TARGET TEAMS UP WITH FASHION-MEETS-PHILANTHROPY LIFESTYLE BRAND

Forbes.com 09.12.23  Target just nailed another brand partnership coup, which is likely to pay big dividends heading into the holiday season. On top of their successes with Ulta Beauty, Apple, and Disney, today Target announced a strategic, long-term partnership with Kendra Scott.  

"Family, fashion, and philanthropy are the guiding principles of the Kendra Scott brand, and closely connect to Target's purpose of bringing joy to all families," said Kendra Scott, founder, executive chairwoman and chief creative officer of Kendra Scott, LLC, in a Target press release. https://bit.ly/3VzwXGW   

Forbes.com 08.31.23  This week Best Buy surpassed already tempered second-quarter sales expectations and lowered the top end of its sales outlook for the year. Guidance for the third quarter suggests the back-to-school shopping season has been slow, impacted by a change in consumers’ discretionary spending, as experiences and vacations have taken priority over the purchase of big-ticket items. That was compounded by the “pull-forward” of spending on computers and entertainment systems during the pandemic. During Tuesday’s earnings call Best Buy’s CEO Corie Barry noted that while in certain parts of the country, break-ins have spiked, “losses due to theft, fraud, or other causes — have remained relatively stable over the last several years.” https://bit.ly/3OZKKlj

Forbes.com 08.03.23 Since the demise of Bed Bath & Beyond there has been much speculation about which retailers will win the lions’ share of the home products category. Odds are Target, Walmart, and Amazon will share in the spoils. Given Bed Bath’s heavy back-to-college promotions of recent years, and with the season in full swing, we may get an early indication of where those dollars go.

Less “ink” is being spilled over the loss of the 115 Buy Buy Baby stores, spread over thirty-seven states and territories, also a victim of the BB&B unraveling. In this case it is less obvious as to which retailers will become the beneficiaries. The usual suspects, Target, Walmart, and Amazon, and to a lesser extent Kohl’s and J.C. Penney will be vying for share. https://bit.ly/3Z5J66q

The Robin Report 07.26.23 Few fashion brands have been as enduring over the past five generations as Ralph Lauren. Now even Gen Alpha and Metaverse avatars are wearing RL. But it all hasn’t been perfect in RL paradise. This iconic brand, like so many others in these fickle it’s-in, it’s-out, and it’s-in again times, has had its share of highs and lows along the way. The recent news of Ralph Lauren returning to New York Fashion Week after a four-year absence reflects the brand’s ebb and flow. 

Dressing beautiful people in tastefully elegant RL attire is a tradition, but signs point to new brand mojo. Take G2 Esports, one of the leading global esports and entertainment brands, which has upped its game with Ralph Lauren. It introduced a “first-of-its-kind” luxury clothing line for the hotly competitive gaming industry. https://bit.ly/3Eo9iiZ

The Robin Report 07.20.23 Shoplifting, shrink, or shrinkage in retail is not new, however, the insurgence of organized crime is. Fueled by the large-scale, untraceable “fencing” of stolen goods over the internet, combined with a new level of unprecedented criminal brazenness, the safety of both shoppers and retail employees is being undermined. It is also causing a catastrophic hit to the bottom line of retailers, both large and small. 

After a considerable congressional lobbying effort on the part of retail trade organizations and retailers, the INFORM Act legislation (aka Integrity, Notification, and Fairness in Online Retail Marketplaces), was enacted on Tuesday, June 27. https://bit.ly/3R6rKUR

The Robin Report 06.28.23 I have been bombarded with news stories speculating on the mall’s new proposition, and I suddenly had a 25-year-old flashback. The aha moment reminded me just how long these so-called new propositions have been gestating.

