By empowering brands with data-driven, impactful solutions and more relevant customer engagement, this partnership welcomes the latest innovation in retail media

Riyadh, KSA: Majid Al Futtaim’s dedicated retail media network, Precision Media, today announced a strategic partnership with Ritelo (by ArabyAds), a leading retail media technology platform. The partnership will deliver comprehensive and seamless omnichannel advertising opportunities across the Carrefour ecosystem in Saudi Arabia and Egypt. Precision Media is expanding its reach through leveraging Ritelo’s broad client portfolio and Carrefour’s data-driven insights to enhance personalisation and precise targeting across multiple digital touchpoints.

Dr. Günther Helm, Chief Executive Officer at Majid Al Futtaim Retail, commented: “Retail media sits at the core of modern, data-driven brand engagement. Our partnership with Ritelo marks a strategic milestone in reinforcing Majid Al Futtaim’s leadership in this space, harnessing Carrefour’s scale to unlock smarter targeting, higher returns, and more personalised customer experiences. This collaboration creates shared value by enabling brands to connect with the right audiences at the right moments, driving both meaningful impact and measurable business outcomes. This is aligned with our commitment to staying at the forefront of retail innovation, constantly evolving to meet our customers’ needs today while shaping the shopping experiences of tomorrow.”

Tony Bouchard, CEO of Ritelo, said: “This strategic partnership with Majid Al Futtaim Retail underscores the transformative impact of retail media in today’s digital advertising landscape. Our technology redefines how brands and retailers engage consumers—through tailored campaigns that deliver measurable outcomes and elevate brand presence. Together with Carrefour, we aim to deliver significant value to advertisers and transform how digital advertising is managed and monetized across Saudi Arabia and Egypt. Ritelo provides comprehensive solutions to help businesses capitalise on this rapidly growing opportunity of retail media.”

The implementation is now being rolled out across Carrefour’s digital platforms in Saudi Arabia and Egypt.

News Credits- ZAWYA BY LSEG

Meta Plaforms Inc. bought a minority stake in the world’s largest eye-wear maker, EssilorLuxottica SA, a deal that increases the US tech giant’s financial commitment to the fast-growing smart glasses industry, according to people familiar with the matter.

Facebook parent Meta acquired just under 3% of Ray-Ban maker EssilorLuxottica, a stake worth around €3 billion ($3.5 billion) at the current market price, said the people, who asked not to be identified because deliberations are private. Menlo Park, California-based Meta is considering further investment that could build the stake to around 5% over time, the people added, though those plans could still change.

Representatives for Meta and EssilorLuxottica declined to comment.

Meta’s investment in the eyewear giant deepens the relationship between the two companies, which have partnered over the past several years to develop AI-powered smart glasses.

Meta currently sells a pair of Ray-Ban glasses, first debuted in 2021, with built-in cameras and an AI assistant. Last month, it launched separate Oakley-branded glasses with EssilorLuxottica.

EssilorLuxottica Chief Executive Officer Francesco Milleri said last year that Meta was interested in taking a stake the company, but that plan hadn’t materialized until now.

The deal aligns with Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s commitment to AI, which has become a top priority and major expense for the company. Smart glasses are a key part of that plan.

While Meta has historically had to deliver its apps and services via smartphones created by competitors, glasses offer Meta a chance to build its own hardware and control its own distribution, Zuckerberg has said. The arrangement gives Meta the advantage of having more detailed manufacturing knowledge and global distribution networks, fundamental to turning its smart glasses into mass-market products.

For EssilorLuxottica, the deal provides a deeper presence in the tech world, which would be helpful if Meta’s futuristic bets pay off. Meta is also betting on the idea that people will one day work and play while wearing headsets or glasses.

News Credits- FASHION NETWORK

FSSAI CEO G Kamala Vardhana Rao met with over 70 representatives from leading ecommerce platforms, instructing them to step up hygiene standards and transparency across the food supply chain or face “severe action”.

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has issued a strong warning to ecommerce platforms over lax compliance to tighten food safety enforcement. The regulator has put marketplaces on notice, signaling a shift from advisory to accountability, PTI reported.

At a high-level meeting held on Tuesday, FSSAI CEO G Kamala Vardhana Rao met with over 70 representatives from leading ecommerce platforms, instructing them to step up hygiene standards and transparency across the food supply chain or face “severe action”.

While food delivery and e-grocery apps have seen exponential growth post-pandemic, concerns around quality checks, storage conditions and traceability have grown in parallel.

The regulator is now mandating ecommerce players to clearly display their FSSAI license/registration number on every invoice, receipt and cash memo; promote the FSSAI’s Food Safety Connect app to encourage consumer participation in identifying food safety violations. Additionally, it is also mandated to disclose details of all warehouses and storage units on the FoSCoS (Food Safety Compliance System) portal; train all food handlers and delivery personnel through FSSAI’s mandatory FoSTaC (Food Safety Training & Certification) programme; and explore feasibility of showing expiry or use-by dates at the consumer interface, improving transparency before purchase.

The regulator also emphasized that all warehouses handling food for ecommerce operations must be registered or licensed with the FSSAI and follow standard operating procedures outlined in the Food Safety and Standards Act.

By seeking detailed data from platforms on their backend logistics, from storage units to workforce training, the FSSAI is clearly expanding its oversight from product-level compliance to full-stack accountability in the digital food ecosystem.

News Credits- STORYBOARD18

Titan Company’s domestic sales rose 19% in the first quarter led by higher gold prices, outpacing the 9.3% growth from a year ago, the Indian jewellery and watch maker said on Monday.

Its mainstay domestic jewellery business, which contributes close to 90% to its overall revenue, grew 18% year-on-year, the company said in a business update.

