Welcome to The Week in Retail, a weekly round-up for marketers from Quad Insights that covers the latest must-know news surrounding the retail space.
ICYMI: Amazon pilots new grocery subscription service in three U.S. cities
Amazon is testing a new grocery subscription service for Prime members for a fee of $9.99 a month, Tech Crunch’s Aisha Malik reports. For orders over $35, subscriber-shoppers receive free grocery delivery from Whole Foods Market and Amazon Fresh, as well as unlimited 30-minute pickup on orders. The program is currently being tested in Denver, Colorado; Sacramento, California; and Columbus, Ohio.
eBay launches limited-time “mobile consignment concierge” for luxury items
On Tuesday, eBay announced the launch of a new “mobile consignment concierge” called the Luxe Line, a limited-time mobile service — with stops planned in Los Angeles and Las Vegas — designed to offer consumers an IRL selling and shopping experience. Built on eBay’s recently launched online consignment service, which helps people sell their luxury handbags, the branded bus provides people with a “physical place to sell their luxury accessories, as well as shop for new ones,” per an eBay statement. Guests visiting the Luxe Line have access to expert sellers who appraise, photograph and list their eligible designer handbags on the e-commerce platform on their behalf. They can also shop a curated assortment of luxury handbags, watches and jewelry from sellers including designer and LoveSeen Founder/CEO Jenna Lyons.
The launch of eBay’s Luxe Line comes as consumers have reportedly amassed an estimated $1 trillion in luxury goods that are just “sitting in … closets,” according to the company statement.
Related coverage:
• “eBay pushes luxury consignment service with curated Jenna Lyons collection” (Retail Dive)
Sam’s Club announces new video advertising program in partnership with Eko, The Trade Desk
On Tuesday, Sam’s Club unveiled a full-funnel video advertising program via its Member Access Platform (MAP) that allows brands to utilize connected TV (CTV) and sponsored and interactive videos using first-party data to “drive awareness for new item launches and create a synergistic video experience,” per a Walmart Inc. statement. (Sam’s Club is a division of Walmart Inc.)
Through a partnership with The Trade Desk, Sam’s Club will deliver MAP CTV ads to members streaming content on a connected device, as well as Sponsored Product Ads (SPAs) to those searching for items in the Sam’s Club app. Also part of Sam’s Club’s new video advertising program, “360-degree interactive video product detail page ads from partner Eko” that “replicate an in-store shopping experience online,” Ad Age’s Jack Neff reports.
The move by Sam’s Club comes as consumers continue to express an interest in discovering products via video, with 66% saying it is their preferred way to learn about an item, per the Walmart Inc. statement.
Kroger launches monthly cheese subscription service through Murray’s Cheese
Grocery giant Kroger announced on Monday the launch of a new cheese subscription program through its in-house cheese shop Murray’s Cheese. Called Murray’s Cheese Club, the program includes five monthly themed subscription options that offer a variety of cheeses and pairings, including a “Mac and Cheese Club.” The subscriptions are available in three-, six- and 12-month increments and range in price from approximately $56 to over $108 a month, reports Winsight Grocery Business’ Heather Lalley, who adds that Murray’s Cheese is known for its cheese caves, where experts age cheese and develop new, one-of-a-kind cheeses.
Murray’s Cheese was founded in New York City in 1962 and was acquired by Kroger in 2017; the grocer kept its NYC locations open and has expanded the brand through a store-within-a-store format across more than 1,100 locations.
“Experience is part and parcel of the new Murray’s Cheese Club,” Progressive Grocer’s Lynn Petrak writes. “In addition to the fun of unboxing hand-cut and wrapped cheeses, members can get tips on wine and cheese pairings and learn more about the cheesemaking process and cheesemakers.”
Related news:
- “Kroger, GE Appliances serve up recipes right at the stovetop” (Winsight Grocery Business)
Further reading
- “Shoppers Spend Almost Twice as Long on Temu App Than Key Rivals” (Bloomberg)
- “JCPenney’s pre-inflation prices brought in record traffic for the holidays” (Glossy)
- “How Shein outgrew Zara and H&M and pioneered fast-fashion 2.0” (Reuters)
- “US luxury sales slump continued through November: report” (Fashion Dive)
- “Consumer spending rebounded in November as holiday shopping season kicked off” (Axios)
- “IKEA rolls out supersized ‘turkey-sized’ meatballs in time for the holidays” (Fox Business)
- “Challenger artisan platforms are trying to encroach on Etsy’s dominance” (Modern Retail)
- “Dollar General Plans 800 New Stores, 1,500 Remodels in FY 2024” (Retail TouchPoints)
- “Hibbett and Nike Team Up to Bolster Basketball Programs at 103 High Schools” (Sourcing Journal)
- “Swarovski opens largest-ever store in NYC” (Chain Store Age)
- “Uniqlo plans more than 20 new stores in North America in 2024” (Fashion Dive)
- “Macy’s receives $5.8 billion buyout offer from investor group as department stores face changing consumer habits” (Fortune)
- “Claire’s Expands to Mexico, Debuts Branded Body Care Products” (Retail TouchPoints)
Thanks for reading.
If you’d like to catch up on prior installments of this column, start by heading to our last recap: “The Week in Retail: December 8, 2023 edition”
