ANNE D'INNOCENZIO Retail Writer, Author at The Rapid City Post

FILE - U.S. Border Patrol Cmdr. Gregory Bovino walks through a Target store Jan. 11, 2026, in St. Paul, Minn. (AP Photo/Adam Gray, File)

Protesters in multiple states press Target to oppose the immigration crackdown in Minnesota

February 11, 2026

Activists have planned protests at more than two dozen Target stores around the United States to pressure the discount retailer into taking a public stand against the 5-week-old immigration crackdown in its home state of Minnesota. A coalition of community groups, religious leaders, labor unions and other critics of the federal operation, called for coordinated demonstrations to start on Wednesday and to continue for a full week. Target’s headquarters are located in Minneapolis, where federal officers last month killed two residents who had participated in anti-ICE protests, and its name adorns the city’s major league baseball stadium and an arena where its basketball teams plays.

Coffee is for sale at a grocery store Monday, Feb. 9, 2026, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley)

Retail sales unchanged in December from November, closing out year on a lackluster tone

February 10, 2026

Shoppers pulled back the pace of their spending in December from November, closing out the holiday shopping season and the year on a lackluster tone. The report, issued by the Commerce Department on Tuesday, raised questions about shoppers’ ability to spend this year as they worry about a slowing job market and uncertainty around President Donald Trump’s tariffs and their impact on prices. Retail sales were flat in December from November, when business was up 0.6%. Economists were expecting a 0.4% increase for December.

Target CEO reshapes his leadership team in first big move since taking over this month

February 10, 2026

Target CEO Michael Fiddelke is reshuffling his leadership team and making other changes shortly after stepping into the top job at the retailer that has struggled operationally. Rick Gomez, the 23-year Target veteran who oversees a the chains’ vast inventory of merchandise, will leave the company and Jill Sando, the chief merchandising officer overseeing a handful of categories like apparel and home and who has been with the company since 1997, will retire. Lisa Roath, who oversaw food, essentials and cosmetics, will take Fiddelke’s previous job as chief operating officer, the company said Tuesday. Cara Sylvester, who had been chief guest experience officer, will become the company’s chief merchandising officer. The changes will allow Target to move with greater speed, Fiddelke said.

FILE - People walk out of an Amazon Go store in Seattle, March 4, 2020. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren, File)

Amazon misses 4Q profit estimates despite better-than expected growth in cloud computing business

February 5, 2026

Amazon sales surged 14% during the fourth quarter, helped by strong holiday spending and better-than-expected growth in its cloud computing unit. But the Seattle-based online behemoth’s shares fell nearly 10% in after hours trading as its profits came in slightly below analysts’ expectations. Investors also didn’t seem to like Amazon’s announcement that it was stepping up its capital expenditure to $200 billion this year, up from $125 billion last year as it sees opportunities in artificial intelligence, robots, semiconductors and satellites.

Amazon to close Amazon Go and Amazon Fresh to concentrate on Whole Foods and grocery delivery

January 27, 2026

Amazon said it’s closing all of its Amazon Go and Amazon Fresh locations, as the online behemoth focuses on its Whole Foods Market stores and grocery delivery. The Seattle-based online retailer said Tuesday in a blog post that it plans to convert some of those soon-to-be shuttered locations into Whole Foods Market. The company said it currently operates 57 Amazon Fresh stores and 15 Amazon Go stores. Still, Amazon pledges to continue to experiment with new physical store formats. In the works: a “new supercenter” physical retail concept designed for customers to shop Amazon’s broad selection across fresh groceries, household essentials, and general merchandise.

Versace merchandise is on display at Saks Fifth Avenue on Friday, Jan. 16, 2026 in New York. (AP Photo/Anne D'Innocenzio)

Saks’ bankruptcy filing creates uncertainty for iconic stores, suppliers and shoppers

January 22, 2026

An appeal for bankruptcy protection filing of the operator of Saks Fifth Avenue, Bergdorf Goodman and Neiman Marcus has left the luxury department stores’ suppliers with unpaid bills and caused a rift with Amazon, one of Saks Global’s minority investors. Saks Global said last week it had secured roughly $1.75 billion to help finance the company through legal proceedings and toward hoped-for profitability. The company said it would honor all customer loyalty programs compensate vendors and continue to pay employees while seeking approval for its plan to satisfy its outstanding liabilities, which ranges from $1 billion to $10 billion, according to court documents.

