Beyond the Basket - 11/09/25

Thursday 11th September | Join Free

Hello and welcome to your Thursday Beyond the Basket brief. A new reports suggests that brands are bullish on global sales but only 31% feel ready to deliver on cross-border promises. Klarna's IPO popped 15% as BNPL goes mainstream, and Ralph Lauren's betting on AI stylists to close the inspiration-to-purchase gap. Plus, THG proves nutrition beats beauty in today's retail reality check. Let's jump in👇

In today’s beyond the basket:
🌍 Tariffs Bite, But Cross-Border Growth Still Expected
📌 Pinterest Adds “Where-to-Buy” Links to Pins
💸 Klarna IPO Pops 15% as BNPL Gains Public Backing
🤖 Ralph Lauren Launches “Ask Ralph” AI Stylist
📈 THG Shares Jump on Q2 Recovery Momentum

+plus four deeps reads and insights to help you stay ahead of the competition.

TL;DR: New Passport research shows 96% of ecommerce leaders expect Q4 international sales to rise, despite 87% already raising prices to offset tariffs.

Why It Matters: Brands are optimistic about global demand, but only 31% feel highly confident in their cross-border execution. Rising tariffs, fulfillment strain, and customer expectations for fast delivery and localized experiences are squeezing operators. The execution gap optimism vs. readiness is the real risk heading into Black Friday/Cyber Monday.

Your Move: Don’t treat tariffs as a fixed hit, test your options. Run A/B tests on pricing strategies to see what customers will absorb, experiment with hybrid fulfillment models to reduce duty and delivery pressure, and strengthen CX messaging so shoppers understand value even when prices shift. The winners will balance margin protection, speed, and customer trust at the same time.

TL;DR: Pinterest is rolling out where-to-buy links, letting shoppers see multiple retailer options directly from a Pin, boosting convenience and giving brands stronger purchase-intent signals.

Why It Matters: Until now, retailers had to choose between linking to their own site (better tracking) or a third-party platform (more sales familiarity). Now, Pinterest removes that trade-off, driving higher engagement and delivering new metrics like Purchase Intent Clicks and Purchase Intent Value. Early tests show stronger conversion vs. external landing pages, and integrations with MikMak and Pear Commerce deepen analytics and reach across 3,000+ retailers.

Your Move: Prepare for multi-retailer path-to-purchase strategies. Update your Pinterest ad workflows to test whether shoppers convert better via your DTC site, retail partners, or a mix, and align this with Pinterest’s upcoming marketers presentation, where it is likely to preview more commerce tools for Q4 campaigns.

TL;DR: Klarna’s U.S. IPO raised $1.37B and jumped nearly 15% on debut, signaling strong investor appetite for buy now, pay later (BNPL) at scale.

Why It Matters: Klarna commands 26% U.S. BNPL share, and its public market validation strengthens BNPL’s role as a mainstream payment option. Younger shoppers are the heaviest users, making BNPL both a checkout conversion tool and a long-term loyalty driver. For ecommerce and retail operators, Klarna’s success signals continued consumer demand for flexible payments, and greater pressure to offer them as standard.

Your Move: Watch Klarna’s next moves like a competitor, not just a payments partner. Public market backing could mean more co-marketing opportunities, faster innovation cycles, and new merchant programs. Lean into partnerships early to capture Klarna’s push for scale, or risk competitors using BNPL ecosystems to lock in your customers.

TL;DR: Ralph Lauren rolled out Ask Ralph, an AI-powered shopping assistant that gives personalized styling advice and product suggestions inside its app.

Why It Matters: Built with Microsoft on Azure OpenAI, Ask Ralph mimics the in-store stylist experience through natural language prompts like “What should I wear to a concert?” Early adoption by fashion leaders (Ralph Lauren, Stitch Fix, ASOS) shows AI-driven personal shopping is moving from experiment to expectation in premium retail. But while brands are investing heavily, U.S. retailers spent ~$400K on average last year on AI CX tools, most executives admit the tech’s impact on digital experience remains limited.

Your Move: Don’t chase AI for novelty, focus on use cases that close the gap between inspiration and purchase.Test conversational AI to guide discovery, cross-sell, or upsell, but track conversion lift to ensure the investment translates into measurable revenue, not just buzz.

TL;DR: THG’s share price rose 8% after reporting Q2 growth, led by a 3.1% sales boost from its Myprotein nutrition brand.

Why It Matters: Beauty sales slumped nearly 15%, dragging group profits, but Myprotein’s offline retail and licensing growth delivered THG’s strongest quarter since 2022. With Operating earnings (EBITDA) down 35% and gross profit down 10.8%, profitability is still under pressure. Analysts welcomed the momentum but cautioned that cash generation and cost pressures (like whey prices) remain key hurdles.

Your Move: If you’re in health, beauty, or wellness, note the shift: nutrition and offline partnerships are driving resilience where pure-play ecommerce is softening. Reevaluate your channel mix and explore licensing or retail tie-ups to offset volatility in direct digital sales.

Curated deep dives, longer reads and analysis shaping the future of retail and ecommerce.

What I Learned After Handing Marketing to a Gen Z’er
Inc. (5 min read) Read Here ›
On how a fresh perspective reshaped brand voice, workflows, and audience connection.

How Mars Decides Where to Spend Its Retail Media Dollars
Modern Retail (6 min read) Read Here ›
Inside the CPG giant’s framework for allocating spend across an increasingly fragmented retail media landscape.

We’re at Peak Brand Saturation: Why the Comments Section is Becoming a Cultural Hub
The Drum (5 min read) Read Here ›
Why consumer conversation is shifting away from ads themselves and into the spaces around them.

Stricter Returns Policies Deter Two-Thirds of Global Shoppers
Ecommerce News (4 min read) Read Here ›
Survey data shows tightening return windows may save costs but risks undermining loyalty.