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Rising Cost-of-Living Pressures Make Return Policies Crucial for Retail Success, Reveals Manhattan Associates Study

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SYDNEY, Sept. 17, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — As cost-of-living pressures mount and the post-End of Financial Year (EOFY) period settles in, the Australian retail landscape is being reshaped by a critical factor: return policies. New research from Manhattan Associates Inc. (NASDAQ: MANH) reveals that Australian consumers are increasingly cautious with their purchases and more likely to return items, making flexible and customer-friendly return options essential. The study showed that 72% of respondents are now more inclined to return products due to financial pressures, underscoring a shift towards more discerning purchasing behaviour.

“Australian consumers are more selective than ever,” said Raghav Sibal, Managing Director, Australia & New Zealand for Manhattan Associates. “With tighter budgets and the financial reassessment following the EOFY, they are less inclined to keep items that do not meet their expectations, making a retailer’s return policy a critical factor in their purchasing decisions.”

Consumers Consider Return Policies When Purchasing

The research found that a store’s return policy significantly influences consumer purchasing decisions. Over 69% of respondents indicated that a store’s return policy influences their decision to purchase.

Additionally, 40% of respondents will actively research a store’s return policy before making a purchase. While many consumers have become conditioned to expect free returns, there has been a notable shift in how they view and interact with return policies, reflecting an unspoken awareness and acceptance of changing policies.

In-Person Returns Brings New Opportunities

With physical store foot traffic impacted by cost-of-living increases, rethinking return policies presents new opportunities for brick-and-mortar stores. A notable 65% of consumers report higher satisfaction with in-store returns, suggesting that encouraging in-person returns can boost customer satisfaction and drive additional sales.

Charging for online returns could incentivise customers to visit physical stores, potentially increasing in-store sales. Furthermore, the rise of ‘click and collect’ services, preferred by 36% of consumers, enhances the shopping experience by merging online convenience with in-store interactions and sales opportunities.

“The surge in retail returns offers businesses a unique opportunity to differentiate themselves by optimising their returns management processes,” explained Sibal. “With the right technology, businesses can drive shoppers back to the store, deliver impactful customer experiences, and offer enhanced transparency throughout the entire returns process. Taking advantage of this opportunity, by offering seamless experiences across channels, enables brands to set themselves apart from competitors and build a competitive edge.”

Building Customer Loyalty Through Positive Return Experiences

A positive return experience is pivotal for customer loyalty, with 91% of respondents indicating it makes them more likely to become long-term customers.

“Returns are becoming increasingly frequent in today’s omnichannel retail landscape. Customers are leveraging the convenience of purchasing from anywhere at any time, which leaves many retailers facing the challenges of managing returns effectively. Implementing robust returns management technology is crucial for two key reasons: returns can significantly impact retail operations’ costs, but these costs can be mitigated by encouraging in-store returns, where there’s a chance to salvage some portion of the sale. The returns process itself can be a decisive factor in retaining customers and fostering long-term loyalty,” Sibal concluded.

For more information about Manhattan Associates, visit https://www.manh.com/en-au. Receive up-to-date product, customer and partner news directly from Manhattan Associates on X, LinkedIn and Facebook.

-ends-

Methodology:

Manhattan Associates surveyed 500 Australian consumers in Q2 2024.

ABOUT MANHATTAN ASSOCIATES

Manhattan Associates is a global technology leader in supply chain and omnichannel commerce. We unite information across the enterprise, converging front-end sales with back-end supply chain execution. Our software, platform technology and unmatched experience help drive both top-line growth and bottom-line profitability for our customers.

Manhattan Associates designs, builds, and delivers leading edge cloud and on-premises solutions so that across the store, through your network or from your fulfilment centre, you are ready to reap the rewards of the omnichannel marketplace. For more information, please visit www.manh.com

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/apac/news-releases/rising-cost-of-living-pressures-make-return-policies-crucial-for-retail-success-reveals-manhattan-associates-study-302249819.html

SOURCE Manhattan Associates

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Bluehost Brings AI to Life for Small Businesses Worldwide

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From the inaugural ELEVATE Small Business Growth Summit featuring Google, TikTok, Gary Vaynerchuk and Codie Sanchez, to a global AI Builder Tour spanning 10 cities and four continents, Bluehost is bringing together entrepreneurs, technology leaders and AI innovators to turn AI into real business growth.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla., Nov. 5, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Bluehost, the small business platform for the AI era, today announced a global series of events bringing together entrepreneurs, technology leaders and AI builders to help small businesses move beyond AI hype and put AI to work to build, grow and run their businesses.

