Want to know how to spend your next $1?
Don’t waste another dime on bloated channel reporting and vanity metrics.
Don’t waste another dime on bloated channel reporting and vanity metrics.
Topping the year's Dealboard: The Kroger-Albertsons merger, Hero's acquisition and Liquid Death's massive valuation.
Every week, The Current rounds up the latest funding and M&A news in Dealboard. As 2022 draws to a close, let's look back at the deals that we're most likely to be recalling for a long time to come. Whether it was due to size or impact, these were the moves that made waves in the industry. Throughout, there are plenty of opportunities to learn from entrepreneurs who exited, and get a glimpse at where the big platforms see commerce heading next.
Check out the top ecommerce deals of 2022:
The word mega-merger doesn’t often live up to its billing, but this one qualifies. The top two pure-play US grocers announced plans to come together in October in a deal that would see Kroger acquire Albertsons for $24.6 billion. It will combine physical footprints of two grocers that already have a nationwide reach, as well as data from a combined 85 million households to fuel retail media and personalization. This is not a done deal, as there are regulatory hurdles to clear before the deal closes and the companies will likely have to give up some stores. But the move in and of itself signals how the grocery market is being reshaped by big players like Walmart, Amazon and Costco, as well as digital and delivery offerings that saw use accelerate in the pandemic.
Image: Liquid Death
The Liquid Death story was already becoming a touchstone of brand building lore, as many looked to study the strategy and tactics that made canned water one part craft beer, one part punk rock. The company’s living legend was only confirmed further by a $70 million Series D fundraise in October that valued it at a whopping $700 million. Will it be the next startup brand to IPO?
Ju Rhyu and Hero Cosmetics showed the way to launch a brand on Amazon, and boostrap to acquisition in five years. On the back of the runaway popularity of The Mighty Patch, the acne and skincare brand was acquired by Church & Dwight for $630 million in a deal announced in September. In a year where the direct-to-consumer model came under pressure from rising CACs and privacy changes, Hero’s story showed another path, and provided hope to disruption-minded founders everywhere in the process. The brand's story is already the subject of Twitter threads across the platform.
Resale was among the hottest retail trends of 2022, as climate concerns and logistics imperatives led brands and retailers to stand up and expand channels to make secondhand products part of their primary offerings. The movement in the market included deal activity among the existing players. Poshmark was acquired by resale South Korean internet giant Naver in an October deal valued at $1.2 billion. A few weeks later, resale platform manager GOAT Group added men’s fashion with the acquisition of Grailed. It’s a reminder of a truism about emerging market areas: Growth can bring consolidation. Is more coming in resale?
While the theme of most Amazon news tended toward correction and cutback this year, the company was still making plenty of moves to grow in 2022. On the commerce side, nowhere was that more visible than in the acquisition of Roomba maker iRobot. The $1.7 billion deal was Amazon’s fourth-largest acquisition ever. As always with Amazon, this wasn’t only about adding a new product to the portfolio; it was also a way to get closer to the customer. The robot vacuum gives Amazon a window into the home through data. How will it use it?
Shopify's app marketplace offers independent entrepreneurs and developers space to build software that powers direct-to-consumer commerce right alongside the company. Shopify has extended this unique role as ecosystem leader into making investments and acquiring software that it can add to its offerings. That role was prominently on view in two of the deals that turned industry heads this year. To speed expansion in logistics and delivery, Shopify acquired Deliverr for $1.2 billion in a May move that was widely viewed as a counterpoint to Amazon’s then-recent launch of Buy With Prime. Then, in August, Shopify made a $100 million investment in Klaviyo that gave the email and SMS marketing automation software company recommended email partner status with the biggest merchants on its platform. These were just a couple of the highlights in an active year. With Wall Street veteran Jeff Hoffmeister now onboard as CFO, it leaves us pondering what’s on Shopify’s dealboard heading into 2023.
Sometimes, an acquisition is exhibit A in where a company is heading. That was true of Pinterest this year. In June, the visual discovery-based social platform acquired The Yes, a fashion-focused shopping platform that uses AI to provide users with a personalized feed. This was quickly followed by the announcement of former Google commerce chief Bill Reddy as the Pinterest's new CEO, and the rollout of a series of new features. With The Yes cofounder and leading ecommerce mind Julie Bornstein leading shopping efforts, Pinterest is poised to integrate shopping more deeply into the experience at a time when platforms are keen to become the first to crack the social commerce code. We'll hope 2023 brings a look at what they're building.
Of the many categories where disruptive brands made an impact, intimates stood out. DTC brands saw an opening to market directly to women, and offer digital shopping experiences while incumbents were still at the mall. This year saw the disruptor and the incumbent come together, as Victoria’s Secret acquired Adore Me for $400 million in November. Victoria’s Secret has aggressively added new products to reinvent itself, but the Adore Me acquisition figures to expand capabilities like home try-on and personalization that could change how the brand reaches consumers, as well. This deal came after fellow disruptor ThirdLove bought Kit Undergarments, offering a sign that even the newer brands have to stay fresh to reach Gen Z.
