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☆ Gap's slowing sales of baby clothes indicate inflation is deeply hurting families
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-18 | by ( Parija Kavilanz | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

New York CNN Business —Customers are pulling back on spending at Gap and Old Navy — particularly in one specific category that shows just how much families are feeling inflation’s pinch. But Gap and Old Navy said Thursday they’re now seeing less spending on babies’ and kids’ items. “Old Navy customers still have a propensity to buy. More than a quarter said inflation motivated those purchases, and half of parents surveyed sold a secondhand item in the kids’ and baby items category. Mercari said parents of kids 2 and under are the most active secondhand shoppers, according to its survey.

☆ Restaurant sales are going up. But dining out is on the decline
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-15 | by ( Danielle Wiener-Bronner | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Restaurant traffic is dipping as consumers make food at home. In that month, traffic at fast food restaurants fell 1.2%, dipped 1.7% for fast casual and dropped 4.7% in full service eateries. Fast food traffic bounced back slightly in September and October, but fast casual and full service traffic remained negative. Restaurant prices increased by 8.6%. But groceries are generally cheaper than restaurant meals.

☆ DoorDash Analysts Optimistic on the Firm's Grocery and Retail Growth
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-02 | by ( Nancy Luna | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Expanding selection has made DoorDash resilient as restaurant-delivery growth declines and recession worries grip consumers, analysts say. "DoorDash's greater selection, convenience, and value are proving resilient," Andrew Boone, a JMP Securities analyst, said in a note earlier this year. Last month, DoorDash surpassed 75,000 retail stores on its platform, up from 40,000 a year ago. DoorDash opened the first DashMart in 2020, and the convenience stores have grown to 25 locations in cities in the US and Canada. "DoorDash is going to strangle Instacart using their own system," the grocery and supply-chain consultant Brittain Ladd told Insider.

☆ Stephen King makes for unlikely antitrust hero
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-01 | by ( Jennifer Saba | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

A U.S. judge blocked Penguin Random House’s $2.2 billion acquisition of rival Simon & Schuster on Monday after the Department of Justice argued it would unfairly limit pay for top authors such as Stephen King. Adding Simon & Schuster would give it 70% of the literary nonfiction market, according to NPD Book Scan. The Department of Justice drew a line in its challenge to Penguin, distinguishing highly paid writers from the rest. Follow @jennifersaba on TwitterloadingCONTEXT NEWSA U.S. judge on Oct. 31 ruled that a planned $2.2 billion merger of Penguin Random House and rival Simon & Schuster cannot go forward. German media group Bertelsmann, the owner of Penguin, agreed to buy Simon & Schuster from Paramount Global in 2020.

☆ How startup Hilma raised a $3 million seed round from backers, including a former Nike exec and a Bonobos cofounder, to make running shoes more inclusive for women
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-27 | by ( Matthew Kish | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

The problem: Running shoes historically have been based off the shape of a man's foot. Hilma's shoes are made in varying shapes and widths in order to provide the perfect fit for every runner, regardless of foot shape or ability. Woman in Hilma running shoes. Hilma's launch follows Lululemon's footwear launch, which similarly prioritized female consumers and continues to exceed the company's expectations. Hilma's shoes are made in China and warehoused in the US before shipping to consumers.

☆ Do You Have to Wear an Underwire Bra to Work? Really?
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-26 | by ( Fiorella Valdesolo | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +1 min

BRA-STRUCK Going back to the office—and back to bras—doesn’t mean you have to relinquish the comfort of sporting a soft bra (or none at all). BRAS ARE RARELY COMFORTABLE—which is why a lot of us relate to those memes depicting women rapturously ripping theirs off after an overly cinched day at work. During the pandemic, many women declared their home offices constriction-free zones, and consciously uncoupled from their bras. “When they did [wear them], they opted for wire-free, comfortable styles,” said Kristen Classi-Zummo, an intimates expert at market research firm NPD Group. At one retailer, Bare Necessities, sales of wireless bras doubled between 2020 and 2022.