People walk by a shop on Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2026, in Portland, Ore. (AP Photo/Jenny Kane)

Retail sales rose a better-than-expected 0.6% in November as the holiday season kicked into gear

January 14, 2026

Shoppers increased their spending in November from October as holiday shopping kicked into full gear. Retail sales increased a better-than-expected 0.6% in November, following a revised 0.1% decline October, according to the Commerce Department in a report delayed more than a month because of the 43-day government shutdown. Retail sales rose 0.1% increase in September, but jumped 0.6% in July and August and 1% in June. The federal government is gradually catching up on economic reports that were postponed by the shutdown. Sales at clothing and accessories stores rose 0.9%, while online businesses had a 0.4% increase. Business at sporting goods and hobby stores was up 1.9%.

Mattel adds an autistic Barbie to doll line devoted to showcasing diversity and inclusion

January 11, 2026

An autistic Barbie is joining Mattel’s line of fashion dolls that’s intended to celebrate diversity. The toymaker says it developed the new Barbie in partnership with a nonprofit organization that advocates for the rights and better media representation of autistic people. A staff member with the Autistic Self Advocacy Network who worked on the prototype says creating the Barbie was a challenge because autism encompasses a broad range of behaviors and varies widely in degree. The doll that goes on sale on Monday has eyes shifted slightly to the side to avoid direct eye contact. It also has articulated elbows and wrists to acknowledge the gestures some autistic people use to process sensory information.

FILE - Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai speaks at a Google I/O event in Mountain View, Calif., Tuesday, May 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu, File)

Google teams up with Walmart and other retailers to enable shopping within Gemini AI chatbot

January 11, 2026

Google is expanding the shopping features in its AI chatbot by teaming up with Walmart, Shopify, Wayfair and other big retailers to turn the Gemini app into a virtual merchant as well as an assistant. An instant checkout function will allow customers to make purchases from some businesses and through a range of payment providers without leaving the Gemini chat they used to find products, according to Walmart and Google. The news was announced Sunday on the first day of the National Retail Federation’s annual convention in New York. The role of artificial intelligence in e-commerce and its impact on consumer behavior are expected to dominate the three-day event.

Post-holiday shoppers pass a Christmas tree and festive display at Calef's Country Store, Friday, Dec. 26, 2025, in Barrington, N.H. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

More thrifting and fewer returns, the early trends that defined shopping this holiday

December 26, 2025

The shopping rush leading up to Christmas is over and in its place, like every year, another has begun as millions of people hunt for post-holiday deals and get in line to return gifts that didn’t fit, or didn’t hit quite right. Holiday spending topped last year’s haul, but growing unease over the U.S. economy and higher prices have altered the behavior of some Americans. More are hitting thrift stores and they’re sticking more closely to shopping lists. Here are three trends that defined the holiday shopping season so far.

Jenny Poole pushes a shopping cart at Kohl's on Black Friday, Jenny has shopped at this Kohls on Black Friday every year for the last 10 years, Friday, Nov. 28, 2025, in Woodstock, Ga. (AP Photo/Megan Varner)

Cautious shoppers step up spending to start holiday season

December 23, 2025

Consumers stepped up gift giving during the first seven weeks of the holiday shopping season, yet uncertainty about the economy is making them more targeted in their buying. From Nov. 1 through Sunday, cash and credit card sales rose 4.2%, which is less than the 4.8% increase during the same period a year ago, according to Visa’s Consulting & Analytics division. When adjusted for inflation, retail sales rose a more modest 2.2% for the first seven weeks of the holiday period, according to Visa’s U.S. principal economist Michael Brown. That compares with the inflation-adjusted 3% last year.

Customers walk into Macy's flagship store, Friday, Nov. 21, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Department stores try to distinguish themselves as beauty lovers turn to TikTok and Amazon

December 21, 2025

Competition among retailers for a slice of the $129 billion U.S. beauty and personal care market is fiercer than ever due to the ease of e-commerce and the advice shoppers seek on social media instead of in stores. Amazon is now the nation’s largest online seller of makeup, skincare and other products. Department stores lost their cache as the ultimate beauty destination when speciality retailers like Sephora made shopping for cosmetics more of a self-service experience. Macy’s and Nordstrom are trying to distinguish themselves by giving customers a luxury experience and areas to experiment without a salesperson’s help. Both department store chains renovated their beauty departments in time for the holidays.

