Weekly Consumer News Update // November 22, 2022

Here's our weekly roundup of recent consumer and retail news. This week, Bloomingdales launches virtual stores, Afterpay partners with Expedia, a railway strike looms over holiday shopping, and more.

 M&A and INVESTMENTS

• Bending Spoons acquires Evernote, marking the end of an era TechCrunch
• Grindr’s SPAC Deal Gets a Big Thumbs Down. The Stock Is Rising. Barron's
• Hasbro Is Already Trying to Sell eOne Yahoo
• Simon & Schuster's owner to let sale to Penguin fall apart Reuters
• Together Group Acquires The Future Laboratory BoF
• OTC Supplements Brand Hilma Acquired by Biocodex Modern Retail
• Aura, the frame and photo startup, raises $26M TechCrunch
  
  

INDUSTRY NEWS

Amazon expands health care footprint with virtual clinic offering

Amazon on Tuesday launched a new virtual care service called Amazon Clinic, which offers treatment with a few clicks and an out-of-pocket cost on par with a standard co-pay, for common medical conditions. Axios

Disney World is raising prices for the second time this year — and it'll cost as much as $189 a day

Disney World announced price increases starting in December that will vary based on the day and park. Business Insider

Here’s why Home Depot and Lowe’s are booming in a housing market bust

As the U.S. housing market falls hard from its pandemic-driven highs, home improvement retailers like Home Depot and Lowe’s don’t seem to be feeling the same pain. In fact, they’re faring better than expected. CNBC

Patagonia, Reformation Back Toughened New York Fashion Act

The proposed legislation aims to make big brands accountable for environmental impact and working conditions in their supply chain. BoF

First TVs, now tortillas: U.S. companies set minimum prices to halt discounting 

Makers of everything from toys to tortillas are increasingly setting minimum prices on their goods to maintain profits and limit price cutting as retailers like Walmart and Amazon try to grab sales from each other online. Reuters

Fading Supply-Chain Problems Signal Season of Plenty for Holiday Shoppers

Easing supply-chain pressures mean American consumers can look forward to their first normal holiday season in three years. WSJ

Adidas Sees Virtual Items As Its Next Big Product Category

The German brand revealed its first collection of NFT wearables for virtual spaces just days after Nike announced the debut of its web3 platform. BoF

Charlotte Tilbury Pushes Deeper Into Metaverse With 3D Holiday Store

Charlotte Tilbury Beauty is delving deeper into the metaverse with the opening of Charlotte’s Beauty Realm, the brand’s first 3D virtual store with a gaming experience. WWD

OnlyFans to offer shopping features as it competes for influencers

Social network will allow content creators to sell merchandise directly to their viewers. Financial Times

Qatar Bans Alcohol Sales at World Cup Stadiums in Abrupt U-Turn

The organizers behind the World Cup in Qatar have banned the sale of alcohol within stadium grounds, dramatically reversing a decision to allow Anheuser-Busch InBev NV to sell Budweiser beer. Bloomberg

The Laundress Has Recalled Every Single One of Its Products

the brand issued a statement last night telling customers to immediately stop using all their products. NY Magazine

Afterpay partners with Expedia for BNPL on flights, hotels

Travelers can now book up to $2,000 worth of flights and hotels on Expedia using Afterpay, as buy now, pay later services creep into more parts of consumer spending. ModernRetail

Stressed-Out Americans Plan to Buy Fewer Christmas Gifts, Donate Less to Charity

Inflation is souring the holiday season, a crucial time when companies, charities and nonprofits typically collect their biggest haul of the year. WSJ

A New Way to Shop: Virtual Stores on Bloomingdales.com

The technology from Emperia enables users to move through unique brand settings on bloomingdales.com in a virtual shopping tour. WWD

Threat of Railway Strike Looms Over Holiday Season

A potential rail strike is threatening the holiday season, which has already been complicated by COVID-19 delays, rampant inflation and the threat of recession. WWD

Domino’s Pizza Invests in Electric-Vehicle Fleet to Help Stores Recruit Drivers

The world’s largest pizza chain by stores and sales said it would procure 800 Domino’s-branded Chevrolet Bolts for 37 of its own stores and hundreds of others run by its U.S. franchisees. WSJ

H&M Is Opening A Year-Long Rotating Style Destination In Williamsburg, Brooklyn

H&M  is unveiling a new year-long brick and mortar concept store in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. The multi-versed store is a style destination and lab, a first-of-its-kind revolving house of fashion, with an ever-changing new theme every four to 12 weeks. Forbes

Gopuff launches scheduled deliveries, gifting and in-store pickup

Delivery startup Gopuff has updated its services to make ordering easier with a new version of its app. TechCrunch

Amazon Sets Its Sights On An Even Bigger Prize: The Non-Endemic Advertiser

Amazon is preparing for a future where that growth may slow down by looking to other market segments that would benefit from its growing array of advertising solutions. Forbes

How Nike Is Further Evolving The Shopping Experience With Nike Rise Aventura, The First Of Its Kind In The U.S.

Nike Rise, now open for the first time in the U.S., focuses on digital integration across its products, services, and experience. Sneaker News

COMINGS & GOINGS

• Louis Vuitton Taps Isabel Mössinger for Communications Role WWD
• Burger King Owner Restaurant Brands Hires Former Domino’s CEO Patrick Doyle As Chair CNBC 
• Nick Jones, Founder and CEO of Soho House To Step Down The Guardian
• L’Oréal USA Appoints Amy Whang President of Maybelline, Garnier and Essie WWD
• Rolex Appoints Brunschwig as Chairman in Quiet Change of Guard Bloomberg
• Thierry Bolloré steps down as CEO of Jaguar Land Rover The Guardian
• Robert Iger Returns as Disney CEO as Bob Chapek Is Ousted WSJ

GOOD READS

• Why Everything in Tech Seems to Be Collapsing at Once The Atlantic
• Is this the end of crypto? The Economist

INSPIRATION