Beth Duckett
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Articles by Beth Duckett
Every Iconic Car Owned by Elon Musk: From a Vintage Model T to a McLaren F1
Elon Musk’s collection has included a Model T, Jaguar E-Type, Porsche 911, McLaren F1 and the Lotus submarine that inspired Cybertruck. FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP via Getty Images As Tesla’s CEO, Elon Musk is practically synonymous with electric vehicles, although his personal history began with gas-powered cars. In 1994, at age 23, Musk paid $1,400 for a used BMW 320i, which he repaired himself and drove for two years.
Why Tech’s Richest Founders Keep Their Billion-Dollar Foundations Offline
A statue of Elon Musk near SpaceX’s R&D facility in Boca Chica, Texas. In the area, Musk has donated money to establish a STEM-focused school. Reginald Mathalone/NurPhoto via Getty Images The Musk Foundation, Elon Musk’s private charitable foundation, had its biggest year yet in 2024, giving away roughly $474 million. Online, however, there was little sign of it.
How L’Oréal Is Using A.I. to Extend a Nearly $100B Family Fortune
Francoise Bettencourt Meyers (left) and her husband Jean-Pierre Meyers in 2019. Rindoff Petroff/Viteur/Getty Images More than a century after chemist Eugène Schueller turned a hair-dye formula into the business that became L’Oréal, the beauty giant is still finding new ways to grow, with A.I. as its latest bet. L’Oréal’s Revenue rose 6.3 percent on a like-for-like basis, a key retail metric, to €11.6 billion ($13.2 billion) in the April-June quarter.
Bernard Arnault’s Succession Looms as LVMH Returns to Growth
All five Arnault children hold senior roles across the luxury group, yet their father continues to resist naming an heir. Bastien Ohier / Hans Lucas / AFP via Getty Images LVMH is showing its clearest signs yet of emerging from luxury’s two-year downturn, lifted by stronger U.S. spending and fresh wealth creation, even as the Arnault family faces renewed scrutiny over who will succeed 77-year-old chairman and CEO Bernard Arnault.
Alibaba adds more agentic AI to B2B sourcing
Alibaba.com is handing more of the B2B sourcing process for ecommerce sellers over to agentic artificial intelligence (AI). The marketplace said its latest plugin can find suppliers, compare offers and keep negotiations moving 24/7 without constant manual follow-up. Called the Accio Sourcing Toolkit, the plugin runs inside Accio Work, Alibaba’s platform for carrying out business tasks through specialized AI agents.
Jensen Huang Turns to Japan’s Robots for Nvidia’s Next Growth Engine
Jensen Huang says Japan can combine its manufacturing prowess with Nvidia’s chips and software to lead the emerging physical A.I. economy. Tomohiro Ohsumi/Getty Images Nvidia built its empire on chips powering generative A.I., and that engine is still surging. The company posted a record $81.6 billion in quarterly revenue, up 85 percent year over year.
The Hamptons Billionaires Funding More Than Summer Parties
Michael Bloomberg (right) and partner, Diana Taylor, attend the Hampton Classic Horse Show Grand Prix on Aug. 31, 2025 in Bridgehampton, New York. Getty Images The wealth concentrated in the Hamptons doesn’t remain confined to coastal estates and summer galas.
QVC Group gets restructuring approval as it eyes bankruptcy exit
A bankruptcy court has approved QVC Group’s plan to wipe out more than $5 billion in debt, moving the retailer closer to emerging from Chapter 11 with more room to invest in live social shopping. On July 15, Judge Alfredo Perez of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Texas signed off on the restructuring plan. His ruling came about three months after QVC Group filed for Chapter 11 protection, seeking to shed much of its legacy debt while keeping its operations running.
How A.I.’s Most Powerful Backers Are Preparing for Its Consequences
Mark Zuckerberg and Priscilla Chan are betting that A.I. can accelerate disease research, transform biology and expand the reach of scientific discovery. Arturo Holmes/MG26/Getty Images for The Met Museum/Vogue A.I.’s biggest power players are not waiting for governments to decide how the technology’s risks and rewards should be managed.
Levi Strauss ecommerce sales jump 19% as DTC strategy boosts Q2 growth
Levi Strauss & Co. grew ecommerce revenue and overall sales in its fiscal second quarter, as the retailer continued to invest in its direct-to-consumer (DTC) business. For the quarter ended May 31, Levi Strauss reported net revenue of $1.56 billion, up 8.0% year over year. Online revenue, which is part of Levi Strauss’ DTC channel, grew even faster, rising 19% over the same period.
