Retail insights at the intersection of now and next. Unfiltered. Unbiased
The fashion industry’s stubborn reliance on outdated supply chain practices is bleeding profits and destroying consumer trust. Traditional approaches to sizing, inventory management, and trend forecasting are creating failures across the entire value chain, from excess inventory that decimates sustainability goals to astronomical return rates that crush margins.
What’s interesting about Mango’s approach is that it has stepped away from fast fashion and is pinning its expansion not only on leveraging its Spanish heritage but on slowing the fashion cycle and concentrating on durable, longer-lasting apparel.
To succeed in a retail market characterized by so much choice, these five visionaries are rewriting the rules of retail by being bold and brave.
The real messes don’t come from a bad quarter or a supply chain snag. They come from the chaos no one saw coming: a political storm that drops out of nowhere, boardroom drama that spills into the headlines, an international trend that sweeps the globe overnight, or a TikTok clip that suddenly emasculates a billion-dollar brand in 72 hours.
Foreseeing issues of succession, Armani created the Giorgio Armani Foundation in 2016 (when he was 82) to ensure continuous guidance for the company’s future management and protect the values and principles that have always inspired the founder’s creative and entrepreneurial activities.
Spoiler alert: The physical store is an experiential platform that can tap into retail media network ad spending projected to reach $100 billion by 2026. In a digital marketplace, dynamic advertising platforms leverage AI-powered analytics to capture real-time customers.
In the amorphous Target environment, a separate door clearly demarcates Warby Parker from its host store and makes its customers and staff feel safe, secure — clearly in a WP space and place untarnished by a soulless big-box interior.
Retail, inevitably a zero-sum game, has had more than its fair share of players who are on the borderline. Some, like Rite Aid and At Home, have ended up in bankruptcy, while Walgreens was acquired and taken private by private equity giant Sycamore. Macy’s is perhaps the most talked-about struggling retailer, but in its most recent quarter, it beat analyst forecasts.
Haley Boehning, founder of Storyforge and former L Brands executive, understands that authentic leadership can revolutionize rethinking career growth. A natural leader, Haley has built her consulting business to help executives and their organizations forge and activate their unique brand stories based on the North Star of purpose and impact.
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