News Briefs

Nothing Bundt Cakes could be on the selling block.

Roark Capital, private equity owner of the fast-growing Dallas-based bakery chain, has reportedly hired North Point and Bank of America to oversee a potential sale, according to Reuters. Nothing Bundt Cakes could be valued at more than $2 billion, the report said.

In May, Nothing Bundt Cakes opened its 700th location, in Rosenberg, Texas. It's on pace to open more than 100 locations this year, with plans to open 1,000 stores by 2027.

Roark Capital, which acquired Nothing Bundt Cakes in 2021 from Levine Leichtman Capital Partners, acquired Dave's Hot Chicken in June for approximately $1 billion. In 2024, the firm acquired Subway for an estimated $9.6 billion.

Founded in 1997, Nothing Bundt Cakes offers hand‑crafted bundt cakes in a variety of flavors and sizes.

New data from a prominent payment platform indicates artificial intelligence will have a significant impact on the 2025 holiday season.

Four-in-10 U.S, consumers have used artificial intelligence to assist with a purchase in the past year, with one-in-five-doing so regularly. The PayPal 2025 Holiday Shopping Survey also reveals that 61% of surveyed Gen Z shoppers and 57% of surveyed millennial shoppers have used AI to assist with a purchase in the past year.

However, 77% of respondents who have or are considering using AI plan to use it as a shopping assistant this holiday season. The top ways these respondents plan to use AI include finding the best deals (34%), comparing products (30%), and discovering gift ideas or recommendations (26%).

The survey also gathered data on respondent views toward buy now, pay later (BNPL) payments and omnichannel shopping:

BNPL

• Half of respondents plan to use BNPL as a flexible payment option for holiday shopping this year, citing affordability and budget control as the top reasons.
• More than half (52%) of respondents say they are more likely to make a purchase when BNPL is available as a payment option.

[READ MORE: Online merchants focus on BNPL, website performance ahead of holidays]

Omnichannel

• Almost two-thirds (64%) of respondents plan to shop in-store this holiday season, with 41% planning to shop both online and in-store.
• Close to three-in-10 (28%) respondents plan to shop primarily online.
• Three-quarters (74%) of respondents are more likely to shop with retailers offering cash back or rewards.

PayPal commissioned Talker Research to survey 1,000 nationally representative U.S. adults online from Sept. 5-9, 2025. 

Chick-fil-A is branching out.

The popular quick-serve restaurant chain has debuted a new restaurant concept, called Daybright, featuring an array of specialty coffee drinks and some food items, reported AtlantaNewsFirst.com. Located in the Atlanta suburb of Hiram, Ga., the concept was created by Chick-fil-A innovation subsidiary, Red Wagon Ventures.

Daybright has a dual drive-thru lane and a dining room, according to the report. It’s open 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday (all Chick-fil-A restaurants are closed on Sunday) and offers handcrafted coffees, smoothies, cold-pressed juices and food make with “simple ingredients,” according to its website. 

The food menu is limited. It includes donuts (with each one having at least six grams of proteins), stuffed English muffins, egg bites, a burrito and more. Notably, no Chick-fil-A items are listed on the menu.

“With schedules busier than ever, we know people are looking for easy, convenient ways to enjoy quality food and beverages,” David Farmer, VP of Red Wagon Ventures, said in a statement in the report. “Daybright is designed with this in mind, offering delicious beverages and portable bites intended to delight customers and help boost their busy days.”

A trending Westernwear brand has tapped a new artificial intelligence solution provider to improve its inventory management.

Following a successful pilot, Tecovas is rolling out Invent.ai’s AI-powered allocation and replenishment solutions across its entire store network. The platform drives real-time inventory decisions, which the retailer says “enables faster, data-driven decisions and rapid testing of inventory strategies.”

“Our initial pilot with Invent.ai delivered outstanding results,” said Kevin Harwood, CTO at Tecovas. “They improved in-stock rates, reduced excess inventory and streamlined our planning processes. Seeing such measurable results upfront gave us the confidence to phase Invent.ai’s solutions across all our stores.”

For Tecovas, Invent.ai will predict demand at the granular SKU-store level, ensuring the right products are in the right locations. The AI continuously adjusts inventory across stores, distribution centers and fulfillment channels as demand shifts, improving in-stock rates and sales while reducing excess inventory. Invent.ai also says its solutions reduce allocator workload by 80% through automated and optimized inventory flows.

“We’re excited to collaborate with Tecovas, a brand that values craftsmanship and customer experience as much as we do,” said Tav Tepfer, chief revenue officer of Invent.ai. “Their pilot with our AI-powered solutions already delivered outstanding results and scaling the platform will help Tecovas keep the right products in the right place at the right time to provide the seamless retail experience their customers expect.”

[READ MORE: EXCLUSIVE Q&A: Gartner sees data as key to fulfillment success]

Based in Austin, Tecovas handcrafts Western footwear, workwear, apparel, and accessories, and operates over 50 stores nationwide. In 2024, the brand opened 11 new locations.

Saks Global has reportedly reorganized its top management.

Emily Essner, who was named president and chief commercial officer of Saks Global in December 2024 when the luxury retailer purchased the Neiman Marcus Group, has left the company, reported WWD. Essner previously served as chief marketing officer at Saks.

In addition, Bill Bine, chief transformation officer for Saks Global, and Rob Brooks, the chief operating officer for Saks Global, have also departed the company, according to the report. Similar to Essner, both were appointed  to their roles in December. 

In other changes, Kim Miller, president of Saks Off 5th, has been tapped as chief customer officer, a new role at Saks Global.

With the executive shakeup, the company is looking to reduce costs and improve relations with brands and vendors, WWD said.  

Saks Global is the largest multi-brand luxury retailer in the world, comprising Saks Fifth Avenue, Neiman Marcus, Bergdorf Goodman, Saks Off 5th, Last Call and Horchow.