6 Living Philanthropists Who Help Preserve America’s National Parks
As America nears its 250th birthday, billionaire philanthropy is reshaping how the country preserves its landscapes and monuments. Scott Olson/Getty Images America’s national parks belong to the public, but their creation and maintenance have often required private money. For more than a century, philanthropists with large fortunes have bought land, restored monuments and funded programs across the National Park System. Few families shaped that tradition more than the Rockefellers. John D.
12 Immigrant Founders Driving America’s A.I. Boom
Many of today’s top A.I. companies were built by founders who began their careers far from Silicon Valley. Observer/Getty Images For all the talk of A.I. as a Silicon Valley arms race, many of the companies driving the industry were built by founders whose stories began outside the U.S. Some—like Elon Musk and Ali Ghodsi—now lead companies valued at more than $100 billion.
Stitch Fix Vision tool adds ‘see it on me’ feature
Stitch Fix is expanding its artificial intelligence (AI)-powered style visualization tool, giving clients a new way to see themselves in recommended outfits as they browse. The online personal styling service announced June 24 that clients can now generate images of themselves in suggested looks on demand. The capability is part of Stitch Fix Vision, an AI tool the company rolled out in October that automatically sends personalized outfit imagery to clients each week.
Gap launches AI marketing overhaul with Google Cloud, Zeta and Publicis Sapient
Gap Inc. is turning to artificial intelligence (AI) to streamline its marketing engine, aiming to deliver more relevant content and reduce friction across its ecommerce channels. In a June 22 announcement, the retailer said it’s working with Google Cloud, Zeta Global and Publicis Sapient on an AI-led overhaul of its marketing organization. The initiative will extend across all of Gap’s banners, including Old Navy, Gap, Banana Republic and Athleta.
Behind Summer Davos: WEF Founder Klaus Schwab’s Decades-Long Courtship of China
Kenneth Fok Kai-kong (L2), a Hong Kong deputy to the National People’s Congress and a renowned sponsor of sports events, attends a sub-forum during the 17th Annual Meeting of the New Champions on June 23, 2026 in Dalian, China. Yu Haiyang/China News Service/VCG via Getty Images Every January, the World Economic Forum turns Davos, Switzerland, into a snow-covered stage for global power.
How Yann LeCun’s Startup Challenges the Logic Behind Today’s A.I. Race
The Turing Award winner says A.I. needs broader foundations than just scaling text models. Yui Mok / POOL / AFP via Getty Images Meta’s former chief A.I. scientist, Yann LeCun, helped lay the groundwork for the modern A.I. boom long before chatbots became an industry obsession. Now, after leaving Meta in late 2025, he is building a multibillion-dollar startup under the premise that the race toward A.I. superintelligence is starting from the wrong place.
How Yann LeCun’s Startup Challenges the Logic Behind Today’s A.I. Race
1 hour ago Apple’s release notes for iOS 27, iPadOS 27, and macOS 27 reveal that AirPort Utility will soon be removed from the App Store. Here are the details. AirPort Utility app is going away soon Earlier today, Apple released iOS 27 developer beta 2, alongside its counterparts for the upcoming 27 release …
Mercari launches a new app for its U.S.-based shoppers
Positioning itself for a broader international rollout, Mercari Japan is introducing a dedicated app for U.S. shoppers to buy resale goods from its Japanese marketplace. Tokyo-based Mercari Inc., Japan’s largest consumer-to-consumer (C2C) marketplace, said June 17 that it has launched a standalone Mercari Japan app in the U.S. Rather than shopping through Mercari’s existing U.S. marketplace, U.S. users can now browse Japanese listings and Mercari Shops in a separate app.
LVMH CEO Bernard Arnault Says He Uses A.I. Weekly to Design Products
Bernard Arnault delivers a speech during the opening ceremony at the VivaTech technology startups and innovation fair at the Paris Expo Porte de Versailles, in Paris on June 17, 2026. JULIEN DE ROSA / AFP via Getty Images LVMH CEO Bernard Arnault built his luxury conglomerate on heritage brands and centuries-old notions of craftsmanship. But the 77-year-old mogul is now embracing A.I., like many of his peers.
