News Briefs

David’s Bridal has unveiled a hybrid retail format. 

The  bridal and special occasion dress retailer has opened a dedicated outlet shop-in-shop in its existing location at the River Valley Center McAllen, Texas. The shop is David Bridal’s first in-store outlet shopping destination, with the retailer planning to open additional outlet shops throughout the country in 2026.

The shop-in-shop features “outlet priced” wedding, bridesmaid, prom, mother-of-the-bride and wedding guest and special occasion dresses, along with the retailer's complete assortment of designer bridal and special occasion collections. Shoppers will continue to receive a personalized in-store experience, while stylists will be able to guide outlet shoppers, the company said.

[READ MORE: David’s Bridal CEO Kelly Cook discusses chain’s tech transformation]

“This is about delivering more choice, more value and more reasons to shop at David's," said Heather Braddock, chief global operations and transformation officer. "Whether a customer is searching for a designer wedding dress, an incredible outlet find or a complete bridal experience, she can now discover it all in one place, starting with our McAllen, Texas location. The Outlet Shop by David's Bridal reimagines how today's brides and special occasion shoppers experience our stores."

David’s Bridal operates more than 180 stores across the U.S., Canada and Mexico.

Cos, the upscale men’s and women’s fashion brand of Sweden’s H&M Group known for its clean lines and minimalist stylings, is looking to expand in footprint in North America.

Cos is focused on growing in the U.S. and Mexico, reported WWD, and has signed leases for stores at three Westfield shopping centers. The locations include stores at Westfield Topanga in Canoga Park, Calif., and Westfield Old Orchard in Skokie, Ill, both of which are due to open this fall, according to the report, and Westfield Garden State Plaza in Paramus, N.J., opening in 2027.

In partnership with Mexican real estate developer and architectural and design firm. Retail Fashion Group, Cos will open six franchised locations in Mexico starting this fall. In other moves, Cos recently debuted on the Nordstrom marketplace. The brand first with department store retailer in 2022 as a wholesale partner.

In a statement to WWD, Cos said that its expansion reflects the brand’s ongoing commitment to the North America/Central American market “and its broader omnichannel growth strategy.”

“Each space will reflect COS’ architectural language: defined by considered materials, clean lines and a refined, modern aesthetic,” the company said.

To read the full WWD report, click here.

Cos (which stands for Collection of Style) currently operates 12 stores in North America, with seven in the U.S., seven in Canada and one in Mexico. According to its website, the brand has 252 stores in 50 markets and online stores in 38 markets.

A longstanding Canadian steakhouse chain has its first delivery partner.

The Keg Steakhouse + Bar, which operates over 100 locations across Canada and the United States, has made its delivery debut exclusively on DoorDash. Guests in both countries can now order the chain’s steaks, appetizers, sides, desserts and more and have it delivered to their doors.

“Delivery represents a new chapter for The Keg as we can offer the same level of care and intention we bring to every guest experience, but now directly to our guests’ homes,” said Jason Butler, senior VP of operations at The Keg Steakhouse + Bar, which was founded in 1971. “DoorDash shares our commitment to quality. That alignment made them the right partner to help us bring The Keg experience to countless households across North America for the first time.”

To celebrate the launch, guests can enjoy $10 off a delivery order of $40 or more from The Keg on DoorDash from July 23 Aug. 5, 2026 using promo code KEG10 (Canada) or 10KEG (United States) at checkout, while supplies last. DashPass members also receive $0 delivery fees and reduced service fees on eligible orders from The Keg on DoorDash.

[READ MORE: DoorDash integrates delivery services with Shopify]

“The Keg has built an incredible reputation as one of the most trusted restaurant brands in Canada and as a dining partner in celebrating life’s most meaningful moments,” said Vishwa Chandra, VP of enterprise restaurant partnerships at DoorDash. “We’re incredibly proud to be The Keg’s exclusive delivery partner, playing a small part in the moments that will be created at home.”

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

Pacsun is teaming up with the country’s largest beauty brand.

The teen apparel and accessories retailer is partnering with beauty giant Ulta Beauty to launch an exclusive fashion and beauty collaboration. The limited-edition Pacsun x Ulta Beauty Collection collection, which pairs Pacsun's signature fashion perspective with curated beauty essentials, launches in Pacsun's SoHo store in New York City on July 28, before it expands to more than 100 Pacsun doors nationwide and online on Aug. 6.  

