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Articles by Harmit
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Celebrating the AAPI Community All Year
Celebrating the AAPI Community All Year
As Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) month winds down, I have been reflecting on what this month means to me. At…
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Enough Is Enough: Stopping AAPI ViolenceMar 22, 2021
Enough Is Enough: Stopping AAPI Violence
Last week, a white gunman killed six Asian women and two others in the Atlanta, Georgia area — one of several recent…
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A New Pledge from CFOs on Climate ActionDec 23, 2019
A New Pledge from CFOs on Climate Action
I’m proud to have signed the CFO Net Zero Statement of Support, an initiative launched by the Accounting for…
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Why Finance Leaders Need to be a Part of Your Sustainability EffortsOct 21, 2019
Why Finance Leaders Need to be a Part of Your Sustainability Efforts
Earlier this year, I joined seven other Chief Financial Officers to help launch the first U.S.
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Building Sustainability into Your Company StrategyMar 14, 2017
Building Sustainability into Your Company Strategy
By Harmit Singh Sustainability is a subject I’m passionate about, and I’m lucky to work at a company that shares that…
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CNBC Interview: LS&Co. Year-End Earnings (video)Feb 15, 2017
CNBC Interview: LS&Co. Year-End Earnings (video)
Levi Strauss CFO on the business of blue jeans CNBC interview on Feb. 10, 2017
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Buffalo Wild Wings (BWLD) Appoints Three New Independent DirectorsNov 3, 2016
Buffalo Wild Wings (BWLD) Appoints Three New Independent Directors
Buffalo Wild Wings (BWLD) Appoints Three New Independent Directors
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Sustainability and the C-SuiteMay 10, 2016
Sustainability and the C-Suite
I recently spoke at the Ceres Conference in Boston about the role of the C-suite in driving sustainability, a topic…
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5K followers
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Harmit Singh shared thisYesterday, I had the pleasure of joining ServiceNow’s Gina Mastantuono and The Wall Street Journal’s Ben Ashwell to discuss what’s top of mind for all #CFOs and business leaders: how #AI is creating value across the organization, both to improve the consumer experience and to drive operational excellence. What made the conversation especially impactful was how practical it was. AI isn’t theoretical. It’s actively reshaping how we drive productivity, improve decision-making and navigate an increasingly dynamic macro-environment. For us at Levi Strauss & Co., we’ve been on a multi-year journey to not only utilize AI within finance but to build a strong data foundation that will continue to unlock new opportunities. Our progress would not be possible without our talented team, who constantly reimagine what’s possible. On stage, I shared a few examples from our team, including: The truly industry leading AI financial forecasting and profitability models Thomas Cypcar, Gibram Jalil Abud Dávalos, Pavan Pamidimarri and team have built. This work started in 2017, leading to a great case study written by Harvard Business School which is now taught to their second-year business students. And our AI financial algorithms continue to evolve, bringing in even more external datasets - like weather and traffic patterns- to become more predictive and comprehensive. We’re also expanding the use case to predict cost and profit. Caroline Heide has been transforming how LS&Co.’s approaches and embraces automation for years. Recently she created an AI agent that helps us automatically process manual wholesale orders, turning what would take about 5 days to now 15 minutes. More than saving time, it’s also driving faster processing times with greater accuracy which creates a better experience for our wholesale partners. We’re still in the early phases and still testing, but hope to rollout broader in the near future. Michael Buchanan has been with the company for nearly 20 years and started his career at the store. After attending our ML Bootcamp and then joining our Data and Analytics team, he developed an AI store assistant focused on solving one problem: ensuring store associates never have to say “I don’t know” to shoppers. It also allows our store teams to spend less time in the back and more time engaging and interacting with our fans. This solution, Stitch, has been well received by stores, and after piloting last year, it’s been rolled out to more than 70 stores in the U.S. The takeaway is simple: AI’s impact is only as strong as the culture behind it. When you empower teams with the right tools, mindset and opportunities, innovation follows leading to better performance. These are just a few examples of the great AI-driven work happening throughout the company, and it was an honor to be able to highlight how AI is helping us simplify our age-old ways of working inside the company and share opportunities ahead to unlock both revenue and profits growth.
