AI Firms Are Getting Around Web Protocol That Lets Publishers Block Scraping (mediapost.com)

Kohl’s announced a new partnership with WHP Global, the owner of the Babies“R”Us® brand, to bring baby gear, furniture, activity, and more to millions of growing families across the country, broadening the retailer’s reach with younger customers. The first Babies“R”Us shops will open in Kohl’s this August, with plans to roll out to approximately 200 stores in fall 2024. Customers will also be able to shop an expanded assortment of baby products on Kohls.com and take advantage of the Babies“R”Us at Kohl’s registry to easily build and share gift lists. “Evolving our assortment and bringing more relevant product to the millions of customers we serve is a core focus as we continue to deliver on Kohl’s broader growth strategy,” said Tom Kingsbury, Kohl’s chief executive officer. “We see significant opportunity in the baby gear category, and partnering with Babies“R”Us is another example of how we are finding new ways to optimize our assortment and further establish Kohl’s as the go-to brand for families.”

City and regional magazine publishers continue to be nimble and optimistic in an atmosphere that remains anxious about the future of print advertising. “We discovered that there were a lot of people in Seattle that loved what we were doing in Portland and wanted us to bring the same type of city magazine to the Seattle market. So, in quick order—about a year and a half later—we started Seattle Met,” says Jeff Adams, vice president of custom media at SagaCity. “We started pretty soon after that with our first customer, which was Travel Portland.” SagaCity continues to service Travel Portland, a private non-profit destination marketing organization, highlighting the company’s vested interest in tourism publishing. Additional custom work includes the Asheville, North Carolina visitor guide, a program for the Houston Ballet, a Houston visitor guide, and smaller consumer magazines, such as Jewish in Seattle. Click Read More below for additional information.

Time Inc. has officially sold Essence—the magazine as well as its website and events business—to a group of investors led by Shea Moisture founder Richelieu Dennis, the latter announced today. Terms of the deal were not disclosed, but the buyer confirmed that Essence president Michelle Ebanks will continue at the helm and will gain an equity stake in the business. Click Read More below for additional information.