News Briefs

Consumer usage and acceptance of artificial intelligence is growing, but many concerns remain.

Roughly one-third (32)% of U.S. consumers now use AI daily and more than half (53%) say AI improves their online experience, although 20% never use it. However, data from the Shift Browser 2026 AI Consumer Insights Survey indicates 81% of surveyed U.S. consumers say they are concerned about AI systems accessing their personal data or private conversations, and only 16% say they trust AI answer engines "a great deal."

The survey also reveals that slightly more than half (51%) of respondents say the ability to customize or limit AI features is important, and nearly half (48%) report comfort with autonomous or agentic features when oversight is present.

[READ MORE: Here’s how consumers want to use AI shopping assistants]

Six in 10 respondents say they trust AI engines at least somewhat and 58% say AI-generated answers have influenced their opinions at least occasionally. However, 44% of respondents worry about AI taking actions without approval and 26% report difficulty managing or turning off AI features

Other top respondent concerns include the amount of energy required to power AI systems (57%), privacy (48%), accuracy (36%) and lack of transparency into how AI systems operate (32%). Perhaps not surprisingly, 79% of respondents favor some level of government regulation for AI answer engines, with 35% supporting strong regulation.

In addition, when asked about their desired AI functionalities, a leading 54% of respondents want research assistance, 34% want article summarization and 32% want task automation.

The survey was conducted among 1,448 respondents and weighted to be nationally representative by income, ethnicity, age, gender, and region.

Vestar, one of the largest privately held owners of retail real estate in the West, announced the signing of four food and beverage tenants for a project under construction in Arizona.

The 500,000-sq.-ft. Verrado Marketplace going up in Buckeye will welcome Ohso Brewery, Paris Baguette, BJ’s Restaurant, and Chili’s Grill & Bar.

“We are thrilled to be opening the eighth location of Ohso at Verrado Marketplace,” said Derek Boettcher of Ohso Brewery. “This expansion is a strategic move for us, as the West Valley continues to experience tremendous growth.”

The newly signed eateries will be joining a brand menu that includes Salt Tacos + Tequila, Shake Shack, Sourdough & Co., Handel’s Ice Cream, Einstein Bros Bagels, Nekter Juice Bar, Thai Chili, and Tropical Smoothie Café. 

"Having successfully introduced Paris Baguette to Scottsdale, Phoenix, Chandler, and Paradise Valley, we are thrilled to expand our footprint to the West Valley,” said the Korean-based brand’s Sam Yoon.

Anchor tenants at Verrado Marketplace are Target, Harkins Backlot, Safeway, Ross, Marshalls, and HomeGoods.

Others in the center’s directory will include Ulta, Famous Footwear, Buckle, Bath & Body Works, See’s Candies, and America’s Best Contacts & Glasses. 

Tenant openings will begin in May 2026. 

Nordstrom Inc. has added another location to its list of planned off-price openings.

Nordstrom Rack will open a new location in Farmington Hills, Mich., a northwestern suburb of Detroit, in fall 2027. The 25,000-sq.-ft. store will be located at Hunter's Square, a popular shopping center that includes DSW, Ulta, Meijer, Old Navy and more as tenants. The property is owned and managed by Symmetry Management.

Nordstrom Inc. currently operates two Nordstrom stores and five Nordstrom Rack stores in Michigan.

"Symmetry Management is pleased to welcome Nordstrom Rack as a key entry into the Hunter's Square development,” said Frank Jarbou, CEO and president at Symmetry Management. “Their arrival signifies a major milestone in our vision for the site and reinforces Hunter's Square as a premier retail destination in the market.”

Nordstrom Rack has a host of other openings planned for the near future. The retailer will open more than 20 locations this year, with new stores planned in major markets such as Atlanta, Orlando, Tampa and several East Coast cities.

"We look forward to being a part of the Farmington Hills community and serving our customers with an amazing offering of great brands at great prices," said Gemma Lionello, president of Nordstrom Rack. "We're excited to grow our footprint in the Detroit market and introduce new customers to the Nordstrom experience."

[READ MORE: Nordstrom kicking off milestone year with special events, exclusive products]

Seattle-based Nordstrom Inc. operates nearly 400 Nordstrom, Nordstrom Local and Nordstrom Rack locations nationwide.

A global brand management company is trying to take the worry out of the customer purchase experience.

Authentic Brands Group is launching the Seel agentic post-purchase platform that includes the vendor’s “Worry-Free Purchase” program which features extended return windows, white-glove claims support and delay protection. Through a seamless one-click integration at checkout, customers can enroll in the program. Seel then manages claims, refunds, and support, including an AI-driven instant claim process reviews and approves claims immediately.

