Retailers Forum Magazine December 2023 EMAG

RETAILING NEWS
Claire’s Adds Kohl’s to Growing Partnership
THE once chapter 11 and now returned Claire’s is adding to its growing retail presence through
a new partnership with Kohl’s that will see an assortment of the brands, jewelry, accessories and
cosmetics featured in Kohl’s stores in time for this holiday season.
CLAIRE’S activation began rolling out early last month and will be live at around 700 Kohl’s stores
across the country by the end of this month. Kohl’s joins Claire’s growing list of over 40 retail partners
which include Macy’s, Toys R Us, CVS, DSW and at least 10 grocery partners around the country.
SOME of the highlights of the Kohl’s rollout is attracting the Gen Alpha crowd with jewelry, hair
accessories and cosmetics. A display targeting the more mature Gen Z audience will also feature
those products. And finally, a display positioned near the checkout counter that will feature seasonal
items as well as novelty products.
CLAIRE’S growing presence in partner stores sits alongside its 2,750 owned stores worldwide, which
include a store expansion in Europe and a next gen Parisian location that showcases its partnership
with fashion designer Nicola Formichetti and V Magazine.
FOR the last three years the 62-year-old brand has been undergoing a massive transformation
effort to reintroduce itself to today’s younger consumers through metaverse interactions and the
creation of their new loyalty program.
TRULY, for those of us in this industry who have been around long enough, this is a prime example
of what was old can become new again!
Authentic Inks Deal with Shein for Forever 21
AUTHENTIC brands has been extremely busy making deals with retailers from the past and
now has announced a gigantic deal between Shein and Forever 21. Authentic has built a $30
billion business that owns some 50 of the world’s best-known brands. This new arrangement with
Shein, the global online fashion and lifestyle retailer, for its Forever 21 brand will have Shein design,
manufacture and distribute a line of Forever 21 apparel and accessories. The collection will be sold
exclusively online on Shein’s sites in the US as well as part of Europe and Australia.
THIS deal comes shortly after the news that Shein had acquired about a third interest in SPARC
Group, a joint venture between Authentic and Simon Property Group. SPARC is the core operating
partner of Forever 21 in the US, At the same time, SPARC became a minority shareholder in Shein.
WHILE the Forever 21 deal is seen as a potentially highly lucrative one, it is the start of something
even larger. This is the start of building brands within an e-commerce platform.
FOREVER 21 already operates a fleet of physical stores and has an online presence but this
deal will bring the company onto the Shein platform, which boasts over 154 million users, There is
amazing market penetration that will be achieved by this move.
ALTHOUGH the deal is for online, it will be more far reaching because of Shein’s investment in
SPARC. Shein installed a pop-up shop in the Forever 21 location in Ontario Mills in Ontario, CA and
saw over 7,000 people walking through the space in it’s four-day stay, with comparable store sales
up 62 percent over the prior year. To be sure, there will be more pop-ups and we will see many more
old brands renew themselves in the near future.
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Page 14 DECEMBER 2023 | RETAILERS FORUM MAGAZINE