Caroline (Cricket) Whitton

🚀 Big News Alert: Saks Buys Neiman Marcus with a Boost from Amazon! 🚀 Hey everyone! Just had to share this HUGE update in the luxury retail world. Saks Fifth Avenue’s parent company is dropping $2.65 billion to scoop up Neiman Marcus, and guess what? Amazon’s in on the action, bringing their tech and logistics game. 🛍️✨ Here’s the Tea: • Power Move: Merging two luxury legends to create a mega retail powerhouse. • Tech Boost: With Amazon on board, expect next-level tech integration for a seamless shopping experience, both online and offline. • Big Bucks: Financed by top-tier investors like Rhône Capital and the Abu Dhabi Investment Council, plus $1.15 billion in debt from Apollo Global Management. • Market Shakeup: The new combo will hit around $10 billion in annual sales, giving them major leverage with suppliers and streamlining costs. Why It’s a Big Deal: This merger shows how vital tech and partnerships are in today’s retail scene. It’s proof that luxury retail is evolving and adapting, even when times are tough. For investors, this move is a clear sign of confidence in the luxury sector’s future and the potential for new opportunities. Big things are coming, and I am excited to be part of this evolving industry. Stay tuned for more updates as we keep pushing the boundaries in luxury retail!

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Hello Retail Friends, I am pleased to announce the release of our latest Pricing and Promotions research report, developed with Incisiv. This report, surveying 179 retail executives across the US and EMEA, will be presented at Groceryshop in Las Vegas this week - be sure to come see us at booth #A610 to learn more.    Key findings include:   🔹 93% of shoppers demand more value: With 84% citing price as critical, 87% of retailers have adopted aggressive discounting strategies to sustain sales and loyalty.   🔹 $1 trillion in sales driven by promotions in 2023: Amid economic uncertainty, promotions are essential. 87% of retailers plan to maintain or increase promotional efforts in 2024.   🔹 Low adoption of advanced analytics: Only 12% of retailers use real-time data, advanced algorithms, and AI, impacting their agility.   🔹 Critical challenges in data quality and integration: Effective promotional strategies require accurate, unified data, yet cultural resistance also hinders progress.   🔹 Reliance on outdated systems: 37% of retailers still use spreadsheets, lacking the agility needed for dynamic market conditions.   The report highlights the need for integrated pricing and promotional capabilities. By leveraging advanced technology, retailers could achieve an additional $450 billion in incremental sales.   I encourage industry leaders to explore this report for strategic insights to drive growth and innovation.   #RetailLeadership #PricingStrategy #Promotions #MarketResearch #RetailInnovation #Groceryshop #GroceryForum #RELEXSolutions   https://lnkd.in/eSjYKxqC

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Not too surprising given a similar customer base, focus on global expansion, and perhaps some shared back-office synergies (even though maintaining separate banners customer forward). One thing that did catch my eye is that the deal is partially funded by Amazon (as an investor). Your thoughts? Excerpts: HBC, parent company of luxury retailer Saks Fifth Avenue, announced Thursday it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Neiman Marcus Group for $2.65 billion, according to a press release. The purchase will be funded with a combination of equity capital, shareholders and debt facilities, including investors such as Amazon, Rhône Capital and Insight Partners, according to the release. The move comes on the heels of the Saks’ recent brand expansion. In April, the company announced it would enter the digital advertising space with the launch of its retail media network. In early July, Saks announced the expansion of its personal shopping and styling services to 20 big city markets this year. “For years, many in the industry have anticipated this transaction and the benefits it would drive for customers, partners and employees,” Richard Baker, HBC executive chairman and CEO, said in the release. “This is an exciting time in luxury retail, with technological advancements creating new opportunities to redefine the customer experience, and we look forward to unlocking significant value for our customers, brand partners and employees.” Following the transaction, HBC will establish Saks Global, which will encompass the Saks Fifth Avenue, Saks Off 5th, Neiman Marcus and Bergdorf Goodman brands, according to the release. Each store will continue operations under their respective banners. The new company will also include HBC’s and Neiman Marcus Group’s real estate assets in the United States, which are worth approximately $7 billion. #retail #saks #HBC #Amazon

