The Week in Commerce Marketing — Retail, E-commerce and DTC: March 14, 2025 edition

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

Dollar General just announced the launch of a new kitchen and housewares line with Dolly Parton as it seeks to build on the success of its first collection with the country music icon, released last July (which we covered at the time). The new collection “combines timeless charm with practicality,” per a brand announcement, and includes a variety of drinkware, table linens, home décor and more — from a tea kettle to a serving tray. Available now at all Dollar General locations nationwide, the collection is priced at $10 and under. Dollar General and Parton also announced plans to launch a summer entertaining collection in May and a Christmas collection later this year.

See also: “Dollar General hits $40B in fiscal year net sales for first time ever” (Supermarket News)

Previously: “Home Chef partners with Dolly Parton and her sister on new Good Lookin’ Cookin’ meal kit,” from the Sept. 20, 2024 edition of this column.

More commerce launches and partnerships:

• “GapStudio offers version of Timothée Chalamet suit” (Fashion Dive)
• “Albertsons, Tia Mowry Team To Promote Overjoyed Own Brand” (Store Brands)
• “Martha Stewart expands partnership with QVC” (Chain Store Age)
• “ASOS launches Arrange premium brand with focus on design and elevation” (Fashion Network)
• “Reebok reenters golf with footwear, apparel offering” (Retail Dive)
• “Li & Fung Announces New Licensing Partnership with Vera Bradley for Home Collection” (License Global)
• “Good American launches at Macy’s” (Retail Dive)
• “Free People to Offer L.L. Bean Products at Its Stores and Online” (Women’s Wear Daily)
• ICYMI: “Lilly Pulitzer relaunches menswear after 15-year hiatus” (Fashion Dive)

Bath & Body Works just officially unveiled its new Gingham+ store design, featuring “more elevated design elements, technology features, a more open floorplan and redesigned fixtures” for a more seamless shopping experience, per a brand announcement. Using insights on customer preferences — including Gen Zers in particular — the Bath & Body Works store design team, led by Group Vice President of Store Design Eduardo Tonietto, created Gingham+ to offer a more “toned down” shopping experience, with softer, more neutral colors. (Get a peek here, courtesy of Beauty Packaging.) The new store includes dedicated areas for each product category and video monitors to help customers discover new products, plus “scent bars” where customers can sample new products.

Previously: “Bath & Body Works debuts largest collaboration yet with Disney Princess collection,” from the February 14 edition of this column.

More retail operations news:

• “Dick’s plots ‘significant investments’ in stores, digital as winning streak continues” (Retail Dive)
• “Kroger Sharpens Ecommerce Focus with New Business Unit” (Retail TouchPoints)
• “CVS is opening smaller stores that only have pharmacies” (CNN Business)
• “The Fresh Market opens its first wine and spirits store” (Supermarket News)
• “Shein opens curated online fashion storefronts” (Chain Store Age)
• “Amazon Restructures Its Grocery, Convenience Teams” (Progressive Grocer)
• “Lowe’s expanding Apple Vision Pro kitchen design pilot” (Chain Store Age)
• “Estée Lauder Partners With Adobe on Gen AI to Create Product Ads” (Adweek)
• “Ross Plans 90 New Stores This Year; Long-Term Goal is 3,600 Locations” (Retail TouchPoints)

That’s the increase in online grocery sales in February compared to the same month in 2024, for a total of $10.3 billion, according to the latest Brick Meets Click and Mercatus data, per Grocery Dive. (See more industry and marketing stats in the latest edition of The Weekly 10 from Quad Insights.)

More consumer-driven insights:

• “Retail Sales Slow In February” (Store Brands)
• “Majority of Americans have yet to try Amazon Haul” (Retail Dive)
• “Ecommerce’s share of overall grocery sales has more than doubled since the pandemic” (eMarketer)

Casio just announced a collaboration with Mattel’s Barbie on a new addition to its G-SHOCK family of shock-resistant watches — watches known for their toughness from a brand “that supports free-thinking, tough women with strength at their core” — per a brand announcement. Based on the GMA-S110, the limited-edition GMAS110BE-4A features a combined analog-digital dial, double LED light, five daily alarms, countdown timer, stopwatch and more in Barbie’s signature pink color scheme. Available now for $170 at select retailers, gschock.com and the G-SHOCK SoHo store in New York City, the GMAS110BE-4A comes in Barbie-inspired packaging.

Previously: “Sweet Loren’s and Barbie release Valentine’s Day cookie collab,” from the Jan. 17 edition of The Week in Consumer Packaged Goods.

More fashion collabs:

• “On plots first co-created footwear, apparel collection with Zendaya” (Retail Dive)
• “Fazit Drops ‘Spirit Stripes’ Collection with ELF” (Happi)
• “Anthropologie and Universal Standard launch size-inclusive collab” (Fashion Dive)
• “Serena Williams Designs Kids’ Collection for Janie and Jack” (Women’s Wear Daily)
• “Engineered Garments and Red Wing Join Forces for SS25” (Trend Hunter)
• “Reebok Releases ‘Sesame Street’ Sneaker Collection” (License Global)

Timed to Global Recycling Day on March 18, Petco just announced the launch of its first-ever national trade-in and recycling event in partnership with TerraCycle. From March 15 to 29, customers can bring their old dog collars, leashes and harnesses to a Petco location near them; TerraCycle will recycle them. In return, customers will receive 40% off a single qualifying purchase of a dog collar, leash or harness. Petco is kicking off the initiative with in-store activations on Saturday, March 15, from 2 to 4 p.m. local time.

Previously:

• “Petco debuts Halloween “Bootique” and fall collection,” from the Aug. 9, 2024 edition of this column.
• “Petco Love launches animated campaign to help lost pets,” from the May 24, 2024 edition of The Week in Retail.

More brand activations and promotions: “Target bringing back ‘Circle Week’ sales extravaganza for spring” (Chain Store Age)

More brand sponsorships and partnerships:

• “Country Music Artist Jordan Davis Highlights His Favorite Wolverine Boots in New Year-Long Partnership” (Footwear News)
• “Adidas Adds Olympian Ilona Maher to Its Star-Studded Athlete Roster” (Footwear News)
• ICYMI: “E.l.f. Cosmetics becomes first beauty sponsor of the National Women’s Soccer League” (Glossy)
• ICYMI: “Under Armour Adds Style-Savvy WNBA Star Nika Mühl to Its Athlete Roster” (Footwear News)

More campaigns and activations:

• “Teva unveils ‘For Playground Earth,’ a bold call to outdoor adventure” (The Drum)
• “Adidas Originals’ New Campaign Focuses on Individuality” (Women’s Wear Daily)
• “M.M.LaFleur bets on Substack as its next big marketing play amid branded newsletter boom” (Modern Retail)
• ICYMI: “Allbirds Taps Stanley Tucci For New Content Series That Will Star Actors and a Formula 1 Driver” (Footwear News)