Macy's vs Nordstrom

Bluemercury Evolves Lune+Aster, Advancing Its Vision for a Personalized and Curated Beauty Experience

Bluemercury, a Macy's, Inc. brand, has evolved its Lune+Aster brand and appointed Stacie Borteck Dattner as Head of Merchandising.

Bloomingdale's Merchant Stacie Borteck Dattner Joins Bluemercury

Bluemercury, a luxury beauty retailer owned by Macy's Inc., has appointed Stacie Borteck Dattner as Head of Merchandising. Dattner, who spent nearly two decades at Bloomingdale's, including seven years leading its beauty and fragrance division, will report to Bluemercury CEO Alexandre Choueiri. In her new role, she will oversee merchandising strategy, proprietary brands, and vendor marketing, aiming to strengthen Bluemercury's luxury beauty positioning. The move highlights the strong ties between Bloomingdale's and Bluemercury within Macy's Inc., as both banners outperform the namesake department store. Bluemercury recently posted its sixth consecutive year of growth, with Q2 comps rising over 6%.

• Stacie Borteck Dattner appointed Head of Merchandising at Bluemercury, effective Monday.
• She will report to Bluemercury CEO Alexandre Choueiri, who joined in August.
• Dattner spent nearly two decades at Bloomingdale's, including seven years leading beauty and fragrance.

DoorDash Adds Retailers, Launches Text Shopping Assistant

DoorDash has added Macy's, Anthropologie, The North Face, Vans, and Timberland to its retail marketplace, expanding beyond restaurant delivery. The company also launched Dasher Returns, a service that coordinates pickups for product returns. On the technology side, DoorDash announced Text DoorDash, an expansion of its Ask DoorDash in-app assistant, allowing customers to place orders via text messaging. These moves follow a milestone partnership with Costco and the expansion of its SNAP/EBT program with seven new grocers. DoorDash aims to build a 'mall in your pocket' by reducing friction in online shopping, leveraging AI and agentic assistants to improve discovery and conversion. The company reports over 4.5 million users have added SNAP cards, and 75,000 stores accept the benefit. The focus is on serving routine shopping habits and providing value through savings and convenience.

• DoorDash added Macy's, Anthropologie, The North Face, Vans, and Timberland to its retail marketplace.
• DoorDash launched Dasher Returns, a service for coordinating product return pickups.
• DoorDash announced Text DoorDash, an expansion of its Ask DoorDash assistant for ordering via text.

Scarlett Johansson's Beauty Brand The Outset Winds Down

Scarlett Johansson's vegan skincare brand, The Outset, has announced it is winding down operations, according to a message on its website. The brand, co-founded with Kate Foster Lengyel in 2022, initially launched as a direct-to-consumer venture before securing retail partnerships with Sephora, Amazon, and Nordstrom. The closure is attributed to a lack of prominent celebrity endorsement, as Johansson deliberately stayed out of the spotlight in marketing efforts. Industry expert JP Kuehlwein of Columbia Business School notes that celebrity brands typically rely on the founder's visibility for success, and The Outset's low-profile approach undermined its credibility and consumer interest. Existing orders will still be processed, and products may remain available at retail partners while stock lasts. The brand did not respond to requests for comment, and official closure details have not been released.

• The Outset, Scarlett Johansson's skincare brand, announced it is winding down operations.
• The brand was co-founded by Scarlett Johansson and Kate Foster Lengyel in 2022.
• The Outset launched as a DTC brand and later partnered with Sephora, Amazon, and Nordstrom.

Nordstrom's NYC pop-up The Corner Market adds gourmet foods

Nordstrom's New York City flagship store has transformed its pop-up space, The Corner, into The Corner Market, a gourmet food and pantry shop featuring products from over 50 local and global brands including Fishs Eddy, Fishwife, and Monte's Fine Foods. The space, which opened in late September and runs through October 10, offers housewares, pantry staples, and hosting supplies, with a focus on luxury gifting. Customers can create personalized gift boxes starting at $20. This is part of Nordstrom's strategy to evolve its pop-up concept beyond fashion, following past collaborations with Nike, Skims, and Adidas. The move reflects the retailer's broader effort to expand its services and offerings, and follows a 7% year-over-year sales increase in 2025.

• Nordstrom's NYC pop-up The Corner Market features gourmet foods and housewares from over 50 brands.
• The pop-up opened in late September 2026 and will remain open through Oct. 10, 2026.
• Custom gift boxes start at $20 with options including wood boxes and engraving.

Rent the Runway Appoints Paige Thomas as CEO

Rent the Runway has promoted Chief Commercial Officer Paige Thomas to CEO, effective Monday. Thomas, a Nordstrom alum, succeeds interim CEO Teri Bariquit, who becomes non-executive board chair. The announcement came as the company released Q2 results showing sales growth and narrowed losses. Total revenue rose nearly 21% year-over-year to $97.7 million, while active subscribers declined to 140,826. Gross margin expanded to 36.1%, and net loss shrank to $12.9 million. Thomas aims to accelerate the company's transformation rather than change direction.

• Paige Thomas promoted to CEO of Rent the Runway, effective Monday.
• Teri Bariquit, former interim CEO, appointed non-executive board chair.
• Q2 total revenue rose nearly 21% year-over-year to $97.7 million.