You can now buy a Hyundai on Amazon

With Black Friday right around the corner, Sephora folds away perfume, TJX pulls back on e-commerce

Welcome to the Retailist Roundup! As we move closer to Thanksgiving, not only are we witnessing a surge in apple pie enthusiasm, but also the fast-approaching Black Friday. This is a critical time for the latest in e-commerce, retail, and Direct-to-Consumer (DTC) brands, and our team is here to bring you the freshest updates.

We've carefully selected the highlights of the past week to present you with the most impactful headlines, emerging trends, and expert insights from the global retail industry. Let’s explore the key topics of this week, with a special focus on the Black Friday buzz.

New from Retailist

The standout concern for many retailers this Black Friday is shrinkage. More specifically, theft. With nearly 80% of US brands saying organized retail crime is a risk that has become a priority in the past year for them, increased footfall in-store only enhances the potential for shoplifting.

Entrepreneurs who incorporate artificial intelligence technology into their e-commerce operations will achieve a significant competitive advantage

By Dawson Gant, Vice President of Store Partnerships — Ecom Authority 

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In the News: This week’s top headlines

Retail sales slip as consumers pull back after summer splurges: AP reports that Retail sales fell last month after jumping a strong 0.9% in September, according to a report released Wednesday by the Commerce Department. September’s figure was revised higher from an initial 0.7% gain. Excluding sales of gas and autos, retail sales ticked up 0.1%. The figures reflect a slowdown in consumers’ willingness to spend after a blowout summer. [AP]

Sephora folds away perfume: As a response to increased theft, the beauty retailer has announced they will remove all of its fragrances from its shelves and replace them with tester bottles where customers can instead sample scents. [The Street]

Burberry shares sink 9%: CNBC writes that lessened demand for luxury goods is taking a toll on companies around the world, as economic uncertainty and higher inflation curtail consumer spending on luxury items. [CNBC]

Gap doing better than expected: Reuters describes that Gap posted better-than-expected results for the third quarter thanks to easing supply expenses, cost-control efforts and improving sales at Old Navy, [Reuters]

Amazon and Hyundai launch a strategic partnership—including vehicle sales on Amazon.com in 2024: Hyundai has also selected AWS as its preferred cloud provider and next-generation Hyundai vehicles will be even more responsive and interactive with Alexa Built-in. [Amazon]

TJX pulls back on e-commerce as store sales rise: With headquarters in Massachusetts, the retail chain has closed its HomeGoods.com e-commerce business as traffic at brick-and-mortar stores drove above-expected sales. [Boston Business Journal]

Job Board: This week’s Top Openings in DTC, RetailTech, and more

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Retailist Magazine is an outlet focused on modern commerce as it relates to digital innovation. The publication examines our culture’s ever-evolving relationship with marketing, commerce and traditional retail. Our goal is to connect our audience to quality content and award programs for retail brands to tell their story of innovation. The publication was launched in Summer 2020 with overwhelming support from thought leaders across the globe.

These experts stand at the helm of their niche in retail and provide readers with real-time, trending insights to ensure you remain on the bleeding edge of commerce innovation. Contributing thought leaders include C-suite executives from Hubspot, Wix, Printful, Global-e, Zapaygo, TradeGala, Birdie, Inurface Media, and more.