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Here are some interesting stories from the world of retail for Thursday, May 30: 👖 Shares of Abercrombie & Fitch Co. continued their record run after the apparel retailer reported another quarterly earnings beat and raised its sales growth outlook, amid continued strength in the Abercrombie brand. 🏀 DICK'S Sporting Goods kicked off the year with net sales of more than $3 billion in Q1, an increase of 6.2%. Comparable sales in the quarter grew 5.3%, on top of 3.6% growth the year prior. 🦅 American Eagle said it’s making gains in boosting profitability as it works to improve its product assortment and tweak operations. Still, its fiscal first-quarter sales came in weaker than Wall Street expected. 🐹 Chewy smashed earnings estimates for its fiscal first quarter on Wednesday, announced its first share buyback program and signaled a recovering pet market. 🌳 Dollar Tree Stores announced it has acquired leases for 170 of 99 Cents Only Stores stores out of bankruptcy in Arizona, California, Nevada and Texas. Dollar Tree will reopen these stores with its own products under its brand. 🥾 Dr. Martens plc has announced a swathe of cost-cutting plans, after the bootmaker’s bottom line was hit by plummeting demand in the US last year. The London-listed firm hopes to save up to £25m in the coming financial year. 🏥 Walgreens said it will slash prices on 1,300 items across its drugstores — the latest big retailer to enact discounts as consumers grow increasingly picky about where they shop in an era of stubbornly high inflation. 🐶 Petco names a new chief stores officer as the COO exits. The pet retailer said it eliminated its chief merchandising and supply chain officer role and named five people to its executive leadership team. 👟Italian luxury sneaker brand Golden Goose, which was valued at €1.3bn when acquired by Perimia in 2020, said on Thursday it aims to list on Milan's Euronext next month. 💵 Cash register outages and internal system failures at Walmart have led to widespread mispricing, with customers being overcharged for certain items. The technical issues on March 19th affected 1,600 stores. 🌭 Americans are now prepared to spend nearly $6 for a hot dog. The summertime classic has climbed in price by 7.1% during the past year, according to the latest government figures. 🍔 A top McDonald's executive on Wednesday decried poorly sourced reports that the fast-food giant has hiked its prices faster than inflation. He also noted that an $18 Big Mac meal is exception not the rule. 💳 Visa and Mastercard have agreed to pay $197m to resolve a class action by millions of consumers accusing the financial payment companies of keeping cash access fees artificially high. 🍪 Subway’s footlong cookie is back. Following a four-month long disappearance, Subway announced Wednesday the “triumphant return” of the oversized chocolate chip cookie. #retail #retailnews #economy #DailyRetailNews

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Please make it make sense: The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced earlier this week that it sued to block the proposed $8.5B Tapestry / Capri Holdings Limited deal. The FTC cited not only their concern that the merger would eliminate the head-to-head competition between the brands [begging the question: are Coach, Versace, kate spade new york, Michael Kors, Jimmy Choo and Stuart Weitzman really head-to-head competitors??], but, and perhaps most bizarrely, that the combined entity would have “a dominate share of the ‘accessible luxury’ handbag market.”  …so so many questions. For starters: Must Americans have guaranteed ongoing access to a variety of ‘accessible luxury’ handbag brands? Aren’t handbags a highly discretionary purchase? What about ‘accessible luxury’ cardi-wraps? Or ‘accessible luxury’ cute tops? At what point does defining a narrow market become super arbitrary? Moreover, as The Wall Street Journal points out, the neither the Coach nor the Michael Kors’ brands from Tapestry / Capri that make up this segment “can afford to push prices up too much for fear of losing out to more exclusive luxury brands.” On the flip side, what would happen if one company’s brands dominated the ‘accessible luxury’ handbag market? Would customers opt to own fewer handbags (which, if that were the case, I would personally be excited to see)? Would the lack of choice result in women wearing the same handbags? What would be the impact on shoes – would there be fewer choices there too? Meanwhile, regulators in Europe and Japan have already signed off on the deal. For its part, Tapestry says it has “full confidence in the merits of the transaction and in our legal arguments, should we need to make them” and both companies plan to defend the case in US courts to complete the deal by the end of this year. What do you think?

