NRF Lifts Its Holiday Forecast to 4.2% Growth, Mattel Hires Its Second CFO in 18 Months
4 min read · October 20, 2026 · Covering October 19 · 8 stories from 4 sources
Yesterday in ecommerce: NRF raised its holiday forecast to 4.2% sales growth even as seasonal hiring stays soft, Mattel hired its second CFO in 18 months under investor pressure, and Bonobos relaunched on Shopify with fit data that follows shoppers between its stores and website. 8 stories, about 4 minutes.
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NRF lifts its holiday forecast to 4.2% sales growth, but hiring stays soft
The National Retail Federation now expects US holiday sales to rise 4.2%, topping $1 trillion in November and December, with nearly half the growth coming from real spending rather than higher prices. Retailers still plan to hire only 325,000 to 375,000 seasonal workers, below 2024's 442,000, as diesel and memory-chip costs push up gift prices. Last year's season grew just 3.1%, undershooting NRF's own forecast.
For your store:Build your promo calendar around steady spending growth, not a hiring surge. Cross-train current staff for peak days instead of counting on a big seasonal class.
Mattel hires its second CFO in under 18 months as investors push for a sale
Mattel named Peter Griffith, Amgen's former CFO, as its new finance chief, succeeding Paul Ruh after only 17 months. Griffith gets a $1.3 million base salary, a bonus of up to 200% of it, and $4.7 million in signing pay. The move follows new CEO Roger Lynch's September arrival and comes weeks after Ariel Investments urged Mattel to explore a sale or merger, echoing an earlier push from Southeastern Asset Management.
For your store:Frequent leadership churn at a supplier or competitor is a signal worth watching. It often precedes changes to pricing, assortment or terms.
UK weighs making marketplaces collect VAT from their biggest domestic sellers
The UK government is considering requiring marketplaces to collect and remit VAT on sales by larger UK-based sellers, not just overseas ones, after Chinese nationals allegedly used thousands of shell companies to dodge the tax. The Times reports a possible £90,000 annual sales threshold per platform. Amazon, which backs the plan, estimates it could bring in £700 million a year for the Treasury. Chancellor John Healey is expected to give details in the October 28 Budget.
For your store:If you sell through UK marketplaces, check whether your volume could cross a new VAT threshold before the Budget lands.
Bonobos relaunches on Shopify so in-store fit data follows shoppers online
Bonobos moved its website to Shopify, syncing its 48 Guideshops' fit data with Bonobos.com through new My Fit profiles. Store associates see a customer's sizing in real time and can send a complete online look straight to the register. Any purchase within seven days, online or in-store, is credited to the original Guide, and Shop Pay adds one-tap checkout. Omnichannel shoppers spend two to three times more than single-channel ones, a marketing professor notes.
For your store:If you run a store with a physical location, syncing fit data across channels is a concrete lever for raising order value, not just a nice-to-have.
Dick's Sporting Goods and Foot Locker cut seasonal hiring by a fifth
Dick's Sporting Goods plans to hire just over 11,000 seasonal workers this year, about 20% fewer than last year's 14,000, across its own banners and Foot Locker, which it now owns. The pullback tracks a wider slowdown: Challenger, Gray & Christmas forecasts 450,000 new US retail jobs this quarter, down 2.5% year over year. Foot Locker also cut its outlook, now expecting an operating loss of $40 million to $80 million instead of a profit.
For your store:If bigger chains hire fewer seasonal staff, holiday labor may be easier to find. Lock in your team early anyway, good candidates still go fast.
NBCUniversal's shoppable TV business keeps growing on hits like Traitors
NBCUniversal's shoppable TV unit, which lets viewers buy products straight from shows, now covers about a dozen titles including Traitors, Love Island USA and Top Chef, up from a handful when it launched seven years ago. Brand favorability rises 171% when shoppable content ties to a fan-favorite show, and engagement runs three times higher than with standard ads. Any brand can join its marketplace for free; computer vision matches products, with people checking the results.
For your store:If your products fit a streaming show's aesthetic, a free listing in a shoppable-TV marketplace costs nothing to test and can reach an engaged audience.
Anthropologie leans on a DoorDash delivery and an airport-reunion ad for the holidays
Anthropologie's 2026 holiday campaign spans travel outfits, partywear and hostess gifts, built around scenes like an airport reunion, plus a new national DoorDash option offering free delivery for DashPass members on orders over $20. The quarter typically brings in nearly 30% of its annual sales. Adobe forecasts holiday online spending up 6.7%, with apparel discounts peaking near 23% off, and a PayPal survey found 58% of shoppers more worried about holiday costs this year.
For your store:Pairing a seasonal story with a frictionless delivery option, not just a discount, can lift bigger-basket categories like home and gifting.
Shoppers say they'll blow through 28% of their holiday budget by Halloween
Deloitte's annual holiday survey of 4,000 US shoppers found 28% expect to exhaust their holiday budget by the end of October, the highest share in six years, and 42% plan to shop October sales events, up 18 points in three years. The 38% who call themselves value seekers plan to spend 12% more overall than other shoppers, and 65% of them are already shopping, researching discounts, shipping speed and loyalty points before buying.
For your store:If your biggest promotions still start at Black Friday, you're arriving late for more than a quarter of your holiday shoppers. Move at least one offer earlier.
The Daily Checkout is a daily summary written by KonvertiQ. Every story links to its original source, where you will find full reporting and context. Covered today: Digital Commerce 360, Ecommerce News Europe, Modern Retail, Retail Dive.