Insights & Trends

A blonde model wearing a high-collared black coat, black sunglasses and black gloves carries a trunk-style black handbag over her shoulder against a white background.

How the Luxury Sector Is Poised for a 2026 Revival

November 21, 2025

The luxury sector loves a comeback story and 2026 might just deliver one. After a year of flat growth and shaken consumers, Bain and Altagamma

Illustration of a person using virtual and AI shopping tools. The figure wears a VR headset and interacts with floating digital screens showing clothing, gifts, and sports items.

How Far Global Consumers Will Let AI Shop for Them?

November 13, 2025

AI is ready to shop. Global consumers aren’t so sure. As technology assumes more of the buying process, trust and not convenience has become the

Black and white image of an open white cosmetic jar floating among a desert-like setting of large stone rocks.

What the Kering – L’Oréal Deal Signals for Global Beauty

November 10, 2025

The €4.7 billion sale of Kering Beauty to L’Oréal marks a decisive turn in the balance of power across the global beauty and luxury industries.

Models dressed in black walking across the catwalk during a fashion week stage show.

Where Are All the Female Creative Directors?

November 3, 2025

Despite a wave of recent high-profile appointments—from Maria Grazia Chiuri at Fendi to Grace Wales Bonner at Hermès—women remain the exception, not the rule, in

A colorful digital illustration of a “Generate” button on a black background, with dynamic lines and dots radiating outward, symbolizing data flow or AI-generated outputs.

Behind ChatGPT’s New Instant Checkout and What It Means for Businesses

October 31, 2025

The internet has taught us many things: how to scroll, how to compare, how to abandon a cart with conviction. Now it’s teaching us how

A woman in a beige trench coat and carrying shopping bags is smiling while looking at a store window with Christmas decorations.

2025 Retail Sales Forecast and Why the Market Is Entering a Soft Landing Phase

October 29, 2025

As the 2025 holiday season approaches, Salesforce’s latest retail sales forecast points to a softer yet more stable market. With U.S. online sales projected to

A young Asian woman in a brown sweater looks over her shoulder, holding her long hair and smiling slightly in front of a mirror.

Inside China’s Haircare Market – How It Became the Nation’s Next Beauty Obsession

October 27, 2025

Forget face serums. In China, the real beauty revolution is happening above the eyebrows. From scalp scrubs to smart diagnostics, the China haircare market is

A smiling woman and man outside a jewelry store at night, looking through the window display at a necklace.

Luxury Trends and the New Codes of Affluence

October 23, 2025

The rules of luxury are being rewritten. And fast. As global affluence shifts, especially in China, traditional status symbols are losing ground to experiences, values,

A woman wearing colorful running tights and a black top and listening to music on her phone runs up an outdoor staircase.

Why Sportswear Collaborations Matter More Than Ever

October 15, 2025

From Nike × Skims to New Balance × GANNI, sportswear collaborations have become the defining play of modern fashion. Once rare, these crossovers now shape

A steel wristwatch with a metal bracelet rests on a textured grey fabric surface, illuminated by a beam of sunlight.

Swiss Watch Exports: Global Headwinds, Local Solutions and Reinvention

October 13, 2025

Swiss watch exports once ticked along with predictable precision. Today, they face disruption, caught between global headwinds and the pressures of reinvention.

White minimalist store interior with mannequins in women’s outfits and racks of clothing.

Are Small-Format Department Stores the New Normal?

October 10, 2025

What do Macy’s, IKEA, Nordstrom, and Whole Foods have in common? They’re all embracing small-format department stores to adapt to rising real estate costs and