Sophie Baqué
Chief Editor of mind Retail
Most read articles by Sophie Baqué
Eric Meulien, Al Futtaim: “The next step in our roadmap is to replace the in-store POS system”
Operating in 18 countries and managing brands such as Ikea, Zara and Marks & Spencer, Emirati group Al-Futtaim (2025 revenue: US$9.7 billion, up by 6%) has a unique vantage point from which to...
- Retail
- Retailer and e-commerce
- Analysis
12 October 2026
Marketplaces: How Orange and Virgin Australia reinvent their value creation models
Looking to turn their audience into a commercial platform without having to carry the risk of holding stock, new verticals are entering the marketplace space, with new models designed to enhance...
- Retail
- Retailer and e-commerce
- News
8 October 2026
AI agents: the KPIs that led L’Oréal to scale up across its warehouses
After testing 7 AI agents in its warehouses, L’Oréal is scaling up. Deployed to coordinate picking waves, manage replenishment and handle stocktaking, Manhattan’s agents have helped cut several...
- Retail
- Retail tech
- News
20 October 2026
Danone turns to AI to personalise marketing campaigns and test advertising in ChatGPT
AI is being rolled out across some marketing activities, while others remain in a testing phase. If campaign automation and personalisation are among the most advanced applications, visibility in...
- Retail
- Retail tech
- Analysis
16 October 2026
Latest articles by Sophie Baqué
Circana: French e-commerce ended 2025 with strong growth, hypermarkets continue to decline
After four years of decline, volumes of fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) rose again in 2025 in France and Europe, although they did not compensate for four years of losses. The rebound was...
- Retail
- Economy and regulators
- Analysis
15 January 2026
Black Friday: Amazon’s AI assistant Rufus featured in 38% of sessions in the US
While peak season sales, revealed at the NRF Big Show, rose by 4.1% in the US from November 1 to December 31, 2025, Rufus, Amazon’s conversational chatbot, confirmed its traction. During the...
- Retail
- Economy and regulators
- News
15 January 2026
David Schwarz (Mobivia, ex Carrefour): ”Given the rising traction of low-cost, retailers will have to launch adapted offers”
With 15 years of experience as an executive in major retail groups (including Mobivia and Carrefour) and as an investor and a tech player, David Schwarz has a dual perspective on the ecosystem. In...
- Retail
- Retail tech
- Analysis
13 January 2026
2026 Trends – Chatbots, WhatsApp, social networks: don’t miss out on conversation
(Trends 2/6) After a cautious observation phase by retailers and some high-profile hallucination issues, 2025 was a turning point operationally for chatbots and conversational tools. Positioned...
- Retail
- Retail tech
- Analysis
13 January 2026
Shoptimus AI scales up in grocery smart shopping lists and prepares for a new funding round
After securing a strategic partnership with Spanish grocer Bon Preu, retail tech firm Shoptimus AI—first spotted by Carrefour—is accelerating a rollout. By leveraging AI agents to automate grocery...
- Retail
- mind Exclusive
- Retail tech
11 January 2026
2026 Trends – How far should retailers open the door to AI Search engines ?
(Trends 1/6) With data visibility, recommendations, transactions on ChatGPT, Gemini and Perplexity, LLMs are establishing themselves as new entry points for e-commerce. As search, comparison and...
- Retail
- Retailer and e-commerce
- Analysis
8 January 2026
Saks Global negotiating new loan to overcome post-Neiman Marcus fallout
On reprieve until the end of January 2026 after missing a US$100 million bond payment on December 30, the U.S. department store retailer Saks Global (2024 revenue: US$7.3 billion dollars, down by...
- Retail
- Retailer and e-commerce
- News
8 January 2026
About to overtake Meta in 2025, TikTok finalises a U.S. spin-off
As the countdown approaches for TikTok's US business to move to American ownership by January 22, 2026, the parent company is on track to replace Meta for 2025 in revenue and profitability. Here...
- Retail
- Economy and regulators
- News
6 January 2026
Cyberattack: Coupang targeted by investor lawsuit in the U.S.
Under investigation following a cyberattack that exposed data for 33.7 million customers and resignation of C.E.O. Park Dae-Jun on December 10 2025, South Korean e-commerce retailer Coupang (2024...
- Retail
- Economy and regulators
- News
6 January 2026
Bercy revises figures and brings Shein’s non-compliance down to 25%
The non-compliance of products sold on Shein is now estimated at 25%, a far cry from the 80% put forward by the French Economy Minister in November. This is a key adjustment that allows the...
- Retail
- Retailer and e-commerce
- News
5 January 2026
Small parcels: the EU sets a €3 custom duty, France wants to add €5
As the French National Assembly prepares to vote on the 2026 Finance Bill which includes a €5 tax on small parcels, the European Union has already approved a €3 customs duty per item category as...
- Retail
- Economy and regulators
- News
19 December 2025
With Grand Frais, Apollo makes a first move into European grocery retail
Through an agreement to acquire 70% of the operator of Grand Frais, the US investment fund Apollo aims to double stores and evolve a model that has so far been entirely focused on physical retail...
- Retail
- Property and investors
- News
19 December 2025
What you absolutely must read this week
The essential content of the week selected by the editorial team.
How retailers are reinventing the checkout
As pressure on household budgets continues, new payment methods including account-to-account (A2A) instant payments, Wero, Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL), loyalty points and cashback, are gaining...
- Retail
- Special Reports
2 November 2026
Julien Cailleau, Oney: “With 3 retailers, we are testing the use of Valiuz data to streamline financing approvals”
Against a backdrop of growing pressure on household budgets, the European CCD2 Directive coming into force and a new legal framework for assisted purchasing journeys, Oney is stepping up an...
- Retail
- mind Exclusive
- Retail tech
29 October 2026
Advantail signs with Formality to streamline commercial lease management
Amid an ownership shake-up following its acquisition by Evoriel, shopping centre operator Advantail has signed with Formality to digitise the management of commercial leases and contracts across...
23 October 2026
US retailers divided over the rise of autonomous shopping agents
In the US, Gap, Walmart, Best Buy, Amazon and eBay are taking very different approaches to agentic commerce. While TV shopping giants QVC and HSN see these new intermediaries as an opportunity to...
- Retail
- Economy and regulators
- Analysis
21 October 2026
Most viewed articles of the month on mind Retail
What readers clicked on the most last month.
What readers clicked on the most last month.
1
Advantail signs with Formality to streamline commercial lease management
Amid an ownership shake-up following its acquisition by Evoriel, shopping centre operator Advantail has signed with Formality to digitise the management of commercial leases and contracts across...
23 October 2026