What: ‘What Goes Around Comes Around’ (WGACA), a New-York based reseller, is operating an Amazon storefront selling one-of-a-kind vintage luxury bags.

Why it is important: Amazon continues to grasp at the luxury market and further validate its fashion offer through pre-owned luxury.

WGACA has listed Hermès and Chanel bags priced between 20,000 and 12,000 dollars. While LVMH has openly stated its feelings towards Amazon’s business being a bad fit for its brands, reseller companies can open luxury pre-owned stores bringing the products to the platform.

Chanel and Hermès now available on Amazon

What: Shein goes physical in the Philippines.

Why it is important: After having conducted similar experiences in the West, they are testing markets with radically different cost structures, population demographics and economies.

The pop-up opening took place last week at Ayala Malls Manila Bay, featuring a fashion runway, partnerships with Alipay+ and the mall’s e-wallet partner GCash alongside an appearance by Filipina actress Belle Mariano, a newly appointed local brand ambassador.

Shein opens pop-up in the Philippines

What: John Lewis released a number of newly thought-out sustainability commitments in its new report ‘Plan for Nature’, in which they said they are working towards cracking down on its pledges to protect and restore nature.

Why it is important: The company is acting where they can to make the biggest impact, with their principles being applied to every product they sell, and products made with sustainable values are accessible to all their customers.

John Lewis Partnership will be investing GBP2 million to fund ecosystem protection and regeneration projects in the UK and India through an exclusive partnership with Worldwide Fund for Nature.

They will be funding sustainable water management programmes, committing to zero deforestation across its own-brand product supply chain and incorporating natural elements into all key new build and renovation projects.

By 2025, the company said it will ensure all key raw materials in its own-brand products will be from more sustainable or recycled sources.

John Lewis’ refreshed sustainable commitments

What: A Crossrail along the Elizabeth Line in London is expected to bring more visitors to Bond Street Station as well as to Oxford Street, Marylebone and the West End.

Why it is important: As the holidays approach, the opening of the Crossrail at Bond Street is expected to provide a significant boost for the retail and hospitality sectors.

With an estimated 140,000 daily passengers and significant cuts to journey times for local and international visitors, the Crossrail is expected to positively impact the footfall and shopper numbers in the wider West End.

Crossrail opening to boost retail

What: US tourists splurge in Europe causing Kering sales to rise 23% for the third quarter.

Why it is important: Due to the weakness of the euro in comparison to the US dollar, American tourists have been spending more on luxury in Europe which has helped keep Kering’s performance high despite inflation and uncertainty.

The strength of Western Europe has been demonstrated as this region posted a 74% jump for the group. North America was up just 1%, while Japan saw a 31% increase. Overall Asia-Pacific remains subdued with 7% growth due to ongoing restrictions to prevent the spread of Covid-19.

Since the beginning of 2021, Kering’s share price has fallen 35% in light of the looming recession, inflation, supply chain disruptions, lockdowns in China and war in Ukraine.

Tourism raises Kering’s sales in Europe for Q3

What: There is a traditional season for leadership changes in Korea, however this year a ‘perfect storm’ adds up to the context.

Why it is important: All 3 leading companies are going through some difficulties or challenges, at a moment when the Korean market is buoyant and customers are extremely demanding.

The end of the year is a traditional time for executive reshuffles in Korean department stores management; however, this year there is additional fever at Shinsegae, Lotte and Hyundai.

At Shinsegae, a crisis provoked by its Starbucks Korea subsidiary endangers the current CEO and the whole leadership structure. At Lotte, many CEOs of business units are due to leave in March 2023.

Finally, at Hyundai, a fire at the Daejeon unit last September has already started to provoke an executive reshuffle.

Executive reshuffle season in Korean department stores 

What: Frasers Group has bought the Australian sneaker and streetwear retailer Sneakerboy

Why it is important: The Acquisition further strengthens and diversifies Fraser’s luxury proposition while supporting the continued offering of Sneakerboy through Frasers’ retail expertise and scale.

The group’s purchase of Sneakerboy is part of a wider strategy to increase Frasers’ presence in Australia and the surrounding regions.

Frasers Group buys out Sneakerboy

What: Perspectives on the type of Chinese customers coming back to international cities.