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Well this just got interesting 🤔 A few thoughts: 🔸Luxury sales are declining. What could this mean for the future of luxury and DTC? 🔸 What will this mean for Saks 🇨🇦 that has seen a significant drop in sales, footfall and relevance. 🔸 Will Hudson's Bay Company finally be divested and sold off? 🔸 Will Amazon’s success have any impact on improving Saks and NM operations/supply chain? 🔸 How will buying power be impacted in merchandising? 🔸 Will any functions or teams be combined since many brands across stores overlap? 🔸 Salesforce also threw in some cash to assist in the adoption of AI. Saks Fifth Avenue Neiman Marcus Group Amazon Suzanne Kapner Lauren Thomas The Wall Street Journal Salesforce #retail #retailnews #fashion #luxury #stores #departmentstores

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Since 2019, Kohl's sales have shrunk by $2.3 billion. That’s a pretty terrible number given consumer spending on retail rose by a dramatic $1.3 trillion over the same period.     The Kohl’s losses are a combination of existing customers spending less and the complete defection of some shoppers. Over the past five years, Kohl’s has lost 1.3 million customers: people who used to visit Kohl’s, but now they don’t. Most of these folks still buy things so it’s interesting to see where they’re now shopping, or shopping more at, instead of Kohl’s. The diagram below traces the defections. The most notable thing is the gains being made by off-price retailers. TJX – with its TJMaxx, Marshalls, and HomeGoods banners – is picking up a lot of trade. Ross, Nordstrom Rack, and Burlington are also in the mix. It’s no wonder off-price is doing so well when it’s gaining so many customers from chains like Kohl’s. What’s also notable is that online specialists don’t dominate. Amazon has picked up some trade, as has Wayfair, but neither are the main beneficiaries of Kohl’s woes. This underscores that the very simplistic narrative of ‘online killed…” is often far from the truth. It is also significant that Costco makes an appearance. Costco is a silent assassin. Many retailers don’t have it on the radar for non-food; but the reality is that Costco has a formidable non-food business. Retailers like Kohl’s don’t underperform because one large enemy comes in and swoops away all the custom. Their substantial loss of trade comes from many players nibbling away at their sales and market share. #retail #retailnews #departmentstores #wholesale #shoppers

