Fri.Jan 24, 2025

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How Authentic Reviews, Transparency can Help Alleviate the Headache of Returns

Retail TouchPoints

Theres a famous quote, usually attributed to Benjamin Franklin, to the effect that there is nothing certain in life but death and taxes. Retailers might want to grimly add and product returns to that list of lifes inevitabilities. The numbers back up this somewhat cynical assertion: the National Retail Federation (NRF) reported that U.S. consumers returned $890 billion in merchandise in 2024, equaling 16.9% of all purchases.

Returns 278
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Lessons Ecommerce Can Learn From The Online Casino Industry

Retail Focus

Ecommerce and the online casino industry have seen meteoric growth in recent years. Even though ecommerce has exploded in the last few years, there is still a lot that can be learned by looking at the success of other sectors. The online casino industry is an interesting one to analyse, and there is a lot that an ecommerce business can learn from the success of this industry.

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Embracing MoCRA for a Safer, Transparent Cosmetics Industry

Retail TouchPoints

The Modernization of Cosmetics Regulation Act (MoCRA) introduces significant regulatory changes for the cosmetics industry, aimed at enhancing consumer safety and product transparency. This article explores the essential MoCRA requirements, from new facility registration and labeling rules to adverse event reporting and Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP).

Consumer 297
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Lakeland owner puts chain up for sale ahead of tax rises

Retail Gazette

The owners of Lakeland are exploring a possible sale of the kitchenwares chain after more than 60 years, ahead of tax rises in April. The retailer, which is controlled by the three sons of founder Alan Rayner, is thought to be working with advisors at Teneo to scout prospective buyers, Sky News reported. PwC is also understood to have been hired to advise Lakelands principal lender HSBC.

Finance 126
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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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Ebay, Instacart, DoorDash Sign Up to Test OpenAI’s New Agentic Tool, Operator  

Retail TouchPoints

Ebay , DoorDash , Instacart and Uber are among the companies that have signed on to participate in the research preview of OpenAI s new AI agent interface, called Operator. OpenAI describes Operator as an agent that can go to the web to perform tasks for you. Similar to other agentic AI tools from companies like Google , Salesforce and Perplexity , Operator acts as a virtual assistant, autonomously performing tasks across the internet, including online shopping, ordering groceries, filling out f

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174-Year-Old Books Inc. Files for Bankruptcy, CEO Promises Company is ‘Not Going Away’

Retail TouchPoints

California-based independent bookstore chain Books Inc. has filed for Chapter 11, citing steadily rising operating costs and changing consumer habits as the reasons for its current financial difficulties.The storied San Francisco company has operated in the city for 174 years, since founder Anton Roman opened the first store on Montgomery Street in 1855.

Planning 289
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Costco Shareholders Vote Down Anti-DEI Proposal in Near-Unanimous Decision

Retail Wire

Costco shareholders have denied an anti-DEI proposal put forth by a think tank.

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Vince Holding Corp. Changes Hands, Former CEO Brendan Hoffman to Return to the Helm

Retail TouchPoints

Newly formed luxury apparel-focused innovation venture P180 has acquired Sun Capital Partners majority stake in Vince Holding Corp. (VNCE) , giving it a 65% stake in the retailer. P180 was co-founded by former Vince CEO Brendan Hoffman, who will become CEO of the brand again on Feb. 3, 2025. Hoffman previously served as CEO of Vince from 2015 to 2020 before leaving to lead Wolverine Worldwide, first as President and then CEO through August 2023.

Returns 281
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Sleep.8 Opens New Store on London’s Historic Baker Street

365 Retail

Sleep.8 , the innovative sleep lifestyle brand, has opened its newest store at 3A Baker Street, W1U 8ED. This latest addition strengthens the companys presence in London, joining four other locations in delivering advanced sleep solutions designed to enhance health and well-being. Baker Street, famous for its association with fictional detective Sherlock Holmes, has long been a destination of cultural and historical significance.

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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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NRF 2025: Top Trends & Takeaways

Retail TouchPoints

40,000 members of the retail industry gathered in New York City to explore what’s new and what’s next. From the official arrival of agentic AI to RFID, supply chain efficiency and evolved payment experiences, new trends are emerging and converging to level up customer experiences. Watch this video to get boots-on-the-ground coverage and insights with some of the industry’s top players.

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Sleep.8 expands in London

A1 Retail

Sleep.8, the pioneering sleep lifestyle brand, is delighted to announce the opening of its newest London store at 3A Baker Street, W1U 8ED. This latest addition strengthens Sleep.8s presence in the UK, joining four other London locations in offering cutting-edge sleep solutions designed to enhance health and wellbeing. Steeped in history, Baker Street, famously home to fictional detective Sherlock Holmes, now includes Sleep.8s cutting-edge sleep technology and personalised shopping experience.

Location 103
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The One Hot and Delicious McDonald’s Menu Item That Chefs Can’t Resist

Retail Wire

Yes, professional chefs eat at McDonald's. Here's the No. 1 thing they order.

ATS 246
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Dreame marks major milestone with first UK flagship store in Birmingham

A1 Retail

Dreame, a smart home technology company, is excited to announce the grand opening of its first flagship store in Birmingham, UK. The two-story store, located at 25 New St, Birmingham B2 4RQ, in the heart of the city, will feature Dreames full range of premium products, including robotic vacuums, wet and dry vacuums, lawn mowers, and personal care devices.

