Circulo’s Post

The modern care/repair space is so nascent that any efforts by brands are appreciated. However, current pilot programmes are poorly structured and don’t tell you much. Here are four top tips for making the most of pilots and moving the industry forward. 🥅 1. Go into it with achievable, clear goals. I recently spoke to a high-street shoe brand that got involved in a repair pilot but was disappointed when it failed to produce the revenue boost they were expecting. This executive was now dealing with unnecessarily spent political capital and an unclear way forward. Repair is the greatest CRM tool ever, but it won’t complete or replace primary sales. For high-street/accessible brands, it produces first-party data that helps build stronger relationships and all that entails, like loyalty and wallet share, ultimately lowering acquisition costs. For premier/aspirational and luxury, it can also keep fakes off the market and win back customers from the second-hand or wholesale retail market. 🚛 2. Understand who you are best placed to be in the process. What role do your customers expect you to play? What role can you afford to play? Even in expensive luxury repairs, there isn’t tons of room at the trough, so who you are in the process will be a function of brand positioning, pricing power, and how the service is designed (e.g. extended warranty or enduring service option) If you’re a luxury brand, you will have pricing power and can afford to - and will be expected to - take a more hands-on role. If you’re a high-street or aspirational/accessible brand, you may be able to play a bit-part, like being the last quality check, the order management/communications coordinator, or the logistics arm of the process. 👩💻 3. Focus on scalable systems, not marketing gimmicks. When we started The Restory, we knew there was pent-up demand, but we didn’t know how much until we were quickly overwhelmed. Demand shows up if you treat repair like an enduring part of your overall proposition. And when it comes, if the systems—people, processes, and technology—aren’t in place, it will get messy, complicated, and disappointing quickly. It's better to focus on and test the system design rather than trying to measure how many people will take up zipper repair within six-months in one market. Focus on how you would design and scale a unified global experience, build a reliable network of global partners, and or harvest data to achieve your ultimate aims (refer to point one).   📊 4. Own your customers and your data. Whatever pilot you decide on, it's crucial that you own both the customer and the data. There is no point in doing any pilot if you give away the asset you ultimately seek to earn a return on. It may feel more manageable at the time, but it’s a strategic misstep in the long term. 👩🏫 Net/net when done right, repair is magic to your brand. But it’s important to understand how to wield its power and understand its complexities, too.

Yada yada. We’ve been here before have we not. You might think that the ebb and flow of the market might now be a familiar thing to VF…such a high powered brand stable will always be subject to peaks and troughs. Supreme was always a questionable acquisition (in that it was going to hit big or miss big) while Timberland has never really been properly handled…Dickies has successfully ridden the coat tails of Carhartt to be sure but the workwear aesthetic has its limitations. Vans is suffering from general over exposure (but it’s still Vans…get over it) …it’s apparel in particular has never really caught fire (not for the first time). As for TNF…well any problems are self inflicted (mild weather notwithstanding) …confusing product segmentation and messy distribution (especially in the UK) have not helped the situation. VF always have great brands but tend to struggle when it comes to getting the best from them over a sustained period.

It's been a rough few years for Foot Locker but as the company celebrates its 50th anniversary this month, its making progress in turning its #business around. A few weeks ago, Foot Locker released fiscal second-quarter results and full-year guidance that beat expectations, as comparable #sales grew for the first time in six quarters. As it continues efforts to revamp its sprawling store footprint, it’s making strides in winning back critical brand partners like Nike and adidas. But as Foot Locker stares down the next 50 years, the company is still at a crossroads and must answer some fundamental questions: can it once again be the market leader in sneakers, and can it not just survive, but thrive, as brands rely less and less on wholesalers? To learn more about Foot Locker's comeback, and how its turning around its business under the direction of CEO Mary Dillon, read my latest below. As always, my DMs are open! #retail #footwear #sneakers #sneakerculture #Nike #FootLocker #CNBC https://lnkd.in/eTw6KRM9

It feels this news has slightly slipped under the radar, but it is huge. VF Corporation are getting battered from all sides at the moment, and in a call to analysts this week Bracken Darrell announced a drop of 27% in Q4 sales for Vans, despite saying he can "see the turn ahead through the tunnel." I'm not sure everyone believed him at the time, however he had an ace up his sleeve - Sun Choe is the new Global President of Vans and is the sort of blockbuster hire that suddenly changes the rhetoric. Obviously a turnaround is a big group effort, but what a confidence boost to the teams. Sun has lead design and merchandising for renowned global brands, including lululemon, Marc Jacobs, West Elm, Madewell, Urban Outfitters, Levi Strauss & Co. and Gap. Her reputation and track record is significant. “Sun is a strong leader who is focused on consumer insight and has a proven track record of driving brand heat, and translating it into financial results. I am confident that Sun is the right leader to take Vans to new heights,” Darrell said. It's actually been a better week for Vans. The Proenza Schouler’s Puffy Vans Slip-On collection is one of the best collaboaration I've seen in ages. The duo reimagines the 1970s Vans classic in super soft leather and minimalistic colourways and the results are stellar. So, is this the catalyst where the VF turnaround starts to gain traction? We've seen what Fran Horowitz has done with Abercrombie & Fitch Co. and there are many parallels that can be drawn with Vans. The chances are the numbers will get worse before they improve, but I'd bet that the brand and VF Corporation as a whole is in much better shape twelve months from now. DHR Global #fashionnews

