New 'Marketing Muscles' Helped Drive Gap Sales

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UK supermarket sales set for Euro 2024 fillip, says NIQ

LONDON (Reuters) - The return of some warm weather in May helped drive sales growth at British supermarkets and they are set for a boost from the upcoming Euro 2024 soccer championship, according to industry data published on Friday.

Market researcher NIQ said sales at UK supermarkets rose 3.3% in the four weeks ending May 18 year-on-year, thanks to a brief period of hot weather in the week ending May 11.

⁘It was the warm weather which helped to move the dial in terms of shopper spending at the UK supermarkets, more so than food inflation, which is expected to remain at around 3% for the next few months,⁘ Mike Watkins, NIQ's UK head of retailer and business insight, said.

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Shares of Gap ( GPS ) are surging after the company revealed first quarter comparable sales grew year over year for all four of its brands. Gap CEO and President Richard Dickson spoke with Yahoo Finance Executive Editor Brian Sozzi about the company's strategy and outlook. Dickson claims the company still has more work to do, adding, "it's not a sprint, it's a marathon."

Telsey Advisory Group CEO Dana Telsey joins Catalysts to give insight into Gap's performance and the drivers that brought customers into the company's doors.

"Where the product is new, where there is innovation behind it, where there's compelling marketing, it's resonating. And yes, it was a Gap brand, but take a look at Birkenstock ( BIRK ), take a look at Abercrombie & Fitch ( ANF ), take a look at Ralph Lauren (RL) and Deckers ( DECK ). All were able to drive sales increases because of new marketing muscles put behind the product, and the value pricing that some of these products have with it. Because consumers today still remain what I call squishy, they're being very cautious in where they decide to spend their dollars."

For more expert insight and the latest market action, click here to watch this full episode of Catalysts.

Shares are surging after blowing past the street's expectations in its first quarter print, we got the retailer posting sales growth in all four of its brands.

So let's start with gap and then we can talk about where, what, what we're seeing elsewhere, uh industry, why?

But when it comes to gap's results last night, what do you think of what Dixon just had to say just in terms of they're not out of the woods just yet they have more work to do, but it does seem like their product is resonating a bit better here with the consumer.

I think the Banana Republic brand is still a ways away from showing consistent improvement given there's still search for a new leader there.

It was good to see that the core bottoms improved at Athleta, but it did take promotions in order to move that and always under the hood at Gap with expenses and mar margin management, they've done a good job.

Transforming Manufacturing And Energy With AI And Data Analytics

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Vice President Network and Edge Group, General Manager Federal ⁘ Industrial Solutions at Intel Corporation.

Data is a driving force in the constantly evolving worlds of manufacturing and energy. Artificial intelligence (AI), powered by data analytics, is poised to transform these industries, fueling unprecedented efficiency, sustainability and innovation levels.

AI algorithms cut through the noise, particularly machine learning and deep learning. They illuminate the hidden insights essential for improved production, proactive equipment maintenance and streamlined operations. However, technology alone isn't enough. Human expertise is still vital to interpreting the data and developing the strategies those insights make possible.

To truly become data-driven, organizations must approach this transformation thoughtfully. It requires a data-driven culture with clear goals, a relentless focus on data quality and robust governance policies. Implementation demands a systematic approach: Assess your data needs, optimize collection and integration processes, invest in the right tools and develop the necessary data science skills. Most importantly, ensure your KPIs align with your core business objectives to guarantee that insights lead to real-world action.

Let's take a closer look at the specific ways you can use AI-powered data analytics to transform your manufacturing.

Quality Control: AI, machine vision and data analytics are the ultimate quality inspectors, enabling in-line and all product QA from QA sampling approaches. Plus, data-driven models find even the smallest defects, and automated inspection systems ensure exceptional quality before products reach consumers.

Process Optimization: AI maps out the complex details of manufacturing processes. Analyzing data from sensors, equipment and supply chains reveals inefficiencies, waste and untapped improvement potential, leading to streamlined operations and increased productivity.

Celebrities Star In The Loewe Pre-Fall 2024 Ad Campaign

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Scales and proportions are on the mind of LOEWE's creative director Jonathan Anderson of late: big and small, high and low; points of view defining perceptions, and perceptions drawing silhouettes.

The Fall Winter 2024 precollection campaign extends this play of ratios from clothes-making to image-making.

Shot amongst the miniaturized scenarios of Bekonscot Model Village, the world's oldest original model village, built in 1929, it features a varied cast of artists and creatives: the ever-evolving community that gathers around LOEWE, which this season features Alison Oliver, Archie Madekwe, Dan Levy, Enzo Vogrincic, Kit Connor, Lesley Manville, Sophie Wilde, and 070 Shake, as well as a special guest appearance by Jonathan Anderson's nephew, Alfie Anderson.

Photographed once again by Juergen Teller, the campaign reiterates Teller's unapologetic way to see LOEWE: at once raw and amusing, direct and introspective, with a sense of hyperbole and a sculptural approach to poses.

Lesley Manville recently wore the Loewe ⁘Post It Note⁘ dress in red to the 2024 BAFTA Television Awards .

Kit Connor was the first to wear the Loewe Spring 2024 polo sweater and high waisted jeans on the red carpet, before it became a popular menswear look.

Alison Oliver's moments in Loewe this year were seen at the Critics' Choice Awards and the BAFTAs .

FTC Disclaimer: Keep in mind that I may receive commissions when you click links and make purchases. However, this does not impact my reviews.

