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127-year-old Italian coffee company Lavazza debuted a ready-to-drink cold brew line in late April, which it is positioning as a play for Gen Z. “For Gen Z, RTD has been a major entryway into coffee,” said Camille Vareille, the head of marketing for Lavazza in the U.S. “Many younger drinkers start out with cold and sweet coffees before moving into variants like espresso.”
This week, a Virginia Target store joined the wave of union activity among retail workers. The workers collective, Target Workers Unite, filed the motion with the National Labor Relations Board. The Christiansburg, Virginia, location’s upcoming union election is being led by Adam Ryan, one of the leaders of Target Workers Unite.
Baby and kidswear retailer Carter’s is using its newest brand – Little Planet – to test new material and more eco-friendly packaging that caters to more eco-conscious parents. Little Planet launched in mid-2021 and is currently in more than 90 Carter’s stores, with planned expansion into 200 stores this year.
As inflation continues to rise, more companies are betting on bundles to drive sales. With bundles, the ultimate goal is to create bigger basket sizes, as well as to drive up repeat purchase rates in specific categories. However, some brands are also using the strategy to help reduce supply chain-related costs, such as shipping and packaging.
After pausing physical expansion during the height of the pandemic, piercing studio startup Studs is plotting a rapid expansion throughout 2022. In the past few weeks, Studs opened two new shops, bringing its total to 11 locations across the country. Five of Studs’ current stores opened during the first four months of the year. As it expands its footprint, Studs is trying to strike a balance between shops in high-trafficked shopping hubs and residential neighborhoods.
Founded in 2010, Digital Brand Architects was acquired by United Talent in 2019, and now runs a mentorship program for Black creators that provides training on negotiation tactics and meetings with brands and social media platforms. But most prominently, DBA’s mission includes advocating on behalf of BIPOC creators by ensuring clients receive equal pay and opportunities across the board.
Etsy's pandemic-induced sales bump appears to be coming to an end. The company’s net income came in at $86.1 million, down 40.1% compared to a year ago. Furthermore, Etsy sales increased by a lesser-than-expected rate, jumping about 5.2% from year-over-year. This marked the first time the company grew by just a single-digit rate during the pandemic. The slowing demand for Etsy’s marketplace goods is the latest example of e-commerce’s deceleration, especially as more people return to stores.
For years, Pinterest accumulated a community of users who use the platform for DIY project ideas and recipes. More recently, the company has been trying to parlay this by courting alcohol brands to create exclusive paid advertising on its platform.
These days, many brands start out online, where they have control over their merchandising and displays. However, once they start selling through retail partners, they face more challenges such as competing for shelf space and high-traffic aisles. This is why blender brand BlendJet is creating its own store fixtures to cultivate a store-within-store feel.
At the 2022 Modern Retail DTC Summit New Orleans, Louisiana, retail executives came together to discuss about the biggest challenges digitally-native brands are facing today. This is a roundup of their frustrations and solutions when navigating marketing and growth obstacles.
For many direct-to-consumer brands, entering physical retail has become a standard growth strategy. At this week's Modern Retail DTC Summit, Fly by Jing founder Jing Gao highlighted the opportunity and challenges of selling through national retailers.
Fast growth comes with added obstacles, as many direct-to-consumer brands have shown over the years. Growing a digitally-native brand, both online and through wholesale partnerships, requires "failing fast and moving quickly," said luggage brand Béis' president Adeela Hussain Johnson.
After relying on digital sales for a couple of years, DTC brands are back to investing in physical retail. At this year's Modern Retail DTC Summit, Brooklinen's vp of retail explains how the bedding and homeware brand is going about its store expansion.
With the increasing need to enter new channels, like wholesale and physical retail, more direct-to-consumer founders are bringing on experienced executives to take charge of operations. This month DTC brand Brunt Workwear named a new president less than two years after launching.
For years, restaurant and bar owners have been increasingly modernizing their operations with digital reservations, delivery and digital POS. As demand grew, millions in venture capital has been pumped into startups providing these tools. But a number of owners are feeling a fatigue from the endless tech providers trying to cater to their businesses.
Target's operating margin dropped from 30% to 26% year-over-year, as the retailer discounted inventory, navigated supply chain issues and increased staff wages. Analysts explained that Target's earnings highlight the increasing difficulty of getting the right product at the right time amid headwinds ranging from inflation to continued supply issues.
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