SKIMS permanent store, Omsom Acquired, LVMH buys a train

Hello hello! Welcome to this week's issue of Express Checkout. I'm testing out something new here, posting a shorter version of my newsletter here on LinkedIn!

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Some top stories

• SKIMS , the shapewear and clothing brand founded by Kim Kardashian, has opened its first permanent store in Georgetown, DC. source
• PHOENIX, a joint venture led by WHP Global, has received court approval to acquire the operations of Express for ~$174 million. The approved bid is a collaboration between a brand management firm and three key landlords. The deal also includes the Bonobos brand, which Express had purchased with WHP last year. source
• DayDayCook (DDC Enterprise Limited) , a public multi-brand Asian consumer food company, has announced the acquisition of Omsom , a popular Asian food brand known for its sauces and noodles. source

Huge huge congrats to Vanessa Pham and Kim P. !!

• Subscription vitamin company Care/of is shutting down and will be canceling all subscriptions and no longer accepting new orders. Care/of had offered personalized subscription vitamin packs and was acquired by pharmaceutical giant Bayer in 2020. source

?? Retail

• 酩悦·轩尼诗-路易·威登集团 , the luxury giant, has announced its investment in Orient Express trains, ships, and hotels. Yes, a train. source
• Ulta Beauty and Credo have recently ended their partnership, which had brought clean beauty products to Ulta stores. source
• 沃尔玛 is relaunching its private-label fashion brand, No Boundaries, to target GenZ consumers. The line will include clothing, shoes, and accessories, with the majority of items priced under $15. source

???CPG & Consumer Goods –? Sponsored by Crafted?-?helping CPG brands drive velocity through performance-based UGC at scale. Hit up Sarah Nesheim to learn more!

• Bloom Nutrition launched a new Colostrum and Collagen Powder. Colostrum has been on the rise recently, especially with brands like Armra. Source
• Balkan Bites s, a female and family-owned frozen food business, has announced the launch of Mini Phyllo Rolls, expanding their line of traditional Balkan flaky pies. Source
• Function of Beauty expands into Amazon, introducing its Target and Function of Beauty Pro lines to its DTC site. Source

?? eCommerce

• Bold Commerce has introduced new upsell and cross-sell capabilities for Bold Subscriptions for Shopify Checkout through an integration with Bold Upsell. source
• eBay has announced that it will be adding Venmo as a payment option in the U.S. This comes after Ebay publicly stated that it would no longer accept American Express due to high fees. Source
• Poshmark has launched Posh Party LIVE, a new virtual shopping experience that combines live selling technology with curated listings. source

???Funding news

• RetailReady , a startup founded by recent graduates of the YC winter 2024 cohort, has raised $3.3 million in seed funding for their AI warehouse app. Source
• Newport Craft Brewing & Distilling has acquired KEEL Vodka, a Rhode Island brand, expanding their spirits lineup. source
• Pronghorn , backed by Diageo, has invested in Mocktail Club , a non-alcoholic RTD brand. source

???Brands and things I’ve tried this week

Gin and Vodka….made with oysters?! Yeah it’s real and delicious. Thank you Taylor Foxman for connecting me with the team! ISCO is distillery located in Providence, Rhode Island that produces sustainably sourced vodka, gins, bourbons and specialty spirits.