What: Nordstrom has launched a Stylist Ambassador program, enlisting store stylists from its top 20 markets.

Why it is important: Nordstrom is investing in styling, as customers engaging with a stylist spend seven times more and report higher levels of satisfaction.

After ending its apparel subscription service, Trunk Club, Nordstrom stated they knew how much stylists can influence a sale and would be expanding its styling services to include more virtual touchpoints.

The store stylists, selected from Nordstroms top twenty markets, will act as influencers, helping to “bring the Nordstrom experience to life” through social media, events, and other channels.

Nordstrom is extending its brand value with an approach of personalization and localization as shoppers may feel empowered to deepen their relationship with the company.  Customers will now also have access to Nordstrom when, how, and where they want.

Nordstrom enlists company stylists for new fashion ambassador program

What: Hong Kong’s retail sales unexpectedly dropped in November by the most in 8 months as the city struggled to shake off the lingering effects of its pandemic-era controls and a slowing global economy.

Why it is important: Hong Kong's retail sales value fell 4.2% from a year ago. Sales volume decreased 5.3%, compared with economists’ expectations of a 3.3% rise, with a government spokesman saying in a statement that the retail business had “softened” in November.

Hong Kong’s retail landlords are bracing for a further squeeze on the lowest rents in more than a decade as tenants seek relief in the aftermath of the city’s worst Covid outbreak. The drop that month may be due to Hong Kong’s reopening of its international border.

A long-awaited reopening of Hong Kong’s border with mainland China is likely to boost the economy and lift retail sales in the coming months. City leaders have said they intend to start that reopening by the middle of this month.

Hong Kong’s retail sales surprise drop in November

What: Avalara’s retail survey showed the top challenges retailers face and how they are committed to making investments in technology to face them.

Why it is important: Technology is becoming a top priority for retailers in helping them solve challenges they are facing and getting ahead for the 2023 shopping season.

The retail solution company, Avalara, conducted a survey of 1,005 retailers within the US, UK, and India in hopes to uncover what retailers have planned for 2023 and what challenges exist.

Avalara found that retailers will continue to focus on automation adoption with one of the highest areas of investment being technology to better forecast demand, followed by streamlined shipping and logistics, and inventory management.

46% of the retailers believe that the economic downturn will be the biggest challenge for their businesses this year and plan to focus on global commerce as a solution. Additionally, retailers in the US are facing ongoing struggles with labor retention and plan to increase incentives and benefits.

Almost all respondents said their omnichannel strategy impacts how they think about the future of their business and 96% have considered the metaverse as a priority in their strategies as it is predicted that a quarter of people will spend an hour a day in the metaverse by 2026.

Avalara advised retailers to start thinking about the 2023 holiday season now as the technology and automation tools that can help forecast demand, streamline labor, and automate customer communication may take up to nine months to implement.

Omnichannel investments are top of mind for retailers in 2023

What: Saks.com is cutting its workforce as a result of overhiring after receiving a $500 million investment in 2021.

Why it is important: Given the low holiday 2022 sales, layoffs and cutbacks could soon be hitting the retail sector.

Saks.com is expected to reveal layoffs and cutting its workforce after overhiring in 2021 when they received a $500 million investment. The layoffs appear to be a result of a significant buildup in technology, staff, and assortments that occurred when Saks.com became its own company, in addition to the slowing rate of digital sales throughout the industry.

Sources believe that the company is more than likely looking to manage costs more in line with sales expectations.

Saks.com cutting staff 

What: High profile retailers including Harrods, Harvey Nichols and Burberry’s flagship store said shopper numbers approached 2019 levels in the area in the first week of the post-Christmas sales.

Why it is important: Local footfall was 45% higher between 26 December and 2 January than the same week the previous year. It was also just 1% short of equivalent numbers in the pre-pandemic 2019 period. Knightsbridge shopper numbers were the busiest on the first day of the Boxing Day sales than on any other during the week, the report also said.

The numbers were also supported by strong footfall in the week before Christmas, with shopper visits increasing 18.8% in the area compared to the previous pre-Christmas week. The numbers were also well ahead of the wider London trend where visits were 3.4% lower.

However, the Knightsbridge Partnership also called on the government to think about how the area competes with the likes of Paris and Milan, which currently offer incentives, such as tax-free shopping, to consumers.

London's Knightsbridge footfall almost back to 2019 levels

What: Nordstrom experienced a tougher holiday season than expected, leading to the company having to lower its outlook fiscal 2022.

