Brief:

• Crate and Barrel this week launched its "Crate&kids" digital-only catalog on social media platform Pinterest, marking the first time the home furnishing retailer isn't sending out a print version, per an announcement emailed to sister publication Mobile Marketer.
• The "Crate&kids" catalog features a variety of decorating items for nurseries and kids' rooms, including furniture, bedding, lighting and toys. Pinterest users can collect the images on their digital pinboards, post a comment or question, follow Crate and Barrel's account or "shop the look" by clicking through to the retailer's website.
• Pinterest has seen increased interest for children's furnishings as parents look to organize spaces at home for kids or prepare a setting for distance learning. Searches for "homeschool room ideas" surged five times from June to July, ahead of the 162% jump for "kids office," 62% gain for "basement kids playroom" and 33% lift for "kids spaces," according to internal data Pinterest shared.

Insight:

Crate and Barrel's "Crate&kids" catalog on Pinterest marks a significant change in the way the retailer seeks to reach shoppers, forgoing a printed version for the first time. Last year, Crate and Barrel dropped TV advertising during the holidays for the first time.

In many ways, the online catalog is much more functional on Pinterest, letting people collect pictures of items on its digital pinboards and create a "look book" of design ideas — including those from other sources like influencers. In addition, Pinterest users can revisit the collections and buy items directly from the Crate and Barrel website instead of visiting a store.

The rollout of the "Crate&kids" catalog comes as Pinterest expands its shopping features and develops ways for brands and retailers to run a greater variety of campaigns on its platform. The company this week began selling ads in more shopping-related sections of its platform in an effort to help marketers connect with consumers when they're most ready to make a purchase. Pinterest's continued push into e-commerce also includes expanded functionality for its Lens visual search tool to help smartphone users identify products they see in real life for purchase online.

The company also unveiled a "shop" tab to help people find in-stock products from text searches, and introduced its verified merchant program to help consumers find trustworthy brands that sell products directly.

Retail mobile commerce sales are forecast to rise 12% to $71.3 billion this holiday season, per eMarketer data cited by Pinterest, making Crate and Barrel's digital presence more significant as many retailers struggle with pandemic-related disruptions.

With many consumers looking to avoid crowds during the pandemic, they're more likely to use their smartphones to shop online. Many are starting early on their holiday shopping to ensure items are in stock — an iffy proposition as the pandemic disrupts supply chains — and can be shipped in time. Forty-seven percent of U.S. adults said they're more interested in shopping online during the holidays, compared with 37% for shopping in-app, 32% for click and collect, 25% for in-store and 22% for shopping on social media, per researcher eMarketer.