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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.
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.
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.
Hard seltzer witnessed a hot streak in the U.S., accounting for $2.7 billion in retail sales in the 12 months to June last year. But, with the hype now tempering, a number of alcohol brands -- both established and startups -- are hoping to keep growth apace by targeting the U.K.
Sourcing everything from cardboard to aluminum cans is likely to remain a headache for consumer brands. The prices of raw materials are continuing to rise -- meanwhile, brands are also having to pay a premium to expedite their products while ports remain congested. Put together, that means that brands are having to buy further out in order to get enough product, and get creative to keep prices low for customers.
After the successful IPOs of Beyond Meat and Oatly, plant-based behemoth Impossible Foods is reportedly preparing to enter the public market -- and Asia is key to its success. “The bigger a footprint Impossible has in the Asian market, the bigger their expected long-term value is going to be,” said one investor.
Hiring is a challenge for many retailers this year, prompting companies to incentivize candidates with increased pay and perks. However, the traditional retail hiring practice is also part of the problem. The Body Shop's newly-implemented "open hiring" method, which removes several application barriers, is helping the company staff its stores and warehouses.
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