Givenchy Couture Spring 2012 | Source: Style Heroine
The Fine Line (NY Times)
“Nowadays, almost no one talks about its demise. Quite the opposite. Not only have revenues reportedly risen, thanks to big spenders in countries like China and Brazil, but there are also more new names on the calendar, like Giambattista Valli and Bouchra Jarrar, who makes ready-to-wear but because of her small quantities and fine sense of craft, shrewdly decided to show during couture. This season Versace returned to Paris after an absence.”
Chinese Shoppers Putting Premium On “Made In USA” Labels (Jing Daily)
“By this point, it’s well established that China’s shoppers are fans of American brands like Coach, Ralph Lauren, Levi’s and Tiffany & Co…But for smaller brands, particularly those made on a smaller scale in the US, opportunities are opening up in the Chinese market as well.”
H&M Q4 profit falls, see tough economic outlook (Reuters)
“Hennes & Mauritz, the world’s second-largest fashion retailer, posted a surprise drop in fourth-quarter pretax profit on Thursday and said 2012 was looking tough due to a worsening economic climate in many of its markets.”
J.C. Penney Permanently Cuts All Prices by 40 Percent (The Cut)
“As part of J.C. Penney’s new pricing strategy, they’re marking down all of their merchandise by at least 40 percent — permanently — so that shoppers don’t have to wait for sales to get the best price. To make up for the revenue they’ll sacrifice to do this, Penney’s will have fewer sales and promotions throughout the year.”
The Year in E-Tail: Lessons Learned and Looking Ahead (WWD)
“If 2011 was seen as the year e-tail exploded, it was a mere precursor to what’s expected in 2012. Mobile commerce spending on smartphones is expected to reach $10 billion this year, said Sucharita Mulpuru, vice president and principal analyst at Forrester Research, and this projection doesn’t even include tablet shopping.”