Bentonville, Ark. – Walmart U.S. in recent weeks has been capturing more business from middle- and higher-income shoppers. But they’re mostly sticking to the food and consumables aisles.

For the second consecutive quarter, general merchandise comp sales were down in the mid single digits, with particular softness in electronics, apparel and home products. The strongest categories were automotive, lawn & garden and back-to-school.

At Sam’s Club, the home and apparel division comped up in the low teens, led by strength in apparel, outdoor living, seasonal and toys.

Key merchandising takeaways from this morning’s Q2 call with investors:

Inventory clearance. At the close of Q2, inventory was down 15 percentage points, but Walmart is still working through excesses in electronics, home and sporting goods. “We’ve also canceled billions of dollars in inventory to align with anticipated demand,” said John David Rainey, EVP/CFO.

Selective investments. Merchants have reassessed demand on a sub-category by sub-category basis, cancelling orders in the process in some cases. Walmart Inc. president and CEO Doug McMillon said the company will still bet big on items it expects to pay off, citing Halloween inflatables as an example. “You don’t want to go into too much of a defensive mode,” he said.

Second half seasonal goods. Fall and holiday products are focused on newness and heavily tilted toward opening price points. “We expect inflation to continue to influence the choices families make,” said McMillon.

Looking ahead. The overall business at Walmart U.S. is much larger than it was in 2019. “Next year, we’ll see purchasing levels that are more in line with the way we see demand going in terms of the mix today,” said John Furner, president and CEO of the division.

Total Walmart Inc. revenue for the quarter was $152.9 billion, up 8.4%, or 9.1% in constant currency. Operating income fell 6.8% to $6.9 billion.

See also:

• 3 reasons why Walmart now expects difficult terrain for general merchandise
• The Good, the Bad & the Ugly: Walmart | Warren Shoulberg

Woodlands, Texas/Charlotte, N.C. — After announcing their partnership earlier this year, Conn’s. Inc. And Belk have officially launched their first store-within-a-store pilot concept in five Belk locations under the name Conn’s x Belk. The new store format provides Belk customers with access to Conn’s complementary home product categories, as well as core differentiators like industry-leading white-glove, next-day delivery.

Additional Conn’s x Belk locations are planned to open throughout the summer and early fall of 2022, along with an e-commerce experience coming to Belk.com this fall. The Conn’s x Belk locations feature a name brand assortment of all major Conn’s product categories including furniture, home electronics and appliances. The store-within-a-store format ranges from approximately 10,000 to 25,000 square feet depending on the Belk location.

“We’re thrilled that our first five Conn’s x Belk concept stores are open with more coming soon, giving us the opportunity to introduce new customers to Conn’s key differentiators, including our high-quality product assortment, white glove next-day delivery and in-house repair service,” said Chandra Holt, president and CEO of Conn’s. “This is an important step in our journey to scale, reimagine and strengthen our business.”

To celebrate the new shopping experience, all five of the Conn’s x Belk locations will hold grand opening celebrations on Saturday, Aug. 13, 10 a.m.–2 p.m. that will include giveaways, treats and music. Customers can experience the new Conn’s x Belk pilot at the following Belk locations, open now:

• West Town located at 7600 Kingston Pike in Knoxville, TN
• Triangle located at 7500 Old Wake Forest Road in Raleigh, NC
• Northlake located at 7115 Northlake Mall Drive in Charlotte, NC
• Ridgeland located at 1200 East County Line Road in Ridgeland, MS
• Charleston located at 2064 Sam Rittenberg Boulevard. in Charleston, SC

Additional locations are slated to open throughout the summer and early fall in Belk stores in existing Conn’s markets across the Southern U.S.

”We’re excited to create this new experience for our customers,” said Don Hendricks, interim CEO of Belk. “The great part about this partnership with Conn’s is that our customers now have access to products we didn’t sell in our stores. It’s a fantastic opportunity for them to get everything they need for their home in one convenient location.”

See also:

• Belk CEO is stepping down after less than a year at the helm

Union, N.J. – Just a little over a year after its launch, a multi-category house brand Bed Bath & Beyond created to attract young adults is dropping from the mix.

Wild Sage launched in June 2021 ahead of the Back-to-Campus season as a globally inspired lifestyle brand designed for “fashion-forward homes and dorm rooms.” The product range included bedding, bath, furniture, home décor and table linens.

