For most of the 21st century’s eCommerce era, retailers have optimized for a single decision-maker: a human with a screen, a cursor and relatively limited attention. To sway the human shopper, product discovery funnel relied on traditional marketing visuals and copy. Differentiation was shaped by...
Amazon advanced Alexa beyond its device roots Monday (Jan. 5) with a browser-based expansion of Alexa+ and made product announcements at CES 2026 focused on Fire TV and the Bee wearable. Together, the updates show Amazon advancing Alexa as a cross-surface artificial intelligence assistant while...
Saks Global Executive Chairman Richard Baker has assumed the additional role of CEO amid reports that the luxury retail company is considering bankruptcy. Baker succeeds Marc Metrick, who had been CEO since 2015 and stepped down to pursue new opportunities, Saks Global said in a Friday...
Luxury goods sellers are reportedly facing a tough market after raising their prices significantly after the pandemic. Between 35% and 40% of luxury goods were sold at a discount in 2025, often at outlet stores, and luxury brands’ average operating profit margins dropped to the...
The day after Christmas used to mark the end of peak season. For many retailers in 2025, it marks the start of a second peak, one that moves in reverse. Packages that flowed out in November and December come back in January, often at peak...
Starbucks reportedly plans to open new stores and remodel existing ones in 2026 after closing 400 locations across the United States in September. In a Tuesday (Dec. 30) CNN report about the coffeehouse chain’s plans in the wake of those closures, a Starbucks spokesperson told...
Earlier this year, private equity firm Onyx Partners announced plans to buy 117 JCPenney stores. But that $935 million deal, which Onyx said it is working to close, has been delayed multiple times, leading to speculation that it might fall apart, according to multiple published...
Walmart’s app and website reportedly suffered an outage Tuesday (Dec. 30), affecting thousands of customers. More than 6,500 shoppers reported trouble accessing the retailer’s eCommerce services, The Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday, citing data from outage tracking site Downdetector. Close to three-quarters of users said...
Malls are drawing Gen Z shoppers by catering to young people’s desire to socialize in real life and away from screens. Experts interviewed by Retail TouchPoints for a report posted Friday (Dec. 26) said malls are attracting these under-30 shoppers by offering more than the...