It’s been another week with far more retail news than there is time in the day. Below, we break down some things you may have missed during the week, and what we’re still thinking about.
From falling revenues at PVH to Lowe’s push to develop skilled trades, here’s our closeout for the week.
What you may have missed
Hilary Duff named Reebok brand ambassador
Music and pop culture icon Hilary Duff has been named Reebok’s latest brand ambassador, the athletics brand announced on Monday. Her debut campaign, “Unfiltered & Unstoppable” spotlights Reebok apparel and accessories.
“To me, style has always been about wearing what makes me feel my best and gives me confidence, whether I’m on the go, spending time with family or fitting movement into my day,” Duff said in a statement. “Reebok shares that mindset, and I'm looking forward to what's ahead for this partnership.”
Duff joins a number of ambassadors for the brand, including Angel Reese, Julian Edelman and Belmont Cameli, among others.
Lowe’s launches skilled trades coalition
Lowe’s Foundation announced it has partnered with Nvidia, AT&T, Bank of America and General Motors, among others, to launch the Building Futures Skilled Trades Coalition.
The group’s objective is to train and develop 1 million people for skilled trades careers by 2035, according to a company press release.
“The next industrial revolution won’t be built by algorithms alone. It will be built by the millions of skilled trade professionals who power, connect and move this country forward,” Lowe’s CEO Marvin Ellison said in a statement. “For nearly four years, our foundation’s sole focus has been helping thousands of people enter the skilled trades by investing in America’s most innovative workforce training programs. Today through this coalition, we are answering the call from hundreds of existing partners to lead an even larger unified national effort that will redefine what’s possible when leaders from different sectors rally behind a common purpose.”
Retail therapy
Walmart’s fowl accessory
To celebrate National Chicken Month, Walmart debuted a limited-edition purse inspired by its customer-loved rotisserie chicken bags. The launch on Tuesday also includes corresponding bag charms.
The two purse styles are traditional and lemon pepper, with both priced at $5.97 to match the cost of the retailer’s actual rotisserie chicken. The charms come in four styles — two are in the shape of the chicken flavors and two mimic a hot sauce and lemon pepper seasoning bottles — and are priced from $4 to $5.97.
What we’re still thinking about
7%
That’s how much Calvin Klein revenue fell year over year in the second quarter, reaching $913.3 million. Meanwhile, revenue for Tommy Hilfiger was essentially flat at $1.1 billion and revenue for Heritage Brands — the business conducted under licensed brand names like Nike and Van Heusen — inched up less than 2% from the year-ago period.
At parent company PVH, Q2 revenues fell 3% to $2.1 billion, which the company said was within the high range of its guidance.
CEO Stefan Larsson said the company is seeing early momentum for fall product and marketing across both Tommy Hilfiger and Calvin Klein, and highlighted recent campaigns with Tate McRae and Travis Kelce.
What we’re watching
Exemplar Luxury Group unveils first post-bankruptcy fall campaigns for Saks, Neiman
Just a year ago, Saks Global was losing vendors, customers and sales, and by December was lurching toward bankruptcy. The company filed Chapter 11 in the new year and drastically reduced its debt, emerging as Exemplar Luxury Group in June. This week, Exemplar unveiled fall campaigns for its two major department stores, Neiman Marcus and Saks Fifth Avenue, and they’re the first tests of its post-bankruptcy era.
The photography by Judy Pak for the Neiman Marcus’ effort, dubbed “Signature Style,” is centered in Los Angeles. "At the heart of this campaign is the idea that style is an expression of each customer's unique identity," Exemplar Luxury Group senior vice president of creative Elle Strauss said in a statement.
For Saks’ “Let’s Go!” campaign, shot by photographer Nadine Ijewere, the emphasis is on “how New York's energy spills onto the streets.”
"Our New York City Flagship has long been a destination where culture and commerce come together, and this campaign extends that influence across our stores and digital channels nationwide, creating new reasons for our customers to engage with Saks and discover the very best in fall fashion,” Exemplar Chief Marketing and Digital Officer Cheryl Han said in a statement.
These days, though, New Yorkers are more likely to gravitate to Bloomingdale’s and Nordstrom — and Exemplar’s own Bergdorf Goodman — as the Saks flagship has lost much of its cultural credibility with locals, some observers say.
