Mike Ashley’s Frasers Says It’s Taken Control of Hugo Boss
The British retail group has pushed its stake in the German apparel brand above 50 percent in a move that will turn Hugo Boss into a subsidiary of Frasers.
data
Direct-to-Consumer
How Brands Can Beat the E-Commerce Slowdown
The upside for online sales may be lower than many retailers anticipated. Physical stores and social commerce could make up the gap.
Marketing
Which Fashion Brands Are Most in Tune With Their Customers?
The brands that are most understood by their customers are those that maintain consistent codes even in the face of changing trends, according to the latest reading from The BoF Brand Magic Index, powered by Quilt.AI.
Partner Content
BoF Insights and Quilt.AI Form Partnership to Deliver AI Solutions in Fashion and Beauty
The Business of Fashion is delighted to announce a partnership between its data and advisory team, BoF Insights, and artificial intelligence leader Quilt.AI to provide AI-powered advisory services and subscription tools to fashion and beauty clients.
Technology
Why One AI Start-Up Is Cataloguing Millions of Fashion Items
Truss has earned support from Selfridges and Depop, as well as a £1 million grant from the UK government’s innovation agency in its effort to build image-recognition for garments that it says could help to power the booming secondhand market.
Marketing
Which Fashion Brands Punch Above Their Weight on Social Media — and How They Do It
The brands that generate the most engagement from their followings do so by leaning into cultural moments and subverting norms around typical fashion content, according to the latest reading from The BoF Brand Magic Index, powered by Quilt.AI.
Technology
Why Fashion’s Curation Problem Is so Hard to Solve
Online retailers are looking to algorithmic personalisation as a way to carry a vast inventory but still show shoppers products that match their individual tastes. It’s the same idea that powers Spotify and TikTok, but pulling it off in fashion isn’t easy.
Marketing
The BoF Brand Magic Index: Volume 2
BoF Insights and Quilt.AI co-created The BoF Brand Magic Index to quantitatively analyse the brand-customer relationship. Using AI-driven analysis of tens of thousands of social media posts, the Index ranks fashion and luxury’s 50 most powerful brands based on the clarity of their identity and their relevance in culture between October 2023 and March 2024.
Retail
Online Marketplace Verishop Acquires Data Firm Trendalytics
E-commerce marketplace Verishop bought data analytics firm Trendalytics in a cash and equity deal that closed in March. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Partner Content
Fashion Executives Examine the Industry Swing From Performance to Brand Marketing
BoF and Ekimetrics brought together CMOs, CBOs and leaders from the New York fashion industry to discuss the shift from performance to brand marketing. Executives from Gucci, Givenchy, Versace, Estée Lauder, Victoria Beckham Beauty, Saks Fifth Avenue, Neiman Marcus Group, Ganni, Artizia, Anine Bing and Vestiaire Collective shared their insights.
Partner Content
Best Practices for Personalisation Through AI in Marketing Campaigns
From customer loyalty types to its pillars of personalisation, SAP Emarsys customer engagement provides more than 1,500 companies with personalised marketing campaigns via AI-powered analytics, including Puma, Aldo and Reformation. BoF learns more.
Technology
BoF Professional Summit: AI, Digital Culture and Virtual Worlds – Full Agenda & Speaker Lineup
BoF welcomed business leaders, technologists and creative innovators to share their insights on how the fashion industry can navigate new frontiers in AI, shifts in digital culture and advancements in immersive technologies. Watch on-demand now.
Technology
Why I’m Excited About Our Fashion Tech Summit
Marc Bain shares why he's excited about our upcoming BoF Professional Summit - New Frontiers: AI, Digital Culture and Virtual Worlds, taking place on March 22 in New York. Purchase your ticket now to join us in person at The Times Center, New York – or sign up for the global livestream.
The News in Brief
Shein Agrees to Pay $100 Million to Settle US FTC Probe
The settlement, equivalent to 44 percent of the ultra fast-fashion company’s second-quarter profit, is the latest blow amid regulatory and tax crackdowns in Europe and the US that have hampered Shein’s growth.
Kering Drops 12% as Luxury Braces for Tough Winter
The recovery long promised by luxury brands seems nowhere in sight, as the expansion of war in the Middle East, along with China’s tax crackdown on the wealthy, piled further pressure on the world’s biggest luxury conglomerates in the third quarter, and executives buckled in for a tough winter.
UK Retail Sales Fall 0.4% in September, More Than Forecast
Sales fell in September as above-average temperatures hit demand for autumn clothing.
Elle Launches Moroccan Edition
Hitting newsstands in October, the magazine marks Elle’s 51st international edition, published under licence by the Geomedia group.
David’s Bridal Plans Spinoff and IPO of AI Wedding Planning Platform Pearl
Pearl, a subsidiary of David’s Bridal, will own David’s Bridal and license its intellectual property back to the bridalwear brand. David’s Bridal CEO Kelly Cook will serve as Pearl’s CEO.
L’Oréal Sales Beat Expectations as Premium Products Surge
The French giant handily beat expectations on strong demand for hair products at salons and premium skincare from its dermatological division.
P&G Beats Revenue Estimates, Flags Bigger Hit to Annual Profit
The maker of Pantene shampoo was helped by strong personal care demand, but expects higher commodity costs to reduce profit by about $1.4 billion this year.