Deep in my aging memory banks, I recalled a pivotal piece of journalism published in Metropolis Magazine eons ago. With Google’s assistance, the May 1999 article resurfaced with its focus on reuse and was entitled “Call the Mall Doctor.” A reread reminded me about the length and trajectory of mall fall, as well as just how predictable it was 25 years ago. https://bit.ly/44nlpb5

Forbes.com 06.04.23 To me and other retail watchers, eCommerce software programs are akin to a “black box”—The experience of wading through the myriad of flashy and elaborate booths at any national retail tradeshow can be a migraine-inducing experience, even for knowledgeable industry insiders.  

The explosive growth of eCommerce over the past decade, complicated by pandemic disruption coupled with massive investments made by competing multinationals, has further entangled the selection process. Further, layer on the game-changing effects brought on by unified commerce (aka omnichannel) and you have a recipe that cannot be easily baked. https://bit.ly/3r0tlkA

Forbes.com 06.01.23 Yoga enthusiast, and former college athlete Joe Kudla recognized a significant market gap when it came to finding high quality men’s fitness apparel. That was unless a guy was cool with shinny synthetic fabrics emblazoned with big brand logos. So, in 2014 the Encinitas California based Kudla began a mission to blend the SoCal lifestyle with high-quality performance fabrics, creating athletic clothing with a different perspective. And Vuori (the Finnish word for Mountain) was born. https://bit.ly/3R2lIVl

Forbes.com 05.17.23 Minneapolis’s darling Target appears to be in recovery mode. While headwinds remain, particularly among slowing discretionary sales, and the cataclysmic bite that shrink has taken from the bottom line, Target was able to beat Wall Street expectations.

For the three-months that ended on April 29, revenue came in at $25.3 billion slightly ahead of the $25.18 billion estimate while adjusted earnings per share came in at $2.05 verses the estimate of $1.77 per share. The operating margin rate of 5.2 percent was ahead of expectations, reflecting a higher gross margin rate compared with last year. https://bit.ly/3L4d1Gf

The Robin Report 05.14.23  Up until the middle of the 20th century, much of the furniture found in American homes was handed down from previous generations, and most of the pieces were handmade. The origin of the “wood goods” was from East Coast furniture manufacturers, like Virginia-based Bassett (1902) and New York and North Carolina-based Stickley (1900), among others. They drew on a bounty of available hardwoods and softwoods grown in the region as well as the talents of New England craftsmen, many of them immigrants. https://bit.ly/3R17vIc

Forbes 05.06.23 eBay has come a long way from its modest utilitarian origins of the mid-nineties. Now they are launching a new brand certification program to further cement their reputation as the internet’s preeminent retail resale destination.

Originally called AuctionWeb, eBay was founded by Pierre Omidyar on Labor Day weekend in 1995 when he listed his laser printer for $1, it sold for $14.83. By the time Meg Whitman took the helm in 1998 eBay had revenues of $4.7 million, fueled by frenzied Beanie Baby collectors worldwide. https://bit.ly/4812KVe

Forbes 04.03.23 The 20th century supply chain almost entirely depended on the wholesale/retail relationship between manufactures and retailers. Now with the proliferation of online marketplaces and the advent of the direct-to-consumer movement, things have changed significantly. Additional disruption to the status quo came from the internet’s pricing transparency. This forced many retailers to focus solely on price, in the proverbial “race-to-the-bottom.”  https://bit.ly/3ElXz4D

The Robin Report 04.03.23   

When Minneapolis-based Best Buy bought the then eight-year-old Geek Squad from founder Robert Stephens back in 2002, the move seemed anything but intuitive. Now, over two decades later, mergers and acquisitions of specialized service companies by retail brands have become commonplace. Amidst ever tightening margins, major retail brands are seeking new profit centers, as well as attempting to burnish their brand loyalty and lifetime customer value. These “anti-Amazonation” inoculations, are seen as antidotes to ecommerce commoditization. https://bit.ly/3Vj2omF

Forbes.com 03.30.23 The term “experiential retail” has been much discussed of late. Frankly, it’s not new. Nike opened its first Niketown store in Portland, Oregon in November 1991, and American Girl debuted its first American Girl Place in Chicago in 1998. Both are packed with unique experiences that engage and involve customers in brand culture and storytelling.

