Thursday 21st August | Join Free
Hello, this is your Beyond the Basket daily brief.
In today’s beyond the basket:
🎯 Target Names Michael Fiddelke as Next CEO
🎄 Retailers Split on Holiday Outlook as Shoppers Pull Back
👗 Temu Cracks France’s Top 15 Fashion Sellers
🛠️ eBay Expands AI Tools to Support Sellers
+plus four long reads with deeper analysis, and two tools to help you manage customer feedback and tap into a sales channel you may not have considered.
🎯 Target Names Michael Fiddelke as Next CEO LINK
TL;DR: Target COO Michael Fiddelke will succeed Brian Cornell as CEO on Feb. 1, 2026, as the retailer faces declining sales and works to accelerate a turnaround.
Why It Matters: Target has seen year-over-year sales declines for three consecutive quarters and net sales have been down since 2022. Fiddelke, who began as a Target intern in 2003 and rose through finance, operations, and supply chain leadership, has been tasked with reestablishing merchandising authority, elevating the customer experience, and using technology for speed and efficiency. His leadership of the Enterprise Acceleration Office highlights a focus on breaking down silos, upgrading legacy systems, and deploying AI to sharpen operations. For U.S. mass merchants, the move signals how succession planning and operational focus are becoming central to navigating margin pressure, tariffs, and shifting consumer demand.
Your Move: Watch how Target deploys AI and process automation to regain speed, these are transferable playbooks for mid-sized retailers. Consider mapping your own “enterprise acceleration” plan: where outdated tech, silos, or slow decisions are costing you growth.
Inside Targets Revenue: 6 Quarters at a glance.
Source: Target Corporation earnings releases and financial reports
🎄 Retailers Split on Holiday Outlook as Shoppers Pull Back LINK
TL;DR: Major U.S. retailers are split on holiday forecasts as tariffs, inflation, and weak consumer sentiment slow spending, raising concerns the slump could stretch through peak season.
Why It Matters: Consumer discretionary stocks are up just 1% in 2025 vs. the S&P 500’s 8%, showing how uneven the sector has become. Retail executives are taking cautious stances: Target is planning conservatively, Home Depot maintained forecasts despite weak results, and Lowe’s expects ongoing challenges from high mortgage rates. Even restaurants like Wendy’s and Sweetgreen report declining sales as shoppers cut back, with McDonald’s noting double-digit declines in low-income visits. For ecommerce, this signals a holiday season where consumers will be price-sensitive, selective, and willing to trade down, but still responsive to value, convenience, and promotions.
Your Move: Tighten your holiday demand planning, assume fewer splurge purchases and more budget-conscious behavior. Double down on value messaging, flexible promotions, and omnichannel convenience (pickup, returns, delivery, endless aisle) to win cautious shoppers.
👗 Temu Cracks France’s Top 15 Fashion Sellers LINK
TL;DR: Temu jumped from 24th to 15th place in France’s online fashion market by unit sales, putting it in direct competition with Amazon, Shein, and leading French retailers.
Why It Matters: Temu, Shein, and Amazon now control 23% of France’s online fashion market by value, reshaping consumer behavior toward price-driven, trend-focused shopping. Temu’s surge is fueled by ultra-low pricing, localized logistics, and aggressive influencer marketing, a mix proving effective against both traditional French retailers and pan-European players like Zalando. Meanwhile, France’s regulators are tightening oversight of low-value imports and marketplace compliance, meaning Temu’s growth comes with rising scrutiny. The bigger signal: shoppers are increasingly trading brand loyalty for value and speed, a trend that could accelerate as inflation keeps wallets tight.
Your Move: Audit your pricing, promotions, and logistics strategies against ultra-discount rivals. If you can’t compete on price, lean into brand storytelling, sustainability, or recommerce, areas where consumer demand in France (and Europe at large) is growing fastest.