News Briefs

Macy’s Inc. is joining the list of retailers leveraging the Google Gemini next-gen AI engine to aid customers.

The department store retailer has launched a conversational AI shopping chatbot known as “Ask Macy’s,” which is based on the the Google Gemini agentic AI platform. In a session at Shoptalk 2026, Macy’s chief customer and digital officer Max Magni told attendees the AI-based tool helps customers perform tasks such as product discovery and receiving personalized recommendations, as well as virtual apparel try-on.

Macy’s officially launched the solution in March 2026 but initially piloted it in December 2025. Ask Macy’s is designed for shoppers to converse and interact with as they would with a human retail associate. It is accessible via the Macy’s e-commerce site and app.

In a response to a Chain Store Age email inquiry, a Macy's spokesperson said Ask Macy's is intended to help facilitate a seamless shopping experience.

"At Macy’s, Inc., we put our customer first," the spokesperson said in the email. "Ask Macy’s is our AI-powered conversational shopping assistant, shaped by insights from thousands of colleagues to create a connected customer journey and serve as a starting point for discovery across channels, delivering the best of Macy’s at every touchpoint."  

In 2024, Macy’s deployed Zero10 virtual try-on technology at the Disney Princess Shop in its New York flagship. An AR-enabled mirror installed in the Disney Princess Shop showcases digital Disney dresses, providing customers with an immersive virtual try-on experience.

[READ MORE: CSA Q&A: Macy’s enables virtual AR try-on at in-store Disney shop]

Other retailers leveraging Google Gemini AI functionality include Gap, DoorDash, Wayfair and Walmart. 

Easter shoppers will gravitate towards low-price, discount retailers for their holiday needs.

That’s according to Numerator’s 2026 Holiday Intentions Preview, which revealed that 75% of consumers plan to celebrate Easter, with Gen X and Boomers more likely to celebrate Easter overall. Two-thirds (66%) of Easter shoppers plan to do most of their shopping in-store, with the top shopping locations being Walmart (60% of shoppers), Amazon (35%) and Dollar Tree (29%). 

More than half (55%) of Easter shoppers plan to spend between $25 and $100 on items for Easter, with the top intended purchases for the holiday being food (75%), candy (63%) and decorations (28%). 

Just eleven percent of Easter celebrators plan to purchase gifts, according to the survey, with toys/games (48%), food or beverages (non-alcoholic) (36%) and flowers/plants (30%) being the top choices. Seventeen percent of Easter celebrators plan to purchase alcoholic beverages, with wine (53%) and beer (50%) being the top choices.

[READ MORE: NRF: Swipe fees could cost Easter shoppers almost $600 million]

The most popular holiday activities include celebrating with a partner or immediate family (45%), baking special treats or cooking a special meal (42%), and coloring Easter eggs or doing an egg hunt (40%). Easter is a “low-key celebration” for many consumers, with roughly a third (32%) rating it as a one or two (on a scale of five) in terms of the effort or enthusiasm put into celebrating the holiday.

Numerator surveyed more than 5,300 consumers for its 2026 Holiday Intentions Preview.

You don’t have to be a sneakerhead to shop Sneakers.com.

Goat Group, a global platform launched in 2015 as an online marketplace for the sale and resale of sneakers, is introducing Sneakers.com, an e-commerce site designed to serve the need of casual sneaker customers. Previously, Goat Group has focused its footwear and apparel sites on collectors, enthusiasts and premium consumers.

In contrast, the new Sneakers.com platform offers a curated selection of footwear from national brands with an average price point of $70 and an experience tailored specifically for everyday sneaker shoppers. The company says it has seen strong early traction during the platform's testing phase and is now focused on scaling Sneakers.com as part of the next phase of growth.

"Each of our brands is built for a distinct consumer and Sneakers.com allows us to reach people in a new and meaningful way. It broadens our offering while staying true to who we are," said Eddy Lu, co-founder and CEO of Goat Group. "People want to feel good about what they're spending, knowing they're getting a great deal without compromising on quality, and that's what this brand is all about."

Sneakers – especially collectible models – are big business. Walmart is involved in the resale of authentic, premium sneakers on its third-party digital marketplace via partnerships with Stadium Goods and StockX.

Meanwhile, eBay  launched a sneaker authentication service in October 2020 and has been growing its sneaker offering ever since, and even  TikTok facilitates the sale of pre-owned footwear authenticated by vetted third parties on its TikTok Shop social commerce platform.

[READ MORE: TikTok takes on eBay with authenticated pre-owned footwear]

Goat Group operates five brands — Goat, Flight Club, Grailed, Sneakers.com and Alias, and has a global customer base of more than 60 million consumers across 170 countries.

The Merchant Payments Coalition has a not-so-happy forecast for the financial impact of swipe fees on consumers who shop for Easter using credit cards.

The organization, a subsidiary of the NRF, estimates that if all of the record $24.9 billion the NRF has forecast consumers will spend on Easter this year were transacted with credit cards, the average 2.36% swipe fee rate charged to retailers for Visa and Mastercard credit cards would total $587.6 million, or $4.62 per shopper.

[READ MORE: Easter spending expected to hit a new record]

"Swipe fees drive up the cost of nearly everything we buy, and Easter is no exception," NRF senior director of government relations Dylan Jeon said. "Even the Easter Bunny gets ripped off by swipe fees. Whether they’re buying Easter eggs, chocolate bunnies or Peeps, these out-of-control big-bank fees cost families more every year, growing twice as much as inflation and outpacing the growth in credit card volume."

Swipe fees are most retailers’ highest operating cost after labor, according to the National Retail Federation, which added that total credit and debit card swipe fees hit a record $187.2 billion in 2024 and raising prices by more than $1,200 a year for the average family.

Retailers rejected a proposed swipe fee settlement introduced in November 2025 by Visa and Mastercard. Congress is currently considering the bipartisan Credit Card Competition Act, which President Donald Trump endorsed in January 2026.

Consumers are continuing to spend so far this year despite ongoing financial pressures.

New data from Circana shows that total U.S. retail sales revenue, across discretionary general merchandise, retail food and beverage, and non-edible consumer packaged goods, is up 2% year over year for the first 10 weeks of 2026. Circana noted that the data shows consumers are changing their behaviors instead of cutting back spending all together.

“The economy is underscoring the changed behaviors and purchase dynamics consumers developed as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, but the focus on usage and replenishment has evolved,” said Marshal Cohen, chief retail industry advisor for Circana. “Consumers are spending on products that extend beyond the core needs and are increasingly grounded in lifestyle passions – the kind of passion that sparks growth at retail.”

Circana’s data found that the top growth categories are in the “lifestyle” categories. These include video games, toys, prestige and mass beauty, auto aftermarket products and tires, retail food and beverage, fashion accessories and more, which have all demonstrated dollar gains in the 10 weeks ending March 14, 2026, despite varying shifts in demand and price.

Across the lifestyle categories, current themes span aspects of wellness, functional beverages, flavor innovation, next-gen tech solutions, nostalgia and viral social moments.

[READ MORE: Survey: Consumers cutting back by eating at home more, buying private label brands]

“Consumers have to have a reason to spend, be it a fundamental need, a change, or a passion – it is those reasons, and the ‘feel good’ impact, that are fueling today’s retail growth,” added Cohen. “Marketers must tap into both the practical and emotional sides of today’s consumer, addressing their lifestyle needs and creating a hunger for something more.”