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Harmit Singh shared thisI’m honored to join the Board of Directors at Planet Fitness and to work with a brand that has built such a strong and accessible platform for millions to prioritize their health and wellness. Thank you for the warm welcome. This appointment is also a proud moment in my career journey. Over the past 30+ years, I’ve had the opportunity to work with some of the world’s most iconic consumer brands across key industries — including financial services, restaurants, hospitality, technology, and apparel/retail. Last year, I joined the board of Sutter Health, expanding my experience into healthcare. Bringing diverse perspectives together makes us stronger. I continue to learn every day and embrace a growth mindset, which is something I encourage all leaders to adopt. And what ties these experiences together is a focus on delivering value to consumers at scale. That is something that Planet Fitness does exceptionally well. I look forward to working with the board and leadership team as they continue to build on that momentum.Harmit Singh shared thisWe are pleased to announce Harmit Singh as the newest member of our Board of Directors. Harmit is a seasoned leader with a deep breadth of consumer and hospitality experience. His extensive financial, strategic, and operational expertise will be a strong complement to our Board as we continue to focus on delivering an incredible member experience. https://lnkd.in/eyds9-8PPlanet Fitness Appoints Harmit Singh to Board of DirectorsPlanet Fitness Appoints Harmit Singh to Board of Directors
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Harmit Singh shared thisWhat keeps me excited about my role as Chief Financial and Growth Officer? I recently answered this question on McKinsey Strategy & Corporate Finance's "Inside the Strategy Room" podcast, joined by Steven W. Begley and Sean Brown. My answer was simple: my passion for Levi Strauss & Co., our continued transformation of the business as consumer needs evolve, a collaborative yet performance based culture all underpinned by our values and a purpose-driven DNA . Our conversation covered my 13-year journey at Levi's, leading its return to sustainable growth and profitability, and our transformation from predominately U.S. wholesale denim bottoms business into a global DTC-first denim lifestyle retailer. During this time we also became a publicly listed company and I talked about this journey both here at Levi’s and at another American Icon where I was CFO when we listed in 2009. I also shared my core philosophy, "The Magic of the And," which emphasizes delivering both top-line performance and bottom-line strength by strategically expanding into new categories as we expand our total addressable market. We also talked about how we are leveraging AI to drive better forecasting of both revenue and profitability. Thanks, Steven and Sean, for the engaging discussion! I'm incredibly proud of our broader team's accomplishments, my own team and the exciting path still ahead at Levi's. Listen to our full conversation here: https://lnkd.in/gYh-cstE289. The CFO as growth leader: Levi’s Harmit Singh on transformation and the “Magic of the And.”289. The CFO as growth leader: Levi’s Harmit Singh on transformation and the “Magic of the And.”
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Harmit Singh shared thisReflecting back on the last few weeks, I’m particularly energized – by our Q4 and full-year results, and most recently by the brand fuel from hosting the Super Bowl for the second time in a decade on our home turf at Levi's® Stadium, which perfectly showcased our cultural relevance and momentum on a global stage. We closed Levi Strauss & Co. FY25 with a strong quarter and momentum as we step into 2026. For the year we accelerated organic growth to 7%, delivered record gross margins, accelerated adjusted exit margins to 11.4%, all while driving higher returns of invested capital. Our pivot to Denim Lifestyle is enabling us to expand our total addressable market while we grow market share in denim. What gives me confidence as we head into 2026 is not just our momentum, but the quality of the business we’re building. Our DTC-first model continues to strengthen. Our denim lifestyle assortment is resonating. And our brand-led strategy is driving both revenue and margin growth. Our 2026 full year revenue and profit guidance reflects this. We’re also being disciplined, converting growth into profitability by improving our flow thru , reinvesting thoughtfully and returning capital to shareholders while maintaining a strong balance sheet. As we look ahead , our priorities are clear: stay close to our fans, execute with rigor, and continue building a stronger, more resilient Levi Strauss & Co. The foundation is solid, and we’re confident in the path forward. Thank you to our teams around the world for delivering another year of progress. I’m proud of what we’ve achieved together, and excited about what’s next.
