiple competitors, including giants such as Walmart, Target and Best Buy, run their own deal days the same week as they seek to take […]| Retail TouchPoints
In a news-filled earnings call, Nike executives discussed what is working and areas of the business that still need improving.| Retail TouchPoints
[Update as of Oct. 6, 2025] Rite Aid has closed the last of its physical stores following the retailer’s second recent bankruptcy declaration in May 2025. A notice on the retailer’s home page reads: “All Rite Aid stores have now closed. We thank our loyal customers for their many years of support.” Rite Aid sold […]| Retail TouchPoints
As retailers prepare for the crucial holiday season, another kind of countdown is already underway. Cybercriminals know exactly when you can least afford disruption, and they plan their campaigns accordingly. November and December have become high season not only for sales but also for ransomware, extortion and sophisticated cyberattacks. For retail executives, the challenge is […]| Retail TouchPoints
Last month during New York Fashion Week, a host of brands not typically included in the luxury cohort that dominates the biannual event decided they didn’t want to be left out of the fashion fun — Ebay, Adidas and even Capri Sun each presented their own take on the moment, most of them off the […]| Retail TouchPoints
Mastercard has introduced Mastercard Commerce Media, a digital media network with an existing base of 25,000 advertisers and reach to 500 million enrolled customers that will operate both in owned channels as well as bank and other publishing outlets worldwide. The media network’s capabilities will be informed by proprietary insights from Mastercard-processed transactions — approximately […]| Retail TouchPoints
The 175-year-old catalog-based retailer Hammacher Schlemmer, known for its unexpected and unique merchandise, has initiated going-out-of-business sales, so anyone in the market for a remote-controlled bald eagle or a personal oxygen bar better get online fast. The company, which was acquired by Southern California investment firm S5 Equity in 2024, has enlisted the help of Gordon […]| Retail TouchPoints
The first of what Nike’s Jordan Brand (Michael, that is) promises will be several U.S. “World of Flight” flagship stores will open in Philadelphia on Oct. 10, 2025. Since 2022, the brand has opened six World of Flight flagships, in Milan, Tokyo, Seoul, Beijing and, most recently, the Nike & Jordan World of Flight Mexico […]| Retail TouchPoints
Loading docks are the unsung heroes of retail operations — until they’re not. You don’t think about them much until they go down and suddenly nothing’s coming into your store. Then you need to fix them real fast, and “real fast” often means weeks of downtime and hundreds of thousands in lost inventory. After 23 […]| Retail TouchPoints
[Update as of Oct. 2, 2025] At Home has received approval from the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware for a restructuring plan that would eliminate substantially all of the retailer’s $2 billion in funded debt. Following a restructuring that will take place in the coming weeks, the home goods and décor retailer […]| Retail TouchPoints
Walmart has deployed a collaborative ambient IoT (Internet of Things) solution from Wiliot in 500 stores and plans a national expansion next year that will cover 4,600 Walmart Supercenters and Neighborhood Markets as well as 40 distribution centers. Wiliot’s IoT Pixels — battery-free Bluetooth sensors — are being used to track Walmart pallets at scale, […]| Retail TouchPoints
In its ongoing effort to leverage AI to drive ad performance across Facebook, Instagram and its messaging platforms, Meta has unveiled a number of new innovations for advertisers. Among the new capabilities are virtual try-on personalized to a user’s own image; new tools to ramp up creators’ effectiveness, including affiliate and product linking; and persona-based […]| Retail TouchPoints
While 218 Big Lots stores have been open for several months, new owner Variety Wholesalers is just now getting around to holding grand opening celebrations, complete with doorbusters and giveaways, that will take place chainwide on Oct. 30, 2025. As part of the lead-up to the event, from Oct. 2-5 shoppers can receive 10% off […]| Retail TouchPoints
Economic headwinds, geopolitical tensions and budget-conscious consumers are creating a perfect storm of uncertainty for retailers. In this high-stakes environment, a retailer’s traditional playbook for pricing and promotions is no longer sufficient. To thrive, retailers must find a more dynamic strategy that is deeply rooted in data, analytics and an unwavering focus on the customer. […]| Retail TouchPoints
Even though more than two-thirds of women wear plus-size apparel, they’re often made to feel invisible — particularly in the world of fashion apparel. But model and plus-size advocate Ashley Graham, who brims with what she calls “Main Character Energy,” wants these women to feel seen and beautiful. Her new apparel line, which drops today […]| Retail TouchPoints
Miniso isn’t waiting around for the next pop culture phenomenon (Labubus, anyone?). The China-based retailer is strengthening its in-house intellectual property development in the hopes of creating the next hit character itself, with a new incubation hub for proprietary IP for which it already has signed nine artists. Miniso already has a significant portfolio of […]| Retail TouchPoints
Ingka Investments, the investment arm of Ikea parent company Ingka Group, has purchased a building in the heart of NYC’s SoHo that will be the eventual home to a new 25,000-square-foot Ikea store spanning two levels. This will be the second Manhattan store for the furniture and lifestyle retailer; the first will also be in […]| Retail TouchPoints
The new Journeys Global Retail Group will bring together Journeys, the U.K.-based Schuh and Canada's Little Burgundy under a unified leadership structure.| Retail TouchPoints
Amazon is uniting two of its private label grocery brands — Amazon Fresh and Happy Belly — under the simplified Amazon Grocery banner. The renamed private label brand features more than 1,000 food items rated four-stars or above on Amazon.com — including everything from milk and olive oil to fresh produce, meat and seafood — […]| Retail TouchPoints
[Update as of Oct. 1, 2025] Fans of the creepily addictive Netflix show Stranger Things are looking forward to the fifth and final season — and now they can feed their addiction at Target stores and online. As the retailer continues to fight declining foot traffic, 150 new Stranger Things-themed products — including apparel, collectibles, […]| Retail TouchPoints