Walmart Runs Seller Promotion To Grow Selection Of Its Marketplace

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Amazon Prime Day Tips for Sellers - EcommerceBytes

Amazon confirmed it will hold its 10th Prime Day sale in July, and sellers reportedly had until May 17th to submit deals for a chance to be selected for Prime Day deals. But as Jungle Scout's Eva Hart told us, sellers should remember that Prime Day goes beyond just Amazon.

Hart, who is also the owner of Couples Coffee on Amazon, also pointed out that sellers don't have to be limited to FBA inventory ⁘ they can also offer Fulfilled by Merchant (FBM) options to meet Amazon customer demand with deals.

Steven Pope, founder of My Amazon Guy , said Prime Day sees a great boost in traffic. ⁘Making sure your listings are ready to convert is key to success. Make sure you have premium A+ content, a brand story, and a main image that begs for clicks,⁘ he told EcommerceBytes.

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Third-party sellers bring a broader selection of goods to online marketplaces, and Walmart is running a promotional campaign to encourage sellers to add best-selling items to their catalog.

Sellers who list a recommended item from its Assortment Growth Dashboard get up to 50% off referral fees ⁘ depending on shipping speed offered. Walmart outlined the following conditions that apply with the promotion:

⁘Receive 30% off referral fees when a new offer, against item recommendations, from the Assortment Growth dashboard—with competitive pricing—is added to your catalog, by 07/31/24. If the item is shipped via Two Day Delivery or Walmart Fulfillment Services, additional reduction rates of 10% or 20% may apply, respectively. Eligible products for these savings are limited to items from the Assortment Growth dashboard not yet added to the seller's catalog. Only one Referral Fee discount will be applied at a time. Walmart reserves the right to modify, cancel or terminate this offer at any time without notice.⁘

There's also a potential downside to letting third-party sellers list on marketplaces, and this month, Walmart also reminded sellers that they must adhere to its Customer Care Policy, which states that unsolicited text messages, emails or telephone calls to customers, including for marketing communications, is prohibited under the Marketplace Customer Care Policy.

Why You Should Be Tracking Customer Surplus Value

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How much value are your customers getting from your products? Net Promoter Scores are one tool to answer that question but the authors offer another: Customer Surplus Value. The idea, drawn from economics, is to ask customers how much money they'd need to be given to give up your product for a period of time. The more money it would take for them to accept, the more valuable the product. An experiment at LinkedIn shows how this measure complements NPS scores as a way of measuring customer satisfaction.

In the realm of customer feedback metrics, few have garnered as much attention and adoption as the Net Promoter Score (NPS). Introduced two decades ago by Frederick Reichheld in his seminal Harvard Business Review article, "The One Number You Need to Grow," NPS emerged as a revolutionary approach to capturing and predicting company growth. Heralded for its simplicity — a single question that gauges the likelihood of customers to recommend a product or service to others — it became an instrumental tool for businesses to measure customer feedback. Companies across sectors and regions adopted the metric, finding correlations between high NPS scores and enhanced profitability, retention, and growth.

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New Coffee Shop Moves Into UWS Storefront, Replacing Gertrude | Upper West Side

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UPPER WEST SIDE, NY — The Upper West Side offers plenty of choices for coffee lovers, but a new shop is making its mark by bringing its signature drinks to a storefront on 96th Street.

Green Lane Coffee has opened its newest cafe at 204 West 96th Street between Broadway and Amsterdam Avenue, making it the second location in Manhattan.

Green Lane has a location on the Upper East Side and previously had its inaugural shop in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, which opened in September 2020 and closed down last February.

"The time has come to close the doors at Gertrude," the coffee shop said. "We are looking forward to celebrating this journey with you til the end."

Operated by Dmitry Miroshnichenko, Green Lane Coffee specializes in a variety of espresso drinks crafted from Parlor Coffee beans, complemented by a range of teas and pastries.

Green Lane Coffee is renowned for its signature drink, the Espresso and Soda, which features Saratoga Springs sparkling water, a hint of fresh lemon juice and a touch of honey.

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26 Million Of Beat-up Shopify

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When one of Cathie Wood's favorite stocks tumbles, the head of Ark Investment Management frequently responds by increasing her position.

If you're an experienced investor, you've likely heard of Wood. She may be the country's most famous money manager after Warren Buffett.

Wood (Mama Cathie to her followers) soared to acclaim after a stupendous return of 153% in 2020 and lucid presentations of her investment philosophy in numerous media appearances.

But her longer-term performance is less impressive. Wood's flagship Ark Innovation ETF ( ARKK ) , with $6.5 billion in assets, produced annualized returns of 11% for the past 12 months, negative 25% for the past three years and positive 1% for five years.

That's woeful compared with the S⁘P 500. The index posted positive returns of 29% for one year, 10% for three years, and 15% for five years. Ark Innovation's numbers also fall well shy of Wood's goal for annual returns of at least 15% over five-year periods.

Her investment philosophy is pretty simple. Ark ETFs usually purchase emerging-company stocks in the high-tech categories of artificial intelligence, blockchain, DNA sequencing, energy storage, and robotics. Wood maintains that companies in those categories will change the world.

Of course, these stocks are quite volatile, so the Ark funds frequently fluctuate up and down. Wood adds to and subtracts from her top names frequently.

Investment research titan Morningstar offers a harsh assessment of Wood and Ark Innovation ETF. Investing in young companies with slim earnings "demands forecasting talent, which ARK Investment Management lacks," Morningstar analyst Robby Greengold wrote in March.

The potential of Wood's five high-tech platforms listed above is "compelling," he said. "But the firm's ability to spot winners and manage their myriad risks is less so…. It has not proved it is worth the risks it takes."

