Charlotte Pinder

On the subject of customer loyalty in fashion retail… Question: How long does loyalty even last these days? Reply: Difficult to have loyalty when there is a frenzy of continuous change of creative directors. Thoughts? ——- #careers #fashionretail #leadership #customerloyalty #coaching

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The brand houses of VF, PVH, Deckers, Pentland, Kontoor, Amer, Wolverine and Boardriders featured in these insights own, or manage, a who’s who of global fashion and sports brands. Several weeks back I posted about the major sports brands and how their most popular sources of talent are each other (see link in comments). The brand houses are quite different: they barely recruit from each other. They do recruit from the major sports brands: Nike, adidas and lululemon are predictably the most popular. Despite the challenging trading conditions all these businesses have increased their total number of employees over the last year except for Boardriders (-3%) and Wolverine who were pretty close to flat. The rate of attrition varies from Kontoor at just 8% (great in any market conditions) to 17% for PVH. With the number of lay-off activities over the last year it’s not possible to draw any conclusions from this statistic about the impact of culture and leadership on employee retention. There is one notable absence from this list - Authentic Brands. After looking at the data for AB we concluded that recent acquisitions skewed the available data. Linkedin currently only makes it possible to link some of AB’s brands to the parent company and misses others that should be included for any insights on them to be meaningful. The data used for this analysis does not include part time employees but does full time store level employees. These will impact the data differently depending on the different proportions of direct operated retail (VF and PVH have much larger retail estates than Boardriders for example). See the bottom of the post for some key points on how this data was put together. Total Employee Trend FY23: 📶 VF +3%  📶 PVH +2% 📶 Deckers +15%  📶 Kontoor +5%  📶 Pentland Brands +1%  📶 Amer Sports +10% 📶 Boardriders -3% 📶 Wolverine +0.4% Attrition insights FY23: 🏃🏻‍♂️‍➡️ VF 13%  🏃🏻‍♂️‍➡️ PVH 17% 🏃🏻‍♂️‍➡️Deckers 9% 🏃🏻‍♂️‍➡️Kontoor 8% 🏃🏻‍♂️‍➡️Pentland Brands 13%  🏃🏻‍♂️‍➡️Amer Sports 10.5% 🏃🏻‍♂️‍➡️Boardriders 14% 🏃🏻‍♂️‍➡️Wolverine 14.5% (proportion of employees who left in last 12 months) Head to Head insights 🥊 PVH v Abercrombie +10 (for every one employee goes from PVH to Abercrombie, 19 go from Abercrombie to PVH)  🥊 PVH v Hunkemöller + 8  🥊 Deckers v Nike +14 🥊 Kontoor v Hanes Brands +6 * Source: Linkedin Talent Insights Note: this only tracks movements recorded on Linkedin, and only people who use the correct company for the role (sometimes folk add employer ‘entities’ that don't exist or aren't associated) Note: this is Global data Note: we only included full-time employees so it was not skewed by part-time retail employees Note: Where there were related businesses we included them i.e PVH and Calvin Klein / Tommy Hilfiger 

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Happy 4th July! 🦅 While the USA celebrates Independence Day, voters head to the polls in the UK and France 🗳️ The political landscapes of both countries are set to impact the fashion industry significantly. In the UK, with a victory for The Labour Party looking likely, they won't repeal the "tourist tax," maintaining challenges for luxury shopping. Labour is also engaging with fast fashion giant SHEIN for a potential IPO in London. In France, Marine Le Pen's National Rally is leading, causing market jitters and impacting luxury brands like LVMH and Kering. Stability in the UK contrasts with potential upheaval in France, making the upcoming results crucial for fashion businesses on both sides of the Channel. Scale Up Search

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🚀 Big news in luxury retail and an interesting article from Vogue Business Saks Fifth Avenue and Neiman Marcus Group Marcus are nearing a $3 billion merger, with support from Amazon and Salesforce. This merger could reshape the industry, leveraging Amazon's e-commerce and logistics prowess and Salesforce's top-tier CRM solutions. 🔗 Maghan McDowell