Consumer 103
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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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Free Pizza for the Big Game? 7-Eleven Has a Deal, But There’s a Twist

Retail Wire

7-Eleven is giving its customers the chance to score a hot, fresh pizza and watch the big game to help them eat their feelings.

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Iceland Foods launches first food warehouse outside the UK

A1 Retail

Iceland Foods has opened its first-ever international The Food Warehouse store in Guernsey The opening marks a significant milestone in the brand’s growth and the success of its partnership with Alliance Iceland Foods plans to open two additional core stores in the Channel Islands in March 2024, continuing its growth in the region Iceland Foods is breaking new ground this January with the opening of its first-ever The Food Warehouse store outside the UK.

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Cinnamon Toast Crunch and Totino’s Pizza Rolls Team Up for Bold New Cereal Flavor

Retail Wire

Cinnamon Toast Crunch has a whole new flavor in time for Game Day.

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The Works losses narrow amid rollout of new growth strategy

Retail Gazette

The Works has reported narrowing losses and a modest increase in revenue for the first half of its financial year, despite challenges in online sales and a “persistently challenging” environment. For the 26 weeks ending November 3, the arts and crafts retailer posted a 1.3% rise in revenue to 124.2m. While store sales showed growth, up 0.9% on a like-for-like basis, online sales fell 14.7%, impacted by reduced promotional activity and issues with its third-party fulfilment centre.

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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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Starbucks Is Closing Several Stores in 2025. Is Your Area Affected?

Retail Wire

Starbucks shops around the country are feeling the crunch of inflation.

Shopping 189
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UK Payroll Software Provider Launches New ‘SmartPay’ Feature To Help Boost Employee Financial Security And Wellbeing

365 Retail

One of the UKs leading payroll software providers, PayCaptain , has recently launched a new feature in its app to help employed people become more financially resilient. The new feature, SmartPay , has been born out of PayCaptains thorough market research into employee savings behaviour, which has uncovered that a notable proportion of UK workers are having issues with their financial security.

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Fitbit Fined $12.25M for Delayed Defect Report on Ionic Smartwatch

Retail Wire

For years, consumers complained about the Fitbit Ionic smartwatch overheating and causing burn injuries.

Consumer 182
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Victoria’s Secret to Open New Store at Derbion

365 Retail

Victorias Secret is set to open its first standalone store in Derby at Derbion , as the shopping destination continues to enhance its retail offering. The new store will occupy a 5,712 sq ft unit on a 10-year lease, representing a key part of the brands UK expansion strategy. Relocating from its current concession space within Next, the new Victorias Secret store will allow the brand to establish its own dedicated retail environment at Derbion.

ATS 62
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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.

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Thomas Rhett Teams Up With Hardee’s To Ring in the Year of Goodness

Retail Wire

Thomas Rhett and Hardee's are a winning combination throughout 2025.

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Aldi donates over 1.1 million meals to charities over festive period

Retail Times

Retail Times publishes international & UK retail news covering products, data, tech, packaging, people, research, comment and more besides! Aldi donated over 1.1 million meals to those in need over the recent festive period. The UKs fourth largest supermarket teamed up with local good causes across the UK to donate a range of fresh and chilled foods from its stores after closing early on Christmas Eve and New Years Eve.

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Ford Recalls Over 270,000 Broncos and Mavericks Due to Potential Battery Failure

Retail Wire

The NHTSA has announced a recall of 272,817 Ford Bronco Sport and Maverick models.

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Rituals Cosmetics breaks through €2bn barrier

Retail Times

Retail Times publishes international & UK retail news covering products, data, tech, packaging, people, research, comment and more besides! Rituals Cosmetics, Certified B Corporation, successfully ends 2024 with a turnover of EUR 2,1B and 21% growth across all channels and 42 countries. Record year driven by Europe with expansion in Asia While the majority of its growth came from the European market, Rituals also accelerated in Asia.

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The GTM Intelligence Era: ZoomInfo 2025 Customer Impact Report

ZoomInfo customers aren’t just selling — they’re winning. Revenue teams using our Go-To-Market Intelligence platform grew pipeline by 32%, increased deal sizes by 40%, and booked 55% more meetings. Download this report to see what 11,000+ customers say about our Go-To-Market Intelligence platform and how it impacts their bottom line. The data speaks for itself!

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OpenAI Operator: New AI Assistant Orders Groceries and Makes Reservations

Retail Wire

Operator from OpenAI can take over a user's computer and perform tasks mostly on its own.

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Victoria’s Secret to open first premier East Midlands store

Retail Gazette

Victorias Secret has selected Derbion shopping centre for one of its “premier” East Midlands stores. The lingerie retailer , which reopened its Westfield Stratford store last autumn, will take up 5,712sq ft of space at the Derby shopping destination on a 10-year lease, as the brand expands out of its current space in Next into its own individual unit.

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UK Pizza Hut Locations Saved From Closure by Last-Minute Intervention

Retail Wire

Pizza Hut locations in the UK employ over 3,000 people.

Location 147