Nike, Levi's and DTC-led growth

Author

Stephen Babcock
July 11, 2022

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Prime Day 2022 arrives Tuesday for two days of discounts. We’ll be watching for reports about the volume of deals for shoppers and the performance of sales for brands. Plus, it’s a big week for data on inflation, with monthly downloads on the Consumer Price Index and retail sales due.

Prime Day will feature plenty of retailers other than Amazon marketing deal events, but Walmart won’t be among them this year. Along with holding its own event called Walmart+ Weekend last month, the retailer has been discounting items to move overstocked inventory for weeks. That strategy is likely to continue all summer. Can Prime Day’s halo effect still have an influence without an announced event? – CNBC

DTC growth at Levi’s is outpacing its overall sales gains. Plus, the denim-centric brand is bringing on a chief digital officer as it seeks to triple ecommerce over the next five years. Meanwhile, Nike is two years into a commitment to go direct that’s bringing results as it turns 50, while leveling up both its app ecosystem and supply chain software. They’ve been around for decades and are part of American life. Now, they’re DTC brands, too.

Here’s a deep dive into the swimwear brand launching a collection with Demi Moore this month. Some of the keys to growth: An omnichannel presence that has distinct merchandising approaches between online and offline, working with microinfluencers that shoot their own photos and a shift to air freight. – Digital Commerce 360

With the expansion of grocery ecommerce, Walmart, Instacart and a host of chains are adding integrations to allow SNAP participants to order online. A $5 million grant from USDA that will be awarded this fall will seek to help independent grocers adopt the necessary technology and processes to do so, too. It’s a push at the intersection of innovation and access.

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