The secret sauce behind both breakthrough concepts was deconstructed in the seminal 1999 book The Experience Economy, by  authors B. Joseph Pine and James H. Gilmore. https://bit.ly/3Hmr8Vh 

Forbes.com 02.28.23  Target beat Wall Street expectations and offered a “measured” forward guidance through 2023. This was not unlike Walmart’s 2023 projections shared last week. Target’s total fourth quarter revenue of $31.4 billion grew 1.3 percent compared with last year. This was driven by sales growth of 1.2 percent and an 8.4 percent increase in other revenue. Analysts were expecting Target’s fourth quarter revenue to come in between $30.65 billion to $30.74 billion, down approx. 1.1 percent year-over-year. https://bit.ly/3LGCru5

Forbes.com 02.26.23  New truths are emerging regarding retailing in the post pandemic era. Many of these are highlighted in PwC’s February 2023 Global Consumer Insights Survey. A particular survey quote stands out: “It’s incumbent on market participants to meet consumers in both physical and digital spaces—and to meet their changing expectations.” These same sentiments were echoed throughout the many speeches and presentations during January’s National Retail Federation’s 2023 “Big Show” in New York City. https://bit.ly/44czw3G 

The Robin Report 02.20.23  As retail resale has evolved from Goodwill and the neighborhood thrift store to the myriad of recommerce websites, we have witnessed a watershed moment in fashion. Secondhand goods have become highly sought after by an increasingly demographically diverse group of consumers. And at the apex of this movement are Next Gen buyers. However, the duality of Gen Z’s sustainability mindset alongside their obsession with fast fashion is one of today’s major “squaring the circle” quandaries. https://bit.ly/3n8m9kt

The Robin Report 02.06.23 “The Store of the Future is Less About the Store and More About the Business Model,” while a mouthful, was a presentation that got my attention. The subtext of the conversation was that not only will physical stores stay relevant, but they will also become more strategic for retail organizations when they are no longer managed as primary points of sale. The international speakers included Roberto Funari, CEO of the multi-billion-dollar Brazilian footwear manufacturer Alpargatas (Havaianas & Rothy’s); Giorgio Pradi President Sunglass Hut NA; and Alberto Serrentino, Founder Varese Retail, a retail strategy and digital transformation group based in Brazil. https://bit.ly/3HUnqli 

Forbes.com 02.01.23 The Innovation Lab is an invitation only venue showcasing some of the world’s newest technology companies, ranging from small emerging start-ups, to known tech innovators. It exists in stark contrast to the over-the-top trade show presentations by huge, multinational technology companies.

This year’s presenters grappled with many of retailing’s challenges employing the latest in artificial intelligence, machine learning, augmented reality, virtual reality, blockchain, robotics and the Internet of Things. I participated in a press-tour that included a cross-section of the over fifty carefully curated companies. Here is a highlight four that I felt fulfill an unmet need and appear to be gaining traction. http://bit.ly/3wYSbk6

The Robin Report 01.02.23 Founder Jim Sinegal believed that if you want to create a good company, you need good people, and you must pay good wages to build loyalty. That contributes to the low turnover at the company. Jelinek noted they want their employees to view Costco as a career rather than a job. “We want people to stay long term, we want people to make higher wages, to afford homes; it’s just the right thing to do.

