1. Why American Eagle is the last mall brand standing: The company has a single-minded commitment to its target customer: Gen Z. “We’re gathering feedback from customers at every step. We’re reading comments on social, we’re getting feedback in stores.” – Read More on Fast Co.
2. Why skin-care startup Topicals uses Twitter as a growth engine: The company has seen growing engagement from its target users on Twitter, which Olowe credits to a growing desire among consumers for unvarnished dialog. – Read More on Modern Retail
3. Allbirds wants people to understand their sneakers’ carbon footprint like they do calories in food: “My job was to say, OK, sustainability is this incredibly big term, this broad umbrella that can mean 10 different things to 10 different people … and what does it mean to us?” – Read More on CNBC
4. RELATED READ: The Problem with “Sustainability”? It Doesn’t Really Mean Anything.Unlike “organic,” for instance, which comes with a certification process for producers of food and other agricultural products, as overseen by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, sustainability-centric terminology comes with no such government-mandated guidelines. – Read More on TFL
5. For Harry Styles, TMI Is a Four-Letter Word — and Gen Z Influencers Should Take Note: Gen-Zers are looking for more authentic endorsements. In the Aug. 21-23 survey, one-third said they felt less of a connection when celebrities post about products they have been paid to endorse, while 13 percent said they felt more connected to celebrities when they make sponsored posts. – Read More on Morning Consult
6. Why it matters when Black Lives Matter clothing is banned: “Being cognizant of the times is important now more than ever,” said Bannerman and McDonald. “Clothing is an outward expression of inward emotion.” – Read More on the Guardian
7. RELATED READ: Whole Foods is Allegedly Attempting to “Strip Obvious Racial Implications” From ‘Black Lives Matter’ Mask Lawsuit. Whole Foods was sued in July for allegedly “disciplining employees” in stores across the U.S. “for wearing Black Lives Matter masks” during their shifts, while enabling other employees to wear garments and accessories that bear non-company-related messages in the past. – Read More on TFL