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Retailers continue to partner with startups to explore implementing Amazon Go-like checkout solutions, but efforts are still in the early stages, particularly as the growth of Amazon Go hasn't quickened as retailers previously feared.
Like other digitally native brands, ThirdLove is opening its retail store to get in front of customers they weren’t reaching online through marketing efforts, or because they didn’t want to shop a brand for the first time online. By opening a store now, ThirdLove is catching up to other direct-to-consumer brands that have already tested temporary retail stores and are opening permanent ones.
As grocers look to generate more sales through in-store pickup and delivery they're facing challenges similar to other big box retailers, who have found that stores only double so well as fulfillment centers. Chains like ShopRite and Kroger are looking to build more automated warehouses that can fulfill delivery orders more quickly and more cost efficiently.
Hollister is relaunching its lingerie brand Gilly Hicks by opening four new pop-up stores. This is part of the retailer's strategy to reinvigorate business and catch people's attention using small format, more experiential spaces. This strategic shift follows the lead of DTC brands. But can a large ailing retailer ride the same wave?
Toys 'R' Us is angling for a comeback, but in order to do so, it will have to win over vendors who may be skeptical of working with a brand that's fresh out of bankruptcy. On Thursday, Tru Kids Brands – the new holding company of Toys 'R' Us – announced that it would be opening up two stores, one in Texas and one in New Jersey, in time for the holidays. Tru Kids will be partnering on the new stores with b8ta, a startup that's built both its own physical storefronts as well as a software platform to help retailers build experiential concepts
Last year, VC firm Greycroft announced that it was launching a joint $50 million fund with grocery chain Albertsons to invest in startups and platforms to power the grocery sector. Greycroft partner and co-founder Ian Sigalow, who manages the Albertsons fund, broke down the fund's playbook, how the firm is approaching grocery and how he sees traditional brick-and-mortar chains like Albertsons evolving.
The Dick's partnership is the first time that Story is partnering with another retailer, since it got acquired by Macy's in 2018. While "it's a little atypical for a retailer to sponsor another retailer," it's something that Macy's is looking to do more of, according to Story's founder and now Macy's brand experience offer Rachel Shechtman.
Chicago-based startup Foxtrot, which is building a chain of upscale convenience stores, today expanded to its second market with the opening of a store in Dallas. The startup's expansion comes as chains like 7-Eleven and Wawa are also putting more effort into delivery.
Store fulfillment for online orders is something Target has been investing in heavily. Through a combination of ship-from-store, same day delivery powered by Shipt and in-store order pick-up and drive-up options, Target stores now fulfill 80% of online orders. As CEO Brian Cornell told investors during the company’s first-quarter results for 2019, it’s an operation that’s profitable for Target.
Dollar General is bringing more of its logistics capabilities in-house, seeking more control over its operations as it expands to the fresh and frozen food categories.
When Topshop announced last week that it was filing for bankruptcy in the U.S. and liquidating all U.S. stores, it should not have come as a surprise.
As Walmart and Amazon race to deliver online orders to customers in a one-day window, Target is reaping the profits of its store-centric same-day delivery strategy.
Stores aren't dead, but what they're being used for is changing.
Mobile payments are still a thorny issue for retailers.
Brands and retailers are turning to experience-based programs to build an army of brand advocates and organic influencers.
A growing number of health and beauty brands are turning to cloud-based systems that can handle customer, financial and inventory data across all processes, from production to payment.
In its early days, being direct-to-consumer meant lower prices. Because there was no middleman, so the theory went, companies were offering better quality goods at more competitive prices. But as the industry matures, there has been a shift away from branding DTC products as the most affordable alternative to traditional retail shopping for personal products. The strategy to offer “no markups” was integral for the success of Warby Parker and Everlane, among others when they launched a decade ago. However, that’s no longer the case, as evident from a new crop of luxury DTC brands that are looking to duplicate the model’s biggest success stories, in diamonds, luxury fashion and more.
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