Becca Mendoza and Tammi Hines look at products as shoppers browse through Kohl's department store for Black Friday deals, Friday, Nov. 28, 2025, in Woodstock, Ga. (AP Photo/Megan Varner)

Retail sales unchanged in October as shoppers moderated spending due to economic uncertainty

December 16, 2025

Sales at U.S. retailers and restaurants were unchanged in October from September as consumers moderated their spending amid worries about higher prices and other economic uncertainties after splurging over the summer. Excluding sales at motor vehicle and auto parts outlets, sales rose 0.4%. The flat spending in October follows a revised 0.1% increase in September, the Commerce Department said Tuesday. The report was delayed more than a month because of the 43-day government shutdown. Sales jumped 0.6% in July and August and 1% in June. The federal government is gradually catching up on economic reports that were postponed by the shutdown.

Black Friday Shoppers queue to enter Macy's flagship store in New York on Friday, Nov. 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Angelina Katsanis)

Macy’s posts surprise profit with overhaul under new CEO resonating with shoppers

December 3, 2025

Macy’s posted a surprise third-quarter profit and its strongest comparable sales in more than three years as an extensive overhaul of the 167-year-old New York department store begins to resonate with shoppers. After posting its back-to-back quarterly jumps in comparable store sales Wednesday, Macy’s raised its financial guidance for the year. Comparable-store sales, a good barometer of a retailer’s health, have been an ominous sign at Macy’s for several years now, serving each quarter as a reminder that the storied department store chain had a long way to go. On Wednesday, however, Macy’s posted a solid 3.2% increase for the quarter.

A man takes a photo of Rockefeller Center in front of Saks Fifth Avenue on Black Friday in New York on Friday, Nov. 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Angelina Katsanis)

A look at the Thanksgiving shopping weekend and what’s next

December 2, 2025

The nation’s shoppers may feel gloomy about the economy, but they certainly were in the mood to shop over the five-day Thanksgiving weekend that wrapped up on Cyber Monday. Wall Street analysts and retailers are sifting through the data from the weekend _ the unofficial start to the season and a good barometer of shoppers’ financial health and the strength of the economy. So far the figures show that shoppers came out online and in stores to scour for deals on everything from TVs and clothing, But all that economic uncertainty did affect spending. Shoppers were very focused and selective, malls reported. Now the question is: whether shoppers will keep spending for the season and into 2026. Here’s a look at the data, the discounts, and what’s next for retailers among other issues.

FILE - Amazon's generative AI-powered shopping assistant, Rufus, appears on a computer monitor, Dec. 1, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Peter Morgan, File)

AI-assisted shopping is the talk of the holiday shopping season

November 30, 2025

Major retail chains and tech companies are offering new or updated artificial intelligence tools in time for the holiday shopping season. They hope to give consumers an easier gift-buying experience and themselves an augmented share of online spending. Although AI-powered purchases still are in early stages, the shopping assistants and agents rolled out by the likes of Walmart, Amazon and Google can do more than the chatbots of holidays past. The latest versions were designed to provide personalized product recommendations, track prices and to place some orders through unscripted “conversations” with customers.

FILE - Clouds pass over the Walmart store, Thursday, Aug. 14, 2025, in Manchester, N.H. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa, File)

Walmart raises profit expectations as more Americans hunt deals in sluggish economy

November 20, 2025

Walmart delivered another standout quarter, posting strong sales and profits that blew past Wall Street expectations as it wins over more cash-strapped Americans who have grown increasing anxious about the economy. With other retailers dialing back projections, the nation’s largest retailer raised its financial outlook Thursday, setting itself up for a strong holiday shopping season. The Bentonville, Arkansas-based company also said that it will be transferring the listing of its common stock to the tech-heavy Nasdaq from the New York Stock Exchange. CEO Doug McMillon, who surprised investors with plans to retire early next year, has reshaped Walmart itself as tech-powered retail giant that has leaned heavily into automation and artificial intelligence.

