So many memes—oh, and reports—have been created to try and understand Gen Z. Retail Brew is taking a slightly different approach: We put together five charts that define the generation, who are estimated to have nearly $150 billion in spending power, and their consumer habits.

You can also see Morning Consult’s list of Gen Z’s 25 most-loved brands here.

Click here for more.—GT

For those considering showering in their jeans to secure the perfect fit, Levi’s might have an easier fix. The denim maker yesterday announced in a blog post that it’s piloting two new sizing capabilities on its website, hoping to address an issue it noted is responsible for around 40% of annual returns, according to Narvar.

“With online shopping, one of the biggest obstacles the industry faces is how to transfer the fitting-room experience to a digital environment,” Lara Lasisz, global DTC innovation lead at Levi’s, said in a statement. “We’re dedicated to finding the right technology that will help our fans find the perfect fit from the start.”

Happy medium: “See It In My Size,” which is now available in the US and will hit Europe next month, allows shoppers to view images of models that more closely align with their size, body shape, height, and skin tone when browsing clothes online, giving them a better sense of how a product will look on them.

• Levi’s said it sourced images from its employees through a company-wide contest, along with photo shoots with micro-influencers from the US, UK, and Belgium.
• The feature is powered by e-comm tech startup Reflekt Me.

More inclusive online fitting options are a growing priority for retailers. After acquiring virtual try-on company Zeekit last year, Walmart debuted a “Choose My Model” try-on tool in March that lets shoppers pick from 50 different models across different heights, body shapes, and skin tones.

And, and, and: Another tool from Levi’s—called “What’s My Size?”—offers sizing recommendations based on a shopper’s height, weight, and gender.

Zoom out: Levi’s has doubled down on tech over the last year to help shoppers meet their denim match. In October, it rolled out AI-driven tech called “Grid Sort” that uses shopper info to create profiles with products personalized to their interests.—EC

On Wednesdays, we wear pink spotlight Retail Brew’s readers. Want to be featured in an upcoming edition? Click here to introduce yourself.

For John Shaw, grocery runs in the family: For more than 50 years, his grandfather owned a couple of Piggly Wiggly’s in Texas and Arkansas. Still, the industry wasn’t Shaw’s own path…at first. He went to law school—and even practiced (“briefly,” he noted)—before landing at Walmart. After almost a decade at the retail giant, with roles spanning international strategy, sourcing fresh produce, and more, Shaw then moved to Ahold Delhaize’s e-comm-focused Peapod Digital Labs, where he focused on international sourcing. Now, he’s at online grocery startup Farmstead as its head of supply (merchandise, sourcing, and replenishment)—a job you can learn more about straight from the source.

How would you describe your job to someone who doesn’t work in retail? My team builds, decides, and negotiates our assortment. This includes the selection of items we carry, who we source from, negotiations, promotions, partnerships, and fun, innovative ways to bring a curated assortment to life. We can move with speed and add items within a day, so we listen to feedback.

One thing we can’t guess about your job from your LinkedIn profile: Retail requires a great deal of discipline mixed with creativeness. I love the creative side and thinking through storytelling: pick the right items, merchandise them, and bring an interesting story to life that resonates with consumers.

What’s your favorite project you’ve worked on? We launched Chicago in February of this year. I loved partnering with local suppliers to bring a true Chicago feel to our assortment with 100+ local items.

Hands down, the best fast food restaurant chain is…Chick-fil-A.

Reheated: How food brands that were neglected by larger companies end up thriving under new ownership. (Food Dive)

Top of the pile: The surprisingly complicated way that the Met Gala’s red carpet is sourced every year. (Curbed)

American bland stand: Why are American potato-chip flavors so boring compared to the rest of the world’s (even though US snack companies make many of the more interesting flavors sold overseas, too)? (Eater)

Usher in a new era of work: Leave behind the disjointed apps, vague tasks, and complicated processes—and say hello to a better way to work. It’s all here in Asana’s U.S. Anatomy of Work Report 2022.*

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Catch up on the Retail Brew stories you may have missed.

• How Liz Hershfield is pioneering sustainability at Madewell and J.Crew
• After a record 2021, retail tech funding slowed down in Q1
• Inside Sephora’s Accelerate program