Retail Insights
Stay updated on retail’s latest news, insights & trends with a focus on disruptive innovation. Powered by RLC Global Forum’s powerful, global community.
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 rise just 2.1%, retailers are rethinking what growth means in an era of cautious consumers, tighter budgets, and smarter strategies.
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 booming, turning self-care into science and making hair health the new marker of modern wellbeing.
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, and emotional relevance. This is what high-net-worth consumers want now, and what the future of luxury depends on.
The luxury market is shifting fast. As economic pressures slow spending, top-tier consumers drive most luxury purchases. Yet, brand satisfaction is falling short, revealing a growing demand for hyper-personalized experiences and stronger connections.
Chalhoub Group has made a strategic investment in designer Willy Chavarria, reinforcing its commitment to global luxury growth and culturally driven brand innovation.
From Nike × Skims to New Balance × GANNI, sportswear collaborations have become the defining play of modern fashion. Once rare, these crossovers now shape the culture, giving substance and meaning to an industry that thrives on reinvention.
Swiss watch exports once ticked along with predictable precision. Today, they face disruption, caught between global headwinds and the pressures of reinvention.
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 the demand for convenience. But while small may be smart, it isn’t always simple.
At the RLC Fashion Summit in Milan, global CEOs, investors and leaders convened to explore what’s next for the fashion and luxury industries. Here are five key takeaways from the floor.
Traditional strategies that once ensured success are quickly becoming obsolete. In their place, a new retail landscape is emerging, one that prioritizes hyper-personalization, seamless omnichannel integration, and AI-driven insights.
Luxury is facing its moment of truth. The top clients are spending more, expecting more, and getting less. Can AI, AR, and data-driven tools deliver on luxury’s promise of deep, human connection?
Influencer culture has taken us from surprise squeals over “gifted” bags and serums to AI avatars at Wimbledon. The question now: is the hype still believable?
Fashion met strategy at the inaugural RLC Fashion Summit in Milan. Against the backdrop of Fashion Week, senior executives and policymakers convened to debate the forces reshaping creativity, commerce, and global growth.
Move over, Beijing, Paris, and Seoul; the India beauty market is the new runway, and global beauty brands want a front-row seat.
Agility, empathy, purpose, vision —these are the skills of a great leader. And no, it’s not about gender. It’s about a new model of leadership built for the future. Does it hurt that women happen to excel at it?