John Remlin

A solid Q2 print for Walmart. US Comp Store sales were up 4.6% slightly ahead of the 4.4% industry average, and e-commerce was up 26% for the second largest e-com site in the US. That's far faster digital growth than the industry (5.8%), and Amazon (~11%). Store delivery (think fresh, frozen, and same-day) and 3P marketplace led the way. 2025 is going to be a year of clear share gainers and losers, and Walmart continues to be in the gainers colum.

90

6 Comments

Kohl’s is launching a “By Kohl’s” campaign highlighting the “Next Era” of its proprietary brands. The effort marks a fairly rare marketing push by a retailer directly calling out their private labels or exclusive brands as many try to attempt to improve allocations in national brands. #kohls #retail #privatelabel #brands What did members of RetailWire's BrainTrust panel think? "Kohl’s 'By Kohl’s' campaign is tactically sound but strategically late. Proprietary brands are among the few genuinely inimitable assets a mid-tier retailer can build." (Mohamed Amer, Ph.D.) "The speech about the strategic attributes of private labels or proprietary brands has been made by so many retailers. The speech means nothing. The execution means everything." (Jeff Sward) "I’ll never understand the latest Kohl’s ad campaign. Ever." (Cathy Hotka)

6

5 Comments

AAFA's Executive Vice President, Nate Herman, joins footwear market leaders sharing #SmartTrade perspectives and a clear reminder that, "What the industry needs most in 2026 is greater predictability, including new, non-stacking trade agreements and exemptions for products that qualify under existing U.S. free trade agreements to avoid compounding already high tariff rates." https://lnkd.in/ewnT-_4n

16

1 Comment

Target just named longtime insider Michael Fiddelke as its next CEO after more than two years of lackluster sales. On this week’s Reimagining Retail podcast, we break down whether Fiddelke is the right choice to steady Target, the factors behind the retailer’s struggles, and the to-do list that could make or break the brand. Join Senior Director of Podcasts and guest host, Marcus Johnson, and Senior Analysts Blake Droesch and Arielle Feger for the full conversation: https://lnkd.in/eZaHsf4i

3

As tariffs continue to weigh heavily on the footwear industry, Wolverine Worldwide’s namesake boot brand is leaning into made-in-America product. But according to Mike Maloney, chief product officer for Wolverine Worldwide’s Work Group, the program was planned before President Trump took office for his second term and ramped up tariffs again. “I started at Wolverine back in the fourth quarter and the plans for this program were already in the works,” Maloney told FN in an interview. “Making shoes in any new facility takes a long time, so we’ve been in development.” Read more: https://lnkd.in/eRu4xyXE

29

1 Comment

Mediocrity The Great Gap, Macy's, and Kohl's released their latest quarterly results The results had two things in common Each company beat analyst expectations Expectations were low Comp Sales at Gap Up 1% Comp sales at Kohl's Down 5% Comp sales at Macy's 125 focus stores Up 1.2% It is one thing to celebrate, quite another to celebrate mediocrity The First Law of Competence Competence is an illusion Beat analyst expectations, you are competent. Miss expectations, you are incompetent Sales be damned If Wall Street’s happy, everyone's happy The Second Law of Competence Get results Remember Gap’s the first quarter under Richard Dickson All 4 brands saw positive comps. Two years later, Comp sales are down at Athleta and Banana Republic Overall quarterly sales and projected sales for the year Flat Being flat in sales or down 5% must be celebrated lest The Illusion of Competence be shattered The Second Law of Competence says your competence is tied to results. You must get results immediately and those results must be sustained Macy's says its 125 focus stores’ sales comped above the company average. Macy's does not mention that at 1.2% comps, a certain percentage of focus stores had to be down in sales to LY How do you beat analyst expectations when down 4.2%? If you're Kohl's, you raise prices and cut costs 70% of corporate change strategies fail. The math says that out of Gap, Kohl's, and Macy's, only one will successfully turn around operations However, The Laws of Leadership raise serious doubts about the efforts of all three Saying that's not going to work is easy. Offering a viable solution is not 70% of strategies fail because 70% of employees are disengaged Strategy will not be solved until employee engagement is solved. At present, Leadership can solve neither Beating low expectations is one thing. Raising expectations requires a Strategy to engage employees Unified Leadership Theory The Strategy of Engagement

