It’s been another week with far more retail news than there is time in the day. Below, we break down some things you may have missed during the week and what we’re still thinking about.
From Crate & Barrel’s collaboration with Converse to Hims & Hers’ latest acquisition, here’s our closeout for the week.
What you may have missed
New Balance brought in a record $9.2B in 2025
Sportswear brand New Balance reported its fifth consecutive year of double-digit growth in 2025, the company said this week. The retailer achieved a record $9.2 billion in annual global sales, up 19% year over year.
It was also the fifth consecutive year of global market share gains. New Balance CEO Joe Preston said in a press release Thursday that the footwear company saw record-setting results in almost every region, including more than 20% growth in North America and more than 30% growth in Europe. The retailer also opened an Asia Design Studio to unify its lifestyle apparel teams in the region.
“Our footwear and apparel products continued to deliver across lifestyle and performance, consistently meeting and exceeding consumer expectations,” Preston said, adding that both the global apparel business and New Balance’s owned retail operations surpassed $1 billion for the first time last year. “As we look ahead, we will stay focused and true to who we are as we strengthen our brand, maximize our global opportunities and prioritize our unique One NB culture.”
Gordon Brothers adds Chinese Laundry to its portfolio
Chinese Laundry and its sibling brands have been acquired by restructuring firm Gordon Brothers for an undisclosed amount. A company spokesperson declined to provide the purchase price. The footwear portfolio includes Dirty Laundry, CL by Laundry, 42 Gold and the original namesake, Chinese Laundry, which was founded in 1971 in Los Angeles.
Gordon Brothers – which also owns the intellectual property of Rachel Zoe, Laura Ashley, LK Bennett and Nicole Miller – plans to expand Chinese Laundry’s reach via marketing and distribution through new licensees.
“The sale of approximately 1.5 million pairs of shoes is an excellent opportunity for retailers to acquire in-demand products to enhance their store inventory,” Greg Frattaroli, Gordon Brothers’ senior manager of North America commercial and industrial, said in a statement.
Retail therapy
Converse kicks it with Crate & Kids
Converse is launching its first kids furniture collection with the help of Crate & Kids. The limited-edition, 80-piece collab also marks Crate & Kids’ first fashion partnership.
Products include furniture, textiles, lighting and decor, and are crafted from natural materials.
"Every detail of this collection was considered with intention, drawing a direct line back to the iconic Chuck Taylor," Sebastian Brauer, senior vice president of product design for Crate & Barrel and Crate & Kids, said in a statement. "Together, we translated Converse's iconic design language into uniquely playful pieces made for kids' spaces with a heritage feel."
What we’re still thinking about
$1.15B
That’s the value of a deal for Hims & Hers to acquire digital health company Eucalyptus, subject to customary purchase price adjustments.
The company said this acquisition will position it well “to expand into Australia and Japan and deepen its presence in the U.K., Germany, and Canada.”
Eucalyptus operates several consumer brands, including Juniper and Pilot, and serves more than 775,000 customers. Following the closing of the deal, Eucalyptus CEO Tim Doyle will become senior vice president of international at Hims & Hers.
The deal to buy Eucalyptus builds on Hims & Hers other acquisitions to create a diversified international platform, expanding the company’s reach.
The deal to acquire Eucalyptus is expected to close in the middle of 2026.
What we’re watching
Amazon tops Walmart’s annual sales, but is that the full picture?
Amazon beat Walmart in annual sales during the most recent fiscal year, reaching $716.9 billion versus Walmart's $713.2 billion in annual revenue. While the comparison made for headlines this week after Walmart reported its fourth quarter results, it isn’t like comparing apples to apples.
Amazon’s full-year sales are inclusive of its cloud computing arm, Amazon Web Services, which made up $128.7 billion of the total sales for the year. Only a small portion of Walmart’s revenue comes from income outside its retail business, with the membership and other income sub-category making up about $6.8 billion.
For the fourth quarter, Amazon’s online store net sales grew 10% year over year to nearly $83 billion and physical store sales increased 5% to about $5.9 billion. In comparison, Walmart’s fourth quarter net sales grew 5.6% year over year to nearly $189 billion.
