Marie Albiges

Marie Albiges

Marie Albiges is a senior editor for NAPCO Media’s Retail & Travel Group, including Total Retail, Women in Retail, and Women Leading Travel & Hospitality. She is responsible for content development, management and production for the group. Marie is a former journalist, a travel aficionado, a French native and fitness enthusiast who lives in Philadelphia with her partner, stepdaughter and dog. 

Ikea to Eliminate In-Store Discount for Loyalty Members

Effective Feb. 1, Ikea loyalty customers will no longer receive 5 percent off on furniture and decor they purchase in-store, the company said in a press release. The discount was originally offered as part of Ikea's Family loyalty program, which gave customers exclusive officers, discounts on some delivery options, and a free hot drink at…

Amazon Rolling Out BNPL Option for SMB Customers

Amazon.com is partnering with the buy now, pay later (BNPL) service Affirm to offer small business owners an alternative checkout option, CNBC first reported Thursday. While Amazon already offers customers the option to pay with Affirm if they have at least $50 worth of eligible items in their shopping cart, this expanded relationship with the…

Aerie's CMO Reflects on 10 Years of Body Positivity

Stacey McCormick, chief marketing officer of Aerie, OFFL/NE, and Unsubscribed — all brands within the American Eagle Outfitters (AEO) portfolio — has been with AEO for 27 years and has seen the transformations within the company firsthand. At the Women in Retail On the Road event in Pittsburgh earlier this month, McCormick sat down with…

Kim Kardashian's SKIMS Brand Expanding Into Menswear

The shapewear brand SKIMS announced it is debuting a men's line with apparel such as briefs, boxers, tanks and tees on Thursday. The menswear launch campaign will feature 2022 NFL Defensive Player of the Year Nick Bosa, who plays for the San Francisco 49ers; Neymar da Silva Santos Junior, who plays for the Brazil national soccer…

Tupperware Announces New CEO, Sees Stock Rise

Tupperware named the former CEO of Avon North America, OVME Aesthetics, and Spanx, Laurie Ann Goldman, as its new CEO earlier this week. CNBC reported shares of Tupperware closed 8 percent higher at $2.18 Tuesday following the announcement. In a statement, Tupperware board chair, Susan Cameron, called Goldman "a trusted and growth-oriented leader with extensive management experience…

Walgreens Names Healthcare Veteran as New CEO

Walgreens Boots Alliance has selected the former CEO of the country's largest pharmacy benefits management company as its next CEO. Tim Wentworth, who most recently served as the CEO of Express Scripts, will start his new role at Walgreens on Oct. 23, the company said in a press release. He will replace Rosalind "Roz" Brewer,…

How At Home, Bandier, and Build-A-Bear Workshop Are Recruiting Diverse Talent

Studies have proven that more diverse teams and organizations perform better. Yet progress with diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives remains stubbornly slow for far too many organizations. During a panel session at Total Retail Tech last month, three leaders from At Home, Build-A-Bear Workshop, and Bandier discussed how their companies have been working to…

Retail Execs on Shifting Consumer Behaviors and Putting Customers at the Center

Retailers are feeling the squeeze amidst economic headwinds, shifting customer loyalty patterns, pressure to pay higher wages, and more. How are they staying afloat? At our sister brand Women in Retail Leadership Circle's On the Road Columbus event last month, four panelists discussed the business strategies they’ve implemented that have helped propel their companies forward in…

Shopify Investing in Wholesale Platform Faire

E-commerce giant Shopify is now a stakeholder in the wholesale platform Faire, the companies announced Wednesday. The deal establishes Faire as the recommended wholesale marketplace for Shopify and expands Shopify’s B2B offerings, helping drive growth for the brands as well as the independent retailers the two companies serve. “At Faire we have long admired Shopify’s like-minded…

Amazon Announces Oct. 10-11 as Next Prime Sale

Amazon.com announced on Monday that its next Prime Day sale will be held Oct. 10-11, promising deals as often as every five minutes during the 48-hour event. This is the second Prime Day event the online retail giant has held this year. During the July Prime Day event, the top-selling deal categories included home, fashion and…

TikTok Shop Launches in the US

TikTok has officially brought e-commerce to the U.S. with the launch of its TikTok Shop. The social media company, which is in direct competition with Meta's social media channels Instagram and Facebook, announced the U.S. debut of TikTok Shop on Tuesday. The app now features shoppable videos and livestreams directly to For You feeds across…

Kroger, Albertsons in Talks to Sell 400+ Stores as Part of Merger

Grocery chains Kroger and Albertsons plan to sell more than 400 stores to C&S Wholesale Grocers for nearly $2 billion, Reuters reported Wednesday. The sale is part of a proposed $24.5 billion merger between the two companies, which are trying to secure U.S. regulatory clearance. Reuters reported the deal would give C&S, a privately held…

Hallmark Launches Cards With Venmo Gifting Capabilities

Venmo users who regularly use the app to gift money can now do so with an accompanying physical Hallmark card, the two companies announced Wednesday. In a first-of-its-kind collaboration, the PayPal-owned digital payment platform Venmo and the greeting card company Hallmark are giving customers a new, unique way of giving gifts. Here's how it works:…

Lowe's to Give Over $100M in Bonuses to Frontline Workers This Quarter

In its second-quarter earnings report, Lowe's announced it would be doling out over $100 million in discretionary and profit-sharing bonuses to its frontline employees. The home improvement retailer employs roughly 300,000 associates, according to its website. Payscale, a compensation software and data company, estimates the average hourly rate at Lowe's to be $14.74. Shares of…

Michaels Unveils Brand Refresh, New Tagline

Specialty arts-and-crafts retailer Michaels announced earlier this week that it was launching a new brand identity "focused on helping core and new customers alike bring their creative ideas to life." The announcement comes as the Texas-based retailer, which operates over 1,290 stores, celebrates its 50th anniversary, according to a company press release. The refresh includes a…