RESALE

So Nice It Sells Twice

Nordstrom partnered with Goodfair, a secondhand clothing site, to launch monthly online vintage drops last week. It wasn’t just the GameStop turmoil that pushed the news from your radar: The first drop sold out before I (Halie) could take a screenshot of the shop. 

The details: Goodfair’s first collection for Nordstrom included 50+ pieces ranging from graphic tees to old-school sweatshirts. In Gen Z-oriented fashion, the site defines vintage as anything produced pre-2000. 

The dynamics: Goodfair CEO and founder Topper Luciani told Retail Brew that the company’s roadmap always included a stop at a major retailer. It landed on Nordstrom for its “elevated branding” and potential to intro Goodfair to shoppers beyond its devoted TikTok following. 

• Nordstrom’s POV? Shoppers’ feedback and on-site searches told execs they wanted the retailer to get more “responsible.”
• That’s manifested as a renewed resale effort, as well as major diversity and inclusion investments, BoF reports. 

Reduce, reuse, revamp

Department stores themselves have been at risk of getting upcycled for years—in a 2021 twist, into e-comm fulfillment centers or vaccination hubs. Pre-Covid, many tried to capitalize on the surging resale market, and boost their relevance among younger shoppers, with secondhand apparel partnerships. 

• Nordstrom tested an in-house resale concept, “See You Tomorrow,” last year. 
• Macy’s and JCPenney both opened secondhand shop-in-shops with ThredUP in 2019.

Fast forward: Nordstrom’s decision to borrow a scarcity-driven sales model and dated skus may have been the ultimate upcycle. After the first Goodfair assortment emptied out, Luciani told Retail Brew that Nordstrom tripled its order for next month. 

We could see additional brands repeating this outfit to recapture customers. Goodfair aims to eventually “sell secondhand in all big box retailers,” Luciani said.

LAUNCHPAD

Time for a Makeover

Retail Brew’s second installment of Launchpad is here. Today we’re recapping the latest hair and beauty brands to debut in the past month. 

In hair care: Three new brands, including one from a notable name, are offering customers a change-up to their morning routine. 

• Anomaly is a quarantine project from Priyanka Chopra Jonas that’s already poised to reach $20 million in sales.
• Aura sources personalized shampoos and conditioners for differing hair care needs from a diverse group of industry experts.
• Headquarters is a new brand of root-oriented products from Harry’s Labs, the brand development arm of Harry’s Inc. 

In beauty: Two DTC brands, including another celebrity project, have launched their take on the future of cosmetics. 

• Ace of Air customers “rent” sustainable primary packaging for products in what’s called a “Boomerang Box,” a mechanism which can be used up to 100 times. 
• Soon-to-be mother Halsey revealed another baby of sorts — an online makeup line called About-Face. 

In jewelry: Please Repeat touts A) craftsmanship and B) worldwide partnerships to give customers the most bang for their buck.  

Want to shout out an upcoming launch? Submit a brand here.

SPONSORED BY SAILTHRU

Your Guide to Curbside Competence

The trend of curbside pickup and “buy online, pickup in-store” (BOPIS) has never been trendier. Consumers are “clicking and collecting” 78% more than they were pre-pandemic, and Sailthru holds the key to understanding how to engage today’s customers of curbside. 

While curbside customers might shop like one another, they aren’t birds of a feather. Sailthru and Liveclicker have identified four unique customer personas in their guide—the new shopper, the loyal customer, the BOPIS beginner, and the pickup pro.

Get the guide to learn about:

• Messaging tactics tailored to different customer personas
• The right recommendations and email triggers for each persona
• Examples from the brands doing it best, including Target, The Home Depot, Best Buy, and more

You’ll get the juicy deets on best practices for messaging when engaging each type of customer.

Download The 4 Curbside Customers to Know in 2021 today.

DTC

Bravo Sierra Heads Off Base

Bravo Sierra is following fellow personal care brands down a battle-tested path to wholesale retail: specifically to Target, in a 550 store and digital partnership. 

The backstory: R&D for Bravo Sierra’s lineup starts and ends with US service member testers.  

Until now, its durable and affordable personal care products were sold to military personnel via the Exchange, a government-operated chain found only on US military bases, and its DTC channel.

• The reason: Bravo Sierra “deliberately controll[ed] our distribution to demonstrate the value of our mission to our core armed forces patrons,” cofounder Justin Guilbert told Retail Brew.
• The results: Bravo Sierra doubled its presence across Exchange stores within six months of launching in 2019, and acquired ~100k customers through its website in one year. 

Marching orders: Heading off base to Target will “support critical mass exposure,” Guilbert told us. It’ll also bring greater omnichannel flexibility. More cross-channel outlets = more ops to catch shoppers at popular purchase times.

Zoom out: Many big box retailers are courting DTC brands for offline partnerships—Target’s just doing it more aggressively. In the past week, Target added Three Ships (cruelty-free skincare), Golde (supplements), and a diffusion line from Hatch (maternity wear) to its shelves. 

WHAT ELSE IS BREWING

• Gap Inc. joined the 15% Pledge. Since the retailer's stores don't carry outside brands, it reworked the pledge to focus on its talent pipeline. 
• Asos acquired four Arcadia Group brands: Topshop, Topman, Miss Selfridge, and HIIT.
• Nike launched a lace-free, slip-on sneaker. 
• Toys"R"Us permanently closed its two remaining US stores.
• JD Sports acquired Baltimore-based athleticwear retailer DTLR Villa.

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HOT TOPIC

At the mall, it’s where band tees are the only tees. In Retail Brew, it’s where we invite readers to weigh in on a trending retail topic. 

Given today’s theme of brand launches and expansions, we want to know if a trend is overlooked or overhyped among up-and-comers. We gave you a look last month at what some industry experts believe, but now we’re opening the floor to you. But first…

Following up: Last week we asked if retailers should offer vaccination incentives to their employees. Just over 75% of you said “yes” and just under 20% said “no.” About 5% were unsure. 

Back to the future

Just a few sections above, we introduced you to a brand, Ace of Air, that’s using sustainable packaging. It’s an approach many DTC brands, and major players, are taking to curb their environmental impact and ecological footprint. 

• A sample: Burt’s Bees and Aether Beauty have also made sustainable packaging part of their company ethos. 

Let’s discuss. Sustainable packaging appeals to eco-conscious customers, but is it something more major retailers will take on in the future? Cast your vote here. 

SWAPPING SKUS

We know, we know: There’s no one “playbook” for all DTC brands. But the following advice from established founders can boost newbie brands in their early days.

• To bootstrap, or not to bootstrap? Farmgirl Flowers founder Christina Stembel’s decision to skip VC funding could help you decide. (For the Love)
• Three brand growth hacks from Peloton co-founder Graham Stanton...that don’t include releasing memebait ads. (Inc.)

ICYMI

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

• Neiman Marcus Invests $85 Million in Supply Chain Upgrades
• Levi’s Is Exploring Home Goods and Loungewear
• Allure, the Magazine, Is Opening a Beauty Store