The Week in Commerce Marketing — Retail, E-commerce and DTC: January 10, 2025 edition

Welcome to The Week in Commerce Marketing — Retail, E-commerce and DTC, a weekly roundup for marketers from Quad Insights.

JCPenney just announced a merger with SPARC Group to bring together six retail banners that “celebrate the essence of American style,” per a brand announcement. Catalyst Brands, as the new organization is called, joins SPARC Group brands Aéropostale, Brooks Brothers, Eddie Bauer, Lucky Brand and Nautica with JCPenney and its private labels, including Arizona and Liz Claiborne. Encompassing everything from casual apparel for teenagers to business and formal fashion attire, with 1,800 store locations as well as e-commerce sites, Catalyst Brands will span markets and customer segments — representing, as CNN Business’ Jordan Valinsky writes, “a gamble that combining the beleaguered brands will create a new powerhouse of mall staples … that also happen to have America’s largest mall operators as major financial backers.”

More retail operations and expansions:

• “Consortium Brand Partners acquires Jonathan Adler” (Retail Dive)
• “Giant Food introduces first-of-its-kind community space” (Grocery Dive)
• “Amazon Launches Advertising Service for Retailer Apps, Websites” (Retail TouchPoints)
• “Poshmark is teaming up with Loop to resell non-returnable items” (Modern Retail)
• “Instacart expanding ad reach in foodservice” (Grocery Dive)
• “DoorDash and Ibotta Team to Offer Savings on Everyday Purchases” (Progressive Grocer)
• “Target Democratizes Wellness with New Under $10 Assortment” (Retail TouchPoints)
• ICYMI: “Marquee Brands acquires Laura Ashley” (Fashion Dive)
• ICYMI: “Amazon offers free returns — no packaging required” (Chain Store Age)
• ICYMI: “Lord & Taylor is bringing back its cursive logo, Gen Z be damned” (Fast Company)

Kroger just made it easier for customers to stick to their New Year’s resolutions this year with the launch of its private-label brand Simple Truth’s Resolution Rescue bundles ahead of Quitter’s Day on Jan. 10 — “when most customers begin to give up on their resolutions,” per a Kroger Co. announcement. These six limited-time kits align with popular resolutions around healthy eating — with a mocktails, meatless and veggie bundle, among others. Each bundle, priced at $15 or less, features a range of Simple Truth products to help customers stick with their resolutions.

See also: “Kroger launches new private-label brand in partnership with U.S. farmers,” from the Aug. 2, 2024 edition of the Week in Retail.

Timed to Dry January, HelloFresh just announced a partnership with prebiotic soda brand Poppi on a limited-time offering, Trend Hunter’s Georgia Wray Norsten reports. Available for just two weeks through HelloFresh’s Market, the HelloFresh x Poppi Mocktail Kits offer an alcohol-free alternative to cocktails and include “everything you need to craft delicious and refreshing mocktails from the comfort of your home,” Norsten writes. The collab features two kits — the Lemon-Lime Mocktail Kit, available now, and the Doc Pop Mocktail Kit, launching Jan. 13 — each with two different recipes, ranging from sweet to savory.

More from Quad: “Boost, recharge, repeat: 3 winning tactics marketers can learn from functional beverages”

That’s the increase in foot traffic experienced by discount and dollar stores in 2024, according to a just-released report from Placer.ai, per Store Brands. (See more industry and marketing stats in the most recent edition of The Weekly 10 from Quad Insights.)

More consumer insights:

• “Salesforce: Global online holiday sales set $1.2T record; returns boom” (Chain Store Age)
• “Flexible Policies Can Boost Loyalty and Retail Sales, Survey Finds” (Women’s Wear Daily)
• “Albertsons boasts 15% loyalty member growth” (Grocery Dive)

Saks Fifth Avenue just debuted a limited-edition merchandise collection in collaboration with NBC’s “Saturday Night Live” (SNL) to celebrate the show’s 50th anniversary. The Saks x SNL50 collection features apparel and accessories from Favorite Daughter — everything from sweatshirts to tote bags featuring archival SNL imagery — and a special edition of Le Labo Fragrances’ Classic Candle in its SANTAL 26 scent. Items are available for purchase at Saks.com/SNL50, which also features editorial content and video clips of iconic SNL sketches over its 50 years. Saks x SNL50 is available exclusively at Saks.com and at two upcoming pop-up shops at Saks Fifth Avenue locations in New York and Beverly Hills.

More notable brand and celebrity partnerships:

• “Target taps Tom Holland’s star power for Dry January” (CNN Business)
• “The Forever 21 x Sanrio Holiday Collection is Playful” (Trend Hunter)
• “Aardman, Forbidden Planet Launch ‘Wallace & Gromit’ Collaboration” (License Global)
• “Madhappy and Juicy Couture collaborate on capsule” (Fashion Dive)
• “Fanatics launches Taylor Swift Designer’s Sports Fashion Brand” (Sportico)
• “The LEGO Group, BBC Studios Announce New ‘Bluey’ Partnership” (License Global)
• “Carpet Company Creates a Vans Skate Old Skool 36+” (Trend Hunter)