John Furner

Here are some interesting stories from the world of retail for Wednesday, March 11: 🏬 Kohl's signaled improvement in its apparel category in the first quarter, but it warned of another year of declining sales overall. For Q4, total sales fell 3.9% and comparable sales were down by 2.8%. 👖 Fabletics is launching its first denim collection, signaling a shift in consumer preferences away from athleisure. The collection, priced between $79.95 and $174.95, will be available online and in select stores. 🤖 OpenAI has scaled back its plans to turn ChatGPT into a fully integrated shopping destination. The company will now abandon processing purchases inside the chatbot. 🧱 Lego has published its full-year 2025 results, with revenues rising 12% to DKr83.5bn ($12.9bn) and operating profit increasing 18% to DKr22bn, while consumer sales grew 16%. 🧴 Olaplex stock has plummeted nearly 95% since its 2021 IPO due to weakened demand, regulatory challenges, and a lawsuit alleging harmful ingredients. Olaplex is now focusing on product innovation. 🥩 Around 3,800 workers at JBS’s beef processing plant in Greeley, Colorado, plan to strike from March 16th, potentially disrupting production at one of the largest US beef facilities. 💰 Amazon has drawn about $126 billion of peak demand for its US bond sale, one of the largest ever for a corporate offering. The demand underscores how investor appetite for hyperscaler debt remains strong. 👔 Hugo Boss reported an annual operating profit of €391m, surpassing forecasts. It confirmed its 2026 outlook and plans to realign its brand and channels, focusing on high-growth categories. 🍧 Costco Canada has introduced a new dessert to its food court menu, the Caramel Brownie Sundae, expanding its lineup of sweet treats that already includes ice cream cones and various sundaes. 🍫 Shares in Swiss chocolatier Lindt & Sprüngli fell yesterday, after the company lowered its 2026 organic sales growth guidance to 4%–6%, down from its previous medium-term target of 6%–8%. 📱 Apple produced about 25% of its global iPhones in India in 2025, assembling around 55m devices, up 53% from 36m in 2024, as it accelerates efforts to reduce reliance on China and avoid US tariffs. 📦 Amazon’s e-commerce business summoned a large group of engineers to a meeting for a deep dive into a spate of outages, including incidents linked to AI coding tools. 🇬🇧 British consumer spending grew slowly in February as households grew more pessimistic about the outlook for the economy with the Middle East conflict raising concerns about a fresh ‌rise in inflation. 🚫 Perplexity AI must for now stop using its Comet web browser agent to make purchases on behalf of shoppers from Amazon's online marketplace, a court has ruled. 🛋️ The Brand House Collective COO, James Schisler, is resigning to pursue other opportunities. Schisler joined the company nine months ago. #retail #retailnews #economy #DailyRetailNews

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Walmart's momentum continues to surge as Walmart Connect gains traction. In its recent earnings call, Walmart highlighted robust growth in retail media, further fueled by its acquisition of VIZIO. The company's focus on advertising, membership, and marketplace is reshaping its profit strategy, leading to a significant 46% increase in global ad revenue year over year. Check out Jacqueline Barba article at https://lnkd.in/eAG8afk5 Path to Purchase Institute

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Retail reporting today from U.S. Department of Commerce's Census Bureau. April retail sales grew +5.3% YOY to $243 billion in April. Neil Saunders stated "U.S. consumers have advanced their retail spending, even in the face of rising uncertainty of tariffs. It’s unsurprising, since, to date, tariffs have only affected consumer confidence, rather than prices." Read on below for more insights at Retail Dive: https://lnkd.in/enydWpkE

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Lowe’s advances inventory optimization efforts The retailer is on pace to cut 15% of its SKUs by the end of 2025 while upgrading demand planning, allocation and replenishment. Lowe’s ended Q3 with inventory at $17.2 billion, down approximately $400 million compared to the previous year, Sink told analysts. “This net decrease also reflects the inclusion of inventory from recent acquisitions of approximately $600 million and higher tariffs,” he said. Lowe’s credited the gains from lower inventory to several productivity initiatives. Sink said the retailer leveraged artificial intelligence inventory solutions to optimize demand planning, allocation and replenishment while also bolstering its SKU rationalization efforts. #Lowe #SupplyChain #SKU #retail #grocery #optimization #forecast #replensihment #margin https://lnkd.in/d-kq49WM

