Over the next 10 years, the retail landscape in California will change.

From restaurant takeout to grocery shelves to online shopping, anything and everything packaged will, by 2032, be recyclable, reusable, refillable, or compostable. That’s because, at the end of June, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed Senate Bill 54, which shifts the onus for recycling infrastructure over to producers and sets ambitious sustainability goals, including a 25% reduction in plastic-packaging use.

Break it down: California’s new law may pose additional challenges for the retail industry, but the concept of producer responsibility isn’t a new one, said Dan Felton, executive director of the American Institute for Packaging and the Environment.

• “Producers and brand owners have been grappling with this issue for some time now,” Felton told Retail Brew. “When you’re looking at the potential impact on retailers, it’s not just California. It’s moving across the country.”
• Maine was the first state to hand financial responsibility for recycling systems over to producers, with a law passed in July 2021. It was followed a month later by Oregon, and Colorado passed its own version in June 2022.

Changing landscape: 10 years may seem like an eon to implement California’s strict new requirements, but retailers shouldn’t put it off, said Stephanie Sheridan, a partner at San Francisco law firm Steptoe & Johnson LLP, who specializes in retail and e-commerce.'

Here’s how retailers are meeting this massive packaging challenge.—MA

Last Tuesday, Retail Brew hosted The Checkout’s retail growth forum in a discussion with John Ludlow, VP of omni operations at Designer Store Warehouse (DSW).

For the event, Ludlow talked about DSW’s plan to grow the company, which includes doubling owned-brand sales from parent company Designer Brands by 2026. He explained how DSW has separated itself in an increasingly competitive footwear space.

Earlier this year, DSW introduced a new concept called Warehouse Reimagined, a smaller-format store with dedicated spaces for the company’s own brands and national partners.

• “We are invested in shopping shops, and investing in immersive ways where we can stand up brands within our stores so that customers have that engaging experience when they come and shop with us,” Ludlow said.

Like many other national retailers, DSW is leaning more into its digital offerings. For example, Ludlow said the company believes consumers will adopt QR codes for the long term.

• The Warehouse Reimagined store in Houston, Texas, also integrates Microsoft technology that creates a digital display where the company can provide interactive training between the corporate and field teams.
• Additionally, Ludlow said DSW wants to rely more on self-checkout capabilities where customers can scan and go is vital to the next evolution of Warehouse Reimagined.

“Speed is the essence; time is precious for everyone. So being able to allow our customers to check out a product by themselves, have it be fully integrated with our VIP program, and allow them to get in and get out is something that we’re really investing in as well,” he said.

Click here to watch the full conversation with Ludlow.—KM

As a kid, Linley McConnell rode around in carts at her family’s laundry facility and spent spring break at dry-cleaning conventions (yep, that’s a thing). While she went on to do everything from teaching yoga to working at Deloitte, she eventually came back to the family biz.

How would you describe your job to someone who doesn’t work in retail? I oversee client experience at my 90-year-old family dry-cleaning business, Gibson’s Cleaners. Clients include B2C, but also B2B services, like Louis Vuitton, Hugo Boss, and Canada Goose.

One thing we can’t guess about your job from your LinkedIn profile: Dry cleaning is both interesting and complex. It involves customer service, logistics, operations, tech, and quality control. In one day, I’ll be working with a picky client and brainstorming with a resale/rental app.

What’s your favorite project you’ve worked on? Launching our Canada Goose preferred dry-cleaning program. We were vetted by Canada Goose and have created an entire intake and cleaning process to meet client expectations.

What was your favorite high school job? I did scoop ice cream for several summers up north. You could count on the 80-year-old-plus crowd to always get tiger tail. (For our non-Canadian readers, tiger tail is black licorice swirled into orange-flavored ice cream.)

One trend that you’re most excited about this year: Resale/rental platforms—they are presenting new business opps to the “dying” dry cleaner.

One fun fact about your family’s business is….At one time, we cleaned Canada’s largest flag. It took 30 employees to fold it.

Today’s top retail reads.

Passing the sniff test: An inside look into Arpa, Barnabé Fillion’s fragrance brand that’s now courting investors in a competitive perfume market. (Business of Fashion)

Unfashionable drip: Everyone knows inflation is high, but companies across industries are finding ways to hide secret fees. (CBS News)

Speaking of Barbiecore: With the upcoming Barbie movie in production, brands and retailers are now embracing a lot more pink and brighter colors in their collections. (WWD)

Retailer refresh: As new retail trends and challenges (constantly) arise, Bazaarvoice is highlighting the latest ins and outs so brands know where to lean next. Check out all the pivotal insights in the 2022 Shopper Experience Index.*

^{*This is sponsored advertising content.}

Introducing Retail Brew’s newest debut ::drumroll:: The Sku: A Retail Brew Summit. FOMO is real, friends.

Here’s what’s on the agenda:

• Meeting demand and maximizing profit
• Managing your organization across channels
• Creating omni-channel engagement with customer journeys
• Sustainability: who is doing what and how?
• Using technology to drive sales

Early-bird pricing ends soon! Register now to save your seat (and some $$). Only $499 for a limited time!

Catch up on the Retail Brew stories you may have missed.

• What’s going on with California’s truckers?
• US consumer confidence dropped to the lowest point since May 2021: Survey
• How one startup is bringing user-generated content to e-comm sites