Ecommerce Fails To Click For Firms In Q4 As Sales Dip Across Segments - The Economic...

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Business News Today: Read Latest Business news, India Business News Live, Share Market & Economy News | The...

FY24 was challenging for TV broadcasters with declining ad revenue, attributed to factors like free cricket streaming by JioCinema and Disne...

EQT's $1.6 billion BPEA EQT Mid-Market Growth Partnership (MMG Fund) targets deals of $50 million-250 million in India, focusing on controll...

In a significant development, a five-member expert committee has been appointed to assess the feasibility of allowing the manufacturing of n...

Capacity utilisation at most import terminals increased during the year, with utilisation rising to 95% from 78% in FY23 at India's largest ...

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40+ ChatGPT Prompts To Improve Your Marketing Strategies

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In today's fast-paced and highly competitive marketing landscape, staying ahead of the curve requires a constant flow of fresh, innovative ideas. Leveraging the power of artificial intelligence, particularly ChatGPT, can significantly enhance your marketing team's creative output. This article delves into specific prompts that will help you harness the full potential of ChatGPT to boost your marketing creativity.

A recent study conducted by Stanford Professor Jeremy Utley, published in the Harvard Business Review, sheds light on the crucial role AI plays in boosting team creativity. The study emphasizes the importance of crafting specific problem statements to generate effective prompts. By adopting this approach, marketing teams can unlock a wealth of innovative and actionable ideas that will set them apart from the competition.

At the heart of any creative process lies the generation of ideas. To kickstart your ideation sessions, consider using these prompts:

By focusing on specific problem statements, these prompts ensure that ChatGPT provides relevant and innovative ideas tailored to your marketing needs. For instance, in responding to the first prompt, ChatGPT might suggest collaborations with environmental influencers, creating engaging content around sustainability, or launching a social media challenge to encourage user-generated content.

Elevate your brainstorming sessions by utilizing ChatGPT's ability to simulate expert voices and facilitate role-playing. Try these prompts to generate diverse perspectives and gain comprehensive insights:

By incorporating these techniques, you can tap into a wealth of knowledge and experiences, leading to more well-rounded and effective brainstorming outcomes. For example, in response to the second prompt, ChatGPT can simulate customer personas and provide detailed feedback that can help refine your campaign for better audience resonance.

Conducting thorough research is a cornerstone of effective marketing. ChatGPT can assist in identifying industry-specific websites and narrowing down the scope of your research. Consider using these prompts:

Hedge Funds Net Short On Bitcoin And Ethereum Futures On CME: Kaiko Analytics

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New data from market intelligence firm Kaiko Analytics shows that hedge funds are net short on Bitcoin ( BTC ) and Ethereum ( ETH ) on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME).

In a new research article, the crypto analytics platform says that while hedge funds are net short on both BTC and ETH on the CME, it does not mean the funds are bearish on crypto, but rather, that they are engaging in basis trades, a type of arbitrage strategy.

Net short means that the hedge funds have accumulated more short positions than long positions in the crypto derivatives markets.

This protects against price moves and guarantees a specific sale price in the event of volatility in the underlying asset. The long basis trade works best when prices are in a state of contango, which means futures prices are above spot prices. The two prices will trend towards one another as expiration nears.

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Campaigns Engage In Tug-of-war Over Gas Prices As Summer Travel Begins

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The Biden administration earlier this week said 1 million gallons of oil will be released from reserves in the northeastern United States, in an effort to curb prices ahead of summer driving. And officials with the Biden campaign pointed out Thursday a Wall Street Journal report that prices are trending downward even before the weekend.

The national average price of a gallon of gas was $3.615 Thursday, according to automotive group AAA , down from an all-time high of $5.016 in June 2022.

Earlier in May, the Federal Trade Commission alleged that Scott Sheffield, the CEO of Pioneer Natural Resources, "attempted to collude with the representatives of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and a related cartel of other oil-producing countries known as OPEC+ to reduce output of oil and gas, which would result in Americans paying higher prices at the pump, to inflate profits for his company."

During Thursday's event, Schumer said he would be sending a letter to the U.S. Justice Department next week "calling on them to investigate and prosecute collusion and price fixing that may have increased gasoline, fuel and energy costs, based on the report done by the FTC, when they unfortunately allowed (Exxon) Mobil to … merge with Pioneer (Natural Resources), which I thought was a bad idea."

Harajuku Marketplace, 8am

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Fast-food Restaurants Are Hit Hardest As Customers Cut Back

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The consumer environment has proven more difficult than expected this year, executives from giant distributor Sysco said this week, as inflation and rising menu prices lead customers to cut back on dining out.

Quick-service restaurants have been hit hardest, he said. "You can see it across our portfolio of customers that we serve, from QSR to higher-end-QSR, that's been hit the hardest," Hourican said.

He believes that is rooted in the struggles of lower-income consumers, which make up a substantial number of customers at fast-food restaurants.

"The lower-income customer, it's struggling more than the higher-income customer," Hourican said. "There is some softening, we believe, tied to menu prices."

Sysco is the country's biggest broadline distributor. Its broad array of customers throughout the restaurant industry can provide some higher-level insight into the state of the business.

Hourican's comments include reports from numerous restaurant chains while also reflecting some of the dichotomy that exists between concepts based on the state of their consumers.

While fast-casual chains such as Cava, Wingstop and Chipotle Mexican Grill have enjoyed strong sales so far this year, fast-food brands like McDonald's, Jack in the Box, KFC and Papa Johns have watched customer traffic decline.

"We in the industry are all seeing this kind of pressure," Jack in the Box CEO Darin Harris told investors earlier this month. "We definitely felt it coming into the second quarter."

