UK Retail Sales Rebound in May

Retail sales in the United Kingdom rose 2.9 percent in May, up from a revised 1.8 percent fall in April, the Office for National Statistics said.

The Picklr Closes Series B Financing with $59 Million Valuation

The round wqs led by Pickleball, Inc., the parent company to some of the largest pickleball brands in the world, including the Carvana Professional Pickleball Association (PPA Tour), Pickleball Central, Pickleball Brackets/Pickleball Tournaments, PickleballTV, Pickleball.com and TopCourt.

Target Corporation Shifts Senior Merchant and Marketing Roles

Christina Hennington, currently chief growth officer, has been named chief strategy and growth officer, Rick Gomez has been appointed chief commercial officer, and Lisa Roath, current CMO, will take on the role of chief merchandising officer of food, essentials and beauty,

Sports Direct Owner Acquires Luxury Website

Frasers, the U.K.-based parent of Sports Direct, has acquired Coggles, an online seller of designer fashion, from THG as part of a multi-year partnership that also includes Frasers using THG’s technology in some parts of its business.

Stan’s NoTubes Hires Product Manager and Engineer

Brendon Brogan was hired by Stan’s NoTubes as a product manager and Kai Gabriel as an engineer, who interned for the company while attending Penn State University for mechanical engineering with a minor in engineering design.

Garmin Appoints Co-COOs

Patrick Desbois and Brad Trenkle were promoted to the newly created role as co-chief operating officers (Co-COO), effective July 1, 2024. Desbois had been Garmin’s EVP of operations, while Trenkle led the company’s outdoor segment.

Target+ Opens to Shopify Sellers in New Partnership

Target Corp. unveiled a new partnership with e-commerce platform Shopify aimed at expanding its digital marketplace offerings. Beginning June 24, merchants currently utilizing Shopify’s services can apply to join Target+, the retailer’s third-party marketplace.

Nike Faces Shareholder Lawsuit Over DTC Strategy

A Nike, Inc. shareholder has filed a securities class action in the District of Oregon’s Portland division, claiming the company misled investors about the financial effects of prioritizing direct-to-consumer sales. Plaintiffs are seeking class-action status, an unspecified amount in damages and a jury trial.

Athleta-Parent Hires Chief Technology Officer

Prior roles for Sven Gerjets include chief information officer, Time Warner; SVP, information technology, DirecTV; chief technology officer, Pearson; director, global e-commerce, Symantec. Most recently, Gerjets was the EVP and chief technology officer from July 2017 to May 2024 at Gap, Inc.