News Briefs
- 12/1/2025
Sensormatic: In-store Black Friday traffic down 2.1%
Retail store visits on Black Friday fell slightly compared to 2024.
Shopper traffic on the annual shopping holiday was down 2.1% compared to last year, according to its ShopperTrak Analytics insights, which captures 40 billion store visits globally annually. Compared to the previous Friday (Nov. 21), traffic on Nov. 28 was up 248.9%.
As in years past, in-store traffic peaked between 2 and 4 p.m., with 3 p.m. marking the busiest hour for retailers, the data revealed.
Although Black Friday is still expected to be the busiest shopping day of the year, the holiday retail rush is just getting started, noted Sensormatic, with the rest of the season’s busiest days still to come. The peak is expected to fall in the final few days leading up to Christmas. With this year’s holiday falling on a Thursday for the first time in over a decade, retailers may see a more sustained high-traffic period in the week preceding Dec. 25, advised Sensormatic.
[READ MORE: Busiest shopping days of 2025 holiday season will be…]
“Traffic has been steadily picking up throughout the second half of 2025, kicking off during the back-to-school season, and this week’s strong showing hints this trend is likely to continue throughout the rest of the holiday season,” said Grant Gustafson, head of retail consulting and analytics at Sensormatic Solutions, part of Johnson Controls.
Gustafson added that, according to ShopperTrak Analytics, in 2024, 77% of the retailers who outperformed in shopper traffic during the holiday season, continued to outperform into the first half of 2025.
- 12/1/2025
CBRE tapped for leasing at Alston Yards project in North Carolina
CBRE has added a mixed-use project to its leasing portfolio.
The firm has been selected by developer Heritage Capital Partners to lease the multiple retail phases of Alston Yards, a $500 million, 41-acre mixed-use development located in Cary, N.C., a western suburb of Raleigh.
The retail portion of the project, spanning approximately 65,000 sq. ft., will be integrated into a master-planned, mixed-use environment that includes up to 900 residential units, 200,000 sq. ft. of office space, a boutique hotel, and over seven acres of open space, including a town park and a large community gathering area.
“Alston Yards represents a rare opportunity to help shape one of the most dynamic corridors in the Southeast,” said Roger Edwards, managing partner at Heritage Capital Partners. “We’re excited to partner with CBRE to bring a curated mix of retail offerings to a project that will serve as a new anchor for West Cary.”
Located at the southern tip of Research Triangle Park, Alston Yards will feature ample walking trails that connect to Wake County’s greenway system and an adjacent neighborhood park. The property is located near Parkside Town Commons, a 500,000-sq.-ft. retail center, and Apple’s proposed 900,000-sq.-ft. East Coast engineering hub.
CBRE’s Jon Stanley and Charlie Coyne will market the retail space.
“The scale, demographics, and vision behind Alston Yards make it one of the most compelling retail leasing opportunities in the Carolinas,” said Coyne, executive VP at CBRE.
[READ MORE: CBRE sells three SoCal centers]
CBRE Group Inc. is the world’s largest commercial real estate services and investment firm, with operations in more than 100 countries.
- 12/1/2025
Digital shoppers rely on product content, generative AI
Consumers value high-quality product content and are increasingly using next-gen artificial intelligence to help make online purchases.
More than eight-in-10 (85%) consumers agree that high-quality product content is more important to their online purchase decisions than brand recognition. The fifth annual Omnichannel Shopping Benchmarks study from product experience management solutions provider Syndigo also reveals that 86% of 1,800 surveyed U.S. and Canadian consumers said high-quality product content, such as detailed descriptions, multiple images/videos, and customer reviews, helps them decide between higher- and lower-priced digital purchase options.
In addition, two-thirds (65%) of respondents said rich media, like videos and 360-degree images, has persuaded them to buy something they didn't initially intend to. This figure was up about 35% from 48% in the 2024 edition of the study.
Close to eight-in-10 (77%) respondents said customer ratings, reviews, and user-submitted content persuaded them to buy something they didn’t think they needed. "Too few customer reviews" was the top reason respondents cited for leaving a product page without making a purchase.
The study also found that 45% of respondents are using AI tools, such as generative AI, to help research and find products online in 2025. This figure is up about 45% from 31% who used AI for this purpose in the 2024 edition of the study.
[READ MORE: Gen Z, millennials trust AI tools for gift brainstorming, finding lowest prices]
"This underlines what we fundamentally know: shoppers want to make informed decisions about their spending, and product content is the key to building the trust that informs those decisions," said Leah Allen, chief marketing officer at Syndigo. "Beyond just price or name recognition, brands and retailers can connect with their shoppers simply by providing them with complete, accurate, and enriched product content at every step as they browse the digital shelf."