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Here are some interesting stories from the world of retail for Thursday, June 6: 🧘🏽‍♀️ lululemon beat Wall Street’s earnings and revenue estimates, but issued weak second-quarter guidance as it contends with a slowdown in the Americas, its largest market. 👕 Hanesbrands Inc. will sell Champion to Authentic Brands Group in a deal worth up to $1.5 billion with performance incentives. Authentic owns brands such as Reebok, Forever 21 and Quiksilver. 5️⃣ Five Below cut its outlook for the year, warning that its core low-income shoppers were facing an outsized impact from years of inflationary pressures. It posted an unexpected decline in same-store sales for the first quarter. 👙 Victoria’s Secret & Co. said it was encouraged by demand for its bras, sleepwear and other clothing in May, but the company said it was exercising restraint amid continued caution more broadly among the US consumer. 🏪 Foxtrot intends to reopen several locations in Chicago in the Gold Coast and Old Town neighborhoods. The news comes after Foxtrot and Dom's Kitchen & Market closed on April 23. 🌳 Dollar Tree Stores Tree said that it had started a formal review of strategic alternatives for Family Dollar, which it said could include among others, a potential sale, spin off or other disposition of the business. 💵 Walmart is now offering bonuses to its hourly employees in the US., the company announced Wednesday. The longer an associate has been with the company, the higher the associate's bonus potential, to a maximum of $1,000. 📚 In a blow to publishers and authors, Costco Wholesale plans to stop selling books regularly at stores around the United States, four publishing executives who had been informed of the warehouse retailer’s plans said Wednesday. 🚚 Albertsons and Uber have launched a new food rescue initiative that aims to address food insecurity and food waste in several major US cities. The program donates surplus food from the grocer’s stores to local nonprofits. 📸The TJX Companies, Inc., parent of TJ Maxx, Marshalls and HomeGoods, said it’s equipping some store employees with body cameras to thwart shoplifting and keep customers and employees safe. 🍔 McDonald's lost a European Union trademark dispute over the Big Mac name after a top European Union court sided Wednesday with Irish fast-food rival Supermac's in a long-running legal battle. ✂️ The Bank of Canada's decision on Wednesday to cut interest rates from 5% to 4.75% is expected to provide financial relief to Canadians and encourage consumer spending. 🧳 Shinola and Filson parent Bedrock Manufacturing Company has appointed Steve Katzman to the role of CEO and Kevin Wertz as chief marketing officer. 🇦🇺 ALDI Stores Australia is moving into the insurance sector, with the launch of a series of homes and contents, car, and landlord products. #retail #retailnews #economy #DailyRetailNews

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#HotTake: Retail stores aren’t a shortcut to success. Retail offers bigger POs, visibility, and cash flow Yet, it doesn’t ensure brand sustainability Case in point: JLo Beauty Despite celeb status and prime placement at Sephora, She faced challenges resulting in a US exit Retail alone doesn’t secure loyalty or repeat sales Placement isn’t guaranteed forever For lasting success, think beyond the retail PO Some markers of a sustainable brand include: Authenticity, community, differentiated formulas, and true fans Building a lasting brand legacy requires more than a retail presence – 👋🏾 Hi, I’m Monique, a former retail buyer turned beauty industry advisor who helps emerging brands ready to scale at big retail. If you are ready to scale and invest, book a discovery call, and let’s see if we can work together.

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With the takeover bid for Macy’s simmering away, there has been a lot of focus on the merits of public versus private ownership of retailers – especially legacy players like department stores. One of the big problems with public ownership is short-termism. Most investors want quick returns, and they expect fast progress on initiatives. This pressure isn’t always a bad thing, but it can drive short-term decision making where executives are so focused on the next quarter that they lose sight of longer-term goals. Capital investment can also be an issue, especially if it is directed to things that markets don’t hold in favor. The negative reaction of many when Target announced it was investing in stores is a case in point – although Target’s spending has now been thoroughly vindicated. Private ownership allows for more considered decision making, and it allows for longer term planning. But neither is it a savior. Without the pressure and scrutiny of markets it is very easy to become sluggish and complacent. The Nordstrom family is, no doubt, conscious of all these arguments as they finalize their bid for taking the iconic chain private. Their success hinges on convincing the committee assessing the privatization of the fair value of their bid, and that it beats any competing offers. My view is that the family will have to pay a fairly hefty price to make this deal go through. Ultimately, as a private company Nordstrom will face exactly the same issues as it does now. However, the response to those challenges may be different, and more flexible, and that’s what will ultimately determine whether or not privatization improves the fortunes of the chain. More of my thoughts are in this piece by Just Style... https://lnkd.in/gQCDhGa3 #retail #retailnews #departmentstores #Nordstrom

