In late December, I had two out-of-this-world experiences. Out of this world, but into the universe created by RH CEO, Gary Friedman. The first experience was among the thousand-plus Champagne drinking celebrators attending the opening of The RH Gallery at Easton Town Center in Columbus, Ohio. The second was a deep immersion into the world of Gary Friedman. The opening was the launch of museum-quality RH Galleries, housing upscale furnishings. There are now about 70 Galleries across the US. A little over a year ago, Warren Shoulberg, a …
Autos, Apparel and Resale
When the race to the bottom hits…well, the bottom (read: when there are no more costs to cut and when pricing cuts into margins) there is now a rapidly growing new channel of distribution. Apparel brands and retailers can either continue their race to the bottom, or they might actually find this new channel as a path back to robust and profitable growth. Re-commerce, pre-owned, used, resale, secondhand or whatever you wish to call this channel, is growing faster than all of apparel sales. In fact, this channel has grown 21 times faster over …
Three Valuable Reports
Alvanon has three special reports designed to help you make informed decisions, wherever you or your company are on their trajectories. When Caring for People and the Planet Means Profit How does sustainability make good business sense? Despite what some may think, profit can coexist with social and environmental impact. What makes a company sustainable and successful? Read more... Data + 3D = Efficiency! There are five easy ways to ensure a perfect denim fit, whether it's the re-invented five pocket jean with wide or tapered leg or …
My Optimistic 2020 Playbook…with Caveats
Heading into the home stretch of the 2019 Holiday season it looks like a bipolar mix of optimistic mania on one extreme and relative ho-hum on the other. Customer Growth Partners holds the mania ticket, predicting 5.6 percent growth (even up from their original 4.3 percent). And at the opposite pole, NPD is forecasting a relatively unexciting 2.7 to 3.2 percent. With six fewer shopping days between Thanksgiving and Christmas this year over last and high levels of inventory due to early over-buying to offset potential tariff increases, I would …
The Aging of Ecommerce Podcast
Get the scoop on "The Aging of eCommerce." And vital issues such as the health of the consumer marketplace from three of NPD's leaders: Don Unser, President of NPD's retail practice; Matt Powell, VP/Senior Advisor over the sports segment; and David Portalatin, VP/industry advisor over the food category. Gain insights into what's on consumers' minds; winners, losers and laggards across retail; emerging trends, what follows the maturing of digital commerce; what the landscape looks like in a new normal, and finally a 2019 Holiday …
Amazon’s Migraine: Walmart
Let me start with Walmart's Q3 2019 results, which by now, you are aware of. I will repeat the highlights only as a segue way to a couple of other signals that Amazon must be noticing that their Walmart headache will likely turn into a migraine. Signal #1 First of all, a reminder. Walmart still operates in the real world where they are expected to make money. What a novel idea. Nevertheless, even while they are investing billions in transforming their business model to succeed in the so-called "new world," they continue to make money. Their …
The Chaotic New World of Retailing Podcast
Headache sized issues in "The Chaotic New World of Retailing" features Robin Lewis; Don Unser, President of NPD's retail practice; and CEO of Vince, Brendan Hoffman. Listen in as they discuss personalization, sustainability, distribution strategies, the future and how NPD tracks it all. [button link="https://www.voiceamerica.com/episode/118689/headache-sized-issues-in-the-chaotic-new-world-of-retailing?utm_source=mailchimp&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=podcast" size="large" bg_color="3a6f8f" border="3a6f8f"]LISTEN NOW[/button] …
Educating an Industry Podcast
The first in our series of conversations about the state of the industry deconstructs how to navigate the headwaters of the digital marketplace. "Educating an Industry" features Robin Lewis; Don Unser, President of NPD's retail practice; Zia Wigder, Global Chief Content Officer of Shoptalk; and Steve Sadove, former CEO of Saks Inc. Listen in and learn about fragmenting consumer tribes, and how NPD’s mountains of data track it all. Hear about the fragmentation of the marketplace, consumers, and distribution, why digital-native brands are …