Retail store aisle representing marketplace strategy shifts in furniture and beauty sectors

Marketplace Strategy Shifts: Ethan Allen Battle, Rhode’s Rise

Two very different retail stories broke this week, yet both point to the same underlying theme: marketplace strategy is now the deciding factor in whether a brand thrives or stalls. An activist investor is pushing to replace Ethan Allen’s entire board, arguing the furniture retailer needs fresh direction. Meanwhile, Rhode, the skincare line founded by […]

Illustration representing small business automation software replacing manual admin tasks

Naïve’s $28.5M Bet on Small Business Automation Software

The startup Naïve just closed a $28.5 million round to build small business automation software that handles much of the grunt work involved in launching and running a company. Instead of just helping founders write code faster, the company wants its infrastructure to manage the unglamorous back office tasks that eat up time for every […]

Retail executives reviewing a shareholder cash deal proposal for a digital brands company

Digital Brands Group Weighs Shareholder Cash Deal

Digital Brands Group is now considering a shareholder cash deal after receiving a proposal to buy out all of its outstanding common stock. The offer arrives just days after the company publicly confirmed it had launched a strategic review of its business. For a multi-brand apparel and lifestyle company that has built much of its […]

Illustration representing OpenAI acquires NextSlide presentation startup deal

OpenAI Acquires NextSlide: What It Means for SaaS

News that OpenAI acquires NextSlide has quickly become a talking point across the software world, and for good reason. NextSlide, a startup focused on building smarter presentation tools, is folding its team directly into ChatGPT. For small business owners who rely on a growing stack of SaaS tools to run daily operations, this deal is […]

Hot Topic storefront representing the Hot Topic acquisition by Spirit Halloween's parent company

Hot Topic Acquisition: Spirit Halloween Parent Expands

The retail world just got a notable shake up with the Hot Topic acquisition announced by Spencer Spirit Holdings, the parent company behind Spirit Halloween. The deal brings together two brands known for catering to niche, passionate customer bases, and it signals that specialty retail is far from stagnant. For small business owners and operators […]

Illustration of a customer support platform dashboard representing Omilia's $67M funding round

Omilia Raises $67M to Scale Customer Support SaaS

Omilia, a company building an AI-driven customer support platform, has closed a $67 million Series B round. This marks the company’s second fundraise since 2020, and it arrives at a moment when its annual recurring revenue has grown tenfold to $60 million. For a sector that has seen its share of ups and downs, this […]