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Brands are constantly trying to market their flagship stores as experience hubs for their customers. But foot traffic doesn't always come easy, especially in the age of coronavirus when customers need a reason to linger around. Sneaker brand P448 is trying to design its storefronts to attract street passersby and the online crowds alike.
Better pay and bonuses have become a default way to retain workers amid the ongoing labor shortage. In the past year, many retail and hospitality businesses have boosted hourly wages to attract candidates. Meanwhile some, like fast casual restaurant Dig, are implementing corporate-esque perks like a four-day work week to retain their retail employees.
In-store and curbside pickup continue to evolve, as retailers invest heavily to keep customers using the features. Target is one company leading the pack, announcing a new pilot program that allows customers to order Starbucks while they wait for their order or return an item curbside.
Retail accelerators are nothing new, but big box stores are leaning on them more so than ever. In the past year, companies like Sam's Club, Target and Lowe's have organized vendor programs to find and carry new brands.
Rather than competing with e-commerce, brick-and-mortar retailers are using stores to complement their online presences. Already retailers like Walmart, Target and Bed Bath & Beyond are spending big to remodel their stores.
As part of its “total home strategy,” Lowe’s is set to launch Petco shop-in-shops in select locations in Texas, North Carolina and South Carolina this year. Each shop will feature a selection of pet products from national brands and Petco’s owned brands, along with a slew of services like grooming and vaccinations.
For rotating showroom retailer Showfields, attracting new and young brands is key to keeping merchandise fresh. The company, which charges brands to display their merchandise at its locations, has been pitching startups on its social reach and store traffic.
The pandemic made setting store floors in-person harder, so Vans pivoted towards a digital visualization process to create consistent merchandising experiences across its 500-plus U.S. stores. Paul Rupert, visual merchandising manager for elevated retail at Vans, talked about how the brand went about this change.
Timberland is launching Timberloop, a new circular sustainability program in which customers can donate old items to be fixed and resold or recycled. The program is one step for the brand to reach its goal of full product circularity by 2030.
Non-alcoholic spirits and beverages are nothing new. However, a new slew of retailers are trying to become one-stop shops for these trendy startup brands. In the past year or so, retailers like Spirited Away, Boisson and Minus Moonshine have popped up to cater to this growing market.
As the Omicron variant wave continues, planning for physical retail is once again in flux. So much so, even major retailers like Apple and Walmart temporarily shut down stores due to outbreak concerns. Now, some startup brands are weighing their options when it comes to store openings and in-person events.
Following a slate of investments in 2021 -- from third-party marketplaces to small format brick-and-mortar experiments -- department stores may be running out of ways to reinvent themselves in 2022.
This year, both retailers and brands are feeling the supply chain crunch. Smaller, artisan-made brands are dealing with a unique set of challenges, including competing for raw material and accruing upfront production and warehousing costs. However, consumers' interest in alternative gifts is also helping boost these businesses' sales.
For Black Friday, Hollister and Snap are partnering up for a shoppable augmented reality holiday marketplace. Hollister will sell a selection of comfort-focused apparel and gifts from two of its three brands -- Hollister and Social Tourist -- via a shop meant to look like a modern convenience store.
Once seen as a means to grow fast food chains, franchising is becoming a viable way for startup brands to quickly scale. This is especially true for service-focused companies, such as young fitness studios, salons and bakeries, which are taking up franchising to grow their presence.
Earlier this month, resale platform Rebelstork – which buys back and sells refurbished baby gear – launched in the U.S. The Canadian startup, founded in 2019, is positioning itself as a white-glove and sustainable shopping service for parents. As resale continues to become more popular, more companies like Rebelstork are trying to corner the secondhand market in niche product categories.
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