After 25 years of operations, Francesca’s is going out of business. The Houston-based young women’s clothing and accessories chain filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection with plans to close its stores and liquidate. The filing, in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of New Jersey, comes after reports in January that Francesca’s was preparing…

For decades, retail has been framed as a competition. Who has the best assortment, the strongest brand, the most compelling experience. But as more consumers turn to artificial intelligence as a shopping assistant, that framing quietly breaks down. AI doesn’t browse. It doesn’t wander. It decides. And in doing so, it shifts retail from a…

Retailers are investing heavily in artificial intelligence because they see the possibility of faster decisions, stronger planning cycles, and better alignment across their organizations. Many teams begin these projects hoping AI will help them move with more confidence, yet successful AI programs usually start long before the first model runs. These programs begin with a…

Meet the Gen Z shopper: phone in hand, switching between TikTok and Instagram while moving through the world around them. Their attention shifts quickly, shaped by a constant feed of tailored content and instant recommendations. They value authenticity and newness, and they decide within seconds whether something feels worth their time. For retailers, this poses…

Retailers have spent the last decade obsessing over conversion rates, checkout optimization, and reducing friction for human buyers. However, a new customer has quietly entered the market, one that doesn’t browse the way humans do, doesn’t type into forms, and doesn’t tolerate broken workflows. Who are they? Artificial intelligence agents. According to Sean Neville, cofounder…