Liza Amlani’s Post

Not the first DTC brand to pivot to wholesale, certainly not the last. Workwear brand BRUNT Workwear is making its footwear and apparel available at 23 retail select partners, for a total of 110 stores across the US. After building a solid following with a direct-to-consumer focused strategy, the company will double the size of its distribution by expanding into wholesale. In doing so, they will increase reach and distribution and operationalize growing demand. It boils down – it always does – to understanding where your customers are in their purchase journey: workwear has traditionally been a wholesale-centered category, as most customers like to try on boots and compare fits and features. What makes Brunt’s strategy a bright omnichannel case is the choice of channels and partners supporting the initial phase of this transformative move: instead of a mass retailer or national chain, Brunt is handpicking a set of specialist retailers in the category that can represent the brand with their target customers in an authentic manner, who are tactically spread out across the country and whose employees and early customers can be passionate brand ambassadors for its products. Not the first DTC brand to pivot to wholesale, but certainly one with a very clear commercial strategy. #dtc #wholesale #sales #retail #footwear #apparel #workwear #omnichannel #salesstrategy #commercialstrategy #linkedinpostsbymariopace

"As for Boot Barn, its expansion from a solely western and workwear brand into the country lifestyle market is bringing in a diverse audience. Nike’s growth reveals that its commitment to DTC and wholesale has helped it stay on track to meet 2023 inventory and revenue goals. Nike may also be benefitting from sustained demand from luxury shoppers, according to Placer.ai." Shoe stores are among retail's hottest destinations as they outperform the apparel retail market at large. Chain Store Age's Marianne Wilson features Placer.ai's "A Shoe In: Footwear Climbs to the Top" report in her recent article. Here's what to know: https://lnkd.in/g-XzeykX Ethan Chernofsky Jocelyn Bauer Jennifer Cowen Tali Rozenman Shira Aliza Petrack Maytal Cohen Bracha Arnold Noam Maman Jordan Taub Maia Baram Natasha Feldman Tatiana Melamud Nufar Medan Denis Dlugach Tina Silber Noam Ben-Zvi Koby Ben-Zvi Ofir Lemel Zohar Bar-Yehuda Mark Bowman Ryan Dowd Jim Walsh Jessica Owen R. J. Hottovy, CFA Oded Fossfeld Benjamin Pitman Elad Ash Sam Becker Cornelia Holzbauer Allysun Johnson Juliette Simon Derring-Do Inc. #foottraffic #foottrafficanalytics

Comfort is king. At the end of last month, Skechers announced their Q1 figures for 2024, recording a 12.5% increase in sales to $2.25bn, propelled by strong sales in both domestic and global markets. This figure was significant for a few reasons; firstly, it beat their own punchy estimates announced after a record 2023, but also that the customer desire and enthusiasm for the brand showed no sign of slowing down. 2023, was a huge year for Skechers; delivering sales of $8bn and debuting on the Fortune 500. At this rate, they'll hit $10bn by 2026 – good going for a brand only formed in 1992 by CEO Robert Greenberg, after he sold 1980’s uber-label L.A. Gear. Skechers 2023 numbers are compelling; DTC revenue grew +24% in total, with EMEA delivering a phenomenal +53.1%, followed by APAC at +21.2% and the Americas growing +14.6%. COO David Weinberg also attributed the wholesale “return to growth” to an improved inventory position internationally, and an “improvement in the flow of orders” domestically. These figures are significant as Europe has historically been aloof to the all-American charm of Skechers. We turned our nose up at their focus on ‘comfort over coolness’ and laughed at the cheesy advertising, with bland celebs. Even when Snoop dropped a collab, we all laughed as we all know he’d do anything for the dollar. But the big noise coming out of Europe last year was securing Harry Kane as a lifetime collaborator on a deal reminiscent of Michael Jordan’s Nike contract. Kane’s own sponsorship with Nike had ended in late 2022 and he was being courted by all major sportswear brands. He’d even started wearing plain unbranded boots, from no distinguishable brand, which turned out to be the wearer trials perfecting Skechers’ launch into football. It is a major coup for them, but they know that Kane still has 5-6 playing years left in him and is already England’s record goal scorer. Skechers are betting big on his image and gravitas transitioning from football boot to casual ranges. Expect to see him finish his career in the US... Skechers are now the third biggest footwear brand in the world. They know exactly who they are and more importantly who their customer is - few brands can effortlessly mix nostalgia and innovation in the way they do. :Skechers have honed their USP on three key elements to stand out: Culture, comfort, and catering to a multitude of both styles and lifestyles. From Martha Stewart to Mr. T, to elite-level National Basketball Association (NBA) players Julius Randle and Terance Mann. A footwear exec said to me the other day that Skechers could "do a Crocs", but given they are twice their size already, that ship has long sailed, plus of course, if you become cool, sooner or later someone steals your crown. Skechers will happily keep acquiring consumers who value foot health over anything else. Because sometimes middle of the road is the best place to be. DHR Global #footwearnews

The report said that athletic shoes were the bright spot, with respondents expecting to spend two percent more on the segment than last year; fashion and work shoes saw projected declines of 19 percent and 21 percent, respectively. Brand preference stands out in the athletic segment, with 61 percent of respondents planning to shop for athletic shoes this spring and summer in branded online stores and 57 percent in branded brick-and-mortar, against 49 percent and 40 percent for nonathletic shoes in the same respective venues.