Consumer confidence has taken a substantial hit this year, according to the Conference Board. The group's measure of consumers' views on the state of the economy fell for the third straight month in April . Their short-term outlook for the economy plunged to a level well below what the organization considers a sign of an upcoming recession.

Grant's PackageHub Gets OK To Make Changes To Storefront | News | Riponpress.Com

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Google Marketing Live 2024: Everything You Need To Know

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Search Engine Land - News, Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Pay-Per-Click (PPC)

Google's Shashi Thakur tells us that users love AI Overviews and click on links. But he has no stats to share at this moment to prove that.

Get practical insights and strategies for integrating AI into your campaigns, from crafting effective prompts to driving engagement.

Most brands are getting author E-E-A-T wrong. Here's a pragmatic approach to leveraging and showcasing true subject matter expertise.

Find out how to leverage the feature effectively through thoughtful audience segmentation and campaign setup.

From creative updates, to immersive shopping ads, to new reporting, here's a recap of all the AI updates from Google's annual event.

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Google starts testing ads in AI overviews

What⁘s new. Google is testing the inclusion of Search and Shopping ads inside the AI Overviews boxes that can appear atop search results for complex queries.

How it works. When an ad is deemed relevant to both the search query and the AI Overviews, it will surface within that overview in a ⁘sponsored⁘ section.

Why we care. This could make advertisers happy as their ads could be enhanced, but this could also result in less click-throughs to a brand⁘s site. This could be the start of traffic dropping off as Google provides the information consumers want right on the SERP.

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Unsurprisingly, AI took center stage during the various announcements made today at Google Marketing Live 2024.

Updates also focused on creatives, data and giving the consumer what they want straight from the Search results. Now is the time to start paying closer attention to your impression levels.

Here⁘s a recap of everything you need to know from Google Marketing Live, with links to our full coverage of each major announcement.

You can now produce high-quality creative assets rapidly and at scale for Performance max campaigns.

With Generative AI, will be able to create ads a lot faster, have brand customized ads, advanced image editing and automatic showcasing of product feeds in AI-generated creatives

Allowing consumers to engage with your creative and products (virtually) before landing on your page.

You can now target your potential customers with vertical videos, stickers, and automatically generated animated image ads.

These video ads are now available across the 3 billion users across YouTube, Discover and Gmail through Demand Gen campaigns.

AI And Analytics In Banking

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I n the rapidly evolving financial industry, artificial intelligence (AI) and advanced analytics are leading a profound transformation, offering banks significant competitive advantages and a host of benefits. These technologies enable more personalised banking services, improve risk assessments and streamline operations, ultimately enhancing profitability and customer satisfaction.

Predictive modelling, a key component of AI, uses complex patterns in data to inform decision-making. In banking, it enhances applications ranging from individualised mortgage pricing to credit-risk assessments and algorithmic trading systems. These models help banks achieve higher portfolio margins, lower churn and increase trading efficiency and profitability.

The principles of psychology and decision-making are also applied in AI-driven analytics to understand how individuals make financial choices, which aids in designing products that resonate with customers, thereby enhancing satisfaction and retention.

Overall, the integration of AI and advanced analytics into banking not only refines customer service and operational efficiency but also provides banks with a strategic edge in a competitive market, heralding a new era of banking that is more agile, innovative and customer-focused.

Despite the potential benefits of AI and advanced analytics, many banks struggle to implement these technologies effectively. To address this, it's important to understand the common pitfalls so that they can be avoided in future projects.

Large change projects are notoriously prone to failure, and most digital-transformation projects fail. Investments in digital-transformation projects are often wasted due to this high failure rate. Loss-making change projects also happen to be the main reason chief executive officers are fired.

That Target Feeling' In New Ad Campaign

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Guests Find Joy ... at Target in Our Newest Marketing Campaign

That magic moment when you find just the right fit for a summer barbecue. Spot the limited-edition Stanley cup in the color you're craving. Or roll up to find your favorite Starbucks treat ready to go with your grocery order. It's the little moments throughout your day that add up to one big joyful feeling — that Target feeling — that make everyday visits to Target extraordinary in so many unique ways.

It's those same moments that inspired our newest marketing campaign, called "That Target Feeling." In it, we spotlight scenes and lyrics inspired by real guests (like you!) who post on social media to share the joys they've felt at Target. And it's all set to Target's reimagined version of the hit 2001 song, "Everywhere," by Michelle Branch . The campaign is rolling out this weekend across a broad mix of channels, including digital, audio, social, streaming and more. It'll make you laugh. It'll make you double take. And it'll have you humming out loud.

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The big-box retailer has drawn inspiration from its social media following for its latest campaign.

Target's creative agency, Mythology, and Ibra Ake from London-based production company, Somesuch, partnered to create the campaign, which draws inspiration from user-generated content Target customers post on social media.

The company is mentioned over 50,000 a day in user-generated posts and has the largest big-box retailer following on TikTok, per the retailer.

"This campaign is inspired by real experiences shoppers have shared on social — those small, fun, and sometimes unexpected moments of discovery and delight in our aisles that make us Target," Lisa Roath, chief marketing officer of Target, said in a statement. " We're lifting that joy up in our marketing this year as we continue leaning into nostalgia and humor in new ways."

Beyond tapping into its social media following, the retailer recently capitalized on its pop culture cache. Last month, the company enlisted Kristen Wiig, former "Saturday Night Live" writer James Anderson, and director Tom Kuntz to develop an ad featuring Wiig as her Target Lady character from SNL. The ad promoted Target's Circle Week event and appeared across TikTok, YouTube and other platforms.

