News Briefs

A U.K.-based global online fashion retail conglomerate continues investing in enterprise artificial intelligence capabilities.

Debenhams Group, the parent of online fashion retailers including Boohoo, BoohooMan, Debenhams, PrettyLittleThing, and Karen Millen, is rolling out a new agentic AI solution designed to help manage sales, stock and pricing more effectively across its brands.

[READ MORE: Global fashion retailer Boohoo provides AI-based targeted offers]

Debenhams Group is based in the U.K. and was founded in 1778. 

Starbucks has a special holiday treat for customers visiting its shops located inside Target stores.

Starting Tuesday, Nov. 18, Starbucks located in Target stores will exclusively offer a drink called the Frozen Peppermint Hot Chocolate, which is a creme frappuccino with a blend of mocha sauce, milk and ice poured over a layer of peppermint-flavored whipped cream and red-and-green sprinkles. 

The beverage is then finished with a top layer of peppermint-flavored whipped cream and red-and-green sprinkles. Members of the Target Circle 360 paid loyalty program had early access to the exclusive drink on Monday, Nov. 17.

"For so many people, a Target run starts with grabbing their favorite drink from Starbucks before browsing our aisles, so together we’re building on that magic with an exclusive, only-at-Target drink to add a little extra cheer to holiday shopping," said Lisa Roath, executive VP and chief merchandising officer of food, essentials and beauty, Target. 

The beverage will be available throughout the holiday season at all participating Target locations nationwide. Its release follows Starbucks' recent rollout of its annual holiday cup line. 

[READ MORE: Starbucks rolls out annual holiday cups — and more]

In addition, Starbucks recently unveiled new festive holiday drinkware and gift sets, and Starbucks and Hello Kitty have teamed up to launch a "super cute" holiday merchandise collection featuring an array of items and collectibles.

"The Frozen Peppermint Hot Chocolate is a delicious beverage that brings together rich chocolate and cool peppermint flavors as well as red and green sprinkles for a pop of color and crunch," said Alicia Binion, Starbucks beverage development. "It’s a sweet way to pause during the holiday rush and enjoy a little seasonal cheer."

A majority of Thanksgiving shoppers will spend less than $200 on their holiday meal needs.

That’s according to the latest data from Numerator’s 2025 Q4 Holiday Preview, which revealed that 32% of shoppers say they will spend between $100–$199 on their Thanksgiving items, while 49% of shoppers say they will spend $99 or less. Over half (54%) say they plan to spend the same as last year, while 29% say they plan to spend more.

Nearly nine-in-10 (85%) consumers plan to celebrate Thanksgiving this year, with most planning their celebrations one to two weeks in advance (49%). The top plans among Thanksgiving celebrators include gathering with family and friends (67%), cooking or baking at home (56%), hosting others at their home (28%), decorating the house (27%) and traveling (14%).

A majority (61%) of Thanksgiving celebrators expect tariff-related impacts, including 22% who expect their shopping to change quite a bit or completely due to tariffs. Almost all celebrators (89%) say they plan to purchase food for Thanksgiving, followed by non-alcoholic beverages (33%), alcoholic beverages (30%) and decorations (20%).

[READ MORE: ICSC: Shoppers to spend average of $542 over Thanksgiving weekend]

A large majority (80%) of Thanksgiving shoppers expect to do all or most of their shopping in-store. Almost three quarters (72%) plan to buy their Thanksgiving items at grocery stores, followed by big box stores like Walmart or Costco (54%) and liquor stores (18%).

Netflix is set to turn shopping at the mall into a "high-stakes" competition.

The streaming giant has shared details about its newest upcoming show, "Win the Mall," which it describes as the "ultimate fantasy retail experience.” Over eight episodes, 10 teams of expert shoppers will face off against each other as they attempt to “gain control of storefronts, increase their spending power, and outmaneuver their rivals," the company said.

Netflix said more details about the series will be available closer to the launch of the show, which was not disclosed.

“This show is for anyone who ever dreamed of what it would be like to call a shopping mall your home,” said Jimmy Fox, executive producer and executive VP, head of unscripted development & and sales at Fremantle, which produces the series. “The deal seekers, the fashionistas, the savvy shoppers who can spot a knock-off from a mile away.You go to a mall for two reasons: to shop and to socialize. You’ll have to excel at both in order to Win the Mall.”

[READ MORE: First Look: Netflix House opens at King of Prussia shopping center]

"Win the Mall" is the latest addition to Netflix’s growing slate of competition series, including Million Dollar Secret, Squid Game: The Challenge, and Next Gen Chef, as well as upcoming projects like Physical: 100 USA, Star Search, The Golden Ticket, and the recently announced Clue.

The off-price division of Saks Global is downsizing its store portfolio.

Saks Off 5th will close nine of its 79 stores in early 2026  (list of locations at end of article.) The news was first reported by WWD. The shutterings come as Nordstrom is expanding the footprint of its off-price division, Nordstrom Rack, which continues to add stores to its 2026/2027 lineup.

In addition, and as previously reported, the Saks Off 5th store on the Upper East Side of Manhattan will close at the end of the 2025 holiday season. The property has been sold to a new owner who plans to undertake extensive construction on the site.

“As part of our ongoing and comprehensive strategy, we have taken a critical eye to our store footprint and will be closing select store locations in early 2026,” a spokesperson said in a statement in the WWD report. “We are confident this will better position the Saks Off 5th business for long-term success and look forward to continuing to deliver for our customers.”

Here are the locations of the Saks Off 5th stores scheduled to next year, according to the report:

• Austin, Texas;
• Chicago;
• Washington, D.C.;
• Philadelphia Mills, Pa.;
• Pittsburgh North, Pa.
• Plymouth Meeting, Pa.;
• East Hanover, N.J.;
• Niagara Falls, N.Y.; and
• West Hartford, Conn.

While U.S. job postings are nearly on track with pre-pandemic levels, the retail category is continuing to see declines.

According to the Indeed Hiring Lab’s Job Posting Index, job postings were 2.4% above the Feb. 1, 2020, measure as of Oct. 10, 2025. Job postings have declined 8.5% from the same time last year, as employers continue to pull back on hiring amid a high level of economic uncertainty. Retail job postings continued to decline, seeing a 16% year-over-year drop compared to last October.

Indeed Hiring Lab found retail wage growth increased slightly to 2.4% compared to January 2019 levels, surpassing that of food preparation & service, which fell to 2.1% in September 2025.

[READ MORE: Survey: Automation attracts warehouse workers — here's why]

“The retail vertical slogged through the third quarter without much change from previous trends,” said Daniel Culbertson, senior economist with Indeed Hiring Lab. “Job postings in all three categories continued to drop and are now all below their pre-pandemic level. Wage growth trends are mostly stable but have swapped places after a slight decline in food preparation & service and a slight pickup in retail.”

Indeed Hiring Lab analyzes the latest Indeed data each quarter to provide labor market insights for the transportation, retail, business-to-business, tech, and healthcare sectors.