Meghan Houle, ACC

Shares of Abercrombie & Fitch Co. are up more than 500% over the last year. How? And can they keep it? The secret(s) to success: A new product line, a more body-positive rebrand, and a new #footprint strategy. #Abercrombie #AbercrombieAndFitch #RetailTrends #FashionRetail #RetailNews #RetailInsights #RetailAnalysis #MarketWatch #RetailStat

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Nike ranks fourth on Depop and second on eBay with over 219,000 and 893,000 items, respectively. #Retail #TextileRetail #ApparelRetail #RetailNews #DailyNews #Nike #ApparelResources #ApparelIndustry #RetailIndustry #FashionBrand

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Retail leaders - is your resume producing the results you need? If not, check out my profile to see how I might be able to help. I have more than 500 recommendations from clients and recruiters, including this one from a store manager in Massachusetts: "First, I must say, that I am truly amazed at the final product, my resume spotlights my strengths, skills, and talents, in a cohesive, yet specific way that is very professional. More importantly, the process of working with Michael to achieve this was seamless, from his inexhaustible supply of patience with my questions, concerns, and tweaks, to his clarity and helpfulness in explaining the 'whys' and the 'hows' of resume writing. If anyone is ever looking for any help on their resume...Michael is your guy!" Check out my profile for many more. #retail #resumes #resumewriter

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Tons of opportunities in the below post

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#HotTake: Retail stores aren’t a shortcut to success. Retail offers bigger POs, visibility, and cash flow Yet, it doesn’t ensure brand sustainability Case in point: JLo Beauty Despite celeb status and prime placement at Sephora, She faced challenges resulting in a US exit Retail alone doesn’t secure loyalty or repeat sales Placement isn’t guaranteed forever For lasting success, think beyond the retail PO Some markers of a sustainable brand include: Authenticity, community, differentiated formulas, and true fans Building a lasting brand legacy requires more than a retail presence – 👋🏾 Hi, I’m Monique, a former retail buyer turned beauty industry advisor who helps emerging brands ready to scale at big retail. If you are ready to scale and invest, book a discovery call, and let’s see if we can work together.

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Retail Today / Retail Renaissance: This morning we are sticking with Specialty Retail, the amazing story of Abercrombie! 🔥🔥🔥 Abercrombie & Fitch Co. Under the leadership of CEO Fran Harowitz since 2017, she has recreated this brand that is setting customers, vendors and investors on fire. #customers #aspirationalshoppers Just a few crazy facts, their stock was up 390% last year! This year it’s up 100%! 💵💵💵 #investors #wallstreet Sales last year +16% , but first-quarter results this year +22%; a record breaking quarter. #sales Two fantastic brands: Abercrombie - focused on millennials. Hollister - appealing to GenZ. #abercrombiefitch #millennials #hollister #genz #brands How did they do it? “PRODUCT”! They listen to their customers and provided classic colors and styles. They aren’t afraid of SOCIAL MEDIA, working with both influencers and creators on TikTok. Joanna Williams #product #merchandising #fashion #style #design #socialmedia #tiktok Can they keep up this pace? Can Richard Dickson find a path forward for Gap? #gap #retail #retailtrends #retailindustry #shoppingexperience #brandexperience #apparelindustry #TopRetailExpert

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Are you as excited as I am about the Olympics in Paris? This week, Ralph Lauren Unveiled Team USA Uniforms for Paris 2024. So what are your thoughts ? Tradition or Missed Opportunity? Ralph Lauren, a mainstay in American fashion and the outfitter for Team USA for the past nine Olympics, has unveiled the uniforms for the 2024 Paris Olympics. Traditionally, this moment celebrates patriotism, but the new collection raises questions about the current state of American sporty style. The Opening Ceremonies outfit features a blue blazer with red and white striped lapels, cuffs, and pockets, paired with a striped oxford shirt and jeans. Despite being described as “a distinctly modern take on a tailored look,” the ensemble feels dated, reminiscent of J.Crew styles from over a decade ago. The inclusion of white bucks, a near-obsolete American menswear staple, reinforces this outdated feel. Just my view.... In 2024, preppy fashion needs a twist—like funky ties or quirky fits—to avoid looking like a retro throwback. I think the Closing Ceremonies uniform hits the mark with a more playful design: a moto-style jacket covered in patches and phrases like “TEAM” and “USA,” paired with white jeans and a polo shirt. U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee CEO Sarah Hirshland noted that these designs “capture the essence of American style” and “embody the spirit and pride of Team USA.” Ralph Lauren’s influence lies in his ability to transform traditional clothing into personal expressions of style. Icons like Nan Kempner, Michelle Obama, and Rihanna embody this ethos, turning trends into unique statements. This individuality defines American fashion more than any designer’s vision. Do we fully embrace the USA spirit of individuality and innovation with these uniforms? As we are are getting ready to cheer for Team USA , we hope their performance, rather than their attire, will showcase the true dynamism and spirit of America. Paris, here we come!!!

