Digitally-native department stores are the next wave of retail. Stores like Showfields, Neighborhood Goods, Bulletin, and b8ta are showcasing trendy, online-born brands like Quip toothbrushes and Made In kitchen knives, and then gathering data about their IRL shoppers. Direct-to-consumer brands buy in to sell their goods in an experiential, social media-friendly setting (often in a coveted retail location like Hudson Yards) without opening their own store. (Adweek)