Why it is important: With lower-than-expected sales, it’s becoming clear that consumers are being more selective with their spending given the impending recession

The Seattle-based retailer had a tough holiday season with intensified markdowns and sales lower than anticipated. Net sales decreased 3.5% for the nine-week holiday period in comparison to the prior year.

By division, Nordstrom’s net sales decreased 1.7% and net sales at Nordstrom Rack decreased by 7.6%. As a result, the stock fell more than 6% in after-market trading.

The company did state that its inventories are in better shape and healthy which will allow them to react quickly to the changing consumer demand as they continue to enhance their customer experience and further optimize their supply chain.

Nordstrom loses ground during holiday season 

What: As Covid-19 restrictions lessen in China, the economy is entering a new phase of recovery.

Why it is important: Insights on China’s recovery are of interest as the country’s reopening provides opportunities for the fashion industry.

Restrictions lifted at the end of 2022 have sparked a new phase of recovery as the Chinese economy hopes to bottom out. However, consumer psychology and market demands have changed dramatically, leaving doubt about when the market will bounce back and when business will return to normal.

The Chinese luxury market may recover faster than expected as it was the least hit by the weakened consumer market. The Chinese New Year strongly boosted luxury consumption in many parts of the country and the sector is expected to see significant growth in the second quarter of 2023 and an annual growth of 15% , which is higher than the global market average of 9%. Global textile and apparel demand is also expected to increase in the second quarter, giving textile companies an opportunity to clear their excess inventories

While almost every city is regaining its former vitality, the industry still faces many challenges. Many brands are in an adjustment phase as they face economic pressure and are advised to focus more on the adjustment than recovery.

China’s footwear market, which is very important for producers and distributors worldwide, will see a wave of increased consumption after the New Year or early April. After the pandemic seriously impacted international brands, experts advise brands to find the right region, customers, and climate as each market has its own climate and culture.

Private enterprises in China are regarded as the roots of the Chinese economy and China’s local fashion enterprises, which are privately owned, have become pillars of the industry. As the private economy has grown and flourished into a pillar of the national economy, the government issued a strategic plan for expanding domestic demand and cultivating a domestic demand system.

While the fashion industry is resilient, uncertainty still remains for 2023 as the world landscape has changed dramatically.

Is China’s fashion industry recovering since COVID-19 restrictions have lifted?

What: Saks is focusing on its commitment to its men’s business as it expands its online menswear assortment and updates its men’s in-store shopping experience.

Why it is important: Saks’ men’s business has seen significant growth over the past several years and continues to expand its offering and invest in the men’s category to see success in men’s luxury fashion.

Saks will be opening a 40,000-square-foot advanced designer and contemporary ready-to-wear department at its New York flagship locations. The department will have more than 70 brands including 23 new brands and will also have shop-in-shops by brands such as Celine, Dior, Gucci, and Louis Vuitton.

Online, the department store has added over 125 brands to its men’s selection and also expanded its wellness and activewear assortment in categories such as golf, ski, and swim.

Additionally, the retailer has launched an invite-only men’s ambassador program, “The Saks Man.” It includes a diverse group of men from a wide range of industries who serve as brand ambassadors for Saks.

Saks strengthens men’s business online and in-stores

What: Stockmann’s shareholder’s club is growing with a Swiss investor expert in retail.

Why it is important: The shareholders’ views are in the continuation of the efforts made by Stockmann’s management in elevating the brand and the store.

JC Switzerland holding, which is behind Peek & Cloppenburg and its recent acquisition of Magasin du Nord, took a 5% share in Stockmann in January 2023 and partnered with The Art Society, meaning that both companies will hold 15% of the voting shares. For the CEO David Barst, Stockmann enjoys quite a unique position, being virtually without competition in Helsinki, and with a high level of recognition from local customers.

For Barst, Stockmann should explore a more exclusive positioning, but not being only for rich tourists.

Stockmann’s new co-owner shares his views on his recent investment 

What: Bloomie’s, the scaled-down format of Bloomingdale’s, plans to open a third unit later this year, north of downtown Seattle.

Why it is important: The decision reflects confidence in the fledging Bloomie’s concept, which was introduced in 2021 with the opening of a 22,000-square-foot site in the Mosaic District lifestyle centre in Fairfax, Virginia. The second Bloomie’s, a 51,000-square-foot unit, opened in October in the Westfield Old Orchard Mall in Skokie, Illinois.

By opening a Bloomie's in the Seattle area, the department store also fills a big geographic void in its national footprint.