Veritone AI-Powered Solutions For Public Sector Now Available In AWS Marketplace

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AI leader expands accessibility and reach of its award-winning AI solutions with AWS Marketplace listings

According to Gartner® Predicts 2024: Automation and Data Improve Justice and Public Safety (published January 30, 2024), ⁘CIOs leading public safety and justice organizations must: Prepare to respond to increased numbers of data-sharing requests by identifying and modeling decision processes used to approve data sharing between organizations. This should include the goal of using decision intelligence to automate many of these processes while ultimately keeping a human in the loop to maintain responsibility...⁘*

⁘By making our public sector solutions available in the AWS Marketplace, we are providing customers with greater flexibility and accessibility to deploy Veritone's cutting-edge technology directly within their AWS environments,⁘ said Jon Gacek, general manager, Public Sector, Veritone. ⁘This collaboration underscores our commitment to empowering government agencies and legal and education customers with AI-driven solutions that enhance productivity, streamline workflows, accelerate investigations and comply with regulations.⁘

The AWS Marketplace will now feature the following Veritone Public Sector solutions. Customers can also access these solutions on Veritone's recently launched iDEMS (Intelligent Digital Evidence Management System) platform, which is hosted on the AWS Criminal Justice Information System (⁘CJIS⁘)-compliant commercial cloud environment.

Veritone Investigate – Serves as the central evidence hub to store, manage, analyze, and share all digital evidence files. Connects to cloud-based and on-premise data sources, ingests any type of media file and leverages primary and advanced AI models to catalog and tag unstructured data within audio, video, and PDF evidence files, leading to actionable insights.

Veritone Redact – AI-powered automation that saves time and costs for the redaction of sensitive information within audio, video and image-based evidence.

The Best Fashion Editor Summer Shopping Finds

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With a few upcoming summer work trips and vacations, I've been thinking about the pieces that will land in my suitcase. It's been a few years since I've headed on a beach holiday, so fresh swimwear and sandals are top of mind as well as other summer items that will be in rotation day to day in New York where I'm based. Many of the items topping my shopping list hit on the biggest trends of the moment, such as olive green and scarf-print one-pieces, and those to come, but I'm willing to bet that most of these picks have the potential for a long duration in your closet. After all, my approach to shopping takes that into consideration first and foremost, and I've aligned that with my edit here.

With the finished hem and slightly long inseam, these feel like a more grown-up take on denim shorts.

Burien Storefront Allegedly Used To Resell Stolen Goods On Sites Like Amazon And EBay – KIRO 7 News...

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BURIEN, Wash. ⁘ With organized retail theft on the rise, law enforcement is working to crack down on calculated criminals.

The latest intervention comes in Burien, where the U.S. Attorney's Office alleges two people were using a small storefront as a front to sell stolen goods around the world.

"On multiple occasions, we had undercover officers, portray themselves as individuals that were seeking to sell stolen merchandise," says Steven Schrank, the Deputy Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in Seattle.

During the search, investigators found shelf after shelf of illegal merchandise. More than 74,000 suspected stolen items split between a Burien storefront and warehouse, and a Federal Way home. The crimes at the three locations, currently linked to two people, Vitaliy Bobak and Andrey Balun.

Schrank says things like vitamins and beauty supplies were stolen in large quantities from local stores. They were then bought at the Burien storefront to be sold online through sites like Amazon and eBay.

"It's not just coming into a store and stealing something for individual use, what we're seeing is a growing increase of organized crimes that are going on throughout the state of Washington," says Renee Sunde, with the Washington Retail Association. She says what allegedly happened in Burien, is calculated. It's also a growing concern across the state.

"If the prices are out of the norm from what you would see in an actual retail store, it's pretty likely that those items are being stolen, fenced and sold on an online place," says Sunde.

While law enforcement works to crack down on this kind of theft, so are online retailers. Both Amazon and eBay have reporting mechanisms on their platforms, if users think someone is selling stolen goods.

The Start-Ups Defying The Luxury E-Commerce Slump

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Cult Mia — a platform that launched in 2019 selling an assortment of hyper-feminine garments from independent designers — had so much investor interest, it ended up raising a $3.5 million seed round in November, nearly doubling its initial financing target of $1.8 million.

The reason investors — including Morgan Stanley — found the company an appealing prospect is because of its financials. In 2023, Cult Mia generated 70 percent gross margins and doubled its sales; it anticipates it will do the same this year.

While the sector's biggest names teeter on the edge, an entire cohort of smaller luxury marketplaces — including Cult Mia, Wolf ⁘ Badger, Garmentory and Verishop — have found success with a different approach. Instead of competing for high-income consumers with a product assortment full of blockbuster brand names, they're appealing to aspirational shoppers with exclusive selections of $200-600 items from emerging brands. These platforms have grown profitably by refusing to own any inventory, selling marketing services to their brands and boutique partners and keeping a lid on discounting.

"I don't think scale and differentiation are mutually exclusive. You can't be something for everyone," Lepor said. "Customers like to feel like they're curating their own lifestyles. There's quite a wide audience for something like that."

Cult Mia, Wolf ⁘ Badger and Garmentory all run on a model where brands are responsible for packing and shipping their own orders and the platform takes a cut of each sale.

Paramount Global Chief Communications Officer Julia Phelps To Exit

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Paramount Global top communications veteran Julia Phelps, who most recently served as executive vp, chief communications and corporate marketing officer of the entertainment conglomerate, will be leaving the company at the end of the month.