Shoppers walk towards a Target retail store, Tuesday, Nov. 18, 2025, in Salem, N.H. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

Quarterly profit slide at Target hints at a challenging holiday season for the retailer

November 19, 2025

Target’s third-quarter profit tumbled as the retailer struggles to lure shoppers that are being pressed by stubbornly high inflation. The Minneapolis company said Wednesday that it expects its sales slump to extend through the critical holiday shopping season. Investors have punished Target’s stock recently, sending it down 43% over the past year. Shares slipped in premarket trading.

FILE - A shopper shops at a retail store in Arlington Heights, Ill., Tuesday, Sept. 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh, File)

National Retail Federation : holiday sales to increase 3.7% to 4.2% despite concerns over inflation

November 6, 2025

American shoppers are expected to spend more during the holiday shopping season this year, but the nation’s largest retail trade group believes sales growth may slow due to uncertainly over tariffs and the overall economy. The 2025 forecast from the National Retail Federation on Thursday estimates that shoppers will make $1.01 trillion to $1.02 trillion worth of purchases in November and December, which would represent anywhere from a 3.7% to 4.2% increase over the same two-month period a year ago.However, holiday spending was up 4.3% during last year’s holiday period compared with 2023.

FILE - An Amazon same-day delivery fulfillment shipping center is in Woodland Park, New Jersey, on Monday, Dec. 18, 2023. (AP Photo/Ted Shaffrey, File)

Uncertainty over the economy and tariffs forces many retailers to be cautious on holiday hiring

October 13, 2025

Rising tariff costs and other economic factors are forcing retailers to pull back or even delay their plans to hire seasonal workers. These temp workers typically pack orders at distribution centers, serve shoppers at stores and build holiday displays during the most important selling season of the year. A job placement firm forecasts that hiring for the last three months of the year will likely fall to its lowest level since the 2009 recession, or fewer than 500,000 positions. That’s fewer than last year’s 543,000 temp jobs. The average seasonal gain since 2005 has been 653,363 workers.

Owner Courtland Hickey holds a Pokemon costume from 2024, left, and one from this year, right, at Chicago Costume, Wednesday, Sept. 17, 2025, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley)

How a family-owned costume shop is keeping tariffs from making Halloween a nightmare

October 10, 2025

A family that runs two costume stores in Chicago is putting a creative twist on Halloween this year due to tariffs on Chinese imports. Chicago Costume owner Courtland Hickey says he ordered 40% fewer new costumes because of the increased costs. Instead, he and his mother, who founded the business, are repurposing unsold inventory. They’re transforming vintage pieces and surplus items into sets, and having employees sew fabric and foam scraps into headwear. Hickey says such resourcefulness is required for small independent stores to survive. He initially hoped the tariffs would make it easier to compete against chains stores like Walmart and Spirit Halloween but says the largest retailers dropped their costume prices.

Panos Panay, senior vice president of devices and services at Amazon, speaks during an Amazon event in New York, Tuesday, Sept. 30, 2025. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

Amazon unveils new generation of AI-powered Kindle and other devices

September 30, 2025

Online juggernaut Amazon Inc. unveiled its next generation of Kindle, Ring and Echo devices, among other gadgets, that are all powered by artificial intelligence and connected to Alexa+, its AI-infused personal assistant, which made its debut in February. The lineup, announced at a presentation and showcase in New York, includes new cameras for its Ring video monitoring device with a new AI facial recognition feature that allows users to register friends and family and notify them who is at the front door. Amazon’s effort to infuse more AI into its device line-up is part of technology’s latest craze as all the industry’s major players jockey to gain the upper hand.

FILE - An Amazon Prime delivery person lifts packages while making a stop at a high-rise apartment building, Nov. 28, 2023, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski, File)

Amazon spends $1 billion to increase pay and lower health care costs for US workers

September 18, 2025

Amazon says it’s investing $1 billion to raise wages and lower the cost of health care plans for its U.S. fulfillment and transportation workers. The Seattle-based company said Wednesday that the average pay is increasing to more than $23 per hour. Some of its most tenured employees will see an increase between $1.10 and $1.90 per hour and full-time employees, on average, will see their pay increase by $1,600 per year. Amazon also said it will lower the cost of its entry health care plan to $5 per week and $5 for co-pays, starting next year. Amazon said that will reduce weekly contributions by 34% and co-pays by 87% for primary care, mental health and most non-specialist visits for employees using the basic plan.

