Retail & Consumer Goods Industry

Columbia, Mo. – September 08, 2026 -- American Outdoor Brands, Inc. (NASDAQ: AOUT) reported first quarter fiscal 2027 net sales of $37.3 million, up 25.4% from $29.7 million a year earlier, though growth normalizes to 4.3% after adjusting for $6.0 million in retailer orders that were pulled forward into the prior-year period.

Gross margin expands 630 basis points to 53.0%

Gross margin climbed to 53.0% from 46.7% in the year-ago quarter. GAAP net loss narrowed to $1.5 million, or $(0.12) per diluted share, from a $6.8 million loss, or $(0.54) per share, a year earlier. Non-GAAP net income reached $415,000, or $0.03 per diluted share, reversing a $3.3 million non-GAAP loss in the comparable quarter. Adjusted EBITDA turned positive at $1.2 million, or 3.1% of net sales, versus a negative $3.1 million, or (10.5)% of net sales, last year.

Arlington, Va. – September 08, 2026 -- Retail organizations are struggling to defend increasingly connected store systems because no single team holds end-to-end authority over cyber risk, according to a new blueprint from Info-Tech Research Group. The firm's Build Cyber Resilience in Connected Retail report identifies fragmented ownership across legacy point-of-sale systems, IoT devices, cloud platforms, e-commerce applications, and third-party vendors as the core barrier to consistent security decision-making.

Tokyo – September 07, 2026 -- Gurunavi, Inc. will stage live demonstrations of "Odate Magewappa," a 1,000-year-old Japanese bentwood craft, at Maison & Objet Paris 2026, running September 10-14 at Paris Nord Villepinte, alongside a showcase of more than 40 Japanese wood products.

The exhibit, housed in a dedicated pavilion titled "JAPAN WOOD x CRAFTSMANSHIP" in Hall 6, Stand N120-P119, is managed by Gurunavi as part of a project promoting Japanese wood products subsidized by Japan's Forestry Agency.

Qidong – September 07, 2026 -- Covation Biomaterials LLC (CovationBio) has produced its first on-spec commercial batches of Xatryx.T bioTHF and Xatryx® bioPTMEG at its 50,000-ton Qidong plant, four months after the facility's mechanical completion in April 2026. The company simultaneously unveiled the world's first athletic insole made with a non-food bio-based material, developed with insole brand INSITE®, at the NW Materials Show in Portland, Oregon on September 2-3, 2026.

Greenville, N.C. – September 07, 2026 -- Replay Sports Cards, the first national franchise dedicated exclusively to the sports card hobby, has signed a franchise agreement with father-son duo Jim and Jake Whitehurst to open a location in Greenville, North Carolina, before the end of 2026.

Deal marks Replay's return to its home state's eastern half

Replay was founded in North Carolina and built its early presence in Charlotte before expanding nationally to a current footprint of three shops across the U.S. The Greenville agreement extends that footprint into eastern North Carolina, linking regional collector communities that Jake Whitehurst says currently lack a central hub.

New York – September 07, 2026 -- Uniqode, a QR Code platform ranked highest on G2, has launched Uniqode Insights, a tool that connects dynamic QR Code scans to purchases, registrations and other conversions.

Marketers struggle to prove QR Code campaign impact despite positive results

98% of marketers report that physical QR Code campaigns have a positive impact on their marketing efforts, yet the link between scans and conversions is often unclear, making it difficult to demonstrate campaign return on investment.

Insights tracks the full journey from scan to purchase across placements

The tool identifies which QR Code placements generate conversions and revenue, and pinpoints where prospects drop off between scanning and completing a transaction. It also identifies high-intent and returning scanners by linking engagement activity across multiple sessions.

Irvine, Calif. – September 07, 2026 -- Blue Compass RV has acquired Brown's RV Superstore in McBee, South Carolina, expanding its Carolinas footprint to 13 dealerships in a deal brokered by Performance Brokerage Services.

Family-owned dealership changes hands after nearly four decades

Founded in 1986, Brown's RV Superstore operated as a family business for close to 40 years on a 12-acre site with 31,000 square feet of retail and service space, including 20 enclosed service bays. The dealership carried new and pre-owned RVs from Jayco, Grand Design, and Brinkley. Barry Brown of the Brown family confirmed the sale, crediting Jesse Stopnitzky of Performance Brokerage Services as exclusive sell-side advisor.

HANGZHOU – September 04, 2026 -- A documentary series tracking China's cross-border e-commerce sector has drawn more than 8.35 million views on international platforms since its July premiere, according to the Hangzhou International Communication Center, which produced the series with the Hangzhou cross-border e-commerce pilot zone.

The series, titled "Cross-Border E-Commerce: Stories from China," documents how exporters are shifting from product-only sales toward narrative-driven marketing to reach overseas buyers.

Hangzhou's e-commerce trade volume rose 1,266-fold since 2015

The city's cross-border e-commerce trade volume has multiplied 1,266 times since 2015, while the number of registered sellers grew from 200 to more than 65,000 over the same period, the center said.

NEW YORK – September 04, 2026 -- Influencer Advantage has surpassed 75,000 creator partnerships activated each month, as brands shift toward large-scale, data-driven creator marketing over one-off influencer deals.

Creator Marketplace grows to 400,000 profiles supporting $850 million in annual ad spend

The company's proprietary Creator Marketplace now includes more than 400,000 creators and produces over 200,000 performance creative assets each month. Influencer Advantage manages more than $850 million in annual advertising spend across a portfolio of over 700 active brands.

NEW YORK – September 04, 2026 -- Haut.AI has commercially launched Hair Analysis, an AI-powered hair assessment tool that converts a smartphone selfie and short questionnaire into personalized haircare product recommendations for beauty brands and retailers worldwide.

Technology evaluates six visible hair traits in under one minute

The tool combines computer-vision analysis of hair curvature, density, volume, frizz level, color and color uniformity with consumer-reported routine and concern data. The full assessment takes less than one minute to complete via smartphone.

Platform maps recommendations across 19 concerns and 12 product categories

Resulting hair profiles are matched to products addressing 19 concerns, including dryness, hair loss, chemical damage, dandruff and oily scalp, spanning 12 categories from shampoos and conditioners to masks, oils and styling products.