News Briefs

The direct-to-consumer fan apparel platform within Fanatics has tapped a veteran retail executive to a new, expanded leadership role 

Fanatics Commerce named Jamie Gersch as chief marketing officer, effective May 12.  The role brings all of the company’s marketing functions — including brand, performance and lifecycle —  under one leader for the first time.

Most recently, from December 2022 to April 2026, Gersch served as chief marketing officer at sustainable footwear brand Rothy's, where she led global marketing and e-commerce. Prior to Rothy's, she spent nearly seven years at Old Navy, where she was senior VP and chief marketing officer at Old Navy.

Before Old Navy, Gersch spent more than a decade at Gap, helping shape the brand’s voice and creative direction across its divisions.

“As we continue to build the Fanatics Commerce brand and sharpen our focus on delivering for sports fans around the world, Jamie is perfect leader to unify our marketing efforts and drive the next generation of fan engagement, said Andrew Low Ah Kee, CEO of Fanatics Commerce. “Jamie brings a rare combination of brand instinct, customer focus, and performance discipline that perfectly aligns with our long-term vision, and we couldn't be more excited to have her join the team at such a pivotal time for the organization.”

In a statemetn, Gersch said that "Fanatics sits at the intersection of sports, culture, and commerce in a way that very few others can claim, and that's an extraordinary place to build from,” 

“Throughout my career I’ve been fortunate to help guide marketing for a world-class group of brands, and I have never been more confident in my decision to join Fanatics, where there are endless opportunities to create lasting, meaningful relationships with sports fans as we work to become a truly beloved brand," she said.

Lowe's Companies reported strong first-quarter earnings and sales that beat expectations and reaffirmed its full-year outlook.

The home improvement retailer reported net income of $1.63 billion, or $2.90 per share, for the quarter ended May 1, compared $1.64 billion, or $2.92 per share, in the year-ago period. Excluding one-time factors like acquisition costs, the company reported adjusted earnings per share of $3.03, topping analysts expectations of $2.76 per share.

Revenue rose to $23.08 billion from $20.9 billion, ahead of analysts estimates  of $22.97 billion. Comparable sales increased 0.6%, driven by strong spring execution as well as a 15.5% online sales growth and continued strength in appliances, home services and pro sales, the company said.  

"Strong spring execution and continued momentum in pro, appliances, online, and home services supported a solid start to the year as we delivered our fourth consecutive quarter of positive comp sales," said Marvin R. Ellison,  chairman, president and CEO. "In spite of a challenging housing macro, we remain focused on advancing our Total Home strategy to provide the best experience for our customer. I'd also like to thank our associates for their dedication to serving our customers throughout the busy spring season."

Lowe’s reaffirmed its full-year guidance. It expects total sales between $92 billion and $94 billion, an increase of between 7% and 9% compared with the prior year. Comparable sales are expected to be flat to up 2% compared with last year.

As of May 1, 2026, Lowe's operated 1,759 stores,

An Ohio-based pizza chain has big plans for the Sunshine State.

Donatos Pizza is actively targeting expansion across Southwest Florida, Central Florida, Northeast Florida, and the Florida Panhandle, with a planned opening of a traditional location set for later in 2026 in Panama City. The company projects the potential to open up to 25 locations over the next several years, with early development expected to concentrate in high-growth metro areas.

The company, which currently operates six stores in Florida including four traditional restaurants and two locations in partnership with Red Robin, sees opportunity there resulting from sustained population growth, strong migration from Midwestern markets where its brand is well-established, and increasing demand for new fast casual dining. 

As more consumers enter the state already familiar with Donatos, the company sees its awareness established in Florida but significant white space remaining.  

"Florida has been on our radar for a long time, but the timing is now right for meaningful expansion," said Jeff Baldwin, VP of development and franchising at Donatos Pizza. "Growth in the state is being fueled by Midwestern relocation where our brand is already known, and we continue to see strong familiarity from guests visiting from our core markets. Combined with improved distribution and operational support, the economics now work for scalable franchise growth."

According to Donatos, recent improvements in distribution and operations have strengthened the franchise model, making expansion in Florida more efficient and scalable than in previous years. Donatos has also been targeting Texas as a significant growth market.

[READ MORE: Donatos Pizza eyes big expansion across Texas]

Headquartered in Columbus, Ohio, Donatos and its franchise partners operate over 177 stores. In addition, Donatos Pizza is served in over 250 non-traditional locations nationwide, including select Red Robin restaurants.

A banner owned by Canada's Loblaw Companies will soon make its California debut.

T&T Supermarket, the largest Asian grocery chain in Canada, will open its first California location, at Westgate Center in San Jose, on June 18. The opening marks the company’s ongoing expansion in the U.S. market, where it has opened locations in Bellevue and Lynwood, Wash. 

T&T has additional California stores in the works, including in San Francisco and Millbrae. It also plans to enter Southern California, with locations in Chino Hills and Irvine.

[READ MORE: Canadian grocer T&T Supermarkets delivers via Uber Eats]

The 55,000-sq.-ft. San Jose store will feature thousands of products spanning Chinese, Taiwanese, Japanese, Korean, Southeast Asian and other Asian cuisines. It will also offer prepared foods, in-store bakery items, made-to-order street food, live seafood, viral snacks, beauty products and more.

“San Jose is a long-anticipated store,” said Tina Lee, CEO of T&T Supermarkets. “We’re bringing more than just exciting, high-quality foods. We’re exporting a new way of life from Canada: one that’s deeply food-centric, celebratory, rich in tradition, and fresh-obsessed. We aim to help Asian families stay connected to the food and traditions they grew up with. In pursuit of this cause, T&T has also become a destination for Asian food discovery for everyone.”

Founded in Vancouver in 1993, T&T Supermarkets operates 39 stores across Canada and the United States. It is headquartered in Richmond, British Colombia.

TikTok’s user base — and its influence on shopping, entertainment, and media habits — now extends far beyond younger generations.

TikTok is often seen as a platform dominated by younger generations, but baby boomers have established a meaningful presence on the app too, according to new data from YouGov. Nearly one-in-five TikTok users in the U.S. are baby boomers, despite them often being overlooked in conversations about the platform.

The findings also reveal that boomers on TikTok are also highly engaged consumers, with 78% researching products online and 48% using social media to research brands and products.

“Compared to younger TikTok users, boomers are more likely to make direct purchases after seeing products online or in-store, suggesting a more straightforward path to purchase,” YouGov said. 

Other findings from YouGov are below.

•Millennials make up the largest share of TikTok users (30%), followed by 27% for Gen X and 24% for Gen Z, with baby boomers representing 19% of the platform’s audience.

•More than half (52%) of baby boomers on TikTok spend over an hour per day on social media, including 19% who spend between two and five hours daily

•Staying connected with friends and family (77%) and following news and current events (64%) are the top reasons boomers use social media,