Warren Shoulberg

A small 1.3% rise in sales at US jewelers in April. The increase in revenue was fully spurred by a 2.5% increase in the average consumer expenditure per unit purchased. A few of the figures: Natural diamond jewelry sales rose 1%, Prices of LGD-set DERs declined, Loose LGD was 57% of loose diamond sales, but just 25% of revenue. Here is an issue: LG prices are down, but gross margins and unit sales are up. What does it impact gross profits? Our team took a look at that and have some findings. https://lnkd.in/d2i8fHUv

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👩 This week, Rowing Blazers, the preppy lifestyle and apparel brand founded by Jack Carlson, appointed Laura Willensky as its new chief executive officer. 🤝 Willensky is the company’s second major hire since its acquisition by Burch Creative Capital an investment firm founded by Christopher Burch, who is also the co-founder of TORY BURCH LLC, and whose portfolio includes brands like STAUD, Solid & Striped, DANIELLE GUIZIO, and BaubleBar Inc.. ✍ In my latest article for Inside Retail US, I explore Willensky's appointment to the role and what it may entail for the future of Rowing Blazers. 🔗 Check out the link below to find out more! #insideretail #retail #rowingblazers #appointment #apparel #accessories #luxury #ecommerce #brickandmortar #editorial #webcontent

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Last week, Anne had to travel a little further than usual to go to the office 🇺🇸 Since ebp Global, whom we are a proud part of, has become a member of the American Apparel & Footwear Association (AAFA), we now have the opportunity to participate in their events and conferences. So, along with Keith and Nanda from ebp, she went to the AAFA Global Supply Chain & Trade Conference in Portland, Oregon. There were a bunch of different speakers and topics covered. While on the topic of sustainability, one speaker mentioned that in his company they have decided that the best way to be compliant in the USA is to meet EU regulations. There are two reasons for this: One, different states are doing different things, and two, they are mostly copying the EU. Very interesting to consider, we think! 💡 Check out the picture to see some of the other topics on the agenda ⬇ #GlobalSupplyChainandTrade #Sustainability #EUGreenDeal

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Barneys Plots a Bigger Comeback Thanks to Neiman-Saks Deal. Talks include Barneys-branded home goods, outerwear lines. Contingent on negotiations, close of Saks-Neiman deal https://lnkd.in/euFeFyzJ #tradeguard #receivableputoptions #arputs #receivableputs #tradereceivables #accountsreceivables

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From Macro to Micro: The Ripple Effects of the Saks-Neiman Marcus Merger 💡 As a brand strategist, technologist, and President of the Chicago Fashion Coalition, my perspective will focus on how this merger represents broader shifts in the retail landscape and what it means for both national and local markets. My Key Takeaways: ➡️Merger Impact: The $2.65 billion merger between Saks Fifth Avenue and Neiman Marcus, backed by Amazon and Salesforce, aims to revitalize the department store model through technology and scale. ➡️Retail Transformation: Nationally and globally, the merger sets a precedent for integrating online and offline retail experiences, driven by data analytics and AI to meet consumer demands for personalization and convenience. ➡️Local Strategies: Locally, the merger presents both, opportunities and challenges for retailers in Chicago, emphasizing the need for unique experiences, technology adoption, and a balanced approach to online and offline retail channels. Take a Deeper Dive 🔑 Post-COVID market shifts indicate that consumers prioritize convenience and low costs, as evidenced by the popularity of platforms like Amazon Prime, Shein, and Temu. With a struggling economy, discretionary spending on non-essential items like fashion has decreased. To counter this trend, retailers must focus on providing experiential shopping experiences that entice customers to leave their homes. Chicago boutiques like Congruent Space excel by combining art, fashion, and interactive events, making shopping a unique experience. The strategic integration of scale and technology is crucial for revitalizing the department store model. Retailers must utilize trend forecasting, social listening, and AI tools for sentiment analysis to make informed buying decisions and optimize customer engagement. Balancing online and offline retail channels is essential for future success, as relying solely on e-commerce or physical stores presents significant trade-offs. A diversified approach to revenue generation will be key to thriving in the evolving retail landscape. Join the Conversation 🗣️ What are your thoughts on… How will the Saks and Neiman Marcus merger affect the retail industry? What are the benefits of retail mergers? How can local retailers compete with large department stores? #RetailRevolution #LuxuryMarket #AmazonInvests #Saks #NeimanMarcus #FashionIndustry #RetailInnovation #SupplyChain #TechnologyInRetail #Ecommerce #BusinessStrategy #LuxuryStores

