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While dealmakers aren't stepping back from consumer mergers and acquisitions (M&A), they are getting more selective. New data from KPMG shows deal value jumped 52 percent in 2025, even as deal volume fell 7 percent. Early 2026 looks similar. New global consumer deals in the first two months of the year fell 6 percent year-over-year…

The search bar isn’t dead, but it’s no longer running the show. For years, retail marketing teams optimized content for search engines that crawled text and hunted for keywords. Now, generative artificial intelligence tools, including ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity, answer shoppers' questions directly, drawing from a much wider pool of user-generated signals. They determine which…

In December 2025, same-store sales for independent retailers grew 4.5 percent year-over-year, while total U.S. retail sales grew 2.4 percent over the same period. While the broader retail market cooled, neighborhood retail accelerated. When growth separates like that, it’s worth asking why and what it means for brands allocating media dollars in 2026. The Quiet…

American Exchange Group, whose brand portfolio includes Aerosoles, has agreed to buy direct-to-consumer footwear brand Allbirds for about $39 million, reports Yahoo Finance. The transaction is expected to close in the second quarter of 2026. Allbirds once reached a peak valuation of $4.2 billion, filed an IPO in 2021, and had planned to open hundreds…

U.S. e-commerce was projected to hit $1.3 trillion last year, climbing toward $1.8 trillion by 2029. Behind those impressive figures lies a cost crisis most retailers aren’t prepared for: shipping expenses that compound annually, erode margins silently, and destabilize financial forecasting. Major carriers like UPS and FedEx implemented 5.9 percent general rate increases (GRIs) for…

Imagine this: a shopper walks into a store, spots a sleek digital display promoting a popular item, and makes a beeline toward it, only to come away empty-handed because the item is sold out. It’s a small moment, but one that leaves a lasting impression. While retailers have invested heavily in digital signage to modernize…

Retail profit margins in 2026 are becoming increasingly vulnerable. Operating costs are sky high and tariffs have dampened consumer spending, triggering the largest e-commerce slowdown in more than a decade. In addition, returns are taking a huge bite out of profits, accounting for an estimated 19.3 percent of e-commerce sales in 2025. With profitability under…

Your next most valuable customer isn't a person. It's an artificial intelligence agent, and it's already shopping. Whether through personal assistants or retailer-embedded tools, AI is shifting retail from search-driven discovery to intent-driven commerce, where the sale is won before a consumer starts browsing. Think that's just wishful thinking from people who work in tech?…

Despite seeing higher year-over-year sales, Zumiez has announced it will close additional store locations in 2026. The clothing, skateboard and apparel chain targeting teens and young adults released its fourth-quarter and full-year earning report earlier this month. The Lynnwood, Washington-based company said sales increased 4.5 percent in 2025. Zumiez shuttered 17 stores last year, and CEO…

Increasingly, shoppers aren’t beginning their journey on a retailer’s website. Instead, they’re asking ChatGPT what to buy. They’re scrolling TikTok Shop. They’re clicking marketplace recommendations. According to Gartner, by the end of 2026, traditional search engine volume is expected to decline by 25 percent as consumers shift toward artificial intelligence chatbots and other virtual agents…

Retailers use modern integration platforms to connect diverse platforms for digital commerce, store fulfillment, supplier networks, and last-minute delivery to keep up with customer expectations. The payoff is speed and flexibility across the business-to-business (B2B) supply chain. The downside? A growing share of failures now occurs in the handoffs between these platforms rather than within…

Retailers have spent the past several years optimizing for speed. Faster chat response times. Faster email acknowledgments. Faster automation, especially during holiday periods or major sales events. Yet many customer experience leaders have noticed a disconnect: service feels faster, but satisfaction isn’t meaningfully improving. In some cases, customers must reach out multiple times to get…

U.S. private ⁠equity ⁠firm KKR has signed a deal to acquire the bakery chain Nothing Bundt Cakes for over $2 billion, Reuters reported Wednesday. Nothing Bundt Cakes is currently owned by Roark Capital. The fast-growing, Dallas-based chain — made up of mostly franchises — was founded by Dena Tripp and Debbie Schetz in 1997, and…

When most people think about data companies, they think about Big Tech: companies like Meta and Google, which made their billions by acquiring and deploying user information. But the fact is, in 2026, virtually every sufficiently large business is a data company, no matter what its ostensible function is. And some of these data companies,…

In the brick-and-mortar retail landscape, businesses often operate with a significant blind spot: they don't truly know their customers. While digital loyalty programs can yield match rates of up to 30 percent, in-store rates tell a different story. In-person retail identification often lingers in the single digits, leaving the vast majority of in-store shoppers categorized…

Extended producer responsibility (EPR) is no longer theoretical. It’s rolling out, starting with textiles. And the message is simple: if you put product into the market, you’re responsible for where it ends up. That’s not a sustainability slogan. That’s an operating shift. EPR means accountability for collection, reuse, recycling, reporting, and proof. Not estimates. Not…

TikTok uninstall rates spiking nearly 150 percent following renewed U.S. uncertainty isn’t just a social media headline. For retail marketers planning back-to-school and holiday campaigns, it raises a more practical question: Where will our customers actually spend their time this season, and which channels will reliably drive traffic and sales? Retailers planning peak season don’t have…

Gap is partnering with Google's Gemini to allow shoppers to check out directly within the AI platform, making it the first major fashion company to work directly with the tech company to fuel agentic commerce, CNBC has learned exclusively. The partnership comes as an increasing number of shoppers move away from traditional search and toward artificial…

Outdoor retail operates differently than general retail. While many categories are dominated by national chains, outdoor shoppers cast a wider net, with heavier reliance on specialty stores for expertise and community. These shoppers are purchasing gear designed to help them stay comfortable or perform in real-world conditions. They often seek extensive guidance from staff who…

Retail media sits at the top of every chief marketing officer's agenda … and for good reason. It promises precision targeting, measurable sales outcomes, and proximity to customers at the point of decision. Meanwhile, affiliate and creator programs have evolved from emerging channels into reliable, cost‑effective, and crucial drivers of revenue, but the majority of…