The Rental Retail Economy. When Temporary is on Trend.
Rent the Runway is expanding into kidswear. REI is starting to rent outdoor gear. Ikea is testing out rental furniture. Rental retail is really taking off. Welcome to the sustainable, accessible rental retail eco-system. With pricing that puts a versatile sofa, high-tech mountaineering tent, and couture kidswear within reach, temporary is on trend, and very,
LEARN MORE >Home, Smart Home: How AR Captivates Shoppers
on 07/10/19Online shopping for furniture, decor, and do-it-yourself projects lends itself to a modern-day dilemma. On one hand, there’s the convenience of having something delivered to your doorstep. On the other hand, it’s important to see how an item will look—and fit—in a room. What about color, texture, and overall feel? Despite the e-commerce boom, consumers
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Pop-Ups as Retail Theater: How Brands Are Setting the Stage for Consumer Engagement
on 07/01/19In the beginning, pop-ups were the domain of new brands with limited marketing budgets. Rather than sinking a boatload of money into permanent stores, brands popped in and out until they found firmer financial footing and tested the market. At the other end of the spectrum, mega brands created pop-up extravaganzas that blew budget out
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The Opportunities and “How To” Dynamics of Seasonal Retail Merchandising
on 06/25/19Modern retail merchandisers understand that the seasonal retail calendar year is broken down into more than four traditional seasons (Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall). In fact, the Wall Street Journal enumerates between 13 to 20 seasons! While it can be overwhelming to think about 13 to 20 merchandising turnovers, restocks, and resets, a more proactive approach is
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How Mass Merch is Rivaling Fast Fashion Retail Competitors
on 06/17/19Up until a few years ago, mass merch retailers like Walmart weren’t synonymous with fashion retail. Their private label clothing brands were never the focus—but fast forward to 2019, where Walmart collections are selling out before hitting the shelves and #TargetStyle has amassed over 1,100,000 uses on Instagram. Mass merch retail is finally able to keep
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10,000 Steps Forward: How Fitness Tech is Reshaping the Fitness and Apparel Industries
on 06/11/19The fitness industry in the United States is currently worth $30 billion and shows no signs of slowing down anytime soon. Outside of the U.S., the industry grew to approximately 200,000 fitness clubs globally, serving 162 million members. The fitness industry is no longer limited to spandex and nylon. Today, smartphones and other smart devices lead
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Social Cause Captures the Imagination of the 8-second Generation: Pop-up Retail Delivers
on 06/04/19You’ve only got eight seconds. Yup, you read that right. Gen Z, otherwise known as the iGeneration, is busy manifesting a highly evolved, eight second filter in assessing what’s worthy of their attention. That means that every second counts, and social cause marketing will get them to notice and accept your message. CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility)
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Airport Retail — How It Can Help Your Retail Operation Thrive
on 05/21/19Been in an airport recently? With the summer travel season upon us, travelers will be crowding into airports—and spending hours waiting for their planes to take off. That gives them hours to do much more than watch CNN or screen gaze: in short, it gives them a prime opportunity to shop. While the rest of the retail-sphere
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2019 SXSW and Coachella Set the Bar for Pop-Ups
on 05/14/19It’s springtime. That means we are officially in the thick of music festivals and pop-ups — most predominantly 2019 SXSW and Coachella. As millennials and Gen-Z continue to broaden their spending power, limit their attention span, and gravitate toward the Instagrammable, businesses are fighting harder than ever to craft pop-ups that draw customers in faster
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