Retail

After the global pandemic forced organizers to cancel the iconic event, Shanghai Fashion Week quickly pivoted to a virtual extravaganza the last week of March. Powered by Tmall, the online marketplace of Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba, the showcase combined livestreamed catwalk shows with teleshopping. In total, the event’s streams pulled in 11 million views and helped generate more than US$70 million in combined earnings.

U.S. coffee king Starbucks partnered with plant-based meat producers Beyond Meat and OmniPork and oat milk brand Oatly to introduce a menu of meat-free dishes and dairy-free drink options across its 3,000-plus China locations. As part of the project, launched in April, the company also rolled out plant-based packaging for the new menu items as well as merch made from recycled coffee grounds.

Weekday, H&M Group’s street style brand, wants to eliminate the need for jean sizes (and all the accompanying consumer angst). A digital fit platform from U.S. fashion startup Unspun helps create custom measurements based on a customer’s 3D body scan. The jeans are produced within 10 days, and can include personalized trim or stitching. Seems like a good fit for the Swedish retailer: The pilot project achieved 80 percent customer satisfaction.

U.S. apparel brand Marta Scarampi turned coronavirus travel anxiety into a fashion statement. The centerpiece of the company’s new collection is a one-piece hooded jumpsuit designed to be worn over clothes while traveling or commuting, and then taken off and set aside for washing upon arrival. Matching masks are part of the collection, too.

Multi-brand jeweler Ideal in Shenzhen, China partnered with chat software firm YouZan to complete a pandemic-driven retail transformation virtually overnight. The initiative turned sales associates into livestream broadcasters who ran individual online cloud stores—fully stocked with the retailer’s entire nationwide inventory.

Online retail platform Shopify is taking on Amazon with a service to handle merchant logistics. After an order has been placed with a Fulfillment Network retailer, the service takes over to deal with delivery and customer service. The platform, launched last year, also has machine learning capabilities that can predict the nearest fulfillment centers and optimal inventory quantities for keeping costs and shipping times low.

Italian luxury brand Dolce & Gabbana tapped French architecture studio Carbondale to create a bold and immersive design for its new brick-and-mortar location in a 16th-century Roman palazzo. Inspired by the nearby Sistine Chapel, the team created an undulating, digital version of an 18th-century fresco. There are also mirrored walls, LED screens and Gregorian chants looped over the audio system.

Looking to ferret out retail trends as they happen, U.S. powerhouse Walmart last year outfitted its Neighborhood Market in Levittown, New York, USA with AI capabilities and data-collecting cameras. By observing purchasing patterns in real time, the store can cut food waste and stock shelves more efficiently. To alleviate privacy concerns, interactive displays and information centers turn shoppers into active participants.

Consider ThredUp’s platform as the clothing resale company’s personal invite into the circular economy—drawing in established retailers, secondhand pop-up shops and consumers looking to sell used garments. With the promise of free shipping, the service was rolled out in 2019 as a way to incentivize clothing donation and secondhand shopping while also benefiting existing retailers. One big sign it’s working: Retail powerhouse Gap signed on as the platform’s largest distribution partner in February.

In 2019, online marketplace Etsy began offsetting all carbon emissions generated by the transport of packages purchased through its site. To do this, the company invests in projects aimed at improving the environment—everything from sponsoring wind and solar farms to developing sustainable manufacturing methods.