☆ Microsoft exec says gaming is 'somewhat resilient' to economic weakness
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-26 | by ( Jordan Novet | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Microsoft's head of gaming said Wednesday that video games can stand up to economic weakness, even as the software maker expects slower pickup in other parts of its business targeting consumers. Gaming remains a high priority for Microsoft, with the company working to close its $68.7 billion acquisition of publisher Activision Blizzard . Phil Spencer, CEO of Microsoft Gaming, sounded optimistic about the prospects of the unit. "The video game industry has never been 'recession-proof,' but that line gets brought out every time the r-word is mentioned," Mat Piscatella, executive director and video game industry advisor at market researcher NPD Group, wrote in a July tweet. "People can play video games for hundreds of hours," he said.

☆ Walmart overhauls its intimates and sleepwear line to keep pace in a competitive market
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-24 | by ( Melissa Repko | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Walmart has rolled out Joyspun, a new intimates and sleepwear line. Walmart is overhauling one of its most popular apparel lines — its top intimates and sleepwear brand. Secret Treasures, Walmart's largest intimates and sleepwear line, drove $1 billion in sales last fiscal year — one of the retailer's 13 private brands of general merchandise to do so. Yet the intimates and sleepwear space has gotten more competitive, especially during the pandemic as people worked remotely and spent more time at home. Joyspun is also hitting Walmart's stores and websites ahead of the holiday season.

☆ Big bargains will dominate the holiday season, but shoppers may not be sold
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-20 | by ( Melissa Repko | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Last holiday season, shoppers started buying gifts early to avoid out-of-stocks and shipping delays. Even with the bigger discounts, industry-watchers expect a muted holiday season because of households' stretched budgets. Consulting firm Bain & Co. forecasts growth of as much as 7.5% from last holiday season, but when adjusted for inflation, that is only 1% to 3%. Computers, the category that's expected to have the highest level of discounting during the holiday season, according to Adobe, has seen cooling demand. More items were on sale during backyard barbecue season than during peak holiday season a year ago.

☆ I went inside hot shoe brand Brooks' R&D lab where it's rolling out top-secret 3D printed sneakers that promise to fix every runner's flaws
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-20 | by ( Matthew Kish | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

DeSimone said mass customization with 3D technology should be available within the next few years. An Adidas Ultraboost shoe made with more traditional foam retails around $190, but the company's 3D technology starts at around $200. "3D shoes have been pretty limited so far in terms of sales," said Matt Powell, senior industry analyst for the NPD Group. "We have dreamed about the opportunity to put Run Signature to work for runners in a big way," Caprara said. The new 3D shoe, which features a sock-like upper and a sole that looks like a series of spiderwebs, will be released next year.

☆ Chick-fil-A remains teens' favorite restaurant chain in US
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-13 | by ( Sarah Belle Lin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Chick-fil-A is teenagers' favorite US restaurant chain, a study finds. Fast-food chicken restaurant Chick-fil-A was ranked by 15% of respondents as their favorite restaurant, the same as in the spring 2022 and fall 2021 surveys. Read on to find out the top five restaurant chains where teens prefer to spend their money. In 2019, Insider asked more than 3,000 readers of our fast-food coverage to tell us their favorite chains. Chick-fil-A ranked third-highest in sales among chain restaurants in the US in 2021, just after McDonald's and Starbucks, according to The NPD Group's 2022 restaurant report.

☆ The Children's Place goes full-on into grown-up wear
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-12 | by ( Parija Kavilanz | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Recognizing that all-day “casual comfort” is now an acceptable sartorial standard, even for adults, kids’ clothing seller The Children’s Place is going full-on into grown-up wear. The retailer on Wednesday launched a new sleepwear and loungwear brand called PJ Place that specifically targets Millennials and Gen Zers. PJ Place products, priced at $10.95 to $69.95, include pajama sets, robes, thermal sets, graphic tees, socks and slippers for young adults and older shoppers. PJ PlaceTo that end, Markee said PJ Place aims to expand the company’s market share in the adult sleepwear and loungewear space overall. Going after the adult sleepwear and loungewear market is a smart move, said Maria Rugolo, apparel industry analyst with market research form NPD.

