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Walgreens is posting growth in sales of beauty products after rethinking its approach to the category. The pharmacy chain recently reported a rise in beauty and personal care comp sales. Experts said the company is also trying to capitalize on the increased foot traffic generated by vaccines through broader digital investments in its app and loyalty program.
Next, which owns about 500 stores in the U.K. and Ireland and 190 franchised stores in 36 countries, reported on Thursday that it increased its full year profit guidance before tax by £22 million to £822 million, up 9.8% versus two years ago. The retailer said it is generating substantial growth from its online marketplace for third-party brands.
As part of a new partnership, U.S. businesses with Shopify storefronts will be able to list their products on the Chinese online marketplace, used by 550 million customers. JD.com will handle end-to-end fulfillment by transporting goods from its U.S. warehouses to China using its own cargo flights and completing deliveries.
Lids announced that it would be expanding to the U.K. for the first time with four new London-based stores. The company's President Britten Maughan talked with Modern Retail about the resonance of U.S. sports across the pond, the importance of personalization in sportswear and future international expansion plans.
After relying on wholesale for years, apparel brand Rails is starting to grow globally by opening its own stores abroad. Rails, which was founded in 2008, opened its first international store in Paris in July. Next, the company is preparing to open two Rails stores in London, with the first location opening this coming winter.
Halloween was an early indicator that people are ready to party. Retailers ranging from decor brands to candy companies have recently reported sales figures that are nearing or surpassing pre-pandemic revenue levels. Now other retailers are preparing to cash in on pent-up party demand ahead of Christmas and New Year's, by stocking up on decor and other party favors.
As Disney winds down its own brick-and-mortar footprint, the company is striking more marketing partnerships with third-party retailers. As part of its Christmas merchandising drive, the mouse house is working with 200 companies in Europe, the Middle East and Africa to promote its new seasonal ad campaign across 59,000 stores -- up 50% from last year.
Lowe’s is doubling down on its promotional campaigns for professionals during the holidays as DIY mania fizzles out. The home improvement retailer is launching a pro ambassador program and a “pro toy catalog” designed to showcase its products for small to mid-sized business owners, as the company seeks to generate more sales from Pros over Black Friday.
Fashion resale marketplaces are circling the globe in pursuit of new customers. This year, U.S.-based Poshmark launched in Australia and India, and rival ThredUp acquired European resale company Remix Global AD. Meanwhile nascent streetwear and luxury goods marketplaces are targeting consumers in Asia and the Middle East by opening up authentication and fulfillment centers in those geographies.
Famed London department store Harrods is embracing luxury streetwear, announcing that it will now be the home of online reseller The Edit LDN’s first sneaker boutique. In Harrods case, the 172-year-old store is pitching sneaker drops as the latest in its repertoire of bespoke services, which span personal shopping to made-to-order curtains and bedlinens to real-estate.
The latest retailer to announce significant changes to its supply chain is Costco, which is leasing three of its own container ships for a one-year period in order to more quickly transport products across the Pacific Ocean. Costco isn't the only major retailer to take that step: in recent months, IKEA, The Home Depot, Walmart and Dollar Tree have all chartered their own containers ships.
Nike is facing a formidable challenge in China from domestic rivals -- including Anta Sports and Li-Ning -- that will outlast its transitory supply chain hurdles. In its recent quarter, the sportswear giant’s sales in the region grew by just 1% over the previous year on a constant currency basis to $1.98 billion. The deflated numbers highlight the difficult local trading environment for overseas brands.
Bargain clothing retailer Primark is readying a new digital strategy that has ignited rumors of a move into e-commerce, an area it has long ignored in order to keep a lid on costs. The company has said it is building a "digital platform" to "create new digital capability within the business" -- though it has given few details on what the new digital platform will look like.
Southeast Asia’s biggest e-commerce company Shopee is reportedly headed to Poland, India and Argentina — three markets that fit squarely into its focus on rapidly digitizing economies. But the Singapore-based company may have difficulty scaling.
European grocers are testing out U.S. expansion. Alongside successful rollouts, like Aldi and Lidl, are the failed U.S. expansions of British discounter Tesco and Russia’s X5 Retail Group. But these European chains seem to be betting that U.S. demand for small-format, discount chains will only continue to balloon in the coming years.
Big CPG has been aggressively pushing into plant-based grocery products the past year. Many of these efforts are increasingly coming from partnerships with the likes of Beyond Meat, Impossible Foods and Hungry Planet.
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