Bloomie’s advances its expansion agenda

What: Buy with Prime is now a payment option.

hy it is important:  Amazon provides great customer perks, but at a significant cost as they end up siphoning data from third party sites.

Amazon launched the Buy with Prime programme in April 2022, giving customers access to fast, free shipping, seamless checkout experience and easy returns, including to stores beyond Amazon.com. This allows third party merchants to tap the Prime members and offer them benefits that they are not able to provide by themselves.

According to Amazon, such an offer increases conversion by 25% on average and proved quite popular among merchants. This is the reason why Amazon has decided to extent this option to all eligible US-based merchants, in addition to enable them to display customer reviews from Amazon.

Amazon extends its “buy with Prime” option to more US-based merchants 

What: Thirteen Lune, the inclusive beauty platform founded by Nyakio Grieco and Patrick Herning, has raised $8 million in a seed plus investment round, with new participation from The BrainTrust Fund.

Why it is important: Last year, IADS interviewed Grieco to understand more about the inclusive e-commerce beauty marketplace. She created her first beauty brand 20 years ago to celebrate the sophistication of Africa in premium beauty. During the racial reckoning of 2020, she found herself and many other founders of colour on various lists celebrating Black beauty founders.

Alongside an initial Seed round led by Fearless Fund, the new capital means that Thirteen Lune has $12.5 million in total funds raised, which should help it reach profitability this year, according to the company.

While the company declined to disclose a revenue figure, it said that the business has seen 2,000 percent plus sales growth year-over-year. The capital raise will drive its omnichannel approach, supporting brick-and-mortar, experiential retail and Relevant: Your Skin Seen brand expansion. It will also continue expanding into 600 JCPenney locations nationwide and open its own flagship store, a 1,700-square-foot space in Larchmont Village in Los Angeles later this year.

Thirteen Lune raises more capital

What: Department stores are reducing the operation expenses related to VIP management.

Why it is important: In an inflationary context, this might make sense from a P&L point of view but could create issues with customers who will not feel supported anymore and might be tempted to find other ways to spend their money.

South Korean department stores have reduced benefits for top-spending VIP customers as they are becoming too costly.

Lotte has changed for the first time in 20 years its VIP program, reducing the number of classification categories and the number of mid-level VIP customers.

Hyundai has increased its minimum yearly spent amount to claim for VIP benefits from $31,520 to $48.860 and for higher level VIC from $63,800 to $95,700.

Finally, Shinsegae does not give away free drinks to entry-level VIP customers.

This is due to the fact that the number of VIP customers has surged so  much in the past 2 years that supporting their benefits is becoming unsustainable for department stores’ P&L.

South Korean department stores reduce VIP benefits 

What: In order to generate some growth, Shopify opens up its system to large retailers who can access it a la carte.

Why it is important: This could be a great way for department stores to test and learn new options with a limited cost and time spent.

Shopify is granting large retailers a way to integrate individual Shopify components in their own systems. Toy maker Mattel is the first one to use such features, called Commerce Components by Shopify, and which allows an integration of Shopify modular components in retailers’ own systems according to their needs.

This can be seen as an “a la carte” option, allowing to make the most of Shopify tools without having to create from scratch a new platform.

Shopify peaked during the pandemic, however its stock lost 70% since mid-2022 as growth slowed.

Shopify announces new ways for retailers to use its platform 

What: Creative experiences and a less-standardised approach to operations and design have helped iconic stores like Selfridges, Liberty and Le Bon Marché resist multi-brand retail’s decline.

Why it is important: These stores have key advantages over their American competitors, such as cash-rich backers, being located in tourist hubs and operating on a concessions model. Still, their success is also rooted in better store design, stronger visual merchandising and incorporating higher creativity in the shopping experience.

Differentiating Through Design

A fundamental difference between American and European department stores is store design, from the layout of the space to the materials used for floors and displays to finishing touches like light fixtures and the pictures on the walls.

Given the bottom line-focused mentality of American big-box chains, their approach toward how stores look and feel tends to be very “systematic.” The European stores exude a more creative atmosphere. Rather than vast, open layouts, they are partitioned into rooms or shop-in-shops with varying styles. Variation is key: differences in lighting, openness of space, store furniture and the art that adorn the walls.

Transforming lacklustre interiors into something a bit more special isn’t always a heavy lift. Even small changes can go a long way, such as reducing the number of garments on each clothing rack or varying the lighting. Product displays and tables can be recycled materials or even found objects. Upgrading little details adds to the air of luxury and therefore can augment the value of the products they display, too.

