The Commerce Brief: Fri 23rd May

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

🗓️ This week’s industry updates

👗 Vinted Leads Clothing Sales in France
Vinted now sells more clothing than any other platform in France - including Amazon and local retailer Kiabi. Recommerce is officially mainstream, with resale carving out major market share. (source)

🧵 Digital Product Passports Coming by 2030
The EU will mandate Digital Product Passports (DPPs) for all garments by the end of the decade. A new collaboration between innovation agency IoDF and tech firm Epam is exploring how DPPs can support loyalty, resale, and sustainability through storytelling, community, and blockchain. (source)

🌍 UAE eCommerce Set to Hit $13.8bn by 2029
The UAE’s online retail market reached $8.8bn in 2024, with projections showing significant growth over the next five years as digital adoption deepens across the region. (source)

🛒 Primark Rolls Out Click & Collect Nationwide
Shoppers in all 187 Great Britain stores can now browse and buy over 5,000 Primark items online - including fashion and homeware - for in-store pickup. (source)

📈 Urban Outfitters Posts Another Strong Quarter
Sales jumped +10.7% to $1.33B, marking the second consecutive quarter of solid revenue growth for the U.S. retailer. (source)

🎮 Roblox x Shopify = Phygital Retail
Roblox will now allow creators to sell physical products via its platform - with real-world purchases unlocking digital benefits. Fenty Beauty is piloting the feature with a new Gloss Bomb shade inside a shoppable in-game experience. (source)

👟 Amazon & Nike Reunite
Amazon has resumed its wholesale relationship with Nike, reversing Nike’s 2019 decision to cut direct sales on the platform. A major shift in the brand-platform power dynamic. (source)

🛡️ M&S Faces £300M Cyberattack Fallout
Marks & Spencer warns of a £300M profit hit due to last month’s “highly sophisticated” ransomware attack. Online orders were paused and store operations remain disrupted. (source)

💪 Gymshark Launches Loyalty Program
The brand has debuted its first-ever loyalty initiative, offering experience points (XP) for shopping, app engagement, and completing workouts via the Gymshark Training app. (source)

👜 CHANEL Profits Drop by One-Third
For the first time since the pandemic, CHANEL has reported a decline in both sales and operating profit, with operating income falling nearly 33% to £3.3B in 2024. (source)

📣 Influencer Code of Conduct Gains Steam
15 new brand signatories - including Sainsbury’s, John Lewis, and Estée Lauder - have joined the Influencer Marketing Code of Conduct, committing to transparency, brand safety, and ethics, including a zero-tolerance stance on hate speech and deceptive filters. (source)

The Commerce Brief