I found a certain irony in the fact that a low-margin warehouse operator has built a business and culture around those themes. Meanwhile many higher end department store retailers (Macy’s among them) would hardly lay claim to the same mantra. http://bit.ly/3Y7NOPu

Forbes.com 12.31.22 There is unmistakable evidence of lagging post-pandemic retail recovery in the Central Business Districts (CBD’s) of our major U.S. cities. Explanations include a decrease in day-time business populations as folks elect to work from home, at least part-time. Additionally, upticks in downtown crime even prior to the pandemic are seen as contributing to a decline in CBD footfall. But there are other “migratory forces” at work that are also factors. http://bit.ly/3Y6hCw2

The Robin Report 12.25.22 The store’s evolving purpose in the “new retail” is more media than place, more akin to communication than ultimate destination. The word media is plural, it’s active rather than passive, and begins to frame the essential integration of digital and offline behaviors that are forever part of the purchasing process. Retail theater, by definition, dictates a radical reimagining of the actual physical spaces. It also drives where, how big, and how many stores are required in this new ecosystem. New criteria will drive interior design and the physical architecture to engage the customer and animate the brands. https://bit.ly/3WIRPbH

Forbes.com 10.25.22    At a time when Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) policies have become the watchword for corporate leaders worldwide, Adidas just demonstrated how not to deal with a PR crisis of mammoth proportions. After months of egregious behavior, culminating in the most offensive publicly repeated statements of hate, intolerance and overt anti-Semitism, Adidas finally cut ties with the artist formerly known as Kanye West http://bit.ly/3I0dbx8

The Robin Report 10.18.22  After two years of record breaking, pandemic fueled toy sales, the market has chilled from red-hot to cool-blue. According to NPD, for the first six-months of 2022, the market grew by just 2 percent to $11.4 billion between January and June. NPD concluded that customers are making fewer trips to the stores for toys and buying less because of price increases. No doubt retailers are bracing for a less than stellar holiday season. https://bit.ly/3yUGnkp 

Forbes.com 10.06.22 The internet and the massive marketplaces like Amazon, eBay and Walmart.com have become efficient machines for sourcing commodities fast, efficiently, and cheaply. At the same time, when it comes to deep learning about a particular product, they fall short. Similarly, most of today’s department stores and specialty retailers, once the bastions of product expertise and service, underwhelm. Increasingly consumers longing for in-depth product information and meaningful recommendations look to smaller, specialized niche retailers both online and offline. https://bit.ly/3g4Qj3V

Forbes.com 09.23.22 Much is being written about the “blending” of physical and digital under the auspices of “unified commerce.” At the same time, we are being inundated by all things metaverse, aka Web3. Are they mutually exclusive? A recent Fast Company article looking at the future of fashion in Web3 begins to fill in some blanks.If Web1 was about “read” and Web2 was about “read and write,” then Web3 is about “read, write, and own,” says Farfetch Founder and CEO José Neves. "Fashion allows us to apply different '“masks”' based on how we feel, who we want to portray on any given day." https://bit.ly/3rSnr1u

The Robin Report 09.11.22  Gift cards may be a great deal for the brands, but over $3 billion of worth of those cards go unredeemed annually, totaling over $40 billion over the past decade. Meanwhile, consumers want personalization and customization. A Shopify gift registry delivers that personal service as a searchable, resource to create and access highly curated and personal lists for every occasion and any price point. It's a superior way to avoid mindless and impersonal, last minute gifting waste, and gives friends and loved ones what they really want, for any occasion. https://bit.ly/3g06fob  

Forbes.com 08.17.22 Target’s second quarter earnings missed Wall Street’s expectations dramatically, particularly when comparing to yesterday’s Walmart Q2 results which beat Street expectations. Wall Street expected $.72 earnings per share (EPS), but Target could only eek out $.39 EPS compared to an EPS of $3.65 in 2021.

“The vast majority of our inventory right-sizing costs have already been incurred,” Chief Financial Officer Michael Fiddelke said in a briefing with reporters. “We feel really good about our inventory position heading into the back half of the year.”

https://bit.ly/3ECYBdQ

The Robin Report 08.15.22 The “defining” pure-play ecommerce behemoth Amazon flourished over its first two decades, despite lacking storefronts and retail real estate. But that was then. The tailwinds that recently propelled Amazon through the pandemic have become headwinds with the cooling of ecommerce along with a distribution and fulfillment migraine that will not quit. Amazon’s online retail sales, which include store-based grocery delivery and pickup, dropped for the second straight quarter, falling 4.3 percent in Q2 to $50.9 billion. https://bit.ly/3dPKI0O

