Breaking news, industry updates, and the latest developments shaping global retail, e-commerce, and commerce technology.
Gap Inc. named Michael Francis chief executive of Old Navy effective November 2, replacing Haio Barbeito after the brand posted a 4% comparable sales decline. Shares rose about 15% in extended trading as the company raised its adjusted profit guidance.
USTR set the 2026 Notorious Markets issue focus on superfakes and opened docket USTR-2026-0529, with comments due October 7. Three August signals point to a list, likely published in Q1 2027, that names the social, messaging and resale surfaces where high-quality counterfeits actually sell.
The EU Data Act’s data access by design obligation applies to connected products placed on the market after September 12, 2026, splitting retail catalogues in two. Sellers already carry a live pre-contractual disclosure duty under Article 3(2).
Abercrombie & Fitch reports second quarter fiscal 2026 results on August 26 before the bell, with consensus at about $1.24bn in sales and $1.90 in earnings per share. Guidance already carries roughly $20m of tariff cost, while a $100m refund claim sits outside the outlook.
Best Buy reports second quarter fiscal 2027 results before the open on August 27, with consensus at roughly $9.56bn in revenue and $1.37 in adjusted EPS. Unlike peers that booked tariff refunds, the swing factor here is a memory cost surge running through computing and mobile.
The EU Cyber Resilience Act’s reporting duties begin on September 11, 2026, forcing a 24-hour early warning on actively exploited vulnerabilities in connected products. Retailers selling own-brand smart devices are treated as manufacturers, putting the clock on their side of the contract.
Packaging is likely to become a named, per-material cost line in US e-commerce, with the trigger a binding California fee schedule due at CalRecycle in October 2026 and first producer invoices in January 2027. Oregon’s first-year rates already price flexible film up to roughly 47 times corrugated fiber per pound, and the mailer mix is the most exposed variable.
US retailers are spending on automation far faster than they are depreciating it, with Walmart’s capex now running at 1.83 times its depreciation. Signals from three August filings point to depreciation becoming a quantified, openly discussed margin headwind by the spring 2027 guidance season.
The FTC opened public comment on a proposed enforcement policy statement declaring that undisclosed personalized pricing likely violates Section 5 of the FTC Act. Retailers get 30 days once the notice hits the Federal Register, against a state patchwork that is already binding.
Walmart, Target and Amazon just posted profit growth running three to five times sales growth, driven by advertising, membership and marketplace fees rather than merchandise margin. Signals point to at least two more top-25 US retailers putting a standalone number on that income by the end of March 2027.