News Briefs

Shein is bringing back its Campus Tour and engaging college influencers.

The Chinese-founded and Singapore-based global on-demand fashion app will host its second annual Campus Tour, a seven-stop back-to-school experience designed to connect with college students during their first week of classes.

The Shein 2026 Campus Tour is designed with social sharing in mind and includes branded photo moments, interactive games and exclusive giveaways. Kicking off Wednesday, Aug. 19, 2026, the tour will visit the following universities:

• Aug.19 – UNC Charlotte (Charlotte, N.C.).
• Aug. 20 – North Carolina A&T State University (Greensboro, N.C.).
• Aug. 26 – University of Central Florida (Orlando).
• Aug. 28 – Kennesaw State University (Cobb County, Ga.).
• Sep. 1 – Georgia Institute of Technology (Atlanta).
• Sep. 11 – Rutgers University–New Brunswick (New Brunswick, N.J.).

Students can obtain exclusive Shein campus merchandise by completing activities throughout the activation, including downloading the Shein app, following Shein Campus on Instagram or TikTok, and applying to become a Shein Campus Ambassador.

[READ MORE: Shein to host festival-themed pop-up in Los Angeles]

The Shein Campus Ambassador Program includes college students across the U.S. who engage in content creation, community, and fashion. The program offers ambassadors access to exclusive perks, including shopping stipends and invitations to Shein events while serving as representatives of the brand on their campuses and earning commissions. There are currently more than 17,000 actively enrolled ambassadors.  

Omnichannel activewear brand Fabletics is expanding its apparel offerings for college students.

The brand has grown its College Shop to include more than 200 U.S. colleges and universities, significantly expanding its presence in the collegiate apparel category. Customers will be able to shop t-shirts, hoodies, polos and more from schools spanning every size, region and level of collegiate athletics, giving them more opportunities to show their school pride.

Fabletics is also piloting the College Shop in 14 retail stores near major university campuses, including Arizona State University, Michigan State and UCLA. The pilot will launch with a handful of core styles and test in-person demand to help inform a broader retail rollout, the brand said.

“The initial response to our College Shop was stronger than we anticipated, and that’s exactly why we’re doubling down,” said Meera Bhatia, president of Fabletics. “Reaching more than 200 colleges and universities is an exciting milestone and an opportunity to introduce Fabletics to new customers while giving existing shoppers another way to experience the brand. As we continue building the assortment, we’re combining the quality and value our customers love with custom graphics and elevated styles to give fans something special and distinctly Fabletics.”

The college apparel expansion comes after Fabletics recently announced plans to triple its international footprint in 2026 and open approximately 20 new stores over the next 12 months. The expansion will bring Fabletics into several new markets throughout this year and next, including India, the UAE, Colombia, Peru and across Central America.

[READ MORE: Amazon in big expansion of locker network across colleges]

Founded in 2013, Fabletics’ products are available online in the U.S., Canada and Europe. The brand operates more than 135 retail stores globally.

A leading delivery service is adding three new retailers to the platform with back-to-school season around the corner.

Barnes & Noble, Carter's and Kohl's are now available on DoorDash. The company says the new additions will save consumers time by bringing school clothes, supplies, books and everyday kids' essentials directly to their door.

"Back-to-school is one of those seasons where there's just no time to plan every trip,” said Mike Goldblatt, VP of enterprise partnerships at DoorDash. “As a dad, I know how this goes. It's the sports uniform you realize is missing the night before practice, or the notebook nobody remembers until they're already out the door. Bringing Barnes & Noble, Carter's and Kohl's onto DoorDash means parents can get what they need in minutes instead of making another stop. For our retail partners, it means getting in front of consumers exactly when they need them most."

Details of the new additions to DoorDash are as follows:

• Barnes & Noble The partnership marks DoorDash's first large-scale books offering. Shoppers can find required reading lists, reference books, study guides, workbooks and more, along with an expansive selection of toys, games, stationery, gifts, movies and music. 
• Carter's Carter’s is DoorDash's largest assortment for kids' apparel and essentials.
• Kohl's The partnership marks DoorDash's first department store selection spanning apparel to home goods. Consumers now have access to products across Kohl’s more than 1,100 stores nationwide. 

[READ MORE: DoorDash's in-house drone program receives FAA approval]

Founded in 2013 and headquartered in San Francisco, DoorDash provides on-demand delivery services in 25 countries across the globe.

Sweetgreen is bringing its order-ahead, drive-up format to a new market.

The health-focused fast-casual chain will open its fourth Sweetlane location in McLean, Va., on Aug. 20, marking the debut of the concept on the East Coast. Located at Chesterbrook Shopping Center, the store offers a “faster, more seamless” way for guests to enjoy Sweetgreen’s salads, bowls, plates and wraps through a dedicated drive-up window.

