If there is one topic we are frequently asked about, it is Lidl’s entry into the US market. The German grocery discounter will open its first 20 US stores this summer in three states in the East: North Carolina, South… Continue Reading
This week, the Fung Global Retail & Technology team attended the second annual Shoptalk conference in Las Vegas. The organizers described it as “the nextgen commerce event” and expected more than 5,000 attendees from more than 40 countries. Those at… Continue Reading
This week, the US Fung Global Retail & Technology team attended and participated in a panel discussion at the SXSW conference in Austin, Texas. There was much talk of the future of technology in fashion manufacturing and retailing at this… Continue Reading
Before PCs were linked via the Internet, we all felt blissfully safe from computer viruses and malware. Only people who trafficked in pirated software or who used floppy disks from unknown sources were vulnerable to the original types of malware.… Continue Reading
Last week, JCPenney became the latest big US department-store name to announce a round of store closures. The company said it will shutter 130–140 stores as well as two distribution centers over the next few months in a move to… Continue Reading
In late January, Amazon reduced its minimum purchase requirement for free two-day shipping to $35 ($25 for books) from $50 previously. In an interview with Recode, Marc Lore—who is Walmart’s e-commerce chief and the former CEO of Jet.com, which Walmart… Continue Reading
Fashions Change If there is one subject close to our hearts at Fung Global Retail & Technology, it is fashion retailing. Over the last few years, we have established ourselves as a leading global think tank on apparel. Our coverage… Continue Reading
As many large retailers and brands face lower foot traffic and negative same-store sales, along with the relentless encroachment of e-commerce, we are seeing turbulence in senior leadership at a number of companies. The table below shows selected recent management… Continue Reading
Social Selling This week, we found ourselves once again discussing the prospects for social commerce, which simply refers to buying and selling through social media websites. In this note, we distill our thoughts on why social commerce—which has gone through… Continue Reading
Two events from the past week have led us to reflect on the future of the retail landscape. First, our US team attended the National Retail Federation (NRF) Retail’s Big Show 2017, where there was much discussion of the reshaping… Continue Reading