Instacart’s IPO was the landmark deal of 2022 that wasn’t, as the grocery tech company confidentially filed for a debut on the public markets back in May, then delayed the offering by the end of the year amid a broader market slowdown. Yet Instacart made plenty of acquisitions in the meantime. There were deals in September to bring on pricing and promotions platform Eversight and independent grocery ecommerce platform Rosie. Plus, it acquired smart cart maker Caper AI in fall 2021. In 2023, one question for the company will be how these new teams and technologies integrate with Instacart's existing offerings.
Farfetch hasn’t been shy about its ambitions to bring luxury into the ecommerce era. Status requires spending, and two deals this year show that Farfetch was willing to back up the talk with significant checks. In April, it invested $200 million into Neiman Marcus Group to bring its platform prowess to the department store retailer. The potential game-changing move came over the summer, when it acquired a sizable stake in Yoox Net-a-Porter that could see it own the fellow platform in the next five years. Johann Rupert, chairman of former Yoox owner Richemont laid out the goal ahead succinctly: “Building an independent, neutral online platform for the luxury industry that would be highly attractive to both luxury brands and their discerning clientele.”
Look at eBay’s strategy roadmap, and there’s a 2022 deal to pair with many of the planks. Pop culture? It now has a 25% stake in Funko. Auto parts? It now owns myFitment. Collectibles? It acquired trading card marketplace TCGPlayer. NFTs? It brought on the marketplace KnownOrigin. eBay has proven very acquisitive over the years, so we don’t expect this wave to taper off.
The partnership brings together subscriptions and shoppable content.
A Wendy's ad on Roku. (Courtesy photo)
Roku and DoorDash are teaming up to connect TV and food delivery in one experience.
The news: Roku and DoorDash announced a new partnership that will allow people to order food delivery from a shoppable ad on their TV. Along with the capabilities being put in place by the tech platforms, Wendy’s is also adding shoppable content that will provide a discount on ordering at launch.
How does it work? For Roku account holders, there are three parts to the partnership:
DashPass: DoorDash is providing a complementary six-month DoorDash subscription. Called DashPass, this provides $0 delivery fees on orders from restaurants, grocery and retail stores on DoorDash’s marketplace.
Shoppable ads: Roku viewers will be able to click from their remote to order straight from ads on Roku via offers provided through DoorDash. For the first year, DoorDash will be the exclusive ad solution provider for restaurants on its marketplace to buy shoppable ads on Roku. With this, restaurant advertisers will also be able to work with DoorDash to attribute, target and measure TV streaming ads.
Wendy’s: The companies said Wendy’s also upped its digital capabilities as part of this partnership. The chain will make offers available through the shoppable ads. At launch, it will provide $5 off any Wendy’s purchase of $15 or more.
Key quote from Rob Edell, GM and head of consumer engagement at DoorDash: “While this offer unlocks DashPass benefits and perks for Roku users everywhere, it also provides our merchant partners with an opportunity to promote DoorDash offers through TV streaming. Consumers can conveniently and affordably get the best of their neighborhood delivered to their door, while brands can reach diners at the right time and drive instant conversion from the comfort of the living room.”
The partnership is a sign that several different strategies being employed in digital media and commerce are converging:
Streaming and delivery: Watching TV and ordering food is a common behavior. In fact, Roku research indicates that one in three users order takeout or food delivery weekly. The partnership shows how there is room for the platforms that provide each of these distinct services to work together. It's a reminder not just to monitor how customers use your product, but what other products and services they use with it.
Shoppable ads and subscriptions: As digital commerce grows, there’s interest in reducing the steps between when a user thinks about making a purchase, and when they actually click “Buy.” This partnership does that in a couple of ways. With shoppable ads, Roku viewers can order directly from their TV, and even within the show they are watching. Switching devices may be a barrier, however small, to a sale. On DoorDash’s side, putting a subscription in place means users don’t have to think about logging in or consider delivery fees. This shows how introducing more interactive capabilities to streaming can open up new opportunities for commerce. Roku data shows that 36% of its users are interested in receiving interactive offers, such as a scannable QR code or text message. Such capabilities allow users to take action without switching screens.
Retail media and CTV: On the advertising side, the partnership is connecting DoorDash’s ad network with Roku’s content capabilities. DoorDash operates as a marketplace, while Roku serves ads during streaming content. Both have powerful customer data. DoorDash has purchase-level, or first-party, data. Roku has data on millions of customers, and the ability to reach them while they are doing the common activity of watching TV. The platforms also both have the ability to target users and measurement capabilities that can make this whole system even more powerful. While this partnership sets out one way the companies will work together immediately, it’s a safe bet that the partners will find other areas of mutual benefit to explore.
Further reading: It’s just the latest move by Roku to bring shoppable content to the platform. Last year, the streamer partnered with Walmart to pilot direct ordering straight from shoppable ads.
Is Amazon next? Break down the individual parts of this partnership: Subscription, delivery network, marketplace, streaming platform, advertising capabilities. Amazon owns each of these, and it even has a restaurant delivery partnership with Grubhub. Will it put these parts to work in a similar way? The better question may be, how long until it does so?