Forbes.com 08.12.22 Investors and retail industry watchers are anticipating next weeks second quarter financial results for both Walmart and Target on August 16th and 17th respectively. And the Street is ready for the heat. Walmart warned that quarterly and yearly earnings will be lower than first expected. But of the two, Walmart has been hit harder by inflation, forcing customers to pare back on higher margin discretionary items to meet basic needs, and in some cases forced to trade down to dollar stores. https://bit.ly/3Vn1d5f

The Robin Report 07.25.22  We have seen a confluence of Eastern and Western medicines in the last half century, and many of these new age wellness therapies are gaining increasing acceptance and popularity. This has been influenced by the popular zeitgeist moving from curative to preventative health measures influenced by our increasing life expectancy and changing attitudes around aging.https://bit.ly/3RXzaqn

The Robin Report 06.27.22 ROI, or return on investment, has been the standard gauge for retailers attempting to quantify how expenditures lead to sales outcomes. Now in an era where customer experience has become the gold standard for building loyalty and lifetime customer value, the term return on experience (ROI or ROX) has entered the lexicon.

Indeed, if retailers and brands have learned anything from the pandemic, it’s that brand loyalty has taken a hit, since consumers have become more demanding and less in love with their once favorite brands. So how can retailers and brands rekindle that lovin’ feeling? https://bit.ly/3MqQjYc 

Forbes.com 05.27.22 Costco reported a total revenue rise of 16% to $52.60 billion in their 2022 third quarter reporting which took place after Thursday’s market close. Comp stores sales up 16.6% including gasoline, or 10.6% without the benefit of fuel. This puts them on track for their first $200 billon year ever.  But neither these nor other stellar reporting numbers could offset the effect of a 99-basis point year-over-year drop in profits to 10.19% missing Street estimates of 11.5%. https://bit.ly/3b9A2br  

Forbes.com 05.20.22  The market “shock and awe” that took place this week, was a long time coming, and in a way is the ripple effect of our transition from “pandemic to endemic” as far as the normalization of Covid in our lives. It is safe to say retailers are attempting to transition to the next phase, or the “great retail reset” while at the same time dealing with inventory that had been sitting on floating warehouses or docks, that they expected a quarter ago. https://bit.ly/3tJa1q2

Forbes.com 05.19.22  These are “Strange days indeed,” to quote John Lennon. Inflation rates are at a 40-year high yet based on the most recent April spending data consumers continue to spend. This was the backdrop of this week’s highly anticipated retail earnings reports by some of the biggest leading retailers. WalmartWMT -1.6% and The Home DepotHD -0.1% reported on Tuesday, and TargetTGT -2.3% and Lowe’s on Wednesday https://bit.ly/3y0dyTj

Forbes.com 05.13.22 Major retailers are set to report earnings next week. Walmart and The Home Depot report on May 17th and Target and Lowe’s follow-on May 18th. In this era of unified commerce foot traffic is still a key metric that the industry watches, and Placer.ai suggests the two Superstores, Target and Walmart should have something to shout about, or at least applaud. Unfortunately “footfall” cannot measure dwell time, basket size or out of stocks, the latter a particularly sticky problem at this time. https://bit.ly/3tI0cZE

Forbes.com 05.06.22  Even with our staggering inflation rate that has caused intense consumer belt tightening, Costco’s numbers remain stellar. April’s net sales reported on Wednesday, rose 13.9% to $17.33 billion from $15.21 billion in April 2021. Meanwhile same-store sales were up 12.6% while e-commerce sales increased 5.7%. Even as families are being stretched, and maybe because of it, the Costco lovefest continues. https://bit.ly/3tIZJWN 

