Bath & Body Works storefront symbolizing e-commerce returns to growth in retail

Bath & Body Works E-Commerce Returns to Growth

Bath & Body Works e-commerce returns to growth after a period of softer online sales, and the retailer expects that momentum to carry through the back half of the year and into 2027. For a company built on mall traffic and impulse shopping, this shift signals something bigger than one good quarter. It points to […]

Chart illustrating AI startup funding growth after Instinct's $350M raise at $2.5B valuation

AI Startup Funding Surges: Instinct Raises $350M

The pace of AI startup funding shows no sign of slowing down. Instinct, a company barely a year old, has just closed a $350 million round that values it at $2.5 billion. The news has stirred plenty of excitement across the tech world, along with a fair share of questions about privacy and how fast […]

Executives reviewing retail brand acquisitions deal documents in an office setting

Retail Brand Acquisitions Signal Bigger Industry Shifts

Retail brand acquisitions are once again making headlines, and this week’s moves in the outdoor apparel and beauty sectors show just how active the deal landscape remains. Kontoor Brands recently tapped a former Arc’teryx executive, C.J. King, to lead Helly Hansen’s North American sports division. Meanwhile, Regent has struck a deal to acquire Avon North […]

Handbags representing affordable luxury fashion from startup Atorie's factory-direct model

Atorie Raises $9.5M to Disrupt Affordable Luxury Fashion

Fashion startup Atorie just closed a $9.5 million funding round with a simple but bold pitch: sell shoppers the same handbags and clothing that luxury brands offer, made from identical materials and produced in the same factories, minus the steep markup. The rise of affordable luxury fashion as a category is catching investor attention because […]

Chief supply chain officer overseeing global distribution and manufacturing operations

Jim Beam Maker Names New Chief Supply Chain Officer

Suntory Global Spirits, the company behind Jim Beam, has appointed a new chief supply chain officer to lead its worldwide operations. Manuel Cabanas, who has spent more than two decades at the company, will now take charge of manufacturing, distribution, quality, sourcing and overall operations across the organization’s global footprint. The move places a long-tenured […]

Ulta Beauty store aisle showing exclusive brand displays reflecting beauty retail exclusivity strategy

Ulta Doubles Down on Beauty Retail Exclusivity vs Target

Ulta’s latest quarterly results offer a clear signal about where specialty beauty retail is headed. The company posted strong sales and raised its full-year guidance, even as makeup comparisons stayed nearly flat. To keep growing, Ulta appears to be leaning harder into beauty retail exclusivity, positioning itself as the destination for brands and products shoppers […]