Visa, OpenAI work together to support agent-led payments
Visa Inc. is moving deeper into agentic commerce, teaming up with OpenAI to support artificial intelligence (AI) agent-led payments. The payments giant announced the collaboration this week at its Visa Payments Forum in San Francisco. Under the new partnership, Visa said it will integrate its payment capabilities into “OpenAI experiences.” That gives developers and merchants a new framework to verify and process purchases that AI agents make.
Ulta Beauty shares early AI assistant results as ecommerce growth outpaces sales in physical stores
Ulta Beauty Inc. reported double-digit ecommerce sales growth in its fiscal Q1 — far outpacing physical stores with comparable sales — as customers spent more and made more purchases. For its first quarter ended May 2, Ulta said its net sales increased 11.1% year over year, reaching $3.16 billion. Overall comparable sales grew 5.3% year over year. Specifically, ecommerce comparable sales grew in the mid-teens, chief financial officer Christopher DelOrefice said on the earnings call.
Amazon applies AI shopping tech to customer retailer agents with AWS
Amazon is now bringing some of the artificial intelligence (AI) technology powering its new shopping agent to other retailers, starting with Kate Spade New York. The latest offering, called Agentic Shopping Assistant, is now available through Amazon Web Services (AWS). It allows retailers outside of Amazon to build and launch their own customized digital AI assistants.
Dick’s Sporting Goods brings sales growth back to Foot Locker in Q1
Dick’s Sporting Goods said its newly acquired Foot Locker business returned to comparable sales growth and profitability in Q1 — a sign that the retailer’s turnaround efforts are starting to take hold. For its fiscal quarter ended May 2, Dick’s reported a 6.0% increase in comparable sales for its namesake banner. During the same period, Foot Locker’s pro forma comparable sales edged up 0.6%. The U.S. Foot Locker banner performed better, posting a 6.4% comparable sales gain, according to executives.
Meet Luna, an A.I. Agent Managing a Brick-and-Mortar Store, and the Humans Behind Her
Founders Axel Backlund (left) and Lukas Petersson are using retail not for profit but as a stress test for autonomous A.I. managers. Courtesy Andon Labs At first glance, Andon Market could pass for any typical neighborhood shop in San Francisco’s trendy Cow Hollow district. Inside are artisan snacks, handmade candles and a selection of curated books, including Nick Bostrom’s Superintelligence and Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World. But the most unusual thing about the shop isn’t what it sells.
e.l.f. Beauty sales grow in Q4 as company contemplates price cuts
E.l.f. Beauty Inc. closed fiscal 2026 with another quarter of double-digit sales growth, helped by ecommerce, retail gains and its fast-growing Rhode brand. But the company is also preparing targeted price cuts after tariff-related price increases weighed heavily on demand for its core e.l.f. products. In its latest earnings report, e.l.f. said net sales for the fourth quarter ended March 31 rose 35% year over year, reaching $449.3 million.
Amazon Business rolls out new credit cards with U.S. Bank and Mastercard
Amazon.com Inc. is updating its business credit card program, shifting new applicants to U.S. Bank and Mastercard as it adds more rewards and financing tools for business buyers. The retailer introduced the new Prime Business Card and Amazon Business Card on May 13. The launch moves new applicants away from American Express, which had issued Amazon’s business cards since the companies announced their partnership in 2018. U.S. Bank now issues the cards through Mastercard’s network.
Tapestry builds AI-powered Mira to pull data, make decisions
Tapestry Inc. is giving its employees a faster way to make retail decisions, using an artificial intelligence (AI) platform the company built in-house. The owner of Coach and Kate Spade recently secured a U.S. patent for Mira. The internal-facing AI system is designed to pull together data from across the business and surface insights “in seconds to minutes,” the retailer said.
Medline Q1 results show expanding AI use, tariff concerns
Medline Inc. is expanding its use of artificial intelligence (AI), digital supply chain software and robotics as it supports higher demand from new customer wins. In its first quarter of 2026, the medical supply company reported double‑digit sales growth, driven by new customer implementations and continued strength in its Supply Chain Solutions segment, executives said. Medline also raised its full‑year sales growth outlook, citing steady health care utilization and procedural volumes.
VF Corporation adds inventory visibility technology from Nedap
Apparel and footwear giant VF Corporation is seeking a clearer view of its global inventory as it looks to better sync its digital storefronts with physical availability. The parent company of The North Face, Vans and Timberland said it’s overhauling how it tracks stock across its vast network of stores, distribution centers and supply chain partners.
