The Week in Commerce Marketing — Retail, E-commerce and DTC: April 25, 2025 edition

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

Walmart, in partnership with textiles company UNIFI, just launched what it’s calling “a more sustainable sock.” The socks, which Walmart is selling under its private-label intimates brand Joyspun, are the first commercial product created using REPREVE Takeback recycled polyester — material that uses post-industrial garments and fabric scraps, resulting in a “more regenerative manufacturing process,” per a brand announcement. The new Joyspun Textile Takeback sock is available now in-store and online at Walmart.com.

Previously: “Walmart creates new crowdsourcing program to spur sustainable packaging innovation,” from the June 7, 2024 edition of The Week in Retail.

See also: “Walmart tests Beauty Bars at 40 stores in tandem with spring sale event” (Retail Dive)

More launches and expansions:

• “Lewis Hamilton Explores ‘Afrofuturism’ in Latest Dior Capsule Collection” (Women’s Wear Daily)
• “Target launches fresh florals brand Good Little Garden” (Retail Dive)
• “David Beckham’s Collection for Boss Revealed” (Women’s Wear Daily)
• “Vera Wang Enters Luxury Fragrance with Love Eau de Parfum” (Happi)
• “Parade Expands Into Swimwear With Vibrant, Size-Inclusive Collection” (Women’s Wear Daily)
• ICYMI: “Target Stores Now Selling Wine in Paper Bottles” (Progressive Grocer)

Zales just launched a new campaign aimed at positioning itself as “the go-to destination for confident, on-trend women,” per a brand announcement. The “Own It” campaign is meant to “flip the script on traditional fine-jewelry marketing,” positioning jewelry as an everyday option as opposed to just a special occasion item. As part of the initiative, Zales is expanding its offerings to include “trend-driven” collections such as Stellar Allure’s lab-grown diamond designs and the retailer’s own Whimly by Zales, which includes customizable, stackable designs. Timed to the campaign, Zales is also testing a new “store of the future” concept that “blends digital integration” with “vibrant, curated displays for a more self-serve, personalized shopping experience.”

More brand campaigns:

• “Vestiaire Collective Brings Clothing Waste Home in Latest Campaign” (Sourcing Journal)
• “Coach Spotlights Soho Sneaker in Newest Campaign” (Women’s Wear Daily)

That’s the number of unique retailers that the average U.S. household shops at each year, with omnichannel shoppers spending nearly two times as much as those who shop solely brick-and-mortar or e-commerce, according to Circana’s “A Day in the Life of the Complex Consumer” report. (See more industry and marketing stats in the latest edition of The Weekly 10 from Quad Insights.)

More consumer insights:

• “Walmart leads annual ranking of top 50 global retailers” (Chain Store Age)
• “What are consumers’ happiest shopping times?” (Drug Store News)

As the official beauty partner of the Cowboy Carter Tour, Beyoncé’s hair care line Cécred just announced the launch of a traveling pop-up shop that will accompany the singer on the first leg of her nationwide tour, Women’s Wear Daily’s Renan Botelho reports. Featuring a salon stage, a Cécred Fan Cam (allowing fans to attempt Beyoncé’s signature on-stage hair move), limited-edition merch and samples, the Cécred Roadshow will offer “a sensory walk-through experience with interactive displays and expert guidance,” Botelho writes. Making its debut at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, on April 28, the Cécred Roadshow will then travel to other cities with Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter Tour — including Chicago, Atlanta and Las Vegas — as well as select Ulta Beauty locations.

More celebrity-led campaigns:

• “Zendaya Looms Large in Louis Vuitton’s Resort Campaign” (Women’s Wear Daily)
• “Will Ferrell reimagines Fleetwood Mac for PayPal as ‘greatest singer of all time’” (The Drum)
• “David Yurman’s New Campaign Stars Carmelo Anthony, Jaylen Brown” (National Jeweler)
• “Aston Martin Aramco Formula One Team Launches Collaboration with The Rolling Stones” (License Global)

Timed to the upcoming release of his latest album, “Tha Carter VI” — out June 6 — Lil Wayne just unveiled a new capsule collection with the NFL and sports apparel brand Mitchell & Ness, per an announcement from Fanatics. Blending “Lil Wayne’s signature style and love for the NFL with Mitchell & Ness’s culture-defining aesthetic,” Mitchell & Ness x Lil Wayne will include a series of drops throughout the rest of the year, including T-shirts, hoodies and jerseys, with each release representing a different NFL team. The collaboration kicked off at the 2025 NFL Draft in Green Bay, Wisconsin, on April 24, with a line inspired by the Green Bay Packers’ “legendary Cheesehead culture” and designed by Wayne, a lifelong Packers fan. The collection is available online at MitchellandNess.com, Fanatics.com, NFLShop.com and PackersProShop.com.

More brand collabs and partnerships:

• “WWE Taps Anti Social Social Club for WrestleMania Takeover” (License Global)
• “UNIQLO’s UT Launches an Archival ‘Super Mario Series’ Collection” (Trend Hunter)
• “Collars & Co. Becomes Official Dress Shirt of Arrow McLaren Racing Team” (Women’s Wear Daily)
• “Prince and Abercombie Join Forces” (License Global)
• “HEYDUDE & Jelly Roll Offer Fans Another Purchasing Opportunity” (Trend Hunter)
• “Bark Launches Dog Toy with Saturday Night Live” (Licensing International)
• “Target debuts exclusive home collection with Parachute” (Retail Dive)

More commerce marketing news:

• “Etsy Doubles Down On Domestic Sellers Amid Tariff Turmoil” (MediaPost)
• “Trader Joe’s Pronto Brings a New Grocery Experience to Union Square” (Trend Hunter)
• “The Fresh Market expands in Florida, Connecticut” (Chain Store Age)
• “Amazon and Walmart keep chasing faster deliveries to woo shoppers” (Supply Chain Dive)
• “Whole Foods to Open 2 New Small-Format Daily Shops in NYC This Spring” (Retail TouchPoints)
• “eBay rolls out Klarna flexible payments in U.S.” (Chain Store Age)
• ICYMI: “American Eagle Puts Fans In The Driver’s Seat With Live Your Life Affiliate Community” (Forbes)
• ICYMI: “Tractor Supply Launches Service to Streamline Pet Prescriptions” (Retail TouchPoints)
• ICYMI: “Barnes & Noble to open 60-plus stores to open in 2025 — including these four in April” (Chain Store Age)