When discussing manufacturing in apparel and footwear, you’ve undoubtedly heard the criticism of many jobs being outsourced to China. But that’s definitely not the case for every brand.

In 2021, Rothy’s—which was founded in 2012, launched in 2016, and is known for its environmentally friendly shoes that are made from single-use plastic bottles and other recycled materials—made a commitment to reach circular production and carbon neutrality by the end of 2023. Two years later, and the company is close to reaching that goal with the help of its chief supply-chain officer, Heather Howard, who’s been with the company since 2017. Howard told Retail Brew that the company’s manufacturing process, which uses an entirely vertically integrated model and 3D knitting technology, sets Rothy’s apart in the footwear industry.

Rothy’s owns and operates a vertically integrated facility in Dongguan, China, which works in tandem with the company’s design headquarters in San Francisco. This means that only Rothy’s employees, and no other manufacturers, touch their shoes during production.

• Howard was brought on in 2017 as VP of operations and people. She held the role of chief operations officer from 2021 to 2022 before taking over as CSCO full time, and now her efforts are focused on ensuring Rothy’s supply chain is as sustainable and efficient as possible.

The vertically integrated manufacturing process was particularly helpful during 2021, when retailers across the board faced supply-chain issues.

• By using recycled materials for new shoes, costs from buying raw materials and outside suppliers create a more nimble supply chain.

“We’ve also been able to reduce our carbon emissions at the source by working closely with our shipping partner to optimize how we ship and by installing solar panels at the factory,” Howard told Retail Brew.

Keep reading here.—KM

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Over her 14+ years with CPG giant Danone, Ariel Fortune Dalton has worked her way up from category analyst to SVP of commercial leadership. Get to know her better below.

How would you describe your job to someone who doesn’t work in retail? I commercialize great ideas, which turn into great activations and products. I work across teams to bring products to the market so you can enjoy them. I also manage a highly passionate and productive team.

One thing we can’t guess about your job from your LinkedIn profile? When people see I work at Danone North America, they often don’t realize the breadth of Danone’s portfolio. We have so many product categories and brands that consumers can purchase anywhere they shop and consume food.

What’s your favorite project you’ve worked on? The development and launch of Horizon Growing Years Milk. Knowing how critical nutrition is for young children, we partnered with pediatricians to identify key nutrients they need as they make the transition to dairy milk around 12 months. While working on this project, I was also expecting my first child, a daughter. She was top of mind for me throughout the entire process.

Which emerging retail trend are you most excited about this year, and why? The rise of e-commerce, specifically the convenience and use of delivery networks like Instacart and Shipt, is a game-changer for my family of five.

Keep reading here.—EC

Our monthly theme for March is supply chains, something virtually everyone in retail is talking about these days—and those conversations aren’t likely to end anytime soon. Katishi got us started above (and here, ICYMI), and we’ll have much more throughout the month. But before we get too far ahead of ourselves, we want to take a moment to look back, way back to February, when we explored robots in retail.

Welcome to the machines: What’s the next step in the evolution of automation? Katishi went in search of answers.

• Experts dish on the future of robotics in retail

Rollin’: “When you navigate to Serve Robotics’s website, it poses an interesting question: ‘Why deliver two-pound burritos in two-ton cars?’” writes Erin. “After briefly wondering if burritos are actually that heavy, you may realize the answer to the actual question lies simply in the fact that there aren’t too many other delivery alternatives.”

• These companies say they’re using robots to offer retailers cheaper and more sustainable delivery

Talking back: Conversational AI may bring efficiency and improved customer experience to retail, but the speedy development of chatbots has come with challenges, reports Maeve Allsup.

• Retail chatbots are evolving, and bringing new challenges

A bot to be desired: Andrew Adam Newman visited Prince Tea House in New York’s Chinatown, and met Bella, a robot server that brings your food and even sings “Happy Birthday.”

• We got waited on by a robotic server to see how some restaurants are addressing the staffing shortage

Artificially intelligent design: Jeena Sharma writes that “the robots are coming for fashion,” and details how innovations in the cutting, designing, and sewing process could disrupt the industry.

• Can automation in fashion transform the design process?

Today’s top retail reads.

Bubbling up: For the past three years, Bud Light Seltzer has faced a major branding problem: a lot of people thinking the product contains actual beer. A new ad campaign hopes to fix that. (CNN)

A Penney earned: Checking in on the finances of privately held JCPenney, as filings show the company may be struggling. (Retail Dive)

Scrubbing in: Soap brand Dr. Bronner’s is cutting back its plastic use in creative ways, like turning to a beverage distributor to put bulk liquid soap in kegs to be delivered to retailers. (New Hope Network)

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