- 12/1/2025
HelloFresh leverages AI to accelerate recipe development
A leading meal kit provider is using artificial intelligence to move new dishes from concept to customer more quickly.
Utilizing a new AI-equipped tool suite, HelloFresh is speeding up production and design elements of its recipe card process, shortening the timeline for producing recipe cards from several weeks or months to just a few hours.
U.S. customers have been receiving the first recipe cards developed with this new AI-supported system, with printed versions appearing in HelloFresh boxes starting in December. Following the U.S. launch, HelloFresh plans a global rollout by the end of the first quarter of 2026.
HelloFresh recipe cards provide customers step-by-step instructions, ingredient breakdowns, and visuals to aid preparation of meals at home. By integrating generative AI into its creative process, HelloFresh can now automate much of the layout and visual design work.
The AI system supports the design and production workflow, while human chefs and food stylists remain responsible for recipe creation and editing recipe cards.
“After years of serving millions of customers around the world, HelloFresh has built the world’s largest recipe database, paired with a wealth of proprietary insights into what people love to cook and eat,” said Assaf Ronen, group president and CEO for HelloFresh U.S. “This depth of culinary data is a key differentiator that allows our technology to bring together creativity, personalization, and speed in a way that elevates the home-experience for every customer.”
[READ MORE: HelloFresh undergoes data-driven enterprise transformation]
Founded in Germany in 2011, The HelloFresh Group operates eight brands in the U.S., U.K., Germany, Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, Australia, Austria, Switzerland, Canada, New Zealand, Sweden, France, Denmark, Norway, Italy, Ireland and Spain.
- 12/1/2025
Report: Average Black Friday transaction amount dips 17%
U.S. consumers trended towards making numerous smaller purchases on Black Friday this year instead of buying big-ticket items.
An analysis of 52.5 million transactions from unified risk decision platform provider Accertify Inc. shows that while online shopping volume surged 24% year over year on Black Friday, the average transaction value fell 17% to $115.46, the lowest level since 2021.
In retail specifically, transactions grew 11.4% to 27 million while the average purchase amount dropped 7%. Total retail dollars reached $3.73 billion, up 3.6% from 2024, though Accertify noted that the growth came from volume rather than larger purchases.
[READ MORE: Adobe: Cyber Monday digital sales expected to set new record of $14.2B]
"Consumers seem to be reinventing Black Friday," said Mark Michelon, president of Accertify. "We're seeing shoppers spread their dollars across more transactions rather than making large single purchases. Whether that reflects economic caution, the influence of buy now, pay later options, or simply how mobile shopping encourages impulse buying, it represents a meaningful shift in consumer psychology."
Accertify noted that different industries saw varied spending patterns. Airline transactions increased 19% to 2.16 million and dollars rose 18% to $931 million, with average transaction values holding essentially flat year over year. Travel and entertainment transaction volume remained flat while total transaction dollars increased 13.5% year over year, pushing average transaction value up 13.2% year over year to $302.66.
- 12/1/2025
KFC goes big in Rome with one of its most ambitious restaurants in Europe yet
Kentucky Fried Chicken is going big in one of Europe’s most-visited capital cities in a move that reflects the brand’s rapid growth across Europe and beyond.
KFC Europe has opened a flagship in Rome a few steps away from of the city's most popular tourist attractions, the famed Trevi Fountain. The quick-service chicken chain says the two-floor, 10,700-sq.-ft. location is one its largest and most technologically advanced restaurants in Europe to-date, blending “Roman heritage with cutting-edge design, sustainability and technology," and interactive spaces that invite customers to engage with the brand in fresh, exciting ways. The architectural concept pays homage to Rome’s rich heritage while embracing contemporary trends.
KFC says that the Rome flagship follows the successful launch of the Prague flagship last year. The chain plans to open additional flagship stores in key European cities over the coming years.
“We are thrilled to bring our most modern and ambitious flagship to Rome, and this next to the Trevi Fountain,” said Dhruv Kaul, managing director KFC EMEA. “This opening marks a significant milestone in our journey to establish KFC as a leading brand across Europe, and reflects our strategic focus on iconic locations that bridge history and modern relevance.”
[READ MORE: Yum Brands reviewing options for Pizza Hut — including sale]
KFC operates more than 30,000 restaurants worldwide across more than 145 countries, including more than 2,200 in Europe. KFC is part of the Yum! Brands portfolio, along with Pizza Hut, Taco Bell and Habit Burger Grill.
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