After logging miles at the Javits Center for NRF, one word was impossible to forget: AI. It cropped up repeatedly and and often dominated panel discussions across the three-day New York City event.

Fashion retailers were eager to tout their own tech, including Ask Ralph, an AI-powered virtual shopping assistant created by Ralph Lauren in partnership with Microsoft. Curious users can download the Ralph Lauren app and pose their burning styling questions, which the assistant promises to answer in real time.

“Nobody needs a tie, nobody needs a flannel shirt, nobody needs another pair of jeans—inspiring customers is a challenge,” David Lauren, chief branding and innovation officer at Ralph Lauren, said during a joint panel with Microsoft. “We love the clothes and we want them to love it, but showing a customer how to put it together is part of what makes Ralph Lauren unique.”

He added that AI also helps the brand evaluate real-time inventory and surface items tailored to a shopper’s specific occasion.

Lauren’s sentiments were shared by co-panelist Shelley Bransten, corporate VP of worldwide industry solutions at Microsoft. Drawing comparisons to e-commerce, she explained the tech offered a “glimpse” into the future.

“If you just look at what all of your customers did over this last holiday period, $2 billion of AI influenced sales, it's a huge number,” Bransten said. “[A] 700% increase in AI-driven searches and inquiries. Most interesting—and this is true for Ask Ralph—is, how are people using these conversational agents? It’s all the brilliant basics of retail: it’s research, it’s recommendations, and deals.”

And Ralph Lauren was certainly not alone in leveraging the ostensible powers of AI or envisioning its future in it.

Keep reading here.—JS

Private label sales in the US climbed $9 billion in 2025 to reach $282.8 billion across all retailers year over year, according to new Circana data released by the Private Label Manufacturers Association (PLMA).

Store brand annual dollar sales jumped 30% from 2021 to 2025, with dollar share and unit share up about two percentage points.

These brands’ growth is notably surpassing that of their national competitors: Private labels saw 3.3% sales growth and a 0.6% unit volume boost, while national brands’ sales notched up just 1.2% and unit sales dropped by 0.6%.

Segments that saw a rise in dollar sales included refrigerated products (6.1%), beverages (4.8%), pet care (3.7%), beauty (2.8%), frozen (2.4%), general food (1.6%) and general merchandise (0.9%). For private label unit sales, pet care rose 5.4%; liquor, 4.4%; beverage, 2.3%; frozen, 0.9%; refrigerated, 0.7%; and general food, 0.2%.

The growth indicates “a shift in consumer priorities, as retailer-owned brands increasingly compete—and win—on value, quality, health, and sustainability, not just price,” PLMA President Peggy Davies said in a statement.

Keep reading here.—EC

Every new CEO wants a signature first move. Greg Abel’s just happens to involve clearing out a Buffett-era pantry staple.

Berkshire Hathaway is preparing to exit its 28% stake in Kraft Heinz, following a $3.8 billion writedown last year on the value of the position. Kraft Heinz shares fell 5.72% on the news.

The original bet dates back to 2015, when Berkshire joined forces with Brazilian private equity firm 3G Capital to combine Kraft Foods and H.J. Heinz. The company continued to struggle, however, falling about 70% since the merger as higher costs, evolving consumer preferences, and weak brand momentum took a toll.

Management is responding by splitting the company, separating sauces and shelf-stable brands from North American staples like Oscar Mayer and Lunchables, a move Warren Buffett has previously criticized.

Keep reading here on Brew Markets.—SY

The feeling of getting a 5/5 on the Brew’s weekly news quiz has been compared to getting a company-wide shout-out from your boss. It’s that satisfying.