9:13 AM EDT
Domino’s adds a ‘Rain Check Registry’ for pizza fans with weddings delayed
Domino’s Pizza has had a wedding registry since 2017. Now, it has added some very 2020 registry options, aimed at couples replanning their coronavirus-postponed weddings. The Domino’s Rain Check Registry offers gift cards with humorous themes such as the $20 “You Taught a Relative How to Video Call” card and a $30 “vendor call-a-thon” card, since eating pizza might help lessen the pain of rescheduling all of those florists, caterers and so on. "We created Domino's Wedding Registry because pizza-loving couples have shared over the years how Domino's pizza was a part of their big day,” Kate Trumbull, Domino's VP of advertising, said in a statement. "With so many weddings being postponed or scaled back in 2020, we knew those couples might need some extra love from those around them, because everything is better with pizza."
--Jessica Wohl
June 22, 2020
2:11 PM EDT
Store loyalty declining
Consumers are becoming less loyal to their preferred retailer of choice amid coronavirus-related stockpiling, one study found. According to a survey from data company Numerator, 64 percent of shoppers are trying a new store because their “preferred store” is out of stock on items they need. Meanwhile, 38 percent of respondents said their regular store is too crowded and 36 percent said they are shopping closer to home than normal because of COVID-19 concerns. The report raises concerns for how retailers should be attracting former loyalists.
--Adrianne Pasquarelli
June 19, 2020
3:15 PM EDT
End of the roll
Toilet paper’s reign at the top of household shopping lists might be at an end. Bath tissue sales fell 0.6 percent in the week ended June 13 from the year-earlier period, according to Nielsen data. The decline caps weeks of slowing growth as consumers pull back on stocking up on the bathroom item. At the same time, some shoppers are turning to disposable urinals for travel as they avoid public restrooms on road trips.
In addition, Nielsen found that paper towels are still in demand, ending the week of June 13 with sales up nearly 9 percent compared to the year-earlier period. That rise could continue to be good for napkins, which have seen sales rise during the pandemic due to the shortages of other paper products.
--Adrianne Pasquarelli
June 18, 2020
10:30 AM EDT
Carnival predicts continued losses as it doesn’t know when its cruises will resume
Cruise operator Carnival Corp. says it cannot definitively predict when it will return to normal operations. Earlier this week, rival Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings extended its suspension of cruises through September, except for Seattle-based Alaska cruises still set to sail in September.
Carnival says that there was demand for 2021 cruises even as it substantially cut back on marketing spending. About two-thirds of 2021 bookings in the six weeks ended May 31 were new bookings, it says, while the rest were from guests who applied credits from canceled sailings to future cruises. Carnival posted a second-quarter loss of $4.4 billion and says it expects to post a loss in the second half of 2020.
Carnival is scaling back its operations, with preliminary deals in place to dispose of six ships and plans for additional deals.
--Jessica Wohl
June 16, 2020
3:04 PM EDT
Cycling industry hits $1 billion in monthly sales
Consumers are continuing to buy bikes as they turn to at-home fitness equipment and new, non-public modes of transportation outside due to coronavirus concerns. After growth in March, the cycling industry revved up even more in April, according to a recent report from trend research firm NPD Group. April sales of bikes, including outdoor and indoor bicycles and accessories, grew 75 percent from the year-earlier period to $1 billion, the firm found. Typically, cycling sales are between $550 million and $575 million. Experts say brands should expand their marketing focus beyond the single cycling enthusiast to a family of recreationists.
“For far too long the cycling industry has been solely focused on the pinnacle athlete, but these results show that a broader, family and beginner focus can reap gains,” said Matt Powell, NPD’s sports industry advisor, in a statement. “This is a silver lining, and one of the important sports retail lessons to come out of the pandemic.
--Adrianne Pasquarelli
June 10, 2020
4:55 PM EDT
Men more likely to try on clothes post-pandemic
As stores reopen, not all consumers will be comfortable trying on clothes in fitting rooms even after the pandemic ends, suggests a new poll from YouGov. According to the poll, 43 percent of Americans say they are somewhat or very comfortable trying on clothes at a store when COVID-19 is over and 43 percent say they are somewhat or very uncomfortable doing so. Yet more men say they would be comfortable than women.
--Adrianne Pasquarelli
June 9, 2020
4:45 PM EDT
Zaxby’s brings romance to the drive-thru line
Chicken chain Zaxby’s held a “Drive-Thru Date Night” on a recent Friday at one of its Tennessee locations to appeal to couples looking for a break from pandemic meals at home. Zaxby’s says customers were treated to roses, a violinist and a caricature artist as they waited in the drive-thru line, where the chain has been doing well during COVID-19. The chain worked with creative agency of record Tombras on the May 29 event, which promoted its Zax Pax for Two, which includes eight chicken fingers, two regular crinkle fries, two slices of Texas toast, two Zax Sauce dipping cups and two 22-ounce drinks.
