The Week In News, But Shorter
June 23 – 29, 2025

A headline this week called in-store returns a “top challenge” for retailers. But when you read the fine print, it turns out one-in-five say their stores simply aren’t designed to handle modern customer service needs. That includes order pickup, online returns, and other functions that have become essential. What we hear in that isn’t just a pain point for tenants—it’s an opportunity for property owners. Helping tenants properly equip their stores is part of the solution, but there’s also a growing need to support them with reverse logistics infrastructure. Another major headline this week confirms just how active that space is becoming, with a key player (and long-time friend of NextRivet in Doddle) expanding their capabilities. If your property isn’t set up to support today’s return flows, we’d love to help you explore how to close the gap.

Returns weren’t the only logistics topic grabbing our attention. Delivery also came up again, with major players increasing speed through new initiatives, some of which borrow directly from online-first brands. We also revisited a topic we used to track quite closely: dark stores. One very familiar name is now putting them to use in a way that feels worth watching. And as always, we stayed plugged into the latest AI use cases. If you’re connected with us on LinkedIn then you’ll know we had a great time recently in New York. And if you’re not, then what are you waiting for??

Digital Meets Physical

Neiman’s gets smarter with digital merchandising[Chain Store Age] Neiman Marcus and Bergdorf Goodman are adopting NuOrder by Lightspeed to digitize assortment planning. The goal? Smarter buying decisions, real-time visualization, and tighter merchandising operations across their luxury banners.

Amazon aims to speed up delivery to 4K rural communities by end of year [Retail Dive] Amazon plans to bring same- and next-day delivery to more than 4,000 small towns and rural communities by the end of the year. The company in April said it would invest more than $4 billion by 2026 to expand its delivery network in rural America.

Klarna to debut mobile service [Chain Store Age] Klarna, in partnership with Gigs, an operating system for mobile services, is debuting an unlimited mobile service plan, paired directly with the Klarna app. The company’s plan will first launch in the United States in the coming weeks, with the U.K., Germany and more to follow soon.

Blue Yonder Expands Reverse Logistics Business with Inmar Acquisition [Supply Chain 24/7] With full ownership of its Inmar joint venture, Blue Yonder is scaling return infrastructure like FedEx Easy Returns across 3,000+ drop-off points. For shopping centers, it’s a clear sign: return logistics is becoming table stakes.

Target Explores Factory-Direct Shipping Model Used by Temu [Bloomberg] Target Corp. is testing the delivery of products directly to customers’ homes from factories, said people familiar with the matter, an effort by the big-box retailer to launch a service similar to the Chinese e-commerce platforms Temu and Shein.

Amazon ends speedy delivery by Kia Soul in favor of gig workers [Yahoo Finance] Amazon is retiring its Kia Soul same-day delivery fleet experiment, returning to a more traditional gig-driver model. The reversal highlights the ongoing experimentation—and volatility—around retail fulfillment infrastructure.

Wayfair offers two new AI features on customer app [Chain Store Age] Wayfair is updating its customer app with artificial intelligence capabilities.The digitally native home furnishings giant is rolling out new AI-based discover and image search tools on its app.

PropTalk

Shopping Centers in 2025: E-commerce Didn’t Win [MI Tech News] In 2025, shopping centers in the United States are undergoing a real transformation. Although they were recently labeled “dead” due to the rise of e-commerce, they are proving otherwise, becoming hubs not only for shopping but also for entertainment, socializing, and unique experiences. Our team has studied how mall operators use technology to attract Gen Z, families, and everyone looking for more than just purchases.

Walmart Tests Dark Stores [Retail Dive] Walmart is testing dark stores, or brick-and-mortar locations that fulfill online orders but are not open to the public. The retailer is currently piloting the concept in Dallas. The dark stores will carry some of the retailer’s most popular products. Another location is planned for Bentonville, Arkansas, the retailer’s hometown.

Online orders returned in-store ‘a top challenge,’ retailers say [Chain Store Age] In-store returns of online orders are putting stress on many retailers. Forty-three percent of retailers say handling online order returns in-store is a top challenge, and that increases in the volume of returns has created new costs, according to a new study from Retail Systems Research (RSR), sponsored by retail technology provider Jumpmind.

Westfield Targets More Geographies After Cenomi Centers Franchise Deal [Bisnow] Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield is extending its brand globally through a new franchise partnership with Cenomi Centers in Saudi Arabia. The deal will bring the Westfield name to up to eight malls across the region, part of a strategy to expand its experiential retail footprint internationally.

Sam’s Club sees success in removing checkout lanes at one store, but it’s still just a test [ModernRetail] Last October, when Sam’s Club opened the doors to its first store without checkout lanes in Grapevine, Texas, chief finance officer Todd Sears was on site. He saw firsthand how the all-digital approach could push members to embrace its Scan and Go technology and give employees more time to teach shoppers how to use the technology hands-on.