1. Retailers are reporting record online sales during the pandemic. But it won’t last forever: “This growth is definitely going to go down next year,” Forrester analyst Sucharita Kodali says. “Right now, we are still operating in an environment where there is social distancing. Once things get back to normal, you are going back to the stores.” – Read More on CNBC
2. Can China look past counterfeits and superstition in its burgeoning second-hand fashion market? The Chinese resale market been somewhat stunted by fears over counterfeiting, the ongoing social status attached to new goods and even superstitions around wearing other people’s clothes. Nonetheless, start-ups and tech giants alike sense the potential market for resale. – Read More on CNN
3. Fashion’s Racial Reckoning: The holy grail is to have a workforce that is not cowed by the singular voice of a creative director or fearful of overstepping boundaries — one that feels empowered to speak up and voice a concern. To have an organic system of checks and balances work without stifling creativity — that’s the goal, Gucci CEO Marco Bizzarri says. – Read More on the Washington Post
4. Common myths about ethical and sustainable fashion: Buying from eco-conscious brands isn’t the best way to adopt sustainable style. Your online returns don’t end up where you think they do. Investing in luxury fashion over fast fashion doesn’t necessarily prevent worker exploitation. – Read More on CNN
5. Would You Stay in a Louis Vuitton Hotel Right Now? Companies from Giorgio Armani to Versace and LVMH Moet Hennessey Louis Vuitton could still turn the strategy of tapping into luxury as a broader lifestyle to their benefit. They could offer extravagant getaways to high spenders happy to pay extra to dine, shop and relax in a safe and secluded environment. Or coax more potential local customers out for exclusive home-town retreats given people aren’t splurging on long-haul airfare. – Read More on Bloomberg
6. Luxury Brands Dust Off Their Japanese Lessons: In 1985, 55 percent of global luxury sales were to the Japanese, according to Bernstein. That era has a lot in common with the current Chinese spending boom. Buoyed by rapid economic growth, a newly affluent middle class snapped up European luxury goods to show off their wealth and spent heavily on shopping trips overseas. – Read More on the Wall Street Journal