News Briefs

A majority of consumers are left feeling uncertain after having a customer service interaction with a brand.

That’s according to a new survey from AI-powered support automation platform Capacity, which found that only 42% of customers feel confident that their issue is fully resolved after a support interaction. The remaining majority report “lingering concerns, unanswered questions or uncertainty” after the interaction ends.

This lack of closure can have major consequences for brands. One-in-three (33%) customers stop using a brand after a single unresolved or partially-resolved support experience.

"Resolution is what companies measure. Closure is what customers feel," said David Karandish, founder and CEO of Capacity. "It's clear that customer support has become very good at closing tickets, but far less consistent at delivering confidence. Customers want speed, but they also want to know the issue won't resurface.”

While many customers report feeling relieved (33%) once a service issue is addressed, 18% say they feel frustrated after customer service interactions, compared to just 16% who feel confident in the brand afterward.

Clear communication (52%) and speed to resolution (43%) are the top factors that help consumers feel closure after a customer support interaction, according to the survey. A majority (85%) of consumers say a smooth transition from an AI agent to human support is important, with nearly one-in-four (23%) consumers stating their ideal balance is an equal mix of AI and human support.

[READ MORE: FedEx: AI grows in importance for returns]

"True closure requires an intelligent system that adapts to each individual's needs and ensures a seamless bridge to a human the moment it's required," said Karandish. "That final moment of comprehensive reassurance is where trust is either built or quietly lost."

For its The Closure Index report, Capacity surveyed 1,000 U.S. consumers.

GameStop has kicked off 2026 by shrinking its store footprint across the United States.

The long-struggling video game retailer is closing more than 470 U.S. stores, according to a report by wkyc.com. Earlier this month, GameStop said in a Securities and Exchange filing that it planned to close a "significant number of additional stores" during the rest of its 2025 fiscal year, which ends on Jan. 31, 2026. The company didn't reveal the locations, but its website lists hundreds of locations as closed. (To see a list of the GameStop locations closing in January, as reported by wkyc, click here.)

In its third-quarter earnings report, GameStop said it had closed 590 stores in the United States during the previous fiscal year as part of a “store portfolio optimization review.” During the quarter, revenue fell 4.6% to $821 million as sales of hardware, software and accessories declined.

GameStop, which had about 2,325 U.S. locations and 900 stores in other countries as of Feb. 1, 2025, recently unveiled a performance award — worth roughly $35 billion —  designed to incentivize CEO Ryan Cohen to achieve “extraordinary growth.” Cohen has been charged with increasing GameStop’s market capitalization to $100 billion from its current $9.3 billion capitalization.

Musicians have a new reason to shop Walmart Marketplace.

The discount giant is launching a curated Premium Musical Instrument Shop on its Walmart Marketplace digital third-party sales platform. According to Walmart, this new digital storefront marks the first phase of Walmart Marketplace’s expansion into professional-grade musical instruments and accessories.

Available now, the Premium Musical Instrument Shop provides a curated selection of guitars, amplifiers, pedals, drum accessories, strings, gig bags, and other music items. Featured brands include Fender, Roland, Boss, Zildjian, Ernie Ball, Hercules, Squier and Barton Bags.

"We’re thrilled to bring some of the world’s most legendary music brands to Walmart Marketplace, giving customers access to the equipment they love from the names they respect," said Manish Joneja, senior VP, Walmart Marketplace and Walmart Fulfillment Services. "This launch represents a major milestone in expanding our Marketplace into premium categories delivering both high quality and value, backed by Walmart’s scale, reliability, and convenience."

The launch also creates new opportunities for musical instrument brands and sellers to reach Walmart’s customer base. Walmart Marketplace has delivered 14 consecutive quarters of double-digit growth and the retailer credits its performance as helping drive a 28% increase in third-quarter U.S. e-commerce sales.

[READ MORE: Walmart launches digital marketplace for comic book collectors]

Headquartered in Bentonville, Ark., Walmart Inc. operates more than 10,750 stores and numerous e-commerce websites in 19 countries.

Saks Global has been provided with an infusion of some badly needed cash.