Phelps served in increasingly senior roles at Paramount Global, previously known as ViacomCBS, and its predecessors. She rose to a top communications role at Viacom, which merged with CBS Corp. in late 2019. She oversaw Paramount⁘s communications team through the Viacom-CBS merger, the launch of Paramount+, and the corporate rebrand to Paramount Global. Among the initiatives she developed with her team was Spark, a global expansion of BET⁘s Content for Change campaign, and the establishment of cross-company marketing and publicity functions.

⁘In two decades and across multiple roles, I⁘ve been lucky to work with the very best all around the world,⁘ Phelps said in an internal memo obtained by The Hollywood Reporter . ⁘I⁘m incredibly proud of what we⁘ve done together to tell our story, spotlight our creativity, drive the transformation of our business in a time of unprecedented change, and build our culture.⁘

She added: ⁘Seemingly every minute I⁘ve been in this role we⁘ve had a massive job on our plate ⁘ the Viacom/CBS merger and integration, the launch of Paramount+, the rebrand to Paramount Global, and the navigation of the pandemic into the new world of hybrid work, to name just a few.⁘

Paramount is a place that lives up to its name in every respect ⁘ unbeatable storytelling, iconic brands, unforgettable pop culture moments and, above all, the most passionate, intelligent, and fun people anyone could ever dream of working alongside.

I don⁘t have to tell you that you⁘re in great hands with Crystal, Sue, Justin, Cheryl, Stephen, Josh, and Marc. In the interim, MarComms will report into Brian Robbins until the group structure is finalized. I will be with the company through the end of the month to ensure a smooth transition and hopefully get to connect with all of you in the process.

Sigma Is Building A Suite Of Collaborative Data Analytics Tools

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In 2014, Jason Frantz and Rob Woollen co-founded Sigma Computing , a platform that overlays data stored in data platforms such as Snowflake and Google BigQuery with a spreadsheet-like interface for data visualization and analytics. With Sigma, the two former software engineers sought to tackle what they perceived as the intractable data challenges faced by large corporations: unwieldy tooling and difficult-to-manage data stores.

In a 2023 survey from Oracle, the majority of business leaders said that they don't believe their employer's current approach to data and analytics is addressing their needs. Seventy-seven percent said that the dashboards and charts they get aren't germane to decisions they need to make, and 72% admit the sheer volume of data — and their lack of trust in that data — has at times stopped them from making decisions altogether.

⁘After recognizing the huge advances in cloud data infrastructure during the past decade, Jason and Rob identified a gap in the market,⁘ Sigma Computing CEO Mike Palmer told TechCrunch in an interview. ⁘Sigma is building a data workspace for everyone — where teams can analyze data in spreadsheets, build business intelligence in the form of dashboards and reports and create data workflows and applications where data never leaves a company's data warehouse.⁘

According to Palmer, Sigma's revenue has grown 100% year-over-year for four straight years on the back of a ~1,000-company customer base. Those figures have investors pleased. On Thursday, Sigma closed a $200 million Series D funding round co-led by Avenir Growth Capital and Spark Capital that values the company at $1.5 billion, up 60% from its valuation in 2021 (when it raised $300 million).

Palmer believes the key to Sigma's success in the face of stiff competition like Tableau and Microsoft's Power BI has been a continued focus on creating data analytics tools with a low barrier to entry.

Police Issues Warning About Facebook Marketplace After String Of Robberies Across The US...

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Police officials are warning Americans about purchasing goods on Facebook Marketplace following a string of robberies across the nation.

New York law enforcement have called the rise in Marketplace robberies a ' crime of opportunity' after 90 related crimes were reported this year, up from 58 last year.

'They are luring people to secluded areas because they know there are no cameras there and makes our investigation more challenging,' NYPD Deputy Chief Jason Savino told PIX11 News .

Frustrating And Stressful'? Here Are Ways To Stretch Your Dollars

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WEST VALLEY CITY — High food prices are squeezing Utah families, and going to the grocery store can be a frustrating experience.

Tina Hermansen knows all about that. She's a wife, mother, and substitute teacher from West Valley City.

"It's very frustrating and stressful," Hermansen said. "I get anxious going to the grocery store because of how much I'm spending."

"The need for programming or assistance to getting food access has gone up," said Lea Palmer, a dietitian who sees firsthand the impact of rising food prices on Utah families. "I think that inflation rate has hit everybody."

This has many families trying different ways to stretch their dollars even further. Palmer has a lot of tips for that.

Take Out Your Customers' Trash

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"Take out the papers and the trash." That was the opening line of the song "Yakety Yak" by The Coasters. It spent weeks as the number-one hit song in 1958. Teenagers everywhere wore out their shoes dancing to the hot song. The lyrics hold a strong message about how to deliver an exceptional customer experience.

Customers today have higher expectations and shorter patience with a much greater propensity to go elsewhere with their cash if hassled. That should be a wake-up call to ramp up close attention to service garbage—whatever agitates your customers. It means user-friendly websites, customer-centric processes, time-sensitive expedience, and customer-facing employees who care about creating a great experience, not just delivering the expected product or outcome. No matter if the contact center is staffed in Mumbai, India or McRae, Georgia, the operator should be graded on how well they make the customer call comfortable…not more rushed or more robotic. Here are three ways to "take out customer trash."

Organize a "service garbage patrol" to identify and report places where the experience is a hassle for customers. Start with all customer entrances—the website and the parking lot. Are the parking lot's users (customers) favored over the parking lot's owners (your people, especially senior leaders). If the customer's experience in the parking lot were a picture of your entire service process, what would it tell customers about what you value, how you felt about them, and your real priorities? How would customers with limited computer skills assess your website?