Footwear brand Metro Brands Ltd. has joined hands with merchandise planning platform Nextail Click on the link below to know more... Metro Brands Limited | Nextail | Nissan Joseph | Juan Garcia Avedillo | Joaquin Villalba #fashion #footwear #AI #artificialintelligence #technology #retailnews #retailtrends #retailsector #retailindustry #retailing #retailresults #retailupdates #businessnews #retailgrowth #retailsectornews #retailindia #retailtrends #ir #IndiaRetailing

The journey to 50 years in Footwear Retail for me continues. The Happy New Year has begun, with new budgets and plans. How appropriate to tell a story about budgets and plans. This story goes back to early 1995. We had finished opening most of the Kmart stores in Alaska and Hawaii. I began working on the Guam project. Parking on the roof, stockroom in the basement and the most amazing Kmart Shoe Department in the middle. We started with the sales information we had on Hawaii. We looked at "space allocation", and used the numbers to plan. As an example, in Hawaii, we did about 24% of our footwear sales in ladies sandals as I remember. Shouldn't we do the same in Guam? Who could argue, right? I went to NJ for a week to plan the merchandise for Guam. When it ended, we had about 60K pairs of Kmart shoes on it's way across the Pacific to Guam. Because of shipping, Paul K. and the Team raised the prices of all pairs over $10 by $2 and under $10 by $1. What happened next, no one could have expected. We had a little Friends and Family event on 5/9/95 that did $10555 (impressive right?) in sales and another $2115 the next day for the few that worked the event. On 5/11/95, when we opened to the public, we did $87295 in sales, in the shoe department, of a Kmart store, in 1995, yes just shoes. I have no idea what Kmart did. Yes, $87295.00! We finished the week (5 days) at #209887 in sales. As the retail years go by, that Kmart was #1 in the chain, as Famous Footwear arrived, the #1 in the chain and of course, Flip Flop Shops, #1 in the chain. The lesson is........if you want to open a successful retail store, go to Guam. The real lesson is study the data and plan and work the plan and you will get the right results. I even kept a blurry printout all these years. Does anyone have one to top this? later........Flippin Steve

[DSW President Laura Denk Says Nike Has ‘Instantly’ Become a Top Brand After Its Return to the Retailer + The Other Brands That Have Big Potential] Designer Brands Inc. CEO Doug Howe gave a glimpse into the footwear company’s business following a third quarter that was hit with warmer-than-normal weather and weakening consumer demand for new shoes. “The third quarter was difficult for our business,” Howe admitted to analysts on the company’s third-quarter earnings call on Tuesday. “During the third quarter, we experienced a sales shortfall within the fall season, specifically September, particularly related to broad-based weakness in seasonal [boots] and dress.” “Conversely, a casual portion of our retail business continued to perform well, delivering comp sales growth in the mid-single digits,” Howe said. “We also see the retail customer continuing to lean into value and the intentional rebuild of our clearance business within our U.S. retail segment helped to slightly offset broader declines.” Other successes for DBI in the third quarter came at the company’s owned brand Topo Athletic, which Designer Brands acquired last year. “We saw a sequential increase in the quarter and a significant improvement in our DTC site throughout,” Howe said. “In October, we launched three new shoes, including a new waterproof trail runner and new low top hiker. We also refreshed the ST-5, which pairs a minimally cushion zero-drop platform with Topo’s signature fit.” At Vince Camuto, Howe noted that the brand posted its highest demand day of 2023 in the quarter, as well as the largest full-price non-promotional day in VinceCamuto.com history. The CEO also praised the successful launch of Camuto’s wide-calf boot range in the quarter. “This recent launch has given us yet another proof point that wide cap boots are in high demand,” he said. “Given the limited options available that address this market, we will continue to provide new offerings to capture share.” And new product like this is key for Laura Denk, as she joined Tuesday’s call to reflect on her first 100 days as president of DSW. “I believe that while DSW is certainly feeling the brunt of a very pressured industry, there are elements of our business where we can employ more focus and discipline,” Denk told analysts. And for Denk, she has identified three key areas of focus to help drive near-term improvement, including reinvigorating DSW’s assortment, optimizing market investments and enhancing in-store and digital shopping experiences. “At DSW, and across all of designer brands, it starts and ends with products,” Denk said. “We can’t lose sight of how important an optimal and differentiated assortment is. Maintaining an energizing and trend-right assortment is even more critical today when the customer has substantially more options from brands that are moving more quickly than ever.” … source: sourcing journal https://lnkd.in/gqHzxF6Q