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Harmit Singh shared thisLast week, I had the privilege of attending the JP Morgan Global Luxury Conference in Paris hosted by Matt Boss. Throughout the week, I visited several of our dedicated Levi’s stores and key wholesale locations — and I couldn’t be prouder of how Levi’s is showing up in the market. Across every channel, we’re elevating our denim lifestyle assortment across tops, dresses and outerwear, as well as deepening our global presence and keeping the Levi’s brand firmly at the center of culture. A huge thank you to our Europe and Paris teams — especially Lucia Marcuzzo, Anne-Catherine LEPAS, Brianna Carlsson and Toufik Benzenati — for an exceptional experience. The stores, particularly our flagship on the Champs-Élysées, looked outstanding and provided a meaningful setting to show investors how our strategies are becoming realities. It was inspiring to see our most elevated assortment, Blue Tab, and our recent premium collaboration with Barbour showcased— which is all great work brought to life by Karyn Hillman and her team. Our products, our stores and our presence in key accounts like Galeries Lafayette reinforce the momentum behind the Levi’s brand and our push to premiumize. And this recent Reuters piece underscores why we’re accelerating our premium strategy through the expansion of Blue Tab — and the critical role Europe plays in that journey. Thank you to Dominique Patton for telling our story: https://lnkd.in/gJ3Hwgww I’m not just proud— I’m inspired. Because we’re not just showing up at Levi Strauss & Co. We’re scaling up. Together.
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Harmit Singh shared thisIt was an honor to be part of the inaugural Alumni Spotlight Series, showcasing the strong partnership between McKinsey & Company and Harvard Business School. My discussion with Meagan Hill at the Levi Strauss & Co. Haus of Strauss in London offered a chance to reflect on the CFO leadership program and the impact it has had since completing the program nearly 5 years ago. I love learning as it makes me a better commercial leader, and this program not only introduced me to the HBS learning system via case studies but also allowed me to network with colleagues around the world and both share best practices and learn from their experiences. Fundamentally, this initiative was and continues to be about cultivating enduring partnerships, clarifying organizational purpose, and empowering the next generation of finance leaders with the foresight and capabilities required for today's complex landscape. I’m grateful to McKinsey and HBS for the amazing experience, and I’m proud of their continued commitment to leadership development, helping today’s finance leaders sharpen and perfect their skills especially in a dynamic and ever-changing landscape. Watch the video for key moments from our conversation.
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Harmit Singh shared thisAt Levi Strauss & Co., we’ve always believed in the power of “and." This is expressed as both growing our core and expanding our total addressable market. We do this by getting into segments and categories that are under penetrated as we make the pivot to a Denim Lifestyle retailer. Blue Tab is the pinnacle expression of Denim Lifestyle, rooted in our iconic Levi's Authentic Cool aesthetic with an elevated, sophisticated and strong style point of view. Our global product roll out of Blue Tab across both women and men’s brings that philosophy to life by elevating the Levi’s brand through innovation, design and craftsmanship, while we continue to serve the millions of consumers who love and trust us across every price point. From Blue Tab to Red Tab to Signature, our portfolio reflects how we’re reaching new consumers and giving existing consumers a reason to buy more. This broadened approach deepens brand loyalty, while also delivering on our path to sustainable, profitable growth. Thank you Jennifer Williams and The Wall Street Journal for sharing our story. https://lnkd.in/gWWgqr2bLevi’s Rolls Out New Premium Denim, but Aims to Keep Appealing to Budget ShoppersLevi’s Rolls Out New Premium Denim, but Aims to Keep Appealing to Budget Shoppers
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Harmit Singh shared thisWe recently shared our Q3 results, and I’m proud to report four consecutive quarters of high single-digit growth with record Q3 gross margins and also beating both top-line and EPS expectations. Our results prove that our strategies are working, and today, Levi Strauss & Co. is a stronger, higher-performing company defined by accelerated growth, expanding margins and superior returns on capital. Our well-segmented product portfolio, from our premium Blue Tab to our accessible Signature brand, continues to resonate with a largely resilient consumer, and our head-to-toe denim lifestyle product pipeline has never been stronger, driving engagement across our consumer base, categories and regions. Thank you to Carol Massar and Bailey Lipschultz for having me on Bloomberg Businessweek to further discuss the results and how we are confidently executing our strategic pivot to a denim lifestyle retailer, reinforcing our market leadership in both men's and women's categories. And importantly, thank you to our incredible team who continues to drive this business forward, ensuring consistent quarter-over-quarter growth! Your dedication and passion to delivering superior performance while supporting our core values as a company are truly inspiring. We’re at this position of strength because of you. We look forward to a strong performance into the holiday and beyond. https://lnkd.in/gGHngvcG