Customer experience should always be the epitome of calm, secure, and easily accessible. Stop thinking in terms of "store hours!" When does Amazon close? Find ways to give your customer around-the-clock access, even if it is with limited service. Could a chatbot or some form of artificial intelligence make 24/7 access work? Customers of Oconee Cleaners near Lake Oconee, Georgia know comfort starts with owner Scott Joris. If you need to get your clothes on Sunday when Scott is normally closed, regulars know a call to Scott at home will get him there quickly. You may not be able to be as agile or personalized as a small business, but you can gain valuable insight by "thinking like Scott."

This Entrepreneur Just Won $100K To Open Her First Storefront In Detroit

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Slowing Shopify Growth Spells Challenges For BNPL Partner Affirm

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Per its earnings report Wednesday (May 8), Shopify saw 23% year-over-year revenue growth in the first quarter of this year, comparable to its previous earnings report and down slightly from earlier in 2023, when it saw revenue growth exceeding 30%. Looking ahead, however, the company expects this progress to slow, predicting that revenue will "grow at a high-teens percentage rate" in Q2, with its gross margin dipping slightly.

That revenue bump last year was due in part to the company increasing the price of its Standard plan in the second quarter, while increases to the price of its Plus plan are under way.

Indeed, Shopify and Affirm are linked. In the United States, the former's Shop Pay Installments payment options are exclusively powered by the later, and Shopify is coming to make up a larger and larger share of Affirm's gross merchandise value (GMV).

Additionally, a significant share of shoppers uses BNPL, per the PYMNTS Intelligence study " Tracking the Digital Payments Takeover: What BNPL Needs to Win Wider Adoption ," created in collaboration with Amazon Web Services . The study found that 28% of consumers had used deferred payments plans in the previous three months, and of those, 19% had used BNPL. Plus, the June survey of more than 3,000 U.S. consumers found that 43% of those who already use BNPL planned to use it in the next year, 15% of those who had not planned to utilize it going forward.

Next-Level Ecommerce: AI's Secret Weapon For Personalized Experiences

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As e-commerce competition intensifies and personalized shopping experiences reign supreme, businesses of all sizes are under increasing pressure to keep customers with short attention spans and precious little loyalty devoted and engaged. Artificial intelligence (AI) emerges as a pivotal ally in this quest, offering tools to craft hyper-personalized shopping journeys. Without a doubt, AI is reshaping the retail landscape by creating unique, tailored experiences that resonate deeply with individual shoppers.

At the core of AI-driven personalization are advanced algorithms and machine learning models that dynamically adapt to shopper inputs. Next-generation search platforms utilize these tools to refine product discovery processes, ensuring that each search or recommendation is precisely aligned with the shopper's interests. These platforms are capable of real-time learning, which lets them continuously improve their accuracy and relevance based on ongoing user interactions.

One notable technology in the spotlight is dynamic pricing. This approach adjusts product prices in real time based on various factors, including market demand, customer profiles, and purchasing behaviors. This strategy is particularly effective in B2B ecommerce, where pricing can vary significantly based on pre-negotiated agreements and bulk purchasing.

"AI models have advanced to the point where they are able to take in vast amounts of user behavior data to drive a 1:1 personalized experience in product discovery. Every search, browse, or recommendation query can be tailored to individuals at scale," says Arvind Natarajan, director of product at GroupBy, a cloud-native SaaS platform provider that enhances ecommerce through advanced product discovery and search technologies. "Next-generation search platforms that use this kind of AI technology can drive a better, hyper-personalized shopping experience at scale for both B2B and B2C retailers and distributors in any industry or vertical."

9 Winning Insights From ADWEEK's Sports Marketing Summit

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The sports marketing landscape in 2024 is laden with opportunity for those willing to adjust their game plan.

They learned how the rise in women's sports viewership and engagement is as much about the economics behind the surge as it is about the push for equity, but also how sponsors' race toward Formula 1 fortune encouraged them to walk in fans' footsteps.

From brands making inroads through NIL deals and esports to Olympic organizers and golf legends pointing out opportunities along the sports spectrum, here's a highlight reel of the Summit's best postgame takeaways.

Andy Kauffman , svp of marketing strategy and science for the National Football League (NFL), said fandom is evolving beyond family and regional ties as new fans now gravitate toward players through social media, gaming and fantasy sports—which is great for the league.

"As they interact with more and more touch points, their value goes up not just to our broadcasters to our sponsors and partners, but to the league and clubs as well," he told ADWEEK executive editor Jameson Fleming.

Manny Puentes , general manager of advertising at Genius Sports, noted that those changes will make league and club interactions with fans less transactional and more conversational—especially as third-party cookies disappear from platforms and leagues and teams pursue more complex solutions. "Having that ability to have a conversation with the fan, is where we're going in the future versus talking at the fan."

How AI And Business Analytics Foster Better Collaboration

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AI applications are having a very real impact on productivity and collaboration. According to MIT's Sloan School, generative AI can improve the performance of a highly skilled worker by 40% over their peers who don't use it. These improvements don't just apply to individual work, either.

When generative AI and business analytics are combined in an effective manner, it's often referred to as GenBI. As a non-tech person, I find it fascinating how technologies such as AI and and GenBI are being used to help make person-to-tech collaboration far more effective than it has been in the past. And even more interesting is how it can even help foster better person-to-person collaboration, as well.

Generative BI combines generative AI and business analytics tools to help make analytics data more useful and accessible for business users and data teams alike. It works by connecting a generative AI solution with a business's existing data sources and analytics tools.