2

4 Comments

Retailers are loaded up for the holidays - literally per WSJ. From Ralph Lauren to Levi’s, many brands stockpiled inventory ahead of new tariffs. The logic made sense: beat the price hikes before they hit. The Trade-off? Now they’re sitting on warehouses full of product hoping shoppers will spend despite higher prices and tighter wallets. And that’s the business lesson hiding in plain sight: Timing your moves is everything. Move too slow, and you miss opportunity. Move too fast, and you tie up all your capital in “maybes.” My takeaways: ➡️ Inventory = capital trapped. Whether it’s product on a shelf or ideas waiting for action, what you don’t move still costs you. ➡️ Not all bets are bad bets, if they’re strategic. Ralph Lauren and Academy Sports focused on “evergreen” goods (core items that always sell). They minimized risk by betting on durability over trendiness. ➡️ Inflation, tariffs, and timing aren’t just retail problems. They’re business problems. The best operators learn to think several quarters ahead. ➡️ The real winners plan for flexibility, not perfection. They don’t try to predict every variable; they build systems that can pivot fast when the market shifts. Whether you’re running a brand or building your own business, the same principle applies: Don’t wait for the perfect moment - design a strategy that can adapt when it’s not. Being your own boss isn’t about eliminating risk. It’s about owning it. The smartest founders, investors, and franchise owners don’t avoid uncertainty; they prepare for it. So ask yourself this week: Am I stockpiling for a future that may never come… or strategically investing in one I can actually build?

3

Great insights Rich! Using AI to mine and understand merchandise returns data is a huge opportunity for all retailers - but especially so for apparel retailers as we head into peak. A McKinsey survey indicated that as much as 70% of apparel returns were driven by fit and style issues. Diving into fit and style misalignments with customers has allowed some apparel retailers to reduce their returns by over 30%. You don't need AI to calculate the impact of a 20% - 30% returns rate improvement at your gross margin line! The potential prize is too big to ignore! Deploying AI tools to understand returns? Great advice - thank you Rich!

4

Retail Rundown: This Week’s Trends, Transitions, and Bold Bets Retail brought a little bit of everything and a lot to keep an eye on! Leadership Shift at National Retail Federation: Longtime chief economist Jack Kleinhenz, Ph.D. steps into a senior advisor role, with Mark Mathews set to lead as chief economist while continuing to head research. Skechers amplifies performance footwear with its new Aero line, targeting everyone from casual runners to ultramarathoners, while continuing its push into global athletic markets. Serta Simmons Bedding, LLC launches a new boxed mattress line, Perfect Day, balancing price, convenience, and performance. Retail Meets Culture: -Chipotle Mexican Grill x Wonderskin Premium Skincare’s Lipotle lip stain returns after a viral sell-out. - Cheez-It debuts “Cheez-Fitz” fashion with pro athlete Rickea Jackson. Store Expansion Watch: Ollie's Bargain Outlet, Inc. hits 600+ stores, entering its 34th state. Industry Insight: Department store sales dropped 4.5% in June, while overall retail saw a +4.2% YoY gain, led by 7%+ growth in e-comm. What’s Next: All eyes on rhode skin and its potential post-acquisition by E.L.F. BEAUTY, with projections pointing to a $500M valuation if expansion and brand health stay strong. From products to partnerships to performance, the industry is quickly evolving. Staying close to consumer needs, digital agility, and value-based innovation is what propels brands to keep up! https://lnkd.in/giaMAhtx #HalifaxWest #WinTogether #capitaladvisory #MandA #restructuring #operatingadvisory #RetailTrends #ConsumerInsights #Ecommerce #BrandStrategy #RetailNews #Skechers #NRF #BeautyNews #DTC #RetailInnovation #MarketingStrategy #ProductLaunch #Rhode #RetailExpansion

2

The news that Saks Fifth Avenue is ending its e-commerce partnership with Amazon feels like more than just another strategic pivot — it’s a reminder of how different the rules of engagement are in luxury retail. On the surface, the decision reflects Saks Global’s broader restructuring strategy following bankruptcy, with leadership choosing to refocus on driving traffic back to its own channels rather than operating a storefront on a mass-market platform. Limited participation from top luxury brands — many concerned about brand positioning — appears to have been a key challenge from the start. But zooming out, there’s a bigger industry takeaway here. Luxury has always walked a fine line between reach and exclusivity. The “Saks on Amazon” experiment was an attempt to merge curated luxury storytelling with marketplace scale — and it highlights just how difficult that balance remains. Even as ecommerce evolves, brand control, experience, and perceived scarcity still matter deeply in the premium segment. What I’ll be watching next: • Whether more luxury retailers double down on owned digital ecosystems • How marketplaces continue trying to crack the luxury code • And what this means for the omnichannel strategy when brand equity is the core asset. Retail innovation often comes from experimentation — even when the outcome isn’t what was originally envisioned. This feels like one of those moments the industry will look back on as a learning curve for luxury ecommerce. #LuxuryRetail #RetailStrategy #Ecommerce #OmnichannelRetail #RetailInnovation #DigitalTransformation

