It’s been another week with far more retail news than there is time in the day. Below, we break down some things you may have missed during the week and what we’re still thinking about.
From the launch of Bark & Graham to Duluth’s loyalty pitch to veterans, here’s our closeout for the week.
What you may have missed
Shoe Carnival extends C-suite contracts
Shoe Carnival on Nov. 1 entered into an agreement with the company’s CEO, Mark Worden, to extend the terms of his employment through October 2029. It includes an automatic one-year renewal after that period, according to documents filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
The shoe retailer also entered into agreements with the company’s COO Marc Chilton; Chief Financial Officer, Treasurer and Secretary Patrick Edwards; and Chief Merchandising Officer Carl Scibetta. These extensions provide for an initial one-year term that started on Nov. 1 and ends October 2025, with automatic one-year renewals after that period.
This retailer is helping veterans, first responders suit up
Apparel retailer Duluth Trading Co. is debuting a new Duluth Heroes discount for active-duty service members, retirees, veterans, military spouses, military family members and first responders in partnership with digital identity network ID.me.
People who fall into one of those categories qualify for a 5% year-round discount on their entire order online or in person at one of the company’s 65 stores. And in honor of Veterans Day, the retailer will increase the discount to 10% off their entire order for qualifying customers through Monday. To get the discount, customers can create or sign into an existing ID.me account to enter information that will allow verification of their identity.
"Duluth Trading Co. deeply admires the dedication and work of those who bravely serve our communities and country, and we wanted to express that beyond just a once-a-year sale,” said Duluth Trading Co. CEO Sam Sato.
E.l.f. Beauty partners with Dollar General
E.l.f. Beauty on Wednesday announced that it will be going into a subset of Dollar General stores this month. E.l.f. pointed to the dollar store’s strategy of “serving the underserved” — 80% of its stores serve markets of 20,000 people or fewer — as a reason for the partnership.
“With this launch, we hold true to our mission to democratize access for consumers who otherwise wouldn’t have the best of beauty, particularly in rural areas which have traditionally been served by only the major legacy brands,” E.l.f CEO Tarang Amin said on an earnings call with analysts.
The company did not say how many stores it will be entering, but did say that they would “see how it goes before deciding on further expansion,” according to Amin.
Retail therapy
Hello Kitty gets her own Build-A-Bear Workshop
Build-A-Bear Workshop and Sanrio partnered for a retail entertainment experience and collection, the two announced Thursday.
The first Build-A-Bear x Hello Kitty and Friends Workshop space debuts Nov. 15 at Westfield Century City in Los Angeles. For its grand opening, Hello Kitty herself will host a ribbon-cutting ceremony and open the store’s doors. The first 50 guests will receive a special gift.
The two also launched a holiday collection of Sanrio plushies, sold at Build-A Bear. Items like the Red Bow Hello Kitty, Evergreen Cinnamoroll and Candy Cane Kuromi, as well as festive plush apparel, are available online and in-person.
Send Fido to the personalized dog house
If we don’t already treat pets enough like people, Williams-Sonoma-owned Mark & Graham is making it even easier with the launch of a personalized pet product line. Aptly named Bark & Graham, the collection will offer more than 250 products at launch, ripe for personalized text that your dog will never be able to read.
Timed to the holiday season, Bark & Graham will offer items like holiday sweaters and puffer vests, and plans to add more seasonal drops in 2025 and beyond, according to a company press release. A landing page for the new collection includes items like a $150 personalized dog donut bed, a $60 plaid sherpa dog jacket and a $180 pet carrier.
The brand touts an “elevated design aesthetic” for pet products, including color block prints, plaid and stripes, and notes that every product is designed to be personalized with a pet’s name.
“Bark & Graham was created as a premier destination for high quality pet products that you would proudly give as a gift or be excited to receive,” Kate Lesher, senior vice president of Mark & Graham, said in a statement. “We love that our customer will be able to celebrate their pet with our uniquely designed collection.”
What better way to show love for your pet than with preppy prints and personalization?
What we’re still thinking about
15.3%
That’s how much Purple’s third-quarter revenue declined from the year-ago period, reaching $118.6 million. By channel, the mattress brand reported DTC revenue fell 11.7% year over year, while wholesale revenue declined 20.1%. E-commerce revenues also fell 15.7%, while showroom revenues were essentially flat.
"While our third quarter revenue was challenged, we are encouraged by both our year-to-date performance modestly exceeding the broader industry and the sustained improvements in our profitability," CEO Rob DeMartini said in a statement.
Operating loss in Q3 expanded to $46.8 million, from $32.6 million last year, while net loss was $39.3 million, up from $36.1 million in the year-ago period.
49.1%
That’s how much Bark’s net loss improved in the second quarter, reaching $5.3 million.
The e-commerce company, known for its BarkBox and Bark Super Chewer subscriptions, reported Q2 net revenue grew 2.5% year over year to $126.1 million, beating expectations. DTC revenue fell 1.6% year over year to $102.6 million, while commerce revenue increased 25.6% to $23.5 million.
Bark reaffirmed its full-year outlook, expecting total revenue to be between $490 million and $500 million, representing year-over-year growth of up to 2%. The company also expects adjusted EBITDA to be between $1 million and $5 million.
What we’re watching
Warnings pile up for retail over Trump tariff, immigration proposals
The American Apparel & Footwear Association on Wednesday appealed to the incoming Trump administration to tread lightly when it comes to tariffs. The group echoed the concern of many economists that Trump’s proposed levies – minimum 10% across the board and 60% targeted to China – would reignite inflation.
S&P Global Ratings analysts on Thursday reiterated such concerns, writing in a report that a short-term effect would entail “companies facing higher input costs and consumers paying more for finished goods,” and in the medium term there “would likely be a drag on U.S. GDP.” Retailers and brands in the meantime would move even more swiftly to diversify their supply chains, especially avoiding China, per S&P.
Moody’s Ratings analysts on Friday said that swiftly implemented policy shifts with Republicans in control of Congress and the executive branch pose “credit risks from potentially abrupt and sweeping changes in tax, trade, immigration and climate policies that could particularly affect” retail, among other sectors.
“Trump's protectionist measures could disrupt global supply chains and negatively affect sectors that rely on imported materials and goods,” they also said, adding that incoming immigration policies could lead to labor shortages.
The AAFA cited lessons from history, saying the Tariff Act of 1930 helped usher in the Great Depression and that already enacted Trump tariffs, leftover from his first term, continue to drive up prices on clothes and shoes.
“Tariffs are taxes paid by U.S.-based businesses and American consumers, not on China or other supplier countries,” AAFA president and CEO Steve Lamar said in a statement. “These tariffs disproportionately harm lower income American consumers and female consumers with higher tariffs on lower priced products and on women's clothes and shoes.”
