The Commerce Brief: Fri 22nd August

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

🗓️ This week’s industry updates

📺 Hobbycraft is launching its own TV shopping channel, Hobbycraft TV, on 4 September via Freeview channel 97, with daily tutorials from expert makers. Products featured in demonstrations will be available to purchase, and past episodes can also be streamed on its website and YouTube channel. (source)

👗 John Lewis is expanding its fashion ambitions with the launch of 100 new brands, including an exclusive Mulberry collection, as it sharpens its premium positioning and aims to capture market share from high street rivals. (source)

🎶 Puma will sponsor the Notting Hill Carnival for the first time, taking over King Tubby’s and Rampage sound systems, with Usain Bolt co-hosting on stage. (source)

💍 Pandora has reported a drop in UK sales after raising prices to offset soaring silver and gold costs, while also bracing for additional financial impact from US tariffs. (source)

🤖 Amazon is escalating efforts to protect its e-commerce data by blocking crawlers from Meta, Google, Huawei and others, aiming to prevent AI companies from using it to train their models. (source)

🛠️ eBay has unveiled new AI-powered features for sellers, including automated responses to buyers’ messages, inventory management via an API, cost-tracking tools, and an Offers in Messaging function to streamline negotiations. (source)

📈 Walmart posted a 4.8% year-on-year revenue increase in Q2 to $177.4bn, with U.S. net sales reaching $120.9bn and comps up 4.6%, even as tariff-related costs remain a challenge. (source)

🏬 TJX, the parent company of TJ Maxx and Marshalls, reported 4% Q2 comparable sales growth and announced plans to open 1,800 new stores, bringing its global footprint closer to 7,000. (source)

🌏 Shein is reportedly considering moving its headquarters back to China from Singapore, a step that could pave the way for a Hong Kong listing after failed attempts in New York and London. (source)

📉 WH Smith lost nearly £600m in market value after revealing a £30m accounting error at its North American arm, which led to an independent review and a 42% plunge in shares. (source)

♻️ Pinterest is experimenting with secondhand shopping through Thrift Shop, a limited-time digital pop-up running until 26 September, where users can purchase vintage and pre-loved items directly on the platform. (source)

🧥 Ralph Lauren has turned resale into a major growth driver, generating around $500m annually (7% of total revenue) by buying back archive pieces, authenticating them, and reselling at prices up to five times higher than market rates. (source)

💄 Louis Vuitton has officially launched its long-awaited beauty brand, marking its highly anticipated entry into luxury cosmetics after five years in development. (source)

🏈 Crocs has signed a multi-year licensing deal with the NFL to launch the first-ever line of team-branded Crocs footwear and Jibbitz charms. (source)

🐎 H&M’s equestrian brand, All In Equestrian, is expanding its online availability across the UK, Germany, the Netherlands, Switzerland, and Austria. (source)

🤝 Abercrombie & Fitch has entered its first-ever athletic partnership with Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker TJ Watt and his wife, Dani Watt. The couple will co-design collections for Abercrombie’s activewear brand YPB. (source)

The Commerce Brief