Jasmine Glasheen

Oxford Languages (the dictionary people) defines nostalgia as “a sentimental longing or wistful affection for the past, typically for a period or place with happy personal associations.” But nostalgia isn’t relegated to time periods that we’ve personally experienced. Remember the late 60s resurgence in the early aughts? I remember scouring Woodstock DVDs for footage of my teen dream, Roger Daltrey from The Who. I also ransacked my mom’s boxes of high school mementos to resurrect a pair of vintage Levi’s cords and hot pink running shorts that …

Gen Z Nostalgia is Accelerating: Categories to WatchRead More

Misinformation, vitriol, body dysmorphia…all proven results of prolonged social media use. Just because Gen Z grew up in an era of portable handheld technology doesn’t mean that they’re going to choose digital lives. While the effects of growing up inundated by social media and advertising are still largely unknown, based on the mental health issues we’re seeing with next gens so far, prospects for a utopic, technology-based future aren’t looking good. Generation Z consumers have a long history of putting changes into action that their …

A Growing Segment of Gen Z is so Over Social MediaRead More

I recently read a meme that said, “Nothing sacred is for sale, period.” While selling spiritual wares at a premium is not a new concept, this phenomenon as it pertains to “alternative spirituality” has recently skyrocketed. I wrote about spiritual brands for RetailWire back in 2019. But a lot has changed since then. The sale of spiritual wares has exploded and the goods that are being sold look a lot different than they did four years ago. In a pandemic addled world where even common viruses like the flu have become more destructive than …

Retailers Are Promising Customers Literal MagicRead More

It’s hard to talk about fashion going into 2023 without using words like “surreal” and “otherworldly.” The reason? Dystopian fashion reached new heights this year. From the “eyebrowless” makeup trend to Balenciaga’s beat-up leather wallet fashion show invites, helping customers look the way they want has never been such a strange journey. Speaking of strange journeys… cosplay hit the runways this year. Models looked more like characters from the Rocky Horror Picture Show or breakout club kids from the 90s than anything from catalogs we grew …

Retailing in Dystopia: What to Expect in 2023Read More

Is J. Peterman a brand, a Seinfeld character, or glimpse into retail’s aspirational past? The answer to this question depends on who you ask. In truth, J. Peterman is all of these things. J. Peterman is the brand that laid the foundation for retail catalogs as we know them today. In 1995-1998, actor John O’ Hurley played J. Peterman on Seinfeld. On the other hand, J. Peterman the brand was founded in 1987, coming in hot with a preppy safari vibe that set the company apart from other retailers on the scene. Let’s take a look at how J. …

J. Peterman’s Retro Style Meets a New Era of CustomersRead More

“Never again,” I told myself as a I struggled not to grind my teeth. I was ten minutes into a phone call with the Fabletics Customer Service Team, answering a painstaking list of “are you sure” questions from their CX rep. I’d tried to cancel my policy the self-respecting way… online, with minimal human interaction. But Fabletics has no online cancellation form. You have to call and answer a list of questions from a live customer service rep who is desperately trying to get you to stay just to cancel your membership –– an experience that …

Retailers’ Policies Deter MembershipsRead More