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Harmit Singh shared thisIt was a privilege to attend the King Charles III Charitable Fund event last week on behalf of the Accounting for Sustainability (A4S) team. The event was hosted by His Majesty The King himself and celebrated the organization’s partnership with Waitrose Duchy Organic. Since 2009, the partnership has enabled the Fund to award over 1,600 grants across 20 countries, totaling £50 million and supporting more than 400,000 annually— an incredible achievement. Meeting so many passionate changemakers — from farmers to social entrepreneurs — was a powerful reminder of what’s possible when purpose and partnership come together. A truly special day celebrating sustainable progress, collaboration, and the enduring impact of thoughtful leadership. It’s always an honor to meet with His Majesty and exchange views on sustainability and other subjects. Thank you, Jessica Fries, Executive Chair at A4S, for the invite.
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Harmit Singh liked thisHarmit Singh liked thisEarly in my career, I got feedback that completely rewired how I think about leadership—and it had to do with my “sharp elbows.” I was getting good reviews from my CFO at the time. Then he said, “The one thing I’d love for you to work on is that you sometimes have sharp elbows. Let’s soften the elbows—but you still need to get the same results.” My mind was blown. I understood what he meant by “sharp elbows,” but there were no concrete examples or recommendations. How exactly did my approach need to change, and how could I still get the same outcomes without being sharp? It took me a while to realize the answer: relationships. I’m naturally results-oriented, so my instinct is to take the fastest path to get things done. I had to learn that the fastest way isn’t always the best way—especially if it means leaving people behind. Bringing people along in the decision-making process takes time and effort. It means involving the right people in the conversation and ensuring they feel like they’re part of the decision. It may take longer to get to the same place, but it changes how people feel about the outcome—and that’s worth it. There’s always a balance, but this shift really helped me understand the difference between being a strong finance leader and being a strong enterprise leader. What’s a piece of feedback you received that changed how you lead—and what did it change?
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Harmit Singh liked thisHarmit Singh liked thisInternational Women’s Day this weekend had me reflecting on something I’ve learned about leadership over time. Progress isn’t only about pushing the ceiling higher. It’s about raising the floor for the people coming up behind you. I’m incredibly grateful for the mentors and sponsors who shared their perspective, advocated for me, and helped open doors along the way. Mentorship matters. Sponsorship matters even more. When women support one another, share knowledge, and create real access to opportunity, the baseline changes for everyone. We don’t just move individual careers forward—we expand what’s possible. The goal isn’t just a few women breaking the ceiling. It’s a generation of women walking into rooms where the ceiling is already higher. Raise the floor. The ceiling will follow.
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Harmit Singh liked thisHarmit Singh liked thisLast week, my Marriott International HQ Law Department leadership team and I joined attorneys from Greater China and APEC in Nara, Japan to share perspectives, discuss regional priorities, and strengthen how we work together. We were privileged to spend time with Yibing Mao, Rajeev Menon, Gautam Bhandari, Gavin Yu, area General Managers and our Japan market leader, reinforcing the spirit of collaboration that underpins our work. Being together in person created space for thoughtful conversations, shared learning, and the chance to simply enjoy each other’s company. Thank you to Philip Man and Karin Trantallis for hosting us, to Stephanie Carrick, Jared Freedman, Kimberly S. and Greg Talbot for terrific presentations, and to the JW Marriott Nara team for their gracious hospitality!