Gold prices have risen in the past two quarters, as investors fled to the safe haven amid U.S. President Donald Trump’s shifting trade policies and tensions in the Middle East.

Spot gold was up 5.5% in the three months ended June 30.

For Titan, higher prices of the precious metal led to a growth of low double digits percentage in like-to-like domestic sales across its brands Tanishq, Mia and Zoya, the company said.

Its watches business, the second largest by revenue, clocked a sales growth of 23%, driven by higher prices and volumes, Titan said.

News Credits- FASHION NETWORK

New system boosts online payment options, security, and integration with global networks

Online spending is expected to surge to $23.8 billion across U.S. retailers during a 96-hour Amazon Prime Day event this week, according to an Adobe Analytics forecast released on Monday, as shoppers seek strong discounts on back-to-school gear ranging from apparel to electronics.

Sales from July 8 to 11 are projected to rise 28.4% compared with the same period last year, the report said. Retailers recorded online sales worth $14.2 billion during the two-day Amazon shopping event last July.

“This is equivalent to two Black Fridays,” Adobe noted, adding that budget-conscious consumers are adjusting their shopping habits by using generative AI to find deals and get an early start on back-to-school purchases.

Global trade uncertainties, fueled by President Trump’s unpredictable rollout of tariffs, have unsettled consumer confidence and put businesses on edge ahead of the July 9 deadline for countries to negotiate trade agreements with the United States.

E-commerce giant Amazon.com has extended its sales window to 96 hours, up from 48, as competitors such as Walmart (WMT.N) and Target (TGT.N) launch their own promotions.

Shoppers are expected to take advantage of steep discounts to “trade up” to higher-ticket items such as electronics, sporting goods, and appliances, while opting for more affordable alternatives in categories like home and garden or groceries.

Clothing is forecast to see the deepest discounts at 24%, up from 20% last year, while discounts on electronics are expected to dip slightly to 22%, according to Adobe Analytics.

Sales of backpacks, lunchboxes, and college essentials—including headphones and computers—are also expected to increase.

The data firm expects Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) usage to increase slightly during the Prime Day event, accounting for 8% of overall online spending compared to last year’s 7.6% share.

Adobe’s forecast is based on an analysis of 1 trillion visits to U.S. retail ecommerce sites, covering 100 million SKUs and 18 product categories.

News Credits- Reuters

There’s been a lot of speculation about what would happen to Dior creative supremo Jonathan Anderson’s signature JW Anderson brand since he took on the combined women’s and men’s role at Dior. And now it seems that the brand is being reinvented with a lifestyle retailer focus.

Anderson in recent months has become the first Dior creative chief to oversee both the women’s (including couture) and men’s collections since Christian Dior himself. And that’s a big job. While it was possible to continue with JW Anderson as a full fashion offer when he was Loewe creative director, the size and importance of the Dior brand and the huge number of collections it produces mean it was seen as very unlikely that JWA would continue unchanged.

The label’s Instagram page talks of “new beginnings July 2025 featuring a preview of what’s to come” and there are images of classic fashion items but also lifestyle, home and craft pieces. Another post also shows new packaging.

And it seems that one of the most time-consuming focuses for a designer brand — runway shows — are being paused indefinitely.

In an interview with American trade paper WWD, he said seasonal runway collections won’t happen and the London and Milan stores are being closed before reopening in September. Other London stores will also open, along with locations in New York and Paris. There will be a big focus on craft and lifestyle products from other brands (including Wedgwood, Hope Springs and Lucie Gledhill Jewellery). It feels very much like the label transitioning to being a multi-brand and own-brand retailer but a very exclusive and quirky one.

Fashion-wise, expect a slow fashion approach with new styles, colours and so on when it feels right rather than because the season has changed.

Anderson also said lifestyle guru Terence Conran (founder of the Habitat chain) was an inspiration in the revamp.

Author Credits- Sandra Halliday
FASHION NETWORK

Aditya Mangla will be taking over from Rakesh Ranjan, whose departure was first reported by Moneycontrol in April this year.

Aditya Mangla has been appointed as CEO of Food ordering and delivery business and SMP at Eternal (formerly Zomato), the company said in notification to the stock exchanges on Sunday. The company said that Mangla’s appointment is pursuant to approval of board of directors on July 6, 2025, for a period of 2 years.

He will be taking over from Rakesh Ranjan, whose departure was first reported by Moneycontrol in April this year. Eternal informed the exchanges that Ranjan has completed his 2 year stint as the CEO-Food ordering and delivery business, and, he will cease to be designated as a Senior Management Personnel (SMP) with effect from July 6, 2025.

“This isn’t just a change of roles. It’s a signal for the kind of leadership we need as we move into
our next chapter. Leadership is not just about knowing what to do. It’s about learning how to see. Seeing the invisible cause and effect,” Goyal wrote in an email to employees.

“We need leaders who listen not to reply, but to understand.”

As per the exchange filing, Mangla is currently the Head of Product for food ordering and delivery at Eternal.

“Aditya has also been one of the few leaders in the food delivery team who regularly runs into
disagreements and pushes back with me. And I deeply value that,” Goyal’s mail further added.

Since joining Eternal in March, 2021, Mangla has taken up multiple leadership roles within food delivery business including Head of Supply and Head of Customer Experience, focusing on optimizing restaurant partner ecosystems and enhancing customer satisfaction across digital touchpoints.

Prior to Eternal, he held senior PnL, product and marketing roles across startups and tech-driven companies. He holds a PGP in Management from the Indian School of Business where he was a Torchbearer Awardee, a master’s degree in Information Networking from Carnegie Mellon University, and undergraduate engineering degree in IT from Netaji Subhas Institute of Technology.

“We don’t need more people who agree with everything…That’s the kind of leader I aspire to be,” the mail said.

News Credits- money control