Daily LInks
1. Retail’s latest lures include treadmills in the fitting rooms and virtual legos: Physical retail sales around the world will grow 6% this year in dollar terms after slipping 2.8% in 2020, but will again lose share to e-commerce, according to eMarketer, a research firm. – Read More on the WSJ
2. How in-store tech will transform retail: The so-called frictionless store has become the new gold standard in the retail world. However, the term is a bit of a misnomer. The goal is to use digital technology to meet consumer expectations of flexibility, instant gratification, convenience, immersive shopping, safety, and speed. – Read More on MIT Management Review
3. Verified Valentino: eBay fashions new campaign spotlighting luxury handbag authentication. By assuring shoppers that the products they purchase are verified as legitimate, the effort could help the e-commerce platform further accelerate the sale of luxury goods – an area in which it’s seen massive growth of late. – Read More on the Drum
4. RELATED READ: eBay Has Expanded its Authentication Services from Watches and Sneakers to $500-Plus Handbags. eBay is expanding upon its existing authentication efforts to include certain handbags in addition to $2,000-plus watches and sneakers with price tags of upwards of $100, as sales within its “luxury categories continue to gain momentum” as indicated by “recent quarter-over-quarter growth.” – Read More on TFL
5. After brief mid-summer surge, malls threatened by fresh headwinds: While indoor malls saw a nearly 29% drop in visits this past February compared to the same period in 2019, consumers have been steadily returning as the year has progressed and COVID-19 concerns have lessened. In June, indoor malls saw only a 9.3% drop in visitors compared to 2019, and last month, visitor numbers were relatively even between 2019 and 2021. – Read More on PYMNTS
6. U.S. retailer Target defies bricks-and-mortar doubters: Store investments have helped push market value above $130 billion while rivals have struggled. – Read More on the FT
