Retail Insights

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British flag flying on a flagpole, seen behind decorative golden fleur-de-lys railings.

When Britishness Becomes Strategy

From the English countryside to the global luxury market, the brands embracing their Britishness are seeing a strong commercial comeback. Stiff upper lip and dry humor, it seems, sell.
Woman taking photo on smatrphone while watching fashion show from the front row.

My Favorite Moments from London Fashion Week SS27

London Fashion Week can be rather surprising at times. This year, the collections had equal measures of high fashion and high street. And surprised me, they did.
Glowing shopping bag on futuristic online retail interface with abstract circuit board connections.

AI in Retail – Threat, Opportunity, or Both?

The AI safety debate has reached the US Senate and beyond. In retail, a quieter version of that conversation has been running for some time.
Storefront display featuring Walmart fashion brand posters and suspended clothing against an ornate white facade.

The Retail Giants Finding Their Place at New York Fashion Week

This September at New York Fashion Week, the most interesting conversation was happening off the official calendar. Walmart and Target set up their own productions on the streets of Manhattan, backed by years of groundwork, genuine creative talent, and a clear argument that great design belongs to everyone.
Model walking an illuminated outdoor runway at dusk, with the New York City skyline and seated audience in the background.

New York Fashion Week Still Has Something to Say

Against a backdrop of war in the Middle East, rising prices and an increasingly charged debate over AI that has reached the highest echelons of the US government, New York Fashion Week provides ample proof that the show must go on.

The End of Aspirational Luxury

Global luxury is growing in 2026, but aspirational luxury is losing ground. Bloomberg Intelligence data reveals who is driving the market now, and what it means for the industry’s future.
Andre Maeder speaking at the RLC Leadership Series in London

Luxury Returns to Growth but Hits a Volume Ceiling

Insights from RLC Global Forum’s Leadership Series reveal a luxury market increasingly driven by concentrated wealth, changing travel patterns and new global growth corridors — framing the discussion ahead of “Uneven Futures”, the theme of the 2027 RLC Annual Forum in Riyadh.

Uneven Futures: Why Commerce No Longer Moves as One

Global commerce has stopped advancing as one. Markets are now moving at different speeds, toward different priorities, under different rules. These uneven futures are becoming the new condition for retail leadership. And they demand a different strategic response.

Shein Business Model Showing Its Limits After Sobering IPO Debut

Shein’s Hong Kong IPO debut raised $1.7 billion and one uncomfortable question: is the Shein business model still viable in a world closing its loopholes?

Harvey Nichols and the Next Chapter of Luxury Retail

Frasers Group has acquired Harvey Nichols. The deal says something important about the state of luxury retail and who its future custodians might be.

Is the Fandom Economy Too Big for Brands to Ignore?

Fans outspend non-fans by 27%, three quarters of Americans identify as part of a fandom, and the fandom economy is already generating billions in verified commercial activity across music, sports, fashion, and retail. So, why are brands not engaging more?

Will AI Replace Search Engines? What the Data Shows

How people browse, shop and make decisions is changing fast in 2026. But will AI replace search engines? Here's what the latest research shows.

Why Global Brands Keep Getting the African Retail Market Wrong

The African retail market crossed $2 trillion in consumer spending in 2025. Most brands competing for a share are doing so in the wrong markets, with the wrong tools.

Travel Economy at the Time of High Geopolitical Risk

A region at the peak of its tourism ambitions. A conflict that arrived without warning. And a set of questions the travel economy had never had to answer quite this fast.

GLP-1 Impact on Retail Is Bigger Than Anyone Predicted

A pharmaceutical intervention is doing what decades of dietary trends could not, restructuring consumer demand at scale. The GLP-1 impact on retail is already visible in purchase data.