E-Commerce & Retail Tech

Beijing – September 13, 2026 -- Chinese jewellery brand Laopu Gold outsold the jewellery division of Swiss luxury conglomerate Richemont Group in the Chinese market in 2025, a milestone that has drawn scrutiny from European luxury researchers.

Laopu Gold ranks first globally in store sales efficiency

Industry data cited by Professor Stéphane JG Girod of IMD business school shows Laopu Gold ranked first globally among luxury brands in both single-store sales efficiency and floor-area efficiency in 2025 and from January to June 2026. Within the jewellery category, its per-store performance was several times higher than that of other international jewellery brands. The company is currently the only Chinese brand present in the high jewellery segment of the luxury market.

Houston – September 13, 2026 -- Group 1 Automotive, Inc. (NYSE: GPI) has priced $1.25 billion in senior unsecured notes to fund its acquisition of Hennessy Automobile Companies' dealership assets and real estate.

Group 1 splits offering into two tranches maturing in 2032 and 2035

The Fortune 250 automotive retailer priced $625.0 million of 6.250% senior unsecured notes due 2032 and $625.0 million of 6.625% senior unsecured notes due 2035. The private placement, sold under Rule 144A and Regulation S exemptions, is expected to close on September 13, 2026, subject to customary conditions.

New York – September 13, 2026 -- Moonshot AI, the autonomous eCommerce website optimization platform founded in 2023, has rebranded as Shuttlebase after a naming collision with the China-based Moonshot AI, developer of the Kimi AI models, created market confusion during that company's global expansion.

Name collision with Chinese AI firm forces New York startup to rebrand

Co-founders Aviv Frenkel and Evyatar Segal said the switch was not planned but became necessary once the unrelated Chinese firm's expansion began overlapping with their brand identity in the market. "We didn't plan on changing our name, but the collision forced us to think about what we're actually building," said Frenkel, Co-Founder and CEO. "Shuttlebase captures that vision. We want to build the launchpad that allows eCommerce brands to continuously improve and move faster."

New York – September 12, 2026 -- Wella Company will place four haircare brands -- Wella Professionals, Sebastian Professional, Nioxin and Briogeo -- into Target Beauty Studio, a new prestige beauty retail concept launching September 10 across more than 600 stores and on Target.com.

Target Beauty Studio debuts with 90 curated brands and 1,600 products

The retail format spans skincare, makeup, haircare, fragrance, bath and body, and nails, combining specialty-level merchandising with dedicated Beauty Advisors and Target Circle promotional offers. Wella's four brands enter as part of this curated prestige and emerging-brand assortment.

Columbus, Ohio – September 12, 2026 -- Triple Whale unveiled a new brand identity, marking its shift from an ecommerce analytics platform to what it calls an AI operating system for commerce, after tracking more than $71 billion in gross merchandise value and $25 billion in advertising spend over the past year.

Platform now serves 65,000 brands across 85 countries

More than 65,000 brands use Triple Whale, supported by a global network of over 2,000 agencies operating in more than 85 countries.

AI operator Moby has executed over 100,000 automations

The rebrand follows the recent upgrade of Moby, Triple Whale's AI operator, which the company describes as the only AI harness for ecommerce. Moby has powered more than 100,000 automations and approximately 1 million conversations, handling tasks from ad-budget adjustments to generating creative and building Shopify landing pages.

Miami – September 12, 2026 -- Boats Group customer data shows a Mid-Atlantic brokerage generated 494% more boat detail page views after raising its average listing score by just 5%, as the marketplace operator pushes brokers and dealers to optimize inventory ahead of fall boat show season.

The company reports marketplace traffic climbs approximately 30% in the weeks surrounding major boat shows, as buyers research brands and compare models before and after visiting docks. Boats Group says listing quality during that window directly determines which sellers capture buyer attention.

New York – September 12, 2026 -- Printing Limitless has expanded its custom branding and printing catalog for small businesses across the United States, adding a limited-time 15% discount on all purchases via coupon code FLAT15.

Product portfolio spans banners, displays, apparel and signage for customer-facing environments

The company's online platform offers Custom Vinyl Banners, Outdoor Banners, Promotional Banners, Retail Banners, Restaurant Banners, and Company Banners alongside display hardware including Roll Up Banner Stands, Adjustable Banner Stands, Step and Repeat Displays, Pop-Up Displays, and Sidewalk Signs/Sandwich Boards. These products target storefront promotions, grand openings, trade shows, local events, and sales campaigns.

Katy, Texas – September 11, 2026 -- Academy Sports + Outdoors (Nasdaq: ASO) will send Chief Executive Officer Steve Lawrence and Chief Financial Officer Carl Ford to the Goldman Sachs 33rd Annual Global Retailing Conference, running September 14 to September 15, 2026.

Executives will hold a fireside chat webcast on September 15

The session is scheduled for 11:30 a.m. Eastern Time on September 15 and will be webcast live for investors and analysts. A replay will remain available on the company's investor relations site for 30 days following the event.

Academy operates more than 300 stores across 21 states

The Katy, Texas-based sporting goods and outdoor recreation retailer traces its roots to 1938 as a Texas family business. Its product assortment spans outdoor gear, apparel, sports and recreation equipment, and footwear, combining national brands with a portfolio of private label lines.

Miami – September 11, 2026 -- Bespoke wheel manufacturer ANRKY Wheels has recorded a roughly 40% increase in organic search traffic following a website relaunch by digital agency Digital Silk, according to Ahrefs data cited by the companies.

The new site, which went live May 27, 2026, also drove a more than 15-fold increase in keywords ranking in Google's top three positions. Domain authority grew approximately 20%, referring domains tripled, and pages with organic visibility increased roughly 3.5 times compared with the pre-launch baseline.

Secaucus – September 11, 2026 -- The Vitamin Shoppe has appointed Kimberley Gardiner as Executive Vice President, Chief Marketing and Growth Officer, effective immediately, tasking the former Tractor Supply marketing chief with digitizing the 640-store wellness retailer ahead of its 50th anniversary next year.

Gardiner exits Tractor Supply after growing loyalty program to 40 million members

Gardiner joins from Tractor Supply Company, where she served as Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer since 2022, directing marketing across more than 2,400 stores. During her tenure, the retailer's Neighbor's Club loyalty program expanded to over 40 million members, while she advanced the company's "Life Out Here" brand positioning and omnichannel data strategy.