News Briefs

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.

Independent retailers move fast when it comes to viral and consumer trends.

That’s according to a new report by Faire, an online wholesale platform used by independent retailers to source unique products from around the world. The study examined how independent retailers are buying and adapting in a shifting economy.

Independent retailers are identifying consumer trends and stocking their shelves with new products before they become mainstream, the report found. It cited data that showed searches for "squishy" toys spiking on the platform six weeks before mainstream media caught on, a pattern also seen with Mahjong sets and Dubai chocolate.

In other findings, independent retail is growing fastest in small cities and towns rather than major metropolitan hubs. The growth is following where Americans are moving, into Sun Belt cities such as Augusta, Ga. The shift is also being powered by Gen Z's preference for in-person shopping and a broader rise in small-town travel to smaller, historic destinations such as Williamsburg, Va.

[READ MORE: Gen Z didn’t raise the bar for retailers, buy they are forcing them to adapt]

Independent retail accounts for more than half of all retail locations across every U.S. state and 65% of U.K. retail, the report said.

“This report shows that even amid economic headwinds, independent retailers are proving remarkably resilient,” said Jennifer Burke, chief revenue officer at Faire. “Instead of retreating into pure cost optimization, these businesses strike a savvy balance and continue to offer their customers the best-of-the-best."

Ikea continues to expand its U.S. footprint.

The Swedish home furnishings giant will open seven new stores through 2027, reported USA Today. The openings include a smaller-format store in New York City's SoHo neighborhood.

In June, the retailer opened its its 10th Texas location, in Webster. The 93,000-sq.-ft. store features more than 7,000 products, including 4,800 items for immediate takeaway. Ikea currently has 62 U.S. stores.

Here are the locations of the seven upcoming stores according to the report:

Fall 2026

Late fall 2026

Several other recent consumer surveys also indicate widespread consumer use and acceptance of AI shopping agents. A recent survey from marketing agency LDWW. Roughly 70% of respondents said they shop with AI today and plan to use it even more in the future. 

In addition, 68% of surveyed users of Zip Co. Ltd. digital financial services reported using an AI shopping tool within the past three months, while 65% of those respondents said they engage with AI at least weekly.

And data from marketing technology provider Bloomreach reveals that more than 75% of consumers have leveraged next-gen AI solutions to help them shop in the last six months.

[READ MORE: AI-based shopping is coming of age — here's how]