Notably, GenBI systems don't generally rely on more public-facing generative AI solutions like ChatGPT, largely due to the challenges of uploading so much data to a LLM, and the potential data security issues involved with sharing sensitive corporate data in such a way. However, these systems do still aim to provide a ChatGPT-like experience to create a straightforward and easy approach to business analytics.

By using the natural language processing models inherent to generative AI, the people using that information can enjoy greater ease of use as they try to gain relevant insights from their data.

By helping deliver meaningful data points and reports based on the information request, users don't have to spend countless hours digging through data, coding queries or generating reports manually. Instead, they can focus on actually making use of that information for their own collaborative needs.

Alexis Bittar Ad Campaign Featuring Susan Sarandon Makes Fun Of Fashion

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You won't find this brooding melodrama on Netflix. The narrative spools out instead on social media as a string of darkly comic vignettes conceived and produced by the jewelry designer Alexis Bittar as part of an ongoing marketing campaign for his namesake company.

Mr. Bittar — who started his brand in the late 1990s, sold it to Brooks Brothers in 2015 and bought the business back three years ago — introduced the video campaign last fall. Ms. Sarandon, 77, is the latest and arguably biggest name to appear in the dozens of short episodes that have since been released on the Alexis Bittar Instagram and TikTok accounts. "I was drawn to what he has created with these satirical and unconventional skits," she said via text message.

With the video campaign, Mr. Bittar, 55, wanted to "create a community," he said, one he hopes would respond not just to the bangles and bags he has embedded in each episode but to the series' crazily proliferating cast of barb-spewing characters.

" I wanted people to speak their minds and say inappropriate things," Mr. Bittar said, "the way someone, even in today's woke climate, might actually speak."

He also "wanted to create a love letter to New York," he said. "Part of that love involves showing characters I've known through my years in the industry." Some, like Margeaux, "were horrible people," Mr. Bittar added, but they have influenced him just the same.

AI, But Make It Fashion; Can Travel Be More Accessible?

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Miss something this week? Don't panic. CBC's Marketplace rounds up the consumer and health news you need.

Have you been duped by AI? Maybe what you bought wasn't what you got, or a chatbot gave you wrong information. We want to hear about it. Email us at marketplace@cbc.ca

Invested with FTX? The company says you'll likely get your money back
It's been nearly two years since the cryptocurrency exchange imploded, and it owes creditors $11.2 billion.

TikTok is suing the U.S. over 'obviously unconstitutional' law that would ban it
If it loses, the company will be forced to shut down next year.

The federal government is trying to coax international grocers to set up shop in Canada
The plan is to drive prices down with competition, but industry analysts are skeptical.

Have you spotted a healthy claim on a product that was too good to be true? Maybe you've seen a product that doesn't have an ingredient or health benefit it claims it does. Send us your ⁘lousy labels⁘ the next time you shop for groceries! marketplace@cbc.ca .

Jennifer Lopez And Emme Enjoy A Day Of Parisian Shopping

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Sporting a chic ensemble that exuded confidence and glamour, Jennifer turned heads in a stunning total denim jumpsuit paired with striking mustard yellow boots that perfectly complemented her matching handbag. With her signature flair for fashion, Lopez effortlessly combined comfort with style, making a bold fashion statement wherever she went.

Despite the Parisian weather, Lopez ensured she stayed cozy by wrapping herself in a soft gray scarf, adding an extra touch of sophistication to her ensemble.

Lopez and Emme's outing also highlighted their special moments as a family. Despite JLo's hectic schedules and global fame, they prioritize spending quality time together, cherishing these intimate moments amidst their busy lives.

The 54-year-old star says that she's been "negotiating" with her twins about coming along. "I was like, 'You have to come for the whole month of July. You can go to camp and do whatever you want with your friends in June, then at the end of August, right before you start school, you can go back and hang out with your friends again. But you have to come with mommy for a little while,'" she said.

New Vision For Downtown Danbury Storefront

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"They've done their homework, and they feel there's a need here that the post office is not fulfilling," DaSilva said. "They're going to open a little bit earlier, and they are going to close a lot later, so they'll have that going for them. They figured it out. This is the spot they want."

Shopify Drops 18.5%

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In The News:

ottumwacourier.com

CENTERVILLE — The Davis County Mustangs are back in the "Throne Room" of the South Central Conference.

OTTUMWA — The Ottumwa Community School District will honor 22 retiring staff members totaling 475 years of service in the district during a ce⁘

DES MOINES — Gov. Kim Reynolds has signed several bills from the 2024 legislative session into law, including measures to extend postpartum Me⁘

DES MOINES — Gov. Kim Reynolds has officially given Iowa's community colleges the ability to develop the formula that determines state aid dis⁘

CENTERVILLE — It was a night of disastrous moments followed by moments of pure joy for the Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont girls track and field ⁘

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#news

Wall Street's lull stretched into a second day as US stocks drifted to a mixed close in a quiet Wednesday. Uber Technologies slumped 5.7% after reporting worse results for the latest quarter than analysts expected. It also gave a forecasted range for bookings in the current quarter whose midpoint fell below analysts' expectations, the AP reports.

On the winning side, Lyft revved 7.1% higher after topping expectations for profit and revenue. It said growth was particularly strong for early-morning, commute, and weekend-evening trips. Reddit, another winner, rose 4.1% after delivering its first quarterly report as a publicly traded company. It reported a milder loss and better revenue than expected, while also giving a stronger-than-expected forecast for revenue in the current quarter. Arista Networks climbed 6.5% for one of the biggest gains in the S⁘P 500 after topping expectations for both profit and revenue.