Insider Retail: Black Friday is not dead after all, the McRib makes a triumphant return, and Arcadia Group becomes latest pandemic victim

Hello, happy Friday!

Have you ever wondered what Drake smells like? While I personally can’t say I have (no shade to Drake, I enjoy his music even if he will always be Jimmy from “Degrassi” in my heart), you can now buy an $80 candle that smells just like the rapper. The already sold-out candle, called “Carby Musk,” is named after perfumer Michael Carby who developed Drake’s signature scent. 

Though I’m partial to Bath & Body Works candles myself, specifically the lavender vanilla scent, I support any and all comfort purchases in these trying times. But I digress! Thank you for reading the latest edition of Insider Retail, our weekly roundup of everything you need to know in the world of retail and restaurants. 

If you haven’t already subscribed, click here to get me, Bethany Biron, and my colleague, Shoshy Ciment, in your inbox every Friday. 

Here’s what happened this week:

Turns out, Black Friday isn't dead after all

Though retail experts have long hypothesized the imminent death of Black Friday, this year proved that even a pandemic can't stop Americans from finding a deal.

While foot traffic on Black Friday was down compared to 2019, record numbers of online shoppers took advantage of the annual retail holiday. According to the National Retail Federation, more than 100 million people made online purchases on Black Friday, and the percentage of orders made over the weekend increased by 44% over last year.

For Amazon, in particular, 2020 marked the e-commerce giant's most successful holiday shopping season yet. The company reported that sales in the period spanning Black Friday to Cyber Monday increased by a whopping 60%, hitting a total of $4.8 billion. Looking ahead, analysts say that Black Friday next year may shatter more records, as Americans look to shop at physical stores en masse. 

McDonald's brings back the McRib while indefinitely nixing salads

It was a big week for fans of McDonald's divisive McRib sandwich, which returned to menus nationally for the first time since 2012. The McRib has reached cult-classic status in the four decades since its official debut. But the sandwich has a reputation for being a difficult menu item for diners to get their hands on. In recent years, the McRib has returned to some, but not all, McDonald's locations for limited periods of time. 

"In a year as challenging as this year has been, to throw a little McRib out there to those that really want to have it, it feels like something that would be a pretty nice gesture," Alan Klein, a McRib super fan and founder of the McRib tracker website, told Business Insider's Kate Taylor this week. 

As McRib enthusiasts rejoiced, the (albeit few) McDonald's salad fans have been less pleased. Salads vanished from restaurants in March, part of a national menu simplification strategy that also involved cutting McDonald's popular all-day breakfast. Though the company declined to comment on whether salads will ever make a return, their sudden disappearance has caused some to take to social media to bemoan the loss. 

Arcadia Group becomes the latest pandemic victim, leaving 13,000 jobs in the balance

Arcadia Group - parent company of fashion brands like Topshop, Topman, Dorothy Perkins, and Miss Selfridge - collapsed into administration on Monday, announcing it will immediately close 500 stores.

The move marks Arcadia as the latest victim of the pandemic, which has been particularly unforgiving to the apparel sector, and the largest corporate casualty in the UK. Consulting firm Deloitte will serve as the company's administrator, with plans to find buyers for the group's brands that also include Dorothy Perkins, Wallis, Evans, Burton, and Outfit.

"In the face of the most difficult trading conditions we have ever experienced, the obstacles we encountered were far too severe," Ian Grabinr, CEO of Arcadia Group, said in a statement.

Everything else you need to know: 

• Brands like Southwest, MoonPie, and Steak-umm can't stop making jokes on Twitter about the mysterious Utah monolith.
• UPS tells drivers to temporarily stop picking up packages from large retailers, including Macy's, Gap, and L.L. Bean because of overwhelming shipping demand. 
• Sephora is opening 850 mini stores at Kohl's locations over the next two years.
• These nine executives are leading the rapidly growing $100 billion pet care industry.
• The CEO of Peloton competitor Echelon shares how the company increased sales by 700% during the pandemic.
• Walmart is giving store employees a $300 bonus while extending its coronavirus leave policy.   
• Meanwhile, Whole Foods employees are speaking out about their fears of working during the holiday season as COVID cases spike.