The luxury department store company, which filed for bankruptcy last Tuesday, has been given access to the first $500 million its $1.75 billion restructuring financing package. Saks Global said the funding will provide it with sufficient liquidity to support operations and facilitate “go-forward payments to brand partners and the acceleration of inventory flow.”

The $500 million was approved by a judge in Houston on Friday, Jan. 16. It came just in time as the retailer was due to run out of cash, reported WWD.

In a statement, Geoffroy van Raemdonck, the former chief of Neiman Marcus who has been appointed CEO of Saks Global, said that access to this “significant capital is instrumental as we work to strengthen our financial foundation and best position Saks Global for the future.”

“Our stores and e-commerce experiences are open and focused on delivering exceptional products, elevated luxury experiences and highly personalized service to our customers," said van Raemdonck. "Saks Global continues to play a distinct and enduring role in the luxury retail industry and, through this process, we will have the opportunity to build a more resilient company, primed for lasting financial and operational stability."

Advisors

Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP and Haynes and Boone, LLP are serving as legal counsel, PJT Partners LP is serving as investment banker, Berkeley Research Group is serving as financial advisor, and C Street Advisory Group is serving as strategic communications advisor to the company.

One of the Northeast’s leading third-party management companies has landed two new contracts in New Jersey in the opening weeks of 2026.

North Plainfield, N.J.-based Levin Management Corp. (LMC) will now be managing two more centers for a long-time client: The Shoppes at North Brunswick in North Brunswick and the Inman Grove Shopping Center in Edison.

Together, the two properties total nearly 260,000 square feet.

“The ownership is familiar with our capabilities and wanted to bring that same level of consistency to these assets,” said Joseph Lowry, LMC’s senior VP of acquisitions and business development.

The 147,000-sq.-ft. Shoppes at North Brunswick holds 47 tenants that include Starbucks, Chipotle, Bath & Body Works, Men’s Wearhouse, Crumbl Cookies, Banana Republic, Loft, Big Club Pilates, Orangetheory Fitness and Paris Baguette.

The center attracts 2.4 million visitors a year, according to Placer.ai.

The 113,00-sq.-ft. Inman Grove in Edison draws 1.4 million visitors a year by Placer.ai’s count. Tenants there include The UPS Store, CSL Plasma, Verizon, , Kumon, Wells Fargo, Taco Bell, Subway and Gyros and Wings. 

Gopal Supermarket, a new Indian grocer, will fill the anchor space formerly occupied by Stop & Shop at Inman Grove and is expected to open soon.

The Shoe Palace and DTLR banners of JD Sports North America are digitally placing orders and performing checkout with mobile devices at more stores.

DTLR, a youth-oriented activewear retailer, and Shoe Palace, a footwear and apparel chain, began deploying the Jumpmind Commerce and Inventory solutions on Adyen Castle S1E2L Android “all-in-one” devices across a combined 450 store locations nationwide in January 2025.

The retailers recently migrated both fixed and mobile registers at an additional 200 DTLR and Shoe Palace stores to the Jumpmind Commerce platform in one day and with no personnel needed on site. The stores were rebranded from City Gear stores acquired by JD Sports.

In addition to obtaining multi-language and multi-currency support at the POS, associates can also perform “endless aisle” customer fulfillment through seamless integration with existing order management systems. 

And beyond accepting payments, the mobile devices facilitate a seamless checkout experience for customers, enabling associates to check out customers from anywhere on the sales floor. Makira served as systems integrator on the implementation project.

"Our rollout of Jumpmind Commerce Point of Sale across the City Gear stores we’ve recently taken over and will soon rebrand to DTLR is a testament to the platform’s ability to support our business as we continue to scale and expand," said DTLR CEO Todd Kirssin. "The agility and speed it gives our teams is exactly what we expected when we partnered with Jumpmind, and they’ve delivered as promised." 

[READ MORE: JD Sports Canada pursues digital transformation] 

Established in 1981 in England, JD Sports is a multichannel retailer of branded sports and casual wear with over 3,000 stores in 32 territories worldwide.