Tom Ryan

2 days ago | retailwire.com | Tom Ryan

Image Courtesy of AmazonMay 13, 2025Tom RyanHeralding the innovation as a “fundamental leap forward in robotics,” Amazon unveiled a robot, Vulcan, with a “sense of touch” that enables it to pick up and manipulate items without crushing them. Vulcan is not the first Amazon robotics model that can pick up items. Older robots use a combination of suction cups and computer vision to move single items around.

2 days ago | retailwire.com | Tom Ryan

©AvigatorPhotographer via Canva.comMay 12, 2025Tom RyanCrocs, Logitech, and Mattel are among consumer-focused companies that have withdrawn their forward-looking guidance due to uncertainty created by the tariff quagmire. Matteo Anversa, CFO at Logitech, the Swiss-American computer parts maker, said on a quarterly call on April 29, “We are not immune to the tariff uncertainty and overall volatility in the current macroeconomic environment.

6 days ago | retailwire.com | Tom Ryan

mkopka/Depositphotos.comMay 9, 2025Tom RyanTarget’s Express Self-Checkout, which limits shoppers to self-scanning 10 items or fewer, may be reducing self-theft, but Target claims it’s also winning over shoppers seeking a speedier checkout. In March 2024, reports arrived that Target was moving to “Express Self-Checkout” to shorten wait times at self-service kiosks as well as to overcome challenges scanning bigger baskets.

6 days ago | retailwire.com | Tom Ryan

©studioroman via Canva.comMay 8, 2025Tom RyanA host of surveys show that while “experiences,” whether going out for brunch or to a day spa, are becoming increasingly popular as a way to celebrate Mother’s Day, many moms just want the day off. NRF’s 2025 Mother’s Day spending survey conducted by Prosper Insights & Analytics found that “gifts of experience” continue to gain traction post-pandemic, as 36% of men plan to gift experiences this year, up from 29% in 2019.

1 week ago | retailwire.com | Tom Ryan

Photo by appshunter.io on UnsplashMay 7, 2025Tom RyanOn Amazon’s first-quarter analyst call, CEO Andy Jassy highlighted the company’s broad selection of products, competitive pricing, and fast delivery as key factors that would help Amazon navigate uncertain economic conditions that may result from the trade war, just as it did during the COVID-19 pandemic.