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Malls have been struggling for a while now, but this holiday season may bring about a whole new reckoning. As more people shop online, traditional mall tenants find themselves in a lurch. Sales have plummets, many have gone bankrupt. And the only time of year that usually cushions the blow may leave malls worse off than before.
The tight-knit partnership between “Get Organized” and The Container Store is just an acceleration of an ongoing trend: Streaming is becoming ever more entangled with e-commerce. Product placements have existed forever, of course -- think of "E.T.", the 1982 film that sent sales of Reese’s soaring 70%. But these placements were almost never as thorough as the full-scale collaborations on “Get Organized.” And as brand sponsorships become more encompassing and data-driven, TV shows are beginning to look a lot more like retailers.
While delivery services have pushed further into non-food categories, some brands are choosing to go about same-day delivery on their own. With assistance from white label solutions providers, both direct to consumer brands and big retail chains are foregoing delivery apps reaching customers directly.
Lost in Ocean Spray’s accidental moment in the spotlight is this fact: Ocean Spray is one of America’s oldest — and largest — retail coops. Since its founding, a network of farmers have owned and run the business. And even without TikTok in the picture, its business model is uniquely equipped for 2020. A number of businesses are turning to the cooperative model to stay afloat, while a group of incubators want to shepherd forward bigger coops that they believe can form the backbone of a more sustainable economy.
This year, many consumers aren't expecting or giving a Disney trip or a concert ticket under the tree. In fact, experience-based presents such as flight-based vacations and live shows are some of the least asked for, according to consumer data. Instead, shoppers are looking for alternatives like at home hobbies and gift cards for later use to make up for the lack of these experiences.
CPG brands in the frozen and fridge aisles are finding themselves at the crossroads of opportunities. While direct to consumer has become a popular strategy for building a food or beverage brand, some founders argue that now is a great time to invest in scaling into national brick and mortar retailers. “E-commerce is a great tool, but it can’t be the be-all and end-all strategy," said one founder.
Last year, New York' Soho neighborhood was filled to the brim with holiday pop-ups, both from more established retailers and brands like Ugg and Kohl's, as well as up-and-coming startups like East Fork Pottery and Stuart & Lau. But this year, the coronavirus has put a damper on holiday pop-ups. Few retailers are opening pop-ups this year with the goal of getting shoppers to spend hours checking out their winter wonderlands. Rather, they're opening pop-ups in order to ease capacity limits at existing stores, or to test out a new market while they can find a good deal on rent.
Brick-and-mortar retailers have been trying to prepare for the upcoming holidays -- as have digital brands. But no one quite knows what to expect. Modern Retail spoke with five people whose livelihoods depend on holiday retail sales. We asked them how they’re preparing and what they're fearing most. From digital marketers to Shipt app delivery workers, all are entering into a new world and fear they don’t have the adequate safeguards.
Brands and retailers that have struggled to keep their businesses afloat are holding on to the notion that it’s all uphill from here. And, new research indicates that they’re looking to the election to cement hope for a brighter, recession-free future. In an early-October Glossy/Modern Retail survey of 67 brand and retail workers, 38.7% said the economy is a top-three issue that’s most important to them in this election.
Ikea is testing out a new way to incentivize customers to come to its stores during the holiday season. The Swedish furniture retailer announced on Tuesday that over Black Friday, it will be hosting an event called Buy Back in 27 countries, where it will encourage customers to bring in old furniture for Ikea to resell. Between November 23 and December 24, customers who bring in furniture previously bought at Ikea will get store credit. Ikea's efforts to build out a resale business -- the company will also be opening a secondhand shop in Sweden next year -- coincide with its efforts to find new customer acquisition channels.
The kitchen and home-focused media and commerce company announced last week that Nordstrom will begin selling its direct-to-consumer produce line. Food52, which was first known for recipes and food-focused digital media, has been slowly growing its own product line, called Five Two. Now some of those products will be in Nordstrom. For Food52, it presents a way to get more eyeballs. And for Nordstrom, it helps cushion the coronavirus retail blow.
On Thursday, Dollar General announced that it is launching a new chain called Popshelf, which is targeted towards wealthier shoppers and will carry crafting items, home decor, health beauty products. Ninety-five percent of items will be priced at $5 or less, according to a press release. It's part of Dollar General's play to increase average order value, and attract new shoppers, in order to increase its profits.
Following a wave of fashion brands launching voting merch, beauty brands are rolling out their own get-out-the-vote efforts — with some more partisan than others. With the U.S. election less than one month away, a growing number of beauty brands are promoting voter registration through social media campaigns and merch. Most brands have taken a stand on progressive issues, especially with their support for Black Lives Matter this summer. But in an America sharply divided along political lines, they are taking differing approaches on whether to directly (or indirectly) endorse a candidate.
A number of companies are fighting Apple over a tax it takes for apps that charge for digital events. It's a long brewing battle, and Apple recently gave a few a reprieve. But the issue doesn't target just a few big companies, but also smaller ones that are trying to diversify their offerings into digital services.
On Monday, Walmart launched Free Assembly, a new private label line of men's and women's clothing with pieces ranging from $9 to $45 in price. It's not the only fashion move that Walmart has made as of late, as the big-box retailer has been looking for ways to get customers to buy more higher-margin items like clothing in order to make its e-commerce and store businesses as profitable as possible. But Walmart has a unique opportunity to grow apparel sales right now as people people are making fewer trips to stores, but looking to buy more in a single trip.
Canteen Spirits was ready to take on the hard seltzer industry -- and then the coronavirus hit. According to co-founder and CEO Brandon Cason, the first few months of the pandemic were hard. But things began to quickly ramp up once the first coronavirus peak subsided -- and the beverage brand is in growth mode once again. Canteen makes canned vodka-based sparkling beverages. Cason joined this week's Modern Retail Podcast and described the year's journey.
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