The Shift to Concessions

American department stores are increasingly invoking the European model where they can. Luxury brands like Chanel, for instance, have pushed their American wholesale partners to embrace the concessions model, the common way of operating multi-brand retail in Europe.

For the likes of Neiman Marcus, mixing wholesale and concessions means giving up some control over selection and service. But housing retail locations for anchor names like Louis Vuitton or Nike is a powerful draw for foot traffic, and often more profitable than holding inventory and operating the space themselves. For customers, the brand-operated shop-in-shop is often a more engaging experience, with brand-employed sales associates who are experts on the products.

Commitment to the Experience

“Experiential” may be the ultimate buzzword in retail, but a truly immersive, delightful shopping experience is still somewhat of a rarity. In recent years, certain American department stores have invested in amping up their experiential components. Saks Fifth Avenue in Manhattan opened the only American outpost of popular Parisian bistro L’Avenue in 2019. In 2018, Bloomingdale’s launched a rotating pop-up series in four of its stores.Those moves recall London’s Selfridges strategy of reserving some of its most coveted, visible corner spaces for brand takeovers and art installations rather than merchandise or a shop-in-shop tenant.

Some of these efforts have been effective. But they don’t compare to the frequent and large-scale activations put on by the likes of Le Bon Marché, Selfridges, Harrods and others in Europe. Selfridges on Oxford Street alone offers more than 20 food and beverage options. Last fall, Le Bon Marché put on a two-hour play production inside its store every Friday and Saturday — a run that will pick up again this spring.The goal is to provide customer experiences that evoke an emotional response. By always offering new and unpredictable activations and pop-ups, European department stores ensure that lo cal customers will keep coming back.

What American retailers can learn from European department stores

What: Several major fashion firms are without a permanent chief and looking for new leaders who are flexible and nimble to lead them through the impending recession.

Why it is important: Vacancy in leadership positions presents the opportunity for firms to reshape the industry’s leadership profile.

As the pandemic is seemingly in the past and a recession is predicted in the near future, boards are looking at who is the most qualified to lead their company. With a number of top fashion firms losing their top executives within the last year, it often isn’t their current CEO. This turmoil gives the industry an opportunity to reshape the fashion industry’s leadership profile and broaden the skills and experiences of the industry’s leaders from more traditional pathways.

More than ever, fashion leaders need to be flexible and nimble, have strong change management skills and respond quickly and innovatively in a highly digital world. This has lead to many fashion firms appointing C-suite leaders from consumer packaged goods companies, hospitality and tech industries, and functions such as HR and supply chain. While there is still an opportunity for those with more traditional backgrounds, they will need to be forward-thinking and flexible with the ability to build strong teams in areas like diversity, sustainability, tech innovation, and design.

With the inevitable recession looming overhead, the strengths and weaknesses of many executives could be revealed during this period, further accelerating CEO turnover.

Successful executives should keep a long-term perspective in mind and continue to invest in company culture and talent development.

The CEO fashion needs right now

What: The first batch of US retailers’ quarterly results announcements show that 2022 is ending with mixed feelings.

Why it is important: Inflation and customers’ reluctance to spend at home did not seem to be felt by US customers visiting Europe and other countries.

WWD reports in an extensive article that the 2022 Q4 outlook is mixed, as the results from holiday sales were not always in line with expectations, due to a tricky economy and a stressed customer.

There is a decoupling between overall sales and actual margins, as reported by Lululemon, American Eagle Outfitters or Macy’s. Most retailers’ shares went down due to the realization of the situation by investors.

2023 is considered with caution, with the target to regain control over inventories. Macy’s plans to focus on its private labels in order to increase their total share of business (currently 16%), as well as onboarding more brands on its digital platforms, with a limited inventory impact.

Holiday hangover hits retail 

What: MacArthurGlen is ramping up for the opening of its latest luxury outlet mall outpost in France and has slated the long-awaited launch of its Paris-Giverny centre for April.

Why it is important: The newest location will feature 100 stores and over 215,200 square feet of retail space. It marks the 27th centre for the group and the fourth in France.

MacArthurGlen is targeting a mix of luxury and designer brands and says that nearly 80% of the space is now committed, though it would not disclose any names that have signed on.

Bringing in the high-end players is about striking the right balance of brand mix and creating a destination with added amenities that can attract and retain shoppers.

Paris-Giverny expects to draw from the 627,000 visitors that visit Monet’s gardens every year and is working with other nearby tourist destinations such as Versailles to create packages. The company has also rolled out an extensive global marketing plan to create buzz among tourists before they’ve even set foot on French soil.

