Beyond the Basket - 23/09/25

Tuesday 23rd September | #35 | Join Free

Hello and welcome to your Tuesday Beyond the Basket brief. eBay's betting big on social commerce with a Nordic acquisition, while savvy millennials are double-dipping on Prime and Walmart+. Meanwhile, budget retailers are hitting the wall as Bodycare shuts 56 stores and food inflation threatens to stick around until 2026. At least B&Q and Screwfix found their groove with apps and marketplaces. Let's dive in 🤿

In today’s beyond the basket:
👗 eBay Buys Nordic Social Marketplace Tise
🛍️ 37% of Millennials Pay for Both Prime & Walmart+
💄 Bodycare Shuts All Stores, 444 Jobs Lost
🍔 BRC Flags Food Inflation Risk Into 2026
🛠️ B&Q & Screwfix See Steady Growth

+plus four longer reads to help you stay informed.

TL;DR: eBay will acquire Tise, an Oslo-based C2C social marketplace for second-hand fashion and lifestyle goods, as part of its push into Gen Z–friendly, sustainable commerce.

Why It Matters: This move aligns with eBay’s “enthusiasts strategy”, targeting younger shoppers who value sustainability and community-driven shopping. Tise brings social commerce features (likes, comments, following sellers) and strengthens eBay’s positioning in resale and circular fashion, two of the fastest-growing ecommerce segments. The deal signals eBay’s intent to modernize its marketplace experience and compete more directly with Depop, Vinted, and Poshmark, where Gen Z already dominates.

Your Move: Consider auditing your customer journey: where can you embed community mechanics (likes, follows, comments, peer recommendations) to drive repeat visits? Pair this with a sustainability narrative, not just product resale, but packaging, repair, or trade-in programs. Consumers, especially Gen Z, are signaling that they’ll reward platforms that feel social and sustainable.

TL;DR: A new PYMNTS report shows 37% of millennials now subscribe to both Amazon Prime and Walmart+, nearly double 2021 levels.

Why It Matters: Consumers aren’t picking sides, it seems that they’re stacking memberships to hedge against inflation and supply chain uncertainty. Amazon remains strong in discretionary retail and streaming, while Walmart dominates groceries and fuel savings. This dual approach means Walmart isn’t stealing from Amazon, it’s complementing it, turning Prime into a pipeline for Walmart+ acquisition. Dual subscribers also spend more, averaging $110 per transaction versus ~$75 for single-service users, making them the most lucrative cohort in the retail subscription economy.

Your Move: If you’re building a subscription model, consider designing it to complement, not replace, existing memberships, consumers are curating ecosystems, and are increasing not choosing exclusivity.

TL;DR: Value health & beauty chain Bodycare will close all 56 stores by 27 September, after administrators ruled the business unviable.

Why It Matters: Bodycare’s collapse underscores the pressure on budget high street retailers, squeezed between rising costs and the price–convenience edge of online rivals like Temu and Shein. With stock thinning and no buyer for its estate, Bodycare joins Claire’s UK arm, which also fell into administration this year, in showing how discount highstreet retailers are losing ground to digital-first players. The closures mark another retreat of value health & beauty from physical retail, leaving supermarkets, Boots, and ecommerce giants to capture remaining share.

Your Move: If you’re in budget retail, benchmark against Temu/Shein on price and convenience. Survival hinges on meeting digital expectations, and using physical stores for value-added services like health & beauty treatments or ancillary product ranges to create differentiation.

TL;DR: The British Retail Consortium warns food inflation may stay above 5% until 2026 if a proposed business rates surtax on large shops goes ahead.

Why It Matters: Large-format retailers, especially supermarkets, could face higher operating costs just as consumer budgets remain under pressure. The sector already absorbed £7bn in new costs from wage hikes, NI increases, and new packaging taxes. Any further squeeze risks prolonged price inflation, potentially reducing consumer spending power across categories and complicating online and offline pricing strategies. With 57% of consumers most worried about prices outpacing wages, value perception and promotional cadence could be key levers for retailers.

Your Move: Model scenarios, wages +5%, rates +2%, inflation stuck at 5%, then test price elasticity with tiered promos. This shows where to absorb costs, where to pass them on, and where efficiency gains must bridge the gap.

TL;DR: Kingfisher reported H1 2025 results with B&Q sales up +4.6% LFL +4.4% and Screwfix sales up +4.4% LFL +3.0%, both gaining market share.

Why It Matters: B&Q’s gains were powered by TradePoint’s trade customer growth (+6.9% LFL), strong e-commerce (+23.8% YoY), and a booming marketplace (GMV +45%). Screwfix continued to lean on its app-first model, with app sales now 23% of total sales and rapid delivery (“Screwfix Sprint”) strengthening its trade convenience edge. Both banners benefited from Homebase store closures, strategic category reviews (kitchens, seasonal, outdoor), and expanded store networks.

Your Move: If you’re in home improvement or trade retail, invest in marketplace scale + app convenience, as this appears to be where the strongest growth is, as referenced by the fact that they’re driving both margin growth and loyalty at Kingfisher.

Curated deep dives, longer reads and analysis shaping the future of retail and ecommerce.

Green Dot Says Speed, Not Swag, Wins Customer Loyalty
PYMNTS (4 Min Watch) Watch Here ›
Brands now view frictionless checkout and lightning-fast post-purchase service as baseline loyalty drivers rather than perks.

How Retailers Like Walmart and Lowe’s Use Digital Twins of Physical Stores
Modern Retail (4 Min Read) Read Here ›
Retailers are using 3D digital replicas of stores to monitor operations, optimize layouts, and boost efficiency.

Why Small Business Owners Should Adopt a Back to School Mindset at All Times
Inc. (3 Min Read) Read Here ›
Howard Tullman argues founders should approach challenges with the same energy and resourcefulness as students returning to school.

Everyone Wants a Slice of the CTV Pie — It’s Time for an Identity Reckoning
The Drum (3 Min Read) Read Here ›
CTV ad budgets are booming, but gaps in measurement and identity are forcing a reckoning across the industry.