Thursday Round Up: IKEA pops up on Oxford St, how mini purses & charms enable self-expression & I ask if Black Friday is losing its allure, plus bookmarked reads & shopping notes.
#57: This is In The Loop’s Thursday round-up where you’ll find retail, fashion & beauty news and trends, through the lens of a retail strategist who loves to shop, share & dive in to all the latest.
I love shopping in November and December. Stores are full of new launches, sparkles, and too good to resist offers. Yes, you can find the offers online, but I’ll never not be a store advocate, and in case you m missed it, you can find out why in this week’s Retail Lab where I give my take on why stores are still important for customers and retailers.
In this week’s round up you’ll find:
Reflections of a Retail Strategist - what caught my eye, including the IKEA Frakta pop-up store, how bag charms are more than just a pretty bauble and why small bags are having their big moment
So Many Thoughts on how to win sales and influence customers (and it might not be during Black Friday)
Out and About, feat. Anthropologie, Oliver Bonas’ expanded store in St Albans, standalone pop-up Christmas stores and why the Barbie merchandise at the Design Museum was so tempting
Bookmarked - this week’s must-reads
Shopping notes - everything I loved and saved in my Notes app this week
💫 Reflections of a Retail Strategist
What caught my eye
After much anticipation (and walking by wondering what was going on behind the giant Blue Bag for all this time), IKEA has opened up a pop up store dedicated to its famous Frakta bag ahead of the main store’s delayed opening in spring 2025. Meant as a placeholder (and clever distraction) while final construction is completed, it’s a smart move from the brand to use their most recognisable item to tease its main launch. Shoppers can create their own personalised Frakta bag, purchase a mini version, experience what it’s like to live in the bag and eat blue candy floss.
Bag charms are everywhere. From Mulberry to Prada (who had a whopping 95 options at the time of writing) to Anthropologie, brands are capitalising on the consumer desire for personalisation. Customers are tired of carrying the same bags as everyone else, and charms are a great way to inject fun and personality in to a look, without breaking the bank. From a brand’s POV, these charms represent an attractive entry price point and and can act as free marketing even when dangled off other bags. It’s a win-win.
Mini bags have been a big deal since Jacquemus debuted its delightfully cute Chiquito bag in 2018, proving that less can be more when it comes to making a style statement. Now we’re seeing the rise of make up/ vanity bags being used as clutches for several reasons: it makes practical sense from a size and convenience POV, the unusual step can create a talking point, they ring in at an accessible price point and often come in unique shapes (see the Bottega Vanity Bag which is as practical as it is beautiful.)
💡 So Many Thoughts on why Black Friday might not be the best time to win customers and influence people
TL;DR: If this article in Forbes is anything to go by there are other times of the year when customers might be more willing to spend.
Black Friday and Boxing Day sales used to be prime shopping moments in a customer’s calendar, but with year-round sales and offers, these traditional shopping periods have lost their appeal. UK footfall is down and sales are slowing, leaving retailers wondering if and when they will pick up, but what’s behind this change in sentiment?
Customers are becoming strategic shoppers, buying what they need with offers throughout the year and accumulating loyalty points for “treat” purchases;
Customers are price-matching all year round and can spot Black Friday offers that don’t offer value;
Economic uncertainty is leading to less impulse shopping, with customers prioritising longevity and practicality over the buzz of buying in a sale;
Sale items/ dead stock can be easily identified by loyal customers;
Sustainability concerns are making us think twice before ordering;
A lack of free returns is halting purchases, as are delivery delays and postal issues;
The 100s of emails promoting offers in November and December are leading to discount fatigue.
Thoughts for retailers
Shoppers like discounts but the deluge of Black Friday marketing spread out over almost a month is information overload. Retailers need to craft a careful message around sale periods that makes shopping easy and guilt-free
Products on offer should include bestsellers and genuine bargains to spark excitement (building this discount in to your retail strategy is essential)
Minimise discounts at other times of the year and make savings clear and simple (no one likes a complicated offer)
🏬 Out and About
Browsing and shopping with a purpose
Anthropologie
I can’t think of a high street store I love more in December. Anthropologie is always well laid out, tidy and with unique finds at every turn. My favourites in the St Albans store included this bow pearl necklace, all of their bags (seriously, I couldn’t choose a favourite, there are so many designer-looking pieces at a fraction of the price) and the Christmas decorations.
Oliver Bonas
The retailer is opening new stores and revamping old ones, and I love to see it. Their space in St Albans was previously long and narrow, but the refurbished store is more than double the size and full of the brand’s best products: jewellery, gifts and statement clothes. It’s a beautiful space to immerse yourself in the OB World.
Standalone Christmas Pop Up Stores
Novelty pop-up shops appear in my local town every December, and this year is no exception. Capitalising on customers who want all of their decorations, gift wrap, cards, and novelty gifts under one roof, they serve a simple purpose: make Christmas easy and affordable. Whilst they may not be the prettiest stores to look at, they’re certainly better than empty retail units (this one used to house the old Zara before they moved to a larger space.)
The Design Museum, London
I visited the Barbie Exhibition at the weekend in London’s Design Museum, and it was a wonderful walk through the history of Barbie and a nostalgic afternoon I didn't know I needed. Afterwards, I wandered through the pop-up Barbie store and it didn’t disappoint. It was an extension of the exhibition and felt truly immersive. I also love their “Pink Edit” online- linked here.
🔖 Bookmarked
M&S is heading back out to Spain 23 years after it shuttered its operations as the demand for British products and store shopping grows. There’s also a huge British expat community in Spain that I’m sure will be delighted by this news!
Beauty shopping online is hard, but I’ve noticed a recent uptick in the use of AI to make the experience easier. The LookFantastic “Foundation Finder” uses AI to shade match customers based on other products they use. Merit Beauty also offers a similar option that’s really accurate. It’s a great way to attract new customers and give them confidence in their purchase.
Waitrose’s announcement that its opening its first convenience store in 6 years shows that however big a retailer, store format matters for expansion in to different markets and appeal to a wider customer base. Store portfolios are never “one size fits all” and it’s the retailers who adapt that will succeed in creating spaces that increase footfall and grow brand loyalty.
💌 Shopping Notes
Everything I loved and saved in my Notes app this week
The Kate Moss x Zara launch didn’t disappoint. It’s full of beautifully designed pieces that ooze style and luxury and give a hint of Kate Moss’ iconic style
Lululemon launched their new “Soft Sueded” range and I can’t wait to see it IRL very soon. With hundreds of sale emails flooding my inbox, I instantly clicked “open” when this one popped up with the promise of newness. RIXO has also moved swiftly on from Black Friday sales with a new launch. It’s a great strategy as customers tire of the same old products and offers and itch to refresh their wardrobes for upcoming events.
Every year I look forward to the Fresh Cosmetics 12 days of Christmas event where they give away a different free gift / offer every day with every order. It always drops a couple of days after Cyber Monday and it’s a fantastic way to increase excitement, get in the festive spirit and tempt customers in to placing multiple orders. It’s also the perfect antidote to Black Friday and allows Fresh to sell at full price in December.
And that’s a wrap for this week!
I’d love to hear from you, so let me know what you think of this week’s edition and what else you would like to see over here on In The Loop.
Until next week,
Hina