A study in contrasts, China is showing signs that its rapid economic expansion may be unsustainable, even as western companies continue to develop a presence there to woo a growing middle class. Some on Wall Street are bearish on China, […]
Eastward and Upward: Chinese Consumers Spend with Optimism and Open Wallets Read More »
Consumer Facts from Cotton Incorporated Lifestyle Monitor™ A year ago the rising costs of materials, labor and fuel put pressure on apparel brands and manufacturers to maintain margins and pass minimal costs onto the consumer. In re-thinking sourcing strategies, many
Diluting Cotton Content Compromises Quality and Brand Perception Read More »
What is more vital to the survival of an apparel manufacturer or retailer today: commitment to environmental consciousness or keeping production costs low? Five years ago, the answer would have been strongly in favor of being green. Today, amid global
How Green Is My Product Line? Measuring Sustainability Success Read More »
Consumer Facts from Cotton Incorporated Lifestyle Monitor With a focus on shoring up household savings in the face of still high unemployment and renewed fears of a European recession, American consumers have become increasingly deal-driven at the registers. Once drawn
Channel-Surfing: Recession-era Quest for Deals Continues Read More »
It’s commonly assumed that the creeping social stratification that’s widely written about crosses over to the retail sector, with the higher-end consumer shopping exclusively at luxury retail outlets and the lower-income buyer shopping at discount stores. In fact, our analysis
What Do You Get When You Cross Luxury Spend with Discount Buying? Affinity Plays! Read More »
After months of dour predictions, sub-par economic forecasts, and stubbornly high unemployment, the retail industry is positively quaking going into holiday – but industry experts are predicting gains of about 3% at retail, which is cause for celebration in today’s
Ringtoning in the Holidays: Smartphones & Social Media are Retail Game Changers Read More »
Consumer Facts from Cotton Incorporated Lifestyle Monitor™ How did apparel retailers fare in the just-ended Back-To-School season? Although as of this writing the final quarterly grades have not yet been posted, the handwriting on the blackboard indicates that retailers were
Retailers Jockeyed to Stay at the Head of the Class for Back-To-School Read More »
Consumer Insights From MasterCard Advisors Despite the sluggishness of the so-called recovery, industry experts are predicting a pickup in the housing market early next year. This will have broad implications for retailers of furniture, furnishings, and other home items. How
Penney Nabbing Johnson From Apple Sets ‘Huge Expectation\’ “It\’s injecting rocket fuel into Mike Ullman\’s growth strategies of turning J.C. Penney into a more exciting brand,” said Lewis, also chief executive officer of the Robin Report. “It\’s placing a huge
Robin in Bloomberg Businessweek Read More »
The Increasing Allure of the Pop-Up Store Consumer Insights from Mastercard Advisors Last November, Hermes did it in West London. This spring, Apple (AAPL) did it in Austin. And in October, Brides did it in downtown Manhattan. That’s right, they
Now You See It, Now You Don’t Read More »