The discount nature of the outlets could be a benefit as inflation and other economic headwinds hit consumers’ wallets. Co-CEO said internal research shows that about 80% of French consumers are likely to shop outlets in the future based on some cost-of-living constraints.

The centre will have 10 restaurants and cafes with a focus on French food and cuisine from the surrounding region of Normandy, the upscale atmosphere is key for brands signing on to the centre, a Champagne bar, a living wall, flexible spaces that can be turned over to influencers and a space for local artisans.

MacArthurGlen reveals Paris-Giverny plans for April opening

What: Deloitte asked 50 leaders about expectations regarding challenges and opportunities in the upcoming year to determine the pulse of retail executives and gauge what traits separate leaders from the rest.

Why it is important: According to Deloitte’s findings, the current sentiment is a bit shaky as retailers continue to deal with volatility after undergoing an immense amount of change in a condensed time frame. Only a third of retail executives told Deloitte they are very confident about maintaining or improving profit margins this year.

The changing consumer will be a key challenge in 2023 as two-thirds of executives say they expect price to be more important than brand or retailer loyalty and 90% say consumers will expect seamless shopping experiences across all channels.

At the same time, retail theft is expected to rise, posing a threat to retailers.

Another key issue facing retailers in 2023 is predicted to be labour issues — cited by 70% of retailers to be the number-one challenge this year with hiring and retaining employees becoming a lingering issue and competition for hourly workers remaining fierce.

At the same time, 70% of retailers say that supply chain disruption will impact growth in 2023.

Nearly all executives surveyed say they expect inflation to pressure profit margins. 60% shared predictions for inflation to raise operating costs. And while it has become the norm to pass higher prices on to consumers, many questioned how long the trend will be able to continue, noting hard times for consumers. Nearly all (80%) of the respondents agreed they anticipate consumption in 2023 to diminish because of rising financial concerns.

When discussing potential growth opportunities, 60% of executives said they expect to see strengthening digital commerce offerings with another 60% anticipating consumers using social media platforms to purchase products directly.

Deloitte reveals retail industry outlook for 2023

What: CEO Geoffroy van Raemdonck and CFO Katie Anderson addressed investors at the ICR Conference in Orlando.

Why it is important: NMG’s positive report on the state of its business comes despite other industry reports that the luxury sector is slowing in some cases amid the uncertain outlook on the economy.

“We have free cash flow that we can reinvest in our business, as well as generate more cash on a run rate basis,” added Katie Anderson, NMG’s executive vice president and chief financial officer. “We also make our profit from our core assets. A lot of companies in our industry make money from credit cards or off-price. That’s not us. We are profitable across our channels…We also have over a billion dollars of liquidity, which gives us a ton of flexibility.

Van Raemdonck did note that NMG, in its fiscal year which concluded July 31, 2022, generated $5 billion in gross merchandise value sales, an 11% earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization margin rate, and $495 million in adjusted EBITDA. For the first quarter of the current fiscal year, NMG experienced a 6% comparable gain in GMV sales. Gross merchandise value refers to all the merchandise sold through NMG stores and websites, owned, on commission and through consignment. On a comparable basis, NMG was up 33% in sales, the company reported last October.

Van Raemdonck emphasized that profitability is sustained through successful efforts to generate greater full price selling; sales associates that build relationships with customers; operating three retail channels — stores, online and remote selling, and curating “with the right product assortment. We spend time curating brands, and ultimately we buy with our own money,” meaning wholesaling rather through leasing arrangements.

Van Raemdonck said NMG’s omni business model is “so tied to profitability,” adding, “If you take a customer who shops in a single channel online, they spend 1X. If we’re able to migrate them across channels, they spend 5X. And if we’re able to get them in a relationship with a sales associate, who curates assortments for them and experiences, they spend 12X.”

Furthering the case for profitability, van Raemdonck said NMG operates a “very clean, profitable and tight network of stores located where customers and high net worth individuals live. It’s 36 locations of Neiman Marcus and one for Bergdorf Goodman, and we exited off price, but for five liquidation stores. We are investing in our stores and we are investing $200 million of strategic [capital expenditure], half of which is funded by landlords, and that will touch half of our stores — our top 10 stores — and a third of the total fleet.

Neiman Marcus execs make the case for profitability

What: A variety of solutions for e-commerce, supply chain, store operations, and more were discussed at the NRF Big Show.

Why it is important: The latest technologies can present solutions relevant to omnichannel retailing in post-pandemic times.

