Stephanie Bloom

Tough reporting day for Kohl’s, surprising with soft Q1 sales. On the plus side:  -Delivered gross margin expansion and managed down inventory  -Early success in underpenetrated categories, positive trends in Women’s, and continued strong Sephora growth.  -New opportunity through Kohl’s Babies “R” Us partnership For a summary of today’s highlights, see MPG’s Earnings Report Recap below. For a conversation on the implications for your brand strategies, reach out to Jaspreet Kaleka. #retail #marketing #Kohls #omnichannel #mpg #marketperformancegroup

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Kohl’s Corp. has partnered with Instacart to offer same-day delivery from all of its 1,172 U.S. stores. Customers can now receive Kohl’s merchandise in as little as an hour through Instacart, with pricing matching in-store prices and the ability to accumulate Kohl’s Rewards. Kohl’s is categorized as an Apparel & Accessories retailer by Digital Commerce 360 and offers a variety of products, including home decor, skin care, and pet items, all available through Instacart. Kohl’s is No. 23 in the Top 1000. The database is Digital Commerce 360’s ranking of the largest North American online retailers Kohl’s Corp. reported net sales declined in both its fourth quarter and fiscal 2023 ended Feb. 3, 2024. Q4 net sales declined 1.1% to $5.7 billion, despite an extra week of trading this year compared to Q4 2022. Kohl’s saw growth in net income. Online sales declined 10% in the quarter but improved as the quarter progressed, with December and January sales only down "mid-single digits" year over year. Instacart's partnership with Kohl’s is part of a series of agreements with retailers, including Hy-Vee and Associated Wholesale Grocers, Inc. (AWG), to offer same-day delivery and expand delivery capacity. Additionally, Instacart announced a partnership with Uber to deliver Uber Eats orders to Instacart customers. #kohl's #instacart #samedaydelivery

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As a lifelong retail merchant, I'm going to potentially have a stroke if the retail media continues to report sequential month-over-month results as an indicator of anything. Year-over-year results are indicative of true performance, with the caveat of a shift in a key seasonal event like...I don't know, perhaps Easter...that will impact the natural trends in consumer purchase behavior. In good news, inflation appears to continue to be cooling...good news unless you are trying to convince your buyer that a price increase you took previously should not now be reversed. Good luck with that, by the way... #retailmerchandising #retailsales #inflation

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Nike ranks fourth on Depop and second on eBay with over 219,000 and 893,000 items, respectively. #Retail #TextileRetail #ApparelRetail #RetailNews #DailyNews #Nike #ApparelResources #ApparelIndustry #RetailIndustry #FashionBrand

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🎙️ Exciting News! 🎙️ I had the incredible opportunity to be a guest speaker on the latest episode of the Gapology Podcast! 😊 Gapology has been a game-changer for me and many leaders I know. During the podcast, I shared my journey with Gapology and how it's been instrumental in driving success and fostering a culture of continuous improvement. Whether you're a seasoned leader or just starting your leadership journey, I highly recommend giving Gapology a read/listen. It’s packed with insights and practical strategies that can make a significant impact on your leadership approach and business. 💙💛🏷️ #thisisbestbuy #bestbuy #mp90 #gapology #leadershipdevelopment

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#HotTake: Retail stores aren’t a shortcut to success. Retail offers bigger POs, visibility, and cash flow Yet, it doesn’t ensure brand sustainability Case in point: JLo Beauty Despite celeb status and prime placement at Sephora, She faced challenges resulting in a US exit Retail alone doesn’t secure loyalty or repeat sales Placement isn’t guaranteed forever For lasting success, think beyond the retail PO Some markers of a sustainable brand include: Authenticity, community, differentiated formulas, and true fans Building a lasting brand legacy requires more than a retail presence – 👋🏾 Hi, I’m Monique, a former retail buyer turned beauty industry advisor who helps emerging brands ready to scale at big retail. If you are ready to scale and invest, book a discovery call, and let’s see if we can work together.

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The Retail Monitor, a monthly survey from CNBC and the National Retail Federation (NRF), found that sales ticked up 0.26% from March to April. NRF CEO Matthew Shay attributed the modest increase to “a growing job market and real gains in wages,” but qualified that “consumers remain focused on value and price and are shifting their spending patterns where needed to make ends meet.” #retailsales #economicgrowth