Dick’s Sporting Goods tries out AI-powered coaches from Adobe
Dick’s Sporting Goods Inc. has partnered with Adobe Inc. to bring new artificial intelligence (AI)-powered “digital coaches” to its mobile app. The move is part of a broader push to expand personalization and connection across the retailer’s digital and in-store channels.
David’s Bridal adds two AI platforms as shopping channels
David’s Bridal is now bringing its online storefront directly into popular artificial intelligence (AI) chat platforms to add new shopping channels. Shoppers can now browse and buy wedding gowns, bridesmaids’ dresses and other special-occasion attire via Microsoft Copilot and OpenAI’s ChatGPT.
Bluon launches PartsConnect tool for HVAC contractors
Bluon is bringing digital commerce directly into the repair workflow for heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration (HVAC-R) contractors. The company provides software and equipment data for HVAC technicians. Bluon launched a feature on April 13 called PartsConnect. It said the new tool helps technicians identify compatible replacement parts, see which local distributors have them in stock and buy them directly through Bluon’s app. The idea is to eliminate a familiar pain point.
Avalara adds integration with Clover for tax compliance
Tax compliance software firm Avalara Inc. is further embedding its automated tax tools directly into the commerce systems used by many businesses, adding a new integration with Fiserv’s Clover. Broadly, Avalara develops software that helps businesses calculate, file and manage taxes across digital and physical sales channels.
Gopuff to work with NextNRG on delivering groceries alongside gas
NextNRG Inc., which delivers gasoline directly to parked vehicles, is adding groceries to the mix through a new partnership with rapid-delivery platform Gopuff. The energy technology company operates EzFill, a mobile fueling service that lets drivers schedule refueling through an app rather than stopping at a gas station. Now, NextNRG plans to layer retail into that experience with Gopuff as its collaborator.
Meta adds eBay to its growing affiliate commerce program
EBay Inc. is preparing to join Meta Platforms Inc.’s latest push into creator-led commerce. The move comes as social media platforms race to bridge the gap between discovery and the final transaction. Meta is adding the online marketplace to its affiliate commerce program, allowing Facebook creators to tag eBay listings directly within posts and Reels. When a user taps a tagged product, they are redirected to the retailer’s site or app to purchase. The creator then earns a commission.
Foot Locker and Champs add delivery options through DoorDash
Foot Locker Inc. is expanding its ecommerce reach through a new partnership with DoorDash, adding on-demand delivery as it looks to reach customers beyond its own digital channels. Announced March 19, the deal allows shoppers to order sneakers, apparel and accessories from Foot Locker, Kids Foot Locker and Champs Sports locations through DoorDash. The offering taps into nearly 1,300 U.S. stores, extending Foot Locker’s assortment into a third-party, on-demand fulfillment channel.
Stitch Fix revenue rises as CEO credits AI tools in Q2
Stitch Fix Inc. reported its second straight quarter of revenue growth in fiscal Q2 as the company works to stabilize its business after several years of declining sales. Net revenue totaled $341.3 million in the fiscal second quarter ended Jan. 31, up 9.4% from $312.1 million a year earlier. The gains came even as the broader U.S. apparel, footwear and accessories market contracted 0.5% during the same period, according to Circana data cited by the company.
Digital Commerce 360 | B2B
Xometry Inc. posted record Q1 revenue as more businesses turned to its artificial intelligence (AI)-driven marketplace to source custom parts and production services. The North Bethesda, Maryland-based company connects buyers with a supplier network for CNC machining, 3D printing, injection molding and other manufacturing services. Its AI-powered quoting engine helps customers get pricing, lead times and manufacturability feedback as they move orders through fulfillment.
Walmart holds shoppable livestream at Winter Olympics in Milan
Walmart Inc. is continuing to expand its shoppable video playbook — this time tying the format to the Winter Olympics through a livestream with consumer goods giant Procter & Gamble Co. The “Her Day Made Easy” event aired Feb. 16 from the Olympic Village in Milan, Italy, and was hosted by Olympic gold medalist Laurie Hernandez. During the livestream, viewers could chat with Hernandez while purchasing featured Procter & Gamble products in real time via Walmart Live, Facebook and YouTube.