☆ Expect big holiday sales on everything but the bling
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-26 | by ( Parija Kavilanz | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

New York CNN Business —Retailers have already signaled big sales are coming for the holidays — with one major, sparkly exception. That’s because holiday jewelry sales have been on fire over the last two years. “Jewelry is in good shape heading into this holiday season,” said Marshal Cohen, chief retail industry adviser with NPD Group. “With no real overstock position, [jewelry] retailers are not anxious” and don’t see the need to run big sales, he said. Paul Zimnisky, an independent jewelry industry analyst, said Signet’s comments indicate that consumers should not expect big sales or liquidation deals.

☆ Get ready to pay more for makeup as inflation hits the cosmetics aisle
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-17 | by ( Lakshmi Varanasi | Andy Kiersz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Cosmetics prices rose by 2.3% between July to August 2022, according to market research firm NPD Group. Changes in cosmetics prices over the past five years based on data from the consumer price index via U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Andy KierszMaria Salcedo, senior vice president of merchandising for national beauty chain Ulta, said demand for cosmetics remains strong, despite price hikes. "Consumers continue to adjust to inflation pressures by spending thoughtfully on what's valuable and important to them, including beauty," Salcedo told Insider by email. During the recession of 2001, Leonard Lauder, heir of makeup mogul Estee Lauder, is said to have coined the term "Lipstick Index."

☆ Footwear startup Gales nears $4 million raise in a bid to become the Nike for nurses and doctors. 'What Nike has built for the athlete we're looking to build for the standing professional.'
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-15 | by ( Matthew Kish | Ben Tobin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

"What Nike has built for the athlete we're looking to build for the standing professional," he told Insider. It raised a $2.1 million round in September 2021. Kizik, which makes slip-on sneakers and is backed by Nike, raised a $20 million round, and Hilma, which makes running shoes for women, raised a $3 million round. Courtesy GalesA $434 million market rife with opportunityAccording to NPD Group, the market for "occupational footwear" increased by 28% in 2021, to $434.4 million. He also founded and exited the footwear brand Rob McAllan, which sold dress shoes designed to perform more like sneakers.

☆ 'It's huge, beyond anything in my career': Publishing industry insiders explain how TikTok has sent book sales surging and how they're trying to tap into the BookTook phenomenon
▼ + stars: | 2022-03-01 | by ( Marta Biino | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

In 2020 and 2021, book sales surged, reaching a near 20-year peak, according to industry data. 2021 sales of Hoover's books were up 650% over 2020 sales, with 1.9 million copies sold, according to data from NPD BookScan, the largest book sales tracker in the US. Since mid-2020, TikTok has been the driving force of an unprecedented surge in book sales, industry insiders say. The strategy of marketers has always been to push and advertise newer books, industry experts said, and those usually sell better. Then, around Halloween 2021, sales rose steadily to about 2,000 copies a week.

☆ Продажи велосипедов в Молдове выросли в разы
▼ + stars: | 2021-05-22 | by ( Super User | ) mybusiness.md time to read: +2 min

Ограничения из-за пандемии породили неожиданный эффект - продажи велосипедов в Молдове выросли в разы. Он отметил, что до пандемии в Молдове продавалось около 600 велосипедов «Giant» в год, а это крайне мало. таких велосипедов. Это сделало товар доступнее и в разы подхлестнуло спрос. В компании AliExpress сообщают, что онлайн-продажи велосипедов во Франции выросли втрое, в Испании - в пять раз, а в Италии — в восемь раз.

Persons: AliExpress, Руслан Лабжинский, Лабжинский, Ирина МАЦЕНКО Organizations: NPD, ЛП Locations: Молдова, Кишинев, Кахуле, Европа, США, Великобритания, Франция, Испания, Италия, Рим

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