News Briefs

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A family-owned formalwear company is letting customers try on suits and tuxedos without leaving home.

Friar Tux is launching a new digital feature called Try-On with AI, making it the first formalwear brand to integrate an artificial intelligence virtual try-on experience with photo upload into its website. 

The Try-On with AI tool allows customers to view a personalized visualization of selected suits and tuxedos without visiting a showroom. Rendered results are available in approximately 30 seconds, and the feature also supports wedding and group planning by allowing customers to review and align on formalwear selections remotely before finalizing decisions.

Other digital services from Friar Tux include virtual style sessions with professional stylists. The retailer also provides free at-home try-ons, fabric swatches, and in-store appointments for personalized service.

“Every enhancement we introduce is guided by how customers prefer to explore options and prepare for important life moments,” said Scott Norris, president of Friar Tux. “Try-On with AI reflects our broader commitment to building thoughtful digital enhancements that complement the service customers expect from our brand.”

Virtual try-on is becoming increasingly popular in recent years, with particular growth in product categories such as eyewear and beauty.

[READ MORE: Google enables selfie-based virtual try-on]

Founded in 1974. Friar Tux operates an e-commerce platform serving customers nationwide and more than 24 showroom stores across California and Nevada. 

Shipley Donuts is continuing to move forward with expansion in major markets.

The Houston-based donut chain has signed four multi-unit deals to expand its national footprint, including in Las Vegas, where it will make its debut, plus multiple new locations in New Orleans, Atlanta and Dallas-Forth Worth.

As part of the agreements, Shipley will open three shops in Las Vegas, marking the brand’s first stores in Nevada and also its westernmost locations. The brand will open five new shops in New Orleans, three new locations in the Atlanta area (Alpharetta, Roswell and Sandy Springs) and three new shops in the Dallas-Fort Worth market.

Shipley is currently expanding its footprint nationwide, having opened a record 35 new shops in 2025, including locations in North Carolina, Virginia, Tennessee, Alabama, Florida and Georgia. The chain was acquired by private equity firm Levine Leichtman Capital Partners last summer.

“As we strengthen our presence in our thriving existing markets, we are strategically expanding into key high-growth markets from Nevada to Georgia, proving our ability to scale within and outside of our traditional footprint," said Flynn Dekker, CEO of Shipley DoNuts. "Each of our new franchisees brings the operational excellence, market knowledge and commitment to quality necessary to successfully grow the Shipley Donuts brand in these key metropolitan areas."

[READ MORE: Shipley Donuts adds Houlihan's veteran to C-suite]

Founded in 1936, Shipley Donuts operates more than 385 company-owned and franchised restaurants across 13 states. The chain offers more than 40 varieties of fresh, handmade donuts.

Instacart is offering relief to eligible shoppers impacted by natural disasters such as fires, hurricanes, floods, or earthquakes.

The grocery technology company has launched the Instacart Shopper Relief Fund. The fund is designed to help ensure eligible shoppers have access to support during natural disasters, such as covering evacuation expenses, addressing immediate needs, or helping begin the process of recovery and rebuilding.

Through this program, qualifying shoppers may receive up to $2,000 in financial assistance per calendar year following a verified, disaster-related hardship.

Instacart administers the Shopper Relief Fund through a third-party partner, Canary, which will review requests and issue funds directly to approved shoppers. 

To qualify for assistance through the Shopper Relief Fund, shoppers must be an active shopper on the Instacart platform, a current Cart Star shopper at the Gold, Platinum, or Diamond level, have completed a minimum of 7,500 lifetime orders on Instacart and be personally impacted by a qualifying natural disaster, including providing verification materials, such as receipts, evacuation notices, or official disaster documentation.

[READ MORE: Instacart upgrades shopper rewards program]

Assistance must be requested within 90 days following a qualifying event.

Instacart competitor DoorDash has offered a similar program called the Dasher Relief Fund to its shoppers (known as "dashers" in DoorDash-speak) since 2024. Eligible dashers can apply for a grant for certain hardship events, such as a death in the family or the impacts of a natural disaster. If they qualify, they can receive an emergency assistance grant of up to $1,000.

Instacart partners with more than 1,800 national, regional, and local retail banners to facilitate online shopping, delivery and pickup services from nearly 100,000 stores across North America. 

Many health, beauty & wellness brands are focusing on the wrong channel for loyalty communications.

Among health, beauty & wellness shoppers, email is the most preferred loyalty communications channel (21.76%), ahead of other channels such as social (16.94%) and app notifications (15.71%).

However, new research from email, automation and AI marketing platform GetResponse indicates brands in the space rate social as the most effective channel for loyalty communications (20.37%), with email second (15.47%), indicating a mismatch.

[READ MORE: How retailers should rethink loyalty programs in the age of AI]

The research combines 2,400 health, beauty &wellness shoppers and 600 direct-to-consumer/e-commerce brands across the U.S., U.K., Germany, Spain, Italy and Romania. 

Other findings 

• Two in three consumer respondents believe brands value new customers more than existing ones — rising to roughly 70% among monthly repurchasers (the highest-value shopper cohort). However, 69% of brand respondents report their budget is evenly split 50/50 between acquisition and retention.
• Almost all (90.9%) consumer respondents value being treated as a loyal customer and 89.7% say feeling recognized/rewarded matters. More than 99% of brand respondents see customer loyalty as important but GetResponse analysis indicates uneven delivery of a customer experience that rewards loyalty.
• Only 17.96% of brand respondents compare the ROI of customer acquisition efforts to customer retention efforts. Top factors prohibiting brand respondents that don’t make this comparison include budget (28%), limited tools and technology (24.16%), and proving ROI (16.79%).

Lowe’s has launched a nationwide call for communities to nominate renovation projects that improve nonprofit, municipal and community spaces.

Through the company’s Community Impact program, Lowe's will award up to 100 large-scale renovation grants and complete more than 2,000 additional associate-led community improvement projects across the nation, bringing community "bucket list" projects to life. The initiative is part of Lowe's five-year, $100 million commitment to community revitalization.

The retailer said its call for community bucket list ideas is inspired by the iconic Lowe's blue bucket and the millions of Americans dreaming big and working every day to strengthen their hometowns;

To inspire project nominations and celebrate big community impact, the company is launching the Lowe's Community Bucket List Tour, taking oversized Lowe's blue buckets to communities from coast to coast. Tour stops include Dallas; Louisville, Ky.; Philadelphia; Tampa, Fla.; Birmingham, Ala.; Detroit; St. Louis; Salt Lake City; San Diego; and Phoenix.

"At Lowe's, we know strong communities don't just happen —  they're built," said Marvin Ellison, Lowe's chairman and CEO. "Every day our associates work alongside community helpers to deliver transformational impact for the places we call home. As we look ahead to 2026, we're setting ambitious goals for our work to help strengthen the communities we serve for generations to come."

Nominated ideas should benefit a nonprofit, school, city or municipality. Eligible project types include rebuilding or renovating:

•Community resources such as senior citizen centers, food pantries or youth clubs;

•Safe affordable housing including homeless shelters and transitional living facilities;

•Community spaces like parks and gardens, historical theaters, or spaces to gather;

•Veteran and military family services;

•First responder facilities, like fire departments or police stations; and

•Skilled trades education facilities.