Nowadays, sustainability and circularity have become interchangeable buzzwords which has created confusion in determining which brands are and aren’t greenwashing. In the fourth season of Retail Revolution, author and educator, Sass Brown added, “Sustainability and circularity are so grossly misunderstood and misused now... There's a real loss of the complexity and the diversity and the real meaning of the issue.”

In every industry, diversity and inclusion bring different people, talents, experiences, and ideas together in order to create the best possible products and services. However, demographic trends in retail and the fashion industry suggest that it’s not as diverse as we may think, or want it to be. In 2018, total US employment was 155.76 million, and all of fashion and retail employment accounted for 1.5% of that, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. White people account for more than 72% of employees in clothing, shoe, jewelry, and leather goods stores, and women account for more than 64% of total retail employees. Meanwhile, Latinx employee statistics range from 18-26% (depending on clothing, shoe, or jewelry retail), African Americans or Black employees range from 9-14%, and Asian employees are roughly between 4 to 7%.

Retail can be a difficult topic to teach in schools, because not only is experience a large aspect of retail, but many aspects of retail that are taught can be considered essentially theoretical. Retail encompasses so many different things - management, mathematics, finance, visual merchandising, buying, and so much more. However, what is often forgotten in fashion education is the actual management of retail, which plays a critical role as it is very strategic. As a result, undergraduate and graduate programs can have a difficult time getting in the weeds of retail - especially when you throw a pandemic in the mix.

The pandemic has tested the longevity of many fashion brands and retailers. Here’s several ways in which fashion brands, big or small, luxury or mass, can become more resilient.

Accept and implement new technology

Adopt to a new kind of economy

Become transparent about the value of luxury products

A frequent phrase in the media is that brick-and-mortar is dying, however that is far from the truth. Brick and mortar is not dead, and there are many reasons why this is not the case. According to Joshua Williams, Director of the Fashion Management MPS program at Parsons, “the biggest change in fashion retail is that e-commerce is driving innovation in brick and mortar. It’s allowed retailers a much more expansive vision--and toolset--to engage customers. While brick and mortar still accounts for the bulk of final sales, a complex customer journey back and forth across all digital and physical channels is informing that sale. And the more unified that experience is, the more likely customers will return.”

Sydney Price discusses her approach to the Soul Map and conscientious leadership as it relates to ethics and sustainability.

The COVID-19 pandemic created shifts and changes in retail that were experienced and felt around the world. There are now new ways for consumers to interact with retail that have really shaken the marketplace. The rise of digital commerce, online shopping, and online brand exposure are among them. They have made retailers globally face incredible challenges - store closures, being one of them.

AJ Lacouette, Creative Strategist and Trend Forecaster, discussed some of the findings from her recent culture report, entitled “LIFE, POST-PANDEMIC.”

Maria Soubbotina explores the top 5 ways the retail experience can improve according to five “Retail Revolution” experts in 2020, including Massimo Volpe, Luca Marchetti, Lauren McGuire, Carissa Barrett and Donald Rattner.

Maria Soubbotina explores the top three shifts in luxury according to three “Retail Revolution” experts in 2020, including Joshua Kapelman, Natalie Zfat and Ron Thurston.

In a recent interview with the CEO of Global Retail Alliance, Massimo Volpe, the three most commonly used words were experience, technology and world. While it’s not obvious, the word cloud shows how experience is tied in through various aspects such as store experience, digital experience, channel experience, and more.

Gucci, Omega, Donna Karan and Barneys New York are just a few of the well-known brands Christopher has worked with in his 20+ years. He has developed a specialty for creating meaningful customer experiences especially for affluent clients. Lacy is the Founder and CEO of Christopher Lacy Consulting a firm dedicated to building strategic client and team development programs. Through leveraging data from quantitative and qualitative research, CLC combines deep industry knowledge with leadership, sales coaching, CRM data, and operational expertise to elevate brand profiles and client experience.

Christopher is currently Assistant Professor at Parsons School of Design in the Fashion Management graduate program as well as Curriculum Developer for Parsons New School Executive Education Program. In addition to teaching at Parsons, he is also Co-creator and Host of Retail Revolution Podcast which features in-depth conversations with experts in omni-channel retailing with myriad perspectives: technology, consumer engagement, data analytics, merchandising and more. Christopher has shared his knowledge and industry outlook by facilitating workshops for Polimoda, writing articles for WWD, providing insight to Business Insider and participating on multiple panels including Fashinnovation NYC. 

“Independent Thinks: The Rise of Generation Z” episodes are central to highlighting young consumer voices. Since the inception, Retail Revolution has been a platform to gather perspectives and learn from experts in a multitude of fashion related fields. But what about the Gen-Z stance on the fashion landscape? This voice can’t go unheard, especially in our current landscape. This series was created for Gen-Z thinkers to channel their thoughts on socio-political issues, technology and challenge brands’. Additionally, these episodes welcome all professionals to learn from these Gen-Z voices and expose them to their attitudes and desires, to aid in rethinking retail’s future.

It was extremely overwhelming when I was offered the opportunity to host “Independent Thinkers: The Rise of Generation Z” series. My fellow intern Caitlin, and I teamed up to create the questions that would capture the essence of Gen Z shopping expectations and habits. And then we each identified three individuals from the generation that we felt would share their honest opinions and belief systems.

Meghan Houle, Senior Executive Recruiter at The Borrowman Group, ACC accredited Professional Career & Business coach, creator of the Meghan Houle-METHOD and recent podcast guest, shares these helpful resources for your job search.