Editors' Top Reads: News from Gucci, Kardo, Frasers Group and more...
Here are some of this week’s news and features highlights handpicked by TheIndustry.fashion team.
Si Now, Buy Now: will Gucci's strategy to launch the Demna era pay off?
Who remembers See Now, Buy Now? It was the movement that was going to change fashion timelines for good about 15 years ago. With consumers gaining instant access to catwalk imagery and video, brands and designers decided that it made sense that the clothing and accessories on display should be instantly available too. Consumers could not be expected to wait months before the product hit the stores. Or so they thought.
Catwalk shows had traditionally been trade events offering buyers and certain high net worth clients the opportunity to order for next season, while the media (in the past dominated by glossy magazines) got an early look at the clothing they would want to feature in their fashion pages. All that changed with the advent of the smart phone and the influencer. Some brands tried in vain to hold back the tide, banning the use of phones during their shows, but eventually they relented and realised that (almost) all publicity was good publicity.
Some brands then went further still effectively turning the catwalks into live shopping events. Interestingly it was mostly designers in New York and London that did this. Paris and Milan stood firm and in the end the reality of shifting production schedules and backing the production full collections without first getting retailer, customer and media feedback proved too problematic. See Now, Buy Now burned out before it had really got off the ground.
Now we learn that Gucci is going to resurrect the formula for Demna Gvasalia's first collection for the Kering-owned house this autumn. As our contributor Marcus Jaye points out in his latest column, the motivation for this seems purely to make sales and fast as Gucci's figures have been slumping for some time now. Personally am keeping an open mind. We don't know exactly how far it will adopt See Now, Buy Now. It may just been some accessories or "merch" or it may be the full-blown collection. What I do hope, however, given the blowback from luxury clients of late, is that what it does put out is worthy of being called luxury and that it justifies the price tag.
Lauretta Roberts, Co-founder, CEO and Editor-in-Chief.
Retailers neglect delivery preferences as 24% of shoppers seek early shipping details
A new report has revealed a significant disconnect between retailers and shoppers regarding delivery information, with most brands failing to provide timely delivery details early enough in the customer journey.
That's according to research by delivery management and post-purchase experience software provider Scurri, which highlights the gap between retailers’ perceptions and customers’ expectations through its latest report.
It comes as 24% of shoppers want product delivery options to be served before they start the checkout process, but only 9% of retailers provide this information at this early stage of the buying journey.
When asked to rank the important considerations driving their customers’ delivery choices, UK retailers identified speed (40%), cost (31%) and flexibility (27%). Meanwhile, from the shopper’s perspective, 39% said the additional cost of home delivery caused them to abandon a purchase, followed by slow delivery options (26%) and a lack of free delivery (25%).
To discover additional insights, read our summary here.
Sophie Smith, News Editor & Senior Writer.
The Interview: Kardo founder Rikki Kher on India’s new trade deal with the UK and how it could help grow his brand
It was interesting to learn Kardo founder Rikki Kher’s take on the new UK and India trade deal in our interview this week. Kher is a Londoner, but has lived in India for the past 21 years, originally as Spanish department store group El Corte Inglés’ Head of Apparel & Accessories sourcing for India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Pakistan.
It was in Delhi in 2013 that he created Kardo, as he says "with one machine, one tailor, one pattern maker and an idea". That idea was to create contemporary menswear embracing Indian textile craft.
He now has a fully compliant "state-of-the art" factory with over 45 machines and 75 factory employees and Kardo’s stockist list for SS25 has hit around 150, with END and Mr Porter notable sellers. SS25 also saw Kardo launch its first womenswear collection, so that could certainly be one to watch.
He also talks of his desire to open a Kardo store in London going forward, prompting one comment on Instagram to say: "Kardo in London would be unstoppable!' Kher is clearly a popular chap judging by the social media swirl around the interview – well worth a read to get the full story.
Timeline: Mike Ashley's eleven-year campaign to take control of Debenhams
Another week, another attempt from Mike Ashley (founder and former CEO of Frasers) to insert his two cents in at Debenhams Group - no judgement, I'm also one to hold a grudge. But it left me thinking back to a time when this great retail rivalry between Ashley and Mahmud Kamani (Debenhams Group's Executive Chair) was yet to boil. For those just as curious out there, we've created a comprehensive timeline taking us all the way back to 2014, when Frasers Group first set its sight on Debenhams, acquiring a 4.3% stake in the company.
Fast forward to 2020, Frasers Group was in last-minute talks to save department store chain after it entered liquidation. However, Boohoo Group (now Debenhams Group) swooped in and acquired the British retailer in January 2021 kicking off the great retail rivalry.
Four years after failing to land the Debenhams business, Ashley still has the bit between his teeth, and is once again sitting on a sizeable stake in the new Debenhams Group; Frasers' stake is just under the 30% threshold, after which it would be obliged to make any takeover bid intentions clear.
Some 11 years after first buying a stake, will he finally succeed?
Read the timeline of landmark moments in Ashley's campaign to gain control of Debenhams here.
Chloé Burney, Senior News & Features Writer.