3

1 Comment

Everyone says “the market is uncertain.” But what do you actually do when prices go up and consumers keep buying? That’s the question behind a recent Retail Dive article featuring Competitoor, and it’s exactly where the real value for retailers begins. While headlines focus on consumer anxiety and the impact of tariffs, the reality is different. Apparel prices are on the rise, discounts aren’t getting any deeper, and despite all the uncertainty, consumers are continuing to buy. Thanks to Competitoor’s pricing and promotion intelligence, retailers can see this shift in real time, not guess it after the season is over. What this means for you, as a retail decision-maker: - You understand when not to discount, protecting margins even during peak periods - You benchmark prices accurately against competitors, including full-price vs promo strategies - You spot consumer price tolerance before it shows up in your P&L - You align pricing decisions with real market behavior, not assumptions In short: we help retailers know when holding price is smarter than cutting it. This data helps explain why apparel brands are outperforming expectations, even in a volatile market. Read the full article and see how data-driven pricing is reshaping apparel retail 👉 https://lnkd.in/eT7QaCm2 #PricingStrategy #ApparelRetail #RetailAnalytics #RetailPricing #RetailTrends #CompetitiveIntelligence

4

Retailers continue to expand across New England, and national brands like Aerie by AEO, Inc., Bath & Body Works, Ulta Beauty, The Wendy's Company, and Raising Cane's Chicken Fingers are strengthening their footprints in key Northeast markets. Our Boston retail team is proud to support this momentum through a series of recent openings across Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Connecticut, and New York, representing both tenants and landlords. From new apparel and beauty locations to banking, auto parts, and restaurant expansions, we’re helping clients secure strategic positions in high-performing trade areas. SRS Real Estate Partners Boston Retail Team: Jonathan Lapat - Brian Nadler - Christian P G Janelle - Bryan Wright - Samantha Mazza - Joseph Quinn 🌐 Learn More: https://lnkd.in/g3Q_3Wua #SRSRealEstatePartners #QSR #BostonRetail #TenantRep #RetailExpansion

74

3 Comments

📈 "Retail managers seeking an accessible, evidence-based approach to increasing store performance will find Mark Ryski’s new book inspiring and actionable." 🛍️ "The deep dive into store traffic and conversion rate as sales drivers is not to be missed." HeadCount Founder and CEO Mark Ryski is grateful for this feedback from Ronny Max, who is an expert in behavior analytics for store optimization. To turn more store traffic into sales:   📕 Grab a copy of Mark’s latest book (an Amazon Best Seller) Store Traffic is a Gift, available wherever books are sold   ☎️ Book a call with Mark: https://lnkd.in/gp4kTWfD #retail #sales #StoreTrafficisaGift #TopRetailExpert National Retail Federation RETHINK Retail RetailWire Greenleaf Book Group Lisa Goller, MBA

5

1 Comment

Macy’s weak 2026 forecast suggests that the biggest challenge in retail right now is not a demand collapse, but a widening gap in who is still willing to spend. Although Macy’s reported stronger than expected holiday quarter results, the company still cautions weaker sales and profit for 2026, pointing to macroeconomic uncertainty, geopolitical risk, and the tariff pressure. Macy’s expects 2026 sales to come in between $21.4–$21.7 billion and adjusted EPS of $1.90–$2.10, both below their 2025 results. What makes this especially interesting is that Macy’s results reveal how divided the consumer environment has become. At brand level, Macy’s sales declined 3.2%, including the effect of store closures, while comparable sales at the Macy’s banner rose 0.4% (compared with a 1.1% decline in 2025). Meanwhile, the sales from Bloomingdale increased 7%. This showcases that higher-end banners are performing better than the core department stores. Reuters also highlighted that Macy’s expects tariff related pressure to bring more damage and weight in the first half of 2026 before easing. In the consumer industry, Macy’s forecast highlights a key trend: retailers are now competing in a more segmented landscape where income level, brand positioning, and customer loyalty matter more than ever before Lydia Lei Analyst lylei@wharton.upenn.edu