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🌟 Key Insights from the 2024 Consumer Sentiment Index 🌟 The retail world is evolving at lightning speed, and today’s consumers are feeling the pressure. At this morning's Retail Influencer CEO Network breakfast, hosted by AlixPartners, Sonia Lapinsky and Gabrielle Fonrouge presented the highly anticipated 2024 Consumer Sentiment Index. Here’s what’s shaping the future of fashion retail and which brands are leading the charge: 💥 Top Performers Across the Fashion Spectrum: ➡ Macy's ranks #1 overall in department stores, proving that understanding your customer and offering value across the board is key to staying relevant. ➡ Kohl's stands out as the top choice for Gen Z, showing that even value-driven retailers can win big with younger shoppers by focusing on product and experience. ➡ In contemporary fashion, EXPRESS ranks #2, balancing price, product, and experience perfectly for today’s consumer. ➡ In e-commerce, Amazon continues to lead, setting the standard for convenience and a seamless shopping experience. ➡ Unsurprisingly, no one gets even close to CHANEL on the luxury side while Nike remains top-of-mind despite a decline. 🛍️ Key Consumer Shifts: 💡 Brand loyalty is shrinking as shoppers face marketing overload, comparison shopping, and inflationary pressures. Consumers today want more than just products—they want frictionless experiences, fast shipping, and easy returns. 💡 80% of consumers seek engaging loyalty programs, but less than a third think retailers are delivering. 💡 Gen Z is all about social shopping, but surprisingly, only 3% rank SHEIN as their top fashion retailer online—a signal to brands to invest wisely in capturing this market. The message is clear: Retailers must evolve fast to meet these heightened expectations. Brands winning today are those who deliver on consumer priorities—a smooth experience, meaningful loyalty programs, and quality products. 👀 Keep an eye out for the full report and Gabrielle Fonrouge's coverage on CNBC. Let’s continue pushing the boundaries in retail! Read the full report HERE ➡ https://shorturl.at/xNFcH Read CNBC article HERE ➡ https://shorturl.at/ltbQk #Retail #FashionTrends #ConsumerInsights #Macys #Kohls #Amazon #Express #AlixPartners #ConsumerSentimentIndex #RetailStrategy #FutureOfRetail #CX

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Despite being up against some tough comparatives, DICK'S Sporting Goods started its new fiscal with a strong set of sales results that show its momentum has not diminished; if anything, it has accelerated. Both the overall sales growth of 6.2% and the comparable sales uplift of 5.3% are above the market and indicate that Dick’s continues to gain market share across the sporting goods market and in multiple categories within it. Dick’s is winning share from other retailers, including specialists like Foot Locker and generalists like Target, as the strength of its offer and its solid partnerships with brands helps to pull consumers away from weaker assortments elsewhere. Interestingly, this dynamic also extends to clothing for everyday wearing where Dick’s continues to draw custom away from traditional channels like department stores. It was great to chat with Retail Dive about the latest results which are testament to a great team executing well. Link to article in the comments. #retail #retailnews #sportinggoods #sports #apparel

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“Adopting a Human-Centric Leadership Model: The Future of Retail CEOs” In the dynamic landscape of retail, one truth remains: people are central to all that we do. Recently explored McKinsey’s thought-provoking article on “The Human-Centric Approach to CEO Leadership,” and it resonated deeply with me. In an industry where customer experience is critical, isn’t it time we extend that same dedication to our internal teams? Adopting a human-centric leadership style certainly requires some human approaches: #Empathy Fuels Engagement and drive speed. By understanding our teams’ needs, we nerd to cultivate a culture of trust and motivation. When our employees flourish, so does our business. #OpenCommunication and #Transparent #conversations dismantle barriers and inspire innovation. Let’s ensure dialogue flows freely across all levels. #Flexibility and #Resilience is a must. In a swiftly evolving market, adaptability is not just beneficial—it’s imperative. This applies to both our strategies and the support we provide to our teams. #Investing in People and Growtth is essential to be on top this disruption. Upskilling and Providing opportunities for professional development enhances required knowledge and empowers employees. It builds a stronger organization from within. #Cultivating #Inclusivity within A diverse workforce brings diverse ideas. Celebrating different perspectives leads to better solutions and a more vibrant workplace. As leaders, our role transcends beyond strategies and KPIs—it’s all about nurturing the very people who drive our success.✅✅ #CEO #Business #Leadership #Management #HumanCentric #Agile #Disruptive #Strategy #FutureOfBusiness #Futurism #Symbiotic #HumanMachine #Collaboration #Mckinsey

