Retail Gazette

SEPTEMBER 12, 2024

Almost 40 stores closed their doors for the final time each day this year in the latest blow to the high street, according to new data. The latest research from PwC shows that 6,945 outlets have shut so far in 2024, equating to 38 store closures per day – an increase on last year’s 36 per day. This figure outnumbers the rate of new store openings, which rose modestly to 4,661 this year – averaging 25 openings each day.

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Fashion Location Consumer Shopping 119

Retail TouchPoints

SEPTEMBER 12, 2024

Still-potent economic uncertainty is encouraging consumers to be savvier as they browse and buy. But while there may be more price comparing and deal hunting this holiday season, consumers will still expect stellar experiences as they browse and buy across channels. Retail TouchPoints interviewed 12 experts who shared their predictions for the 2024 holiday season.

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Merchant Services Returns Consumer Planning 306

Inside Retail

SEPTEMBER 12, 2024

Metcash has booked a sales increase of 6.1 per cent in the early part of the new fiscal year – with food leading the growth. The group’s food sales, excluding tobacco, surged 17.9 per cent, reflecting volume growth and inflation moderation, the company said in an investor update covering the period to September 8. Supermarket and convenience store sales grew 3.5 per cent, while its Superior Foods division jumped 8.7 per cent.

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Supermarket Returns Consumer Planning 278

Retail TouchPoints

SEPTEMBER 12, 2024

Lego stores around the world are creating interactive experiences showcasing the power of play — from a playable library in China to a restaurant-themed pop-up in Japan — as part of the brand’s “Play is Your Superpower” campaign. The goal is to encourage families to play together, with Lego citing a consumer survey it commissioned showing that 83% of parents see play as a platform for celebrating differences in a fun and positive way.

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Location Planning Consumer Visual Merchandising 288

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Generative AI is poised to redefine B2B, but scaling AI success in this space isn’t without obstacles. From fragmented data sources and complex buyer journeys to operational inefficiencies, the road to AI-powered growth can be challenging. To achieve a competitive edge, understanding your organization’s AI-readiness is essential. Orium's Data & AI Maturity Model provides a quick, actionable way to assess your starting point.

Customer Experience

Inside Retail

SEPTEMBER 12, 2024

Decathlon has launched free exercise classes and picnic kit rentals exclusively from its new flagship store at 570 George Street in Sydney CBD. The company’s in-house fitness experts will lead the high-intensity interval training (HIIT) and pilates classes in the park and guided run club sessions. Decathlon also offers 10 free picnic kit rentals from 10 am to 6 pm daily.

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Outdoor ATS Marketing 269

Retail TouchPoints

SEPTEMBER 12, 2024

Alcohol ecommerce solution Drinks has launched the “Drinks-as-a-service” (DaaS) platform, a subscription software solution that will allow any brand, merchant or ecommerce operator to navigate the various tax and compliance impediments to selling alcohol online. The DaaS platform can be used by retailers that want to add wine or spirits to their assortment to alcohol producers looking to build out their direct-to-consumer business.

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Merchant Services Consumer 278

Retail TouchPoints

SEPTEMBER 12, 2024

Paramount debuted a new technology last night at the MTV Video Music Awards (VMAs) that allowed viewers to shop the entire broadcast, from the red carpet to the stage. The Shopsense AI Lens is an image recognition tool that lets viewers snap a photo of what their favorite artists are wearing and then shop the looks they love in an AI-curated digital store.

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ATS Fashion Advertising Shopping 277

Retail Wire

SEPTEMBER 12, 2024

Accounting firm PwC is restructuring two of its U.S. units, which includes reducing staff.

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Accounting 264

Retail TouchPoints

SEPTEMBER 12, 2024

Associated Food Stores (AFS), a wholesaler and cooperative serving nearly 450 supermarkets in the Intermountain West region, has adopted customer engagement, personalization and analytics solutions from Birdzi. AFS will roll out the Birdzi shopper analytics platform, personalized ad, coupon flyers and audience engagement tools first before deploying the VISPER personalization engine, with the entire process forecasted to be complete in time for the holiday season.

