Retail
Analysis and advice from the front lines of the retail transformation.
Highlights

What Happens When the E-Commerce Boom Ends

Online sales growth is slowing, returning to its pre-pandemic trajectory. As shoppers head back into the store, their new expectations around service set the stage for the next chapter of retail.

How to Open a Store in 2022

From seamless online-to-offline offerings to Metaverse-inspired installations, the standards of brick-and-mortar retail have evolved since the pandemic struck.

Case Studies & Reports

Case Study

Building a DTC Challenger Brand | Download the Case Study

Case Study

Fashion’s Last Mile Opportunity — Download the Case Study

Report

Building Resilience and Value in Fashion’s Supply Chain | BoF Insights

Latest News & Analysis

How Athletes Went From Selling Merch to Building Fashion Brands

High-profile athletes used to make money by inking licensing deals with retailers that use their names on jerseys and shorts. Today, sports stars like Russell Westbrook and Megan Rapinoe are launching their own labels, with full financial and creative control.

How to Navigate the Return of Wholesale

After a hard pivot to e-commerce during the pandemic, many brands are back to working with retailers. This time, they say the terms have changed in their favour.

The Hunt for Activewear’s Next Big Category

Luxury brands and startups are making apparel for fast-growing sports like pickleball, rugby, skiing and boxing.

A Sustainability-Focused Logistics Solution for Fashion’s Returns

PayPal-owned returns software and reverse logistics business Happy Returns localises drop-off and aggregates shipping to optimise customer experience and sustainable returns for customers like Everlane and Gymshark.

Will the Fast Fashion Juggernaut Ever Slow Down?

This week, everyone will be talking about men’s fashion shows in London, Florence and Milan and trading updates from Boohoo and H&M Group.

How to Take a Brand From Local to Global

For most of its first two decades, Farm Rio was little known outside its native Brazil. But since entering the US in 2019, the dressmaker has made a splash in contemporary womenswear, with sales reaching $50 million in its new market last year. Next up: Europe.

A Better Approach to ‘Buy Now, Pay Later’

Concerns are growing that the boom in short-term financing that has fuelled apparel sales is saddling a growing number of vulnerable shoppers with debt they can’t pay. But the concept can still benefit brands, lenders and consumers, with a few key changes.

Why Missguided Is a Cautionary Tale — and Not Just for Fast Fashion

Missguided, which went into administration and was bought in a fire sale this week, never quite established a unique style or signature product category that would differentiate it from bigger rivals like Boohoo, Asos or H&M.

Pinterest to Acquire The Yes

Retailer veteran Julie Bornstein founded The Yes in 2018 after stints at Stitch Fix, Sephora and Nordstrom.

Can Levi’s Be More Than a Denim Brand?

The American retailer wants to reach $10 billion in sales by 2027, with plans to open more stores, expand into new categories and potentially buy other fashion companies.

11 Honoré Acquired by Dia & Co.

The luxury e-commerce site was founded in 2017, and backed by investors like Forerunner Ventures and Norstrom.

The Debrief: The Decline of the Skinny Jean

This week on The Debrief, BoF correspondent Chavie Lieber chronicles the rise and fall of the once-dominant denim silhouette — and explains why it’ll never go away completely.

THE NEWS IN BRIEF
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