The Week in Retail: June 14, 2024 edition

Welcome to The Week in Retail, a weekly roundup for marketers from Quad Insights that covers the latest must-know news surrounding the retail space.

Bloomingdale’s, in partnership with Air France, just announced the launch of an in-store and online shop called The Carousel @ Bloomingdale’s: Game On. The sports-themed shop will feature a range of products and styles curated by Venus Williams, from brands such as Anine Bing, Longchamp and Williams’ own brands, as well as an exclusive collaboration between the tennis-star-turned-entrepreneur and Bloomingdale’s private label AQUA. The AQUA X Venus Williams collection offers “a chic, fun and sporty line of athletic and ready-to-wear apparel and handbags inspired by Venus’s infamous style both on and off the tennis court,” per a Bloomingdale’s statement. The 36-piece collection includes hoodies, joggers, sports bras, tennis dresses and more, as well as everyday items such as cardigans and a maxi dress. The shop launched in select Bloomingdale’s locations on June 13 and will launch online on June 17; it will operate through August 26.

Previously: “Dove, Nike partner with Venus Williams to launch program focused on improving girls’ body confidence,” from an earlier edition of this column.

Food retail group Ahold Delhaize USA this week announced a new partnership with Mark Cuban Cost Plus Drug Company that leverages the Team Cuban Card, Drug Store News’ Sandra Levy reports. The Team Cuban Card and Cost Plus Drugs Pharmacy Affiliate Network were launched last year by entrepreneur Mark Cuban and partners to “help provide access to safe and affordable medications for members,” Levy writes. Through this new agreement, consumers who use the pharmacy departments at Ahold Delhaize’s grocery stores — including Food Lion, Giant Food and Stop & Shop — can use the Team Cuban Card to get their prescriptions. The partnership “will help the local brand pharmacy patients afford the medications they need, while bringing additional transparency to drug pricing,” Director of Patient Health Services for Ahold Delhaize USA Moira O’Toole told Drug Store News.

Previously: “Giant Food hosts virtual dietitian-led pantry makeover series,” from an earlier edition of this column.

Interest in secondhand goods shows no signs of waning. That’s according to the just-released eBay’s 2024 Recommerce Report, which reveals that 86% of respondents — among more than 28,000 eBay buyers and sellers surveyed globally — have bought or sold “pre-loved” items in the last 12 months and that 70% plan to buy used goods this year, Fashion Dive’s Xanayra Marin-Lopez reports. The top two categories for secondhand items are clothes (48%) and books (34%), followed by shoes (24%), home and garden (23%) and tech and electronics (22%), with millennials and Gen Zers driving the momentum in the “pre-loved” space. The report also notes that between March 2023 and March 2024, eBay saw a 400% increase in the sale of apparel and accessories described as “thrifted.”

See also: “EBay rolls out AI-backed photo enhancement tool” (Retail Dive)

Retail operations and expansions:

• “Why Hoka is leaning on community with its first NYC flagship” (Modern Retail)
• “Silk Laundry Opens First U.S. Store in L.A. With Slipdresses Galore” (Women’s Wear Daily)
• “Costco is building out an ad business using its shoppers’ data” (Marketing Brew)
• “Walmart store employees can now earn up to $1K per year in bonuses” (Grocery Dive)
• “Pioneering online fashion retailer Revolve opens first permanent store” (Chain Store Age)
• “TJX Expands to Mexico Through New Joint Venture with Grupo Axo” (Retail TouchPoints)
• “Boot Barn is opening one store a week to cement itself as a national lifestyle brand” (Modern Retail)
• “Mango debuts at Hudson Yards; expects to open 15 more U.S. stores by yearend” (Chain Store Age)
• “Prada Reopens East Hampton Boutique With a Refreshed Look” (Women’s Wear Daily)
• “BJ’s Expands Same-Day Delivery for Oversize Items” (Retail TouchPoints)

Retail launches and partnerships:

• “At Home Teams With Lifestyle Expert Joy Cho” (Store Brands)
• “Ulta Beauty Adds Retail Media Network Account To IPG Mediabrands” (MediaPost)
• “Crate and Barrel debuts home collection with fashion designer Laura Kim” (Retail Dive)
• “Revolve moves into brick-and-mortar retail with first permanent store” (Rivet)
• “Poshmark launches its latest live shopping bet Posh Party Live” (Modern Retail)
• “Academy Sports + Outdoors Teams With DoorDash” (Store Brands)
• “Walmart Takes on Abercrombie with Relaunch of No Boundaries” (Women’s Wear Daily)

Retail tech and innovation:

• “Walmart testing AI shopping assistant, instant drone delivery” (Ad Age)
• “Bath & Body Works Deploys Gen AI to Help Customers Sniff Out the Perfect Fragrance” (Retail TouchPoints)
• “Walmart to replace paper shelf labels with digital price screens in 2,300 stores” (Reuters)

Retail trends:

• “Study: Men emerge as primary gift card purchasers in the U.S.” (Chain Store Age)
• “Discounters are winning as shoppers demand high quality and low prices: report” (Grocery Dive)
• “Lowe’s, Party City start targeting Halloween shoppers” (Chain Store Age)

Retail performance:

• “Promotions attract online grocery shoppers, but May sales decline” (Supermarket News)
• “NRF: Retail sales jump in May; largest month-over-month gain in over a year” (Chain Store Age)