It is universally agreed upon that the old “I’m sorry you feel that way, but *insert arbitrary excuse*” chestnut pretty much counts as a non-apologetic way to apologize.

So when Swatch issued a statement in somewhat the same vein apologizing for “any distress or misunderstanding this may have caused,” following the backlash for its recent controversial ad, a lot of consumers weren’t having it.

“You’re not apologizing for anything,” Scott Markman, founder and president of the global branding agency MonogramGroup, told Retail Brew. “But you’re addressing the issue and potentially owning it and turning it into a positive.”

Social media users echoed Markman’s sentiments, perceiving the apology for the ad, which many considered racist, as hollow and lacking accountability.

Still, it’s difficult to speculate what would be the best way to approach the issue for Swatch, which got us thinking: What makes a good brand apology?

We asked some experts to weigh in.

Keep reading here.—JS

Market Basket, a beloved, family-owned New England supermarket chain, has long been the face of Succession-level family drama, but it reached a peak this week that’s left loyal shoppers concerned about the grocer’s fate.

CEO Arthur T. Demoulas was unanimously ousted by the chain’s board after being put on paid leave in May. The board—controlled by his three sisters, who own a combined 60% stake compared to his 28%—called him a “dictator” in court filings this week, accusing him of planning a work stoppage and “unilaterally” appointing his children to succeed him. In response to the firing, Demoulas said in a statement that the “board’s actions are a farcical cover up for a coup,” calling them efforts to “falsely tarnish” his reputation.

The 70-year-old Demoulas, known by many as “Artie T,” is the grandson of founder Athanasios “Arthur” Demoulas, who began the chain in Massachusetts in 1917. He’s led the grocer since 2008, and has faced familial opposition before.

Keep reading here.—EC

The annual holiday forecasts are rolling in at a steady clip, and the latest from Deloitte predicts retail sales will increase between 2.9% and 3.4%, down from 4.2% growth in 2024.

The research firm is expecting disposable personal income (DPI) to drive sales, growing 3.1% and 5.4% over the holiday period and offsetting some of the economic uncertainty facing consumers.

“Steady growth in income can help offset some economic uncertainty, including any labor market weakness and the burden of high credit card and student debt on consumer spending,” Akrur Barua, economist at Deloitte Insights, said in a statement.

He also acknowledged that while inflation will likely weigh on volumes, it will be a tailwind for the overall dollar value of retail sales—which Deloitte expects to total $1.61–$1.62 trillion in holiday spending from November to January.

Keep reading here.—AV