The Commerce Brief: Fri 12th Sept

Welcome to another exciting week in the world of eCommerce and retail 🛍️

🗓️ This week’s industry updates

 👟 Nike has launched NSRL Form at its Oxford Circus flagship in London. The in-store service uses motion capture and machine learning to analyse running form across six core metrics and provide personalised recommendations for athletes of all levels. (source)

👖 Primark has pledged to ramp up spending on consumer-facing activity, with higher investment in digital and above-the-line campaigns following “good” results from its first UK TV push. (source)

👗 Inditex, owner of Zara, reported a 1.5% increase in profits to €10.7bn (£9.26bn) for the six months ending 31 July. (source)

👞 Clarks announced plans to launch its first UK digital marketplace in early 2026. (source)

📈 Temu revealed it now reaches an average of 115.7m monthly active users in the EU, according to its latest transparency report. (source)

💳 Klarna shares climbed 30% in their New York trading debut, valuing the company at nearly $20bn after its $1.37bn IPO. (source)

🤖 Ralph Lauren has launched “Ask Ralph,” an AI-powered styling bot within its app. The tool recommends products and offers outfit styling advice, drawing on Ralph Lauren’s extensive brand archive. (source)

💎 Luxury For You, a Dubai startup, debuted a members-only platform offering insider pricing on $300m worth of designer collections, with shipping to 130 countries. (source)

👙 Skims, co-founded by Kim Kardashian, has opened its first permanent store in Mexico City’s Artz Pedregal shopping centre, marking a milestone in its international retail expansion. (source)

👟 Hollister x Crocs have unveiled a limited-edition collaborative collection for fall, targeting teen consumers with crossover appeal. (source)

🏬 Fenwick has rolled out a new loyalty programme, MyFenwick, with tiered rewards and exclusive benefits. The launch is supported by a multi-channel “earn your stripes” campaign. (source)

🎓 THG is preparing to launch an AI academy as it doubles down on being a “digital-first” retailer. (source)

💸 Shein faces fresh accusations of reducing its UK tax liability by transferring most of its income to its Singapore parent company. (source)

🏠 John Lewis Partnership reported widening losses of £88m in H1, nearly triple the prior year, citing restructuring costs and new tax and regulatory charges. (source)

🦃 TikTok Shop UK will begin taking pre-orders for Christmas turkeys from 1 October via Newcastle’s The Fat Butcher. (source)

The Commerce Brief