News Briefs

A new program Amazon is testing with the U.S. Postal Service gives customers a chance to have orders placed later in the day eligible for same-day delivery.

Sycamore Partners is reportly close to a deal to selling British pharmacy chain Boots.

The private equity firm, which acquired Walgreens Boots Alliance for $23.7 billion in 2025, is reported to be in advance talks to sell Boots to the Canadian branch of Britain’s Weston family, reported The Wall Street Journal. 

Boots operates approximately 1,800 stores across the U.K.

The Westons are the owners of Canada’s Loblaws grocery chain and pharmacy retailer Shoppers Drug Mart. The U.K. branch of the Weston family hold the majority stake in Associated British Foods Plc, whose holdings include Primark, and own Fortnum & Mason. The businesses of the two branches of the family are run independently.

The sale would not come as a surprise as Sycamore has been widely expected to spin off and sell Boots after its acquisition of  Walgreen Boots Alliance last year. It subsequently split the company into ​five independent businesses including Walgreens and The Boots Group.

David’s Bridal has ended its search for a new chief financial officer. 

The bridal and special occasion retailer and operator of AI-powered digital wedding platform Pearl named Kathy Cherian as CFO, effective immediately. She succeeds Rob Cooper, who stepped down in March after 20 years of service.

Cherian brings more than 20 years of experience leading finance, strategy and business planning for global, consumer-facing and multichannel businesses. Most recently, she served as CFO of Magnolia, where she oversaw finance across the company's retail, e-commerce, media, hospitality and consumer products businesses. 

Previously, Cherian spent 12 years at Nike, where she held senior finance leadership roles including CFO of Nike Canada and global business planning leadership for Nike's approximately $50 billion enterprise. 

At David's, Cherian will lead the company's global finance organization and play a central role in scaling its technology-enabled ecosystem across consumer commerce, Pearl, B2B marketplaces, media, partnerships and new revenue streams. 

During the past year, David's has expanded Pearl with AI-powered planning and commerce capabilities, launched Pearl Connect to connect wedding professionals with qualified couples, expanded its marketplace and B2B businesses, introduced new retail formats and partnerships, and continued to broaden its role across the wedding and special occasion journey.

[READ MORE: David's Bridal engages customers with reality series]

"Kathy is exactly the kind of leader we need for this next chapter," said Kelly Cook, CEO of David's Bridal. "We've spent the last 18 months building an entirely new engine for David's, from Pearl and AI-powered commerce to new B2B businesses, media, marketplaces and an increasingly asset-light model. Now we're focused on scaling that engine with discipline, speed and precision. Kathy has spent her career doing exactly that. She knows how to scale growth, how to build operational rigor and, most importantly, how to turn financial strategy into impactful results. "

Walmart has enhanced its customer app with a lighting feature that makes it easier for customers to find exactly what they are looking for on the store shelf.

With the chain's new "Shop to Light" tool, shoppers can use the Walmart app to ask for help finding an item. The request tells the store system which product location to light up, and a small LED flashes on the shelf label to help the customer spot it. The feature uses the LED already built into Walmart’s digital shelf labels, which the chain is rolling out across all its U.S. stores.

Walmart’s new tool has also been adapted for store employees (“Stock to Light). Using a mobile device, associates can activate the LED on a shelf label to quickly identify where an item belongs.

“Instead of spending extra time double-checking locations, the light helps point the way,” Walmart stated in a post on its web site. “That makes stocking simpler for associates and helps make sure products are where customers expect to find them.”

A similar concept, “Pick to Light,” is being used to help Walmart employees quickly find the products needed to fill online pickup or delivery orders.   

[READ MORE: Walmart CEO says chain does not use personal info to set prices]

“Stock to Light helps us put products where they belong, Walmart stated. “Pick to Light helps us find the right products for online orders. And now Shop to Light helps customers find what they’re looking for themselves.”

Rothy’s has added a veteran merchandising executive to its C-suite.

The sustainable footwear brand named Jenna Renfrew as chief product and merchandising officer. She will report to Rothy’s CEO Dayna Quanbeck.

Renfrew joins Rothy’s from Target, where she served as the VP, women’s apparel merchandising and design collaborations for eight years. Before joining Target in 2018, she served as chief merchandising officer for Lucky Brand for over one year and as VP of merchandising and product creation at Stitch Fix for another year.

Earlier in her career, Renfrew held executive roles at Banana Republic and Nike. She also spent 11 years at Gap. 

Her appointment comes as Rothy’s is celebrating its 10th anniversary. The digitally-native brand has approximately 40 stores, with upcoming locations including Philadelphia's Rittenhouse Square neighborhood, and Park Meadows mall in Lone Tree, Colo. Rothy's also sells its products through select wholesale and online partners including Nordstrom and Amazon. 

Renfrew will lead Rothy's integrated product strategy, bringing together product development, production, merchandising, planning and collaborations to drive innovation, category expansion and long-term growth. Her focus is to turn the company’s brand vision into a cohesive assortment and growth strategy that strengthens commercial performance and aligns product with consumer demand. 

“Rothy's has already achieved something rare: redefining expectations for everyday footwear while building extraordinary customer loyalty," Renfrew said in a LinkedIn post. “The opportunity ahead is to honor what makes the brand distinctive, evolve it thoughtfully and create what comes next. I'll be bringing product, merchandising, production and collaborations into one connected organization, guided by a deep understanding of the customer and a clear point of view on what earns a place in their lives."

[READ MORE: DoorDash launches text orders, drones, return pick-ups, AI tools]