News brief

In China, total retail sales slowed in 2024. According to the National Bureau of Statistics, they increased by 3.8% in value last year (excluding automobiles), after a rise of 7.3% in 2023. The...

13 February 2025

Coopérative U finally launches into retail media

In mid-2025, the French Coopérative U (2024 turnover: €26.91 billion excluding fuel, i.e. up by 4%) will launch a retail media offer on the Coursesu.com website and on the app, in...

13 February 2025

H&M saved margin in 2024 but remains in decline in America and Asia

On January 30, the Swedish company H&M reported sales of US$22.32 billion in 2024 (fiscal year to the end of November 2024), down 0.7%. After a rise of 5.6% in 2023 and 12.4% in 2022, this is...

13 February 2025

Shein returns to India with Reliance Retail

Blocked since 2020 in India, Shein is back to compete with Myntra (Flipkart) and Zudio (Tata). The group signed a licensing agreement with Reliance Retail Ventures (RRVL), a subsidiary of the...

11 February 2025

Franchise : Ulta Beauty enters the Middle East with Alshaya

After announcing a first international expansion into Mexico in March 2024, the U.S. retailer Ulta Beauty (2023 turnover of US$11.2 billion, up 5.7%, after 15.6% in 2022 and 37.9% in 2021)...

11 February 2025

After Macy’s, Kohl’s closes 27 stores and cuts 10% of its workforce

In the USA, while Macy’s is closing 66 stores and laying off 3.5% of staff (2,350 jobs), department store chain Kohl’s (1,100 stores in Q3) has announced the closure of 27 stores by...

7 February 2025

Cash & carry: Metro AG to delist from the Stock Exchange

After posting sales of €8.6 billion in the quarter to December 2024 (-1.5% in total), German Metro AG (623 stores in 35 countries) announced its withdrawal from the Frankfurt Stock Exchange...

7 February 2025

Maisons du Monde sales plummet for 3rd year running

In a French furniture market down by 5.1% to €13.8 billion in 2024 (IPEA), Maisons du Monde (338 stores at the end of 2024) reported annual sales of €1.002 billion on February 4, down...

6 February 2025

La Foir’fouille chooses Duval for franchise African expansion

On January 31, discount chain La Foir’fouille (steady 2023 sales at €815 million, target of €830 million for 2024) announced an African expansion via a master franchise agreement...

5 February 2025

India: retailers will soon be able to use Aadhaar biometric authentication

India is easing access to the Aadhaar biometric authentication system (via fingerprint or iris) created by Infosys co-Founder Nandan Nilekani. At the beginning of 2024, this system was being used...

4 February 2025

Action ends 2024 with sales up 22%

Dutch retailer Action (shareholder 3i) ended 2024 with sales of €13.8 billion, up 21.7% overall and 10.3% on a like-for-like basis. It has 2,918 stores in 12 European countries, including 29%...

4 February 2025

Auchan Russia is counting on sanctions being lifted to continue trading

Auchan Retail (2023 sales €32.26 billion, down 2% in a year, via 2,354 stores in 12 countries) has ended discussions with Gazprombank concerning the sale of 232 Russian stores, according to...

30 January 2025

In the Netherlands, the government does not want BNPL in stores

In the Netherlands, the government is opposed to the deployment of BNPL in stores. In a letter to Parliament on January 21, 2025, Finance Minister raised the alarm about the risks for young...

28 January 2025

USA : WhatsApp and SMS are integrated into Google Maps

After a test in Latin America in June 2024, Google is rolling out WhatsApp (Meta group) and SMS in Google Business Profile cards in the U.S.A. “Users can interact directly with brands at any...

27 January 2025

[mind Retail Exclusive] Lucky Cart signs with Carrefour Spain

French start-up Lucky Cart, which is well established in the French supermarket sector (including Intermarché, E.Leclerc and Carrefour), is to make a debut at Carrefour Spain, mind Retail...

24 January 2025

Cyber insurance: Stoïk sets course for Spain

Three months after raising €25 million, cyber-insurance specialist Stoïk is setting up operations in Spain. Already selling in France (since 2021), Germany (2023), Monaco and Austria...

23 January 2025

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Refurbished smartphones: why Largo relies on Speeral automation

The start-up founded by the duo behind Teester and Skeepers is accelerating automation of second-hand product flows. The strategy is to use AI to direct products to high-traffic marketplaces such...

9 December 2025

Leroy Merlin and Aroma‑Zone launch in‑store analytics pilots with XXII

French retail tech XXII, which aims to become the Google Analytics and Contentsquare of physical stores, has already signed with 15 retailers and shopping centres, mind Retail learned. A year...

5 December 2025

Already in POC, Dialog’s conversational agent shows up in the search bar

Buoyed by a €3.8 million seed round closed in mid‑November 2025, French start‑up Dialog, specialised in AI‑based conversational e‑commerce, is accelerating. Initially placed on product pages, this...

4 December 2025

E‑commerce: How Hive customises free‑delivery thresholds using customer data

With 500 e‑merchant clients, including Embryolisse, Hindbag, Airup, Hygée or Jacks Beauty Line, German logistics provider Hive is capitalising on data to raise e‑commerce conversion via a finely...

2 December 2025

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Personalised pricing: Europe keeps a low profile while New York forces retailers to be transparent

In the State of New York, unprecedented legislation has come into force requiring retailers using personalised pricing algorithms to inform consumers. While the NRF is seeking to counter its...

12 December 2025

Price-fixing investigation: Swatch and Citizen under scrutiny in Italy

On December 9, 2025, Swiss watch groups Swatch (Tissot, Mido and Hamilton) and Japanese Citizen (Bulova, Vagary, Frédérique Constant and Alpina) were placed under investigation by...

11 December 2025

Italy: three executives from luxury goods group Tod’s investigated over worker exploitation

After placing Loro Piana (LVMH), Armani, Dior and Valentino under judicial administration, the Milan public prosecutor's office is now targeting Tod's. Three of its executives are under...

28 November 2025

Australia bans access to social networks for under‑16s

As part of the adoption of the Online Safety law Social Media Minimum Age, voted on 28 November 2025, minors aged under 16 will no longer be able to access social networks in Australia from...

2 December 2025

Customs duties: Costco sues the Trump administration

On November 28, Costco (net sales of US$267 billion in the fiscal year ending August 31, 2025 , up by 8.1% after 6% in 2024) sued the Trump administration, judging the tariff surcharges imposed...

5 December 2025

In the U.S.A., retail job cuts rise 139% in a year

According to Challenger, Gray & Christmas, a company specialising in employment trend analysis, in the U.S.A., 2025 has been tough for retail employment. The sector recorded 91,954 job cuts...

9 December 2025