News Briefs

DICK’S Sporting Goods has entered the Metaverse just in time for back-to-school season. 

“School of Sport,” an interactive experience on the Roblox platform that infuses sport and style and gives users a chance to compete in a variety of challenges, quests and obstacle courses.

Consisting of six virtual spaces, “School of Sport” takes place at DICK’S Sporting Goods High and mimics the characteristics of a real-world high school, bringing the most compelling aspects of back-to-school onto Roblox.

“It is important for us to continue evolving the way we engage with consumers. We are excited to make our entrance into the Metaverse with ‘School of Sport,’ creating a space to share sport and style while also connecting with our younger athletes,” said Ed Plummer, chief marketing officer at DICK’S Sporting Goods.

[See also: Back to School: Tips, Trends, and Predictions]

DICK’S Sporting Goods is launching the brand’s larger Sport Your Style back-to-school campaign, which is focused on versatility and encourages teens to own their individual style. While this theme is woven throughout the “School of Sport” experience, it is most prominent in the Roblox experience’s first environment, The Locker Room, where the transition from sport to style commonly occurs in real-world school.

Users enter the experience through The Locker Room where they will receive information on how to navigate DICK’S Sporting Goods High. Each player will have a personalized locker containing The Store where they can use style points, the in-experience currency, to purchase shoes, apparel and accessories to outfit their avatars.  

As users freely explore DICK’S Sporting Goods High, they can socialize with other users and collect stickers, badges and style points by competing in quests, and challenges throughout the experience environments: The Field, The Hallways, The Gymnasium and The Outdoor Cafeteria. There is an additional hidden environment within the experience that visitors must discover on their own.

In addition to using style points to unlock access to the latest back-to-school gear, community members can also view their rankings on the leaderboard and personalize their virtual school supplies (notebook, waterbottle, etc.) with stickers they’ve collected throughout the school.

Walmart is making it easier for shoppers to purchase refurbished items.

Its new program, dubbed Walmart Restored, seeks to help customers discover refurbished products on its website. Online now and in select stores later this fall, the program also gives customers a choice and an opportunity to extend the life of a product.

Walmart already works with sellers and suppliers on Walmart.com who refurbish products and prepare them for a new home at a fraction of typical costs. But now those items will be easier to find and shop with the Walmart Restored program designation. Consumers can visit the Walmart Restored section of Walmart.com or see items pop up in search.

Refurbished items feature brands like Apple, Samsung, KitchenAid and more. When customers buy a product in the Walmart Restored program – whether it’s a laptop or a kitchen appliance – they can be confident they are buying from top-rated performance managed sellers and suppliers, the retailer said. All products listed on the site have been professionally inspected, tested and cleaned, and if for any reason a customer isn’t satisfied, Walmart offers 90-day free returns.

Amazon’s sellers could soon have a more controlled way to convert funds. The company will be piloting a new tool called Amazon Seller Wallet, providing brands with an easier way to hold, view, and transfer Amazon store proceeds directly to their bank account. 

Amazon Seller Wallet gives selling partners more control over how much and when to convert their funds.

Still in its early stages, the solution looks to simplify the global Amazon selling experience with a Seller Central platform for small businesses that sell on Amazon. There’s currently no cost or minimum amount, or maintenance fee, associated with the platform. Though volume-based currency conversion and international transfer fees will still apply. 

[Read more: Buy With Prime: Free, Expedited Delivery Expands Beyond Amazon.com]

Amazon Seller Wallet is currently available to a select number of small businesses that sell on Amazon.com. The company plans to expand the offering to other sellers once it collects feedback and refines the tool over time. In the future, the tool may also have additional capabilities like third-party payments and foreign exchange rate tools. 

Selling partner Maxwell Sigurdson-Scott, founder of MESS in Canada, has used Amazon Seller Wallet for the past few weeks. “Amazon Seller Wallet has allowed me to easily manage my payouts all within Seller Central. The tool is simple to use and has saved me time and money,” he said.

TikTok is elevating shoppable content to new heights, helping brands to better resonate with consumers and provide an easy way to access products. The latest brand to use this advertising avenue is David’s Bridal, who is using commerce-driven content to streamline the shopping experience. 

Collaborating with digital advertising platform KERV Interactive and January Digital, the brand’s digital agency partner, David’s Bridal has automated and optimized its shoppable content strategy with performance thus far exceeding the 2x average benchmark for click-through rates, reaching more than 16MM. 

This is the brand’s latest effort to reach consumers wherever they are through digital touch points. The company has also launched a mobile planning app as well as its Diamond Loyalty program. 

"We are always exploring innovative solutions that not only make our customers' shopping experience with us a positive one but also meet them where they are shopping," said Kelly Cook, chief marketing and IT officer of David's Bridal. 

"We know our customers are on TikTok and they love it. Our Dream Makers (our amazing employees!) also have a passion for TikTok. It's a natural place for us to expand if customers and employees enjoy the content,” Cook added. “We are thrilled to partner with KERV, TikTok, and January Digital to deliver shoppable, compelling content directly on the app and get her into her dream dress."

UK high street retailer Marks & Spencer is strengthening its commitment to build robust omnichannel experiences. 

The company has extended an existing agreement, tacking on another five years with Flooid for its point-of-sale and unified commerce platform. Originally contracted in 2007 to supply software to run point-of-sale and self-checkout across the enterprise, the tech provider will now help Marks & Spencer build out its unified commerce strategy.

“We originally selected PCMS to replace our aging software in all our store formats. The world has changed a great deal since this time, and our solutions need to wholeheartedly support the growth of our omnichannel offering,” said Paul Airey, head of technology and digital at Marks & Spencer. “We need to be able to serve customers however they want to shop, so we’re delighted that Flooid will enable us to grow our omnichannel capabilities using its basket services.”

“This enables us to launch new formats like consumer mobile and self-service kiosks quickly while allowing us to create and build our own experiences on top of the Flooid platform,” Airey added.

Martyn Osborne, CEO EMEA for Flooid, said the company is excited to support the company’s changing business formats and ambition for change and growth over the next several years.

While Toys“R”Us seemingly shuttered its doors in 2018, the beloved toy brand is making its in-person return to all Macy’s locations across America.

Macy’s partnership with WHP global begins October 15 and will showcase Toys“R”Us in-store shops, ranging from 1,000 square feet up to 10,000 square feet. These larger footprints will be in Macy’s flagship locations, which include Atlanta, Chicago, Honolulu, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, and San Francisco. Footprints may expand during the holiday season as the brand looks to offer a wider assortment of products.

As part of the launch, Macy’s will be hosting nine days of in-store events from Oct. 15 to Oct. 23. This will include daily giveaways from brands like Barbie, Lego, and more, as well as family friendly activities.

The in-store presence will include colorful fixtures and interactive demonstration tables. These Toys“R”Us shops will also feature a photo opportunity with a life-sized “Geoffrey on a Bench.”

[Read more: The Anti-Mall: How Innovative Store Partnerships Are Changing the Face of Retail] 

“Macy’s cannot wait to bring the Toys“R”Us experience to life in our stores,” said Nata Dvir, Macy’s chief merchandising officer. "We hope Toys”R”Us kids of all ages discover the joy of exploration and play within our shops and families create special memories together. The customer response to our partnership with Toys“R”Us has been incredible and our toy business has seen tremendous growth.”

Toys“R”Us products have been available online exclusively at Macy’s since last August. According to Macy’s reported earnings for the Q1 of 2022, toy sales were 15x higher than the comparable period prior to the Toys”R”Us partnership.