E-commerce logistics provider InPost has parented with online fashion retailer ASOS to provide next-day delivery service to lockers across the UK.

Shoppers will be able to select InPost lockers as their primary out-of-home delivery option at the checkout, and the service will be free for ASOS Premier customers.

David Flavell, director of delivery solutions at ASOS, commented, “We know that customers come to ASOS for the latest fashion when they want it. Adding InPost’s extensive network of over 16,000 lockers and parcel shops to our offering, with a next-day delivery, gives customers even more choice and convenience in how they get the fashion they love. We’re delighted to have InPost as our exclusive locker partner.”

Neil Kuschel, UK CEO of InPost, added, “This launch is a game changer for out-of-home delivery in the UK. By introducing the first nationwide next-day locker service, we’re setting a new standard for delivery. ASOS is the perfect partner to launch with – a brand that shares our commitment to innovation and putting customers first.”

The launch follows a series of strategic moves by InPost to accelerate its growth and enhance its infrastructure in the UK, its fastest-growing market. In April, InPost announced the acquisition of UK parcel delivery firm Yodel, expanding its last-mile capabilities.

Author Credits- HAZEL KING, Parcel and postal technology INTERNATIONAL

Dabur reported a net profit of Rs 313 crore for the fourth quarter of the 2025 financial year, marking an 8.4% year-on-year decline. The company’s revenue for the January to March quarter remained stable at Rs 2,830 crore, while earnings before interest, tax, depreciation, and amortisation fell by 8.6% to Rs 426.8 crore.

Dabur’s advertising expenditure for the quarter stood at Rs 176.4 crore, down 3.9% compared to the Rs 183.65 crore spent in the same period last year, Indian Retailer Bureau reported. The sequential drop was more pronounced, with a 22.2% decline from Rs 226.7 crore in the October to December quarter. The cutback may reflect a reassessment of marketing priorities or efforts to enhance cost efficiency amid economic headwinds.

Despite the quarterly dip, Dabur’s total advertising investment for the full year increased modestly to Rs 864.6 crore, up 1.8% from Rs 849 crore in the previous year. This suggests the company maintained its focus on long-term brand visibility across its product categories.

The fluctuation in advertising spend comes as Dabur continues to navigate pressures on both growth and profitability in the competitive fast moving consumer goods market. The company’s annual marketing strategy appears geared towards balancing operational costs with brand-building initiatives, reflecting a cautious yet consistent approach to consumer engagement.

Author Credits- Isabelle Crossley, FASHION NETWORK

Springtime may be nearly two months in (and with recent sunny weather, Britons may already be thinking of summer) but Burberry has linked up with the King and Queen’s private residence, Highgrove to “welcome springtime” via a capsule collection.

It celebrates the label’s “relationship with Highgrove Gardens, which surround the private residence of King Charles III and Queen Camilla. Honouring our British heritage as a proud Royal Warrant holder, the Highgrove x Burberry collection promotes the work of The King’s Foundation, which acts as custodian of Highgrove Gardens, and reflects King Charles III’s long-standing interest in environmental conservation”.

The company said the 28-piece capsule is “full of British charm, [it] celebrates the vibrant designs of artist Helen Bullock. Taking her cues from the natural world, Bullock has created four artworks inspired by the Kitchen Garden at Highgrove – a walled oasis where nature’s design meets careful cultivation”.

She’s drawn inspiration from its trees, arbours and cascading flowers – alongside its honeybees and fountain for menswear, womenswear and accessories and said she “fell for the tangled sway of wildflowers and that special combination of dancing poppies and cosmos”.

As well as the natural inspiration from Highrove the collection also speaks of “Burberry’s deep-rooted relationship with the outdoors” and the main material of each piece is made from either certified wool, organic cotton or organic silk.

It’s the fourth joint collection from the label in conjunction with the charity and Scott Simpson, retail director for The King’s Foundation, hailed the “strong relationship between Burberry and Highgrove”.

The supporting campaign showcases the Highgrove x Burberry collection alongside a selection of core pieces, in a series of family moments amid “the beauty of a British country house and garden”.

Actors Elizabeth McGovern, Laura Carmichael and Sope Dirisu wear a selection of pieces in a portfolio of portraits, shot by photographer Camille Summers-Valli. The use of McGovern and Carmichael is likely to add to the appeal as they’re known for their roles in the acclaimed TV series Downton Abbey (much loved by British heritage fans globally), while Dìrísù recently played the title character in period drama film Mr Malcolm’s List.

In-store selected locations will feature window displays with “a standout display in Qingdao, China, inspired by the work of Helen Bullock”. Bespoke installations can also be seen in Miami, Sanlitun in Beijing, and Regent Street, London, which will also feature, adorned with florals and benches reminiscent of a British country garden.

Author Credits- Sandra Halliday, FASHION NETWORK

News Credits- ZAWYA BY LSEG

The retail chain, which is expanding aggressively, is set to cross 1,100 stores soon and aims to become EBITDA-positive with ₹60 crore profit in FY’26

Amazon and Samara Capital-backed supermarket chain More Retail is planning to raise around ₹2,000 crore through an initial public offer (IPO), which is expected to hit the market in the calendar year 2026, a top company official said on Monday.

The proposed fund-raise plan will be mostly through fresh capital infusion, with no significant offer-for-sale component, as promoters, Samara Capital and Amazon, who hold 51% and 48% stake respectively, are unlikely to offload their shares, he said, adding that the remaining stake is held by family offices.

“We are looking at an IPO in 12–18 months, depending on valuation and market conditions. We hope to raise ₹2,000 crore, and the current promoter dilution could be about 10%,” More Retail Managing Director Vinod Nambiar said.

