Daily LInks
1. ‘Discounting Is Not a Luxury Strategy’—The Voices Behind an Open Letter to Retail Address Fashion’s Full Price Future: After a summer of 80 percent off markdowns, customers will expect those prices as the new normal. For a vast majority of middle-class shoppers, buying a $1,590 dress is just out of the question—especially after it has been devalued to $477 over the course of a three-month sale period. – Read More on Vogue
2. Here’s why the biggest U.S. mall owner might want to buy JC Penney: Simon Property Group might want to own bankrupt J.C. Penney in order to be able to redevelop some of its best real estate and make it even better, according to one analyst. Simon, the biggest mall owner in the country, has a Penney store in about 50% of its U.S. malls is estimated to be worth more than $1 billion. – Read More on CNBC
3. Lululemon’s $500 Million Purchase of Home-Fitness Company Mirror Makes Sense, Especially in COVID Era: The deal is a worthwhile way for Lululemon to test its ability to move beyond its core retailing expertise. It is also compelling, as the pandemic has pushed legions of consumers to explore at-home exercise, and as a way for cross-promotional sales. – Read More on Bloomberg
4. What Gwyneth Paltrow Learned While Building Goop Into a $250 Million Global Brand: “I think women in particular have a harder time being direct. A lot of women have feelings about being nice and not hurting anybody’s feelings. There are ways to communicate where you can be incredibly direct and incredibly kind and supportive.” – Read More on CO
5. RETRO READ: Goop Built a $250 Million Wellness Empire But Do its Claims Add Up? “Truth has become, in essence, anything that makes us feel good about ourselves.” That shift, paired with the fact that “brands, more than any established mainstream systems, are rapidly becoming a consumer’s north star for truth,” meant that it is the perfect time “for the wellness industrial complex to flourish.” – Read More on TFL
