Stay in Touch
Following last year's chicken sandwich wars -- and a subsequent research and development period -- restaurants are embracing the plant-based versions of chicken. Last week, Impossible Foods released its version of meatless chicken nuggets to 150 restaurants and chains including Fuku, Red Rooster, Fatburger and Dog Haus. In July, Beyond Meat launched its alternative chicken tenders in 400 restaurants including Detroit Wing Company and Burger Patch. Here's why there's a mad-dash for fake chicken.
On Thursday, Facebook rolled out its first smart glasses model, Ray-Ban Stories, in partnership with glasses design house, EssilorLuxottica, for $299. While Facebook’s partnership may fix one issue formerly plaguing the wearable tech industry – clunky, ugly styles – analysts are still skeptical that iteration will drive widespread consumer adoption.
On Tuesday, Dick’s opened its first outdoor retail concept store, Public Lands, in Pittsburg while, on Wednesday, Athleta extended its collaboration with REI Co-op to 135 REI stores. New collaborations, products and store footprints that speak to both the outdoors and active wear spaces, said analysts, both appeal to a comfort and health-minded consumer as well as capture incremental interest in both categories.
Nordstrom embraces the wellness category in a new brand partnership with at-home health testing brand Viome Life Sciences. Last year, a slew of formerly-apparel-dominated retailers shifted focus to beauty and wellness, and now retailers like Nordstrom are expanding the scope of the category.
Over the past ten years drinkers stateside have slowly begun to embrace apéritifs, flocking to the aperol spritz in summers 2017 and 2018 or the negroni in April 2020. Now, aperitif brands are hoping to move from one-off buzzy cocktails into a more mature category resonance in the U.S., playing towards pandemic trends and expanding distribution models.
Consumers embrace vaccine card holders as cities roll out proof-of-vaccination mandates. Etsy merchants and apparel startups are creating holders or repurposing products that can store paper cards safely and stylishly to meet sudden demand.
On Monday, Ikea launched its furniture buyback and resale program in the U.S., joining a slate of smaller direct-to-consumer furniture brands and resale-focused furniture platforms embracing circular sustainability. The costs associated with furniture resale — from shipping to storing to logistics — are higher than in the booming apparel resale space, but furniture retailers are slowly adapting to the space.
In 2021, at-home gym brands have to work harder to court fitness consumers in an increasingly crowded space. Last week, for example, Peloton’s revenues decreased quarter-over-quarter for the first time in two years and the brand announced a 20% price cut on its bike. Peloton’s struggles aren’t fully endemic to the at-home fitness industry at large -- but competition in the space is still increasing.
In the past, Cupshe focused on selling low priced swimwear on Amazon and its own DTC site, driving $150 million in revenue this year. Last week, following a $15.5 million funding round in March, the brand is expanding to athleisure and diversifying its marketing streams.
The pandemic changed the role of the store, pushing consumers online, slowing in-store foot traffic and upping the demand for convenience. In response, treasure hunt retailers -- formerly devoted to an ambling, in-store discovery process – are now embracing a more modern experience, online and off.
Last year during the pandemic, consumers invested in the home and bath space in droves: bath towel sales rose 12% to $2.9 billion while bath accessory sales rose 9% to $2.7 billion. As consumers continue to embrace self care, direct to consumer startups offer luxury items in the space and speak to self care and continued home renovations.
While most subcategories across apparel grew, menswear, footwear and out-of-category pushes towards home and beauty were highlights in earnings conferences this quarter. To speak to these consumers, retailers curated menswear towards a younger consumer, expanded active and casual footwear offerings and built online and offline hubs to segment their forays into both beauty and home.
With another e-commerce-powered holiday season coming, publishers' gift guides are more important than ever. And brands still have next to no control over them.
In August, coronavirus case rates are spiking once again. While couples may have pushed off their plans during 2020 for 2021 re-do, this year they are tired of waiting. Couples are now buying ready-to-ship styles and casual silhouettes, and rethinking old ideas of big dream weddings in favor of intimate elopements.
U.S. same store sales – up only 3% at Home Depot after a 25% rise last year and down 2% at Lowes for the first time in eight years – highlight the end of the pandemic DIY home boom. In response, executives at both retailers promise to court professionals.
In 2020, Amazon Logistics delivered 4.2 billion parcel shipments, up from 1.9 billion in 2019. It now makes up, by volume, 21% of the parcel shipments in the U.S., behind the USPS (38%) and UPS (24%) but ahead of FedEx for the first time (16%).
Read MoreAt the Modern Retail Summit, retail executives will come together to discuss effective strategies for driving sales by building a loyal customer base both online and offline.
Book Passes