'Foot Locker: ‘I think it’s fair to say Nike’s going back on offense’ 👟🏈 The retailer, which saw sales fall nearly 3% in Q1, teased a return to growth with Nike later this year and expressed excitement about upcoming innovation. 💡🚀 #FootLocker #Nike #RiseAgain #Innovation' by Retail Dive about Foot Locker

VF Brands for $6bn Looking at the latest market cap for VF- you could buy a portfolio of iconic brands that include the likes of Vans, Supreme, The North Face, Timberland, Eastpak, Jansport, Altra, Dickies, Smartwool and still get some change for your $6 billion. You could keep Vans, sell the rest, so you get Vans for free and you then go turn them around and then sell to Adidas for $4 billion. Since December 30th 2019, VF has lost close to $35 billion in market cap. Is someone going to break this company up and sell the pieces, or is this going to be the greatest turnaround in the history of brand marketing? VF paid $2.1 bn for Supreme in 2020 $2.2bn for Timberland in 2011 $25.4 million for The North Face in 2000 $135m for Altra in 2018 $396m for Vans in 2004 Vans alone was generating over $4 bn in global revenue as recently as 2022 and The North Face's 2023 global revenue was $3.6 bn. VF- split off its Wrangler and Lee jeans businesses into a separate public company in May of 2019- so VF's peak valuation in December 2019 was after these assets were moved out of VF's hands.

'👟 How Foot Locker is waging a comeback after its breakup with Nike 💔 Explore the details on databoutique.com - your largest source for public data 📈 that helps understand the news in retail 🛍️ #FootLocker #Nike #RetailNews #DataAnalytics 🌐' by cnbc about Foot Locker

You might not like it—but this beast is PEAK branded merch. 🤩 10,000,000 of these Sportsdirect.com mugs have been sold in the UK. (I totally made that up, by the way, but I wouldn't be surprised given how much of an icon this mug is) Nearly everyone bought it because they thought 'Why not?' while buying a pair of adidas boxers. And much like Chic-fil-a in the USA... the brand's owner is not exactly a loved figure. Nevetheless, it works. Why? ✨ Unique and Different—it's an American supersize mug, in the UK, where everything from cars to houses to salaries are small 👩🎤 Makes you feel special—it has a hefty weight that makes you look very important and serious 😎 It's good for the bants—this mug has been the topic of office banter far more times than it deserves With its nearly 600ml capacity, too, the free office coffee will go a long way. What's some company merch that you can't go without? (Can't you tell it's Friday evening?) 😴 #memes #brandedmerch #sports #sportsdirect #b2c #b2b #merch #swag #corporatelife #corporateevents

I'm currently in my 2nd season of playing golf ⛳, and I've found that Dick's has become one of my absolute favorite places to shop, whether it's in-store or online. It's no surprise to me that their sales have exceeded analysts' expectations. I value a great customer experience, and Dick's delivers on that front. Here are a few reasons why I think Dick's is doing so well: - BRANDING: At Dick's, we're not just customers or shoppers - we're all athletes. - CUSTOMER LOYALTY: I love the focus on loyalty and the fantastic loyalty program they offer. Gold Member Here! - DATA-DRIVEN OPTIMIZATIONS: Dick’s Sporting Goods said, "Customers are spending more on new sneakers and athletic gear, leading the retailer to raise its full-year earnings guidance." Their in-store experience encourages product discovery, like having a sneaker release calendar right on the homepage. - OVERALL EXPERIENCE: My Dick's orders arrive in 2 days, there is a batting cage in my store (which I have yet to try out) but it's on my bucket list AND there is a golf simulator in store as well. The deep understanding of who their customers are and delivering relevant delightful experiences in-store and online is my hot take on why they are winning. What do you think? #customerexperience #retailmarketing #dickssportinggoods #ecommerce

🌟 𝐌𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐛𝐮𝐳𝐳 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐢𝐠𝐠𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐠𝐥𝐨𝐛𝐚𝐥 𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐥 𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐬? This post is your quick catch-up on what’s been happening across some of my favorites! 🌍✨ Check the carousel to learn more about the latest news from Gymshark, Nike, NET-A-PORTER, THG, Fraser Group, LOOKFANTASTIC.COM, Rituals, Selfridges, and Glossier, Inc. Also, feel free to add comments with more retail news. I love reading about these brands! #EmerceConsulting #RetailNews #Ecommerce #DigitalMarketing #Gymshark #Nike #NetAPorter #THG #FraserGroup #Lookfantastic #Rituals #Selfridges #Glossier