The initiative brings together two complementary communities shaping the future of small businesses. On Nov. 10, Bluehost’s inaugural ELEVATE Small Business Growth Summit will help entrepreneurs and small business owners discover practical ways to use AI to build, grow and run their businesses. In parallel, the company’s Small Business AI Builder Tour will connect founders, developers and AI innovators across 10 cities and four continents to showcase new ideas, collaborate with experts and turn AI-powered projects into real-world solutions.

Despite growing awareness of AI, adoption beyond general-purpose chat remains limited. Bluehost’s recent State of Small Business AI Confidence study found that only 16% of surveyed U.S. small business owners had deployed an AI agent. Closing that gap by helping businesses move beyond asking AI questions and transitioning to use AI for marketing, customer discovery, growth and everyday operations is a central focus of Bluehost’s global events and community programs.

“AI is giving small businesses capabilities that once required much larger teams and budgets,” said Sachin Puri, Chief Executive Officer of Newfold Digital, parent company of Bluehost. “But access to AI alone isn’t enough. The real opportunity is helping entrepreneurs put it to work, to build, grow and run their businesses. By bringing together small business owners, technology leaders and AI builders, we’re turning AI’s promise into practical outcomes.”

Bluehost ELEVATE Small Business Growth Summit
Taking place virtually on Nov. 10, 2026, from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. ET, ELEVATE is a free global summit focused on helping entrepreneurs apply emerging technology to real business challenges. Bluehost will also host local gatherings in San Francisco, Austin and New York, giving small business communities an opportunity to experience the program and connect in person.

Built around three themes, Build, Grow and Run, the program will explore how small businesses can establish and strengthen their digital presence, get discovered and reach more customers, and use AI and automation to operate more effectively.

ELEVATE will feature entrepreneurs and bestselling authors Gary Vaynerchuk, CEO of VaynerMedia, and Codie Sanchez, founder of Contrarian Thinking. Their perspectives on business ownership, marketing and growth reach millions worldwide, and Vaynerchuk’s fireside conversation with Newfold Digital CEO Sachin Puri, will be the summit’s finale.

The lineup also includes Brendan Jacobsen, Global Head of Channel Sales at TikTok; Farhaz Karmali, Product Director at Google; Sachin Puri, CEO of Newfold Digital; Salim Ali, CMO of Bluehost; and Satish Hemachandran, CPO of Bluehost, along with small business owners and additional industry experts.

The ELEVATE Small Business Growth Summit will combine keynotes, conversations, demonstrations and practical guidance that attendees can apply directly to their businesses.

To register for the online event or attend a watch party in New York City, Austin or San Francisco, visit bluehost.com/elevate.

Bluehost AI Builder Tour: Connecting Global AI Communities to Advance Small Business Innovation
Bluehost is bringing together AI builders, developers, founders and engineers across 10 cities and four continents through its Small Business AI Builder Tour, supporting a growing global community of innovators building AI-powered websites, applications, agents and automations.

Partnering with established global AI communities, including AI Tinkerers and AI Camp, Bluehost is collaborating with local builders and community leaders to deliver hands-on experiences that foster knowledge-sharing, collaboration and innovation. Community experts will lead breakout discussions and “Unblock Your Build” sessions, offering participants practical guidance on technical challenges to help advance their projects.

Each event will feature live project showcases, interactive build sessions and expert feedback to help participants take ideas and prototypes closer to launch. The tour also creates opportunities for builders to develop relationships with fellow innovators and the broader AI ecosystem.

The tour kicked off in Florianópolis, Brazil, on Oct. 30, 2026 with additional events scheduled through January 2027.