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𝐑𝐞𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐥 𝐦𝐞𝐞𝐭𝐬 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞... A recent RetailWire discussion ponders whether Walmart can take on Trader Joe's with its latest private brand launch, bettergoods. My take was that the brand seemed more Target-esque (shades of Good & Gather) and that it was about time Walmart upped the ante with a "better" private brand in grocery. This weekend, I headed to the freezer to grab my new favorite plant-based ice cream only to find I was out of it. Keep in mind that 1. I'm plant-based but wasn't always. I know the standards analogs need to meet. 2. I've been hitting this ice cream several times per week. It's rich, not too sweet, with a perfect consistency, even after days in the home freezer. 😋 I started backtracking to remember where I bought it. Was it Whole Foods? Fresh Market? I remembered the bright green packaging...very "Target" - that must be it (my more frequent jaunts to Target for plant-based goods still surprise me). I wasn't completely sure so I headed to the recycle bin. Mystery solved. It was - Walmart's "bettergoods" plant-based ice cream. 😯 Well played, Walmart. Well played! ✅ 👏

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Shares of Abercrombie & Fitch Co. are up more than 500% over the last year. How? And can they keep it? The secret(s) to success: A new product line, a more body-positive rebrand, and a new #footprint strategy. #Abercrombie #AbercrombieAndFitch #RetailTrends #FashionRetail #RetailNews #RetailInsights #RetailAnalysis #MarketWatch #RetailStat

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For CPG’s selling through national chains is easy but investing in local independent businesses is a better way to create a new generation of loyal local customers. Since these merchants know their customers (and their kids) they can create a real world personalized experience that transcend the digital world. #phygital #personalization

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Gap shares pop 20% as earnings beat on sales growth at all four brands. Gap beat quarterly estimates on the top and bottom lines, leading the retailer to raise its full-year guidance. The apparel company’s CEO Richard Dickson told CNBC, “we’re delivering what we said we were going to deliver to our shareholders.” All four of Gap’s brands — its namesake banner, Old Navy, Athleta and Banana Republic — posted positive comparable sales for the first time in years. $GPS https://lnkd.in/g6t3iRPH #tradeguard #receivableputoptions #arputs #receivableputs #tradereceivables #accountsreceivables

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Great article by Siro! If you are in retail and have interest in private brands, this is a fabulous summary of recommendations for how to innovate and drive engagement with shoppers. #dunnhumby

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Headlines like “Self-Checkout is a Failed Experiment” and “Why Retailers are Losing Faith in Self-Checkout” have been plentiful these past few months, along with story after story of big-name retailers like Target, Walmart, Dollar General and Costco “ditching” the tech. It’s been a veritable tsunami of bad press for self-checkout, and honestly, it’s not all that surprising — after all, consumers have long complained about the finicky machines, which often don’t work and, even when they do, make many customers feel like they’re doing the retailer’s job for them. #retailtech #customerexperience

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“We saw an opportunity in the market to really lean into the #GenZ customer with incredible style at an extraordinary price point that only someone like Walmart can bring given our scale.” Good move by Walmart as part of their larger revamp of #apparel. But product is only one piece of the equation. For #NoBoundaries to compete head-to-head against Abercrombie & Fitch Co., AMERICAN EAGLE OUTFITTERS INC., or any of the other brands targeting Gen-Z, it will take a more holistic effort across #stores, #digital, and #marketing (content and medium) to create real #brand momentum. https://lnkd.in/eudxA2bF

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As independent retailers navigate a challenging macro-economic environment, it’s never been more important to efficiently put resources to work that drive traffic into store and convert at shelf. If you could use a partner to help you navigate these challenging times, know that True Value Company is Here for You.

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An article in The Business of Fashion on "Fashion's Golden Opportunity With Older Shoppers"... Is total and complete BS. There is an opportunity across ALL shoppers. Dividing them up by descriptors that have been used for decades is just not going to cut it anymore. While teaching fashion marketing at Fashion Institute of Technology last Fall, there were modules on generations and how they spend, how they consume information, etc. I had to add caveats to each statement in the textbook because you can't make these types of assumptions anymore. This is an old school way of marketing. We can't put customers into these buckets anymore as there are so many other data points to consider. The affluent customer shops at Walmart, Target and Costco Wholesale. The tech boom will go through another cycle and you will have more younger customers with disposable income. Resale luxury is bought by Gen Z to the boomer. Generalizing is a wasted effort and it's what gets retailers in trouble with excess inventory to irrelevant product assortments. The customer has evolved across generations and we need to stop generalizing to avoid marketers look at the data in just 1 way. #retail #retailnews #fashion #fashionmarketing #bof

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The New York Times recently reported that in-store experiences are back—and with a vengeance. Shopping center vacancies have not just returned to pre-pandemic levels. They are their lowest in 20 years at 5.4%!  The Times article notes that the most successful shopping centers have increased the presence of restaurants and recreational experiences, from bars to pickleball. That's a great reminder that, in the age of omnichannel retail, compelling in-store experiences are critical in attracting consumers and keeping them coming back.  https://lnkd.in/e9ETN37Z What Retail Apocalypse? Shopping Centers Are Making a Comeback. Vacancy is the lowest it has been in two decades, at 5.4 percent, according to a recent report. The properties are thriving even as retailers like Macy’s and Express shutter many stores.

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