| August 29 – September 4, 2022
 We hope all our U.S. based readers enjoyed their holiday weekend as we bring our Week in News to you one day past our regularly scheduled programming.
As you’ll see below, the fulfillment section of our newsletter is packed this week, and has been for the last several weeks. The primary themes have been around warehouse space (i.e. back-of-store, off-site, through a third-party, too much and too little); how to most efficiently deliver products (i.e. curbside, at-home, in-home, via drone, using algorithms); and of course the role Amazon plays in having created the expectations around fast-delivery and the role they continue to play “helping” retailers achieve this customer expectation. What’s becoming clear is that the industry is exploring multiple solutions to meet those expectations. As property owners uniquely positioned to be one of those solutions, we acknowledge that the headlines can be overwhelming, but the solution for your property don’t have to be. Let us boil things down for you – find us on Twitter or LinkedIn to find time to chat (or email us of course!)
This week we also saw more about “just walk out” technology coming to both stadiums and schools, what some say we can expect for Christmas shopping this year, and how another retailer is planning to expand their smaller footprint store. Check out all the details below!
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Digital Meets Physical
Seattle Seahawks to offer Amazon ‘Just Walk Out’ at home field [Chain Store Age]
Lumen Field is opening a store featuring Amazon’s “Just Walk Out” checkout-free shopping technology and Amazon One palm-based entry and payment solution. As a result, Lumen Field, home of the Seattle Seahawks pro football franchise, will become the first NFL stadium to implement both technologies in a single store.
Chartwells Higher Education to open 100 cashierless stores on U.S. campuses [Chain Store Age]
A dining services provider is opening automated convenience stores at colleges including San Jose State University. Chartwells Higher Education is expanding a partnership with frictionless shopping technology provider Standard AI to launch 100 autonomous retail experiences at higher learning institutions across the U.S. |
‘Our business is different’: Why fashion rental has withstood the pressures of inflation [Glossy]
Nearly all sides of fashion are under pressure right now. But rental fashion has been surprisingly resilient through this period. During the early days of the pandemic, rental was devastated due to the cancelations of most occasions befitting rented clothing. Now, rental companies are seeing higher subscriber growth and steady business at a time when many brands, including DTC brands like Warby Parker and Allbirds, are struggling.
How E-Commerce Trendsetter Sephora Is Giving Its Digital Business a Tech Makeover [CO]
When the beauty retailer opted to modernize its digital platform, four must-have features topped its shopping list that address rapidly changing consumer demands, says CTO Sree Sreedhararaj. |
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Micro & Last Mile Fulfillment
Curbside pickup is here to stay, and retailers are going all-in [The Washington Post]
With inflation causing consumers to change their spending habits, major retailers are leaning into “omnichannel” shopping options to draw in customers
Walmart adds ‘smart garage’ company to InHome delivery program [RetailDive]
Walmart has linked up with myQ to expand the retailer’s InHome delivery service, which brings grocery orders to consumers’ refrigerators, garages or front steps. Through the partnership, Walmart workers will use the firm’s “smart garage technology” to gain one-time access to consumers’ garages and drop off deliveries. Workers will sanitize any surfaces they touch and can pick up product returns. |
Amazon introduces seller storage service to tackle supply-chain woes [Reuters]
Amazon introduced a new service to help its sellers store bulk inventory and ease distribution to tackle supply-chain issues. The new service, called Amazon Warehousing and Distribution (AWD), is now available for sellers using Amazon’s program which allows businesses to outsource order fulfillment to the company.
Inside Google’s Plan To Deliver Almost Everything To Almost Everyone Via Drone [Forbes]
Your next fridge won’t come via drone. Your next mattress won’t arrive from the sky. And your next TV won’t be airlifted from a central warehouse to your 45th floor condo or your suburban McMansion. But just about everything else might. |
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Amazon rolls out delivery route algorithm to reduce miles driven [RetailDive]
Amazon expects its new delivery route algorithm will help it avoid millions of miles driven this year after deploying it across the entire U.S. The Customer Order and Network Density Optimizer (Condor) algorithm assesses customer orders before they leave a fulfillment center to identify the most effective shipping options. |
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Restaurants & Ghost Kitchens
Regulations Lift, But Pandemic Dining Habits are Here to Stay [QSR Magazine]
The restaurant industry in 2022 continues to be impacted by shifts in dining preferences and behavior, but some pandemic consumer and restaurant habits are here to stay. With consumers keeping close tabs on their finances, there are numerous trends and predictions that restaurants should keep in mind to enhance customer experience and drive brand loyalty. |
Grocery stores are using grab-and-go food to inch into restaurant territory [ModernRetail]
In search of higher market share, some grocers are adapting a restaurant-like model by investing in ready-made meals, or prepared foods, that consumers can grab on the go. As the cost of food items on restaurant menus has gone up, grocers are hoping that shoppers will turn to prepared food options in grocery stores as a cheap and convenient alternative to takeouts. |
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A Vision of a Post-COVID Era Emerges for Restaurants [QSR Magazine]
Broadly, measuring trends and performance against 2019 is a more telling reveal. Insights platform Sense360 by Medallia believes, roughly two-and-half years from COVID’s onset, recent consumer sentiment plus public health guidance has brought restaurants to a post-pandemic era. Changes that appear lasting are a shift to flexible work and the prevalence of ordering through digital channels. Some others, like shifting loyalties across brands, are proving overstated. |
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Mall Talk
The death of brick-and-mortar is ‘extraordinarily exaggerated,’ analyst argues [Yahoo! Finance]
Although e-commerce has expanded massively over the past decade, that doesn’t mean the end is yet in sight for brick-and-mortar stores, one analyst argued. “It’s extraordinarily exaggerated,” Morning Consult Retail & E-commerce Analyst Claire Tassin told Yahoo Finance Live (video above). “The vast majority — about 85% — of retail in the U.S. happens in physical stores. More stores in 2021 opened than closed.”
Last-minute Christmas shopping may be back in vogue this year, says Best Buy [Reuters]
Americans may leave their end-of-year holiday gift buying as late as possible, Best Buy Co Inc executives said on Tuesday, as cost-conscious consumers seek the best deals in a return to pre-pandemic shopping habits. |
Express to double its Edit store fleet [Chain Store Age]
Express is doubling down on its smaller store, off-mall format. The apparel retailer is opening six new Express Edit stores, for a total of 11 locations by the end of the year. Averaging under 4,000 sq. ft., the stores are situated in high-traffic, off-mall locations and feature curated and localized product assortments, with enhanced customer services.
Greece’s Largest Shopping Mall to Rise Near Athens [The Wall Street Journal]
An Athens developer is building what is slated to be Greece’s largest mall, betting that Greeks and tourists will turn out for an in-person shopping experience. The shopping center, which would also be one of Europe’s largest retail complexes, is part of an €8 billion real-estate project known as the Ellinikon. |
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