Amazon ends a program that lets Prime members share free shipping perk with users outside household

September 2, 2025

Amazon is ending a program that allows members of its Prime membership subscription program to share their free shipping benefits with people who don’t have the same primary address. The online behemoth said it will eliminate the sharing on Oct. 1 and is encouraging users outside the household of the account holder to sign up for their own Prime subscription. Amazon is replacing the so-called Prime Invitee program with Amazon Family, which lets account holders share the free two-day shipping perk as well as a broad range of other perks like exclusive deals and movies with only one other adult in their household, up to four teens (who were added before April 7) and up to four profiles for children, according to Amazon’s website.

FILE - This photo shows a sign outside a Best Buy store in Bethel Park, Pa., May 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar, File)

A solid quarter at Best Buy overshadowed by outlook grown cloudy with tariffs

August 28, 2025

Best Buy posted a solid second quarter that exceeded Wall Street expectations, but the performances was overshadowed by an outlook that has grown cloudy due to tariffs the U.S. is imposing on trading partners. Despite easily beating expectations, shares slid more than 6% Thursday after the company stuck to earlier guidance for 2025. The company cited the potential impact of tariffs. Comparable sales, a good barometer of a retailer’s health, increased 1.6%, better than the small decline that analysts had expected. Yet the company had been battered by online competition. CEO Corie Barry pointed out that it was the highest growth for same-store sales, which include online sales, in three years.

FILE - Shoppers walk from the Walmart store, Aug. 14, 2025, in Manchester, N.H. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa, file)

Tariffs aren’t keeping Walmart from attracting shoppers and outpacing Target

August 21, 2025

Walmart is showing it can keep pulling in shoppers and outpacing rivals like Target in an uncertain economic environment. and tariff concerns to deliver solid second-quarter financial results Thursday, showing it keeps pulling in shoppers and outpacing peers like Target. The nation’s largest retailer delivered solid second-quarter financial results on Thursday. It reported a 4.6% quarterly increase in comparable sales, or those coming from established stores and online channels. Company executives say Walmart is attracting customers with fast deliveries, grocery discounts and trendier clothes. The earnings of the Bentonville, Arkansas, company differed notably from those of Target, which on Wednesday reported another quarter of comparable sales declines.

Dora Diaz, left, and her daughter Fernanda Diaz, 14, shops for school supplies at a Walmart in Dallas, Texas, Tuesday, Aug. 12, 2025. (AP Photo/LM Otero)

Shopping for school supplies becomes a summer activity as families juggle technology and tariffs

August 13, 2025

Shopping for school supplies has become both easier and more complicated for families. The websites of major retail chains generate lists of recommended items by school and grade, allowing parents to shop with a click. Some schools partner with vendors to sell premade boxes of student essentials. Despite these conveniences, many families start shopping months before Labor Day to find the best deals. Analysts say concerns about price increases from new U.S. tariffs on imports have motivated early shopping. One market research company estimates back-to-school spending in the U.S. will reach $33.3 billion from June through August. Some of the biggest chains are advertising selective price freezes on key products to hold onto customers.

Amazon expands its perishable delivery service, putting pressure on traditional grocers

August 13, 2025

Amazon is now rolling out a service where its Prime members can order their blueberries and milk at the same time as their batteries and other basic items. The online juggernaut said Wednesday that customers in more than 1,000 cities and towns now have access to fresh groceries with its free Same-Day Delivery on orders over $25 for Prime members, with plans to reach over 2,300 locations by year-end. The company said that if an order doesn’t meet the minimum, members can still choose Same-Day Delivery for a $2.99 fee. For customers without a Prime membership, the service is available with a $12.99 fee, regardless of order size.