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Does anyone else see the magnitude of decimation for mass retail under way? Yesterday I posted that Nordstrom should build their own in house k-beauty brand direct from creator-to-manufacturer A few hours later WWD announced Walgreens is building an in-house #dupe beauty brand With Sol de Janeiro, Kiehl's Since 1851's & Glow Recipe dupes to start Gen Z favorites for less b/c controlling the value chain = more profit Beauty was Nordstroms #1 growing category LY 100% of it was wholesale Wonder how many other retailers could benefit from more margin Dupes are saturated.... finding the white space would be better (see Kbeauty above) As w/other mass retailers both are not seeing the bigger opportunity I don’t think c-suits realize how important shared interests (#community) are on social Responding to trends through shared interest groups b4 interests peak is key to get the things you sell in front of people And if you do it repeatedly you will thrive Remember earlier this week when I said Ice Spice's "Did It First" peaked on TikTok in early August but only entered the YouTube chat recently? I predicted it would go viral right about NOW As of 20 min ago it was at 102k shorts + 69M plays I think that counts as viral considering Nordstrom's last beauty TikTok from 18 days ago was shared exactly 1 time lol Reminder: just as TikTok views hit lows, Youtube usually resurrects the trend You have to know where culture is at all times to participate Fashion is at an all time low see lululemon, Nike, FARFETCH, EXPRESS historic losses SHEIN alone outpaces the entire mass fashion industry - more on this tmw - it will blow your mind This will be a historic Q4 The 1st Black Friday/Cyber Monday where Amazon + TikTok Shop and Shopify + YouTube 4 of the world's giants dominate entertainment creator commerce To compete YouTube is launching a Chrome extension to make it easier for to save products while browsing retailer websites - makes sense since they had 30B hours of shopping-related video watch time in 2023 Mark my words - the world is officially moving to creator commerce in Nov B/c in addition to the life changing commissions creators can earn w/these 4 LTK rolled out a commission comparison tool yesterday creators have direct access to all available commission rates, enabling them to tag the highest-earning partner They are literally forcing brands to give better commission Oh & they own all your brand data too Mass fashion – pls understand this is your last black Friday if you don't organize around above... While Walgreens thinks dupes is a game changer for those who crave luxury on a budget, unfortunately it won't be enough if they don't change everything else Because the job this era is to generate revenue from social And to automatically track ugc and determine how to monetize it as soon as it is uploaded #thegreatfashionreset #creatortomanufacturer #communitycommerce #contentistheproduct #creatorsarethestore

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Who's winning in retail?? - It is all coming out in our AlixPartners 2024 Consumer Sentiment Index. I had the pleasure of discussing major findings with CNBC's Gabrielle Fonrouge. See link below for Gabrielle's article, as well as link to our full report. Ask me about it - there's even more behind the report. We surveyed 9000 consumers and asked what makes them shop (and buy!) across Fashion Sectors, and who's winning according to the consumers (Walmart, American Eagle Outfitters Inc., Nike, Macy's, Kohl's and others)! (Full report here: https://lnkd.in/ejyutg7v)