Why it is important: They will have changed by nature, and the retailers who anticipated that change will be the best placed to reap the benefits of their return.

It has been two years now that Chinese tourists have refrained from travelling internationally, due to the Covid-19 pandemic and its associated travel restrictions. According to Jing Daily this has translated into shifts in consumption, and it seems that for now, affluent customers favor online and domestic purchases over far-flung travels:

-    They are more likely to travel domestically, having formed that habit for the past 2 years and encouraged by new infrastructures (Hainan for instance),

-    They are looking for health and self-care rather than for pure retail experience,

-    They favor sustainable initiatives, and prefer extra time over money.

However, the study also mentions that, provided all boxes are ticked, they will not be averse to lavish spending.

When will Chinese tourists be back?

What: Nike customers will be able to link their Nike membership to their JD Sports or Zalando accounts to access member-only perks.

Why it is important: The partnership is mutually beneficial as JD Sports and Zalando will be able to offer European shoppers a wider range of products and services while Nike receives greater data on its customer base.

Nike previously tested this concept by partnering with Dick’s Sporting Goods in the US last year which had proven to be an effective way to serve customers and build closer relationships.

As an incentive to participate, shoppers who link their accounts will be notified of new product drops in advance as well as have access to exclusive items and new digital experiences.

Nike integrates digital services with Zalando and JD Sports

What: The LVMH group’s sales portal, 24S, is set to hold its very first liveshopping session on 2 November called ‘Live Shopping in Paris’.

Why it is important: 24 winter pieces will be presented during the liveshopping session hosted by influencers responsible for presenting the latest trends and explaining different styling possibilities.

After the initial broadcast on 24S.com, the sequence will then be available there for replay. While this initial broadcast is focused on Western consumers and trends, 24S will shoot the following liveshopping episodes with a greater focus on Asian consumers.

24S to begin liveshopping

What: Saks Fifth Avenue has invested 250 million dollars to renovate the Manhattan flagship’s seventh floor to create an advanced designer men’s destination.

Why it is important: While the 40,000-square-foot floor is not yet complete, 15 new in-store shops are coming to compliment the more inviting aesthetic and demonstrated Saks' belief in partnering with brands to create unique experiences.

Some designer brands like Celine and Bottega Veneta are having their US debut in the space. 23 established and emerging brands will also be added to the mix.

The project is expected to be completed in February of 2023. The 250-million-dollar investment will also include a main floor focused on luxury leather goods and accessories and a multi-coloured escalator leading to an expanded beauty floor.

Saks renovates men’s designer floor at Manhattan flagship

Saks renovates men’s designer floor at Manhattan flagship - Source 2

What: To celebrate the power of food bringing people together, the meal-themed window displays also respond to the new owners’ vision of building a world-class food hall.

Why it is important: The holiday season decorations have been rolled out across its four stores in London, Birmingham and Manchester as well as online.

15 windows at the Oxford Street flagship are decorated with festive food displays such as a club sandwich tower in front of a fridge filled with silver designer bags and Brussels sprouts stacked on top of a car like a freshly cut Christmas tree. Santa will be making an appearance daily to interact with customers and host events starting 25 November.

There are plans to have a food market and restaurants. While Selfridges has a host of restaurants, they’re spread throughout the store, thus, the new joint owners plan to create a food hall offering luxury and organic options.

Selfridges unveils food-themed Christmas windows

What: TikTok is reportedly looking for employees to help in establishing an international fulfilment network with warehousing, customs clearing and supply chain systems that support the US and cross-border e-commerce efforts.

Why it is important: The social media platform is searching for supply chain, logistics and e-commerce managers to develop its service centres, order prediction capabilities and inventory management, with the apparent soon-to-be hub based in Seattle, Washington.

TikTok is also posting other less-senior roles to fill out their logistics, customer service and warehousing teams.

The news comes as TikTok continues to push live-shopping features to US consumers ahead of the holiday season.

TikTok plans US e-commerce fulfilment network

What: The vegetarian restaurant at its Maison Seoul location is helmed by French 3-star Michelin chef Alain Passard.

Why it is important: Retailers and brands are increasingly venturing into hospitality and are crafting tailored experiences.

