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.
Wayfair to open flagship retail location in Chicago suburb
Online home furnishings retailer Wayfair just announced plans to open its first physical retail location in Wilmette, Illinois, with a grand opening planned for May 23. The store will have 150,000 square feet of space featuring “all things home” — furniture, home décor, housewares and home improvement products “for any style, space or budget,” per a company statement. Much like home furnishings retailer Ikea, Wayfair’s new location will also feature an onsite restaurant, called The Porch.
The takeaway: Wayfair’s move is more evidence of how seriously online retailers are taking the need for physical touchpoints for consumers.
Amazon debuts grocery delivery subscription
Amazon just announced the launch of a new “low-cost” grocery delivery subscription for Prime members and customers using an EBT (Electronic Benefit Transfer) card, per a company statement. After an initial pilot in three U.S. cities, the online retailer is expanding the program nationwide to more than 3,500 cities and towns. The subscription service, which costs $9.99 per month for Prime members and $4.99 per month for EBT cardholders (even without a Prime membership), offers “unlimited grocery delivery on orders over $35 across Amazon Fresh, Whole Foods Market and a variety of local grocery and specialty retailers on Amazon.com.”
See also: “AI is helping Amazon send fewer small items in comically large boxes” (Business Insider)
Saks launches retail media network
Saks (Saks Fifth Avenue’s standalone ecommerce business) announced the launch of the Saks Media Network this week to help “brands reach the luxury retailer’s customer base with digital advertising throughout the shopping journey,” per a brand statement. With more than 435 million annual site visits, Saks boasts vast first-party data, which it can now leverage to help its brand partners “boost their revenue on Saks.com through sponsored product ads and on-site display banners.” Saks is one of the first luxury retailers to launch a retail media network, enabling it to leverage the “full shopping journey across the Saks Fifth Avenue digital and physical ecosystem,” Senior VP of Growth at Saks Kristin Maa said.
See also: “Chanel Beauty, Dolce & Gabbana, David Yurman, Others Join New Saks Media Network” (Women’s Wear Daily)
Walmart brings back “Mother of All Savings Memberships” campaign, featuring celebrity moms
In the lead-up to Mother’s Day on May 12, Walmart is bringing back its “Mother of All Savings Memberships” campaign to promote its Walmart+ membership. Inspired by last year’s celebrity “mom hacks” content, this year’s campaign features a series called “Moms Answer Moms” in which celebrity moms — including Paris Hilton, Whitney Cummings, Kat Stickler, Tia Mowry, Aislinn Derbez and Barbara “Babs” Costello — answer questions submitted by other moms on the retailer’s TikTok. The campaign is designed to show busy moms how Walmart+ “can be a tool to make their lives easier,” helping them “save time, money and a little bit of sanity,” per a company statement.
See also: “Walmart captures 21% of all U.S. CPG spend” (Supermarket News)
Further reading
Retail campaigns and promotions:
- “Why Diesel Believes Sustainability Doesn’t Have to Be Boring, Launches Documentary on Denim” (Women’s Wear Daily)
- “Eileen Fisher hosts inaugural resale e-commerce ‘Earth Day Takeover’” (Fashion Dive)
Retail performance:
- “Sprouts sees growth spurt in store visits, report finds” (Grocery Dive)
Retail operations and expansions:
- “Influencer-Inspired Resale Site Detoure Opens First Store in LA” (Retail TouchPoints)
- “Discount chains tweak product mix to drive demand, control inventory” (Retail Brew)
- “Levi Strauss Is Stretching Beyond Wholesale in Search for New Customers” (The Wall Street Journal)
- “Foot Locker debuts ‘store of the future’ as it looks to win back Wall Street’s confidence” (CNBC)
Retail launches and partnerships:
- “Jason Wu Beauty Launches in Over 3,000 CVS Stores Across the U.S.” (Beauty Packaging)
- “Urban Outfitters Taps Cat Apparel and Reclaimed for Unisex Workwear Line” (Women’s Wear Daily)
- “Wakefern, DoorDash Team To Expand Home Delivery” (Store Brands)
- “Healthtech brand Oura launches in Target” (Modern Retail)
- “New Balance Signs Star Wide Receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. Ahead of the 2024 NFL Draft” (Footwear News)
- “Best Buy curates CNET reviews for customers, advertisers” (Chain Store Age)
Retail trends:
- “Fast fashion clothing worn less, kept for shorter time than resold luxury: report” (Fashion Dive)
- “‘Eco-Friendly and Sustainable’ Sneaker Purchases Are on the Rise, But Still Account for a Small Part of Overall Sales” (Footwear News)
- “Consumer interest in luxury goods rising” (Chain Store Age)
Retail tech and innovation:
- “JLL Rolls Out Virtual ‘Shopping Bestie’ in 13 Centers” (Retail TouchPoints)
- “Amazon adds Arizona to drone delivery network in US” (Retail Insight Network)
- “Retail Leaders Who Invest More in Innovation Will See Higher Returns, Report Says” (Footwear News)
Retail mergers and acquisitions:
