News Briefs
Jack in the Box expanding in two new markets
Jack in the Box is entering new markets as its continues to grow its footprint.
The quick-service restaurant chain has opened its first location in Kentucky, in the Louisville market. The site offers dine-in, drive-thru, mobile ordering options and will be open 24 hours per day.
The opening represents Jack in the Box’s second new market entry in the past three months, joining Salt Lake City.
The brand also announced a new agreement, signing a group of veteran Jack in the Box franchisees to open six new restaurant commitments in the Louisville market.
“We’re pleased to announce the opening of our first Jack in the Box location in the state of Kentucky,” said Tim Linderman, chief development officer. “This marks a significant milestone for our brand as we continue to expand our presence across the country."
In May, Jack in the Box signed its first new development agreement in Mexico in more than 30 years, a 22-unit commitment in four northern Mexican States. The signing came on the heels of the brand’s recent announcements for expansion into the new markets of Orlando (Florida) and Arkansas, along with additional commitments in Hawaii, Tennessee, Missouri, Texas, and California.
Jack in the Box Inc., headquartered in San Diego, California, operates and franchises Jack in the Box, which has more than 2,180 restaurants across 21 states, and Del Taco, the second largest Mexican-American QSR chain by units in the U.S. with approximately 600 restaurants across 15 states.
Sporting goods giant Decathlon upgrades product development
The world’s largest sporting goods retailer is enhancing its digital product creation capabilities as part of a broader enterprise transformation.
Decathlon, a France-based global sporting goods chain with a U.S. e-commerce operation, is deploying the Centric Software product lifecycle management (PLM) technology and Visual Boards digital touchscreen boards as part of a digital transformation effort. Leveraging the Centric Software PLM solution, Decathlon intends to more effectively plan, design, develop, source, price and sell products.
The retailer sought an extended technology solution to support innovation and impact initiatives while driving value for all product lines, from apparel and footwear to sports equipment.
Of particular importance to Decathlon was Centric’s end-to-end digital product creation functionality via 3D design and development, as well as an enhanced visual experience. In addition, the retailer selected the vendor for its global support offering.
As a a vertically integrated company, Decathlon researches, designs, manufactures, markets and retails its own branded apparel, equipment, and related sports merchandise. This means the company has to manage logistics, inventory, labeling and tracking of the products it produces.
In addition to implementing new PLM technology, Decathlon has also taken innovative product management steps such as adopting Electronic Product Code (EPC)-enabled Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) to uniquely identify every product in its portfolio, worldwide.
Headquartered in Villeneuve d'Ascq, Nord-Pas-de-Calais, France, Decathlon operates more than 1,700 stores in 60 countries around the world, as well as a U.S. e-commerce site.
Shein acquires UK fast-fashion brand Missguided
Shein continues to expand its global reach.
In its second big deal in a week, the Singapore-based online retailer of value-priced fashions has acquired British fast-fashion brand Missguided from the Frasers Group. Missguided items will be made available to Shein’s 150 million global users as an independent brand via Shein sites, as well as on missguided.com, according to Shein.
The deal, whose terms were not disclosed, comes on the heels of Shein’s new agreement with Authentic Brands Group under which it will design, manufacture and distribute a line of Forever 21 apparel and accessories for men and women.
As part of the Missguided deal, Shein has entered into an agreement to license the British brand’s intellectual property to Sumwon Studios, a joint venture between Shein and Missguided founder Nitin Passi. The brand’s products and collections will be manufactured through Shein’s on-demand production model and sold on Shein sites.
"The joint venture we have entered ushers in a new format of partnerships for Shein as part of our unwavering commitment to meet customer demand" said Donald Tang, executive chairman, Shein. "Shein aims to reignite the Missguided brand, capitalising on its unique brand personality, and fuelling its global growth through Shein's on-demand production model, unparalleled e-commerce expertise and global reach."
According to its release, Shein has reimagined the fashion industry's traditional production model, by building an agile and responsive ecosystem that leverages real-time insights for on-demand production.
“This enables the reduction of production waste at the source and a much lower level of excess inventory, by responding with increased production only when there is actual market demand,” the company said.
Disney to open holiday pop-up — in-person and online
Disney is kicking off the holiday season with an experiential pop-up village.
The company will open an immersive pop-up marketplace, called Mickey & Friends Holiday Village, in Los Angeles on Nov. 4 and 5. The shoppable experience will feature products from over 70 collections, including from such brands as Forever 21 and Baublebar. It will be open from 12 p.m. to 9 p.m. (PT).
The holiday village is designed to transport guests into a wonderland full of Mickey & Friends-inspired gifts, treats and photo-ready backdrops.
The attractions will include:
•Mickey's Magic Post Office, a seasonal interactive experience that will come to life with light and sound, alerting guests of a holiday mail delivery;
•Mickey & Friends' Holiday House, where visitors can stop and pose for a shareable Disney Holiday themed-postcard with friends;
•A hands-on demo of the 2D platform adventure game featuring Mickey & Friends, Disney Illusion Island; and
• Mickey & Friends wintery chalets, which will showcase the latest collections from select brands including Baublebar, Forever21, Loungefly, shopDisney and more.
Disney's Mickey & Friends Holiday Village is a limited-capacity event located at 606 Venice Boulevard, Venice, Calif. Registration for the experience, which is free, is strongly encouraged at DisneyHoliday.com/Village. A stand-by line will be available open during operating hours on a first-come, first-serve basis.
Guests that can't attend in person can visit the village online, where they can shop hundreds of holiday products. The digital shopping experience is inspired by the in-person Disney's Mickey & Friends Holiday Village.
Poshmark to focus on U.S. and Canada; exits international markets
The Poshmark platform is going dark overseas.
The California-based secondhand fashion marketplace said it has made the “tough decision” to end operations in Australia, India and the UK, effective Oct. 26. Beginning November 2, buyers and sellers for India, Australia, and the UK will no longer have access to the marketplace via the app or web.
“This move, while difficult, will allow us to focus our energy and increase our investments in our core markets, the U.S. and Canada,” wrote Manish Chandra, founder and CEO, in a blog on the company’s website.
Poshmark entered the UK less than a year ago, in January, after launching in India and Australia in 2021. Its exit from the markets markets comes approximately one year after the company agreed to be acquired by South Korean internet giant Naver Corp in a deal valued at approximately $1.2 billion.
Poshmark has about 8.1 million monthly active users on its phone apps, according to mobile intelligence firm Sensor Tower, reported TechCrunch. The app’s popularity has been slowing in its foreign markets, with fewer than 500,000 active users in the past month across the UK, India, and Australia, the report said.
Spanx to pop up in NYC, Washington D.C. and Miami — here are the dates
Spanx is set to launch its first-ever series of pop-up events.
The shapewear and activewear brand will open the first pop-up in New York City on Oct. 27, followed by Washington D.C. on Nov. 4 and Miami on Nov. 11. Each will be open only for one day. (The times and locations, which are all outdoors, are listed at end of article.)
“This is the first time we're bringing Spanx apparel to the public with a retail experience," said chief brand officer Misha Nonoo, chief brand officer, Spanx, which was purchased by Blackstone in 2021. "It's time. At Spanx, we are driven by our commitment to solving shared wardrobe problems and helping women juggle the many roles they take on every day.
The pop-ups will feature artwork by Nigerian-Australian artist Nkoski Ndlovu, whose piece celebrates the twists and turns that shape the female experience. Guests will have the chance to observe her work through an interactive art installation, while exploring the latest apparel collections from Spanx, the company said.
Here are the dates and times of the Spanx pop-ups.
New York City
Friday, Oct. 27
11:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Hudson Yards Public Square and Gardens
Washington, D.C.
Saturday, Nov. 4
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
The Wharf (Market Square)
760 Maine Ave SW
Miami
Saturday, Nov. 11
11:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Miami's Design District - Sweet Bird North
95 NE 40th Street
After the three stateside pop-ups, Spanx will travel to London, opening a pop-up in Selfridges. It will be open Nov. 20 to Dec. 22.