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Fashion Ecommerce Trends 2024: The Entrepreneur's Guide to Staying Stylishly Ahead Entrepreneurs and fashionistas! Ready to revolutionize the fashion e-commerce scene? Get ready and start taking notes because 2024 is a wild ride of innovation and style. Here’s your insider’s guide to dominating the game with sass and savvy: Quality & Sustainability: Say goodbye to fast fashion fiascos! It’s all about serving up premium threads with a side of eco-consciousness. Show your customers you’ve got style and substance by championing ethical practices and top-notch materials. Glocalization: Think global, act local, and watch your brand conquer the world! Break down borders by delivering globally while keeping it local. Efficient supply chains mean faster, greener deliveries, making everyone—your customers and the planet—cheer for more. Hyper-Personalization: Move over, one-size-fits-all! With AI magic and real-time data, give each customer the VIP treatment they deserve. No more generic greetings; it’s all about crafting a shopping experience that’s as unique as they are. Omnichannel Approach: Be everywhere your customers are because let’s face it—they’re everywhere! Seamlessly blend your online and offline worlds to create a shopping journey that’s as smooth as silk (or organic cotton, if you’re keeping it sustainable). Social Commerce: Get social and get selling! Transform your social media feeds into buzzing marketplaces where every scroll is a potential sale. With shoppable posts and influencer partnerships, turning likes into dollars has never been so chic. AR, VR, and AI: Get ready to tech the runway by storm! From virtual try-ons to AI stylists, these futuristic tools aren’t just for sci-fi movies anymore. Elevate your customer’s shopping experience to the next level of fabulousness. Flexible Payments: Cash, card, or crypto? Keep those checkout options flexible to cater to every shopper’s whims and fancies. Convenience is the name of the game, and the easier it is to pay, the quicker they’ll say, “Take my money!” In 2024, the fashion e-commerce arena is your oyster, entrepreneur. Embrace sustainability, personalize like a pro, and sprinkle some tech magic on top. By staying ahead of these trends, you’re not just surviving—you’re thriving in the most stylish way possible. #fashion #startups #entrepreneurship  #trending #ai #crypto #payments #innovation #socialmedia #sustainability 

Mysizer just published an article highlighting the top trends that shape our industry this year. From sustainable fashion statements to the magic of AR and AI, these insights will help you not only survive but thrive in this dynamic market. Whether you’re a seasoned entrepreneur or a fashion enthusiast, these trends are your roadmap to success. Dive in, get inspired, and let’s lead the charge into the future of fashion! Check out the full article below and join the conversation. Let’s make the second half of 2024 our most stylish year yet! #fashion #startups #entrepreneurship #trending #ai #crypto #payments #innovation #socialmedia #sustainability

Millennials’ fast-fashion favorite Forever 21 can’t keep up with Shein’s meteoric rise: ‘It’s like comparing a mobile phone from 2000 to the newest iPhone’ Sasha Rogelberg for Fortune Key Takeaways: 🚗 Once the mall epicenter of cheap jeggings and sequined halter tops, fast-fashion brand Forever 21 is reeling from financial problems, which have only been exacerbated by the rise of e-commerce behemoths like Shein. Forever 21 is asking some of its landlords for a break on rent—up to 50% on some of its 380 U.S. locations, people familiar with the situation told CNBC. 🚙 Forever 21’s bad news comes hot on the heels of Shein’s filing for an IPO in London earlier this month. The China-based company, expected to be valued at about $63 billion, would not only give a jolt to the rapidly growing e-commerce sector, but would also be one of London’s biggest IPOs in recent memory. Forever 21’s new owner already conceded to the negative impact online fast-fashion marketplaces would have on the retailer. Authentic Brands CEO Jamie Salter said in January the consortium’s 2020 acquisition of Forever 21 was “probably the biggest mistake I made,” in part because he didn’t recognize the immensity of the threat of Shein and Temu. Forever is finite But the relationship between Forever 21 and Shein is more than just adversarial—the two businesses are deeply intertwined. Shein announced in August it acquired one-third of fashion ownership group SPARC, the consortium of Authentic Brands and Simon Property that owns Forever 21. The partnership allowed for Shein to host pop-ups at Forever 21 locations and for the two companies to launch a collaborative clothing line. In May, Shein announced plans for its customers to be able to return orders at over 300 Forever 21 locations through its partnership with Happy Returns. Not only did the relationship help give Shein visibility to jumpstart its budding U.S. popularity, but it also helped breathe new life into the ailing Forever 21. “Being partners with Shein for the last four months: It’s early. We’re dating right now,” Salter said during a presentation in January. “It’s been incredible, the pop-ups have been huge home runs.” While that relationship appeared to be mutually beneficial as recently as this year, with the mall retailer’s seemingly downward trajectory, the partnership may not hold fast, according to Peter Cohan, associate professor of management practice at Babson College. “The value of that business to Shein, as an owner of a third of the parent company, might not be so compelling as it was a few years ago,” he told Fortune. 🚘 LEARN MORE: https://lnkd.in/gtWSYdnG #ai #metaverrse #web3 #fashion #investment

