H&M Profit Rises on Tariff Refunds as Sales Remain Sluggish
US tariff refunds drove an increase operating profit, even as the fast-fashion retailer has struggled to deliver consistent sales growth.
Retail
Analysis and advice from the front lines of the retail transformation.
Don’t Call It a Department Store
Nordstrom chief executive Erik Nordstrom lays out a high-touch plan that plays to the retailer’s strengths — but there are challenges ahead.
Join Us for #BoFLIVE: The Future of Online Retail
Please join us on Tuesday, February 9 at 16:00 GMT for #BoFLIVE, exclusively for BoF Professional members, to hear BoF’s Lauren Sherman and Cathaleen Chen, as well as Doug Stephens and Gurki Basra discuss the new online services that brands and retailers need to understand.
DTC vs Wholesale: Striking the Right Balance
How and where should brands sell in 2021? New best practices are emerging.
Why Editorial Brands Will Dominate Retail’s ‘Long Tale’
Brands and retailers must create their own deep and sticky ecosystems of content, argues Doug Stephens.
Why Asos Needs Topshop
Asos just spent over $400 million to acquire the legacy high street brand, boosting the online retailer’s place in the race to dominate the surging e-commerce market.
The Mysterious $15 Billion Brand Taking on Boohoo and Fashion Nova
Shein did not manage to acquire Topshop, but it could now be looking for other struggling retailers to cement its position as China’s leading exporter of ultra-fast fashion with global ambitions.
Asos Buys Topshop, Sister Brands in £295 Million Deal
The e-commerce company also acquired the Topman, Miss Selfridge and HIIT brands from failed retailer Arcadia Group.
What’s Next for Nordstrom
In The Week Ahead, we examine Nordstrom’s plans for 2021, the final rounds of bidding for Topshop and other Arcadia brands, plus a new documentary about the artificial world of influencers.
The Great British Retail Restructuring
Online players in the UK are poised to acquire the intellectual property and websites of some of the country’s most venerable retailers in a dramatic changing of the guard that signals just how much the pandemic will reconfigure the fashion sector.
Activists Pushed Retailers to Back Black-Owned Brands. Here’s How Nordstrom Responded.
The American department store aims to sell $500 million worth of products from Black and Latino brands and diversify its management. Executives tell BoF how they plan to stay on track.
How Custom-Made Clothes Became the Latest Craze
For independent fashion labels, one-of-kind designs can help keep cash flowing.
The Reddit Effect Is Coming for Fashion Stocks
Reddit’s WallStreetBets forum pulled off a viral campaign to catapult shares of GameStop up nearly 650 percent. Now, small investors are targeting other struggling brick-and-mortar retailers – including fashion brands.
THE NEWS IN BRIEF
Asos Names Law Roach ‘Stylist in Residence’
Online fashion retailer Asos has brought on celebrity stylist Law Roach to bring his creative lens and styling approach to its campaigns and recently relaunched magazine.
Boohoo’s New Chairman Stirs Controversy as Broker Drops Coverage
The online clothing retailer, which rebranded as Debenhams Group last year, said Friday that Iain McDonald had taken over from Tim Morris with immediate effect in a move aimed at ‘rebuilding equity value.’
UK Retail Sales Bounce Back With 0.5% Gain in August
Warm weather and a brighter national mood helped lift spending on clothing and household goods despite rising energy bills.
Authentic Brands Targets Creator Economy, Eyes Public Offering
The licensor could pursue an IPO as early as the first half of next year.
JD Sports Names New North America CEO, Chief Marketing Officer
The sneaker retailer is shaking up its North American leadership as it looks to reverse soft sales and an extended slump in the stock market.
Top Africa Clothes Retailer Pepkor Sinks on Earnings Outlook
Shares in the South African discount clothing retailer fell the most in more than three years, as an expansion into banking weighed on profit forecasts.
Fayed Abuse Victims Seek Up to £150 Million From Harrods
The retailer currently has a £62 million provision set aside for redress payments, but victims’ lawyers say more is likely needed.