David Jones’ Post

Interesting thoughts on where the retail industry will be in five years from now.

Retail has seen unprecedented upheaval over the last several years. Some of the industry’s key decision-makers expect even more evolution ahead. As retail leaders enter 2024 hoping the turmoil is now behind them, they’re building businesses for the future and making changes that will transform the industry. So what will retail actually look like five years from now, and how will it change?

Leading retail executives from Abercrombie & Fitch Co., Levi Strauss & Co., Under Armour and more share why they believe that 'stores matter' and always will. Check out their insights on why stores enable a more experiential approach than digital and how a more intimate associate experience drives sales across all physical and digital channels. Efficiency and productivity are key to success. Read more on the future of retail predictions here: https://lnkd.in/gvRM-GSC

Worthwhile listen from The Robin Report for anyone interested in Macy's or department stores in general. I agree with my colleagues Robin Lewis and Shelley E. Kohan that one of the big mistakes then Federated made after acquiring all those local department stores, well established and loved in their communities, was to change their name to Macy's. Retailers may be national, but retailing is local. #departmentstores #retailing #localbusiness

The dilemma that many department stores are going through within the #retail industry is worth looking into. Re-inventing the business model could be key to salvation from obsolescence aka business model #innovation ... #retailing #businessmodelinnovation #Macy's #departmentstore

Good quick read this morning of the evolving landscape of luxury retail from Neiman Marcus and Saks Fifth Avenue CEOs, Geoffroy van Raemdonck and Marc Metrick from an article by Retail Dive's Cara Salpini. After overcoming financial challenges, Neiman Marcus is boasting of a solid balance sheet and strategic investments in supply chain and stores. Saks, on the other hand, is navigating the e-commerce landscape by separating online and brick-and-mortar businesses. Both CEOs emphasize the changing dynamics of profitability in luxury e-commerce and the shift in consumer expectations. Read the full article for a deep dive into their strategies for success in the luxury retail space: https://lnkd.in/egGCqZgn And let me know what you think? Do you agree with their outlooks? #LuxuryRetail #Ecommerce #BusinessStrategy

A New Era for #Retail: Macy's Bold Move to Reshape Its #Future | Read the full article here -> https://lnkd.in/gx8PEnYH In a #transformative move, Macy’s has announced the closure of 150 stores, signaling a major shift in its business #strategy. This decision is part of a broader restructuring effort aimed at revitalizing the# brand and strengthening its focus on luxury shopping experiences and digital innovation. The retail landscape is changing, and Macy’s is #adapting to meet these new challenges head-on. By concentrating on their Bloomingdale's and Bluemercury brands, Macy’s is positioning itself to offer a more curated and upscale experience to its #customers. As we delve into the details of this strategic #pivot, we invite you to join the conversation on what this means for the future of retail. How will this reshape the shopping experience? What can other retailers learn from Macy’s approach? Read the full article below to explore Macy’s journey towards a reimagined retail paradigm and share your insights on this significant industry shift. 🌐🛍️ #RetailReinvention #Macy’s #StrategicShift #FutureOfShopping #InnovationInRetail #IndustryInsights

As US Department Stores from high-end to middle-market Saks Fifth Avenue Neiman Marcus Group Macy's continue to face challenges in an extremely disruptive market I am encouraged to see retailers/ brands continue to break through and flourish - examples range from well established brands like New Balance and emerging brands like Aimé Leon Dore. These brands and others are opening new stores have design and product integrity are well focused, curated and have highly engaged consumers. Exceptional product combined with savvy marketing and fantastic retail experience. I’m often asked about my thoughts on the future of retail from the investor and PE community and IMO what we are seeing now and will continue to see going forward is brand relying less on traditional departments stores and a shift to company owned and operated stores (coupled with a strong digital and social selling platform) and the reimmersion of specialty independents- from luxury specialty stores like Mitchells Stores and better specialty retailers like EVEREVE Active lifestyle and Vuori on track to open its 100th store I’m not writing department stores off but they have antiquated business models and have failed to do “the hard work” to transform in order to flourish. The fact is that the US department store model is broken. But there is a path forward and we are seeing it at Harrods Lane Crawford Selfridges and Holt Renfrew I’m bullish on retail and champion retailers/brands that are doing it right (they run the gamut from high-end luxury to middle market) But the clock is ticking on US department stores

Macy's: Strategic shifts on the horizon under new CEO Tony Spring Q4 results are in: Macy's revenue ⬇️ 1.7% YoY to $8.12B (despite the poor showing, the retailer narrowly beat Wall Street expectations of $8.11B) Digital sales ⬇️ 4% Same-store sales ⬇️ 5.4% (Macy's -6.0%; Bloomie's -1.5%; Bluemercury +2.3%) According to a CNBC interview with Spring on Tuesday, the company is shaking up its store footprint after taking a hard look at which stores are in the right spots and which are not. Announced changes: ➡️ Closure of 150 of its namesake Macy's stores by early 2025 ➡️ Increased investment in remaining 350 stores ➡️ Opening smaller Macy's stores in suburban strip shopping centers ➡️ Expansion of higher-end Bloomingdale's, including 15 new stores in the next 3 years ➡️ Rollout of additional Bluemercury beauty / cosmetics stores; 30 new stores are expected in the next 3 years #retail #shopping #malls #departmentstore #macys #retailstrategy

Here's a great read for all you retail brands on the future of retail. This CNBC writer interviewed top industry execs, including from Abercrombie & Fitch and Under Armour. I love this quote from Ulta's CEO "It’s really important that we’re understanding how we can leverage the assets that we have — both the physical assets, in our case, almost 1,400 stores, but also the digital tools and capabilities." https://lnkd.in/e--NFafJ