I moved to the countryside but I’ve remained faithful to my London barber and friend. He was cutting my hair 18 months ago when he started talking about how good the trousers he had on were. They were Zama Pants from WAWWA a Manchester based brand that designs and manufactures clothes and bags in their UK factory. I loved the story and found Sean G on LinkedIn, connected and forgot about it. Two weeks later, I had a LinkedIn DM from Sean saying he’d stumbled across my Miro tech stacks and that he was interested in getting some help. Being a vertically integrated brand ramps up the complexity of your Ops and Tech. The tech stack was a spaghetti stack with 20-30% of each system being used. It was hard to know where to go to get things done and adoption of the processes was low because of this. WAWWA was also in the wholesale trap. In-house production means supply is limited. Wholesale customers placing an order for £20K of products was using up the same capacity that DTC needed. Late payments compounded this problem by starving the biz of cash flow and extending the cash conversion cycle. I popped into the factory/studio when I was in MCR and saw first hand all the ingredients a brand needs to tell a great story…but they were missing a key component. This is when I introduced Scott Bradley, from Haslo Digital. We’d overlapped on a few clients and I persuaded Sean to invite Scott down to the factory. I knew Scott would “get” the brand, see the ingredients I had. He was also able to start on an impossibly tight budget. Took it on with a positive mindset and help WAWWA navigate the tricky situation wholesale customers had put them in. Last night I stayed up in MCR from a stag do and we got together (on a Sunday 🥳) for the afternoon and evening to catch up as well as talk Ecom, Wawwa and Airtable. 📈 Wawwa is 260% up on last year and because every product is sold DTC the margins are higher too. They’re a completely different business and they’ve gone from firefighting full time to being able to plan and get the right foundations for growth in place. In partnership with Nolo Apps they’ve consolidated everything apart from Klaviyo, Gorgias, Shopify and Shiptheory into Airtable. A tidy and organised back office has enabled Scott to get the products and support he needs to level up the website and get paid ads working. It’s all started to come together. 👊👊👊 We went on some journeys at Peoplevox, but helping and watching the guys switch strategy and execute the plan over the last 14 months has been one of the most rewarding. #ecommerce #techstacks #madeinmanchester

The Lead's Chief Content Officer, Sonal Gandhi, was quoted in Modern Retail article, Cider bets on physical retail with its first pop-up store in the U.S. “'As brands launch more pop-ups or experiential retail experiences around the world, it’s important to cultivate close relationships with attendees', Sonal Gandhi, Chief Content Officer at The Lead, said. 'You have to have systems and mechanisms in place to go back to that customer that interacted with you and the brand,' she told Modern Retail. 'Understand who they are, what interests them and then re-engage them with a right product, a right offer, a right message…think about what’s next.'” https://lnkd.in/ety--RzP

I appreciated Fast Company highlighting the footwear brand Larroude Inc. as an example of strategically launching & building a brand. The company is <5 yrs old and on pace to hit $100M by 2025. 👠 Fashion is an evolving world where we will see break out brands with thoughtful business models serving the customer where they are (their site, marketplaces, department stores, specialty retail, etc). ⭐ Larroude 1️⃣ Nailed the product architecture (beautiful product & craftsmanship at a non-luxury price), 2️⃣ Recognized the importance of retail partnerships and distribution, and 3️⃣ Optimizes for the long-term w/a financially prudent model (think bootstrapping vs. grow at all costs) Marina Larroudé had the fashion credibility (think Barneys New York fashion director) to garner early industry press/support, then leveraged this to organically build her social and marketplace presence. I read about the brand at launch and right now have sandals in my Amazon Luxury cart! “But I don’t think we could have grown any faster if we had gotten funding. We’re showing that with good business fundamentals, you can scale without relying on outside capital.” - Ricardo L. CEO of Larroude Inc. 🛑 The ecosystem knows the 2010s DTC model of burning $ on performance marketing is over (can't recall the last time someone told me their massaged LTV/CAC) and profit with a more balanced distribution is in. #futureofretail #fashion #retail #businessnews #brands #brandstrategy https://lnkd.in/gNh3J-uG

"the prospect of a better economy in 2024 is encouraging profitable brands that shied away from M&A last year to start preparing for an exit." Exit opportunities are improving in apparel -- but only for profitable brands. Top line growth without bottom line growth won't cut it. Brands need a plan to grow profitably for investors to look at them favorably. 1. Know your numbers. Replace AOV and LTV with AOGP & LTGP (Average Order Gross Profit & Lifetime Gross Profit). 2. Come up with ideas for increasing these and test!

