Direct To Consumer (DTC)

Tiffany & Co. has named Roger Farah as chairman, effective Oct. 2.    Farah, 64, joined Tiffany’s board in March 2017. He succeeds Michael J. Kowalski, who has served as chairman since 2002.   Kowalski, who served as CEO of Tiffany from 1999 until his retirement in March 2015, has been acting as interim CEO since February 2017. He will relinquish that title when the company’s newly appointed CEO, Alessandro Bogliolo, takes the reins in October.  

Albertsons Cos. has become the first national grocery retailer to acquire a prepared-meals company.   The nation's second largest supermarket chain is acquiring online meal company Plated in a deal that is expected to close later this month. The move taps into Americans' growing demand for meal delivery services and also shores up Albertsons' defenses against Amazon, which has become a key player in grocery with its acquisition of Whole Foods Market.    

American Eagle Outfitters is entering an emerging global retail market.   The teen retailer is preparing for its debut in India. American Eagle’s expansion will be supported through a multi-year license agreement with the Aditya Birla Group. The Indian conglomerate has an extensive retail portfolio, as well as strong digital and omnichannel capabilities.    The first stores are expected to open in Mumbai and Delhi in Spring 2018.  

The fledgling but growing online formal menswear rental category tuxedo rentals market has a new power player.    Generation Tux, the online suit and tuxedo rental company founded in 2014 by retail veteran George Zimmer, who founded Men’s Wearhouse, has completed the acquisition of Menguin for $25 million. The announcement comes at a time when Menguin, founded in 2013, has experienced three years of 800% compound annual growth rate, according to a company statement.   

A new payment option will help Williams-Sonoma tap a new customer segment.   The home goods retailer will soon accept the peer-to-peer money-transferring service Venmo for bridal registry purchases. The digital wallet lets users make digital payments — or split payments with other users, according to ReCode.  

Amazon is putting Fashion Week couture items into Londoners’ hands within an hour.   Amazon is partnering with designer Nicola Formichetti to offer one-hour delivery to London-based Prime customers. Available items were originally featured on the catwalk during a London Fashion Week fashion show on Saturday night, according to Reuters.  

Amazon has evolved into a destination for a variety of categories, and now it’s adding sweets and snacks to this portfolio.    Out of $49 billion in total sales across sweets and snacks in 2016, Amazon rang up $240 million in 2016. And between January-August 2017, the online giant has already grabbed $215 million — a year-over-year (YoY) growth of 42%, according to “Sweets & Snacks: The Amazon Effect,” a report from One Click Retail.  

Women's footwear brand Aerosoles has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection as it looks to shutter nearly all of its U.S. stores.   The company has about 80 stores in the United States, and also sells its shoes through other retailers. It has begun store closing sales and is seeking approval from the Bankruptcy Court to proceed with the sales. Aerosoles said it plans to maintain four flagships, in New York and New Jersey, and will also enhance its e-commerce, wholesale and international businesses.