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Walmart's journey from being the king of basics to becoming a credible fashion contender represents one of retail's most fascinating transformations. Former Senior Vice President and General Merchandise Manager of Omni Apparel Merchandising, Deanah Baker, sits down with Senior Analyst, Kim Souza, to unpack how the retail giant built a nearly $30 billion apparel empire and why it's just getting started. #FashionRetail #Walmart #DBBNWA

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Kohl’s is taking a hard look in the mirror, and tackling one of its biggest challenges: an uneven in-store experience. From fresh layouts to simplified promotions, the retailer is working to make shopping more consistent and enjoyable. Sales are still down, but the hope is that consistency will be the key to rebuilding loyalty. #RetailStrategy #CustomerExperience #Leadership #BrandLoyalty #Innovation

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In 2025, we also saw that the retailers who navigated this environment most successfully were those who shifted from transactional models to relational ones—building real collaboration with suppliers, making data-driven decisions, and developing a deep understanding of their communities. For independent retailers, one of the most critical challenges today is launching strong private label programs that genuinely deliver savings and value to our communities. https://lnkd.in/e7bbMzre

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Kroger Streamlines Portfolio: Shutters 60 Stores Amid Q1 Momentum 𝗞𝗲𝘆 𝗣𝗼𝗶𝗻𝘁𝘀 • Kroger will close approximately 60 underperforming stores over the next 18 months, with a $100 million impairment charge recorded in Q1 2025. • Q1 identical-store sales (excluding fuel) increased by 3.2% excluding adjustment items, contributing to a revised full‑year outlook of 2.25%–3.25% growth. • Operating profit stood at $1,322  million, with adjusted operating profit reaching $1,518 million; adjusted EPS was $1.49. • E-commerce sales surged +15%, while gross margin improved 23.0%, up 100 basis points from last year. • Kroger plans to reinvest savings from closures into elevating the customer experience, and will offer roles at other stores for displaced associates. 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗜𝘁 𝗠𝗲𝗮𝗻𝘀 ✅ Strategic Portfolio Optimization: Closing underperforming locations (≈60) demonstrates focus on operational efficiency and profitability. ✅ Accelerated Momentum: Strong Q1 performance—with +3.2% identical‑store sales and +15% digital growth—supports Kroger’s heightened full‑year guidance. ✅ Leveraging Digital and Private Label Strength: E‑commerce and margin gains suggest success from expanded online offerings and private‑label penetration. ✅ Customer-Centric Reinvestment: Redirecting closure savings into experience enhancements signals commitment to long-term growth and innovation. ✅ Workforce Support: Offering employees roles at other stores maintains morale and minimizes community impact. Progressive Grocer | https://lnkd.in/gZvdJKP3 #retail #supermarkets #Grocery #Ecommerce #PrivateLabel #Stores

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💡 𝗦𝘁𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗿𝗲𝗹𝘆𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝗻 𝗴𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘀𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝘁𝗼 𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗯𝗲𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲? Store managers know the struggle — endless rearranging, unclear data, and missed opportunities… all without truly knowing what’s working. 🎯 𝗜𝘁’𝘀 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝗲𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝗻𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗯𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲. LiDAR for Retail – the invisible tech making a visible impact. ✅ Track real customer movement — no cameras ✅ Optimize layouts and boost sales ✅ Monitor occupancy in real time ✅ Stay fully GDPR compliant ✨ 𝗡𝗼 𝘀𝘂𝗿𝘃𝗲𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲. 𝗝𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗶𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁. 📲 𝘙𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘢 𝘴𝘮𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘴𝘱𝘢𝘤𝘦? 𝘝𝘪𝘴𝘪𝘵 www.amorphsenses.com #AMORPHsenses #RetailTech #CustomerExperience #LiDAR #RetailInnovation #PrivacyFirst #StoreOptimization

