2PM - FUTURE FABRICS / CUTTHROAT GROCERY

Retail Deep Dive: To better understand the increasingly cutthroat grocery industry, I read “The Secret Life of Groceries” by Benjamin Lorr, elements of which will be summarized here. It opened my eyes to say the least; I will never consume another package of beef, seafood, berries, packaged salad snacks, or even my favorite canned drink without thinking about the sacrifice required to get those products to our doors.

The secret to successful grocery shopping lies in understanding the psychology behind product placement and marketing. […] In the modern grocery industry, competition is fierce, with retailers constantly vying for our attention and loyalty.

The modern grocery store is a marvel of contemporary commerce, revolutionizing the way we shop, eat, and live. It’s also as cutthroat as the industries that we have historically associated with that descriptor: oil and gas, textiles, and any others that we know to have elements of violence, forced labor, or worse. 

Let's first begin with some history.

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The evolution of the grocery store began with the introduction of Piggly Wiggly in Memphis, Tennessee, in 1916 by Clarence Saunders. This was the first self-service grocery store, revolutionizing the retail landscape by allowing customers to browse and select their own products, a departure from the traditional clerk-assisted model...

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Shopify's Shop App is a maybe $1 billion marketplace

Data / Marketplace Pulse: Shopify's almost-marketplace Shop app is approaching a $1 billion GMV run rate. It's not a shopping destination but drives sales as a by-product of the Shopify ecosystem.

New York Times and Instacart integrate for shoppable recipes

Linear Commerce / AdExchanger: The New York Times and Instacart walk into a kitchen. That's not the start of a bad joke. It's an actual partnership. On Tuesday, the two companies announced a deal to make New York Times Cooking recipes shoppable via Instacart, of course, and to embed its cooking videos within the Instacart app.

Is the eCommerce dream over?

eCommerce / Business of Home: In the fall of 2021, the height of the pandemic home boom, Business of Home published a guide for designers looking to get into e-commerce. The article, down to its lighthearted title—“Everything you ever wanted to know about e-commerce (but were afraid to ask)”—reflected the digital gold rush spirit of the time. Everyone was buying furniture and decor, and they were all doing it online. 

Disillusioned DTC brands reject walled garden measurement

Data / AdWeek: Over the past decade, walled gardens helped launch thousands of startups by letting them buy cheap ads to reach new audiences and bypass retailers. That symbiotic relationship was disrupted in 2021, when Apple killed third-party tracking on iPhones, making finding the right customers harder and more expensive.

6 Foxtrot stores leased to Further Point Enterprises

Real Estate / Retail Dive: The holding company that acquired the non-real-estate assets from 15 Foxtrot locations last month is now the official tenant for half a dozen of its locations.

On Running appoints Zendaya as brand partner in multiyear deal

DTC Brands / Retail Dive: The mononymous actress and singer leads a new ad campaign, “Dream Together,” where she shares inspirational narration as a troupe of dancers decked out in On gear perform expressively on a running track. The messaging emphasizes that sport and movement can bring people of different backgrounds together.

Apple unveils new travel-friendly features coming to Apple Pay

Fintech / Points Guy: Historically, Apple Pay has only allowed cash purchases using linked credit cards. However, that's changing this fall with the release of iOS 18. When it launches this fall, you'll be able to pay with points through the Apple Pay interface no matter what merchant you shop at. The ability to redeem rewards will debut with Discover and Synchrony and be available across Apple Pay issuers with Fiserv.

Latest Update (6/10), presented by Bold Metrics. All brands are updated with the secondary interest poll. The ninth update of 2024 sees some major movers: 

800+ Brands Measured

The ballad of Birkenstock

Retail History / Bloomberg: When Christian Birkenstock hired Reichert in 2009, the family business was in disarray, with stagnating sales and no coherent plan for the future. After their domineering father, Karl, stepped back years earlier, Christian and Alex—then in their late 30s and early 40s, respectively—began fighting with their older brother, Stephan, for creative control.

How BuzzBallz went from a fun side hustle to $400 million fortune

CPG / Fortune: Former public school teacher Merrilee Kick now ranks among America's richest self-made women after selling her popular ready-to-drink cocktail business in May.

Brands are seeing better margins in wholesale than DTC

DTC Strategy / Glossy: “With DTC, there are the shipping costs, the logistics costs, the employee costs, retention, acquisition — the list goes on,” said a brand executive during a town hall discussion.

Are malls dead? As If!

Real Estate / InStyle: The long, winding road to today's seemingly desolate retail landscape is littered with casualties: Sears went from the country's largest retailer in 1990 to just 12 U.S. stores this year. A 2020 Coresight Research report included the grim projection that "25 [percent] of the country’s approximately 1,000 malls would close shop in the following 3-5 years." As if that sobering statistic isn't bleak enough, in April 2023, analysts at UBS projected that "40,000-50,000 American retail stores would shut down by 2027."

Challengers vs. Key Brands vs. DTC Power List Leaders: 2PM used data from the DTC Power List to measure how a new class of performers in menswear, women's athleisure, and streetwear are taking on the call for sustainability. Who is growing faster? Who is stalling out? And is brand consciousness the next revolution in performance wear?

Future Fabrics 🔐: The next revolution in performance wear is sustainability.

As the world grapples with an escalating environmental crisis, industries are being challenged to adopt more sustainable practices. The textile engineering and fashion sectors, known for their substantial environmental footprints, are at the forefront of this transition. The newest luxury in athleisure isn’t about stretch, odor resistance, or wrinkle-free fabrics. Rather, it’s about acknowledging that each company must strive to preserve Earth and human health. This awareness has intensified due to the rising concerns about microplastics tormenting our water supplies and personal health.

The Urgency For Sustainable Fabrics The textile industry is one of the largest and most polluting industries globally, responsible for significant water and land use, greenhouse gas emissions, and textile waste. Polyester and conventional cotton dominate the current textile landscape, but the urgency for more regenerative, safe, and renewable fibers is increasingly apparent.

The Future Fabrics Expo, held annually in London and New York City, has been a pivotal platform for showcasing sustainable textiles and driving innovation in this sector since 2011. Their public relations materials note:

Polyester, a fossil fuel based filament, makes up 50% of fiber production today.

The annual Future Fabrics Expo creates an inspiring environment for fashion industry professionals, fabric developers, and creatives. It features more than 10,000 textiles and material solutions from over 270 suppliers and exhibitors. The Innovation Hub at the center displays groundbreaking materials and technologies, heralding a new materials revolution. The Expo also provides attendees with access to a wealth of information, empowering them to understand and communicate about the environmental impact of textiles effectively.

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The DTC brands driving the men's loafer boom

DTC Brands / BOF: The classic shoe has become a go-to for plugged-in menswear shoppers thanks to DTC upstarts offering a wide range of slip-on styles with distinct aesthetics and accessible price points.