U S Retail Industry

Santé raises $15M to put AI sales agents in nearly 1,000 liquor stores

Liquor store POS and payments platform Santé raised $15M to build AI agents that drive sales for nearly 1,000 stores.

Grocery Vision AI takes blame for network failures underneath

At peak hours in a grocery store, things start to slip. A self-checkout lane lags and customers get impatient. A camera feed drops. A Vision AI system misses the movement it was installed to catch. To store staff and executives alike, it looks like the new technology has failed. The source video arg

Grocers matching store prices on Instacart grew 10 points faster, Instacart says

Instacart says grocers that match store prices on its marketplace grew faster and kept customers better than those charging a markup.

Deloitte: Holiday e-commerce to reach up to $319B in 2026–27

Deloitte expects online holiday sales to grow 7.5% to 8.4% from November through January, well ahead of the 4% to 4.8% it projects for all retail.

Club stores drove nearly half of the growth in $330B U.S. store-brand sales

Circana puts U.S. private label at $330B and 24% of units, with club stores driving nearly half of private brand growth and the pace set to ease through 2026.

Fuel-selling convenience stores hit an eight-year high even as total count slips

NACS counts 151,975 U.S. c-stores, down 0.2%, but fuel-selling locations rose 0.6% to 122,620. The mix reshapes forecourt, payments, and foodservice bets.

Retail Refined Podcast - Sali Christeson

In the latest episode of MarketScale's Retail Refined podcast, host Melissa Gonzalez engaged in a focused conversation with Sali Christeson, CEO and founder of Argent. Argent is known for sitting at the nexus of fashion, work, ambition, and cultural change. With a mission to redefine workwear and bo

Walmart’s 24% e-commerce growth is forcing a store ops rewrite, even as stores still carry the volume

Walmart's Q2 showed e-commerce sales up 24% and now over 23% of U.S. segment sales. For operators, the question is how fast stores become fulfillment nodes without breaking labor and inventory systems.

Wayfair's Q2 U.S. growth hits a post-pandemic high as AI and Perigold carry the momentum

Wayfair posted its strongest U.S. growth since the pandemic in Q2 2026, crediting AI tooling and its luxury brand Perigold, while broad e-commerce tailwinds pu

Whatnot hits $20 billion valuation as live-auction commerce goes mainstream retail

Whatnot raised $545M at a $20B valuation, nearly doubling in months, as live-auction commerce forces enterprise retailers to rethink digital selling.

Whatnot hits $20 billion valuation as retailers weigh live shopping amid soft domestic demand

Whatnot nearly doubled its valuation in under a year, reaching $20B, as brands face slowing domestic demand and hunt for new sales channels.

EBay closes Depop acquisition and raises 2026 GMV outlook to 11.5%-12.5% growth as online resale consolidates

EBay reported Q2 revenue of $3.13B and lifted its 2026 GMV growth forecast after closing its Depop deal, while Etsy cut 12% of staff and Cencosud hit 31M loyalt

Marketplaces are growing twice as fast as traditional online shops, and every major platform just made a move

Marketplaces outpace standalone shops 2-to-1. eBay buys Depop, TikTok tests Prime-style subscriptions, and DoorDash wins FAA drone approval.

Building a Fine Jewelry Brand on Trust, Craft, and Long-Term Relationships

In the fine jewelry industry, Simon G Jewelry has carved out a distinct identity rooted in family legacy, craftsmanship, and enduring partnerships. With over four decades of experience in the business, this family-owned brand has established a robust reputation for quality and authenticity that reso

Tractor Supply, Albertsons, and DoorDash-Shopify moves signal a structural shift toward digital retail investment

Tractor Supply, Albertsons, and DoorDash-Shopify are each making structural bets on digital commerce as online retail's share of total commerce keeps growing.

Conversational commerce, retail media, and a 0.2% June sales print are rewriting the enterprise retail playbook

Three converging forces, AI chat shopping, booming retail media, and a soft June sales number, are forcing enterprise retail operators to act now.

Amazon Business hits $60 billion in annualized sales as AI and computer vision reshape B2B ecommerce in 2026

Amazon Business, Instacart, and agentic AI are rewriting the rules of B2B and grocery ecommerce, here's what operators need to know.

Instacart's Arpalus acquisition signals AI-driven shelf intelligence is now table stakes for grocery operators

Instacart acquires computer vision firm Arpalus as AI-influenced retail ecommerce accelerates, reshaping what grocery and retail operators must evaluate now.

Retail's digital infrastructure is being rebuilt in real time, and Tractor Supply, Albertsons, and DoorDash are showing how

Three concrete moves in July 2026 reveal how major retailers are rewiring digital operations as ecommerce heads toward a $6.9T global market.

Global e-commerce market on track to nearly triple by 2035, with real operational stakes for B2B sellers

The global e-commerce market is projected to reach $19.83T by 2035, driven by mobile penetration, AI personalization, and D2C platform growth.

Marketplace dominance and mobile growth are reshaping enterprise e-commerce strategy

Nearly half of brands now name marketplaces as their top channel, and mobile commerce continues to expand its share of online spending.

US e-commerce market projected to hit $2.28 trillion by 2031 as mobile and fulfillment reshape supply chains

A new market forecast pegs US e-commerce at $2.28T by 2031, with mobile shopping, digital payments, and rapid fulfillment driving the build-out.

Toshiba Global Commerce Solutions Promotes Eugene Shvartsman to Chief Revenue Officer to Accelerate Global Growth

Longtime leader to expand revenue strategy, deepen industry relationships, and build on continued business momentum

Inside GameStop’s Meteoric Stock Surge: A Former Executive Reflects on Power, Pivots, and the Price of Winning

The meme-stock era may feel like old news, but its aftershocks are still reshaping how leaders think about transformation, risk, and reward. In the wake of unprecedented short squeezes, shuttered storefronts, and sudden wealth creation, executives across retail and tech are still asking what actually happened—and why. Few episodes crystallize those questions better than…

Milani Cosmetics Redefines Beauty Standards with a Commitment to Inclusivity, Innovation, and Cross-Generational Appeal

Beauty brands that embrace real diversity are capturing consumer loyalty while those clinging to outdated standards risk irrelevance

Diamonds DisruptED Pt. 2

A tech entrepreneur from a legacy diamond family challenges tradition by pioneering lab-grown alternatives

Convenience, Accessibility and Secure Storage: How Smart Locker Systems Can Streamline Company Operations and Enhance Customer Experiences

Automated storage solutions enable organizations to reduce operational friction while meeting modern expectations for contactless, convenient package management

From Cart to Click: Retailers Must Enhance Operational Efficiency and Data Management in the Age of Grocery Ecommerce

Grocery retailers face mounting pressure to streamline operations and harness customer data as online shopping accelerates across the sector

The Coexistence of Big Box and Small Retail Relies on Synergistic Relationships

Rather than competing for dominance, retail's largest and smallest players thrive when they embrace their differences and build mutually beneficial partnerships

With 800 New Stores in the Offing, How Will Aldi’s Massive Expansion Impact the Grocery Industry?

The discount grocer's aggressive U.S. expansion could reshape competitive dynamics and force rivals to rethink their retail strategies