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.
Target announces additions to its Up&Up line and launches Dealworthy
On Monday, Target announced a brand refresh of its private label Up&Up (which it styles lowercase as up&up on packaging), as well as the addition of more than 2,000 new products to the in-house line and the reformulation of others. Up&Up — known for its wide selection of everyday essentials at low prices — launched 15 years ago and, with nearly $3 billion in annual sales, is one of Target’s most popular private brands. Taking into consideration customer feedback and ratings, the retailer reformulated 40% of existing Up&Up products “to meet new, even higher quality standards,” per a company statement. This includes more durable, long-lasting products, as well as new varieties, in more sustainable, easy-to-find packaging — ranging from food storage to pet items. Most Up&Up products cost less than $15.
Separately, on Thursday Target launched Dealworthy (styled lowercase as dealworthy on packaging), another price-conscious house brand that the retailer says gives consumers “incredible value on nearly 400 everyday basics.” Price points start at under $1.
The takeaway: Target is making significant investments in its private label offerings, believing it can further leverage its reputation as a value retailer.
Related news:
- “Private Labels Are Retail MVPs, Survey Shows” (Sourcing Journal)
Adidas launches campaign to combat negative pressure faced by athletes at all levels
A new brand campaign from Adidas aims to address the negative pressures athletes face to perform, bringing together professional athletes from around the world to “help bring the joy back to sport,” VP of Global Brand Comms at Adidas Florian Alt said in a statement. With insight from consumers on the impact these expectations can have on their enjoyment of sport, the apparel brand partnered with neuroscientists to better understand how athletes manage such pressure. The resulting campaign features athlete stories, insights from experts and resources designed to help both amateur and professional athletes cope with the demands placed on them. Adidas kicked off the campaign with the release of a 90-second YouTube video starring Patrick Mahomes, Trinity Rodman, Lionel Messi, Anthony Edwards and others that demonstrates what’s possible when you reduce the impact of negative pressure with what Adidas calls a “joyous rallying cry — ‘You Got This.’”
The takeaway: Adidas is making an emotional play to connect with and empower athletes, effectively building its image as a brand that understands and supports athletes at all levels.
Sally Beauty launches Rooted in Success initiative to connect HBCU students and beauty brands
Sally Beauty is partnering with The Black Hair Experience, a nonprofit dedicated to celebrating and uplifting Black hair and culture, on the development of an experiential event series focused on “amplifying the voices of textured hair innovators and leaders in the beauty industry,” per a company statement. Called Rooted in Success, the series is designed to facilitate connections between students at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and entrepreneurs, Black- and female-founded beauty brands, and consumers. The partnership includes activations during Black History Month (across the rest of February) and Women’s History Month (in March), with Rooted in Success pop-up events taking place in Atlanta on Feb. 24 and Washington, D.C., on March 16.
The takeaway: Sally Beauty isn’t just giving lip-service to celebrating Black History Month and Women’s History Month — it’s finding ways to foster deeper engagement with its Black and female customers by actively involving them in its conversations surrounding hair and culture.
Claire’s unveils new brand platform targeted at “Gen Zalpha”
Fashion brand and retailer Claire’s has launched a new brand platform and year-long campaign to engage and spotlight the generation it’s calling Gen Zalpha (a combination of Generation Z and Generation Alpha). Launching this spring, the platform, called The Collab, is meant to be a place for younger customers to “share their stories, diverse talents and unique perspectives through ongoing content and social dialogue,” per a company statement. Members — who currently include influencers, entrepreneurs, athletes and more, age 7 and up — will have the ability to influence the brand’s creative direction across a range of marketing-related efforts, as well as lend their talents in areas such as photography, film and fashion design.
The takeaway: Claire’s is building an engagement platform for its next-generation customers that promises to help shape its marketing.
Related news:
Further reading
Retail mergers and acquisitions:
- “Investor group takes majority stake in The Children’s Place” (Chain Store Age)
- “Walmart in Talks to Buy TV Maker Vizio” (The Wall Street Journal)
- “Shoe Carnival Snaps Up Work and Family Footwear Retailer Rogan’s Shoes for $45 Million” (Footwear News)
Retail operations and expansions:
- “$31M Sam’s Club distribution center in Jacksonville, Florida, is in the works” (Supermarket News)
- “Why Radio Flyer just opened its first store…and put a race track in it” (Retail Brew)
- “Brunt enters wholesale through 23 retail partners” (Modern Retail)
- “Kroger Says It Will Lower Prices After Albertsons Merger” (Progressive Grocer)
- “Miu Miu Signs New Beauty Deal with L’Oréal” (Happi)
- “Tanger Outlets is expanding its full-price beauty retail to drive shoppers into its off-price centers” (Glossy)
- “Barnes & Noble plans Chicago expansion, including at Walgreens’ former Wicker Park store” (Chicago Sun Times)
- “Amazon’s Newest Competitors Are Stepping Into Its Territory—Literally” (The Wall Street Journal)
- “Sam Edelman Expands Into Kids’ Shoes, Slippers, Handbags & Hosiery With Four New Licensing Deals” (Footwear News)
Retail trends:
- “Luxury brands are starting to stage a comeback” (Modern Retail)
- “On Special: Grocers’ blooming floral departments” (Grocery Dive)
- “Category Insights Report: Dollar Stores Redefine Themselves with Enhanced Merchandising and Mobile Apps” (Retail TouchPoints)
- “Brands like Jolie and Lululemon are fighting off copycats through dupe swapping” (Modern Retail)
Retail launches and partnerships:
- “How a Kroger meal planning partner aims to boost grocers’ e-commerce profitability with shoppable recipes” (Grocery Dive)
- “Neptune Retail Solutions Becomes Dollar General’s Exclusive In-Store Media Provider” (Progressive Grocer)
- “Tiger Woods launches apparel partnership with Taylormade after 27-year Nike partnership ends” (CNN Business)
- “New Crocs and Famous Footwear Product Drop Supports U.S. Foster Youth” (Retail TouchPoints)
- “After Years of Relying on Help From Salomon for Its Shoes, Arc’teryx is Stepping Out on Its Own” (Footwear News)
- “Macy’s Introduces ‘State Of Day’ Sleepwear — A New Private Label” (Forbes)
- “Athleta Launches Workout Clothes Specifically for Rigorous Exercise” (Women’s Wear Daily)
- “Natural grocer Earth Fare partners with Zooey Deschanel-founded app” (Chain Store Age)
Retail tech:
- “Kroger Leverages Generative AI to Optimize Third-Party Listings in Marketplace” (Retail Info Systems)
- “Staples expands next-day delivery with AI-based picking robots” (Chain Store Age)
- “SpartanNash Brings Simbe Robots to 60 More Stores” (Progressive Grocer)
Retail promotions and campaigns:
