Direct To Consumer (DTC)

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.  

Following in the footsteps of Warby Parker, Bonobos and the like, another online startup is ready to plant some brick-and-mortar roots.   Brooklyn, New York-based sneaker brand Greats plans to open at least 10 locations over the next two years, according to The New York Business Journal.  

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.   

Although Amazon's sales advanced by a respectable 23% over the quarter (do link to our story yesterday), the pace of growth at the online behemoth remains much slower than it was over most of the prior fiscal year. Some of this is the result of a less favorable exchange rate diluting contributions from the international business. However, some is also down to a more challenging demand environment in North America which has limited spending uplifts on products within Amazon's core territory.