Contribution margin by channel: the report every operator needs
Blended margin hides losing channels. This is how to build a contribution margin report per channel that survives scrutiny.
Startups & Business
Retail and e-commerce startups, funding rounds, founder stories, and business strategy.
What retail tech investors are funding in the AI cycle
A look at which retail technology categories are attracting capital in the current AI cycle, and which ones investors have quietly cooled on.
McCormick maps out $45bn Unilever Foods merger: London listing, four units
McCormick has set out the operating model, leadership, and London listing for the company it will form by combining with Unilever Foods in a roughly $44.8 billion deal. Here is how the four-division structure reshapes the balance of power with grocers and online platforms.
Why India’s quick-commerce pure-plays face a year-end funding squeeze: 3 signals
India’s quick-commerce pure-plays are likely to be forced into a decisive move before year-end 2026 as Walmart-owned Flipkart and Amazon deploy capital they cannot match. Three signals point to Zepto blinking first: a compressed IPO, a rescue, or retrenchment.
Sleep Country buys Sleep Number out of bankruptcy in $702m US deal
A US bankruptcy court approved Sleep Country Canada’s roughly USD 702 million purchase of Sleep Number, nearly double the original bid. The deal creates the world’s second-largest sleep retailer with more than 800 stores.
Ant International raises $1.2bn: Alibaba’s payments arm funds global push
Ant International, the Singapore-based payments unit spun out of Ant Group, has closed roughly $1.2 billion in Series A financing backed by Ant Group and Alibaba. The raise funds a push into cross-border merchant payments and AI-driven agentic commerce as a Hong Kong listing looms.
Reformation launches IPO at $1bn: Permira’s fashion bet hits the NYSE
Reformation set the price range for its New York Stock Exchange debut, offering about 14.1 million shares at $15 to $17 apiece and targeting a valuation of up to $1 billion. The listing is a rare test of investor appetite for a profitable fashion brand and the first step in Permira’s exit.
Why Hong Kong becomes the default IPO venue for China’s cross-border retailers: 3 signals
Shein’s Hong Kong clearance is less about its shrunken price than its venue. The pattern suggests HKEX becomes the default listing route for China-rooted cross-border retailers through the end of Q1 2027.
QVC Group Just Erased Over $5 Billion in Debt and Is Days From Exiting Bankruptcy
QVC Group has cleared the last major hurdle to walking out of bankruptcy, after a federal judge signed off on a plan that erases more …
Who Owns Pizza Hut Now? Yum Brands Sold the Chain for $2.7 Billion
Pizza Hut has been sold. In June 2026, Yum! Brands agreed to hand off the pizza chain in two separate deals worth a combined $2.7 …