Sarah Emily Clarke

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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An article in The Business of Fashion on "Fashion's Golden Opportunity With Older Shoppers"... Is total and complete BS. There is an opportunity across ALL shoppers. Dividing them up by descriptors that have been used for decades is just not going to cut it anymore. While teaching fashion marketing at Fashion Institute of Technology last Fall, there were modules on generations and how they spend, how they consume information, etc. I had to add caveats to each statement in the textbook because you can't make these types of assumptions anymore. This is an old school way of marketing. We can't put customers into these buckets anymore as there are so many other data points to consider. The affluent customer shops at Walmart, Target and Costco Wholesale. The tech boom will go through another cycle and you will have more younger customers with disposable income. Resale luxury is bought by Gen Z to the boomer. Generalizing is a wasted effort and it's what gets retailers in trouble with excess inventory to irrelevant product assortments. The customer has evolved across generations and we need to stop generalizing to avoid marketers look at the data in just 1 way. #retail #retailnews #fashion #fashionmarketing #bof

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Retail design always is a meaningful part of the #retail experience, and I enjoyed sharing my insight with National Jeweler on how design is impacting store design and consumer engagement alike. What are your thoughts on how merchandising + design impact stores… jewelry focused like discussed here or any category of retail?

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According to GlobalData, the U.S. secondhand apparel market grew 11%, or seven times faster than the broader retail apparel market, to $43 billion last year. The report estimates that resale sales online and at traditional thrift stores could reach $73 billion by 2028. #resale #retail #apparel #retailsales

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"Generalizing is a wasted effort and it's what gets retailers in trouble with excess inventory to irrelevant product assortments." Adore this commentary from the inimitable Liza Amlani. Highly recommend it as a read. Generalization is a symptom from our over-stretch to efficiency. We are biologically attracted to efficiency as it reduces effort which burns (what were once precious) calories. We therefore seek out every way we can improve efficiency in how we make stuff, how we think, and how we do things. It has a true cost though, which is articulated beautifully by Liza. Customers aren't formed in factories, and their behaviors and preferences change all the time. Even what they say are their preferences don't always align to their actions. It's an old school way of thinking and in a world of this much data down to individual level, we can do better.

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What's the headline from recent retail earnings transcripts from Walmart, DICK'S Sporting Goods, The TJX Companies, Inc., and more? Value wins. The macroeconomic environment played a role in crowning the season’s winners. Value is top of mind for consumers as they look to stretch their budgets. Read on below for more insights: https://lnkd.in/gCvZghbY

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Here are some interesting stories from the world of retail for Tuesday, May 7: 🛋️ Shares of Beyond, Inc. — the parent of Overstock and Bed Bath & Beyond — fell after it reported a deeper-than-expected loss and said it was trying to draw more committed customers amid weak home-goods demand. 🚛 Kohl's’s is now offering same-day delivery via the Instacart app. Using Instacart, customers can place orders for same-day or scheduled delivery from 1,172 Kohl’s locations nationwide. 🎯 Target is expanding its partnership with Hudson's Bay in Canada, broadening the sales of its in-house Cat & Jack children's brand to include swimwear, outerwear, and shoes. The move comes after positive feedback. 🚚 Wholesale remains most profitable investment channel for brands. The channel, which is expected to grow 51% this year, accounts for about 60% of companies’ total sales. 🏬 A fourth Bloomie’s location is set to open in New Jersey this fall, part of the parent company Macy's ongoing strategy to tap into more luxury sales with a new small format strategy. 👷🏼‍♂️ Kroger is planning to spend approximately $45 million in 2024 to remodel 15 stores in Ohio and Indiana. Kroger is highlighting investments in its stores as it presses ahead with the Albertsons merger. 🍓ALDI USA, the American arm of the German-owned discount supermarket chain, has urged its suppliers to cut costs, increase production, and focus on sustainability to stay competitive. ⬇️ More than four-in-five consumer respondents (81%) have noticed shrinkflation, with three-in-10 (29%) having seen it very often since 2020 - according to a survey by Clarify Capital. 💄 Amazon said Monday that its Summer Beauty Haul event is returning next week. Amazon noted the sales promotion starts at 12am PST on May 13 and runs through 11:59pm PST on May 19. 🥩 Shares of meatpacking giant Tyson Foods plunged more than 9% — the stock’s worst day since August — after the company said persistent inflation weakened consumer appetites for meat biting into profits in the second quarter. 🍺 The European boss of Budweiser has said the brewer has learned to “stay in our lane” following a backlash over Bud Light’s work with a transgender influencer. 🧴 Chinese-made skincare brands, such as Skintific, have gained popularity in Muslim-dominated markets like Indonesia and Malaysia. These brands downplay their origins and present themselves as local products. 🇦🇺 Australian supermarkets found to be overcharging customers could face criminal penalties if the government adopts the findings of a new review. #retail #retailnews #economy #DailyRetailNews