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Harmit Singh liked thisHarmit Singh liked thisWe recently held our 2026 Levi Strauss & Co.. Leadership Summit in Half Moon Bay, California, and what a week it was! So much passion for the company. So many insights and ideas. So much to be inspired by. I told our team that across my entire career, I’ve never been more excited about the work ahead, and I absolutely meant it. With 260 of our top leaders in attendance, we marked the remarkable progress we’ve made since our last summit two years ago. Across the three main pillars of our strategy – Brand-led, DTC-first, and Power the Portfolio – we've got great momentum and strong plans to build on it. We zeroed in on the behaviors and leadership traits necessary to seize the opportunities ahead of us – across channels, categories and geographies, as well as with AI, to name a few – while also upholding the values that have sustained us for so long. And we had a fantastic line up of speakers that included not only our leadership team, but also Darren Walker, formerly President of the Ford Foundation and now CEO of Anonymous Content; Aaron Levie, CEO of Box; Sarah Mensah, President of the Jordan Brand; David Schnieder, co-founder of Zalando; Tarang Amin, CEO of e.l.f.; Julie Bornstein, CEO of Daydream; Grammy Award-winner Shaboozey (who also played a few songs for us one night); Kevin Kajiwara of Teneo; retail expert Neil Saunders; Becca Coggins, McKinsey's Global Leader of Client Capabilities; Yvonne Watson, Vice Provost of Global Academic Strategies and Partnerships at the New School; and, to close us out, two-time Women’s World Cup Winner and Olympic Gold Medalist Brandi Chastain, who is now a co-owner of Bay FC. A huge thank you to all of our speakers – for sharing their insights, for inspiring us, for raising the bar on what it means to be a leader, for helping us better articulate the many challenges and opportunities ahead of us. And a huge thanks to our leaders for spearheading our progress and evolution as a company, and for understanding it all only works if we’re always thinking about how we can best serve the consumer and our retail teams. My heart is full. Our path forward is clear. And we are ready to execute!
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Harmit Singh liked thisHarmit Singh liked thisWe are proud to release 'India and its Diaspora: Partners in Progress', a major new report examining the expanding role of the global Indian diaspora in shaping India’s future across business, culture, philanthropy, innovation, and the arts. With more than 35 million people of Indian heritage living in over 200 countries with an estimated annual income of $USD 730 billion, the Indian diaspora is the largest in the world and one of the most influential. The report highlights how this community is evolving from a traditional source of remittances into a powerful force of capital, capability, and credibility helping accelerate India’s rise as it pursues its India@100 vision of becoming a developed nation by 2047. The report features quotes from distinguished leaders, including Indra Nooyi, Former Chairman and CEO of PepsiCo; Romesh Wadhwani, Chairman of the Wadhwani Foundation; Vinod Khosla, Founder of Khosla Ventures; and many other notable figures." Indra Nooyi Vinod Khosla Romesh Wadhwani Gita Gopinath Shanthini Naidoo FFIA CFRE Yamini Rangan Lord Karan Bilimoria Lisa Sthalekar Victor T. Thomas MR Rangaswami Manu Rekhi Varun Sivaram Manu Chopra Rajan Navani Alex Counts Sanjeev Joshipura Amita Gupta Nishith Desai Dhruva Jaishankar Mohanbir Sawhney Mallika Janakiraman Nina Amin, ACA, MBE See the Full Report and Infographics Here: https://lnkd.in/gsaJAUGj
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Harmit Singh liked thisHarmit Singh liked thisTwo weeks. Several cities. A lot to sit with. It started in San Francisco, where 250+ leaders from across the world gathered for our Levi Strauss & Co. Leadership Summit. The theme, "Originals Make Progress", has become a lens I keep coming back to. What struck me most was the quality of the conversations. Two lines in particular haven't left me: "Own the result, not the role" and "Reimagine what's possible" - if your company was born today, what would you do differently?" That second one is still rattling around. It's uncomfortable in the best way - and I think that discomfort is exactly the point. That energy carried into Europe and the timing couldn't have felt more right. Michelle Gass and Gianluca Flore joined us in Brussels, Paris, Milan and Rome just as we were launching the Baby Brooklyn Bag, our first cross-channel accessory launch in Europe. Watching fans discover it in store and seeing the reaction in real time is the kind of thing you can't