--Jessica Wohl
3:59 PM EDT
Store closures to skyrocket following coronavirus lockdowns
The pandemic is continuing to pummel the retail industry, and one research firm says the struggle will continue. In a new report, Coresight Research said store closures in the U.S. will be between 20,000 and 25,000—even higher than the firm’s March estimate of 15,000 closures and more than double the 9,821 closures of 2019. Last week, struggling Gap Inc., which has begun reopening its stores following COVID-19 shutdowns, reported quarterly sales declines and announced it will permanently shutter its two-year-old menswear brand Hill City. Signet Jewelers, which owns mall-based brands including Zales, Jared and Kay, said it will close more than 150 of its locations; bankrupt JC Penney recently announced it will close 242 stores, leaving just 600 open. Coresight expects that as much as 60 percent of the retail closures will be from mall-based stores.
--Adrianne Pasquarelli
June 8, 2020
12:20 PM EDT
A majority of U.S. consumers want brands to continue COVID messaging
More than half of U.S. consumers say brands need to continue messages about a new set of concerns and messages around protecting workers and consumers, even as the COVID-19 threat subsides, according to new survey research by GfK. But it’s a relatively thin majority – 55 percent – with the other 45 percent believing brands should return to pre-coronavirus themes as soon as possible. The survey was conducted with more than 1,000 people in the U.S. ages 16-65 conducted May 28 and 29. It finds women, millennials and Gen Z more likely to believe brands should change messaging in a post-COVID world. People with children under 3 prefer brands return to pre-virus messaging, such as innovations, promotions and general product information.
-Jack Neff
11:05 AM EDT
Men playing a much bigger role in shopping during pandemic
Men are playing a much bigger role in grocery shopping during the pandemic and are now the primary grocery shoppers in 54 percent of U.S. households where only one person does the shopping, according to a survey of more than 1,000 people commissioned by Emodo.
Like most surveys about household chores, it bears scrutiny. Women now report they’re the primary shopper in 60 percent of households where only one person does the shopping, and men report they’re the primary shopper in 54 percent. That adds up to over 100 percent, so someone is fibbing.
But, significantly, the survey found the number of women in all households who self-report that they’re the primary shopper has fallen to 59 percent during the pandemic from 74 percent before – a 15 point drop. Emodo behavioral data, based on tracking mobile devices in store, also confirms the shift, with the ratio of men to women shopping at CVS and Walgreens rising substantially in March and early April. Emodo also finds that dads have taken a more active role across every aspect of shopping – most notably in store but also with online delivery and pickup orders.
There are big implications for packaged-goods marketers. Survey responses suggest men are less brand loyal and more willing to buy alternatives, particularly private labels, if they have any trouble finding their favorite brands.
The survey didn’t indicate exactly why men are playing a bigger role in shopping now – whether it’s because they have more time on their hands due to unemployment or working from home, being noble by taking the risk, or just eager to volunteer for something that gets them out of the home. Jake Moskowitz, VP of data strategy at Ericsson Emodo, sees signs that the pandemic could lead to permanent changes, with people of all ages shopping for food more, but particularly people ages 25-34. With 68 percent of people reporting that they’ve increased cooking from scratch, and 58 percent saying they’ve tried new recipes during the pandemic, they’ve developed skills they may continue applying for years. More than half of respondents also say they won’t immediately go back to normal activities even with government encouragement, and 40 percent say they won’t do so even if there’s a vaccine.
-Jack Neff
June 4, 2020
4:32 PM EDT
Americans get fatter, snack more, but willing to wear masks
Americans are snacking more and getting fatter during the pandemic, according to the latest wave of surveys from Acupoll. Its survey found 29 percent of more than 5,000 respondents May 7-18 reported having gained weight—3 percent of them more than 10 pounds. Balancing things out, 20 percent said they’ve lost weight. Of the gainers, 46 percent blame eating more; 28 percent blame less exercise; 17 percent blame less healthy eating habits, and 7 percent blame emotional reasons.
On those eating habits, 33 percent said they’re eating more or larger portions of snacks, and/or using single-serve snack packs less. For single-serve snack marketers, Acupoll sees an opportunity to focus on the health value of portion control, tacking away from the more cynical approach of just piling displays of value-size cheese puffs higher at Walmart.
Despite masks becoming a culture wars flashpoint, Acupoll found 91 percent of respondents are willing to wear them to enter a business, at least grudgingly. Actually, 36 percent said they wouldn’t go into a business that lets people in without them. Another 44 percent said they don’t like it, but wear masks anyway when they go to businesses. And 11 percent said they’re willing to wear masks but can’t find them. Overall, 83 percent of respondents agree with public health restrictions on businesses and public gatherings at least to some extent.
-Jack Neff
June 2, 2020
5:26 PM EDT
Perdue’s latest coronavirus ad doesn’t star any Perdue family members
The latest Perdue Farms commercial is a first for the poultry brand — the spot doesn’t star a member of the Perdue family or a brand spokesperson. “Keep Cookin’” features non-actors preparing meals in their homes that, of course, feature some Perdue chicken products. The work plays on the idea that people are spending more time at home during the coronavirus pandemic learning new recipes and trying to have moments of joy while dining. The effort relies on a montage of remote production shots, like many other campaigns have done over the past couple of months, but doesn’t specifically mention the pandemic. It comes from The VIA Agency, which in March worked with Perdue on selfie-style spots that showed Chairman Jim Perdue thanking frontline food workers.
--Jessica Wohl