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With the resale market for apparel estimated to grow to $77 billion by 2026, sustainability is sure to become an increasingly important factor for consumers to consider when debating where to sell and buy their used goods. https://lnkd.in/ev9QmFwu #resale #reseller #resalenotretail #sustainability #recycle #reuse #resellingcommunity #resellercommunity #reselling

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Dear Retail Friends,   If you’re a wholesaler, access to data from suppliers and retail customers is critical in enabling optimal service levels with minimal inventory. But getting that data, and acting upon it, can be challenging.   While there are many hurdles to this kind of collaboration, it can be done. And the benefits are numerous – not just for wholesalers, but their suppliers and retail customers as well.   https://lnkd.in/dbxub36v   #supplychain #supplychainoptimization #wholesaledistribution The future of wholesale supply chain collaboration | RELEX Solutions Unlock insights on boosting wholesale collaboration for supply chain efficiency and profit in this expert interview.

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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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Here are some interesting stories from the world of retail for Saturday, June 15: 📦 Kohl's is introducing a Return Drop service to stores nationwide: in addition to its Amazon partnership, the department store will now accept returns from brands like Carhartt, Hanes and Levi’s. 🎯 Target's total US retail market share, including online and store sales, has shrunk in categories that generate over 60% of its revenue. An indication the chain needs to work harder to retain customers. 👖 Superdry has avoided insolvency after shareholders voted to approve a £10m equity raise underwritten by chief executive Julian Dunkerton. The fashion brand said the deal provides enough liquidity of a turnaround. 👚 Secondhand apparel marketplace ThredUp is continuing to experiment with charging sellers a fee to send in items, as part of a strategy to fill its marketplace with higher-quality items. 5️⃣ Five Below’s net sales surpassed $3.5 billion in 2023, more than double five years ago. Despite an impressive few years of growth, things have taken a turn for the worse in 2024 and stock fell to a year low in the first week of June. 👗 Torrid CEO Lisa Harper said during an earnings call that the company is evaluating its brick-and-mortar footprint and wants to move to a 50-50 split between mall-based and non-mall locations in the future. 🕹️ Over the past two years, Hasbro has suffered from weaker toy demand, leading to layoffs and declining sales. But analysts at BofA said Wall Street hasn’t appreciated the potential of the toy maker’s digital-gaming business. ⛽️ Exactly two years ago Friday, gasoline prices peaked at a record of $5.02 a gallon nationally. Gas prices today are not cheap – but they are miles away from that point with the he national average for regular gas at $3.46 a gallon. 🚙 Advance Auto Parts said a hacker had accessed and was selling certain data that may contain Social Security numbers of job applicants and employees. 📉 US consumer sentiment fell for the third consecutive month in June, as Americans expressed concerns about their finances and persistent inflation, as per a University of Michigan survey. 🚫 SHEIN has unexpectedly canceled its upcoming pop-up store in Perth, Australia, scheduled for June 21 at Lakeside Joondalup Shopping Centre, just weeks before a new tax on fast fashion items takes effect. 🇶🇦 With Eid al-Adha approaching, retailers in Qatar are offering a wide range of promotions and discounts to attract shoppers. Discounts of up to 50% are being offered on clothing, shoes, accessories, and watches. 🏬 Thai retailer Central Group has agreed to acquire the remaining assets of KaDeWe Group, a chain of landmark department stores in Germany. 🐖 American hog farmers are betting on cash-strapped consumers to drive demand for pork as beef prices surge. #retail #retailnews #economy #DailyRetailNews

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"GenAI is very good at producing something from something, but great designers produce something where nothing exists". That's my most favorite quote from this episode with Karla Martin.   If you are interested in listening about how GenAI is changing the face of fashion retail, do check this one out 🎧🔥