Taking over the Gangnam flagship’s fourth floor, the restaurant featured a fall garden theme. Alain Passard’s vegetarian pop-up restaurant opened for lunch, tea time, and dinner, from September 17 to October 29 at Louis Vuitton Maison Seoul.

Louis Vuitton pop-up restaurant in Seoul

What: Battling e-commerce natives, dealing with high acquisition costs, unpredictable inventory and demand and difficult profit targets are leading some department stores such as Selfridges or Nordstrom to team up with other multi-brand retailers.

Why it is important: To combine merchandising prowess, share customer crossover and leverage each other’s scale or social reach, multi-brand retailers are partnering in different ways as a chance to experiment and improve connectivity.

Choosing the right partner is important, as is navigating the risks around stock management, cannibalisation and feasibility.

The trend of cross-retail partnerships is not new and has proved popular within beauty as can be seen through Sephora’s partnership with Kohl’s or Ulta’s Target shop-in-shops. For fashion retailers, Barneys New York’s example of a wholesale deal to sell its private label collection through the South Korean boutique Boon The Shop started in 2018 and ended only when the store closed in 2020.

Already, Selfridges has partnered with Machine A and Smets to offer a curated selection of products from the two external multi-brand retailers as part of its plan to inject new brands and styles in-store. Nordstrom has partnered with 11 Honoré, a luxury e-commerce platform, and Asos.

Multi-brand retailers team up for success

What: Forbes questions the future of return policies now that their cost is skyrocketing.

Why it is important: There is neither a one-size-fits-all solution nor even one known answer to date on how to address the rising costs of such policies, apart from making sure that customers pay more attention when placing their orders. This is where data and tech might be helpful.

Forbes reviews the thorny question of 100% satisfaction guarantee policies in the US, where no-questions-asked returns became a common currency on the market. This has become an increasingly painful question with the rise of e-commerce, with some retailers even paying for the privilege of customers shipping back their items.

However, this might be coming to an end, as the related costs are too high: Kohl’s is no longer paying for return costs, LL Bean, Dillard’s, J.Crew, REOI and Zara even charge customers who decide to return items. Some are even thinking about writing off on the goods that customers want to return, instead of taking them back.

Cost is the main issue: is represented 16,6% of total US sales last year and $751billion (to be compared with 10,6% and $428bn in 2020), and this figure might even be underestimated, as it needs to take into account hidden costs.

Retailers are therefore in a difficult position, not willing anymore to sacrifice their already thin margin to provide a service that customers take for granted. Nudging might be one of the solutions, thanks to the help of tech, using data as a way to influence customers’ behavior (and make sure they buy the right size or color). One thing is for certain, it will not be easy anymore to return items in the future.

Are the 100% satisfaction guarantee policies a thing from the past? 

What: Westfield has opened its Les Ateliers Gaîté shopping mall this month as part of a revitalisation initiative for the Montparnasse area.

Why it is important: The project represents Westfield’s mission to regenerate cities through the retail developer’s projects that work to improve neighbourhood traffic flow, profit and overall appeal for local customers instead of acting as shopping destinations.

Les Ateliers Gaîté has added a pedestrian crossing, a green square and favoured bike paths while retaining 70% of the original building structure in Montparnasse. The mixed-use space is more than a shopping centre, bringing 310,000 square feet of shopping, 140,000 square feet of office space, 62 social housing units, a city library, a daycare centre and the biggest food court in Europe all anchored to the 950-room Pullman hotel and conference centre.

The goal is to fulfil the Montparnasse neighbourhood’s needs through a bakery, wine shop, hardware store, fitness centre and local artisanal shops. Claire’s is the sole international mall chain store.

Westfield opens Parisian mixed-use mall 

What: Changes in corporate management and hiring as well as cost-cutting have supported the evolving digital strategies aimed at regaining relevance and capturing new customers.

Why it is important: The Macy’s Group has been reworking the private brand portfolio, adding additional Bloomies and Market by Macy’s off-mall speciality stores to become less dependent on traditional big box stores.

In the Q2 of 2022 for Macy’s Group brick-and-mortar represented 70% of sales and 30% for digital sales. Expectations for the holiday season are positive according to Macy’s CEO due to a better inventory profile and having 55% of the assortment being new content.