AI Builder Tour Dates and Locations:

Date                     

City                                         

Venue 

Oct. 30, 2026         

Florianópolis, Brazil            

Square SC

Nov. 5, 2026          

Austin, Texas                      

Distribution Hall

Nov. 17, 2026          

San Francisco, California    

The Avalon

Nov. 18, 2026          

Santiago, Chile                    

Cenco Costanera

Nov. 24, 2026        

Bangalore, India                  

TBD

Nov. 27, 2026          

São Paulo, Brazil                

Cubo Itaú

Dec. 1, 2026          

London, United Kingdom    

Plexal

Dec. 3, 2026          

New York, New York            

TBD

Dec. 11, 2026          

Guadalajara, Mexico            

Tecnológico de Monterrey

Jan. 12, 2027          

Chicago, Illinois                    

TBD

To view upcoming Bluehost Small Business AI Builder Tour locations, learn about planned local programs and register, visit bluehost.com/smb-ai-builder-tour.

About Bluehost
Trusted by over 3 million customers worldwide, Bluehost is the small business platform for the AI era. Bluehost makes it easy for small businesses to build, host, and run online with confidence. From creating sites, stores, logos, apps and campaigns to managing business operations, building and deploying AI agents and apps, Bluehost combines purpose-built AI with high-performance hosting and human expert support available 24/7. Bluehost has been recommended by WordPress.org since 2005. For more information on Bluehost, visit Bluehost.com.

About Newfold Digital
Newfold Digital is a leading web and commerce technology company serving nearly 7 million customers globally through our portfolio of brands including Bluehost, Crazy Domains, HostGator, Network Solutions, Yoast, YITH, and many others. We help customers of all sizes build a digital presence that delivers results. With our extensive product offerings and personalized support, we take pride in collaborating with our customers to serve their online presence needs. Learn more about Newfold Digital at Newfold.com.

Media Contact:
Paola Lorenzo
press@bluehost.com

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/bluehost-brings-ai-to-life-for-small-businesses-worldwide-302930941.html

SOURCE Bluehost

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Cashman Preload Cryogenics Selected by Power LNG as LNG Tank Partner for Project Seawolf

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QUINCY, Mass., Nov. 5, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Power LNG Ventures has selected Cashman Preload Cryogenics (CPC), an affiliate of Jay Cashman, Inc., as its LNG tank partner for Project Seawolf, a marine LNG fueling facility on Pelican Island in Galveston, Texas. CPC will engineer the project’s 3-million-gallon full-containment LNG storage tank through development, permitting and financing.

CPC’s expertise in LNG tank design, permitting and construction reinforces its commitment to project success, safety and excellence

The tank combines a precast, prestressed concrete outer wall with a 9% nickel steel inner tank and a steel dome roof. CPC’s concrete design delivers proven reliability and safety while optimizing cost and schedule. CPC will work with the Project Seawolf team to integrate the tank into the full facility design.

“Power LNG is building critical marine fueling infrastructure at the Port of Galveston,” said Eric Reaman, President & CEO of CPC. “We know what it takes to develop these assets. We’re glad to be on the team at this stage, and we’ll be ready when the project moves to construction.”

Project Seawolf is being developed on approximately 30 acres of port-owned property. Initial production is 400,000 gallons per day, scalable to 800,000 gallons per day as demand grows. The facility will supply LNG to cruise ships and cargo vessels in the Port of Galveston and the Houston Ship Channel, meeting growing demand for lower-emission marine fuel. The project is targeted to enter service by the end of 2028.

“We reviewed the tank technology options for full-containment storage and selected CPC as our tank partner,” said Austin Terry, CEO of Power LNG Ventures. “CPC brings deep experience designing, permitting and building LNG tanks of this size. This selection reflects our commitment to the project, to operational safety and to best-in-class partners.”

About Cashman Preload Cryogenics
Cashman Preload Cryogenics (CPC), part of the Preload International family of companies and an affiliate of Jay Cashman, Inc., designs and builds prestressed concrete tanks for liquid storage. Preload built its first water storage tank in 1930. Since 1952, Preload has designed and built more than 40 low-temperature and cryogenic storage tanks, and many more dike walls, for LNG, LPG, LN/LOX and ammonia. Preload is recognized as the pioneer of circular prestressed concrete liquid storage structures.

