News Briefs

A new partnership enables Walgreens to include ads for products and services it doesn’t sell online in its retail media network.

The pharmacy giant, which in 2020 launched the Walgreens Advertising Group (WAG) retail media network based on its customer insights and first-party data, is expanding its advertiser base with the artificial intelligence-based Rokt e-commerce platform.

The Walgreens- Rokt collaboration enables ads for non-endemic brands (whose products and services are not sold online by the pharmacy retailer itself) to display on the order confirmation page of its e-commerce site.

"At Walgreens Advertising Group, we are committed to connecting brands with one of the most loyal and engaged consumer bases in the country," said Abishake Subramanian, group VP, consumer marketing, loyalty and Walgreens Advertising Group. "By expanding our retail media ecosystem with AI-powered capabilities, we’re giving advertisers new ways to engage customers in meaningful moments while creating incremental value for Walgreens."

Walgreens also recently partnered with data collaboration platform LiveRamp to enhance measurement of first-party data (information it directly collects from customers) across all advertising channels, including programmatic, connected TV, social, search, and buy- and sell-side platforms.

[READ MORE: Walgreens increases advertiser data access with new partnership]

"We are very excited to work with a respected household name like Walgreens to deliver real-time relevance for Walgreens Advertising Group’s audience of consumers nationwide," said Craig Galvin, chief revenue officer at Rokt. "Together, we’re planning to unlock a new monetization channel that enhances the customer experience and delivers measurable performance at scale, while also putting Walgreens’ in-house initiatives at the forefront to maximize the company’s customer experience."

Founded in 1901, Walgreens operates approximately 8,500 stores throughout the U.S. and Puerto Rico. 

Walmart is doubling down on a new construction method.

The retail giant is deepening its partnership Alquist after first partnering with the construction technology company in 2024 to print a nearly 8,000-sq.-ft., 20-foot-high addition to its store in Athens, Tenn. The project marked the first time Walmart utilized 3D concrete-printing technology at this scale and was also the first 3D-printed facility of its kind. It was followed by a second project, a 5,000-sq.-ft. addition to the Walmart supercenter in Owens Cross Roads, Ala.   

Alquist, which is based in Greeley, Col., recently announced a “landmark scale” in the technology with Walmart and other commercial retailers to deliver more than a dozen construction projects across the United States, marking the largest-scale deployment of 3D-printed commercial building technology in U.S. history, the company said. Its third project with Walmart will start in December, in Lamar, Mo.

To meet the increased level of demand, Alquist said it has launched a “first of its kind” partnership model with construction and equipment rental dealer Hugg & Hall and full-service general contractor FMGI. Under the model, FMGI owns and will lease Alquist A1X printers, financed and serviced by Hugg & Hall, to execute large-scale 3D-printed projects nationwide. Walmart Lamar will be the first  project under the new model. 

The "Sephoria" event annually held by Sephora is coming to Los Angeles in 2026.

The beauty giant, a subsidiary of global retail conglomerate LVMH, is hosting its annual Sephoria promotional beauty event in downtown Los Angeles at Magic Box at the Reef Friday, March 20 - Saturday, March 21. This marks the first time Sephoria has been held in Los Angeles since 2019. 

The event will include product drops, master classes taught by beauty experts, talent meet-and-greets, and an on-site shop with exclusive merchandise and products only available for purchase at Sephoria. 

Sephoria will also offer new fireside chat programming, product demos, giveaways, and panels accessible to all attendees, as well as swag bags from participating brands.

"We're thrilled to bring Sephoria back to Los Angeles – a city that has always been at the heart of beauty culture and innovation," said Jessica Stacey, senior VP external communications, experiential and marketing partnerships at Sephora U.S. "As a global event with activations spanning cities worldwide, meaningful connection is at the core of the Sephoria experience, and we’re proud to offer our community unparalleled access to our unique ecosystem of beauty experts, with many special perks along the way."

[READ MORE: Sephora launching shoppable digital storefronts for influencers]

For more information on ticketing and participating brands click here.

GameStop reported a mixed third quarter as its sales — and the value of its Bitcoin holdings — declined but net income jumped amid cost control and streamlining.

The video game and collectibles retailer reported net income of $77.1 million, or earnings per share of $0.13, for the quarter ended Nov.1, compared to net income of $17.4 million, or earnings per share of $0.4, in the year-ago period. Adjusted earnings per share totaled $0.24, topping Street estimates of $0.20 per share.

GameStop’s selling, general, and administrative expenses totaled $221.4 million, down from from $282 million last year.

Revenue declined 4.6% to $821 million from $860.3 million, missing analyst expectations. Sales were driven by strong growth in collectibles as sales of hardware, software and accessories declined.

GameStop has been investing in crypto, and bought Bitcoin earlier this year. The company’s Bitcoin holdings were valued at $519.4 million at the close of the third quarter, down from $528.6 million at end of the second quarter.

Advance Auto Parts — which operates more than 4,000 centers in the United States, Canada, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands — is parting with 83 of them.

The company has retained Gordon Brothers to dispose of the owned and leased sites, which span 38 states. The available spaces range in size from 4,000 to 16,000 square feet.

“We are excited to work with such a great partner and assist the exceptional in-house real estate team at Advance Auto Parts as they right size their portfolio for the future,” said Michael Burden, co-head of North America Real Estate at Gordon Brothers.

“This portfolio of properties offers a fantastic opportunity for growth-minded retailers who are looking to expand their portfolio in a strategic manner,” Burden added. 

As of Oct. 4, Advance operated 4,297 stores. The company also runs 814 independently-owned Carquest branded stores across these locations. 

Walmart holiday shoppers can now place orders right up to the wire.

The retail giant is extending its holiday delivery deadline with one-hour Express Delivery now available on orders placed until 5 p.m. Christmas Eve. To make it easier to get items fast, Walmart is introducing a new “Get it Now” ordering option in its app.

With the new option, customers can view an estimated number of minutes until an order arrives at their doorstep, and in one tap, place the order instantly, eliminating guesswork, speeding up decision-making and streamlining the entire shopping experience, Walmart said. 

“More people are using Express Delivery to get their items faster, and December is when it truly shines,” said David Guggina, chief e-commerce officer, Walmart U.S.

[READ MORE: Walmart brings shoppable ‘WhoKnewVille’ holiday campaign to new channel]

Shoppers using Walmart’s same-day pickup & delivery option can order until 12 p.m. local time on Dec. 24. For standard shipping, orders can be placed until 12:30 p.m. local time on Dec. 23 for arrival by Christmas Day.