4

“Designer Brands recorded improved traffic and conversion trends for its latest quarter and into August, as shoppers continued to buy new shoes even as the retailer raised prices to offset tariffs.” “”While broader macroeconomic pressures persist, these trends offer encouraging signs that some headwinds may be starting to ease,” Chief Executive Doug Howe said on the company’s earnings call with analysts Tuesday.” “Still, the DSW parent said it wouldn’t reinstate full-year guidance, citing volatility in connection with global trade and continued consumer caution around discretionary spending.” “Designer Brands said the back-to-school season has been strong, with traffic trends continuing to improve in the current quarter. The company is also converting more guests into rewards-program members, which executives said should help drive loyalty and sales.” “Increased marketing investments and a new partnership with DoorDash are helping attract customers, while improved assortments and in-stock levels have led to more visitors making purchases, Howe said.” “These initiatives drove a sequential improvement in comparable sales—or those from stores and digital channels in operation for at least 12 months—which fell 5% year-over-year for the quarter ended Aug. 2, compared with an 8% drop during the company’s May-ended quarter.” - Connor Hart

2

Ever worked toward a compliance deadline… and then realized your label supplier isn’t fully DPP-ready?  We are hearing this more often across apparel and footwear industry. Maxim is here to help on how the DPP actually comes together — from data capture at source to product-level connectivity.  Swipe through to see how it works in practice. #MaximGroup #DPP #DigitalProductPassport #RFID #Sustainability #Apparel #SupplyChain

46

1 Comment

Here are some interesting stories from the world of retail for Wednesday, March 11: 🏬 Kohl's signaled improvement in its apparel category in the first quarter, but it warned of another year of declining sales overall. For Q4, total sales fell 3.9% and comparable sales were down by 2.8%. 👖 Fabletics is launching its first denim collection, signaling a shift in consumer preferences away from athleisure. The collection, priced between $79.95 and $174.95, will be available online and in select stores. 🤖 OpenAI has scaled back its plans to turn ChatGPT into a fully integrated shopping destination. The company will now abandon processing purchases inside the chatbot. 🧱 Lego has published its full-year 2025 results, with revenues rising 12% to DKr83.5bn ($12.9bn) and operating profit increasing 18% to DKr22bn, while consumer sales grew 16%. 🧴 Olaplex stock has plummeted nearly 95% since its 2021 IPO due to weakened demand, regulatory challenges, and a lawsuit alleging harmful ingredients. Olaplex is now focusing on product innovation. 🥩 Around 3,800 workers at JBS’s beef processing plant in Greeley, Colorado, plan to strike from March 16th, potentially disrupting production at one of the largest US beef facilities. 💰 Amazon has drawn about $126 billion of peak demand for its US bond sale, one of the largest ever for a corporate offering. The demand underscores how investor appetite for hyperscaler debt remains strong. 👔 Hugo Boss reported an annual operating profit of €391m, surpassing forecasts. It confirmed its 2026 outlook and plans to realign its brand and channels, focusing on high-growth categories. 🍧 Costco Canada has introduced a new dessert to its food court menu, the Caramel Brownie Sundae, expanding its lineup of sweet treats that already includes ice cream cones and various sundaes. 🍫 Shares in Swiss chocolatier Lindt & Sprüngli fell yesterday, after the company lowered its 2026 organic sales growth guidance to 4%–6%, down from its previous medium-term target of 6%–8%. 📱 Apple produced about 25% of its global iPhones in India in 2025, assembling around 55m devices, up 53% from 36m in 2024, as it accelerates efforts to reduce reliance on China and avoid US tariffs. 📦 Amazon’s e-commerce business summoned a large group of engineers to a meeting for a deep dive into a spate of outages, including incidents linked to AI coding tools. 🇬🇧 British consumer spending grew slowly in February as households grew more pessimistic about the outlook for the economy with the Middle East conflict raising concerns about a fresh ‌rise in inflation. 🚫 Perplexity AI must for now stop using its Comet web browser agent to make purchases on behalf of shoppers from Amazon's online marketplace, a court has ruled. 🛋️ The Brand House Collective COO, James Schisler, is resigning to pursue other opportunities. Schisler joined the company nine months ago. #retail #retailnews #economy #DailyRetailNews

42

2 Comments