September 10, 2026

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Hello, it’s Thursday, and American retailers may have something to celebrate this holiday season. Deloitte predicts US holiday retail sales will grow as much as 4.8% due to an uptick in disposable personal income. And while shoppers continue to place plenty of value on…well, value, they’re still expected to spend. In fact, holiday sales could reach $1.71 trillion, up from $1.63 trillion last year.

In today’s edition:

—Andrew Adam Newman, Jeena Sharma

E-COMMERCE

Star trek

A shopping bag with a four-star rating displayed above it, representing a customer review.

Amelia Kinsinger

In October 1995, about three months after Amazon went live as an online bookstore, customer reviews displayed alongside a product were such a strange notion that the company endeavored to explain what they were in a press release: “Amazon.com allows readers to share their thoughts on particular books and exchange ideas with other readers around the world on its users’ reviews page.”

Today, those reviews are not just ubiquitous for retailers and retail brands, they’re an obsession. How can stores get more reviews, especially ones with four- or five-star ratings? When a product gets one-star reviews, should brands try to bury them or post chirpy responses? When products have an abundance of reviews, including bad ones, can that actually help reduce the likelihood that they’ll be returned?

While consumers may not depend on the kindness of strangers as much as Blanche DuBois, they certainly depend on their opinions. When it comes to purchase decisions, 96% of consumers value ratings and reviews, significantly more than those who value recommendations from family and friends (72%) or TV commercials (11%), according to a 2025 survey by PowerReviews, a ratings and reviews technology company.

The survey also found that 95% of consumers regularly read reviews, and when products have no online reviews, 57% say, “Fuhgeddaboudit,” and don’t purchase them.

Keep reading here.—AAN

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MARKETING

Net game

Promotional image for US Open x Ralph Lauren Collection.

US Open/Ralph Lauren

For fashion retailers, tennis season has become a much longer game than a few weeks for the US Open. In fact, this year, brands stretched their US Open presence well beyond Flushing Meadows.

Ralph Lauren, the tournament’s official outfitter since 2005, for instance, kicked off a six-week takeover at Nordstrom’s New York flagship on August 4 that runs until September 20, a week after the tournament ends. The activation features apparel and home goods, personalization, vintage pieces, hospitality, and events. The brand, which renewed its USTA partnership through 2032 last year, also has a revamped hospitality suite at Arthur Ashe Stadium and its “Create Your Own” customization program on-site.

Meanwhile, Lacoste partnered with The Plaza for Le Cafe Lacoste, a tennis-themed cafe, afternoon tea, and retail pop-up, while Cadillac teamed up with Sporty & Rich on an eight-piece racquet club-inspired capsule.

In other words, what was once largely a sponsorship opportunity is increasingly looking like a retail showcase.

Keep reading here.—JS

CONSUMER BEHAVIOR & TRENDS

Nothing personal

Robot pushing a shopping cart on pink background

Getty

Nearly 3 out of 4 (74%) consumers think retailers collect too much personal information, according to a new report from ThoughtSpot, which sells data analytics software to retailers and other businesses.

Asked to choose up to two entities they distrust most with their personal data, 30.8% chose retailers. More distrusted with personal data were tech companies (56.4%) and governmental bodies (41.8%), but retailers were more distrusted than banks/financial services (19.9%), healthcare providers (16.7%), and small or local businesses (14%).

“Personalization built on explicit information customers have knowingly provided feels like service,” Miya Knights, a ThoughtSpot retail technology analyst, wrote in a foreword to the report. But “personalization inferred from implicit data, such as tracked behavior, location, or prediction, feels like surveillance.”

Keep reading here.—AAN

Sponsored By Wunderkind

The race is on. Black Friday/Cyber Monday may feel far away, but competitive brands are already gearing up. Wunderkind’s latest guide breaks down the market conditions, obstacles, capabilities, and strategies retailers can utilize to build a stronger foundation and turn more peak-season traffic into revenue. Get set and download the guide here.

swapping skus

Today’s top retail reads.

Many unhappy returns: Online returns are becoming a bigger headache for US shoppers, who are increasingly navigating surprise fees, tighter return windows, and delayed refunds. (the Wall Street Journal)

You’ve got mall: Inside the ~$310 million sale of the last Singapore mall owned by Wharf Real Estate Investment Co. and Hong Kong billionaire Peter Woo. (Bloomberg)

Last goodbye: Apparel retailer Francesca has confirmed its liquidation plan. (Retail Dive)

Check out the numbers: CTV advertising strategies, budget, and measurement.*

^{*A message from our sponsor.}

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Written by Andrew Adam Newman and Jeena Sharma

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