News Briefs

Walmart Luminate, which provides a unified picture of category performance and consumer trends at scale, is now available in Canada.

Walmart introduced Walmart Luminate in 2021, and earlier this year announced the international expansion of the Walmart Luminate platform, which began with Walmex in Mexico.

Retailer and supplier partners in Canada who have subscribed to Walmart Luminate will have access to the platform’s customizable analytics tools and data feeds to help obtain insights into customer trends and sentiments.

Walmart Luminate is launching in Canada with Shopper Behaviour, which helps participating retailer and supplier partners better understand how shoppers interact with brands and categories. Suppliers get access to detailed reports about customer metrics such as loyalty, switching, benchmarking, basket pairing, and substitutions.

Additional capabilities are expected to launch in Canada by the end of 2025. As the U.S. market introduces new features and functions for Walmart Luminate, which will rebrand as Scintilla at the beginning of 2025, the company plans to incorporate them into its Canadian offering as well.

[READ MORE: Walmart expands, renames Luminate data platform]

"As we continue to grow together and support our commitment to be the trusted first stop for Canadian families, I’m so energized by the opportunities that Walmart Luminate will provide our merchants and suppliers here in Canada," Jaed Khan, VP, data office, Walmart Canada, said in a corporate blog post.

According to Walmart Canada, early feedback from its pet team that has been using the tool since summer 2024 is positive, with the group already finding opportunities to leverage the data and enhance its insights.

Based in Mississauga, Ont., Walmart Canada operates more than 400 stores nationwide.

The Giant Company has promoted a long-standing employee to its C-suite.

The Pennsylvania-based grocer has promoted Will Regan to the role of chief financial officer. Effective immediately, he will have responsibility for all finance functions as well as real estate, reporting directly to The Giant Company’s president, John Ruane.

Regan began his career ​in 2005 as an accountant for Ahold Delhaize USA and has since served in a variety of roles across the company. He joined The Giant Company in 2018 as director of commercial finance and was named to his most recent position, director of commercial finance and profitability, in July of 2022.  

In August, the grocer promoted its then-CFO Rebecca Lupfer to the role of senior VP and chief merchant, leading all aspects of merchandising for the company as well as commercial planning and pricing.

“With nearly two decades of experience, Will is a proven leader with a track record of providing actionable financial guidance and expertise,” said Ruane. “With his deep understanding of our business and strong partnerships across the company, I know he’ll continue to be a valuable resource as we work to deliver our strategy, drive results and position The Giant Company for long-term growth.”

[READ MORE: Philadelphia center to be re-anchored with a Giant supermarket]

The Giant Company, through its banners Giant, Martin’s and Giant Heirloom Market, operates 193 stores, online grocery services, pharmacies, and fuel stations in Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia.

Sweaty Betty is in expansion mode.

The London-based women's activewear brand has opened stores in Chicago's Southport neighborhood and in Washington, D.C.'s Georgetown area. Both feature Sweaty Betty's collection of premium activewear that combine feminine-focused design and style with technical performance.

In 2021, Sweaty Betty was acquired by Wolverine World Wide, whose portfolio also includes Merrell, Stride Rite, Saucony, Wolverine and more. 

"We are thrilled to open these new locations in Chicago and D.C., which mark an exciting opportunity to connect with new communities and deepen our presence in key markets," said Melissa Mullen, global brand president of Sweaty Betty. "We look forward to being part of these vibrant cities, supporting our consumers' active lifestyles, and continuing to grow our global sisterhood."

The company is also expanding its footprint in the United Kingdom with a new store in Cardiff, the capital city of Wales, and also in Westfield London, as part of its growing presence across the country. Sweaty Betty now a total of 85 U.K. stores.

In addition to its own stores, the Sweaty Betty brand is sold at Nordstrom stores across the U.S.

Ahead of the holiday season, the majority of Americans have reported receiving damaged goods from online retailers this year.

According to an online survey conducted by The Harris Poll on behalf of sustainable fiber-based packaging manufacturer DS Smith, 60% of Americans have received damaged goods when ordering products online in 2024. Among those receiving damaged goods, about one third said the package was crushed (34%), torn (34%) or the product was smashed within the packaging (32%).

In the United States, an estimated 700 million packages are delivered damaged each year worth approximately $48.5 billion. The data comes as e-commerce sales are expected to make up 26% of total U.S. holiday retail sales, up roughly 8% from 24% in 2023, according to a recent analysis from Forrester.

“Three quarters of Americans (78%) make online purchases that are delivered to their home and/or workplace at least once a month while almost half of those polled receive deliveries weekly,” said Steven Rose, managing director of North American packaging at DS Smith. “Damaged packaging can be a big frustration for e-commerce shoppers as well as a pain point for retailers.”

[READ MORE: Study: One-in-three online orders delivered late; shoppers want compensation]

The survey was conducted Nov. 7-11, 2024 among 3,071 adults ages 18 and older.

Instacart is making it easier for participants in the Instacart+ paid subscription plan to obtain free delivery during the holiday season.

The grocery technology company is rolling out a new temporary perk for members of the Instacart+ program. Instacart+ typically offers unlimited free delivery frees for orders more than $35, among other benefits, at a standard flat cost of $99 per year or $9.99 per month.

[READ MORE: Instacart revamps subscription offering]

However, during the 2024 holiday season, Instacart will offer Instacart+ members a new feature called Express Lane providing $0 delivery minimums on grocery and retail orders of only $10, instead of $35. 

Express Lane has launched in the Instacart app and on the Instacart website for all Instacart+ members and will be available for a limited time. According to Instacart purchasing data from the 2023 holiday season, the share of $10-$20 basket size orders were up to three times higher around Thanksgiving and Christmas compared to the yearly average.

"Happy Holidays from Instacart, where we’re delivering more joy, one or two items at a time," said Instacart.

Based in San Francisco, Instacart partners with more than 1,500 national, regional, and local retail banners to facilitate online shopping, delivery and pickup services from more than 85,000 stores across North America.

WH Smith PLC is doubling down on its airport travel shop business in North America. 

The London-based retailer, which opened 40 stores in North America this year, said it recently won some “significant new airport business,” including wins for stores at Dallas, Denver and Washington Dulles airports, and is also the preferred bidder for a further 15 stores across two major U.S. airports. 

WH Smith plans to open about 60 shops in North America during the next two years. By 2028, the company expects be operating around 500 stores, up from its current total of 341. (The total includes 256 stores in airports, 83 in resorts and two in rail stations.)

“North America, the world’s largest travel market and with increasing passenger numbers, is our most exciting growth opportunity where we see excellent prospects to further grow our airport business,” WH Smith said in a financial release. “This division will continue to become an increasingly significant part of the Group and is now our second largest division in profit terms, after Travel UK. “

WH Smith is a leading global retailer in news, books and convenience for the world’s travel customer. It has more than 1,700 stores across 30 countries worldwide.

In April, Toys”R”Us parent WHP Global signed a long-term license agreement with WH Smith as the exclusive shop-in-shop partner for Toys"R"Us in the U.K.