Today In Retail: Adidas Leans on Partnerships; UK Retail Stores Prepare for Amazon’s Entry

In today’s top retail news, Adidas is relying on partnerships for fresh revenue and a path toward a more digital business, while brick-and-mortar retail in the United Kingdom is preparing for the first Amazon 4-star store outside the U.S. Also, CarGurus is expanding its digital platform for selling a car to dealerships to 11 new states, and department stores are hoping beauty products can help bring back the traffic they lost.

Adidas Leans on Partnerships for Fresh Revenue Amid Strategic Realignment, Crimped Supply

A series of collaborations and partnerships are setting Adidas up to follow through on its digital and direct-to-consumer growth ambitions, meeting consumers where they are instead of waiting for the feet to find them. Earlier this week, the German footwear giant and Xbox unveiled a limited-edition sneaker to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the gaming console; and days later, Adidas said it would launch a resale program using thredUP’s Resale-as-a-Service platform.

UK Brick-and-Mortar Retail Scene Equipped to Handle Amazon Entry

After the launch of its first 4-star store in New York in 2018, Amazon has chosen the U.K.’s Bluewater shopping center in Kent as the location of its first 4-star shop outside the U.S. The 3,500-square-foot store offers a curated range of non-food products from the top categories across Amazon.co.uk – those rated four stars and above by customers – including books, electronics, games and homeware.

CarGurus Expands Instant Max Cash Offer to More US Markets

CarGurus is expanding its Instant Max Cash Offer feature to 11 new states and Washington, D.C., enabling nearly half of U.S. consumers to utilize the platform. Customers can go to the CarGurus website, enter information about their vehicle — make, model, mileage, etc. — and a location where the car can be picked up and delivered to a dealership. Sellers will then receive offers from dealers, and payment comes when the vehicle passes inspection.

Department Stores Betting on New Beauty Products to Drive Sales

JCPenney is embarking on a massive push into the prestige beauty space, hoping to bring back customers and replace its former in-store partnership with Sephora. Unlike other retailers, such as Kohl’s and Target, that have partnered with well-known beauty brands to bolster their beauty offerings, JCPenney has opted instead to place its own name at the top of the effort — JCPenney Beauty — while collaborating with Thirteen Lune, an eCommerce site focused on beauty brands created by Black and Brown founders.