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Wholesale Supermarket Promotions Marketing 276

Retail Wire

SEPTEMBER 12, 2024

The fast-food giant has been named the team's official quick-service restaurant.

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Speaker: Amanda Adams, Fractional CFO, CPA

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Accounting

Retail TouchPoints

SEPTEMBER 12, 2024

As the retail media boom continues , the relationship between the retailer and the brands they carry is going through a significant transformation. While brands have always had to strategize, plan, negotiate and spend with retailers to get their products distributed across stores to reach new and existing customers, their commitments are evolving once again.

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Planning Visual Merchandising Marketing ATS 273

Inside Retail

SEPTEMBER 12, 2024

Bunnings was once again crowned the most trusted brand in the June quarter, followed by Aldi in second place and Kmart in third place, according to a survey from Roy Morgan. This marks the hardware chain’s third straight quarterly victory. The second and third rankings also remained unchanged compared to the March quarter. The biggest loser in the latest quarterly rankings was Woolworths, which fell a massive 194 places to be the fifth most distrusted brand.

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Telecommunications Supermarket ATS Marketing 147

Retail TouchPoints

SEPTEMBER 12, 2024

Over the past 11 years, Grove Collaborative has built a name for itself as conscious consumers’ go-to supplier for everyday essentials. And that hard-won name has been built on top of a homegrown tech stack that supported the brand’s robust ecommerce and subscription ecosystem. But recently the brand realized it had outgrown its in-house tech and began a process that many today are undertaking — shifting from custom-built digital commerce systems to best-in-breed third-party technology, a.k.a.

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Customer Experience Promotions Consumer Shopping 273

Inside Retail

SEPTEMBER 12, 2024

Zara’s parent, Inditex, booked higher net income and sales across all of its brands during the fiscal first half year. The fashion group’s net income surged 10.1 per cent to €5.0 billion (A$8.24 billion) as net sales rose 7.2 per cent to €18.1 billion, thanks to the spring and summer collections being well received by customers. Zara’s net sales increased 5.4 per cent to €13.0 billion while Pull&Bear climbed 7.9 per cent to €1.1 billion.

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Fashion Marketing ATS Accessories 147

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Generative AI is reshaping retail, but achieving true AI success isn’t simple. Many brands face hurdles—underdeveloped data strategies, limited AI-ready infrastructure, or lack of seamless integration across systems. As you explore how AI can boost efficiency and transform customer experiences, understanding your business’s readiness is key. Orium's Data & AI Maturity Model offers a clear starting point.

Customer Experience

Retail TouchPoints

SEPTEMBER 12, 2024

Walmart has approved embedded finance provider Parafin to offer financing to Walmart Marketplace sellers to help them grow their businesses Parafin offers full-scale financial services programs to marketplaces, employing machine learning to analyze sales data to determine offer eligibility and terms. Since Parafin’s launch in 2021, it has served tens of thousands of businesses and extended more than $8 billion in offers via platforms including Worldpay and Mindbody.

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Finance Fulfillment ATS 263

Retail Wire

SEPTEMBER 12, 2024

BurgerFi International Inc., the parent company of BurgerFi and Anthony's Coal Fired Pizza & Wings, has officially filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.

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Inside Retail

SEPTEMBER 12, 2024

Understanding how to authentically engage younger consumer groups, especially Gen Z, is key to success in retail today, but it’s easier said than done. That was the topic at the 2024 Retail Influencer CEO Forum in New York City this week, which brought together industry experts to understand how leading brands, such as American Eagle, are getting this right.

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Marketing Fashion Consumer Accessories 130

Retail Wire

SEPTEMBER 12, 2024

Sony Interactive Entertainment has just revealed its new PlayStation 5 Pro, making it the newest addition to the PlayStation lineup.

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Advertiser: Experience Retail Today

I’m getting in touch with the news that fashion retailer, Gina Trictot, has achieved 98% inventory accuracy thanks to its partnership with SML RFID. Please see the full press release below, including exclusive quotes.