Bed Bath & Beyond confirmed the Wild Sage phase-out to CNBC. Wild Sage was among nine house brands the retailer rolled out between February 2020 and May 2022. The steady stream of fresh labels failed to enthuse shoppers as reflected in waning sales and market share.

In June, newly appointed interim CEO Sue Gove said Bed Bath & Beyond plans to bring more national brands into its assortment. Gustavo Arnal, EVP and CFO, added that that some sub-categories within some brands were over-extended.

The company will provide “much more” information about its merchandising plans when it shares an update on its progress in late August, Gove said during BBB’s July 15 shareholder meeting.

In calls with investors following the ouster of Bed Bath & Beyond president and CEO Mark Tritton in June, the only house brand that has been mentioned as hitting the mark with consumers is Simply Essential – an opening price point brand that launched in early 2021.

See also:

Bed Bath & Beyond interim CEO: “We are working with urgency”

Merchandising alert: Bed Bath & Beyond plans to add more national brands back into the mix

A merchandising miss: Mainstay bedding packaged in the same put-up as the step-up Better Homes & Garden merchandise.

Walmart continues to be the biggest retailer on the planet…despite itself. We get supply chain, labor shortages and the relentless pace of its shopping turnover but why can’t the stores just look better and be more pleasant places to shop?

We just visited a store in the Atlanta market and came away needing a shower.

The Good

• Yes, there were good things here. Nobody can blow out promotional specials better – as evidenced by 18-packs of cotton washcloths for $6.44 and over-sized “Teddy” plush pillows for $6.88. The freight alone has to cost more.
• And in the ever-confusing world of trying to figure out what towels to buy, Walmart tries to help the shopper with shelf facings that explain the attributes of four different levels of products. This is useful info for consumers who don’t understand why one towel costs $1.99 and a seemingly very similar one is five times the price.

The Bad

• Much was made of Walmart’s tie-in with Gap for apparel and home but the few pieces in this store were stuck in the middle of a 16-foot gondola as if they were leftovers. If the store doesn’t treat them as special why should the shopper?
• We continue to be absolutely puzzled by the way most retailers – not just Walmart – fail to differentiate opening price point promotional products from premium items. Here, Mainstay bedding was in exactly the same packaging and put-up as the step-up Better Homes & Garden merchandise. The shopper is going to pick price every time when faced with this kind of non-choice.

The Ugly

• OK, Walmart says it is overloaded with too much stuff, but a walk through this one store on one day showed plenty of stock outages and empty shelves, mixed in with misplaced merchandise scattered about. In other words, a typical Walmart anywhere… outside of a 25-mile radius of Bentonville. Imagine how much more business Walmart would do if the stores just looked better.

More:

3 reasons why Walmart now expects difficult terrain for general merchandise

Walmart, The Gap deepen their exclusive partnership in soft home

This 3-piece comforter set from Macy’s Akwaaba Inns for Hotel Collection features a digitally printed lace-like pattern on Pima cotton.

New York – Hospitality entrepreneur Monique Greenwood, former Essence magazine editor-in-chief, is applying her eye for distinctive design to Macy’s Hotel Collection.

The retailer today announced the launch of a limited edition collection that reflects the sensibilities of Akwaaba Bed and Breakfast Inns, which are sited in architecturally-rich buildings in New Orleans, Cape May, N.J., Washington DC, Philadelphia, The Pocono Mountains and Brooklyn, N.Y.

The curated Akwaaba Inns for Hotel Collection includes bedding, pillows, throws, duvets, bath towels, robes, slippers and tabletop. Prices range from $22.99-$259.99, and the line is now on macys.com, Macy’s mobile app and at select Macy’s department stores nationwide.

Akwaaba Bed & Breakfast Inn’s printed kimono for the Macy’s Hotel collection is made from 100% Tencel with a Pima cotton hem.

“I’m overjoyed to offer style-conscious consumers everywhere the kind of sumptuous bed and bath items and elegant tabletop pieces that lead to unforgettable experiences, which is what we’re all about at Akwaaba Bed & Breakfast Inns,” said Greenwood, founder and CEO of Akwaaba Bed & Breakfast Inns. “This collaboration with Macy’s is the manifestation of a vision-board goal I’ve had for nearly eight years.”

Designs in the collection include geometric patterns and textures in natural fabrics and earthy hues that aim to deliver a “global meets modern luxe” vibe.

