This article was compiled with the help of generative AI based on data and analysis that is original to EMARKETER.
In November, retailers made strategic moves across grocery, apparel, and beauty. Amazon turned Black Friday into a weeklong event and launched its Shein competitor, Haul. Meanwhile, e.l.f. Beauty strengthened its value proposition through a new Dollar General partnership, while Kroger announced plans for specialized Asian experience stores in North Texas.
Here are our eight unofficial picks for the most interesting retailers in November.
Amazon has stretched the Cyber Five into the Cyber Dozen by offering deals a full week before Black Friday. Plus, it launched Haul, its new storefront for low-cost goods.
“It’s a huge play for Amazon,” said our analyst Sara Lebow on a recent “Behind the Numbers” podcast. “It's potentially going to undercut Shein and Temu with faster delivery.”
e.l.f. Beauty showed strong momentum with 40% sales growth in its latest quarter and a partnership with Dollar General.
“Part of why I think that e.l.f. has done so well over the last few years really is [the combination of] compelling marketing campaigns and finding ways to cut very lucrative distribution deals,” said our analyst Jeremy Goldman. “It's a lot easier if you keep on increasing distribution to be able to reach a lot of new customers.”
Kroger's announcement of specialized Asian experience stores in North Texas represents a targeted approach to demographic-specific retail. The standalone stores will offer traditional grocery items and specialized Asian products, reflecting the growing diversity in consumer demands.
Authenticity will be key to the success of these new formats.
“The reason that people go to Asian grocery stores or to a very specific demographic grocery store is that they're usually run by people in that demographic and so they have a closer connection to the brands, the foods, and the types of products that people want,” said our analyst Arielle Feger.
The Children’s Place recently launched a storefront on Shein, a notable pivot for the traditional mall retailer.
“I think of The Children's Place as almost like a little bit of a pricier kind of mall brand,” said Lebow. “So setting up on Shein is a surprising move. Though not as surprising when you consider that they have been struggling, especially with malls closing.”
Claire's launched five new fragrances in November aimed at Gen Zalpha: consumers on the cusp of Gen Z and Gen Alpha. In addition to appealing to a younger audience, this fragrance line helps Claire’s continue to expand its portfolio beyond jewelry.
“How many people are going to the mall to go to Claire's?” said our analyst Suzy Davidkhanian. “How many times are you going to get your ears pierced and how many pairs of earrings are you going to buy? In this case, product extension is a really good idea.”
CeraVe's venture into hair care leverages its strong skincare reputation in a growing market, though the brand may face challenges entering the already crowded hair care space.
“At the pharmacy, the shelves are so stacked with so many different haircare brands,” said Davidkhanian. “Just think about L'Oreal and how many different types of brands they have. I just think it's so saturated and it'll be hard.”
US haircare sales will grow 6.6% this year, outpacing healthcare and personal care sales at 4.8%, per our forecast. This could bode well for CeraVe’s new product line.
To expand its retail media presence, 7-Eleven is rolling out its Gulp Radio network to 5,000 stores.
“We've seen a lot of retailers move into in-store audio,” said Feger. “It's got a really low barrier to entry and it's just a really smart way for a lot of retailers to start experimenting with in-store retail media.”
The convenience chain is launching a new store format focused on a more food-forward experience.
A rare fast-food entrant, KFC made the list for its specialty products and collaborations, showcasing creative brand extension strategies.
“They just introduced a Bucket of Chicken Candle, featuring notes of chicken, browned flour, peppercorn, and garlic,” said Davidkhanian. “They also launched limited-edition Christmas wrapping paper that tastes like chicken, creating a sense of urgency.”
This was originally featured in the Retail Daily newsletter. For more retail insights, statistics, and trends, subscribe here.