manufacture. The Levi's® brand is moving, and you could feel it. Our store teams are something else. From the pride they bring and the way they connect with fans, to the ideas they're driving from the floor up. I learn something about leadership from them every time. They're the ones putting Levi's® directly into the hands of our fans, every single day. And with our partnership with Charlotte Cardin just announced in France, you can really feel the brand momentum: culture, product, people, all moving forward together. Across all of this, one feeling kept coming back: Belief. In where we're headed. In the people driving it. In what this brand can be. Progress is always personal. And it's always driven by people - ours included💙 #LiveInLevis
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The Prince's Accounting for Sustainability Project (A4S) was established by HRH The Prince of Wales in 2004. Our aim is to transform finance to make sustainable business, business as usual. We work with the finance and accounting community to:
• Inspire finance leaders to adopt sustainable and resilient business models
• Transform financial decision making to enable an integrated approach, reflective of the opportunities and risks posed by environmental and social issues
• Scale up…The Prince's Accounting for Sustainability Project (A4S) was established by HRH The Prince of Wales in 2004. Our aim is to transform finance to make sustainable business, business as usual. We work with the finance and accounting community to:
• Inspire finance leaders to adopt sustainable and resilient business models
• Transform financial decision making to enable an integrated approach, reflective of the opportunities and risks posed by environmental and social issues
• Scale up action across the global finance and accounting community
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Supriya Mundra
PE-backed e-commerce… • 7K followers
🚀 India’s Retail Surge: A CEO Wake-Up Call India’s retail sector just posted a 4x jump in deal value in one quarter - from under $800M to $3.4B in Q3 2025. That’s momentum! and it’s quietly rewriting the global retail playbook. 🔍 Why the spike happened? 1️⃣ Omnichannel consolidation is accelerating. Reliance Retail continues to buy across categories - from fashion to quick commerce. Tata Group is connecting Croma, Westside, Starbucks & BigBasket under one digital umbrella. Flipkart is doubling down on supply chain partnerships and grocery expansion. 2️⃣ Investor confidence is back. Private equity and sovereign funds are returning - betting big on India’s consumption story. Apparel, food, and consumer tech are leading, powered by logistics tech and AI adoption. 3️⃣ Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities are the new growth engines. Zudio, D-Mart, and Nykaa prove that aspiration + affordability now coexist outside metros. The next billion-dollar retail stories won’t come from Mumbai - they’ll come from Indore, Surat, and Lucknow. 🌍 Lessons for Global Retail CEOs 🔹 Localisation at scale wins. India doesn’t reward imported playbooks - it rewards context-driven ecosystems. H&M’s India-exclusive collections and IKEA’s small-format stores show how localisation drives growth. 🔹 Ecosystem thinking beats category thinking. Retail isn’t about stores anymore - it’s about networks. Payments, loyalty, delivery, and content now define the customer experience. 🔹 Agility is the new scale. Indian retailers scale through fragmentation - micro-pilots, regional SKUs, and flexible supply chains. Global leaders can learn: test → localise → expand, not the other way around. 🔮 The future playbook India is a blueprint for the next era of retail. AI-personalised commerce at mass-market prices. Digital-first brands like boAt, Nykaa, and Lenskart going global. A young, tech-savvy, value-driven consumer base rewriting loyalty. Its worth asking yourself - “How do we apply India’s ecosystem mindset everywhere?” #RetailLeadership #IndiaRetail #RetailInnovation #GlobalStrategy #ConsumerTrends #DigitalTransformation #CXOInsights #RetailTransformation #StrategyLeadership #FutureOfRetail
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SHIVENDRA NIGAM
Cantabil Retail India Ltd • 393 followers
GST 2.0: Fueling a Fresh Momentum in Indian Fashion! As finance professionals, we often view reforms through the lens of numbers, margins and growth, but this one is different. GST 2.0 is one of those rare policy changes that speaks to both the balance sheet and the consumer’s heart. More accessible fashion: The 5% GST slab now applies to garments up to ₹2,500. This reform makes fashion more affordable and accessible. For millions of middle-class families, that price point isn’t just a number, it’s the difference between buying one outfit or two, between keeping shopping aspirational or making it a festive reality. For the industry, it unlocks new demand across Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities and from a financial lens, the policy directly translates into higher consumption volumes and stronger retail growth. It creates value across the chain - for consumers, retailers and the broader economy. This festive season may well be remembered as the beginning of India’s next retail growth wave. Cantabil Retail
