Retail & Ecommerce

US back-to-college retail spending will reach a new high of $73.9 billion this year, beating last year’s record of $71.0 billion and eclipsing the pre-pandemic figure of $54.5 billion in 2019.

China’s COVID-19 shutdowns hit high-end retailers hard: Tapestry and Estée Lauder are the latest companies to feel the brunt of a weakening Chinese economy.

Kohl’s doesn’t expect its fortunes to turn around anytime soon: The retailer slashed its financial forecast for the rest of the year, pointing to inflation as the cause for its softening sales.

Creative is out, CX is in: Agencies used to live and die by creative, but spending cuts from automakers has them hiring more customer experience employees.

Inflation gives Walmart a chance to shine: The retailer’s emphasis on value and low prices is attracting both low- and high-income shoppers and enabling it to retain grocery dominance.

Steep discounting hurt Target’s bottom line in Q2: But the retailer doesn’t expect the short-term hit to hamper its profits for the rest of the year.

More than half of US adults shop online at least once a week, and 16% do so at least once a day. Overall, online shopping is on the rise and moving to mobile.

With millions of views on social media, celebrity endorsements, and even a scandal under its belt, Olaplex is primed for the spotlight.

Max Levchin said the company’s underwriting process and business model would help it withstand a financial downturn.

Meta is going all-in on conversational commerce: The company invested in Singaporean startup Take App, which helps merchants sell on WhatsApp, as it looks to give a much needed boost to ad revenues.