Monday 29th September | #39 | Join Free
Hello and welcome to your Monday Beyond the Basket brief. Uber's pushing past rides into your weekly shop, Inditex is bringing Lefties to battle Primark on UK high streets, and Threads just launched Communities to chip away at X. Meanwhile, retail media's getting its first real trust stamp, and British fashion's flooding US marketplaces. Let's jump in.
In today’s beyond the basket:
🛒 Uber Delivery Growth Outpaces Rides
🛍️ Inditex to Launch Lefties in UK, Targeting Budget Rivals
📊 Albert Heijn Gets First IAB Europe Retail Media Certification
🇬🇧 Debenhams Takes British Fashion to US Marketplaces
🧵 Threads Adds Communities to Rival X
+plus plus three longer reads, to give you knowledge to push hard into Q4.
ECOMMERCE
🛒 Uber Delivery Growth Outpaces Rides LINK
TL;DR: Uber’s grocery and retail delivery is on track for $12.5B in 2025 bookings, adding 1,000+ new partners including Aldi, Best Buy, and Sephora.
Why It Matters: Uber is fast becoming more than a rideshare app. With 3 in 4 riders never ordering groceries, the cross-sell potential is huge. Features like order edits and photo confirmations, address trust gaps, while Fresh Days discounts aim to shift Uber from “forgotten avocado” fills to planned weekly shops, putting it squarely against Instacart, DoorDash, and Amazon Fresh.
Your Move: If you’re a retailer, consider testing Uber as a new customer acquisition channel by running a simple geo split, measure whether Uber drives new shoppers and repeat orders that you wouldn’t get through Instacart or your own site.
RETAIL
🛍️ Inditex to Launch Lefties in UK, Targeting Budget Rivals LINK
Lefties set for a UK high street debut | Photo Credit: Zarateman
TL;DR: Inditex plans to debut Lefties on the UK high street in 2026, eyeing flagship sites at Bluewater, Lakeside, Westfield, and Oxford Street.
Why It Matters: Lefties is positioned as Inditex’s low-cost answer to Primark and Shein, bringing fast fashion at lower prices than Zara. Its entry could signal intensifying competition in the UK’s budget segment, where Primark already dominates physical retail and Shein is eating into younger shoppers online. Inditex is betting that physical flagships plus marketplace presence can capture price-sensitive but style-driven consumers.
Your Move: If you compete in value fashion, plan for heavier price and promo pressure in 2026 as Inditex leverages scale to squeeze the segment.
RETAIL
📊 Albert Heijn Gets First IAB Europe Retail Media Certification LINK
TL;DR: Dutch supermarket Albert Heijn is the first retailer certified under IAB Europe’s new Retail Media Certification Programme, covering on-site display and sponsored products.
Why It Matters: Retail media spend in Europe is booming, but advertisers worry about measurement credibility. This certification sets a benchmark for standardized, audited reporting, giving brands more confidence in retail media ROI. Expect other major retailers to follow quickly, making certification a new trust signal in retail media partnerships.
Your Move: If retail media is part of your mix, start asking partners about their path to certification, it could soon become a buyer-side requirement.
ECOMMERCE
🇬🇧 Debenhams Takes British Fashion to US Marketplaces LINK
TL;DR: Debenhams Group is rolling out Coast, Warehouse, Oasis, Nasty Gal, and Karen Millen across Macy’s, Bloomingdale’s, and Nordstrom online marketplaces.
Why It Matters: US department store marketplaces see 350M+ monthly shoppers, giving British fashion labels massive exposure at lower risk than physical retail. For Debenhams, this move diversifies revenue amid widening losses and signals a marketplace-led global expansion strategy. For brands, it’s another sign that marketplace partnerships are becoming the fastest route to US scale.
Your Move: If you’re planning US expansion, study how marketplace tie-ins (vs. standalone DTC launches) can minimise cost while maximising reach.
MARKETING
🧵 Threads Adds Communities to Rival X LINK
TL;DR: Threads has launched topic-based Communities, inviting select users to kickstart group discussions, with broader participation now open.
Why It Matters: Communities offer focused, high-engagement spaces similar to Facebook Groups or X Communities. For brands, this could mean new organic reach inside interest-based feeds, and a chance to establish authority in niche conversations. With Threads already outpacing X in daily usage, Communities may become a prime discovery and engagement channel.
Your Move: Audit your niche, if relevant communities exist, join early and test authentic brand-led participation before ad products inevitably roll in.
Wider Context:
Threads overtakes X globally on mobile - Threads just recorded 128.7M daily mobile users compared to X’s 127.1M, marking the first time it’s pulled ahead on mobile engagement. Read More →
📚 The Reading List
Curated deep dives, longer reads and analysis shaping the future of retail and ecommerce.
From Dead Malls to Town Squares: The Surprising Second Life of Shopping Centres
Beyond the Basket (7 min read) Read Here →
How malls are being reimagined as mixed-use hubs blending retail, housing, healthcare, and ecommerce logistics.
How Gap, Polaroid or Fila Turn Nostalgia Into Revived Brand Growth
Forbes (6 min read) Read Here →
Explores how legacy brands are successfully leveraging nostalgia to connect with Gen Z and drive modern growth.
Drowning in Distractions? Here’s the Secret to Staying Focused in Your Business
Inc. (5 min read) Read Here →
Practical advice for entrepreneurs on beating distraction and building habits that sustain focus.
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