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Mayank Jain
Stellaris Venture Partners • 31K followers
Very excited to lead Material Depot’s $10.5M Series A alongside Rahul Chowdhri and Accel in India. There lies an opportunity to build a category defining retail brand in the designer home-interior materials category (with subcategories such as tiles, laminates, wall panels, designer fittings, lighting etc.). With the advent of COVID as well as proliferation of short video platforms, there is rising aspiration to have beautiful homes. Most of us have seen walkthroughs of celebrity homes during COVID, not just in India but globally. There has been a 10x jump in influencer and social content in this category post COVID, all of which has led to rising aspiration to have designer and beautiful homes. Increasing design sensitivity amongst Indian consumers is a mega trend across categories, and this is our fourth investment under this investment thesis. The present retail market in this category is highly unorganized and fragmented, but most importantly, considers interior designer and contractor as their primary customer. With the customer in this category shifting to the end homeowner, there lies an opportunity to reimagine a branded retail experience working backwards from the needs of the homeowner which entails large format stores carrying significantly higher selection, selection in line with recent trends, as well focusing on the presentation of the selection, and all this while keeping affordability in mind. This is what Material Depot is set out to do. Very excited to partner with Manish Reddy and Sarthak A. as they build a category defining company in this category! Stellaris Venture Partners
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Vivek Vishnoi
BIBA Fashion Ltd • 3K followers
Encouraging Signals for the Textile Sector The Union Budget 2026 underscores the government’s continued commitment to strengthening India’s textile and apparel ecosystem. Focus areas such as manufacturing growth, employment generation, infrastructure development, and MSME support are expected to aid the sector’s long-term competitiveness. Emphasis on value addition, supply-chain efficiency, skill development, and exports will help reinforce India’s position as a global textile sourcing hub, while measures supporting domestic consumption provide stability to demand. Overall, Budget 2026 offers a constructive framework for the textile sector to enhance scale, efficiency, and sustainability in the years ahead.
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Ankur Singh
Kearney • 2K followers
The most important question on the minds of jewellery retailers is how lab-grown diamonds (LGDs) will impact their business. As the growth of LGDs accelerates in India, the jewellery industry is poised for an intriguing 12-18 months. Each player will need to make strategic decisions on how to best leverage this opportunity. I am sharing my thought piece published in Fortune India, which explores how the rise of LGDs will influence the Indian jewellery retail industry. Read more here: https://lnkd.in/gfwvjUBG
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Kanwal Rekhi
Inventus Capital Partners • 93K followers
This is a great step forward. GST had become to complex and too big to serve its original purpose of unifying India into a one large market rather than several fragmented markets with "Chungi" (custom duty) being charged at several intermediate points along the way between various long haul routes. It was also meant to be simple to encourage broader compliance. I guess two tiers are better than four and maximum of 18% is much better than maximum of 28% but why could it not be a single tier of 18%? Is 5% tier really necessary? It is meant to be a consumption tax. We need to impose it on everything equally beyond basic necessities consumed by poor people. In any case, it is a great step forward. No need to spend cycles to differentiate between Rotis and Parathas! https://lnkd.in/gcE7npbj
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Vinod Surti
AP Group • 4K followers