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Paper catalogues may be having a moment. Again! Walmart recently distributed paper catalogues for a number of key categories and they can drive positive ROI. “Paper catalogues are expensive but can be effective if they are extremely targeted by customers based on demographics and category,” says retail analyst Bruce Winder. “Some categories respond better with paper catalogues such as toys where the consumer purchase process involves sitting with kids to review.” Winder notes that Amazon has used this strategy effectively for several years, and so has Target . He also points out that catalogs can be more effective than emails because they sit out in plain sight, whereas emails tend to get deleted, filed away, or ignored. Thanks to Maurie Backman for including my comments in her recent story for TheStreet & Yahoo Finance - see link to the story in the comments.

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Industry Update: Harps Food Stores to Acquire Doc's Food Stores Harps Food Stores, Inc. has entered into a purchase agreement to acquire Doc's Food Stores Inc., an independent grocery retailer with multiple locations across Oklahoma. This merger brings together two companies known for their strong community focus and customer service excellence. The acquisition includes Doc's locations in Bixby, Collinsville, Coweta, Fairview, Glenpool, Newkirk, Okmulgee, Oologah, Sapulpa, and Watonga. The transaction is expected to be completed by this fall. From my interactions with both organizations at National Grocers Association and Oklahoma Grocers Association events, I've observed the exceptional leadership of Jim Brown, Courtney Brown, and Kim Eskew. These executives are genuinely passionate about serving their communities and prioritizing customer experience. Courtney Brown, President and CEO of Doc's Food Stores, has confirmed that store banners, employment, and operations across eastern Oklahoma will continue with minimal change or interruption. As Doc's approaches its 80th anniversary, Brown acknowledges that "this collaboration represents an incredible opportunity not only for our family and associates but also for the communities we serve." Kim Eskew, Chairman and CEO of Harps Food Stores, noted that "opportunities like this are rare" and expressed confidence that these locations will make a great addition to the Harps family. Founded in 1930, Harps has grown to become the largest employee-owned company in Arkansas with 148 stores across six states. This strategic acquisition aligns two organizations with similar values and commitment to community service. Source: The Shelby Report #RetailIndustry #HarpsFoodStores #DocsCountryMart #Frtline

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Walk into any Walmart store, and you’ll see associates solving real challenges every day. Today, we’re unveiling a new suite of AI and emerging tech tools to make that even easier – which is part of a broader strategy to invest in associates, empowering them with competitive pay, advanced tools, comprehensive training, and cutting-edge technology to grow their careers with us. 1️⃣ AI-Powered Task Management: As a store manager, I spent hours gathering and crunching data to figure out where my associates time would be best spent. Now, we’re using AI to do what took me and others years to perfect. For example, our new tool helps plan shifts and assign tasks more efficiently - reducing the time spent planning shifts from 90 minutes to 30. 2️⃣ RFID with AR for Apparel: Apparel has long been one of the most challenging categories to manage in retail — high volume, fast turns and constant movement make inventory accuracy a challenge. We’re making that easier with a new tool that combines RFID and AR. Associates can quickly scan racks, and the AR tool shows them which items need to go to the sales floor, making the process faster and more accurate. 3️⃣ AI-Powered Translator: We’ve developed a real-time translator that supports 44 languages, making communication easier for everyone in the store. It works for both text and speech and understands Walmart-specific brands and terms. 4️⃣ Conversational AI Tool Upgraded with GenAI: Store associates have used a conversational AI tool for years. Soon, it’ll get a GenAI upgrade, turning long process guides into simple, step-by-step instructions. This isn’t tech for tech’s sake. It’s about giving our people the same kind of intelligent support many of our corporate associates use in our day-to-day work — all while keeping Walmart’s signature service front and center. I’m proud of the way our associates continue to adapt, lead and raise the bar. And I’m proud that we’re giving them cutting-edge tools to do it. https://walmrt.us/43WbID8

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