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🛍 The mall concept as we know it began in 1956 with the opening of the Southdale Center in Edina, Minnesota. The multi-store shopping center steadily grew in popularity in the US, hitting peak popularity in the 1980s. 📈 However, in the past two decades, the American mall has been standing on shaky ground due to factors like the 2008 recession and, more recently, the butterfly effect of the Covid-19 pandemic. Yet, in recent years, things seem to be looking up once more for the American mall once more. 🗣 Inside Retail US Retail connected with retail experts Nikki Baird, the vice president of strategy and product at Aptos Retail, a retail technology company, and Neil Saunders, managing director and retail analyst at GlobalData Plc, to gather their thoughts about the potential “Great Mall Resurgence” and what retailers should keep in mind. 🖱 Click on the link below to find out! #insideretail #retail #mall #shopping #consumer #retailnews #editorial #linkedin #article

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Saks parent company acquires Neiman Marcus, Amazon to be investor. Rachel Douglass for FashionUnited Key Takeaways: 🤝 In what has been a long-winded back-and-forth that has spanned multiple years, it is now believed that department store powerhouses Saks Fifth Avenue and Neiman Marcus Group are finally set to merge. 👨‍💻 It is further understood that marketplace giant Amazon is among the investors for the deal, alongside private equity firm Apollo and software company Salesforce. 🗣 Richard Baker, the executive chairman and chief executive officer of Hudson’s Bay, confirmed the news to WWD, to which he said: “I’m very excited. We’ve worked on this for over a decade. “We’ve had many discussions to buy Neiman’s at much larger numbers. It was too expensive before. It didn’t make sense. The pandemic happened. Neiman’s went bankrupt, but we finally got to a point where we were able to come to terms and do what we think is the right thing for everyone.” 📢 HBC has also confirmed the closing of a 1.15 billion dollar committed term loan financing from investment funds and accounts overseen by associates of Apollo, as well as a two billion dollar revolving asset based loan facility from a number of banks, including Bank of America. LEARN MORE: https://lnkd.in/dXUiEzcR #fashion #merging #amazon #saks

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🌍 Transitioning to a Circular Economy in Footwear Manufacturing 🌍 A great article from Ron Giuntini on PricingForThePlanet. As the US remains the largest consumer of footwear globally, spending an average of $240 per person annually, it’s crucial to rethink our production and consumption patterns. The traditional build-sell-dispose model is becoming increasingly unsustainable, and this analysis highlights a promising shift towards a circular economy. 🔍 Why the Shift? Only 1.25% of footwear purchased in the US is domestically manufactured, a stark decline from the past when the US led in footwear production. Furthermore, most footwear today is not designed for durability or rebuilds, contributing to an alarming 3 billion pounds of waste annually. 🔄 Circular Economy Model: Ron proposes a model where footwear is designed to be rebuilt and re-entered into a like-kind exchange pool. This approach not only supports sustainability but also fosters domestic job creation, potentially generating hundreds of thousands of new roles. 💡 Economic Impact: By redesigning footwear to last 10 years with multiple rebuilds, we project a drastic reduction in production needs and waste. Despite initial costs, the circular model could lead to significant economic gains over the traditional model, with a potential $56 billion profit advantage over a decade. 🚀 Looking Ahead: While challenges remain in consumer acceptance and supply chain adjustments, the potential benefits of adopting a circular economy model in footwear are compelling. It's time for industry leaders to consider this sustainable shift to meet both economic and environmental goals. Join the conversation on how we can revolutionize industries for a sustainable future #CircularEconomy #Sustainability #FootwearIndustry #BusinessTransformation

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Explainer: May US apparel imports signal uncertainty for H2 2024 The latest set of trade data from the United States Office of Textile and Apparel (OTEXA) shows stagnating imports. Just Style examines what this “uncertain outlook” could mean for apparel for the rest of this year. #USapparel #imports #JSDaily

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🗣 The industry has been buzzing since EXPRESS filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy and announced the closure of at least 100 store locations. In addition to the retailer’s namesake chain, the bankruptcy applies to other brands in its portfolio: Bonobos and UpWest Express. 📉 Managing director and retail analyst at GlobalData Plc Neil Saunders told Inside Retail US Retail that Express has struggled to gain traction with consumers and “it has been obvious for quite some time that bankruptcy was the inevitable destination for Express”. 🔎 Find out more information on Express' current situation via the link below! #insideretail #retail #retailnews #express #bankruptcy #brickandmortar #ecommerce #webcontent #linkedin #editorial

