The Save Mart Companies is building on its partnership with Instacart by implementing several in-store solutions in nearly all 200 Save Mart, FoodMaxx and Lucky locations. The California-based grocer will roll out Caper Carts, Instacart’s AI-powered smart carts, and FoodStorm, an order management system designed to power the retailer’s food service and catering experiences. Save Mart also will upgrade to Instacart’s Storefront Pro in order to add advertising to its ecommerce storefront. “Our collaboration with Instacart has significantly expanded our online presence, reinforcing these core va ..read more

The office of New York State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli has sent a letter to the top executives at Best Buy expressing concerns about the retailer’s support for inclusivity, specifically LGBTQ+ rights and equality. The letter was sent last month after a Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC) filing revealed that Best Buy offered to “screen” employee group donations to several LGBTQ+ nonprofits as a response to pressure from a conservative think tank, the National Center for Public Policy Research (NCPPP). As Comptroller, DiNapoli directs the investments of the New York State Common Retir ..read more

The Ulta Beauty Charitable Foundation, a 501(c)(3) affiliated with the beauty retailer, is committing more than $3 million this year to nonprofit partners focused on the mental health and well-being of women and teens. The foundation’s mission is to reaffirm Ulta Beauty’s stance that beauty and wellness are intrinsically linked to mental health and emotional well-being. “Well-being and beauty are intrinsically connected and fundamental to who we are as a company,” said Jodi Caro, General Counsel, Chief Risk and Compliance Officer at Ulta Beauty in a statement. “More than 91% of our associate ..read more

UK supermarket giant Tesco will use AI to provide personalized purchasing challenges to as many as three million members of its Clubcard loyalty program, offering them a chance to earn a maximum of £50 (approximately $62 USD) in Clubcard points. Beginning May 20, 2024 and lasting six weeks, participating members will receive 20 challenges that have been personalized just for them, ranging from “Spend £20 on our Summer BBQ range over the next six weeks,” to “Spend £10 on plant-based meals.” Of the 20 available tasks, customers can choose the 10 they most want to complete, earning a maximum of ..read more

In the competitive landscape of small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs), the quest to cultivate a motivated, engaged and productive workforce is crucial for sustainable growth and success. According to a study by the Small Business Administration (SBA), employee turnover costs small businesses in the United States an estimated $11 billion annually. This significant financial impact emphasizes the critical importance of retaining motivated and engaged employees to ensure the long-term sustainability and success of SMBs. While traditional cash incentives have long been the primary method to dr ..read more

[Editor’s note: This is an excerpt from the recent Retail TouchPoints Tech Guide, 3 Ways Generative AI is Transforming Brand Experiences. Subject matter experts from Cloudinary also will be discussing the use of generative AI as a tool for image management during the May 7, 2024 webcast, Getting Practical: Generative AI for Your Ecommerce Visuals.] Generative AI can be a truly magical tool, helping unlock the creative process for brands of all sizes. If you’re completely new to gen AI and want to understand the implications for you and your team, Daniel Amitai, Cloudinary’s VP of Innovation ..read more

Building on its reputation as a destination for outdoor grilling, Ace Hardware has launched the private label Loud Mouth Barbeque line of sauces and rubs — its first edible product offerings. The sauces are priced for accessibility at $8.99 for a 19.4-ounce bottle and $6.99 per container of the rubs, which vary in size by flavor. Additionally, the retailer-owned hardware cooperative is marking its 100thanniversary in 2024 with Vintage Threads, a private label collection of shirts and hats featuring historic logos from the company’s history. “We are proud to introduce this line of apparel that ..read more

Following its acquisition of Zulily and the revival of Overstock.com, Beyond, Inc. is shoring up its executive team with a slate of eight high-level appointments across its business. “The most important part of building a long-term, profitable, growing business is putting the right players on the field,” said Marcus Lemonis, newly appointed Executive Chairman of Beyond, Inc. in a statement. “We’ve assembled a world-class team with the proper incentives and alignment that will execute the very clear go-to-market strategy around our three anchor brands.” New additions and promotions at Beyond i ..read more

As of December 2023, TikTok Shop had 15 million sellers around the world, according to the company’s first TikTok Shop Safety Report. That includes more than 500,000 sellers in the U.S., an impressive number given that Shop only launched in America in September 2023.   Now, even as the popular social media platform continues to expand its reach into traditional ecommerce, TikTok has announced a new partnership with ticketing platform CTS EventIM to enable the sale of event tickets on its platform.  A leader in ticketing and live entertainment services in Europe, EventIM is rolling o ..read more

Williams-Sonoma, Inc. will pay a record civil penalty of $3.175 million for violating a Federal Trade Commission (FTC) order to truthfully disclose whether products it sells are actually made in the United States. A Department of Justice complaint, based on a referral from the FTC, charges that the retailer listed multiple products as being “Made in USA” when they in fact were made in China and other countries. “Williams-Sonoma’s deception misled consumers and harmed honest American businesses,” said Lina Khan, Chair of the FTC in a statement. “Today’s record-setting civil penalty makes clear ..read more