Albertsons, Target, Williams-Sonoma sign up to test new ChatGPT ads
Albertsons Cos. Inc., Target Corp., and Williams-Sonoma Inc. announced they are now testing ad placements in ChatGPT through an early pilot with OpenAI, as retailers explore AI as a new retail media channel. In early tests now underway, the ads appear within the chatbot’s responses. OpenAI said it matches them to user prompts and clearly labels them. The placements are displayed separately from organic responses, the company noted.
Estée Lauder online sales help overall gains in Q2 as company looks to AI
Digital gains helped The Estée Lauder Cos. notch its second straight quarter of growth after more than a year of declines. For its fiscal Q2 ended Dec. 31, the beauty giant reported a 6% year-over-year increase in net sales to $4.23 billion. Online demand — especially from platforms like Amazon and TikTok Shop — continued to steady Estée Lauder’s recovery.
Amazon adds Health AI assistant to One Medical
Amazon has introduced a new artificial intelligence (AI) assistant within its One Medical app, deepening its push into digital health as tech companies expand AI’s role in clinical care. The tool, which Amazon calls Health AI, is now available to One Medical members following a beta launch in early 2025. According to Amazon, it built the assistant on agentic AI — meaning it can take actions on a user’s behalf, not just provide information.
Pacsun launches new ecommerce-enabled community app
Pacsun has launched a shoppable social commerce app targeting Gen Z and Gen Alpha users, as retailers continue to try out creator-led and owned digital platforms. The app, called PS Community Hub, combines content creation, community engagement and ecommerce, the retailer said. Users can browse and purchase Pacsun products, while creators can earn commissions and gain access to greater visibility and potential collaborations with the youth-focused apparel brand.
Walmart's Marty agent joins new AI features for retail media network advertisers
Walmart is adding new artificial intelligence (AI) tools to its retail media arm — including a new conversational assistant — as it looks to make advertising campaigns easier to manage and measure. The updates are arriving to Walmart Connect, the retailer’s global advertising business. In a Jan.
Court tosses out Ashley Stewart bankruptcy filing
Ashley Stewart’s latest bankruptcy bid was short-lived — and its dismissal has left the women’s plus-size apparel retailer with fewer protections and an uncertain future. On Dec. 17, the company’s former operator filed for Chapter 11 protection in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of New Jersey, according to court documents. Less than a week later, a judge dismissed the case due to a lack of board authorization, The Street reported.
DoorDash rolls out app in OpenAI's ChatGPT
DoorDash is pushing grocery shopping deeper into conversational AI, betting that more consumers will plan meals — and start their grocery trips — inside ChatGPT. In an online announcement this week, DoorDash said its new app in ChatGPT lets users discover recipes, turn ingredients into shoppable grocery lists and complete purchases through DoorDash’s own app for delivery.
Instacart debuts its new app in OpenAI's ChatGPT
Instacart launched a new shopping app inside ChatGPT, bringing online grocery ordering directly into the artificial intelligence (AI) assistant. Now live, the integration makes Instacart the first grocery partner — and the first app overall — to support end-to-end shopping with Instant Checkout inside OpenAI’s ChatGPT, according to dual announcements from the companies.
Albertsons tries out a new AI assistant for shoppers
Albertsons is expanding its agentic commerce strategy with a new artificial intelligence (AI) shopping assistant designed to handle increasingly complex, end-to-end grocery tasks. The assistant went live on Dec. 3 across Albertsons’ grocery websites, including Safeway, Vons and Jewel-Osco, the retailer said. Support for mobile apps is planned for early 2026. Unlike a traditional search bar, the tool is designed to guide shoppers through planning and purchasing.
David's Bridal rolls out BNPL across North America
David’s Bridal is rolling out Sezzle’s buy now, pay later (BNPL) service across all its stores in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico, the retailer announced Nov. 25. The addition gives brides and wedding parties the option to split purchases into installments in time for year-end promotions and holiday shopping. Sezzle’s BNPL offering is live at more than 190 stores, with the retailer expecting support for online checkout “in the coming weeks,” according to the Nov. 25 announcement.
Guitar Center begins using AI-enabled Pitch Practice app
Guitar Center said it is using artificial intelligence (AI) to strengthen in-store sales training, rolling out its new Pitch Practice app internally to help associates rehearse customer interactions in real time. The move, announced this week, highlights how the music retailer is modernizing its brick-and-mortar experience alongside its ecommerce operations. Guitar Center is No. 115 in the Top 2000. The database is Digital Commerce 360’s ranking of the largest online retailers in North America.
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