Comfort is king. At the end of last month, Skechers announced their Q1 figures for 2024, recording a 12.5% increase in sales to $2.25bn, propelled by strong sales in both domestic and global markets. This figure was significant for a few reasons; firstly, it beat their own punchy estimates announced after a record 2023, but also that the customer desire and enthusiasm for the brand showed no sign of slowing down. 2023, was a huge year for Skechers; delivering sales of $8bn and debuting on the Fortune 500. At this rate, they'll hit $10bn by 2026 – good going for a brand only formed in 1992 by CEO Robert Greenberg, after he sold 1980’s uber-label L.A. Gear. Skechers 2023 numbers are compelling; DTC revenue grew +24% in total, with EMEA delivering a phenomenal +53.1%, followed by APAC at +21.2% and the Americas growing +14.6%. COO David Weinberg also attributed the wholesale “return to growth” to an improved inventory position internationally, and an “improvement in the flow of orders” domestically. These figures are significant as Europe has historically been aloof to the all-American charm of Skechers. We turned our nose up at their focus on ‘comfort over coolness’ and laughed at the cheesy advertising, with bland celebs. Even when Snoop dropped a collab, we all laughed as we all know he’d do anything for the dollar. But the big noise coming out of Europe last year was securing Harry Kane as a lifetime collaborator on a deal reminiscent of Michael Jordan’s Nike contract. Kane’s own sponsorship with Nike had ended in late 2022 and he was being courted by all major sportswear brands. He’d even started wearing plain unbranded boots, from no distinguishable brand, which turned out to be the wearer trials perfecting Skechers’ launch into football. It is a major coup for them, but they know that Kane still has 5-6 playing years left in him and is already England’s record goal scorer. Skechers are betting big on his image and gravitas transitioning from football boot to casual ranges. Expect to see him finish his career in the US... Skechers are now the third biggest footwear brand in the world. They know exactly who they are and more importantly who their customer is - few brands can effortlessly mix nostalgia and innovation in the way they do. Skechers have honed their USP on three key elements to stand out: Culture, comfort, and catering to a multitude of both styles and lifestyles. From Martha Stewart to Mr. T, to elite-level National Basketball Association (NBA) players Julius Randle and Terance Mann. A footwear exec said to me the other day that Skechers could "do a Crocs", but given they are twice their size already, that ship has long sailed, plus of course, if you become cool, sooner or later someone steals your crown. Skechers will happily keep acquiring consumers who value foot health over anything else. Because sometimes middle of the road is the best place to be. DHR Global #footwearnews

Multinational footwear retailer Bata has partnered with Blue Yonder, a US-based #supplychain management company aimed at revolutionizing its merchandising strategy and replenishment planning processes to enhance customer shopping experience. Click on the link below to know more... Bata Group I Bata India Limited I Barbara Franceschetto I Luca Demarchi I Sandeep Kataria I GUNJAN SHAH I Duncan Angove #bata #bataIndia #shoeretail #footwear #blueyonder #retailtech #footwearbrand #footwearretail #footwearindustry #solutionprovider #footwearbrand #retailnews #retailtrends #retailsector #retailindustry #retailing #retailresults #retailupdates #businessnews #retailgrowth #retailsectornews #retailindia #retailreports #retailtechcase #retailtrends #retailbusiness #ir #IndiaRetailing 

Some interesting news in the #apparel and #footwear industry this week: 1. Hirestreet launches first shoe rental collection with schuh, available now. This is following 250 requests from customers asking for shoes to complement its occasion wear rental collection. The new line offers consumers a range of Schuh styles, including platform sandals, strappy high heels and tie-up heels. Rental prices start from £5 for a five-day rental and £10 for a 10-day rental. 2. Redundancies imminent at FARFETCH, according to Drapers this will impact the marketing team in London and New York based tech team. Other roles affected include customer service, fashion styling and product management roles. As the business reported a loss after tax of £140m in the three months to 31 March, compared to a profit of £587m in the same period last year. 3. Allbirds is bringing it back to basics. After another quarter of losses, the footwear brand is making a concerted effort to focus on its core franchises to help it lift business. Allbirds will be strategic about its use of markdowns and promotions to help it eliminate low-performing product that lives outside its core franchises, including seasonal colours that have become irrelevant. 4. JD Sports Fashion Plc on Tuesday said it has entered into a conditional agreement to become the sole owner of Marketing Investment Group S.A. (MIG), a Poland-based company that operates retail chains such as Sizeer and runs distribution for different brands. 5. Private equity firm Advent International has bought a majority stake in Zimmermann from the founding family and Italy's Style Capital, in a deal which sources said values the Australian fashion brand at more than one billion US dollars. #privateequity #fashionindustry #retailchain