Breaking news, industry updates, and the latest developments shaping global retail, e-commerce, and commerce technology.
Designer Brands shares fell about 16% after first-quarter sales rose 1.4% but the DSW parent reaffirmed soft 2026 EPS guidance. A 240-basis-point margin gain and a 19.4% brands-unit surge were not enough to satisfy investors.
Academy Sports and Outdoors beat Wall Street expectations for the first quarter of fiscal 2026, with net sales up 6.7% to $1.44 billion and comparable sales returning to growth. The sporting goods retailer raised the low end of its full-year guidance and lifted its dividend.
Walmart’s profit growth through fiscal 2027 is likely to be led by its global platforms (advertising, membership, marketplace and Vizio-powered CTV), not store comps. The pattern is visible in the Q1 FY27 print, and the decisive read comes at the holiday quarter reported in early 2027.
Signals point to the EU tabling a Digital Fairness Act in Q4 2026 that puts dark patterns, drip pricing and personalized pricing in retail scope. The impact assessment due in Q2 2026 is the near-term tell.
Inditex reported first-quarter net profit of EUR 1.37 billion, up 5.4%, as sales rose 5.8% to EUR 8.75 billion and beat analyst forecasts. The Zara owner said store and online sales jumped 11.5% in the first month of the second quarter, sending shares higher.
Rent the Runway posted Q1 fiscal 2026 revenue of about $89.9 million, up 29.2%, and a narrower net loss. It was the first quarterly report since co-founder Jennifer Hyman stepped down as chief executive.
TikTok Shop opens in Poland in 2026 as the eighth European market. What it means for D2C brands, Allegro, Temu, Shein and the wider CEE region in 12 to 24 months.
When a product recall goes viral, the recall itself is rarely what damages a retailer. The response does. Here is the hour-by-hour playbook that protects revenue and trust.
A breaking story does not wait for legal sign-off. This is how retailers build a crisis comms plan that produces a holding statement in 15 minutes, names the decision-maker, and keeps the brand credible across every channel.
The 2026 layoff wave hit corporate teams and store payroll at once. Here is how staffing ratios, task ownership, and the customer experience on the floor actually changed, with the operational metrics that matter.