Growth Does Not Equal Liquidity Retail Finance Truths – Series 1 Luxury retail and D2C brands often appear financially strong when revenue is growing. New store openings. Rising GMV. Healthy gross margins. Strong brand visibility. However, in my experience as a CFO working across luxury retail, distribution and D2C models, revenue growth alone is not a strength indicator. In retail, growth typically consumes capital before it generates cash. Every incremental expansion demands: • Higher inventory commitment • Store deposits and interior capex • Increased marketing outflow • Extended receivable exposure • Operational scaling costs Luxury retail is particularly capital intensive because: Inventory cycles are slower. Ticket sizes are higher. Lease commitments are fixed. It is entirely possible for a brand to report 60%+ gross margins and still experience liquidity stress. The difference between a scalable brand and a fragile one is not margin alone. It is capital discipline. Over the coming posts, I will share structured insights on: – Working capital stress models – Store expansion economics – Distribution vs D2C capital dynamics – The CFO decision lens behind sustainable growth Retail may be aspirational. Finance is structural. ⸻ Written by Vinod Surti CFO | Luxury Retail, Distribution & D2C Finance | Capital Discipline Advocate
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Doris Ramseur Davis
Sam's Club • 3K followers
Having a great time reconnecting with old colleagues and new friends The Millennium Alliance Marissa Pierce Rahul Mahindra Djouma Barry Elina Vilk Husin Chandra The Retail Revilution is upon us. Key takeaways from Innovation Panel: 1. Innovation Requires Holistic Thinking: Companies need to break down silos and create cohesive strategies that focus on solving customer problems, not just meeting individual department goals. 2. Talent Matters Most: When hiring, look for candidates with key traits like curiosity, problem-solving skills, adaptability, an entrepreneurial mindset, and the ability to think beyond traditional metrics. 3. Balance is Critical: Successfully integrating innovation requires balancing operational efficiency with experimental approaches - test quickly, iterate, and be willing to abandon ideas that don't work. 4. AI and Technology are Tools, Not Solutions: The human experience remains paramount. Technology should enhance, not replace, human interaction and empathy in solving customer needs. 5. Customer-Centric Approach is Key: Understand and prioritize customer needs by continuously adapting, creating emotional connections, and providing comprehensive solutions that go beyond just product pricing. Successful innovation is less about technology and more about strategic thinking, human skills, and a deep understanding of customer experiences.
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ETRetail
45K followers
Samsonite, the world's biggest luggage maker, said it has seen a wave of 20-25 digital-first luggage startups in India since the pandemic but will continue to abstain from chasing volumes through deep discounting to match pricing of the smaller rivals despite near-term market share pressure. Demand for luggage has normalised in the country driven by rising domestic travel and weddings, rebounding from a slowdown in 2024 due to a high base of post-pandemic surge. Read more at: https://lnkd.in/gvFnPxGv
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Kunal Ganger
Food Square India • 3K followers
Retail Leaders: Profitability in Indian Luxury Retail Isn’t Just Possible—It’s Inevitable with the Right Playbook. As India’s luxury market races toward $8.5B+ in 2025, retail heads face a familiar challenge: topline growth without bottom-line strength. Here’s what separates the profitable from the merely visible: 1. Precision Expansion Move beyond metros, but with purpose. Tier 2/3 cities offer promise only when backed by data, demand, and last-mile capability. 2. Experience-Centric Store Design Stores must be temples of experience, not just inventory. Think high-touch service, personalization, and local storytelling. 3. Operational Agility Consolidate supply chains, embrace omnichannel fluidity, and use tech to tighten control without sacrificing luxury. 4. Profit-Driven Product Mix Curate assortments based on contribution margins, not just visual appeal. Bestsellers aren’t always the most profitable. 5. Clienteling 2.0 Equip store teams with CRM tools to nurture top-tier clients and increase lifetime value—because repeat luxury buyers are worth 10x more. Retail heads in 2025 must be both brand guardians and P&L champions. Profitability isn’t just finance’s job—it’s a frontline retail mission. Are you building stores that sell or experiences that scale? #LuxuryRetail #RetailLeadership #IndiaLuxury #RetailProfitability #CXExcellence #StoreStrategy #RetailInnovation #LinkedInInsights
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