Tabletop in the new collection includes glassware, trays, coasters, appetizer plates and a tea pot.

Stephanie Muehlhausen, Macy’s senior fashion director for home, lauded Greenwood’s unique style in home décor.

“As part of our social purpose platform, Mission Every One, we are committed to partnering with diverse designers and using Macy’s platform to showcase their talents,” she added. “This latest collaboration will provide our customers with more modern choices to express their personal style at home.”

MORE

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The Good, the Bad & the Ugly: Macy’s | Warren Shoulberg

San Francisco — Pottery Barn, a brand of Williams-Sonoma Inc., just launched The Accessible Home collection specifically for people living with disabilities, injuries and the “aging in place community,” infusing the collection with Pottery Barn’s signature style.

“In our ongoing commitment to enhance the quality of lives at home we’re excited to now better serve our customers’ specific needs with The Accessible Home,” said Pottery Barn President Marta Benson. “Our mission is to incorporate accessibility into everything we do: providing beautiful, thoughtful design that makes a home a more comfortable place for everyone.”

Designed to enhance quality of life at home, The Accessible Home comprises a range of upholstery, office, dining, bedroom, bath and lighting products using designs from bestselling Pottery Barn styles. Pottery Barn designers consulted with industry experts to adapt these collections with added accessibility features.

Pottery Barn offers non-slip rugs, non-breakable melamine tabletop products, adjustable desks, adjustable beds and more that can support people who are aging in place or who have disabilities or injuries. Accessories like desk lamps, sconces and hooks also fit contract-grade specifications.

The Accessible Home collection from Pottery Barn is designed to offer decorative solutions to the aging in place community.

In furniture, the Irving recliner features powered remotes with easy-to-read buttons, multiple reclining positions, side pockets for easy-to-reach storage and lifting to assist with sitting and standing. The Pacific desk is now wheelchair accessible and comes in modular and open shelving styles, and the Clarence vanity, Pivot mirror and Linden grab bars have been reimagined to make the bathroom safer and easier to navigate.

According to the company, Pottery Barn is the first luxury home retailer to offer an accessible product line within these categories, providing consumers with style, without sacrificing function and accessibility.

The Accessible Home is available online and in select stores.

Related stories:

Pottery Barn expands lineup with this online mattress brand

HomeGoods, Pottery Barn lead in gobbling up market share

Minneapolis – Target is teeing up another limited edition collection in home, this one with Tabitha Brown, who has been a Target influencer for the past two years.

The actress and author’s first collection with Target launched last month and features apparel, swim and accessories. The new Tabitha Brown for Target Décor collection lands on Aug. 6 in stores and online. Two additional curated collections will roll out by next spring.

Soft home in Tabitha Brown’s collection for Target includes pillows and accent rugs.

The home collection slots into four general categories: décor, furniture, pets and stationery. Prices range from $5 to $300, with most priced under $30.

“Our guests loved the first launch of our Tabitha Brown for Target collection, and it was so exciting for our team to experience that joy as guests shared their favorites across social media,” said Jill Sando, Target’s EVP and chief merchandising officer.

Tabitha Brown is renowned for her videos incorporating veganism, humor and motivational speaking.

Known as “America’s Mom,” Brown gained popularity with her viral video content spreading joy, earning the title of one of TikTok’s top 10 creators in 2020 and amassing a following of nearly 5 million. Today, Brown stars in a YouTube original kids show, has a reoccurring role on Showtime’s “The Chi,” co-owns a vegan restaurant and authored two bestselling books.

“My hope for this second collection with Target is that it encourages guests to give to others and themselves an opportunity to create an environment where they too can thrive and go about their business with the most amazing intention,” she said.

MORE

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Union, N.J. – Bed Bath & Beyond has created a branded one-stop shop for dorms, apartments and small living spaces.

Running to just over 260 items, The Novogratz collection for Bed Bath & Beyond encompasses bedding, bath, rugs, furniture and home décor. The collection is offered online and in stores.

Prices start at $12.99 (a welcome mat) and top out at $659.99 (a futon sofa bed). The designs reflect The Novogratz’s colorful, modern sensibility.

“Our collection includes ‘dorm in a box’ – everything from bedding to lighting, rugs, bathroom and accessories – it’s that seamless,” said Cortney Novogratz, who along with husband and design partner Bob have seven children – two now in college.