To use Sweetlane, guests place orders in advance through the Sweetgreen app or website and select sweetlane as their preferred pickup method. Once their order is ready, guests can drive through the sweetlane lane to pick up their meal directly from Sweetgreen team members. The restaurant also offers dine-in seating and traditional in-store pickup options for guests who prefer to order inside.

The chain first piloted the concept in 2022 with a location in Schaumburg, Ill. Sweetgreen says that as more guests turn to digital ordering, the Sweetlane concept continues to evolve how guests connect with "real food in ways that fit their lifestyle."

“At Sweetgreen, we’re all about reimagining where fast food can go and meeting customers where they are,” said Ryan Slemons, chief development officer at Sweetgreen. “Sweetlane brings that to life by pairing the convenience of a drive-through with the scratch-cooked, craveable food that guests expect. As we continue to evolve our restaurant formats, we’re excited to bring that experience to McLean and continue learning how we can make Sweetgreen even more accessible.”

[READ MORE: Sweetgreen to open first Tennessee location]

Founded in 2007 in Washington D.C., Sweetgreen operates more than 285 locations nationwide. The chain’s menu prioritizes organic, regenerative and locally-sourced produce.

Hy-Vee Inc. is helping ensure online shoppers find the items they are looking for.

The regional Midwest grocery/convenience/drugstore chain has structured nearly 265,000 products across more than 1,200 attribute types and 5,800 active categories, averaging seven attributes per SKU. Hy-Vee seeks to build a product data foundation that drives repeat purchase, substitutions, personalization, and digital merchandising across its online shopping platform.

The retailer can surface the products online customers buy most and organize them in ways that match how they typically shop. A predictions function layers in forward-looking intelligence, anticipating what a customer is likely to need before they have searched for it.

In addition, a substitutions experience provides alternatives when a preferred item is unavailable. Recommendations, complements, discover, variations, and impulses functions work together to surface relevant alternatives, companion products, and new items selected to fit naturally into a customer's cart.

Hy-Vee is also utilizing the Prodx Aisles app to obtain direct control over its digital merchandising experience to help personalize further at the individual shopper level, run A/B tests across experiences, and ensure only relevant products are surfaced in any given context. The retailer hopes to continue providing deeper personalization capabilities that move closer to a true customized shopping experience for every customer.

"Hy-Vee's online shopping platform truly shows what our infrastructure can do at scale.,” said Adam Christmann, CEO, Prodx. “Hy-Vee's relentless focus on personalization and customization combined with our product offerings transform the online experience for the customer by making shopping decisions easier and faster."

[READ MORE: Hy-Vee introduces 30-minute delivery and pickup]

Headquartered in West Des Moines, Iowa, Hy-Vee Inc. is an employee-owned corporation operating more than 560 retail stores across eight Midwestern states - Iowa, Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, South Dakota, Minnesota and Wisconsin - with sales of more than $14 billion annually.

Foot Locker is opening a first-of-its kind store model that serves as both a shopping destination and community hub.

Set to open Saturday, Aug. 22, 2026, “The Crenshaw Rec by Foot Locker” will be located on Crenshaw Boulevard in South Los Angeles and inspired by the role recreation centers have played as gathering places.

Developed by Foot Locker in partnership with Nike, Jordan Brand and Converse, The Crenshaw Rec by Foot Locker is designed as both a shopping destination and community hub. The space features an equipment room, open gym, hyper-local product collections, creative workspaces and a dedicated resource center that will host year-round programming supporting residents.

[READ MORE: Foot Locker to host immersive event weekend for 2026 NBA All-Star Game]

"The Crenshaw Rec by Foot Locker reflects our commitment to investing in the communities that have shaped our brand and continue to move sneaker culture forward," said Brett O'Brien, senior VP, chief marketing officer at Foot Locker. "Together with Nike Inc. and respected voices across Crenshaw, we're proud to create a destination that honors the neighborhood's rich legacy while inspiring the next generation through sport, culture, and community."

The store experience will include:

1. Community programming: Educational workshops including music academies, run clubs, barber shop cuts, and other events throughout the year.
2. Exclusive product collections: Merchandise available only at The Crenshaw Rec by Foot Locker will include a Crenshaw High School x Nike Team Shop collection and a capsule collection by Los Angeles-based designer Gavin Mathieu.
3. Local business integration: Ongoing pop-ups will highligh local businesses and entrepreneurs.
4. The Crenshaw Striper Program: A neighborhood hiring initiative.

To celebrate the grand opening, Foot Locker will host a community swap meet and three-on-three basketball tournament on Saturday, Aug. 22 from 10 a.m.- store close.