Macy’s CEO shares details on retail transformation

What: Following Asos' share price decline, Frasers Group has increased its stake.

Why it is important: Frasers’ recent investment in Asos makes it the fourth-biggest shareholder in Asos, yet the Group seems more focused on Hugo Boss as it increased its stake to 32.8% of the fashion company’s share.

The 32.8% of Hugo Boss shares owned by Frasers Group are divided into 4.3% direct holding in common stock and 28.5% through the sale of ‘put options’.

Frasers increases investments in Hugo Boss and Asos

Frasers increases investments in Hugo Boss and Asos

What: M&S has announced the rollout of its Sparks loyalty scheme globally across 26 targeted online markets including the US, Australia and India.

Why it is important: For the UK and Ireland, the Sparks programme will remain digital-first, however, customers are now able to purchase and be rewarded through the scheme via its international flagship websites as well as through the Sparks app.

Customers who sign up will have access to personalized rewards and offers. Those shopping in one of the 94 India-based M&S stores will also have the chance to instantly win a free shopping spree.

Marks & Spencer takes loyalty programme international

What: Despite growing concerns regarding a global recession, LVMH remains bullish on the future due to a 19% increase in revenues.

Why it is important: After the close of the Paris Bourse, LVMH reports a 28% increase year-over-year for the first nine months of 2022 which was driven by the fashion and leather goods division. The outlook for the final quarter of 2022 remains positive as the luxury conglomerate expected continued growth.

Europe, the US and Japan benefitted from strong local demand and an upturn in tourism leading to positive performance in the third quarter. Asia is also improving as COVID-related restrictions partially lift. However, LVMH’s CFO warns of China’s recovery being uncertain as lockdowns and supply chain disruptions continue. In addition, a distinction must be made between affluent customers and the brands that serve them as not reflecting the general economy due to being less affected by NGDP volatility.

LVMH reports revenue growth in Q3

What: M&S will close 67 stores over the next five years as the retailer aims to cut operational costs with the potential of fast-tracking closures within three years.

Why it is important: During an investment meeting, the CEO of Marks & Spencer said that the retailer will downsize from 247 stores to 180 ‘full-line’ shops by 2028 to save close to 400-million pounds in overhead.

In addition to addressing operational costs from physical stores, M&S will tackle inefficiencies in its supply chain to maximize flows for its clothing and homeware categories. As well, there are plans to slim down and automate the UK distribution network.

The list of locations that will be closed has yet to be disclosed.

Marks & Spencer to cut cost through 67 store closures

What: Amazon accelerates on the UK personal finance market with the launch of an insurance price comparison engine.

Why it is important: the company continues to build a super-app similar to what can be found in China or India, by proposing an aggregate of various services without leaving its ecosystem. It is coming as a challenge for some department store companies which have managed to grow in a similar manner (El Corte Inglés, Falabella)

Amazon has launched a portal for buying insurance in the UK, in order to allow customers to compare prices. This follows Apple’s launch of a saving account in partnership with Goldman Sachs.

Amazon already offers online payments, co-branded credit cards, gift cards and instalment-lending services in the UK. Some of the products it sells also come with extended warranties, however the launch of an insurance aggregator in the UK could show an acceleration of the strategy into personal finance products.

Its portal will allow customers to compare and purchase insurance from providers without leaving its website, and Amazon will collect a commission on each sale.

Amazon breaks into the insurance market 

What: Nike Korea is looking to depose resellers by cancelling orders if there are indications of intent to resale, along with new terms and conditions.

Why it is important: Nike is pushing for greater direct-to-consumer operations, having cut ties with several retailers while warning that greater restrictions would follow should resellers continue to acquire limited edition sneakers only to sell them for huge profits on platforms such as StockX.

The issue at hand appears to be the way resellers purchase the shoes; frequently using bots to speed through e-commerce transactions faster than manual check-outs. Ultimately, Nike customers miss out on purchasing while resellers profit.

Econotimes reports that the adjustment of terms and conditions is likely to have a greater influence on traders rather than resale between individuals. For now, it is unclear if other countries will follow Nike Korea's path.

Nike looks to ban resellers