MORE

Bed Bath & Beyond interim CEO: “We are working with urgency”

WestPoint Home + The Novogratz add family flair to Utica

The Novogratz’s curated collection at Bed Bath & Beyond is designed to serve as a one-stop shop.

To promote their collaboration, The Novogratz and Bed Bath & Beyond are running a sweepstakes that will result in a VIP college makeover by the design duo this fall. Details will be revealed over the coming weeks on on Instagram  and TikTok.

“The Novogratz new collection offers unique items that we know our customers will love, while helping them transform their small living spaces into bespoke expressions of their personal lifestyle,” said Mara Sirhal, EVP and chief merchandising officer at Bed Bath & Beyond.

Atlanta – Run, don’t walk, to your nearest Popshelf store, the upscale hybrid launched by Dollar General.

Part HomeGoods, part drug store and part Pier 1 with a touch of dollar store, this is the freshest retail concept I’ve seen in a very long time. BBB, TJX and chain drug stores beware.

Here’s my report from a store in Tucker, Ga., an Atlanta suburb.

Everyday basics are the staple of the Popshelf soft home assortment.

The Good

• It’s amazing how big stores can’t cross-merchandise when start-ups like Popshelf nail it right from the start. Showing hard and soft home together and even mixing in some consumables, this store does it all nicely from the minute you walk in the door.
• From Home Depot’s orange to Target’s red, retailers have used color to brand themselves. Popshelf does it with purple, from the shopping carts and baskets to the in-store signage and even the employee uniforms. A simple piece of effective merchandising.
• While most of the store is decorative accessories and consumables, its home textiles assortment includes towels, kitchen textiles, dec pillows and throws. It stays away from utility products and basics like sheets to make it all about fashion. And great prices: $3 kitchen towels and $10 throws. All private label, by the way.

Dollar General characterizes Popsehlf as “a one-stop fresh + fun shop.”

The Bad

• It was a struggle to find anything to criticize in this place. Perhaps it could have had some more bedding pieces and maybe it missed an opportunity when it came to small occasional furniture, but that’s just nitpicking.

The Ugly

• 

  Popshelf targets suburban women with household incomes ranging from $50,000 to $125,000.

  While the Popshelf name is cool and hip, casual shoppers wouldn’t have a clue what this store sells if they were driving by. A tagline or some other kind of identification might help while it builds out its chain of stores.

MORE

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Goodlettsville, Tenn. – Dollar General has elevated leadership positions for in-store experience, diversity and other disciplines.

Mark Banister

Mark Banister has been promoted to senior vice president, in-store experience. In this role, Banister will lead the space management, project execution and support, fixtures and supplies, and store planning teams. He joined Dollar General in 2009 and has held various roles of increasing responsibility leading the in-store experience teams.

Dr. Johné Battle

Dr. Johné Battle has been promoted to senior vice president of diversity and inclusion. Since joining Dollar General in 2020, he has been instrumental in advancing DG’s efforts to extend the company’s operating priority to “invest in diverse teams through development, empowerment and inclusion.”

Ivan Reeves

Ivan Reeves has been promoted to senior vice president of supply chain human resources. He joined Dollar General in 2002 as part of the human resources team. Reeves will lead supply chain human resources for the company’s current 28 distribution centers, as well as the growing private fleet network. Most recently, Reeves held the position on vice president of supply chain and human resources.

Michael Auyeung

Michael Auyeung has been promoted to vice president of merchandising. With more than 35 years of merchandising experience, Auyeung joined the company’s pOpshelf merchandising team in 2019 and will lead beauty, health, stationary, arts and crafts, toys and electronics merchandising.  pOpshelf, which launched in fall 2020, currently operates 66 stores in 7 states.

Rick Channell

Rick Channell has been promoted to vice president, division merchandise manager. He joined DG in 2011, most recently serving as senior director of merchandising. Channell will lead teams across multiple categories and be responsible for merchandising strategies in health, beauty and personal care.

Scott Miller

Scott Miller has been promoted to vice president of space management. Since joining DG in 2009, Miller continues to support store operations teams, merchant groups and vendor communities through planogram construction, database administration, third-party merchandising operations and new store publication functions.

Allen Warch

Allen Warch has joined Dollar General as vice president, division merchandise manager with leadership of fresh merchandise. Warch brings a wealth of knowledge and leadership in fresh produce procurement and merchandising.