At the NRF Big Show, retailers had the opportunity to connect with vendors who presented solutions that can tackle issues with supply chain and logistics, workforce shortages, and e-commerce.

Avery Dennison hosted a booth which demonstrated how its digital solutions can unlock the value of data-driven insights. Attendees were able to learn about a product’s end-to-end journey, showcasing the benefits of real-time insights which can help businesses make informed decisions to improve their supply chain accuracy and efficiency, reduce waste, enable circularity and also meet net-zero targets.

StoreForce presented its integrated retail operations solution which helps retailers optimize labor expenditures and retain employees. The company also offers solutions that are specific to retail workforce management and employee engagement.

Zipline also provides workforce management solutions with its platform that allows retail workers to manage their schedules in real-time, which can help brands better engage and retain employees.

Retail Technologies for SMBs 

What: Printemps’ CEO Jean-Marc Bellaiche was in New York to address a luncheon meeting of the French Founders business club, and also for the National Retail Federation’s “Big Show” convention.

Why it is important: Printemps wants to compete with and differentiate from Saks Fifth Avenue, Bloomingdale’s, Bergdorf Goodman and Nordstrom. To that end, the department store plans on presenting an assortment and range of services that strive to differentiate. The store will take a speciality store approach and aims to be closer to The Webster, the luxury speciality chain.

Bellaiche is well aware of how tough it is for foreign retailers to succeed in the U.S. He acknowledged creating the right mix, particularly in a highly competitive and overstored New York market, won’t be easy. Printemps first came to the U.S. in 1984 when it opened a store on the outskirts of Denver. Three years later, it closed.

Bellaiche spelled out much of the strategy for Printemps at One Wall Street in the heart of the financial district. There will be two selling floors covering a total of nearly 55,000 square feet. The assortment will be developed through wholesale buying, with no leased shops anticipated. The presentation will be a mix of big brands and newer brands. There will be a “wide open” floor plan, as opposed to a series of walled-off branded shops. The assortment will be balanced between fashion, jewellery, beauty and gifts with a little bit of home and decorative. There will also be a significant food and beverage presentation, with a Champagne bar, a coffee shop, a cocktail bar and a brasserie.

The services will be super strong to accommodate the neighbourhood as Printemps will be at the base of a 50-story condominium with 550 units. Among the possible services are a florist and fashion rentals.

The opening of Printemps in New York has been delayed slightly: a mid-2024 opening is now targeted. Printemps, which operates 20 stores, is looking at markets to expand in Asia. In the U.S., Bellaiche will monitor the performance of the One Wall Street location before deciding if there should be additional Printemps stores in the U.S., but the company is not looking at other U.S. cities, at least currently.

What’s on tap for Printemps in NYC

What: Amazon launched a subscription plan that provides unlimited generic prescription drugs for USD 5 a month, an offer aimed at its Prime customers.

Why it is important: The initiative demonstrates Amazon's desire to continue to develop its health offer, whether in terms of medicines or care. In July 2022, the group notably announced the acquisition of the private care network One Medical, for USD 3.9 billion.

The service, dubbed RxPass is one of the most advanced subscription plan on the market for low-cost drugs, along with Walmarts’ drug list service, which provides one month's treatment for a single generic drug for USD 4. RxPass offers a suite of generic medications that more than 150 million Americans occasionally or regularly take. RxPass does not require the intervention of a health insurer.

Amazon’s new drugs subscription plan

What: Macy’s goes towards more sustainability in segments parallel to its main drivers.

Why it is important: Going green in Fashion is complicated and long. Macy’s is addressing in parallel other segments, including the Home one (which has proved to be resilient during the Covid-19 pandemic), which might astutely add some margin points and make the offer more attractive than the competition.

Macy’s has issued a new policy to its furniture suppliers, including a variety of new demands such as the use of responsibly sourced wood (or recycled, or reclaimed), and prohibits the use of illegally-harvested timber.

This is not a premiere, since Macy’s follows the steps of Wayfair and Crate & Barrel. However, this new policy is part of the $5bn commitment announced in March 2022 to become more sustainable, and takes into account the fact that sustainable furniture is a growing market.

The article also reviews sustainable furniture brand Sundays, which explains how difficult the process can be sometimes. Interestingly, Sundays mentions that they do not claim too loud to be sustainable, for fear of being accused of greenwashing, due to the complexity of the topic and the fact that going towards more sustainability is an ongoing process.

Macy’s rolls out responsible sourcing policy to its furniture suppliers