Forbes.com 05.03.22  Multiple news sources ran a story which first appearing in the New York Post, on April 25th reporting that Simon Property Group SPG +4% in partnership with Brookfield Asset Management, have thrown their very handsome hat into the ring, with a $68-a-share offer. This values Kohl’s at more than $8.6 billion, and may well be their best option in insuring the department store’s long-term viability. https://bit.ly/38KHBnW

The Robin Report 05.01.22  Two years ago, following the May 2020 murder of George Floyd, many of the South Minneapolis businesses were destroyed during the unrest that followed. With input and guidance of community leaders, Mall of America opened its Community Commons in October –a rent-free 5,000 square-foot collective for 16 displaced urban merchants and a new breed of entrepreneurial retailers. https://bit.ly/3kz1h0B

Forbes.com 04.12.22  The United States Gift Cards Market was estimated at $158.26 billion in 2021 and is expected to reach $167.71 billion in 2022, and is projected to grow at a 6.25% annual rate, and reach $227.82 billion by 2030, according to Digital Journal. According to CardFunder’s founder and CEO Russ Howard, over $3 billion of worth of those cards go to waste annually, totaling over $40 billion over the past decade. https://bit.ly/3vGWAIK

Forbes.com 04.05.22   A common theme from all of the activist suiters is their alleged intent to “extract greater shareholder value” along with instigating a “course correction” away from the strategic rebuilding that CEO Michelle Gass has been leading since May of 2018. The August 31st letter states “Macellum is promoting an ever-changing narrative, misinformed claims, and value-destructive proposals, all of which reveal a reckless and short-term approach that is not in the interest of driving long-term, sustainable value.” https://bit.ly/37eUK8u

The Robin Report 02.22.22  As a lifelong trend watcher and forecaster, I have often witnessed the influence of “trend convergence” when specific events and circumstances combine to create major attitudinal changes. These convergences have indelible results. The generation that lived through the Great Depression in the early part of the 20th century became very frugal, and mindful of waste throughout their lives having lived through a time of great economic turmoil and scarcity. https://bit.ly/3LMqlNJ

Forbes.com 01.28.22  Walmart clearly wants to bring the farm closer to the store. This dovetails with their pledge to meet a plethora of sustainability targets and become a net-zero emissions business by 2040. The beauty of this remarkable type of farming is that it checks every sustainability box imaginable. Besides cutting down on costly shipping of produce, reducing spoilage, and controlling a food source, its efficiency is mind-boggling. https://bit.ly/3GTzfWt

Forbes.com 05.19.22  These are “Strange days indeed,” to quote John Lennon. Inflation rates are at a 40-year high yet based on the most recent April spending data consumers continue to spend. This was the backdrop of this week’s highly anticipated retail earnings reports by some of the biggest leading retailers. WalmartWMT -1.6% and The Home DepotHD -0.1% reported on Tuesday, and TargetTGT -2.3% and Lowe’s on Wednesday https://bit.ly/3y0dyTj

Forbes.com 01.26.22  In October, the Retail Design Institute named twenty-five finalists in its 50th annual design competition. They make up RDI’s “Class of 2020”, for retail projects open between January 1 through December 31, 2020. This year’s competition attracted submissions from sixty-two retail teams around the globe, culminating in judges selected twenty-five finalists. https://bit.ly/3rQ0KMw

Forbes.com 01.10.22 In an e-mail, Ethan Chernofsky, VP of Marketing at Placer.ai said “Target showed once again the unique strength and customer relationship it has developed. Even with visits down on key shopping days like Black Friday and Super Saturday, and major concerns around supply chain holdups, labor shortages, and COVID cases, the company still drove monthly visits growth even when compared to a strong season in 2019.” https://bit.ly/3rMquZU

Forbes.com 12.30.21 In reflecting on my 2021 retail musings, I discovered a full two-thirds of the nearly three-dozen articles touched on five main topics – Sustainability and Conscious Consumerism, Big Box Specialty Stores, Big Discounters’ Dominance, Direct-to-Consumer Brands (DTC), and Mall Fall and Overhaul. A brief recap may provide a guide for what will be on our radar in 2022. https://bit.ly/3JTfOzZ 

