As more Americans take weight loss drugs, eating, shopping, and healthcare expectations are all evolving
On today's podcast episode, we give out our '2025 Retail Awards' for the 'Must-Visit Store of the Year', 'Glow-Up of the Year', 'AI Power Move', 'Collab of the Year', and 'Campaign of the Year'. Listen to the discussion with Vice President of Content and host Suzy Davidkhanian, Senior Analyst Blake Droesch, and Analysts Arielle Feger and Rachel Wolff.
Foot traffic trends softened retail in Q3, a potentially troubling sign for holiday spending, according to our Industry KPI data from Placer.ai. The four categories tracked—discount and dollar stores, grocers, department stores, and home improvement stores—had slower growth from July to September, providing more evidence that consumers are feeling the strain of higher living costs. The data points to a rocky year-end for department stores and home improvement retailers, which have struggled this year to overcome sluggish consumer sentiment and uneven spending. At the same time, retailers that offer necessities and can deliver clear value are positioned to win.
Nike is in the "middle innings" of a multiyear turnaround, making tangible progress in rebuilding its wholesale business and reigniting growth in North America, even as deeper challenges persist. Revenues and earnings topped expectations, with wholesale gains helping offset continued declines in Nike Direct and a sharp pullback in Greater China. That progress has come at a cost, however, as promotions and tariff headwinds weighed heavily on margins. With direct-to-consumer sales and China unlikely to rebound quickly, Nike’s recovery will depend on steady execution and patience as it works through lingering structural and demand-related pressures.
The FDA sent warning letters to four major retailers that continued to sell baby formula linked to a botulism outbreak after the products were recalled in early November. As retailers move deeper into health and wellness, their daily operations need to support the image they’re trying to build.
Destination XL and FullBeauty Brands plan to merge in early 2026, creating a unified inclusive-apparel retailer serving 34 million households and nearly 300 stores. The combined company aims to leverage shared customer insights, manufacturing scale, and complementary product expertise to deliver better fit, broader assortments, and a more cohesive omnichannel experience. The merger also targets $25 million in annual savings by 2027 through improved sourcing, organizational efficiencies, and cost reductions. With a large share of US adults needing inclusive sizing yet historically underserved, the deal positions the new entity to meet demand with more consistent, high-quality offerings at scale.
Lululemon athletica’s CEO Calvin McDonald will relinquish his role on January 31, 2026 to an as-yet-unnamed successor. Whoever that person is will face the task of restoring the brand’s authority in a category it once dominated—particularly in North America, where sales have been stagnant or negative for seven straight quarters. Whoever takes the helm at lululemon should look to refocus the brand on its athleisure roots. The company needs to make sure that its core product lines are resonating with consumers before devoting significant resources into other categories like footwear, where it faces a tougher path to building credibility amid entrenched competition.
Luxury handbags and leather goods purchases dropped 12.8 percentage points among US adult luxury buyers since 2022, according to a September report from EMARKETER and Bizrate Insights.
A growing number of high-end and mass-market brands are thriving even as they reduce promotions to protect margins and strengthen brand equity. Victoria’s Secret delivered its strongest sales growth in four years through more targeted discounting, while On Holding and Ralph Lauren posted standout revenue and EPS gains by preserving premium pricing and elevating brand perception. The trend extends beyond retail: although Cava recently cut its sales outlook, it is still avoiding discounts to protect a value proposition rooted in quality and experience. Together, these strategies reflect a shift away from competing primarily on price.
On today’s podcast episode, we discuss what’s still holding Amazon back in grocery — and what could finally move the needle. Listen to the discussion with Vice President of Content and host Suzy Davidkhanian, Principal Analyst Sky Canaves, and Senior Analyst Blake Droesch.
Old Navy wants to stand out for consumers with convenience, now offering same-day delivery on items including jeans, beanies, and dress shoes through DoorDash. “It’s a classic win-win,” said Nishith Rastogi, founder and CEO of Locus, a logistics tech provider recently acquired by IKEA parent company Ingka Group. “The retailer gets speed, and the platform gets density and stronger utilization across its network.”
