Blogs

The Talking Shop 2026 report reveals that 80% of frontline retail workers feel secure in their jobs and 76% trust AI. So why is confidence in retail as a career collapsing? The answer isn't disengagement. It's invisibility.

Women delivered results, AI got honest and the consumer kept confounding everyone. Natalie Fresen's May 2026 retail roundup; what happened, what it means and what comes next.

AI moved from experiment to infrastructure, leadership changed hands at the top, culture drove commerce at speed and the consumer story felt increasingly contradictory.

From Shoptalk’s AI-heavy agenda and the rise of retail media to shifting consumer behaviour, TikTok-driven commerce and the growing impact of GLP-1 drugs on fashion demand, March showed an industry moving faster while navigating mounting complexity.

Costs rose, tariffs returned, regulators leaned in and job cuts continued. But this was also the month AI delivered proof with measurable revenue impact for the first time. 

This month was AI. In EVERY conversation. Slightly more embedded than hype but still. AI. AI. AI. Alongside that, we saw store closures and expansions, tariff tensions resurfacing, luxury under pressure and consumers spending cautiously.

A December retail roundup analysing key US news stories, incl. AI-driven holiday sales, physical store expansion, consumer spending trends, resale growth and leadership shifts shaping retail strategy for 2026.

Retail is about people, not just pay. This story from Aldi, shared during Men’s Mental Health Awareness Month, shows what it really means to lead with values and support your team when it matters most.

Too many companies confuse brand values with marketing slogans. Lush just showed us what it means to stand for something.

The High Street is being reimagined as a space for wellbeing, connection and community. From wellness spaces to grief cafés, sensory-friendly supermarkets and social enterprises. 

A cyberattack doesn’t just take systems offline, it activates an entire network of people. This piece explores the hidden human effort behind retail recovery.

The UK government has announced major reforms to tackle retail crime, including tougher laws on shoplifting and new powers for police. Retail leaders welcome the move but call for proper funding to ensure real impact on the high street.