retail18.43 min read
Ikea Abandons Small-Format Strategy, Closing Three D.C. Area Showrooms
5 days ago•Source: retaildive.com
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5.775 min•21 days ago
Holistic Beauty: Retailers merge beauty, health and wellness into one category
A new consumer mindset is blending beauty, health and wellness into one budget item, driving cross-category growth and blurred shelf lines. An AlixPartners/CEW study shows shoppers treat the category holistically, while executives debate expanding beyond traditional lanes. Major retailers—Ulta, Target, Sephora, Walmart—are expanding wellness offerings, creating in-store studios, and pursuing partnerships (Gucci×Oura; P&G×Thorne) to capture demand with science-backed products, even as inflation pressures persist.
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Costco Brings Back Fan-Favorite Pot Pie and Shepherd's Pie for Fall
Tasting Table•1 month ago
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Costco's 2026 Mid-Year Shakeup: 16 New Finds Driving Store Buzz
Costco rolled out 16 new items in the first half of 2026 across bakery, deli, and food court, from croissant-based treats (double-chocolate, pistachio, and cinnamon-filled) to under-$8 braised beef with Yukon mashed potatoes, beef and chicken fajita kits, a six-layer dip, a waffle cone bar cake, madeleines, mint and strawberry sundaes, a blueberry sourdough loaf, lemon custard pie, peanut butter monster cookies, and pretzel bagels—many items sold out quickly and may return seasonally.
Hollister Arrives at Target, Boosting Abercrombie’s Wholesale Push
Abercrombie & Fitch Co.'s Hollister brand will be sold at Target as part of a multi-season wholesale partnership, marking Hollister’s first foray into home/dorm merchandise alongside apparel. Starting June 28, Target will carry nearly 60 items—dorm bedding, home goods, fleece and sleepwear—priced roughly $25–$65 and available at most Target stores and select Hollister locations. The deal expands A&F’s wholesale strategy after last year’s partnerships with Dick’s Sporting Goods and various department stores. CFO Robert Ball noted Hollister’s latest quarter showed flat net sales and a 2% comp decline, with gains in the Americas and Asia offsetting softness in the Middle East and Europe.
Aldi Launches Four-Day Free 'Blind Box' Grocery Mystery Campaign
Aldi is offering four days of free 'Aldi Blind Boxes'—daily themed mystery grocery packages including proteins, produce, snacks, cheeses and pantry staples—free while supplies last. To claim, shoppers visit AldiBlindBox.com when each day opens (June 22–25 at noon ET) and submit shipping information; daily themes will be announced on Instagram. The promotion taps into the popularity of mystery-box shopping and aims to attract value-conscious shoppers while delivering a sense of discovery at Aldi, with limited quantities and first-come, first-served fulfillment.
Prime Day 2026: Prime members get exclusive deals June 23–26 across 35+ categories
Prime Day 2026 runs June 23–26 for Prime members, with millions of exclusive deals across 35+ categories. Early offers are live now, and Alexa for Shopping can tailor a personalized deals guide and set price/deal alerts; perks include grocery savings, Prime card promotions, and other member-only incentives.
Eight Costco Perks Gone Missing: What Shoppers Miss Most
The article lists eight former Costco member perks that shoppers miss, including the end of unlimited electronics returns (restricted to a 90-day window since 2007), the discontinuation of Disneyland bookings via Costco Travel (2025), the closing of in-store photo centers (2021) and the ending of online photo printing (2023, now via Shutterfly), the removal of the combo pizza (2020) in favor of a calzone and later chicken strips, the removal of on-site coffee grinders (2025), the end of the Citi Costco extended warranty (2023), and the loss of passport photo services, underscoring how changes to perks affect perceived value.
Amazon Now expands 30-minute grocery delivery to dozens more U.S. cities
Amazon Now now offers thousands of items, from fresh groceries to essentials, delivered to your door in 30 minutes or less. It’s live in Atlanta, Dallas–Fort Worth, Philadelphia, and Seattle with plans to roll out to dozens more cities this year. Prime members pay $3.99 per order (non-Prime $13.99, with small-order fees); service runs 24/7 where available and uses strategically located fulfillment hubs to enable ultra-fast delivery, complementing Prime Air drone, Same‑Day Delivery, and other fast options.
Costco's May Menu Delivers Fresh Dinners and Bakery Favorites
Delish spotlights Costco’s May lineup, a mix of brand-new items, returning bakery favorites, and easy heat-and-serve dinners. Highlights include the Gyro Kit, Crust & Crumb Tear N’ Share Cinnamon Bun, Peaches & Cream Bar Cake, Strawberry Cream Pie, Braised Beef & Mashed Potatoes, Quiche Lorraine, Blueberry Sourdough, Frozen Mango on a Stick, and Sweet & Salty Cookies, with pricing details noted where available and suggestions for accessible weeknight meals and party-worthy desserts.
Amazon opens its supply chain network to any business with ASCS
Amazon announces Amazon Supply Chain Services (ASCS), opening its freight, distribution, fulfillment, and parcel shipping capabilities to businesses of all types and sizes, not just Amazon sellers, and offering a centralized console to sign up. Early adopters such as Procter & Gamble, 3M, Lands’ End, and American Eagle Outfitters illustrate ASCS’s reach across healthcare, automotive, manufacturing, and retail, aiming to deliver Amazon-scale cost efficiency, reliability, and speed across multiple channels through end-to-end logistics and a unified inventory approach.
Prime Day 2026 arrives in June with global Prime-only deals
Amazon says Prime Day 2026 will return this June, offering deep discounts across electronics, beauty, apparel, groceries, and more for Prime members in 26 countries, with deals arriving later this summer in Australia, Brazil, India, and Japan; last year set sales records and billions were saved thanks to fast, free delivery, and Amazon Pet Days will run May 11–15 with deals for pets.
Amazon One Medical unveils integrated GLP-1 weight-management plan with upfront pricing
Amazon One Medical launches a GLP-1 Management Program that ties GLP-1 weight-loss therapy to primary care and Amazon Pharmacy, offering transparent upfront pricing (including Wegovy, Foundayo, and Wegovy/Kept options), 24/7 renewals for existing prescriptions, and Same‑Day to fast delivery across most U.S. cities, aiming to treat obesity as a chronic condition with integrated care and clear costs.