H&M is partnering with ThredUp to launch H&M Pre-Loved, its first resale service. "The fast-fashion retailer will begin offering used items across various categories such as sport, denim and kids," per Retail Dive. "Shoppers can also buy from a 'collabs' section featuring items from H&M’s previous guest designer collections and collaborations. The program is part of the fast-fashion retailer’s efforts to extend the use of its products and establish a circular business model."

The South African government is investigating Shein's operations after local fashion trade groups complained that the fast fashion company might be taking advantage of tax policies to skirt higher tariffs. This is not the first legal challenge the company has faced. "Estimates are that over the last two years, Shein has been sued at least 50 times for trademark and copyright infringement, often choosing to settle with plaintiffs rather than defend its practices," per Sourcing Journal.

Timberand is opening a new global flagship store in NYC's SoHo neighborhood which executives say is the best representation of the brand's DNA. "The concept also puts more of a focus on womenswear, a key growth category for the company, by presenting female-skewed footwear and apparel right inside the entrance," per Sourcing Journal."The store also features The Shed, a customization space where customers who sign up for Timberland’s newly launched membership program can have their shoes or clothing personalized. Timberland has a larger version in its New Hampshire headquarters that also serves as a prototyping lab."

The U.S. Army is bringing back "Be All You Can Be." The recruiting slogan was used from the 1980s until 2001. After testing several different choices, the Army found that the old slogan was the message that resonated most with people of all ages.  Last week it released the first two recruiting commercials featuring the tagline, part of the service’s new $117 million campaign.

Delta Air Lines is phasing out its "Passport Plum" uniform pieces designed by fashion designer Zac Posen. The carrier's latest safety video features a flight attendant wearing a gunmetal gray dress. Passport Plum was chosen because it represented a combination of Delta’s traditional red and blue colors.

Red Wing shoes is bringing a cult-favorite character's footwear to life. The activation is in conjunction with "The Super Marios Bros. Movie," which debuts April 5. "Fans of the Mario franchise have the unique opportunity to celebrate the longstanding character’s impact on the culture by feasting their eyes on the footwear in person at Nintendo’s New York flagship store at Rockefeller Center through the end of April," per Sourcing Journal.  

Cue Nirvana on the turntable: Grunge, the musical genre that originated in the Pacific Northwest is making a comeback. It spawned flannel shirts, grandpa cardigans, dirty and destroyed denim, baby doll dresses and skate-inspired footwear. "Sparked by the Indie Sleaze aesthetic that launched basic tank tops and miniskirts onto the must-have lists of Gen Z shoppers, Aoife Byrne, Edited senior fashion and retail analyst, said designers are 'turning back the clock' to the ’90s and powering a grunge rival," per Sourcing Journal. "Edited found a 28% year-over-year increase in apparel using the descriptor 'grunge' in a sign of …

American-made cheese can now legally be called gruyere, a court has ruled. "The word ‘gruyere’ is 'generic', a U.S. Court of Appeals told two consortiums who had argued the term should only be used to describe cheese made in a specific region of Switzerland and France," per Food Navigator. 

WeightWatchers is buying digital health company Sequence, marking the company’s move into the hot market for obesity drugs. Sequence is a telehealth subscription service that connects patients with doctors who can prescribe the drugs, including Ozempic. “There is growing scientific evidence that, for some, prescription chronic weight management medications can address the biological components of obesity,” WeightWatchers said in a presentation about its Sequence purchase.

There are conflicting reports over the origin of the iconic Pillsbury Doughboy. The company credits the mascot's origin with Leo Burnett in Chicago in 1965, but owners of a now-defunct plant say the image was sketched by an employee much earlier. "They told me the employee apparently put a sketch in the suggestion box at the Springfield Pillsbury plant and the story from the employees was that guy was paid a little bit of money for the idea," said Chris Richmond, the founder and president/treasurer of Moving Pillsbury Forward, who wouldn't divulge the name of the artist. "Several years later, the ad agency got …