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Hopefully the recent change in leadership at Burberry will help them rediscover that elusive combination of brand heritage and modern styling. Either way, they need to move back to the affordable luxury space that they had performed so well in over the years, and Schulman is the right person to lead this change. Their share price has suffered over the past year due to a mix of poor direction and macro issues. My views in this This Is Money piece, and full comment here: ‘Burberry’s issues in part stem from a struggle to find a true brand identity, with a number of CEO’s and creative directors over the years trying and failing to combine the brand’s heritage with more modern styling. Symptomatic of this is their more recent move upmarket, married with discounting - the latter impacting any high end brand equity they had built up. This muddled approach - combined with a slowdown in demand from China, the removal of VAT refunds for tourists in the UK, and the rise in the cost of living globally - together have led to falling like for like sales and a potential loss in their forthcoming November results. The recent appointment of Schulman as CEO will signal yet another reversal in strategy given his ‘affordable luxury’ background - though this is really the space Burberry should always have been playing in.’ #burberry #thisismoney #luxury #retail #jdmretail https://lnkd.in/ejvPJd8P

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In the age of Primark & Zudio, Zara is launching "Repair, Resale and Donate" - a new initiative towards creating a more environmentally efficient model. The fast fashion company has launched this initiative in 16 markets across Europe, U.K. and USA. What's "Repair, Resale and Donate" all about? >> The repair service allows customers to request the repair of used Zara garments - including button and zipper replacement. >> The resale platform allows customers to resell used Zara items. Resale listings includes Zara’s initial description of the item. >> The donation service accepts products from any brand. Clothes go to nonprofit organizations or recycled to support different initiatives. It's a great initiative to try and win the sustainability battle. Is there an any Indian company that has similar program? Please share in the comments below. #sustainable #fastfashion #environment #reuse #recycle #zara #fashion

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Fascinating insights from McKinsey's State of Fashion 2025 report. It's clear that the fashion industry is facing challenges, but there are also opportunities for growth and innovation. Proud to be part of Muller & Associates, where we're helping fashion brands navigate these complexities and build the teams they need to succeed.

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🌟 Changing the Future of Fashion 🌟 Proud to be part of a team that is re-imagining fashion and setting new standards for sustainability, creativity, and impact. The Stella McCartney Impact Report 2023 showcases our commitment to making meaningful change in the industry. Some key highlights: 💚 Carbon Neutrality: Reduced emissions across the supply chain, aligning with science-based targets. ♻️ Circularity: Expanded efforts in resale, repair, and recycling programs to give garments a second life. 🐾 Animal Welfare: Continued leadership as a cruelty-free brand—no leather, feathers, or fur. 🌱 Innovation: Partnered with cutting-edge tech to develop bio-based and lab-grown alternatives. 📊 Transparency: Increased traceability of materials, ensuring ethical practices at every step. At Stella McCartney, we don’t just follow trends; we set them, always prioritizing the planet and people. This report reflects how a bold vision can drive measurable, transformative results. 🚀 Here’s to a brighter, more sustainable future for fashion. Let’s keep leading the way! 👉 Read the full report here: https://lnkd.in/d9bXBBrc #Sustainability #Innovation #CircularFashion #Impact #StellaMcCartney

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“Premiumisation” will be a really interesting topic throughout retail in 2025, I feel. Brands that were historically mid-range, cultivating experiences and releasing ranges that are more akin to premium and luxury brands. Zara & H&M are really good examples of whereby this has been a focus for a little while, and their investments in real estate, store design, technology and their product range show that they have no intention of reverting. With premium and luxury shoppers becoming ever more cost-conscious, do you think we see a lot more of the mid-range brands offer more of a premium feel to their customers through the experiences and products on offer?