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I tried to get rid of ROAS this week. Just end it as a viable metric. In dramatic LinkedIn post fashion to get you to expand … I failed. At the Ascendant Network #retailmedia event this week in Palo Alto Andrew Lipsman and Jaiah Kamara, MBA. and I led a conversation on ROAS vs. iROAS. We polled the room and asked, “how do you feel about ROAS – 5 means you love it, 1 is you hate it and hope to never see it again.” The room was less divided than I thought. In a group of Brands, Retail Media Networks, and Tech partners, no one had higher than a 3, with most of the group at a 2. 💡 Turns out, we’re all in alignment that ROAS isn’t a great metric! 💡 We all know that it’s overly correlated to brand sales. We all know it’s easy to manipulate. We all are aware that if we try to present a ROAS that is more conservative and more transparent, we can loose out to our competitors who have a ROAS calculation which is more of a black box. So, what do we do? The obvious statement is we need to move towards #incrementality. But because #math we can’t always get to statistical significance for every campaign. I’m going to propose we think about Retail Media Measurement in a different way. What became obvious during our conversation is the power of closed-loop measurement comes when Retail Media Measurement is combined with measurement that is owned by the Brands. As Retail Media moves towards maturity, Retail Media Networks need to find ways to support Brands own internal measurement. This means providing the right data for measurement in the ways the brands want it, when they want it, and how they want it. We're moving towards what's next at Albertsons Media Collective - are you?

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Come for the treasure hunt, stay for the shareholder returns. Last year, The TJX Companies, Inc., owner of MARSHALLS LLC, TJ Maxx & HomeGoods, and TK MAXX (Europe), generated over $50 Billion in revenue, more than Macy's and Nordstrom combined. This success was not generated from online sales but based on #BehavioralEconomics and applied human psychology, e.g., "bargains and the treasure hunt." The latest quarter was further proof of this resilience. Both TJX Cos. and Ross Stores, Inc. reported this week that comparable-store sales rose 3% in their quarters ended May 4 compared with a year earlier as inflation-pinched consumers sought out deals. This marks the seventh consecutive quarter of comparable sales growth for TJX and the sixth for Ross. Ross, whose consumers skew low-to-middle income, has been lowering prices to drive sales. TJX, with a higher-income clientele, has been able to raise prices selectively without much pushback. Bad times aren’t required for good times at these retailers—they were growing in 2021 when consumers were feeling flush. TJX, Ross and Burlington Stores, Inc. collective share of the #apparel and #footwear specialist market ballooned from 25% in 2019 to 31% last year. Off-price is likely stealing market share from home retailers, too. TJX’s HomeGoods business saw comparable-store sales rise 4% last quarter, while Ross Stores said the home category outpaced overall company growth. That contrasts with anemic home-related sales at retailers like Target and Beyond, the company that took on Bed Bath & Beyond’s website. Can off-price retailers keep growing? Weakness at other apparel brands suggests that they can. Recognizable brands such as Nike, lululemon, and Coach owner Tapestry have hit speed bumps on sales growth. Where there is unsold inventory, there are buying opportunities for off-price retailers. There could be a big wave of inventory from recent bankruptcies at EXPRESS and teen-focused rue21, as they close hundreds of stores. The wave of store closures also should help boost foot traffic at off-price retailers. Off-price historically has been the biggest beneficiary of apparel store closures. In addition to bankrupt retailers, Macy’s has announced plans to close 150 stores. UBS analysts estimate that more than 16,000 apparel stores could close over the next five years. This hasn’t gone unnoticed. TJX and Ross shares have appreciated 92% and 40%, respectively, over the past five years. They are now among the most expensive U.S.-listed apparel-industry stocks. They trade at forward-12-month earnings multiples that rival Nike’s and recently outpaced Lululemon’s. Off-price retail stocks aren’t cheap, but premium products never are. Well covered by Jinjoo Lee for the The Wall Street Journal

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👟🌟 Exciting insights! Dive into the latest findings from the 2024 Spring U.S. Footwear Consumer Survey by AlixPartners & Footwear Distributors and Retailers of America (FDRA), showing a strong shift towards athletic shoes this season. As consumers prioritize branded stores and seek out promotional deals, the landscape of footwear spending is evolving dramatically. Discover how these trends are reshaping the industry and what it means for your brand. Full details in this insightful article by my colleagues Ryan Poole and Bryan Eshelman! #FootwearTrends #ConsumerBehavior #RetailInsights #AlixPartners #WhenItReallyMatters https://lnkd.in/evaHipdA

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