The collection includes two collaboratively curated beauty essential kits, The Lip Statement Kit and The Glow Authority, featuring top brands popular with Pacsun shoppers. It also includes an exclusive limited-edition hoodie.

The beauty essential kits will also be available at select Ulta Beauty stores, on ulta.com, and on TikTok Shop beginning Aug. 2. The hoodie will be available on ulta.com and TikTok Shop starting Aug. 6. 

[READ MORE: Domino's Pizza exec joins Ulta Beauty C-suite]

"At Pacsun, we're always looking for new ways to connect with our community through partnerships that feel authentic to their lifestyle," said Richard Cox, chief merchandising officer of Pacsun. "Our partnership with Ulta Beauty brings together two brands that celebrate self-expression, confidence and individuality. By combining Pacsun's fashion-first perspective with Ulta Beauty's leadership in beauty, we're creating an exciting new destination where our guests can discover products that reflect who they are."

A flexible payment option is becoming an increasingly popular way to offset the cost of back-to-school items.

Close to half (45%) of U.S. consumers surveyed by email & SMS marketing platform Omnisend plan to use buy now, pay later (BNPL) as a payment method for back-to-school shopping, up from 39% recorded by Omnisend in 2025. Three-in-10 (31%) expect BNPL to cover more than half of their back-to-school spending.

The survey also reveals general consumer concern about the cost of back-to-school shopping. Four-in-10 respondents expect it to be more stressful this year than it was last year. Overall, 44% of respondents expect to spend more than $500 on back-to-school shopping this year, including 19% who anticipate spending over $1,000. 

Back-to-school items parents are most worried about affording include:

• Apparel such as shoes (43%), clothing and uniforms (42%), and backpacks (31%).
• Electronics like laptops and calculators (34%).
• Basic school supplies such as notebooks and pens (32%).

In addition, 44% of respondents worry their child could feel left out because of back-to-school product affordability and 28% plan to make cutbacks in other areas to ensure they can buy the items their child wants, including:

• 30% plan to cut back on family activities and entertainment.
• 22% plan to use credit.
• 21% plan to use savings that were meant for something else.
• 18% plan to borrow from friends or family.

[READ MORE: Parents expect to spend more — and take on debt — for back-to-school shopping]

“Buy now, pay later used to be associated with discretionary spending,” said Marty Bauer, e-commerce expert at Omnisend. “Now it’s increasingly becoming a budgeting tool for predictable, everyday expenses."

A survey of 1,075 U.S. consumers was commissioned by Omnisend and conducted by Cint in June 2026. 

The retail sector scored high marks when it came to consumer satisfaction in the second quarter.

Retail had a global satisfaction score of 92.4 between April and June 2026, according to the "Retail CX Pulse: Q2 2026” report from HappyOrNot, derived from 18.7 million in-store retail feedback responses. North America had a satisfaction rate of 93.4%.

According to the analysis, Tuesday and Wednesday are the days where consumers reported being the most satisfied with their retail experience, while Sunday was the weakest performing day of the week.

Customer satisfaction falls gradually throughout the day rather than dropping suddenly, with afternoons and evenings consistently the weakest periods. Weekend pressure builds earlier and lasts longer than on weekdays, driven by higher footfall and busier teams, according to HappyOrNot.

[READ MORE: Consumer sentiment rises amid lower gas prices; renewal of Iran conflict poses risk]

“Satisfaction tends to be strongest earlier in the week, likely due to lower footfall and fewer operational pressures on staff, while performance drops off later in the day and into the weekend as stores get busier,” noted Scott Erickson, HappyOrNot’s VP of U.S. sales global channels. “With many retailers also managing leaner teams amid rising labor costs this year, that gap between demand and resourcing becomes more visible at the busiest points in the week.”

HappyOrNot’s report also identifies the biggest sources of friction in-store. Price perception remains the weakest operational pillar at 83.7%, while service execution leads at 97.7% and store environment follows closely at 94.3%. Transaction friction (86.9%) product & inventory (89.4%) are also both areas of continued focus as promotional demand increases amid rising prices.