The rise of shopping apps selling ultralow-cost goods from China is drawing more value-driven US consumers. But are their strategies sustainable over the long term?

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.

Retailers struggle to find a balance between growth and sustainability: Efforts to reduce environmental footprints often run counter to the desire to grow sales.

Online fashion resale remains a fast-growing retail channel despite ongoing economic headwinds—and Gen Z is the driving force. How can brands and retailers venturing into fashion resale find success amid pullbacks on discretionary spending?

The gap between H&M and Inditex is getting wider: While Inditex records record profits, H&M veers toward a Q1 operating loss. (This article was written with the assistance of ChatGPT.)

Economic conditions will have a huge effect on the retail, media, and marketing industries in 2023. For companies to succeed, the cost-conscious consumer must be front and center.

The share of online purchases that shoppers return keeps rising: That’s a growing challenge for retailers seeking to rein in costs without hindering the customer experience.

Charging for returns is an easy way to lose customer loyalty: Retailers need to think of returns as an extension of the customer experience—and not just a cost to be managed.

Retailers embrace unconventional returns tactics: While some like Boohoo are charging fees to offset costs, other methods like UGC content and peer-to-peer returns are gaining steam.

Retailers struggle with online returns, but charging won’t help: Brands like Asos and Boohoo should focus on improving the customer experience to help mitigate the effects of inflation and bracketing.

Zara is charging UK customers £1.95 to return online orders: The fee may help preserve Zara’s margins, but it could come at a cost to brand loyalty.

Chinese fast-fashion retailer Shein seeks a $100 billion valuation: That’s more than the combined worth of H&M and Zara, despite Shein selling exclusively online.

Shein’s legal maneuvers demonstrate its global ambitions: The fast-fashion retailer is expanding its Singapore presence as it attempts to bypass stricter Chinese rules on offshore IPOs.

The fashion resale market has grown 21 times faster than the traditional retail market over the past three years, according to a January 2019 report from online resale marketplace thredUP.