Target will open a small-format store in Midtown Detroit, marking the retailer's return to a city it left with the closure of its Eight Mile store in August 2003. The new 32,000-square-foot location will be part of a mixed-use apartment and hotel project called City Club Apartments.
Sustainable sneaker brand Allbirds plans to go public in an initial stock offering that could raise up to $269 million, according to regulatory filings. The six-year-old brand, which makes its shoes from eco-friendly materials like sugarcane and tree fibers, rolled out a workout wear line earlier this month.
Gap's in-house holiday campaign, "All Together Now," stars Katy Perry in a series of spots, including one 60-second ad that shows off the brand's clothing while she covers "All You Need Is Love" by the Beatles. The brand is donating $1, up to $100,000, to nonprofit Baby2Baby every time the song is streamed, and the campaign is running across TV, streaming video, digital and out-of-home and will include shoppable experiences via augmented reality, social media and livestreaming.
Fashion retailer J. Jill has stayed afloat during the pandemic by fine-tuning things on the business side while staying true to its niche of providing casual on-trend styles for its core customer of women age 45 to 60, CEO Claire Spofford said. The retailer has cut back on promotions and focused more on full-price sales, closed some stores and reduced inventory.
Retailers including Walmart, Macy's and Best Buy have begun rolling out Black Friday promotions early to give shoppers more time to buy. Amazon began offering "Epic Deals" early this month, Macy's will roll out Black Friday sales on Nov. 3, Sephora will follow on Nov. 5 and Best Buy and Sam's Club will debut their sales on Nov. 19 and Nov. 25, respectively.
Inflation and supply chain delays are likely to cut into the usual discounts and promotional pricing consumers expect during the holiday shopping season, industry experts say. The conditions are providing retailers with stronger pricing power, while some consumers say they'll adjust their holiday shopping plans accordingly.
The North Face's "It's More Than a Jacket" campaign is inviting "explorers everywhere to honor the memories held in every piece of gear by participating in The North Face's first-ever crowdsourced digital archive," says Mike Ferris, vice president of global brand management. The campaign features Wu-Tang Clan's RZA, pop band Haim, skier Ingrid Backstrom and mountain climber Conrad Anker, showcases the brand's partnership with Gucci, and spotlights its Explore Fund Council to help nonprofits take young people of color hiking and camping.
Bicycle retailer Ribble Cycles has five stores, all of them in the UK, but boasts a global customer base that it caters to with a presence on virtual retail platform Go Instorm. The luxury brand and others are turning to such virtual platforms as a stepped-up alternative to traditional online shopping.
The pandemic taught us that new behaviors are always popping up, but we're still figuring out which ones are here to stay. Jason "Retailgeek" Goldberg is the chief commerce strategy officer at Publicis Group and has been a go-to retail expert for industry leaders for years. He joined the Retail Gets Real podcast to talk about what's happening in retail, technology and how consumers are helping drive innovation. Learn more and listen to the episode.
The race to convenience exploded during the pandemic as consumers ordered more online and became more tech-savvy, but consumers and companies view convenience differently. Join leaders from Kearney as they discuss key value chain and supply chain levers to pull to meet consumer needs, what convenience truly means to consumers and the implications for brands seeking to enhance convenience on Thursday, Nov. 4 at 12 p.m. ET. This free event is NRF's last Supply Chain Lunch and Learn Series webinar for the year and is sponsored by Kearney. Register now.
California-based fast-casual chain Sweetgreen has filed to go public in an initial stock offering on the New York Stock Exchange. The chain, which operates 140 locations in 13 states and Washington, D.C., expects to double in size over the next five years, according to a regulatory filing.
