News Briefs

The Amazon Web Services managed cloud division of Amazon will support artificial intelligence innovation with new Verizon fiber pathways.

Verizon Business is entering a new deal through its Verizon AI Connect strategy and solutions suite with Amazon Web Service (AWS) to provide esilient high-capacity, low-latency network infrastructure. As part of the deal, Verizon will build new, long-haul, high-capacity fiber pathways to connect AWS data center locations. 

The deal is intended to enable AWS to deliver and scale secure, high-performance cloud services for customers building and deploying advanced AI applications at scale.

"The next wave of innovation will be driven by generative AI, which requires a combination of secure, scalable cloud infrastructure and flexible, high-performance networking," said Prasad Kalyanaraman, VP, AWS infrastructure services. "By working with Verizon, AWS will enable high-performance network connections that ensure customers across every industry can build and deliver compelling, secure, and reliable AI applications at scale."

The companies have already established several engagements, including Verizon's adoption of AWS as a preferred strategic public cloud provider for its digital transformation initiatives. The collaboration also encompasses joint development of private mobile edge computing solutions that provide secure, dedicated connectivity for enterprise customers. 

"AI will be essential to the future of business and society, driving innovation that demands a network to match," said Scott Lawrence, senior VP and chief product officer, Verizon Business. "This deal with Amazon demonstrates our continued commitment to meet the growing demands of AI workloads for the businesses and developers building our future."

[READ MORE: Amazon enters $38 billion partnership with OpenAI]

Walmart is continuing to dominate as America’s leading grocery retailer.

Walmart captured 21.0% of total U.S. grocery spend for the 12-month period ended Sept. 30, 2025, according to new omnichannel sales data from Numerator. This is roughly on par with its share for the same period over the last two years (21.1% and 21.2% in 2024 and 2023, respectively).

Behind Walmart is Kroger (8.5%), Costco (8.2%), Albertsons (4.9%) and Publix (4.1%) when it comes to grocery spending share. Kroger saw a slight decrease from 8.8% in 2024, while Costco saw a slight increase from 8.0% last year. Albertsons and Publix both remained flat. 

Another recent report from Numerator revealed that for the same 12-month period ending Sept. 30, 2025, Walmart captured 26.1% of SNAP shoppers’ annual grocery spend. SNAP shoppers spend an average of $2,653 at the retailer annually.

[READ MORE: Placer.ai: Grocery shopping continues to rise at Dollar General]

Bath & Body Works has made two executive leadership appointments.

The personal care and home fragrance company has appointed Maly Bernstein as chief commercial officer and Samantha Charleston as chief human resources officer, both effective Nov. 12. Both will join the executive leadership team and report to CEO Daniel Heaf. 

Bernstein was previously CEO at Macy's Inc.-owned Bluemercury, leaving in May after four years at the helm. Prior to Bluemercury, she spent eight years at CVS Health, where she led e-commerce and omnichannel through high-growth during COVID, and before that, the multi-billion dollar beauty and personal care division.

Charleston joins Bath & Body Works from Americold, where she served as chief human resources officer. In that role, Charleston successfully led the transformation of a 15,000-employee global workforce that drove business growth through technology, organizational simplification snd M&A integration, according to a Bath & Body Works statement. 

[READ MORE: Bath & Body Works’ holiday campaign includes scenting NYC subway, movie theaters]

Bath & Body Works has 1,904 company-operated stores in the U.S. and Canada and 537 international franchised locations.

A digital women’s fashion retailer is leveraging real-time predictive engagement to boost online sales growth.

New York & Company, which relaunched as an online-only retailer in 2020 following a post-bankruptcy sale and also sells products via brick-and-mortar retailer partnerships, is leveraging Metrical artificial intelligence-driven conversion optimization technology.

[READ MORE: Done Deal: New York & Company sold]

Metrical proprietary AI models enable New York & Company to continuously analyze shopper behavior to predict purchase intent and identify visitors at risk of abandoning their carts. The Metrical solution dynamically injects banners, badges, and contextual messaging anywhere across the retailer’s site without requiring code updates or engineering resources.

"We're thrilled to partner with Metrical to bring cutting-edge personalization to our customers," said Laura Cantor, VP of marketing & e-commerce at New York & Company. "Their AI-driven approach allows us to connect with shoppers in the moments that matter the most. It's a perfect fit for our mission to deliver inspiration, convenience, and a truly personalized visit every time someone visits New York & Company online."

By leveraging real-time propensity models focused on optimization, Metrical helps New York & Company determine which customers to engage, where to engage them, and with what message. This helps ensure that only shoppers who truly need an intervention see one, creating a seamless and frictionless experience for all other customers.

"Metrical's partnership with New York & Company is another example of how forward-thinking retail brands are using predictive AI to transform e-commerce performance," said Rameet Kohli, president & COO of Metrical. "By blending real-time behavioral data with effortless on-site deployment, we're helping New York & Company deliver meaningful experiences that respect the customer journey, proving that smart, subtle engagements; only when necessary, are the most powerful kind."

Yum Brands is undertaking a formal review of strategic options for its Pizza Hut brand, which could include a potential sale.

In a statement, Yum Brands said the intent of the review was for Pizza Hut “to reach its full potential for the benefit of its franchisees, consumers, and employees and to maximize value for Yum shareholders.“

The review comes as the pizza chain, which has nearly 20,000 locations worldwide, has struggled at home and abroad, reporting declining same-store sales for the past few quarters. For its most recent quarter, ended Sept. 30, Pizza Hut’s same-store sales fell 1%, with a 6% drop in its home market. 

“The Pizza Hut team has been working hard to address business and category challenges; however, Pizza Hut’s performance indicates the need to take additional action to help the brand realize its full value, which may be better executed outside of Yum! Brands,” stated Yum Brands CEO Chris Turner. “To truly take advantage of the brand we’ve built and the opportunities ahead, we’ve made the decision to initiate a thorough review of strategic options.”

The company noted that no deadline has been set for this process, and there is no assurance it will yield a specific outcome. It has retained Goldman Sachs and Barclays as financial advisers for this strategic review.

Yum Brands and its subsidiaries franchise or operate a system of over 62,000 restaurants in more than 155 countries and territories under the KFC, Taco Bell, Pizza Hut and Habit Burger & Grill banners.

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.