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Will Kohl's benefit from its latest third-party venture with Babies"R"Us? On the plus side, adding Babies R Us is more of a help than a hinderance to Kohl's. It bolsters the proposition in an important area of the market and gives Kohl’s more credibility in the space. This should help drive some incremental revenue into the business. There is also a view that if Kohl’s can pull in younger family and family formation shoppers for baby products it can, hopefully, convert them into buying other categories like toys or homewares.    However, for this to work properly, Kohl’s really needs to improve the look and feel of its stores and make its own assortments and pricing more compelling. If it fails to tackle these things, this will be a reasonable venture but one that cannot throw a halo over the rest of the business – much as has been the case with Sephora.   The bottom line is that Kohl’s can add in as many third-party brands and ventures as it wants, but there is a tactic admission here that its own core proposition isn’t good enough. It still needs to work to dispel this view. Great to chat with Inside Retail US about this, link to article in comments. #retail #retailnews #departmentstores #babies #parents

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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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A trainwreck long in the happening. ‘Increased competition in the fast-fashion space’? ‘Lower demand as consumers cut back on discretionary spending or funnel dollars to e-commerce giants like Amazon or Shein’? Sure, that is the context. But EXPRESS’ woes, similarly to other retailers on the edge of the precipice, are of their own making. While the world was pivoting to e-commerce and direct-to-consumer brands and the dynamics in the young professional’s market (Express’ core audience) were shifting to more casual work wear, the focus of leadership at Express has been on salvaging shareholder value, or cutting costs, closing stores, layoffs. If the retailer had intended to refocus the brand, it would have hired an experienced and dynamic retail and merchandising exec team, realigned the vision and laid out strategies to win back consumers’ preference. Growth lies in uncertainty. But it always requires a vision in the corporate suite and, especially, experience. #retail #fashion #fastfashion #dtc #ecommerce #transformation #vision #growth #sales #linkedinpostsbymariopace

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What is the purpose of a physical store in today's digital era? Brian Librach, former VP of Stores at Urban Outfitters, Pacific Sunwear and Old Navy, joins me on #RetailDisrupted to explore: 🔸 Findings from his new book: The Retail Leader’s Roadmap. Why retail leaders get stuck and how to rewrite your career outcome. 🔸 The evolution of bricks & mortar retail – what is the future of stores and how should we be measuring success? 🔸 Which brands does Brian admire and what are they getting right? 🔸 How can retailers ensure their staff are motivated and engaged? 🔸 Cultural shifts: digital transformation journeys and the importance of taking your people with you. 🔸 Upskilling and investing in digital competencies. 🔸 Squiggly careers: why the path to success isn’t always linear. 🔸 Natalie and Brian debate the key traits of winning retailers (25 min in). Full episode links: 🎧 Apple: https://lnkd.in/eCJQj-Mr 🎧 Spotify: https://lnkd.in/eyrWHYQV 🎧 YouTube (audio): https://lnkd.in/e73UqqTV #retail #retailleadership #consumer #retailinsights #bricksandmortar #storekpis #retailtech #squigglycareers #retailtechnology #digitaltransformation #retailpodcast

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I disagree with the headline. It is in fact innovation that department stores need: innovation in formats and touchpoints, innovation in experience, innovation in service, and yes, innovation in products. "What to do about department stores" is one of the most vexing challenges in #retail ... a source of much discussion and debate in the industry. I do agree that "they must rethink the entire value proposition that they present to their target customer," which needs to extend across stores, websites, apps, and other digital and physical touchpoints. And on the product front, they have to get back to the idea of having actual departments. Many US department stores are large multi-brand apparel and accessories (shoes, handbags, jewelry) stores, perhaps with a bit of soft home and kitchenware. Edited, customer-relevant assortments in electronics, entertainment, grocery, and gifts, as well as on-prem food & drink options can bring some life back into the stores and create destinations for multiple types of experiences. Lastly, I'd say that each store (and to be clear, the focus should be on fewer, more meaningful stores) has to be positioned as the focal point for shopping and products among its community, with a schedule of events that rivals any other cultural hub. The types of events at a global flagship (Macy's Herald Square, Selfridges Oxford Street, Galeries Lafayette Haussman) will be different than at the local Nordstrom, El Corte Inglés, or #Isetan) but the importance of events as a traffic driver cannot be overstated. https://lnkd.in/ehPAt3AP

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