American Eagle’s Sydney Sweeney and Travis Kelce campaigns helped get eyes on the brand but failed to deliver the sales lift analysts were expecting. The two campaigns combined generated over 44 billion impressions, but comparable sales for the American Eagle brand rose just 1% YoY in the quarter, missing expectations for 2.1% growth. Ultimately, American Eagle’s record Q3 revenues owed less to the high-visibility Sweeney ad and more to strong execution at its Aerie brand, where comparable sales rose 11%. While buzzy celebrity-led campaigns can help restore brand relevance, their impact will be fleeting if companies’ merchandising and product availability fall short.
On today's podcast episode, we discuss the unofficial list of retail moves we're most thankful for. This month—because it's Thanksgiving Eve—host Suzy Davidkhanian, Arielle Feger, Becky Schilling, and Emmy Liederman (aka The Committee) have put together a very unofficial list of the top eight retailers they're watching, based on strategies, launches, and collaborations we’re genuinely thankful for — the moves that made us smile, surprised us, or gave us hope for where retail is heading. In this episode, Committee members Suzy Davidkhanian and Emmy Liederman will defend their list against Senior Analyst Zak Stambor and Analyst Rachel Wolff, who will dispute the power rankings by attempting to move retailers up, down, on, or off the list.
Kohl’s topped Q3 expectations and raised its outlook, crediting stronger product assortments, better value through promotions, and improved in-store and digital experiences for helping it win back customers. The company also named interim CEO Michael Bender to the job permanently. Bender, the third person to hold that role in roughly three years, plans to sharpen Kohl's product assortment, offer more proprietary clothing and home goods, and make stores easier to shop to appeal to customers who are “increasingly savvy and are seeking more value.” Kohl’s was upbeat that its recovery is gaining momentum, but it has more work to do to turn sales declines into gains.
The share of US adults who say quality materials define luxury dropped from 55% in 2021 to 49% in 2025, while those citing 'expensive' as the defining trait rose from 52% to 62%, according to an October report from Ipsos.
Convenience stores are playing catch-up as they jump into retail media, exploiting their local reach to offer advertisers new ways to connect with shoppers. The brick-and-mortar landscape is highly fragmented—unlike ecommerce, where just a few players dominate. That provides an opening for convenience stores to become valued retail media partners. Their dense footprints, frequent visits, and strong ability to influence impulse buys can give brands targeted and measurable insights. C-store RMNs that can tie ad exposure to sales, use loyalty data, and offer multiple ways to surface ads are best positioned to deliver reliable performance to advertisers.
Gap’s viral campaign featuring Katseye helped the retailer regain its fashion credibility and drive shoppers to stores. The campaign delivered “significant traffic and double-digit growth in denim,” Gap CEO Richard Dickson said on the company’s Q3 earnings call. In total, the ad generated 8 billion media impressions and 500 million views, making it one of the brand’s most successful campaigns of all time. The ad’s success is a clear indication that Gap Inc.’s playbook is working. By delivering both on-trend products and culturally relevant marketing, Gap is attracting more Gen Z shoppers while keeping its existing customer base engaged.
Global personal luxury goods spending is expected to return to growth in 2026, rising 3% to 5% after two difficult years, according to a report by Bain and Altagamma. Recovery is being driven by affluent shoppers, who will account for nearly half of global luxury spending this year; a wave of new creative directors reviving brands like Gucci and Chanel; and Gen Z’s demand for accessible luxury. After a tepid year, 2026 should bring a rebound, but brands will need creative, compelling designs to justify premium prices.
Convenience stores are transforming into fast-casual dining destinations, increasingly competing with quick-service restaurants for shoppers seeking affordable, healthy meals. And while consumer perceptions of these stores continue to improve, concerns around food safety and hygiene remain potential barriers. To succeed, convenience chains can adopt strategies such as adding prep-time labels to grab-and-go items to underscore freshness and maintaining clearly visible cleanliness standards throughout the store.
Richemont’s jewelry sales growth accelerated in the three months ended September 30, as global demand for Cartier watches and Van Cleef & Arpels necklaces held up despite what the company called “unprecedented headwinds.” Jewelry is proving to be one of the most resilient luxury categories, largely due to its durability. It goes out of fashion more slowly than most apparel and leather goods, and retains its value better, especially with gold prices soaring. Jewelry will be the fastest-growing personal luxury category in the US this year, according to our forecast, thanks to its stronger value proposition and the resilience of wealthy shoppers.