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In response to Claire Kent's reposting of Kirsty M C Gregor’s article in Vogue Business, I believe Burberry has the potential to redefine "British Luxury" by assuming a unifying leadership role within the British luxury sector. With the capacity to embody elements of Hermes, LVMH, and Gucci, Burberry could become the powerhouse of British luxury. What might the future hold for this iconic ‘House?’ - Super Luxe Division: Envision a new standard of British luxury fusing top-tier craftsmanship from various British sectors like marine, automotive, wines, and spirits. Imagine the inclusion of Savile Row's couture essence. - Luxury Division: Could Burberry adopt a 'The Row' inspired approach, blending minimalist high craftsmanship with luxury sensibilities across all product categories? - New Divisions: Explore possibilities like an Accessible Division, Junior Line, Youth Trends Division, and Street Line, alongside a Heritage Leather Division in collaboration with renowned French and Italian leather brands. - Culture Division: Embrace cultural relevance as a valuable asset in today's market landscape. As of 2022, the British Luxury sector is valued at £81B compared to the British Luxury Fashion Industry at £10B. The potential for Burberry to innovate and diversify is significant. #BurberryTransformation #BritishLuxuryRedefined #SuperLuxe #LuxuryRevolution #HeritageLeather @Burberry @VogueBusiness @KirstyMCGregor @ClaireKent @WalpoleUK @Futureofluxury

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🎂 We recently marked the 15th anniversary of Vestiaire Collective, and there’s no better time to highlight what sets us apart. 🌟 The most desirable catalogue: With 5 million pieces in our catalogue and over 30,000 new ins every day, we offer an unparalleled selection 🔒 The most trustworthy platform: Our commitment to authenticity is unwavering. We operate 6 authentication hubs (both physical and digital) globally to combat counterfeits 🌍 A unique global community: Vestiaire Collective connects the closets of sellers and buyers across 70 countries, fostering a vibrant community of fashion lovers 🤝 Iconic brand partnerships: We've forged 13 brand partnerships within the fashion ecosystem, including collaborations with iconic brands like Gucci and Burberry ♻ Positive environmental impact: Sustainability is at our core. Impressively, 80% of items purchased on Vestiaire replace a first-hand purchase, reducing environmental costs by a staggering 90%! 💰 Support from leading investors: Our growth is backed by influential investors such as Eurazeo, Kering, Generation Investment Management and even 3,000+ members of our community Happy Birthday, Vestiaire Collective! #Sustainability #Luxury #Fashion

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Significant changes at Richemont in light of the global slowdown in luxury goods sales and a reshaping of the group´s top management. In privately-held enterprises, the relationship between a family Chair and non-family CEO is of critical importance - as well as a clear separation and definition of roles. #succession #familybusiness #luxurygoods

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FASHION QUO VADIS? PRIORITISE IMPACT OVER ENTERTAINMENT Interesting. More and more I hear people in fashion state that “fashion is all about entertainment”. In a way, I view this as a linear extrapolation of the “Fashion brands need to become editors” which came up when the digital pure play platforms in fashion saw their market shares rise and people viewed their “curation” of products and their editorial approach as the main key success factors compared to the online and offline worlds of traditional department stores and brands at the time. And I do understand why Pharrell William’s spectacular Paris fashion premiere for Louis Vuitton was viewed as a celebration of joy and coming together and particularly as the “transition of fashion into entertainment”. I also understand where the eyeing of larger luxury players to the glamourous entertainment world on the US West coast as well as their appetite for talent agencies comes from. However, I am very confident that focusing on entertainment only or even using that as your strategic north star will be a route to failure and decline. Sure, storytelling continues to be critical, and I actually believe that we need to elevate storytelling to an entirely different level to take luxury into the future - leveraging pioneering digital (immersive) technologies as well as curated, multi-sensory approaches. And entertainment has some role in that. But at the core of your strategy needs to be something else, at least in my view, and that has just been perfectly articulated by The Future Laboratory at their annual Trend Briefing: We need to “Prioritise impact over entertainment”. The quantitative research that they executed with their Future Poll in the US and the UK clearly shows that this is what consumers really want - across all generations. Impact, not entertainment. Fashion is facing a critical decision: focus on impact or on entertainment. I believe that engineering a dream is no longer sufficient to generate desire. And desire/desirability is at the heart of all luxury. It’s time to think deeper in order to generate real relevance. Time to understand that the new luxurious dreams of the future need to be grounded in better realities. Time to rethink fashion and luxury for the future. At least if you want to build to last. #future #strategy #luxury #brands #fashion

