Well-trained, committed frontline workers are key to a retailer’s success, but that’s proving more and more elusive. With a worker attrition rate of about 60 percent, retailers are essentially replacing more than half their staff every year. That’s a lot of churn. In this fireside chat, Christine Tutssel, co-founder of Axonify, Michael Appel, managing director and head of retail practice, Getzler Henrich and Associates, and Lauren Parker, director, Fairchild Studio discuss why investment in staff onboarding, training, development, communications and retention must come from the top, and how AI ..read more

How are smart retailers bringing their own customers into the mix as co-collaborators and co-creators? PacSun is a leader in this regard, making sure its brand resonates with Gen Z, and not just in product, but in overall vibe and messaging. Whether this means using its own consumers as models in advertising campaigns or soliciting Gen Z customer and staff input on creative projects, PacSun knows the benefits of inclusivity and community. In this fireside chat for retail business hub Retail Rx, Arthur Zaczkiewicz, WWD’s executive editor of strategic content chats with Richard Cox, PacSun ..read more

The benefits of producing closer to home are well known—convenience, speed to market, lower costs, better sustainability, easier communication, less geopolitical risk, and so on. But as nearshoring production in The Americas still has a way to go, what is keeping countries like Mexico from reaching its full potential with American brands and retailers? Here, Lauren Parker, Director, FMG Studio, chats with Ryan Zimmerman, founder and head of business development for Arzee International, a manufacturer that is based in LA but produces its jersey, French terry and fleece garments exclusively at i ..read more

One of the keys to cracking the code of footwear sustainability is reducing and managing waste. Currently, about 90 percent of shoes end up in landfills, where they begin to break down, but never fully decompose due to the materials used. This problem informs innovation at insole manufacturer and supplier OrthoLite. “How can we develop true end of life solutions for footwear—focused on product and process—to ensure that we are providing true circular solutions so that footwear has a place to go versus a landfill,” said Kristin Burrows, OrthoLite’s chief brand officer. In a conversation with Ka ..read more

Navigating the complexities of the current apparel supply chain can be cumbersome, particularly as consumers demand more sustainable and traceable alternatives and share concerns about greenwashing and labor conditions. As such, brands cannot afford to continue making sourcing decisions based exclusively on traditional pillars like cost, quality and lead times, according to Stuart McCready-Stocks, global brand director at fashion supply chain software provider Coats Digital. Coats Digital has long sought to help fashion brands build more transparent, sustainable supply chains, offeri ..read more

Every retailer’s mantra is—or at least it should be—“Get the right product to the right place at the right time in the right amounts.” Yet in today’s increasingly complex retail climate, getting that right is harder than ever. As we’ve seen, having too much or too little product, or the wrong product, wreaks havoc on pricing, margins, financial liquidity and consumer satisfaction. Technology solutions, however, are giving retailers the tools they need to address these challenges.  In this exclusive Fairchild Studio Thought Leadership Roundtable, Michael Appel, managing director and head o ..read more

Cotton pricing depends on various factors, including basic supply and demand. Due to pandemic pressures, the market experienced volatility as circumstances changed rapidly. Although Supima and other extra-long staple cottons are unique in the market, these premium fibers have also been riding a pricing rollercoaster. Listen to the chat between Lewkowitz and Sourcing Journal founder Edward Hertzman to learn why higher cotton prices are not necessarily a bad thing. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices ..read more

As brands seek to say more about sustainability, they need facts to back up their statements. This is where supply chain visibility comes into play, enabling communications to go beyond greenwashing. “You can't have sustainability without traceability,” said Buxton Midyette, vice president, marketing and promotions at Pima cotton organization Supima. “If you don't know where a product comes from, you really can't speak credibly about sustainability.” Listen to this chat between Midyette and Jasmin Malik Chua, sourcing and labor editor at Sourcing Journal, to learn why brands need traceabi ..read more

Having a net positive impact is often associated with carbon reduction, but to truly improve the world, companies must go beyond environmental responsibility to address the entirety of ESG (environmental, social and corporate governance). As part of their corporate social responsibility initiatives, both Pima cotton organization Supima and fashion brand Michael Stars have embraced educational and youth-centered causes. Listen to this fireside chat between Supima president and CEO Marc Lewkowitz, Michael Stars co-founder and CEO Suzanne Lerner, and Sarah Jones, senior editor, strategi ..read more

When Interloop rolled out its Vision 2025 strategy in 2021, it set many targets for growth across its apparel manufacturing business. But the core to this five-year plan is its investment in people. By 2025, the Pakistan-based apparel and hosiery manufacturer aims to increase workforce diversity by 30 percent by employing thousands of women in executive and non-executive teams. Additionally, the company has a goal to upskill 80 percent of workers on future competencies across all operations, product development, supply chain management and general management. During a fireside chat w ..read more