For fashion’s long-suffering start-ups, 2024 may be the year the money starts flowing again. Menswear brand True Classic, for instance, has hired investment bank Moelis & Company to prepare a pitch deck to present to potential acquirers — including private equity firms and retailers like Amazon — this summer, True Classic’s co-founder and chief executive Ryan Bartlett told BoF. The company, which ended 2023 with a 40 percent year-over-year sales increase to $207 million, is aiming for a $1 billion valuation. True Classic’s plan is an optimistic departure from the uncertain economic climate and high inflation that brought forth a reckoning for buzzy but unprofitable e-commerce companies last year. Brands and retailers struggled to raise new funding to paper over losses as interest rates reached their highest point in over two decades. Some ran out of cash. Gen-Z intimates brand Parade sold in an August deal that wiped out equity for its shareholders. Luxury e-tailer Farfetch found itself in a similar situation when it received a $500 million bailout loan from South Korean e-commerce giant Coupang in December, while that same month, Farfetch competitor Matches narrowly escaped bankruptcy, selling to UK retail company Frasers Group. While the DTC landscape’s turbulence isn’t completely over for brands, the prospect of a better economy in 2024 is encouraging profitable brands that shied away from M&A last year to start preparing for an exit. Read more below:

Sneaker Pop-Up Shops The Sneaker Craze: Pop-Up Shops Transforming the Game In the ever-evolving world of fashion, pop-up shops have become a dynamic force, creating a buzz and excitement around limited-time retail experiences. One niche that has particularly embraced this trend is the sneaker industry. Sneaker pop-up shops have become the go-to destination for sneakerheads and fashion enthusiasts alike, offering a unique and immersive experience that goes beyond traditional retail. These pop-up shops provide a platform for brands to showcase exclusive releases, collaborations, and rare finds, turning sneaker shopping into a thrilling event. Limited-edition drops create a sense of urgency and exclusivity, driving enthusiasts to line up for hours, eagerly anticipating the chance to snag a pair of coveted kicks. The scarcity of these releases fuels a sense of community and camaraderie among sneakerheads, who often share their experiences and conquests on social media. Hashtags like #SneakerPopUp and #LimitedEditionKicks have become synonymous with the pop-up shop phenomenon. Social media platforms serve as virtual extensions of these events, allowing enthusiasts to connect, share, and celebrate their passion for sneakers. The use of hashtags not only helps in tracking the latest trends but also amplifies the reach of these events, creating a global conversation around the world of sneakers. Beyond the thrill of the hunt, sneaker pop-up shops offer an immersive environment that blends retail and art. Many of these temporary spaces feature innovative designs, interactive displays, and collaborations with local artists, elevating the overall experience for attendees. The convergence of fashion, art, and culture within these spaces reinforces the idea that sneakers are more than just footwear; they are a form of self-expression and identity. In conclusion, the rise of sneaker pop-up shops has revolutionized the way enthusiasts engage with their favorite brands and releases. These limited-time experiences have transformed sneaker shopping from a transactional activity into a cultural phenomenon, fostering a sense of community and excitement. The use of hashtags on social media not only documents these moments but also amplifies the impact, ensuring that the sneaker craze continues to captivate audiences worldwide. #SneakerCulture #PopUpExperience #LimitedEditionFever Https://amzn.to/3TrDzGj 

New Post: How simplifying the production of customized merchandise led this Lisbon startup to raise $19M - The advent of the Internet combined with the ability to customise items such as clothing long ago created a revolution in marketing, especially for merchandise purposes. I think we’re all familiar with the ‘merch’ phenomena by now, no? Benefitting from that long-term trend is SME-focused, customized merchandise startupBizay, which has been able to raise a significant funding round, even in this relatively flat market of 2023. Following a Series C of $38.6 million (€32 million), which I reported on in 2020, the Lisbon, Portugal-based startup has now raised a Series “C2” (not yet a full series D) of €18 million ($19.78 million) in order to push into the US market. The round was led by previous lead investor Indico Capital Partners which was once again joined by fellow Portugal investors Iberis Capital and Lince Capital. That takes Bizay’s total funding to €72 million ($79 million), though, when asked what they think the company’s valuation is now, a spokesperson demurred. However, outside observers may well surmise a valuation of anywhere between $180-$220 million at this point. Suffice it to say, it’s not entirely surprising that customer merchandise continues to do well. Companies love to send out brand merch, and because of technological advances, the market just gets easier to serve. As of 2022 the global Custom Apparel market size (that’s clothing only) was valued at over $48 billion in 2022 and is expected to expand to reach $70 billion by 2028. Customised T-shirts alone are projected to be worth over $3 billion in 2025. Bizay says its ’special sauce’ is a supply chain system for product customization which combines merchandising, packaging, apparel, and a wide range of product customisation, and has managed to ram down the costs and up the number of product categories it can serve — even down to customized company-barded watches, if that’s your thing. Over a call, Bizay co-founder Jose Salgado, told me: “We see an increasing trend for customization across many different segments. It’s a way for them to self-express.” And Salgado says if, for instance, the Texas Broncos wants 50,000 customised T-shirts the company has “invested a lot of effort.” “We are able to be competitive for small quantities, but also for medium or large quantities. We’ve done an extensive work into R&amp;D, understanding how to scale. This is about industrial production. There are these huge setup costs. What we enable our suppliers to do within the same job is to be producing several orders at the same time. With that, there’s a huge, huge cost saving.” He points out that the company has “no factories, no machines, no stocks” but is instead enabling a fairly complex value chain to deliver products: “We can have the three production suppliers within the same value chain because for each of th