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Today's The Robin Report "undresses" the denim trends & consumers behaviors toward them... (so no more pinch rolled levi's? 😉 ) Takeaway: Retailers that have direct, conversational interactions with consumers and manufacturers will be better positioned to produce what consumers want. Read and Subscribe to get real opinions, insights & more delivered every day. ➡️ https://lnkd.in/eAkYa73Z

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"It’s about extending our ability to find incredible brands we believe our customers will love and introducing them to those brands at a bigger scale, without the cost of a #wholesale model.” A lot to applaud in Nordstrom's #marketplace launch (#TLDR their vision is to become "The Spotify of #Fashion") ... enabling broader, deeper assortments; building out extended sizes; making marketplace items accessible to in-store #stylists; offering tailoring and alterations; and perhaps most importantly, allowing in-store #returns for marketplace purchases. In addition, I think they should use this as an opportunity to extend beyond "#gifting, #home, and #outdoor" and build share of wallet across a broader range of products and services. For some retailers, a marketplace is a chance to try and become #TheEverythingStore. For most, however, it's an opportunity to curate a range of goods and services that are tailored to your target customer(s), without the requisite costs of setting up #fullstack teams., processes, and #OTB to support. https://lnkd.in/g9aR6sjE

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"Gen Z shoppers are bringing back the mall shopping center experience." Earnings reports the second half of May from companies like Abercrombie & Fitch Co., Gap and AMERICAN EAGLE OUTFITTERS INC. paint an encouraging picture of fashion retailers leading the resurgence of the mall shopping experience. Gen Z in particular is demonstrating an affinity for shopping in store. Retailers like the ones listed above understand this, and they're doubling down on their brick & mortar investments to give Gen Z (and other shoppers) a consistently rewarding in-store experience. This shift underscores what we've believed all along: that shopping in store will always be an essential part of the human experience. The key is understanding how customer expectations and preferences change over time, and adapting the shopping experience to those evolving customer behaviors. Thanks to Nathan Bomey and Kelly Tyko at Axios for the insightful article! #retail #fortheloveofretail #genZ #instoreexperience

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Tough reporting day for Kohl’s, surprising with soft Q1 sales. On the plus side:  -Delivered gross margin expansion and managed down inventory  -Early success in underpenetrated categories, positive trends in Women’s, and continued strong Sephora growth.  -New opportunity through Kohl’s Babies “R” Us partnership For a summary of today’s highlights, see MPG’s Earnings Report Recap below. For a conversation on the implications for your brand strategies, reach out to Jaspreet Kaleka. #retail #marketing #Kohls #omnichannel #mpg #marketperformancegroup

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Paul highlights a very insightful observation from then vs now, emphasizing how the retail landscape has changed. It's crucial for retailers to embrace new formats and strategies to meet the evolving needs of consumers. I am excited to witness the industry's transformation with #retailanalytics. From a recent article I stumbled across, I see that Best Buy looks to be adopting the same strategy, along with major retailers like Nordstrom, Target, Khol's, and even IKEA. https://lnkd.in/g3ESUUZY

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My CNBC video interview on Abercrombie & Fitch's blowout sales and profits illustrates the competitive advantage of having a retail merchant as the CEO! Fran Horowitz is a savvy CEO offering Great Fashion for Real Consumers and everybody wins!! #abercrombieandfitch #fashion #cnbc #retail

