Direct To Consumer (DTC)

Look for Martha Stewart to appear on the QVC channel.   Sequential Brands Group announced a multi-year agreement with QVC for Sequential’s Martha Stewart brand. Under the agreement, QVC will launch several categories for the brand, including skincare, fashion apparel, and food and beverage.  

A pure player specializing in activewear for plus-size women is making the leap to the offline world.   Juno Active will open its first store this spring, at Mall of America, in Bloomington, Minn. The 3,200-sq.-ft. space will offer activewear and swimwear, starting at size 14, along with intimates.     Originally called Junonia, the company was founded in 1995 as a catalog operation. It rebranded itself as Juno Active in 2012, and switched to an exclusive online model.    

Staples Australia and New Zealand is refreshing its pricing strategy.   Staples Australia and New Zealand completes more than 80,000 deliveries daily for consumers and small businesses under 20 employees. However, the chain relied on a legacy-based monitoring tool to establish pricing metrics. To remain competitive in an increasingly omnichannel landscape — especially among business customers — the company was ready to revamp its pricing efforts.   

A men’s grooming shop that provides hand and foot care, haircuts and shaves in a “man cave nirvana” has ambitious designs for expansion.   

There’s been a couple of change in the C-suite of hand-made goods marketplace Etsy.   The company said chairman and CEO Chad Dickerson is stepping down, to be succeeded as CEO by board member Josh Silverman, effective May 3. Fred Wilson, who has served as lead independent director of the Etsy board, since October 2014, will succeed Dickerson as chairman.  

Two private equity firms are “actively” exploring a buyout of Staples, according to a report by CNBC.   Cerberus Capital Management and Sycamore Partners have emerged as the leading frontrunners pursuing a deal, the report said. While other private equity firms, including Clayton Dubilier & Rice LLC, Advent International Corp and Bain Capital LLC, held discussions with the retailer include, they appear to be walked back and are less interested in the deal.  

Eighteen year-old online home décor and furnishings brand ATGStores.com has a new name, a new look and a new focus on personalized, one-on-one service.  

Indochino is growing its fledgling store footprint and has the U.S. market in its sights.   The Vancouver, Canada-based online retailer has opened its 13th store, at Metropolis in Metrotown in Burnaby, a suburb of Vancouver. The approximate 2,000-sq.-ft. store follows the recent openings of additional locations at West Edmonton Mall, Edmonton, and Chinook Centre, Calgary.