Singer-songwriter Taylor Swift will perform at Alibaba’s Singles Day countdown gala on Nov. 10, following other U.S.-based performers like Mariah Carey and Pharrell Williams in recent years. In terms of the promotional opportunity, it’s a logical move for Swift, who headlined Amazon’s first-ever Prime Day concert in July leading up to the release of her…
Typically, seeing quotes around a brand name would make you understandably wary, in the same way you’d be reluctant to eat something that someone described with air-quotes as “food.” But with Ikea’s Wembley location in London, there’s a good–albeit a bit obscure–reason why the chain has put quote marks around its name on the front…
Barneys New York’s bankruptcy woes have come to an end–and likely, so has the store’s storied history as a standalone retailer. On Oct. 31, a New York State bankruptcy court approved the sale of Barneys New York to Authentic Brands, parent company of brands like Frederick’s of Hollywood and Nine West, and financial services company…
It’s usually hard to get excited about Christmas when you’re still two months away, and the marketing around it can be especially exasperating so early in the calendar. But here’s a worthy exception. British catalog retailer Argos today unveiled this year’s holiday season ad, and it’s an instant classic. Created by agency The&Partnership, the long-form…
Halloween costumes may not yet be packed away, and jack-0-lanterns are still scattered around stoops across the country, but it’s Nov. 1–and that means retailers are ushering in the holiday season. And with the start of the holiday season (or at the very least, the holiday preseason, for those who won’t acknowledge it until after…
Each year, the holiday season creeps just a bit earlier, and 2019 is no exception. Target and Walmart each rolled out holiday deals back-to-back, with the former introducing one-day shipping starting Nov. 1 and the latter already offering its “Early deals drop.” With an expected 4% year-over-year increase in retail sales from last year, according…
Of the holiday gifts shoppers will buy online this year, 42% expect to purchase all or most of them from Amazon, according to a new report from web content management firm Episerver. On the flip side, 47% will buy few or none of their gifts from Amazon, which means nearly half the market is still…
As I waited in line at a popular local restaurant, I watched the lone cashier assist a constant flow of drivers from four different delivery services who were picking up orders. I smiled sympathetically at her as she arranged orders on the counter. She was kind and efficient at her job, but there was no…
Campbell Soup Company president and CEO Mark Clouse joined the brand in January 2019, becoming just the 14th leader in its 150-year history. Earlier this month, Clouse gathered with employees from New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio and Texas to ring the closing bell at the New York Stock Exchange as part of the brand’s anniversary…
As customer acquisition costs rise among the digital duopoly, direct-to-consumer brands are looking to any other platform to gain an edge over competitors and scale the business. For many DTC brands, Pinterest’s become a safe haven to test campaigns, reach different parts of the funnel and receive more customers. Pinterest has scaled up its ad…
They say it’s the thought that counts, and that’s what Gap has chosen to remind people of as the holiday shopping season kicks into gear. In a departure from its typically cheery, dance-filled campaigns, the retailer’s latest effort takes a more understated, emotional approach. Created by Johannes Leonardo, the spot opens with a mom tearing…
Halloween is one week away, but retailers are already looking ahead to the December holiday season–and all the shopping that comes with it. Target and Walmart revealed their plans for the holiday season this week, with both retailers looking to staff up and roll out seasonal promotions early to jump ahead of the holiday season….
Many direct-to-consumer brands are starting to follow the traditional trajectory that legacy companies were once admonished for: Grow into as many tangential categories as possible. Allbirds started its business with footwear and now sells socks; Everlane launched with basic wardrobe staples and has since expanded into sneakers and other product categories. Brooklinen, the 5-year-old DTC…
Rothy’s, a direct-to-consumer footwear brand founded in 2012, knows how much its customers love the shoe. The brand doesn’t necessarily need to dig deep to figure out how they like a silhouette or a color, either. There are several Facebook groups dedicated to discussing, buying, selling and trading the shoe, including one called Rothy’s Addicts…
As legacy retailers struggle to figure out what will bring consumers through their doors, upstarts like b8ta are hitting on ways to help how brands can work with stores. On Nov. 15, b8ta is expanding its reach and rolling out Forum, a shop with rotating sustainable and ethical fashion and lifestyle brands in Los Angeles….
In-kitchen and in-garage grocery delivery is now available from Walmart in four locations: Pittsburgh, Pa., Kansas City, Mo., Kansas City, Kan., and Vero Beach, Fla. In a blog post, Walmart said over 1 million customers will be able to use the service. Before these consumers can avail themselves of in-kitchen and in-garage delivery, a rep…
With a rallying cry of “We are humans, not robots,” workers in Amazon’s warehouses have walked out multiple times this year over issues like a 30-hour-per-week cap and working conditions. While a spokesperson for the National Labor Relations Board said it does not track employee protests, staff at retailers like Amazon, Walmart, Wayfair and Whole…
When it comes to ad spend, direct-to-consumers brands, known for changing the playbook on how a company operates and connects with consumers, are moving toward a familiar path carved out by their conventional competitors. According to a new report from advertising intelligence firm MediaRadar, DTC brands’ ad spend across digital, TV and print is up…
Personnel changes abound at Victoria’s Secret this week: The brand’s longtime head of stores, April Holt, is leaving the company, and 50 employees from its Columbus, Ohio, headquarters were laid off as well. According to CNBC, Holt had been with Victoria’s Secret parent company L Brands for 16 years. In her most recent role as…
A late Thanksgiving this year means there are five fewer shopping days and one less weekend between Black Friday and Christmas than last year. In fact, 2019 has the shortest holiday season since 2013. That year, retailers front-loaded the holiday by starting promotions in early November, opened stores on Thanksgiving for the first time ever,…
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