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
Home Depot acquires GMS for US$5.5 billion and confirms shift towards an integrated B2B model
With 50% of revenue from professional customers and a weakening property market, The Home Depot is making a second major investment in B2B. To acquire GMS Inc., the company is offering US$5.5...
- Retail
- Retailer and e-commerce
- News
1 July 2025
Hugues Chanoine, Hygie31: “In a year, our retail media revenue jumped 25% to €1 million”
Expansion of a physical network, e-commerce upgrades, developing retail media, overhaul of digital tools... With little media exposure, the Hygie31 group—which operates 1,519 pharmacies and 5...
27 June 2025
With Scandit, Walmart aims to take in-store assistance to the next level
Intelligent software provider Scandit has just announced a renewal of a strategic partnership with Walmart in the USA. Samuel Mueller, C.E.O. of the Swiss unicorn, talked to mind Retail about the...
- Retail
- Retailer and e-commerce
- News
26 June 2025
Divestitures, restructuring: BHV and El Corte Inglés seek a second wind
In mid-June, El Corte Inglés department stores published annual results for the year ending February 2025. After deciding in April to abolish the executive committee, the retailer reported...
25 June 2025
[mind Retail Exclusive] After a quiet fundraising round, Newtone connects generative AI to Shopify, Salsify, and Inriver
Since launch in March 2024, Newtone has been aiming to industrialise content production for the e-commerce sector with generative AI LLM. According to our information, the retail tech company...
- Retail
- mind Exclusive
- Retail tech
24 June 2025
After RFID, Decathlon rolls out mobile checkout in all stores
After pioneering self-checkout via RFID, Decathlon (2024 revenue: €16.2 billion, including 20% online, up by 5.2% after 4.4% in 2023) announced on June 23 the launch of Orisha Commerce, a...
24 June 2025
[Luxury Barometer] Global Top 5 in 2024: a delicate balance
As Richemont and Chanel publish 2024 accounts (May 2025), mind Retail analyses the health of the world's top five luxury brands—LVMH, Chanel, Hermès, Kering, and Richemont—using 5 indicators...
23 June 2025
Stand-alone checkout systems: 365 Retail Markets acquires Cantaloupe for US$884 million
In the U.S.A., Cantaloupe (2024 revenue: US$268.8 million, up by 10.2%), a manufacturer of self-checkout systems competing with Diebold Nixdorf, among others, has been acquired by competitor 365...
- Retail
- Retail tech
- News brief
20 June 2025
Daniel Gebler, Picnic: “Like in the Netherlands, we want to launch a reverse logistics service in France and Germany”
As e-commerce retailer Picnic accelerates its logistics robotization with the opening of a third—and largest—automated processing center in Germany, it is also embracing new models. In the...
- Retail
- Retail tech
- Analysis
19 June 2025
ChatGPT’s audience doubled in 4 months, OpenAI aims for 100% increase in revenue
According to data from Demandsage, ChatGPT’s total audience reached 800 million weekly active visitors in April 2025. By way of comparison, this was 400 million in February 2025 and 300...
- Retail
- Retail tech
- News
18 June 2025
With stablecoins, Walmart, Amazon, and Shopify want to break free from traditional banking channels
In the US, payment disintermediation continues. Walmart (2024 revenue: US$681 billion, including approximately US$100 billion online) and Amazon (2024 revenue: US$638 billion) are considering...
- Retail
- Retailer and e-commerce
- News
17 June 2025
Financière Agache, a Bernard Arnault’s holding company, exits Lagardère’s capital
It’s the end of a strategic partnership. According to the AMF, Bernard Arnault’s holding company Financière Agache sold the remaining 7.97% stake in the Lagardère group...
17 June 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