There’s been a growing emphasis on the customer experience in recent years, as more retailers roll out functions like BNPL and curbside pickup. How will they service customers next, you ask? Extended warranties, according to the startup, Clyde, might be poised for a glow-up.

Clyde provides retailers with warranty solutions, which CEO and founder Brandon Gell described as essentially brands’ “own version of Apple Care.” And this week, the company introduced its new ownership-enrichment platform, which offers warranty and product protection tools that double as a play for loyalty and customer retention.

• The platform’s three core products are extended warranties, a registration system that connects retailers with customers who bought their products from a third party, and an app that automates claims for product issues. Companies pay SaaS fees for the latter two offerings, according to Gell.
• Clyde works with ~300 brands, including Tushy, SharkNinja, and Movado.

Ride the wave: Gell sees the extended-warranty space—which generated $120 billion in sales in 2019, and is projected to hit $169 billion by 2027, per Allied Market Research—following a similar trajectory to BNPL in terms of widespread adoption. “If you go to Walmart or Amazon’s website, they’re selling an extended warranty on [many] products,” he told Retail Brew.

“We’re essentially equipping brands to do the same thing, but then to utilize that extended warranty as a tool to drive lifetime value and retain those customers so they buy direct instead of through third parties,” Gell said. “A core mission for us is enabling brands themselves to own the experience rather than relying on third parties.”—JG

This month, Retail Brew is doing a (more than) skin-deep dive into the world of beauty—from accelerators to beard care to the impact of “instant” delivery. But to start, we’ve put together a primer on how the pandemic has changed the beauty biz.

Yes, there was maskne, but there was also social commerce (Instagram and TikTok are all in) and curbside pickup. Oh, and everyone’s favorite buzzword: omnichannel. Karla Davis, Ulta Beauty’s VP of marketing, spoke to us late last year about the evolution of customer experience and emphasized its importance.

• “Omni really speaks to the integration of all the channels and not just having all the channels for channels' sake, but really making sure that there’s a seamless experience across all of them in a way that really kind of works behind the scenes to give the guests what they need, when they need it, and where they need it,” Davis said.

Part of that strategy has extended to shop-in-shops, with Ulta teaming up with Target (at least 250 of those concepts are expected to be in place this year). And Sephora began its move from JCPenney to Kohl’s—which the big-box store hopes will deliver $2+ billion in annual sales.

All together: Consumers urged retailers to become more inclusive—and the beauty biz moved to make its mark. Sephora became the first retailer to sign The Fifteen Percent Pledge in June 2020, which asks companies to devote at least 15% of their shelf space to products from Black-owned businesses.

• Target, which pledged to spend at least $2 billion with Black-owned businesses by the end of 2025, announced in February it has 70+ Black-owned or -founded beauty brands in its lineup—representing a 65% boost since 2020.
• But make no mistake: There’s much more to do (across all of retail).

Making scents: Prestige beauty sales hit $22 billion in 2021, per NPD, thanks, in part, to the fast-growing hair-care category and fragrance’s continued boom.

• The Business of Fashion looks at how the category can capitalize after the pandemic. Speaking of the future…

Looking ahead: WWD lists the names of the “next generation of power players” in beauty that will shape the industry. Meanwhile, P&G Ventures, the CPG giant’s startup accelerator, is looking to college students for the next big thing in beauty.—GT

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André Zdanow knows the appliance biz. He’s the executive director of both FirstBuild and the small-appliances division of GE Appliances. But he also knows bagels: Zdanow began his career as an entrepreneur, operating his own bagel shop.

How would you describe your job to someone who doesn’t work in retail? We invent the future of appliances with a team of world-class engineers, product experts, and community members to redefine what an appliance can be. We’ve made [everything from] electric ovens that mimic wood-fired results to an appliance that grows gourmet mushrooms at home.

One thing we can’t guess about your job from your LinkedIn profile: How much fun we have. I have no idea what my day is going to be—sometimes I find our blacksmith forging Damascus steel or people testing an indoor meat smoker. Other days, we’re working with our community to find our next appliance idea.

What’s your favorite project you’ve worked on? The Opal nugget-ice maker. FirstBuild found a community obsessed with nugget ice, which led to a nearly $3 million crowdfund, successful launch, and the launch of GE Appliances’s small-appliance division.

One trend that you’re most excited by: Retailers leaning in and understanding that consumers are trying to elevate their in-home experiences. Consumers are looking for more comfort and convenience now that our homes are our sanctuaries, offices, and more.

Today’s top retail reads.

Strapped: Birkenstock is reportedly pushing retailers to stop carrying dupes of its sandals, a move competitor Mephisto called “competitive bullying.” (The Wall Street Journal)

Green light: As brands increasingly make claims about being “planet friendly” or “carbon negative,” a look at how to determine if a brand is actually helping the environment—or simply greenwashing. (Thingtesting)

Gaining ground: With VC backing and a popular refer-a-friend model, Blank Street Coffee is taking aim at Starbucks and Dunkin’, but some worry it could impact local businesses, too. (Air Mail)

Careers: A career-focused guide to help you make the best career moves in 2022 has been created. It’s called Sidekick’s Professional Playbook. Grab it here.

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• ThredUp CEO James Reinhart on resale’s big picture
• Why Reformation decided to outsource its recycling program
• Montblanc on the power of the store