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REI Scores Highest on Recommerce Index

| Mike O'Brien

Outdoor co-op REI, high-end outdoor apparel/gear brand Arc’teryx, fashion brand Amour Vert, running supplier On and luxury brand Philip Lim stood out in the first recommerce leaders index compiled by Trove, as the growing category has added an estimated 100 programs in the past year.

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Recommerce Channel Launched By Carhartt

| Mike O'Brien

Carhartt, a retailer of workwear apparel, has launched the first recommerce channel in its category, aiming to drive incremental revenue and attract consumers who hadn’t purchased from the company before, taking advantage of a burgeoning market favored by younger values-based shoppers.

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Target Joins the Warning Parade

| Mike O'Brien

Target joined fellow retail bellwethers Walmart, Home Depot and Amazon in warning about softness in consumer demand for 2023 as it reported better-than-expected earnings and revenue for Q4, although the figures cleared a lower bar.

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5 Branding Truths That Never Go Out of Style

| Maureen Plowman

There are a few branding truths that never go out of style when building a new brand story. The identity of your company and the experience you are providing for your customers and potential customers have never been more important in today’s competitive markets. To help you succeed, here are the top 5 truths about branding.

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Compostable Apparel: A Conversation with Eric Liedtke of Unless Collective

| Mike O'Brien

Unless Collective, a Portland, OR startup creating plant- and mineral-based footwear and apparel, is one of a handful of companies making a difference by its conscious choice of materials and manufacturing. Co-Founder and CEO Eric Liedtke, a nearly 30-year veteran of Adidas, talks about the company’s vision in our MCM CommerceChat podcast.

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Moosejaw Being Acquired by Dick’s Sporting Goods

| Mike O'Brien

Moosejaw Mountaineering, the outdoor lifestyle retailer acquired by Walmart as it was building up its stable of digital native brands in the last decade, has now been purchased by Dick’s Sporting Goods, a more natural home for its products and audience as Dick’s looks to expand its vendor base.

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Walmart Cautious in 2023 Outlook

| Mike O'Brien

Walmart reported ecommerce growth of 17% in Q4 to $80 billion, representing 13% of total sales, and beat expectations overall, but warned of a challenging climate for the rest of the year based on consumer sentiment and macro signals, sending uneasiness through the industry and the markets.

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ChatGPT, Generative AI and How They’re Impacting Retail

| Mike O'Brien

ChatGPT, the generative AI tool based on Microsoft-backed OpenAI technology, is creating media buzz on a new level, with its much-touted ability to create human-seeming language, content and interactions for just about any business or private context. It’s also causing major disruption in retail, even as ethical and legal issues arise.

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E-Grocery Sales Down, But Pandemic Gains Stay Sticky

| Mike O'Brien

E-grocery sales were down both sequentially and year-over-year in January, driven mostly by declines in the ship-to-home category, but gains from pre-pandemic levels have mostly held even though delivery options have been impacted by inflation, according to a Brick Meets Click/Mercatus report.

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Bed Bath & Beyond Tosses Share Sale Hail Mary

| Mike O'Brien

Ailing home refresh retailer Bed Bath & Beyond is hoping more than $1 billion in proceeds from two separate stock sales will be enough to pay down interest and some debt to creditors and stave off bankruptcy, but many analysts are doubtful. The denouement may end up as a Chapter 7 liquidation instead of a Chapter 11 restructuring.