He said the funds will be used primarily to expand the store count to 3,000 by 2030 and to make the company nearly debt-free.

The current debt stands at about ₹500 crore, consisting of loans and non-convertible debentures (NCDs), the company official said.

Both promoters have a long-term commitment to the business and pumped in ₹900 crore over the past five years in addition to the acquisition cost of ₹4,300 crore.

“More Retail raised ₹150 crore in the last 120 days from family offices to benchmark valuation,” Nambiar said.

The retail chain, which is expanding aggressively, is set to cross 1,100 stores soon and aims to become EBITDA-positive with ₹60 crore profit in FY’26, he said.

The company reported a ₹65 crore EBITDA loss in FY’24, as per Ind AS accounting standards.

“It will take two years to achieve PAT-level profitability,” he added.

The retailer is also deepening its partnership with Amazon Fresh. Currently, 270 of its stores serve Amazon Fresh, and this number is expected to rise to 370 by July, and further to 500–600 stores by the end of the current fiscal year, Nambiar said.

The company’s offline and hybrid store count is projected to exceed 1,100 by FY’26, while the number of ‘dark’ outlets will also grow from the existing 40 to 100 by then.

‘Dark’ stores only cater to online orders.

Most of the expansion will take place in smaller towns, and during the current fiscal, Jharkhand and Odisha will be added to its footprint, Nambiar said.

More Retail currently has a strong presence in South India, West Bengal, Punjab, Haryana, and the NCR, having exited from Delhi city and Mumbai.

Meanwhile, Nambair said West Bengal is a key market and the company is the largest in West Bengal in terms of the number of stores.

The company has 109 stores in Bengal and will add 90 outlets in the next two years.

News Credits- THE HINDU

As the ceasefire stabilizes, e-commerce platforms have been navigating logistical challenges and a brief dip in demand, with operations returning to normal in several key regions.

Quick commerce and e-commerce platforms are reporting a return to normalcy after a brief but tense stand-off between India and Pakistan earlier this week, with operations stabilising across key regions and consumer demand beginning to recover, several industry stakeholders told Moneycontrol.

The three-day disruption, which began on May 7 following India’s strike on terror targets in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, had prompted precautionary supply-chain adjustments and temporary caps on order quantities. However, with the ceasefire now in effect and holding, industry players say the impact, while real, remained short of being seriously disruptive.

“There was definitely a dip – about 20 percent over the last few days – as people shifted focus away from shopping. But it wasn’t long enough to cause serious disruption. Once news of the ceasefire came in, we saw demand start to normalise,” said a founder of a direct-to-consumer (D2C) brand who requested anonymity.

Earlier last week, Moneycontrol reported that e-commerce deliveries had been affected in parts of Jammu & Kashmir, Rajasthan, Gujarat, and nearby regions, as mobility restrictions and safety concerns led delivery partners to reassess operations. Companies like Delhivery issued formal statements confirming disruptions in select pin codes. However, the worst-case scenarios feared by some never came to pass.

For quick commerce platforms – operating on the promise of sub-20-minute delivery – the window of heightened tension was too brief to cause any major change in consumer behaviour.

“We thought there would be uptake as people could stock up. But three days were too small a window for us to see anything significant,” said a quick commerce executive.

Still, companies did implement temporary measures. Inventory caps were placed on essential items like flour and oil, limiting customers to one or two units per order in a bid to discourage panic buying.

Behind the scenes, dark store replenishment remained a challenge due to regional slowdowns. “We didn’t face major blockages, but vehicular movement was definitely slower in some areas, which meant replenishing inventory to dark stores took longer than usual,” said an e-commerce executive, who did not want to be named.

Smaller D2C brands – particularly those reliant on online sales and digital advertising – felt the tremors more acutely. Consumer attention drifted away from discretionary shopping during the escalation, impacting ad returns and complicating demand planning for inventory-heavy categories.

“The volatility made planning difficult. But it’s already looking better,” said a founder of a consumer goods startup.

While the episode caused some temporary turbulence, companies say it reinforced the need for flexible logistics planning and contingency protocols, especially for inventory-heavy categories and time-sensitive deliveries. Most players, however, view it as a brief operational blip rather than a full-blown crisis.

As the geopolitical situation settles, platforms are gradually lifting delivery restrictions and reinstating usual operations. With consumers resuming regular ordering patterns and supply chains stabilising, India’s digital commerce engine is humming once again – albeit with renewed appreciation for the value of operational resilience.

News Credits- Money Control

Nutraceutical consumer startup The Good Bug has raised Rs 100 crore ($11.8 million) in new funding from Susquehanna Asia VC along with participation from existing investor Fireside Ventures.

The company will utilise the funds to expand its reach, hiring, research & development, and marketing.

Commenting on the funding, Keshav Biyani, co-founder of The Good Bug in a statement said, “This new capital infusion will be pivotal in accelerating our research and development efforts, driving groundbreaking innovations in gut health through rigorous R&D. Additionally, we will bolster our marketing and distribution strategies to enhance consumer awareness and expand our reach across India. Attracting top-tier talent across research, technology, science, and business will further strengthen our foundation.”

Bhavani Rana, investment advisor to Susquehanna Asia VC added, “What sets TGB apart is the strength of its leadership team and their exceptional ability to execute on their vision. With strong momentum and a clear strategy, the company is well positioned to capitalize on the macro tailwinds of India’s rapidly expanding nutraceuticals market.”

Founded in 2022 by Keshav Biyani and Prabhu Karthikeyan, The Good Bug offers wellness products across various categories.

Author Credits- Maverick Martins, FASHION NETWORK