Fast-fashion retailer and brand H&M, based out of Sweden has released their year-end financials which show a strong response to several different factors. First, H&M’s Group sales were up by 9% during the financial year and 356 new stores were added, predominately in China and the USA. As our youth culture studies show, H&M is […]
Story and Photos by Tom Wallace and Kathleen Gasperini The big question is why is the outdoor lifestyle becoming more popular? The jam-packed Outdoor Retailer Winter Market 2014 from January 21-24, 2014, in Salt Lake City, UT, was energetic, inspirational, a networking hub, and business-central for a marketplace that seems less effected by the economic […]
While earlier this month at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES), the main talk was how brands like Intel are now finally moving into the realm of wearable technologies, the focus has often been on pieces and ideas that are not actually youth culture focused. And yet, it is the youth marketplace of today that are […]
The kick-off to Bread & Butter Berlin, which ran from January 14-16, 2014, at the Airport Berlin-Tempelhof, launched with a massive opening party, a spectacle of lights, and a celeb-studded crowd. Under the theme “Ich Bin Ein Berliner” (I Am Berlin), Bread & Butter continues to be the centerpiece of European contemporary trade shows, but […]
Fashion retail has been a roller coaster for the past few years, but over holiday season, we again see how some brands are able to capture a new marketplace and others continue to streamline in the wake of economic uncertainty. First, as Quiksilver announced several months ago, they continue to focus efforts on their core […]
Stokehouse Unlimited, launched by former Billabong President Paul Naude, has announced yet another brand within the action sports lifestyle industry. Under the direction of Summer Rapp, formerly of Roxy, and Mandy Fry, formerly of Billabong and Volcom, they’ll be launching a women’s surf and lifestyle brand with a roll-out starting this summer, 2014. This is […]
Story and Photos by Kathleen Gasperini and Tom Wallace The flagship Agenda trade show in Long Beach, CA, from January 7-8, 2014, represented a quintessential snapshot of where the marketplace of streetwear, action sports, and music-inspired lifestyle apparel, footwear, and accessories is headed. The show was packed with business being done at the brisk pace […]
The fashion trade show season is about to get underway with a variety of top shows starting this week, including Agenda in Long Beach on Tuesday-Wednesday, January 7-8, 2014, Bread and Butter in Berlin, and the upcoming Vegas shows in February. It’s an exciting time for major transitions to the trade shows, including new owners […]
The owners of Surf Expo, George Management LLC, has been purchased for $335 million by Emerald Expositions Inc. owners of Outdoor Retailer trade show. Interestingly, in the on-going evolution of trade shows, outdoor and surf have grown closer, especially a seen at the summer OR shows where several surf brands have been exhibiting and participating […]
Teen fashion retail has been on a roller coaster ride of economic turmoil these past few months and the holiday season hasn’t been any less smooth. Beleaguered Abercrombie which hasn’t had a profitable month in months, and recently reported Q3 profits down 68.3% continues to get hit with brand backlash, including Change.org who launched a […]