#retail-strategy

#retail-strategy

Amazon Fresh stores served as a physical counterpart to Amazon's online grocery delivery service by the same name while Amazon Go stores offered convenience store staples with a high-tech checkout twist. "After a careful evaluation of the business and how we can best serve customers, we've made the difficult decision to close our Amazon Go and Amazon Fresh physical stores, converting various locations into Whole Foods Market stores," Amazon wrote in a blog update, adding that it "gathered valuable insights" during their operation.

Statistics from the 2025 holiday shopping season clearly show that AI is playing a huge role in how people shop. But new research from retail payment platform Adyen found that many consumers are ready for AI to become their personal shopper. Just over half-51%-said they're open to letting AI take over the entire shopping process, including making final purchases. Millennials are the most willing to let agents do their shopping, with nearly three in five saying they are ready for such a shift.

Yet the automaker nearly doubled its sales in Japan and the way it pulled that off offers a useful lesson for automakers struggling to sell EVs. Japan is still a very small EV market compared to the U.S., China, or even Europe. Of the roughly 3.8 million vehicles sold in Japan last year, only about 60,677 were battery powered, according to multiple local news reports. Even so, Tesla delivered a record 10,600 vehicles in the country, nearly doubling its 2024 sales.

The company recently announced that the closure-part of a larger plan affecting nine other U.S. stores-is an effort to "place greater attention on our high-performing and high-potential store locations." The additional closures, set to begin in January 2026, include locations in Austin, Texas; Chicago, Illinois; East Hanover, New Jersey; Niagara Falls, New York; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Plymouth, Michigan; Washington, D.C.; and West Hartford, Connecticut.

IKEA is well known for its monster-sized warehouses in major cities, but bosses have a plan to open new format stores in smaller towns in 2026, as it seeks to expand its footprint in France. The Swedish furniture brand is planning to open a new generation of smaller stores in medium-sized towns and cities across France, "where [they are not] yet present (...) in existing spaces and buildings that [they could] rent rather than build."

In the new area, which the company said will be trialled until Christmas, customers will be served with a complimentary glass of sparkling wine or hot drink as well as hand and arm massages and Waitrose chocolates. Rosie Hanley, brand director at John Lewis, said: This trial is a perfect example of our wider strategy investing in our stores to offer unique, service-led experiences that our customers can't get anywhere else. [This is] about rewarding loyalty with a premium experience.

Target is cutting about 1,000 corporate positions and eliminating 800 open roles as part of an effort to speed up business decision-making and drive growth under its new chief executive, Michael Fiddelke. Fiddelke, who will succeed Brian Cornell as CEO in February, has been focused on ways to speed up the way corporate teams work, turning the company into a leaner and faster organization to drive innovation. This includes eliminating layers of management.

"We're seeing some dispersion between the high income earners and the low income earners," Corie Barry told the Fortune Most Powerful Women summit on Tuesday in Washington, D.C. "If I just level up, that is probably what keeps me up at night."

As retail chains scaled, the focus shifted to shelf space. The brands that occupied the most shelf space inside the store gained an immediate advantage. When shopping moved online, the fight shifted from real estate to clicks and traffic. Social commerce has fundamentally transformed the way people shop. Discovery and checkout are merging into a single cycle, creating both opportunities and chaos, which is precisely why brands need their own creator infrastructure.

"At the time, omnichannel was just a concept on paper," says Sonderegger, who completed her studies at the University of Vienna in 2010.

For so long, retailers have been told that what sets brick-and-mortar apart is the "human element." But a landmark new survey shows exactly the opposite: roughly half of younger consumers prefer a shopping experience that lets them avoid other people. Convenience and efficiency loom large here: more than three-quarters of Gen Z and millennial shoppers regularly choose online purchases and curbside or in-store pickup.

Amazon is reaching an entire audience that Sephora is probably not reaching,

Every year, many dispensaries across the United States experience the same problem: a sudden and sharp decline in revenue between August and September. The numbers are consistent, with most stores reporting a 15-25% drop compared to the final weeks of summer. Yet despite how predictable this shift is, most dispensaries treat it like a surprise. Some stores thrive during this period, particularly those located in college towns where students return in September and fuel higher traffic.

Four years ago Asos, and its fellow online fast fashion purveyor Boohoo, were booming as the high street suffered from Covid pandemic lockdowns, and largely housebound shoppers had cash to spare for slouchy leisurewear. They thought shoppers had been permanently converted to online shopping, and stocked up accordingly, only for Asos to find itself lumbered with a 1bn stock hangover as, post-pandemic, young and old alike once again enjoyed the freedom to try on clothes and stalk the high street.

Case in point: A rotating selection of about 500 items that Dollar General sells in its stores for $1 - which the company calls "Value Valley" - sold at twice the rate of everything else that the retailersold during its second quarter, Vasos said on the company's most recent earnings call. That made the $1 section "one of our strongest performing areas in the quarter," he said.

Nike is overhauling its in-store presence, and my visits to five retailers this back-to-school season suggest the approach isn't one size fits all. Its retail partners, like Foot Locker and Snipes, seem to have the deepest markdowns, while Nike's stores have a broader selection. That's based on my store checks in New York, including Nike's new location in Brooklyn, two Foot Locker stores, streetwear retailer Snipes, and Urban Outfitters.

Mickey Drexler redefined retail by radically remaking Gap and J.Crew, and working alongside Steve Jobs to guide the creation of the Apple Store. Now Drexler assesses some of the biggest stories in the retail industry today, from the weight of crippling tariffs and U.S. manufacturing skepticism to the controversial American Eagle campaign featuring Sydney Sweeney. Feisty as ever, Drexler shares his unvarnished view on in-office work, AI 's limitations, and why leaders need to follow their gut or get out of the way.

Tim Sorenson's appointment as the head of New American Funding's southwest division reflects a strategic choice, emphasizing his capability in driving retail operations and innovative strategies.

Amazon's growth as a mass and premium beauty retailer significantly raises the competitive bar for beauty industry players, particularly traditional retailers and department stores. Future success will depend less on brand exclusivity and more on convenience and enriched online shopping experiences.

Under CEO Patrice Louvet, Ralph Lauren has enticed young consumers by operating 35 "Ralph's Coffee" store-in-stores, serving as a platform to engage with the TikTok generation.

Buying a Labubu from Pop Mart involves a digital frenzy similar to Black Friday shopping, where users compete fiercely to secure a rare figurine.

The design of Trader Joe's tasting kitchen is reminiscent of a "cold war interrogation booth" to ensure unbiased product testing, according to Vice President of Product Marketing, Matt Sloan.

Luckin Coffee has opened its first locations in the U.S., potentially intensifying competition with Starbucks as it has surpassed them in sheer size in China.

The affected employees are part of its store support centres, as Lululemon evolves its organizational structure to operate with more agility and further invest in growth.