About Power LNG Ventures
Power LNG Ventures is a Houston-area developer of small-scale, modular LNG projects. Founded in 2022, the company is developing Project Seawolf, a fully integrated LNG liquefaction, storage, marine bunkering and export facility on Pelican Island at the Port of Galveston. With its strategic partner Énestas, Power LNG is also developing the Harborside Terminal to begin LNG supply by truck while Project Seawolf is built.

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/cashman-preload-cryogenics-selected-by-power-lng-as-lng-tank-partner-for-project-seawolf-302929803.html

SOURCE Cashman Preload Cryogenics

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E Tech Group to Present on GMP-Critical Building Management at Automation Fair 2026

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On November 17 and 19, Michael Roy will discuss E Tech Group’s work to modernize a GMP-critical building management control system at a pharmaceutical manufacturing facility in the Greater Boston area utilizing Rockwell’s PlantPAx. E Tech Group will exhibit at Booth #745.

WEST CHESTER, Ohio, Nov. 5, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — E Tech Group, a leading provider of industrial automation and systems integration, 2025 System Integrator of the Year, and Platinum-certified Rockwell Automation Partner, today announced that Michael Roy of E Tech Group will present on modernization of building management systems in GMP-critical environments at Automation Fair 2026 by Rockwell Automation, taking place November 16–19 at the Thomas M. Menino Convention & Exhibition Center in Boston, Massachusetts.

Roy’s Partner Solutions session, “PS21 – Modernizing GMP-Critical Building Management in Pharmaceutical Facilities,” will take place Tuesday, November 17, at 1:00 p.m. ET and Thursday, November 19, at 10:00 a.m. ET in 253C.

The presentation will examine E Tech Group’s work to modernize aging air handler controls across validated production areas at a pharmaceutical manufacturing facility in the Greater Boston area. Because the building management system (BMS) supports GMP-critical environments, the project required careful planning to update the control architecture while maintaining facility operations and meeting stringent reliability, data integrity and compliance requirements.

E Tech Group implemented a fully redundant PlantPAx-based BMS architecture that addressed the immediate modernization need while establishing a scalable framework that could be applied to future system upgrades across the facility. During the session, Roy will discuss the engineering considerations behind the approach, including redundancy, network design, validation and cutover planning, and how the initial implementation established a foundation for subsequent BMS modernization.

“Modernizing a GMP-critical system requires careful planning to protect the conditions the facility depends on every day,” said Roy. “For this project, we wanted to address the immediate need while creating an approach that could be expanded as additional systems are upgraded across the facility.”

Roy is a Principal Engineering Manager at E Tech Group with nearly a decade of experience in automation and electrical engineering. He brings extensive expertise in technical project leadership, business development, and delivering innovative automation solutions.

At Booth #745, attendees can meet with Roy and E Tech Group engineers and life sciences specialists to discuss validated automation, controls modernization and scalable system architectures for regulated manufacturing environments. Visitors can also stop by the booth for a demonstration of SecureOT™, Rockwell Automation’s industrial cybersecurity solution suite, and see how greater visibility into OT assets and network activity can help uncover potential areas of concern and support a more proactive cybersecurity strategy.

E Tech Group supports pharmaceutical, biotechnology and other regulated manufacturers with automation and system integration expertise spanning building management and process control systems, manufacturing execution systems (MES), compliance services and digital transformation. Its engineers help organizations modernize validated systems while addressing integration, reliability and long-term scalability requirements.

For more information about Automation Fair 2026 and to register for the November 16–19 event in Boston, visit the Automation Fair 2026 registration page.

About E Tech Group

E Tech Group is a global CSIA Enterprise Certified automation engineering and system integration firm with locations spanning 8 countries across three continents. Backed by a team of over 900 professionals, the company delivers cutting-edge automation, control, and information solutions to clients in the Life Sciences, Data Centers, Consumer Products, Food & Beverage, and Industrial sectors. In addition to its organic growth, E Tech Group has expanded through several acquisitions, including the most recent additions of E-Volve Systems, Automation Group, and JSat Automation. To learn more, visit E Tech Group’s website, LinkedIn, Facebook, and YouTube.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/e-tech-group-to-present-on-gmp-critical-building-management-at-automation-fair-2026-302930310.html

SOURCE E Tech Group

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