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COLLAGERIE's chief creative officer, lucinda chambers, shares her plans for US expansion and reveals the common denominator shielding fashion players from economic headwinds. Subscribe to read the interview below. #MyFashionLife #fashionnews #international #expansion #fashion #retailnews

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This is a really interesting take on the current market. There's a nuance to colored stones marketability (which affect fancy color diamonds as well). It's not just the hue of color, it's other tones that affect the main hue, it's saturation, and then there's clarity's effect on the stone and color zoning creating potential cutting dilemmas with the rough material. While the market for colored stones has far less standardization than diamonds so there are no price drops like we've experienced in diamonds this year, there's also several factors that make them a more difficult product to sell: 1) There's less of a market overall because of the variety of options and no marketing to carry them like "A Diamond is Forever" 2) The supply is far more unpredictable 3) The grading is quite a bit more up to interpretation (is this orangey pink, or pinkish orange?) and undisclosed treatments are an ongoing risk 4) The market can shift away from your stock as styles change and factors come in and go out of fashion. It's like focusing on round cuts vs fancy shapes. Round diamonds will always sell while fancy shapes go in and out of style. Hedging your inventory and/or using colored stones to adjust to the changes in consumer taste is a smart idea, but it comes with a lot of other risks and requires different expertise so it's not a clear path to profit. And jewelry manufacturers have had to deal with drops in gold prices for years as a part of business, so it's not like the idea of inventory devaluation is some new unheard of creature. Diamond companies will need to adapt to the new market which requires some recalibration; it'll be fascinating to see what shape that recalibration takes.

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In this Expert Analysis #3E's Cassidy Spencer stitches together the details of the Fashion Environmental Accountability Act, a.k.a. the New York Fashion Act. What does the Met Gala have to do with supply chain best practices for sustainability? Read our blog to find out: #supplychain #nycfashion #NewYorkFashionAct

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Discover the full findings and implications in our latest blog post!

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THE SAKS-NEIMAN MARCUS MEGA-DEAL AND AMAZON'S UNDERGROUND PATH TO LUXURY Maghan McDowell for Vogue Business 💥 HBC, the parent company of luxury retailer Saks Fifth Avenue, has confirmed reports that its long-awaited deal to acquire rival Neiman Marcus Group — owner of Neiman Marcus and Bergdorf Goodman — for $2.65 billion is finally here. And as a pending investor in the merged company, Amazon has found a new path (or underground tunnel) into luxury fashion. 💭 “We’re thrilled to take this step in bringing together these iconic luxury names, Saks Fifth Avenue, Neiman Marcus and Bergdorf Goodman,” said Richard Baker, HBC executive chairman and CEO, in a statement. “For years, many in the industry have anticipated this transaction and the benefits it would drive for customers, partners and employees. This is an exciting time in luxury retail, with technological advancements creating new opportunities to redefine the customer experience, and we look forward to unlocking significant value for our customers, brand partners and employees.” 💥 An interesting development is Amazon’s involvement. Amazon will be an investor in and work with Saks Global “to innovate on behalf of customers and brands partners following the close of the transaction”, a release issued by HBC reads. This will give Amazon discrete access to luxury products, stores, sales associates and data. At the same time, the retailers stand to gain access to more sophisticated technology and logistics; Salesforce, which has been steadily rolling out generative artificial intelligence tools for retailers, will also become an investor. 👔 Amazon, the largest clothing retailer in the US, has for years worked to expand into luxury fashion, which has higher margins but is somewhat at odds with Amazon’s efficiency-over-style ethos. During the pandemic in 2020, it brokered deals with the Council of Fashion Designers of America and the British Fashion Council to start a new luxury stores division, recruiting brands including Oscar de la Renta, Jonathan Cohen and Adam Lippes. In 2022, it expanded that effort to include Europe, with brands including Christopher Kane and Elie Saab. It sponsored the CFDA awards in 2023. LEARN MORE: https://lnkd.in/eau7A69j #fashion #metaverse #ai #metaversefashion #investment #web3

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Fast fashion retailer Shein confidentially files for London IPO as U.S. listing stalls. Fast fashion giant Shein has confidentially filed for a public listing in London, a person familiar with the matter told CNBC. Shein confidentially filed for a U.S. initial public offering late last year, but the retailer has faced mounting backlash tied to allegations of forced labor in its supply chain. IPO experts told CNBC a U.S. offering was becoming increasingly unlikely, and that a London offering could sidestep some of the expected hurdles. https://lnkd.in/gDmCVceq #tradeguard #receivableputoptions #arputs #receivableputs #tradereceivables #accountsreceivables

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