The new year has already brought plenty of exciting news for shoppers as dozens of innovative launches were unveiled at CES 2022 last week, including a new home security sensor from Amazon’s Ring and a color-changing BMW model. Other notable reports also set social media abuzz last week: Rihanna recently announced her lingerie brand Savage X Fenty is slated to open five physical retail locations across the U.S. in early 2022, and Taco Bell officially launched its Taco Lover’s Pass, a $10 subscription plan that gives customers a taco per day for 30 days straight.
But while launches and releases are permeating the commerce space in the new year, a wave of store closures are also in the news mix: Bed Bath & Beyond recently announced it’ll shut down 37 locations across 19 states as part of its plan to close roughly 200 underperforming stores by 2022, and Macy’s shared a handful of stores it plans to permanently close this year. Soaring Covid cases are also causing temporary store closures and reduced hours — along with out-of-stock items and long checkout lines — at retailers like Walmart, Nike, Starbucks and Apple.
New from Samsung, Belkin and Ezpz
If you’re staying home and looking to shop online, we’ve compiled some notable launches we think you’ll want to know about based on Select reader interest and our past coverage.
Samsung releases the Galaxy S21 Fan Edition
The latest (and relatively affordable) addition to Samsung’s Galaxy S21 smartphone lineup announced at CES 2022 last week, the Galaxy S21 FE is about $100 cheaper than the regular Galaxy S21 but features the same Galaxy fan-favorite aspects, including its design, performance, camera and seamless connectivity, according to the company. Samsung says the S21 FE equips an all-day battery that can charge more than 50 percent in 30 minutes and the phone features an IP68 water-resistance, which means it can be submerged in water up to 5 feet deep for up to 30 minutes. The phone also comes in four new color options: Olive, Lavender, White and Graphite.
Belkin’s Wemo Smart Video Doorbell is available for pre-order
Also at CES 2022, Belkin announced it is expanding Wemo, its line of smart home products, with the addition of the Wemo Smart Video Doorbell. The doorbell works exclusively with Apple HomeKit's Secure Video, which lets users stream, record and receive notifications via the Home app available on iOS devices. The Smart Video Doorbell features a 178-degree field view, night vision and zoom clarity, according to Belkin. It equips an Activity Zones feature that defines the areas with the most motion detected, as well as facial recognition that notifies users when visitors have arrived based on the people tagged in the Photos app or identified in the Home app.
The doorbell is currently available for pre-order and will ship in February or March, according to Belkin.
Ezpz launches a new drying rack
Ezpz, a women-owned lifestyle brand created to combat messy mealtime with toddlers, has added a drying rack to its collection of silicone place mats, cups and utensils. The rack features four removable pegs that let you fully customize how you want to place your dishes and cookware, as well as raised edges to catch any water. Like all of Ezpz’s products, the drying rack is made from 100 percent food-grade silicone that’s hypo-allergenic and odor-resistant, according to the brand. It’s also dishwasher-safe and can suction onto your countertop or sink.
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Ongoing sales to shop this week
If you’re looking for sales to shop this week, we’ve listed some options below from various retailers and Select reader favorite categories.
- Madewell is offering up to 70 percent off select items with code CLASSIFIED through Jan. 13.
- HP is offering up to 58 percent off on select products during its Back to Business sale through Jan. 15.
- Alo Yoga is offering 50 percent off an annual membership to Alo Moves.
- EyeBuyDirect is offering up to 50 percent off select styles.
- Sur La Table is offering up to 50 percent off select items during its Winter Sale.
- Ulta is offering up to 50 percent off select skincare daily during its Love Your Skin event through Jan 22.
- SPANX is offering an additional 30 percent off sale styles with code SALE through Jan. 11.
- Bed Bath & Beyond is offering 25 percent off select items during its Big Bed & Bath Event through Jan. 17.
- Leesa is offering up to $400 off mattresses, 15 percent off bundles and 30 percent off bedding & cushions through Jan. 14.
- BuyBuy Baby launched its Big Deal Baby Sale through Jan. 17.
- Lululemon is offering discounts on select men’s and women’s styles during its We Made Too Much sale.
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