Nordstrom vs Otto Group

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.

OTTO: Mit ChatGPT-Plugin und -Ads zur Agentic Readiness

OTTO is advancing its e-commerce platform for AI-driven shopping. With its tech partner one.O, the retailer built an MCP-based interface, enabling a new ChatGPT plugin that offers product recommendations for over 19 million articles. Users can engage the plugin via '@OTTO' to get personalized product advice, with purchases completed on OTTO's own shop. Additionally, OTTO has been testing ChatGPT Ads since September 2026, one of the first European partners, while clearly distinguishing paid ads from organic recommendations. Earlier, OTTO introduced a voice-assisted shopping tool that has driven up to 37% higher order values and double conversion rates. Future plans include AI agents that can retrieve real-time data and handle transactions, but these capabilities are not yet available.

• OTTO launched a ChatGPT plugin for product recommendations across 19 million articles, built on an MCP-based interface with one.O.
• The plugin enables customers to get advice on OTTO's assortment within ChatGPT, with purchases completed on OTTO's shop.
• OTTO has been testing ChatGPT Ads since September 2026 as one of the first European partners, distinguishing ads from organic recommendations.

Witt-Gruppe eröffnet virtuelle Umkleidekabine; Nächste Phase der KI-Transformation: OTTO startet GenAI-Enablement-Partner-Programm

New press releases on the Otto Group newsroom: Witt-Gruppe launches virtual fitting room (08.10.2026) and OTTO starts GenAI-Enablement-Partner-Programm (07.10.2026).

Alexander Peters erweitert als CTO die Geschäftsführung der Hermes Fulfilment

Otto Group 26.08.2026