New Retail Perspectives

OUTSIDE THE BOX

NEW RETAIL PERSPECTIVES

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EVERY COMPANY IS A MEDIA COMPANY

It’s become a common trope in the 21st century that everyone is in the content business. Your old high school flame’s awkward selfies now compete against Netflix for attention, which competes against Fortnite. Sports gambling companies, swimming in profits, are also joining the content wars. In January 2020 Penn National Gaming purchased a 36% stake in Barstool Sports. The Ringer, a popular sports and culture website and podcast company, has joined forces with Fan Duel. Content is still king, even in the casino business.

THE RETURN OF Geoffrey

THE Giraffe

After going bankrupt in 2018, Toys “R” Us is back. The toy retailer has announced plans to open 400 storefronts inside

Macy’s stores in 2022. This concept is known as a shop-ina-shop, and with nostalgia for the 1990s at an all-time high, there might just be plenty of Millennial parents who grew up visiting

Toys “R” Us ready to share the experience with their children.

Korean Corn Dog Craze

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Korean corn dogs are the latest street food sweeping the United States. The South Korean delight ditches corn flour for a rice flour similar to what you’ll find in mochi ice creams. From there things can go all sorts of directions.

Add powdered sugar? Sure. Mozzarella inside the corn dog? Why not? Call us suckers for that classic savory and sweet combination. If that’s wrong, who wants to be right?

Pinterest Predicts

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If you need more proof that Americans are doubling down on eating at home, consider the latest findings from social media company Pinterest. According to its latest trends research, the area of the home receiving the most makeovers is the kitchen. Think fancy pantries and lux cabinets. Retrofitted to be more aesthetically pleasing, Pinterest has taken to predicting “Shelfies,” or photos of well-adorned kitchen shelves are the new gallery wall.

BUY NOW

PAY LATER

iStock The payments company Square acquired Afterpay earlier this summer. Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) may seem like a foreign concept, or like a credit card, however, companies offering installment payments without interest for e-commerce goods is gathering steam. who are riskaverse and no fans of credit cards, have begun to use BNPL as a substitute for credit cards – instead connecting their debit cards to spread out purchases.

NFT’s Go iStock Mainstream

Allow these buzzwords to wash over you: defi tokens, DAO’s, low-fi crypto character graphics, the metaverse. These terms make up what is popularly referred to in the Twittersphere as “Web3.” The idea is the decentralized web is what comes after the mobile world we now inhabit. It’s a lot. But, if you have doubts about whether there are real business opportunities in the space, consider that Shopify recently announced it would help NFT creators build storefronts on its platform to connect directly with consumers. Just don’t Google “$200,000 NFT Rocks.”

NEW BRANDS TARGET OLYMPIC

SPONSORSHIPS

Among cultural observers there was considerable debate during the Olympics about whether Ralph Lauren was still the best brand to develop Team USA’s look. Some suggested iStock a new company like Rowing Blazers, who designed uniforms for El Salvador’s Olympic contingent, should pick up the mantle. It’s part of a larger trend recently covered in The New York Times as the competitors, themselves, turn away from traditional sponsors in favor of new brands, such as Tracksmith and Champion. The list also includes Simone Biles, who shunned Nike for the athleisure brand Athleta.