DTC brands are commonplace across categories like fashion, beauty, and wellness. But when it comes to home goods, there is perhaps one brand that is arguably the gold standard in the category.

Founded in 1991, Coyuchi has been known for its line of luxury organic cotton bedding, towels, and more recently, sleepwear and baby wear. Over time, the brand has also added table linens and robes to its roster. Alongside the newer categories, the retailer has also adopted a renewed focus on sustainability by accelerating the use of recycled materials, introducing zero-waste programs and regenerative agriculture.

But as it continues to expand its presence both online and offline across its flagships and the ~200 boutiques it currently sells out of, competition remains stiff as does the pressure from inflation and rising costs.

In an exclusive conversation with Retail Brew, Coyuchi CEO and president Eileen Mockus tells us about its unique customer demographics, how it plans on standing out in the business and the evolving role of sustainability.

Keep reading here.—JS

That kind of sleep could cost ya. The latest Mobile Consumer Insights report from Vibes revealed that SMS and mobile wallet have a biiiig influence on consumer purchasing decisions. Just look at the numbers:

• 75% of consumers said text messages routinely drive them to purchase.
• 54% said offers made available via mobile wallet drive them to purchase.
• Nearly 60% used a mobile wallet loyalty card when making purchases.

Clearly, mobile channels can give your bottom line a nice boost. But is there too much brand communication with consumers? In short, no.

Vibes found that consumers actually want consistent communication from brands through SMS and mobile wallet. In fact, 60% of consumers surveyed said they prefer to hear from brands via text message at least once a week.

Make the most of your mobile channels. Learn how in Vibes’ Mobile Consumer Insights report.

Much of the love around the Super Bowl surrounds the commercials, and for many people it’s the first order of business when it comes to the big game. This year, companies are spending $7 million for a 30-second commercial, believing the downstream effects from the exposure is very much worthwhile. We already dove into what to expect from food and beverage brands this Sunday, but a handful of other companies in the retail and retail-adjacent worlds are hoping to make a splash.

• Popeyes has a 60-second spot this year featuring actor Ken Jeong, who says he ate Popeyes while he was a medical student. The premise is that Jeong cryogenically froze himself for 52 years, anticipating the best wing ever to be created.
• Uber Eats recruited TV couple Jennifer Aniston and David Schwimmer (Rachel and Ross) of Friends and real-life couple Victoria and David Beckham for its fourth straight ad spot, whose theme centers around forgetfulness, but reminds viewers that the service does deliver groceries.
• Competitor DoorDash, on top of running its own ad spot, is also operating a campaign where one person will receive everything that appears in every Super Bowl commercial—literally everything.

Keep reading here.—KM

During the Super Bowl on Sunday, two e-commerce platforms with very different visions for online shopping, Etsy and Temu, will run ads aimed at distinguishing themselves from the competition.

• Etsy’s ad will promote a new feature called “Gift Mode,” which uses AI to make it easier for customers to discover and send gifts on the platform’s vast handicraft marketplace.
• Temu’s official ads aren’t yet finalized, but the China-based company’s 2023 Super Bowl ad featured the tagline, “Shop like a billionaire.”

The two companies represent diametrically opposed views on what value means. Besides being two of the biggest e-commerce sites to run Super Bowl ads this year, at least one of the brands recently name-checked the other in an earnings call.

Keep reading here.—AV