Forbes.com 12.08.21 Peloton, the pandemic poster child has hit the skids. Subscription rates are down, and subscribers are working out less frequently, down from a high of twenty-six times per month to its current 16.6 times. In early November it adjusted its fiscal 2022 sales to $4.4 billion, down from the previous quarter, when they had been predicting revenue of $5.4 billion https://bit.ly/3HDIlHQ 

Forbes.com 10.14.21 The painful reality is that goods are going to be late. How much, and how late is anybody’s guess. For the goods that arrive late, it’s unknown as to how much discounting will be necessary to clear the backlog of “late arrivals” in January and February? There is an opportunity hiding in this potentially awful scenario that could ameliorated the steep discounting sting. https://bit.ly/3CFij4H

Robin Report 10.3.21 Amazon is both the world’s preeminent retail disruptor and a very effective PR machine. The latest post-Bezos buzz revolves around their latest physical store foray: the Department Store. But after the feeding frenzy around that chub, I believe it’s more of a red herring. Simply put, what Amazon is planning will look, feel, and operate like no department store of our time. https://bit.ly/3moIsOf 

 Forbes.com 8.31.21 Allbirds, credited as having literally created the category of woven footwear, has officially filed for its initial public offering (IPO) and will be listed on Nasdaq under the ticker BIRD. Their sustainability focus brings with it both benefits and challenges. Its offering status will be assessed by an independent third party, evaluating its commitment to environmental, social, and governmental (ESG) criteria. https://bit.ly/3if1ANh   

Forbes.com 7.13.21  Between fourth-of-July extravaganzas, and venerable Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parades, Macy’s shows it knows how to produce a grand experience. So, what’s with their stores?   My problem with the "Polaris-like" initiatives is they appear to focus on tactical “adjustments” designed to support a stock price, and short-term returns, rather than strategic long range initiatives. https://bit.ly/3y7BD77

Forbes.com 6.23.21  Warby’s Co-founder Neil Blumenthal recently told the Wall Street Journal “We’ve seen retail sales bounce back faster than we anticipated." He went on to report that while transactions are well split 50-50 between store and online sales, like many other omnichannel retailers, 75% of their customers that end up buying in stores began their “path-to-purchase” online.  https://bit.ly/3AyT1Vo

Forbes.com 5.11.21  Lowe’s is taking a cue from leading retailers in many segments that are moving their focus from product-based to solution-based retailing. This tactic goes beyond selling things and begins to tap into the depths of how purchases relate to a larger quest involving home, family, personal style, and well-being. Lowe’s appears to be making it a point of brand differentiation. https://bit.ly/3hicVN7

Forbes.com 10.7.20 | Retailers are working overtime to reengage the Generation Z demographic, which still wants to touch and feel the goods. Eighty-one percent of this cohort group prefer the instore experience, according to buy-now-pay-later (BNPL) leader Afterpay. As a result, retailers and the fast-growing BNPL industry are mounting a multifront, seasonal attack aimed at this valuable consumer, on and offline. http://bit.ly/3bWO1OM 

Forbes.com 9.10.20 | Klarna has a Facebook-like origin, as it was founded by three business school friends back in 2005. The company has been profitable almost since its inception. It is currently undergoing major global expansion including in the U.S., where it reported over 1 million new U.S. customers between May and August of this year, alone. Globally, its sales across the entire platform, over the first six months of 2020 amounted to $24.9B, representing a 44% year-over-year growth. http://bit.ly/3uSOXwd

Forbes.com 8.31.20 | The brand offers access to experienced, licensed medical professionals who can both consult and treat a wide range of medical conditions. Last year the brand claimed more than 1 million virtual patient appointments. Additionally, since late-March Hims & Hers expanded its offerings to include COVID-19 screenings and sessions dealing with anxiety and depression, brought on by the coronavirus pandemic. http://bit.ly/3sRgIna