American Eagle’s Sydney Sweeney and Travis Kelce campaigns helped get eyes on the brand but failed to deliver the sales lift analysts were expecting. The two campaigns combined generated over 44 billion impressions, but comparable sales for the American Eagle brand rose just 1% YoY in the quarter, missing expectations for 2.1% growth. Ultimately, American Eagle’s record Q3 revenues owed less to the high-visibility Sweeney ad and more to strong execution at its Aerie brand, where comparable sales rose 11%. While buzzy celebrity-led campaigns can help restore brand relevance, their impact will be fleeting if companies’ merchandising and product availability fall short.

After years of athleisure dominating closets, denim jeans are back in the spotlight. As brands reinvest in fit, quality, and cultural relevance, the US denim market is set to reach $21.5 billion by 2028, according to Euromonitor International.

The tactic: Levi Strauss is reducing its SKU count—even as it expands the range of items it sells—to minimize tariff costs and maximize full-price sales. Our take: SKU rationalization is becoming a necessity for Levi Strauss and other brands and retailers looking to manage the impact of tariffs.

Levi Strauss excludes tariff impact from forecast: The uncertainty and upheaval from the latest duties are making it impossible for the retailer to nail down a mitigation strategy.

US President Donald Trump’s shifting trade policies will have ramifications for US brands that do business with Latin America. This FAQ addresses the most pressing questions for companies as they navigate new tariffs, supply chain disruptions, and the potential rise of new competitors.

Levi’s delivers downbeat outlook as uncertainty roils retail industry: The company expects potential tariffs, FX headwinds, and higher taxes to weigh on its 2025 performance.

Mango replaces some human models with genAI: The retailer is bullish on the technology’s ability to speed up content creation and reduce costs, despite some skepticism from consumers

On today's podcast episode, we discuss the many goals of ancillary services, how they drive foot traffic, and what retailers should be thinking about before introducing them. Listen to the conversation with our Senior Analyst Sara Lebow as she hosts Vice President of Content Suzy Davidkhanian and Senior Analyst Blake Droesch.

Dockers’ poor sales weighed heavily on Levi’s Q3 performance: The retailer is looking to offload the brand in order to focus on booming demand for its core denim products, as well as its Beyond Yoga business.

September was style month, with Walmart hitting New York Fashion Week, Levi’s launching an app for stylist recommendations, Old Navy going vintage, and more. See who else made our September unofficial most interesting retailers List.

On today's podcast episode, we discuss the unofficial list of the most interesting retailers for the month of September. Each month, our analysts Arielle Feger, Becky Schilling, and Sara Lebow (aka The Committee) put together a very unofficial list of the top eight retailers they're watching based on which are making the most interesting moves: Who's launching new initiatives? Which partnerships are moving the needle? Which standout marketing campaigns are being created? In this month's episode, Committee members Arielle Feger and Sara Lebow will defend their list against analysts Zak Stambor and Rachel Wolff, who will dispute the power rankings by attempting to move retailers up, down, on, or off the list.

Retailers invest in virtual reality, mobile apps, and AI to improve the customer experience: Walmart, Levi’s, and Family Dollar are among the companies turning to tech to boost sales.

Retail marketers should focus on brand marketing to combat consumers’ desire for value. That was the main theme from General Mills, Nike, Levi’s, and more brands’ recent earning calls. Oh, and if you can get Beyonce to name a song after your brand, even better.

The UK’s resale economy is thriving as shoppers look to save money and live more sustainably. Retailers and brands need to act—or risk losing out.

Digitally native D2C brands embrace traditional retail strategies: More are inking partnerships with retailers like Amazon and Walmart to expand their reaches and offset soaring acquisition costs.

As apparel retailers grapple with consumers’ pullback in discretionary spending, a few common themes are emerging. Some are refocusing on core consumers while others are experimenting with cutting-edge technologies.

Is India the next China? Retailers from Apple to Dior to Levi’s are looking to expand in the world’s fastest-growing retail market, but success isn’t guaranteed.

Social media ad spend declined in the second half of 2022, and the category will make up a shrinking slice of total digital ad spend in the US this year, according to our forecast. But brands still need a social media presence. That’s where AI and ChatGPT can help. Here are six uses for generative AI in organic social campaigns.

Adidas will rely on wholesale to help dig it out of its Yeezy hole: But weak demand from retail partners could delay its comeback.

AI becomes a must-have tool for retailers: Dick’s Sporting Goods, Levi’s, Panera, and others are relying on the technology across all areas of their businesses.