The Week in Commerce Marketing — Retail, E-commerce and DTC: October 25, 2024 edition

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

In a move that builds on its in-store and online “pre-loved” initiatives, H&M just announced the launch of a special release featuring vintage items from its most popular collaborative collections, beginning with its first one from 2004 with Karl Lagerfeld, who was Chanel creative director at the time. (Lagerfeld died in 2019.) Working with pre-loved fashion marketplace Sellpy and other vintage retailers, H&M curated a selection of pieces that it’s releasing via seven global drops in-store and online. The initiative kicked off in France yesterday (Oct. 24) at H&M’s Paris Lafayette location; a U.S. drop is planned for Oct. 27 at H&M’s SoHo & Nolita stores in Manhattan.

Previously: “H&M opens new SoHo location featuring secondhand shop-within-a-shop, high-tech features,” from the February 9 edition of The Week in Retail.

More retail circularity initiatives:

• “Zara Launches Its Repair and Resell Platform in the U.S.” (Women’s Wear Daily)
• “EBay to invest $1.2 million through its Circular Fashion Fund by 2025” (Digital Commerce 360)
• “TikTok Shop enters online refurbished electronics market” (Chain Store Age)

Amazon just launched “Celebrity Substitute,” a new original branded content series that follows Julian Shapiro-Barnum, creator of the hit online content series “Recess Therapy,” as he “brings celebrity guests to substitute teach at New York City public school classrooms,” MediaPost’s Laurie Sullivan reports. Available exclusively on YouTube, “Celebrity Substitute” includes nine episodes, ranging from five to eight minutes each. The first episode stars Andrew Garfield and Florence Pugh, who attempt to teach drama to kids, while other episodes feature pop star Lisa from Blackpink and gymnast Jordan Chiles. As part of the “Celebrity Substitute” series, Amazon fulfills each participating school’s Amazon Wish List.

See also:

• “Amazon closing brick-and-mortar same-day delivery program” (Chain Store Age)
• “Amazon Prime members can now save on gas” (The Verge)
• ICYMI: “Amazon launches Amazon Grocery, its newest grocery concept” (Supermarket News)

That’s the year-over-year (YOY) growth in U.S. grocery delivery sales, for a total of $3.9 billion in September, according to the latest Brick Meets Click/Mercatus Grocery Shopper Survey, per Grocery Dive. Total e-commerce grocery sales (including not just delivery but pickup and ship-to-home orders) amounted to $9.5 billion in September — a YOY increase of 27%. (See more industry and marketing stats in the most recent edition of The Weekly 10 from Quad Insights.)

More consumer-focused insights:

• “Study: One-in-three online orders delivered late; shoppers want compensation” (Chain Store Age)
• “Holiday Spending To Grow, New Survey Reveals” (Store Brands)
• “Will consumers favor brick & mortar or online this holiday season?” (Drug Store News)
• “Report Tracks Shoppers’ Shift to Plant-Based Foods” (Progressive Grocer)
• “Beauty brands could use a sonic glow-up: report” (Marketing Brew)

Following the release of its 2024 Impact Report, e.l.f. Beauty has launched a new campaign titled “Dupe That!” — a play on the recent trend of consumers seeking out affordable knockoffs (i.e., duplicates, or “dupes”) of coveted products. “Dupe That!” is meant to encourage other brands to follow in e.l.f.’s footsteps and “participate in being good and doing good,” per a brand announcement. In a 30-second animated online spot, brightly colored unicorns help call attention to the demographic makeup of e.l.f.’s board, the brand’s cruelty-free certification from PETA, and more. The campaign is also running across LED screens in The World Trade Center retail complex in New York, a two-page spread in the print edition of The New York Times and across e.l.f.’s social media.

Previously: “e.l.f. Cosmetics releases accessibility bundle in collaboration with Paralympic swimmer Anastasia Pagonis,” from the August 9 edition of this column.

More brand campaigns:

• “Inside Walmart’s pop culture-heavy 2024 holiday campaign” (Marketing Dive)
• “Cynthia Erivo Stars in New Wicked Target Commercial” (Broadway World)
• “‘Hot Girl Holidays’: Megan Thee Stallion Heats Up True Religion’s Holiday Campaign” (Deadline)
• “Lidl Reintroduces Brand in U.S. With New Campaign” (Progressive Grocer)
• “Rare Beauty celebrates ‘Every Side of You’ for first global campaign” (Marketing Dive)
• ICYMI: “Blondie’s Back In ‘Remastered’ Campaign For Gucci” (MediaPost)

David’s Bridal just announced an update to its Diamond Loyalty program that expands benefits to a bride’s entire wedding party, Chain Store Age’s Dan Berthiaume reports. Wedding party members will now receive benefits such as free shipping on orders of $50 or more, 15% off their first order at DavidsBridal.com and 10% off a range of attire, footwear and accessories, including dresses for bridesmaids, flower girls and guests.

More loyalty program news:

• “Wayfair launches paid loyalty program” (Retail Dive)
  
• “Dollar General’s pOpshelf Refreshes Stores, Loyalty Program and App” (Retail TouchPoints)
  

L.L.Bean just launched a new limited-edition collection co-designed by singer-songwriter Noah Kahan. The Northern Attitude Collection is inspired by Kahan’s Vermont roots and is meant to represent what bonds New Englanders — what L.L.Bean Chief Marketing Officer Nick Wilkoff refers to as “a shared grit and resolve we all need to survive the long, cold winter months.” Ranging in price from $29.95 to $249, items include sweatshirts, anoraks, totes and beanies, with some featuring illustrations of Penny, Kahan’s German Shepherd. The collection is available at LLBean.com. In honor of the collaboration, L.L.Bean is donating $100,000 to Kahan’s mental health foundation The Busyhead Project.

More brand and celebrity collabs and partnerships:

• “Champion releases collab with the MoMA Design Store” (Fashion Dive)
• “NHL Partners With Lululemon, Extends Deal With Navy Federal” (MediaPost)
• “Womenswear Label Veronica Beard Partners With the NFL on 32 Timeless Team Jackets” (The Hollywood Reporter)
• “Tinashe x Urban Outfitters: Dance-Inspired Collection for Self-Expression” (The Hype Magazine)
• “PacSun Announces Formula 1 Merch, On-Site Activations” (License Global)
• “Peloton, Costco partner for the holidays” (Retail Dive)
• “Whisky Meets Meat — Bruichladdich And ButcherBox Launch Holiday Bundles” (Forbes)

Retailer promotions:

• “Timex revives one dollar watches for its 170th anniversary” (Watchpro)
• “BJ’s Wholesale Club Kicks Off Black Friday Early” (Store Brands)
• “Walmart, JCPenney, and Aldi promise ‘inflation-busting’ holiday deals” (Retail Brew)
• “Dollar General to launch two-month omnichannel holiday promotion” (Chain Store Age)
• “Target engages in another round of price cuts, this time involving more than 2,000 items” (Supermarket News)
• ICYMI: “Walmart Announces ‘Inflation Free’ Thanksgiving Dinners for Less Than $7 Per Person” (Retail Wire)