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Strategies and tactics about how to gather richest shoppers. A lot of conventional and close-to-conventional activities from top retailers like Neiman Marcus Group and Saks Fifth Avenue. Is it a true luxury experience? Or -at the end- is something like a mass-market (in smaller numbers)? #luxury #jewelry #jewellery https://lnkd.in/eNcCVgpG

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Here are some interesting stories from the world of retail for Tuesday, June 18: ✂️ The parent company of Bed Bath & Beyond, Overstock and Zulily announced it has eliminated its co-chief executive roles, eliminated its dual chief merchant roles, and expanded the role of its executive chairman. 🧘🏽‍♀️ Athleta bought its first TV ad ahead of the Paris Olympics, featuring Simone Biles. Biles and fellow Olympian Katie Ledecky, both members of Athleta’s Power of She collective, will appear in digital and out-of-home creative. 🔌 Analysts say to buy Best Buy stock for an AI device upgrade boost and a whole lot more. Higher levels of product innovation, including those with features using AI, should drive demand for new electronic products. 🤖 McDonald's has informed franchisees that it is ending an artificial intelligence drive-thru order taking program. More than 100 McDonald’s locations were testing the technology, dating back to 2021. 🎮 Shares of GameStop tumbled on Monday after CEO Ryan Cohen told investors that the videogame retailer plans to operate a smaller network of stores and gave no details on what it plans to do with its cash pile. 🛠️ Canadian home improvements retailer RONA has announced the appointment of a new chief executive, with J.P. Towner taking over from Andrew Iacobucci. 🍎 Apple ending its buy now, pay later service, just over a year after launching it. The service allowed customers to split purchases between $50 and $1,000 into four payments spread over six weeks with no interest and no fees. 💊 Care/of, known for its vitamin and supplement subscriptions, is shutting down due to a lack of funding. As a result, the company is no longer accepting new orders and is canceling all subscriptions. 📺 A growing number of major retailers are creating and operating their own advertising platforms, known as retail media. Amazon leads the way, earning $46.9bn from advertising in 2023. 👎🏼 Customer experience is getting worse again. The average customer experience rating of US companies hits a new low amid inflation and fallible customer-service chatbots. 🚚 Instant delivery apps like Blinkit and Swiggy's Instamart are disrupting India's retail market, offering low prices and speedy deliveries. Experts say the country's 11m small shopkeepers will be particularly affected by the trend. 💰 Australian women's wear retailer City Chic is looking to raise around A$25m ($16.5m) to boost its balance sheet, and will also sell off Avenue, its American brand. #retail #retailnews #economy #DailyRetailNews

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Abercrombie & Fitch Co. has “posted a remarkable 22% fiscal first-quarter sales growth, far surpassing expectations.”  - This marks their strongest first quarter in history, according to CNBC. In a new release, CEO Fran Horowitz attributes this to “successfully navigated seasonal transitions with relevant assortments and compelling marketing, leveraging agile chase capabilities and inventory discipline” Read how Abercrombie & Fitch Co. achieved their operantial efficiency thanks to Launchmetrics Samples! In our case study, we break down how Abercrombie & Fitch Co. updated their sample workflow and achieved unparalleled performance productivity. By digitizing and streamlining their sample management with Launchmetrics' Samples, they were able to centrally store, easily access key sample information and conveniently manage and track samples traveling through various internal departments. As well as creating a digital image gallery dedicated to vintage samples, eliminating the need for constant physical handling valuable pieces The results speak for themselves: 📉 Reduced sample misplacements and losses, creating cost efficiencies ⏰ Time searching for samples was reduced by 50% and team spend 3x less time on creating sample send-outs 🤝 Improved organization and cross-department transparency Don't miss the opportunity to gain insights from Abercrombie & Fitch Co.'s success story. Download our case study now and learn how to enhance your operational efficiency. 🔗 https://bit.ly/3ub8SuR #Launchmetrics #FashionSampleTracking #BrandPerformance #FashionPR #Launchmetrics ##FashionMarketing #datadriveninsights #fashionstrategy #marketingstrategy #Marketing #BrandMarketing #Datainsights #Samples #SampleTracking FashionRetail #OperationalEfficiency #CaseStudy #abercrombieandfitch

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