Fashion

Inside Retail

SEPTEMBER 12, 2024

Uniqlo is aggressively expanding its reach by opening more than 20 flagship stores in Asia, Europe, and North America from this month, taking its worldwide store count to more than 2500. In Asia, the Fast Retailing-owned brand will open its largest store in South Korea at the Lotte World Mall and its first overseas roadside store featuring a new design concept in Bangkok, Thailand.

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Planning ATS Accessories Fashion 130

Retail Wire

SEPTEMBER 12, 2024

DoorDash and Magnolia Bakery's newest sweet treat is sure to please fans.

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Inside Retail

SEPTEMBER 12, 2024

Sales results coming out of Japan in the past few weeks indicate that a high base-year comparison and a narrowing of the tourism effect are starting to have an adverse impact on growth. The evidence is showing up most clearly in the reports coming out of the big department store chains, where the strength is increasingly concentrated in a few flagship stores rather than being distributed across their entire store fleets.

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Department Stores Specialty Store Consumer Supermarket 130

Retail Wire

SEPTEMBER 12, 2024

Southwest Airlines allegedly "retaliated" against employees who wanted PTO.

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Wholesale

Inside Retail

SEPTEMBER 12, 2024

Imagine walking into a store where the staff are not only knowledgeable but genuinely enthusiastic about helping you. Or calling customer service, and having someone instantly locate the exact product, size and colour you need and suggest the best delivery option. This is the reality for companies that invest in their employees’ experience. In an era where customer expectations are high and customer experience (CX) is a top priority, retail employees have never been more important.

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Customer Experience Management Returns Location 130

Retail Wire

SEPTEMBER 12, 2024

Thankfully no one was hurt after the incident and the cruise continued as normal.

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Shipping 147

Retail Gazette

SEPTEMBER 12, 2024

Waterstones is making a return to Oxford Street as it teams up with John Lewis to open a bookshop in the retailer’s flagship on the busy shopping street. The bookseller will open a shop-in-shop on the second floor of the department store’s flagship, next to its café, on 8 October. The space will stock nearly 20,000 books, including non-fiction, fiction and children’s books.

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Department Stores Returns Shopping ATS 119

Retail Wire

SEPTEMBER 12, 2024

This new weight loss medication could be an alternative to injectibles currently on the market.

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Speaker: Jennifer Wright and Nick Barron

2025 is right around the corner, and with it comes a new wave of consumer expectations, competitive pressures, and operational challenges. Success lies in finding the balance between operational flexibility and creating experiences that keep customers coming back. The future of retail belongs to those who can stay ahead of shifting customer preferences and marketing trends. 🔮 In this session, we’ll dive deep into what it takes to keep customers engaged and your operations nimble, no matt

Customer Experience

Retail Gazette

SEPTEMBER 12, 2024

Tesco has lost its Supreme Court ‘hire and fire appeal’ as the judge ruled it cannot terminate staff employment contracts and offer to rehire them on less favourable terms. Shopworkers’ union Usdaw took legal action against the supermarket giant after it tried to strip some warehouse workers of their higher pay by ending their contracts and offering to rehire them, in a long-running legal battle between the pair.

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Supermarket ATS 119

Retail Wire

SEPTEMBER 12, 2024

Jack in the Box has a spooky season-themed menu.

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Retail Gazette

SEPTEMBER 12, 2024

The retail sector is disproportionately taxed compared to other industries, new research released today by the British Retail Consortium (BRC) revealed. Retailers contribute 7.4% of all business taxes, amounting to £33bn —significantly more than their 5% share of the overall economy’s GDP. This tax bill represents 55% of the industry’s pre-tax profits, placing it alongside hospitality as the highest proportion among major business sectors.

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Accounting Returns Shopping Consumer 118

Retail Wire

SEPTEMBER 12, 2024

Moderna is releasing 10 new drugs but won't profit from them for several years.

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Planning 130

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