FILE - People shop at a Claire's in New York, Saturday, March 17, 2018. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig, File)

Claire’s, known for piercing millions of teens’ ears, files for Chapter 11, 2nd time since 2018

August 6, 2025

Mall-based teen retailer Claire’s, known for helping to usher teens into a key rite of passage _ ear piercing _ but now struggling with a big debt load and changing consumer tastes, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. The bankruptcy filing in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Delaware on Wednesday, marked the second time since 2018 and for a similar reason: high debt load and the shift among teens heading online. It follows the bankruptcies of other teen retailers including Forever 21, which filed for bankruptcy protection in March and eventually shut its U.S. business as traffic in U.S. shopping malls fades and competition from online retailers like Amazon, Temu and Shein intensifies.

American Eagle’s ‘good jeans’ ads with Sydney Sweeney spark a debate on race and beauty standards

July 30, 2025

U.S. fashion retailer American Eagle Outfitters wanted to make a splash with its new advertising campaign starring 27-year-old actor Sydney Sweeney. It has. The question is whether some of the public reactions the fall denim campaign produced is what American Eagle intended. Titled “Sydney Sweeney has great jeans,” the campaign has sparked a debate about race, Western beauty standards, and the backlash to “woke” American culture. Most of the negative reception focused on videos that used the word “genes” instead of “jeans” when discussing the blonde-haired, blue-eyed actor. Some critics saw the wordplay as a nod to eugenics, a discredited theory that held humanity could be improved through selective breeding for certain traits.

FILE - Amazon employees load packages on carts before being put on to trucks for distribution for Amazon's annual Prime Day event at an Amazon's DAX7 delivery station, July 16, 2024, in South Gate, Calif. (AP Photo/Richard Vogel, File)

Customers seeking deals gave Amazon’s Prime Day and competing sales a solid start

July 9, 2025

Retail analysts say the first day of Amazon’s Prime Day event and competing sales drove solid online spending. Adobe Digital Insights reports that U.S. consumers spent $7.9 billion at e-commerce sites on Tuesday. That was 9.9% more than on the comparable day last year. Analysts are evaluating sales by Amazon, Walmart, Target and other U.S. retailers for clues on whether President Donald Trump’s trade policy and unpredictable tariffs affect prices and consumer behavior. According to consumer data company Numerator, the average Prime Day order on Tuesday cost $58.37. However, the company says 42% of participating households placed more than two orders.

Amazon extends Prime Day discounts to 4 days as retailers weigh tariff-related price increases

July 7, 2025

Amazon’s annual Prime Day sales are here again. The e-commerce giant is making the now-misnamed Prime Day a four-day event for the first time. Its promised blitz of summer deals for Prime members starts at 3:01 a.m. Eastern time on Tuesday and runs until early Friday. The company launched the event in 2015 and expanded it to two days in 2019. Amazon executives declined to comment on the potential impact of President Donald Trump’s tariffs on Prime Day deals. Some retail analysts expect U.S. consumers to make purchases this week out of fear that high taxes on foreign imports will make items they want more expensive later.

Why hosting a July Fourth pool party may cost less this year

July 3, 2025

Americans have one more reason to celebrate this Fourth of July. A market research company’s preliminary data shows that getting all the gear needed to host a pool party costs less than it has in years. Consumer data provider Numerator said in an analysis prepared for The Associated Press that the total price to buy beach towels, a beverage cooler, bathing suits and other accoutrements of summer fun averaged $858 in June. That was the lowest amount for the month since 2020. The finding from the firm’s seasonal snapshot comports with broader economic measures indicating that U.S. consumers so far haven’t seen major impacts from President Donald Trump’s vigorous application of tariffs on foreign goods.

FILE - Leonard Lauder attends a gala launch party in New York, April 26, 2010. (AP Photo/Stephen Chernin, File)

Leonard Lauder, philanthropist who globalized family cosmetic business, dies at age 92

June 16, 2025

Leonard Lauder, a renowned philanthropist who expanded the family cosmetics business into a worldwide empire, has died at the age of 92. Estee Lauders Cos. announced the news in a release on Sunday and said he died on Saturday surrounded by his family. Lauder, the oldest son of Estee and Joseph H. Lauder who founded the cosmetics company in 1946, formally joined the New York company in 1958. Over more than six decades, Lauder played a key role in transforming the business from a handful of products sold under a single brand in U.S. stores to a multi-brand global cosmetics and fragrance giant. He had held the title of chairman emeritus at the time of his death.

ANNE D'INNOCENZIO Retail Writer.