The retail world looks different now and there's a lot of uncertainty. Instead of highlighting the absurd products we normally do, we're going to be looking at some of the things in the industry that made us smile this week.
This week, Busch wants to provide beer to hundreds of couples, Snoop Dogg tries to win the hearts of sommeliers and the Miami Heat store finds a way to repurpose unsold merchandise.
This, and more, in this week's retail therapy.
Busch aims to make the postponed wedding season a little easier
The spring and summer months are generally a time we can finally take those "Save the Dates" off the fridge and gather to celebrate the love of friends and family members. But the coronavirus outbreak caused events to be upended across the country, from industry conferences to music festivals. And of course, wedding receptions aren't exceptions to the cancellations and postponements either.
But to help ease an uneasy situation, beer maker Busch launched a campaign aimed at couples who have had to change wedding plans due to the pandemic.
Your wedding plans may be on ice for the time being, but we wanna give you a wedding gift of ice-cold Busch. FOR A YEAR.
— Busch Beer (@BuschBeer) April 15, 2020
Post a photo of yourselves and tell us how you're planning to celebrate, along with #BuschWeddingGift and #Sweepstakes for your chance to win. pic.twitter.com/qkgVXvCsZa
Through a video posted to the company's Instagram and Twitter, the Anheuser-Busch brand introduced the contest, which includes winning a year's worth of Busch beer. We might not have the confetti cannons and conga lines of traditional wedding celebrations, but we'd argue free beer might just be better.
To enter, affected couples need to post a photo of themselves to Instagram or Twitter with an explanation of how they plan to celebrate given the circumstances, and use the hashtags #BuschWeddingGift and #Sweepstakes. The company said 250 winners will be selected and the contest is live until May 1.
Guests who were supposed to attend the wedding can get in on the fun too by tagging the engaged friends with the #MyFriendsWedding hashtag.
Snoop gives us nothing to 'wine' about
The world already knows Snoop Dogg for his accomplished musical career, but more recently he has spread his wings into other sectors: his Casa Verde Capital investment fund, his work with Dunkin' and Beyond Meat, and now a partnership with a winemaker.
Wine label 19 Crimes this week announced it forged a multi-year collaboration with the rapper. The two will release their first wine together this summer, called "Snoop Cali Red."
"Snoop Dogg, an entertainment and California icon, is the perfect partner for 19 Crimes Snoop Cali Red. Snoop embodies the spirit of 19 Crimes – rule breaking, culture creating and overcoming adversity," John Wardley, TWE marketing vice president of the Americas, said in a statement.
It's no gin and juice, but judging by the fact that the brand was recently listed on "The World's Most Admired Wine Brands 2020" by Drinks International, we can bet it's going to be a good one.
Upcycling Heats up in the NBA
It's been a little over a month since the National Basketball Association suspended its season after a player tested positive for COVID-19. But to help those workers battling the virus head on, one team found a way to repurpose unused merchandise.
"I remembered we were sitting on some former players' jerseys and T-shirts and I thought to myself, 'Let's recycle these into something useful and donate them to those brave folks on the front lines of this pandemic,'" Andy Montero, vice president of retail business and development for the Miami Heat, said in a statement. "We're stuck in our houses, but I'm so happy we are finding ways to help!"
The basketball team partnered with Refried Apparel, a company that turns unused or unsold goods into new products, to turn $100,000 worth of unsold jerseys into more than 7,000 masks to donate to medical personnel.
According to the announcement, the 2-ply masks aren't as effective as surgical masks but do provide some filtration from the 100% cotton and cotton blend T-shirts used to make the product.
The Miami Heat has opened up the option to make a donation to go toward compensating the cutters and sewers at Refried Apparel.