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As we close out 2024, I’ve been reflecting on the journey so far and the road ahead. This year has been one of collaboration, creativity, and relentless curiosity—a year that has challenged us to think differently and push boundaries. 💡✨ At Stella McCartney, working alongside visionary leadership and the LVMH family has been nothing short of transformative. Together, we’ve been building toward a future of innovation—where sustainability and luxury coexist seamlessly. 🌱💎 In 2025, the world will see the result of these efforts, and I believe it will spark something extraordinary. 🚀 Beyond that, my exploration of the luxury landscape has revealed something profound. There’s a challenge that needs solving—a broken system ready to be reimagined. This is where opportunity lies. Opportunity to disrupt, to innovate, and to deliver something the world has never seen before. 🌍🔄 For those who have supported me along this journey, thank you for believing in what’s possible. 🙏 And to those still watching from the sidelines, remember this: the ones who see opportunity where others see uncertainty are the ones who change everything. 2025 will be a year of bold moves. Don’t miss it. 🔥 Wishing you all a joyful holiday season 🎄🎁 and a future filled with possibility. #Innovation #Vision #Luxury #2025Transformation

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As we approach our anniversary next month, I’ve been reflecting on 15 years of lessons from building and leading Rent The Runway. Ironically, building RTR didn’t come from my desire to build a fashion business. It came from my deep passion for building a brand that could enable women to have it all. And it’s this mission that has sustained and motivated me through the rocky road of entrepreneurship. Looking back, I am floored that I’ve been able to build a movement, a company, a marriage, a family and a community at the same time. And I say this because, if I can do it, you can do it. Thank you to #Shoptalk for allowing me to kick off last week on its first ever female mainstage. Some lessons: Trust your gut, always: - There was no data in 2009 that ever could have predicted that just 15 years later MILLIONS of women would be renting clothes every year. In 2009, women didn’t rent clothing. Designers didn’t participate in the secondhand economy. But, I knew that rental would be a mainstream behavior. How? Because I trusted my gut. As RTR matured and reams of data became available, I felt increasing pressure to ignore my gut intuition and to only use the data to drive RTR’s strategic roadmap. I can tell you that this has been a mistake. When your gut and the data are at odds, listen to your gut. Have confidence that when you are truly innovating something new, there is no historical data that will give you the answer. You have to trust yourself. Re-hire Yourself - Every few years I force myself to approach my role at Rent the Runway as if I am a new CEO and coming into the company for the first time. New executives make changes. The benefit of running RTR for 15 years is that it's in my bones: I know every metric, every debate we’ve ever had inside and out. I can ensure we are staying true to our vision. The risk when you’ve been doing something for as long as I have, you may stop asking critical questions: Why do we do things this way? Why can’t we fix this broken experience? I'm approaching this year like I'm new here. It’s resulted in the most ambitious growth and innovation plan that we’ve had in years. By the end of our 15th year of business we hope to have introduced to our customers, and the world, an entirely new Rent the Runway that has even more meaning and resonance. Pace is the only thing that matters - no matter how smart you think you are, your ideas are going to be wrong over 50% of the time. Therefore, the only thing that matters is speed to launch. Our pace at Rent the Runway has always been fastest when we’ve empowered cross-functional teams around simple financial goals, enabled them to develop the roadmap, and implored them to launch something weekly. Typically, as an organization gets larger it stops operating in an agile manner. One of my goals for myself in 2024 has been to strip out the processes, meetings and even metrics within the company that don’t add value and do everything in my power to increase speed to launch.

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