1. Sephora installs personalization mirror in Madrid flagship

‍Sephora, in partnership with interactive experience solution provider Wildbytes, has installed a digital mirror at its flagship store in Madrid that will deliver personalized recommendations through AI. The mirror detects data about the shopper looking into it, including gender, age, look and clothing, and uses those points to recommend makeup, skincare and fragrance offerings that best match the shopper’s needs. The mirror also reportedly takes real-time information into account, including the local weather, season and top-trending items.

2. Walmart to close 8 stores

‍ Walmart has announced 8 store closures across 8 states. According to Business Insider, the stores include one Walmart Supercenter and seven neighborhood markets. Neighborhood markets are about one-fifth the size of a Walmart Supercenter, and they are typically located in more urban areas than Supercenters and primarily sell groceries. Spokesman Phillip Keene was quoted as saying that the decision was based on a number of factors, including the location's overall financial performance. The company is still committed to the smaller store concept, he said.

3. Simon launches shopping portal

‍ Simon has launched an eCommerce shopping platform, dubbed SPO. According to the company’s press release, the platform is designed to drive incremental business both online and in the stores of participating retailers. SPO will enable the highly engaged Premium Outlets customer base to shop 24/7 for their favorite fashion, luxury and lifestyle brands, all in one place, up to 65 percent off every day. We're beta-testing the platform with just under 2,000 brands and over 300,000 products," said David Simon.

4. Walgreens plans to sell CBD products in 1500 stores

‍ Days after drugstore chain CVS announced that it plans to start selling CBD products, Walgreens has announced that it plans to sell creams, patches, and sprays infused with CBD in about 1500 stores across 9 states in the country. According to CNBC, Walgreens' products will be available at locations in Oregon, Colorado, Kentucky, New Mexico, Tennessee, Vermont, South Carolina, Indiana, and Illinois.

5. Rent the Runway sued by FashionPass

FashionPass, a subscription startup has reportedly filed a suit against Rent the Runway accusing it of engaging in anti-competitive and monopolistic practices. In the filing, FashionPass states it has suffered continuing injury and damages in excess of $3 million and is entitled to recover three times its losses from Rent the Runway’s activities. Rent the Runway has not publicly responded to the lawsuit or allegations.