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.
Home Depot, Best Buy seek to connect with holiday shoppers via shoppable content, events
As holiday season ramps up, retailers are leaning into shoppable content and events to drive holiday sales. On Tuesday, The Home Depot launched a campaign produced by VIZIO featuring shoppable content on connected TV (CTV), per a VIZIO statement. Called “Merry & Bright,” the new home-renovation show — which will be featured on VIZIO’s home screen — consists of three 10-minute episodes in which American Idol winner Jordin Sparks guides families as they make over their homes “to be worthy of a visit from Kris Kringle,” Ad Age’s Parker Herren reports. Each episode will include QR codes that, when scanned, will direct viewers to curated “shop-the-look” pages on the company’s website where they can purchase the products featured.
Best Buy is also getting in on the shoppable content game, with a series of live online shopping events, the electronics retailer announced on Tuesday. A collaboration with live shopping platform TalkShopLive, the series, which kicked off Nov. 1, is hosted by virtual sales experts who demo new tech products and answer viewers’ questions live on-air. Viewers watching on Best Buy’s TalkShopLive channel can purchase by clicking the “buy” button.
“We know more shoppers are taking advantage of live online shopping experiences, and we’re always exploring new ways to give our customers more options to shop how, when and where they want,” Best Buy Chief Marketing Officer Jennie Weber said in a statement.
Walmart invests a half billion dollars to update stores
This week, Walmart announced the unveiling of 117 newly renovated stores across 30 states, representing a more than $500 million investment by the retail giant. Refreshed exteriors and interiors include new paint and signage and are meant to create a more “friendly, welcoming atmosphere,” with “checkout design based on customer feedback,” Walmart said in a statement. The updated stores also include enhancements such as grab-and-go grocery offerings and new interactive displays.
Part of a larger $9 billion investment by the retailer to modernize more than 1,400 of its 4,500-plus U.S. stores over two years, the move is designed to “pull in more customers and keep them in stores for longer,” Parija Kavilanz of CNN Business reports. “The aim is to get them to shop at Walmart for things other than staples.”
Related news:
• “‘Mean Girls’ Cast Reunites for Walmart Black Friday Ad Campaign” (The Hollywood Reporter)
Target promotes $25 Thanksgiving meal
In response to stubborn inflation and high food prices, Target on Wednesday launched a Thanksgiving meal that costs less than $25, Russell Redman of Winsight Grocery Business reports. “We’ve been very committed to delivering value for our guests,” Target Executive Vice President and Chief Food and Beverage Officer Rick Gomez told Redman. “And what we recognize is right now — with inflation, with the economy — our guest is looking for affordability.”
Designed to serve up to four people, the meal includes a combination of items, largely from Target’s private-label brand Good & Gather, including potatoes, stuffing, cranberry sauce, gravy, green beans and a 10-pound turkey. Target’s “turnkey” Thanksgiving dinner, Redman notes, aligns with the retailer’s growing focus on providing convenient meal solutions to its customers.
Related news:
• “Target offers four weeks of early Black Friday deals” (CBS News)
Geissler’s Supermarket partners with Instacart to streamline shopping, checkout experiences using AI-powered carts
New England grocer Geissler’s Supermarket announced on Thursday it will replace most of its traditional shopping carts with Caper Carts, Instacart’s AI-powered smart carts, over the coming months. With seven stores across Massachusetts and Connecticut, the retailer — which is part of the Independent Grocers Alliance (IGA) — is making the change in an effort to make shopping at its stores “even easier, more efficient and personalized,” Bob Rybick, President and CEO of Geissler’s Supermarket and IGA Retailer Advisory Board Chairman, said in a statement.
Using computer vision and AI, the carts automatically identify items as they are placed in the cart, allowing customers to bag as they shop and pay from wherever they are in the store. The carts’ screens help shoppers easily find items on their list, stay on budget and access tailored promotions, with direct access to their loyalty accounts.
Further reading
• “Strip Malls Are the New King of Retail Real Estate” (The Wall Street Journal)
• “Why L’Occitane’s New Virtual Store Uses Gaming And Personalization” (Forbes)
• “Order up! How grocers are replicating the restaurant experience in retail” (Grocery Dive)
• “After being acquired by Overstock, Bed Bath & Beyond is planning a marketing blitz” (Modern Retail)
• “Billie Eilish Fronts Gucci Campaign Launching First Bag in Animal-free Demetra Material” (Women’s Wear Daily)
• “KeHE Partners With CVS to Expand Access to Fresh, Healthy Foods” (Progressive Grocer)
• “Tommy Hilfiger Recruits Greg Lauren for Reworked Fall 2023 Capsule” (Hypebeast)
• “Deckers Plans to Divest Sanuk, Plots New ‘Super’ Sneaker Brand” (Footwear News)
• “Claire’s Adds Kohl’s to Growing Roster of Retail Partnerships” (Retail Touchpoints)
• “Stony Creek Colors, Levi’s natural indigo partner, seeks new ownership” (Sourcing Journal)
• “Beyond Yoga Stretches Its Retail Expansion With First Northern California Store” (Women’s Wear Daily)
• “Etsy’s Spy Ads Ensure Holiday Shopping Isn’t ‘Mission: Impossible’” (Adweek)
Thanks for reading. We’ll see you next week.
If you’d like to catch up on prior installments of this column, start by heading to last week’s recap: “The Week in Retail: October 27, 2023”