“Delivering an exceptional customer experience is our priority,” said Adam Kronengold, chief digital officer at Authentic. “Partnering with Seel allows us to enhance the journey beyond checkout and give our shoppers the confidence and peace of mind they expect from our portfolio of iconic brands.”

Authentic intends its partnership with Seel to help support stronger customer satisfaction, increased customer loyalty, higher checkout conversions, and a smoother overall customer experience. As Authentic continues to scale its global portfolio, Seel’s platform will provide the infrastructure to support long-term post-purchase services across its brands and regions.

[READ MORE: U.K.'s Debenhams Group provides online post-purchase protection]

Authentic Brands Group owns more than 50 global brands, generating approximately $32 billion in annual systemwide retail sales. The company's portfolio includes Reebok, Champion, Shaquille O’Neal, David Beckham, Kevin Hart, Sports Illustrated, Elvis Presley, Muhammad Ali, Marilyn Monroe, Guess?, Aéropostale, Nautica, Eddie Bauer, Lucky Brand, Nine West, Brooks Brothers, Juicy Couture, Vince Camuto, Izod, Van Heusen, Dockers, Ted Baker, Hart Schaffner Marx, Vince, Barneys New York, Judith Leiber, Quiksilver, Spyder, Billabong, Volcom, Roxy, RVCA, DC Shoes, Prince, Sperry and Hunter.

Dockers is under new ownership.

Levi Strauss & Co. said is has closed its sale of the Dockers brand to Authentic Brands Group. The $311 million deal was first announced in May 2025. 

“The completion of this transaction sharpens LS&Co.’s focus on the Levi’s brand and Beyond Yoga, simplifying the portfolio and strengthening the company’s structural profitability,” the denim giant stated. 

Under the terms of the agreement, Authentic Brands will own Dockers’ intellectual property. The company has signed a licensing agreement with its long-standing partner, Centric Brands, which will serve as the operating partner for Dockers across key categories in the U.S. and Canada. 

Centric will take on sportswear, activewear, kids’ apparel, dress shirts, workwear and performance golf.With the closing of the deal, Authentic Brands has added another high-profile brand to its portfolio.

“Dockers is a natural fit for the Authentic model,” Jamie Salter, founder, chairman and CEO of Authentic Brands, said when the deal was announced. “Dockers played a key role in shaping casual workwear as we know it today, and we see significant potential to build on that legacy and grow the brand across a variety of categories.”

Authentic Brands said it plans to unlock new opportunities for Dockers through its global network of more than 1,700 licensing partners, with a focus on innovation, omnichannel expansion and international growth.  

Authentic’s portfolio includes more than 50 global brands, driving more than $38 billion in annual systemwide retail sales. The company's portfolio includes Reebok, Champion, Nautica, Elvis Presley, Eddie Bauer, Aéropostale, Lucky Brand, Nine West, Brooks Brothers, Juicy Couture, Vince Camuto, Quiksilver, Billabong, Sperry, Hunter, Ted Baker and more.  

Daily TikTok users who discover products via social influencers are more demographically diverse than might be expected.

The largest share (29%) of these consumers is age 25-34. However, analysis of YouGov Profiles data reveals consumers aged 18-24 (21%) account for 21%, while adults aged 35-44 represent 19%, ages 45-54 equal 14% and those aged 55 and up actually comprise a slightly larger 16% of the TikTok product discovery audience. 

[READ MORE: TikTok is a done deal – the time for waiting is over]

Overall, consumers who discover products via TikTok skew two-thirds female. Looking at income levels, YouGov found that lower-income households (below 75% of median income) make up a leading 42% of this audience, while middle-income households account for 38% and desirable higher-income households only account for 8%.

TikTok beauty discovery trends

Among daily TikTok users who discover products via influencers and who have spent at least $25 on make-up in the past three months, ad awareness levels tracked by YouGov are markedly higher than among the nationally representative U.S. adult population.

Notable discrepancies include:

• Dove: 44% ad awareness among TikTok beauty spenders compared to 31% among all consumers.
• CeraVe: 33% versus 18%.
• E.l.f. Cosmetics: 30% versus 7%.
• Bath & Body Works: 30% versus 18%.
• Ulta Beauty: 25% versus 13%.
• Cetaphil: 18% versus 7%.
• La Roche-Posay: 16% versus 6%.
• Fenty: 14% versus 4%.
• NYX: 13% versus 3%.
• M.A.C.:10% versus 2%.

Across every brand analyzed by YouGov, awareness among TikTok beauty spenders exceeds the national average, in some cases by more than 20 percentage points.

YouGov Profiles is based on continuously collected data through rolling surveys. Figures were drawn from responses collected between February 2025 and February 2026, using a 52-week dataset updated weekly with data is nationally representative of U.S. adults aged 18 and up.