Retail Insights

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Europe’s consumer price map ranks markets by cost, not by what consumers earn. What wages and purchasing power reveal and what retailers need to act on.

Europe’s Consumer Price Map Tells Half the Story. What Retailers Need to Know

Eurostat’s consumer price map is widely referenced and rarely questioned. It is also missing the one major variable that makes it useful for retail: what consumers earn.

Inside the 2026 RLC Fashion Summit in Milan — What Live Polls Reveal About the New Executive Agenda

The most senior executives in fashion and luxury voted live at the 2026 RLC Fashion Summit in Milan. Several of their answers run counter to what the industry publicly professes to believe.
Aerial view of a large container ship carrying cargo across deep blue water.

China Trade Surplus Holds as War Fails to Slow Exports

China's exports rose 14.1% in April 2026, beating forecasts by a wide margin, as AI-driven global demand absorbed the disruption caused by the war in Iran. The trade surplus widened to $84.82 billion. The numbers demand explanation.
Blurred models in colorful dresses walk down a brightly lit runway.

What Q1 2026 Fashion Earnings Say About the State of the Industry

The Q1 2026 fashion earnings season is the most revealing in years. Across luxury, sportswear, fast fashion and heritage retail, the results expose a single defining fault line: brand clarity. Here is what the numbers say, and what they signal for the rest of the decade.
Luxury handbags displayed on illuminated shelves in a store.

The New Luxury Equation: From Awareness to Desirability

In a market where geographic expansion no longer guarantees growth, luxury brands face a more fundamental challenge: how to remain wanted.
Councillor Debora Massari of Regione Lombardia speaks on stage at the 2026 RLC Fashion Summit with partner logos displayed on screen.

2026 RLC Fashion Summit: Global Fashion CEOs Converge in Milan as Industry Enters a New Strategic Cycle

On 4 June 2026, the 2026 RLC Fashion Summit brought together the CEOs, investors and institutional leaders defining the next phase of the fashion and luxury ecosystem, for a full day of closed-door strategic debate at the Four Seasons Hotel Milano.
Close-up of a textile loom weaving bright multicolored threads, with vivid yarns stretched across the machine.

The Forces Quietly Reshaping the Global Textile Industry

Three forces — consumer retrenchment, a geopolitical shock in the Middle East, and US trade tariffs — are hitting the global textile industry simultaneously. And the sector has never looked more exposed.
Close-up of a black super car parked on a city street at dusk, with blurred traffic and window stores in the background.

European Consumer Discretionary Earnings: Auto & Luxury Sectors Hit Worst

While the broader MSCI Europe index grew 5.7% in Q1 2026, European consumer discretionary earnings fell more than 12% — well below the projected 2.4% decline, making consumer discretionary the worst-performing sector of the season.
Aerial view of Milan’s Piazza del Duomo, with the Duomo di Milano at the center and the surrounding cityscape stretching into the distance.

Why I’m Excited About the 2026 RLC Fashion Summit

Because the conversations shaping fashion and luxury have become more intentional, more strategic, and ultimately more consequential.
Audience members at the RLC Fashion Summit in Milan raise their phones to photograph a speaker presenting on stage.

2026 RLC Fashion Summit in Milan Convenes Global Fashion CEOs as Industry Reassesses Growth Models

Brunello Cucinelli, Prada Group, Selfridges Group, Saks Global among confirmed participants at the Four Seasons Hotel Milano.
Audience seated in a dark auditorium watching a presentation or performance, faces lit by stage light.

Permacrisis, AI and the Future of Stores: The IGDS World Department Store Summit 2026

The department store sector has been declared dead more times than anyone cares to count. The IGDS World Department Store Summit 2026 begs to differ.
Woman in a black trench coat carrying a red shopping bag in a busy US city shopping district.

US Retail Sales Growth Holds Against the Odds in 2026

March data from the CNBC/NRF Retail Monitor shows six consecutive months of growth, even as consumer sentiment hits record lows and inflation reaches its highest point in two years.
A woman in an ombre black gown poses on a carpeted staircase as photographers take pictures behind a floral hedge.

What Does the Met Gala Tell Us About Cultural Patronage in 2026?

Jeff Bezos wrote a $10 million cheque for the Met Gala. The internet lost its mind. But before we join the outrage, it’s worth asking: has cultural patronage ever really been any different?
Blurred silhouettes of shoppers passing store windows on a UK high street.

Retail Brand Storytelling Is the Strategy You Are Ignoring

New data from the Voices of Retail 2026 report reveals a widening gap between UK retailers who are growing and those who are not. At the heart of it is retail brand storytelling and whether a business has the clarity and confidence to tell its story.
Portrait of a mature Asian woman with white hair, wearing bold red sunglasses and a fuchsia blazer.

Age Inclusive Fashion: Has the Industry Finally Discovered the 50+ Woman?

F/W 2026 sent a clear message about age inclusive fashion. Are 50+ models and role models here to stay? And does the industry really mean it or just finally noticed where the money is?