Forever 21’s bankruptcy in 2019 can be blamed on a number of factors, but a couple stand out—namely, its overestimation of the number of physical stores it needed (200 of which were eventually closed by the brand’s new owners) and its loss of relevance among its core audience.

In fact, a 2019 survey by research firm Ypulse found that perception of Forever 21 among consumers aged 13–30 had dipped by 13%.

So, naturally, when Forever 21’s current CEO, Winnie Park, who is leading the brand’s restructuring, joined the company in January 2022, she knew she had a tough job ahead: overhauling a fast fashion brand after a public bankruptcy in a climate where concerns around sustainability in fashion abound, as well as bringing back young shoppers to Forever 21’s stores.

But the former Paper Source CEO has stepped into her role with decades of experience behind her, including nine years spent at LVMH-owned luxury retailer DFS, and leading women’s merchandising at Levi Strauss-owned Dockers.

Under Park, the brand has been focused on reopening brick-and-mortar locations with more personalized and curated experiences for younger shoppers and growing the brand’s TikTok presence.

In an exclusive chat with Retail Brew, she tells us how she’s reinventing the brand for Gen Z.

Keep reading here.—JS

The retail landscape is more competitive than ever, meaning shoppers can take their business anywhere. How do you differentiate your brand? It’s all about the customer experience—with a little help from AI.

Check out the Zendesk x AWS webinar to find out how conversational AI can transform CX for the better.

With today’s fast-moving trends and economic uncertainty, retailers need to deliver on CX in the most cost-effective way possible. And with AI, retailers can provide conversational service at scale, freeing up service agents’ time and improving efficiency.

In the webinar, you’ll learn from Zendesk and AWS experts about how AI can help retailers:

• use conversational service at scale
• boost agent productivity
• make operations more efficient

Get the full webinar on demand here.

“The customer is always right.”

It’s an age-old expression that we’re not necessarily unpacking here, but retailers should take note: A positive customer experience is critical for business. It’s a complex component of operating a retail store, but it turns out that shoppers gravitate toward stores with helpful employees, fully stocked shelves, loyalty programs, and tech—to an extent.

Nearly two-thirds of Americans (65%) would likely stop shopping at a store where they had a negative shopping experience, according to a Harris Poll/Retail Brew survey of 2,102 US adults. Conversely, 82% of those surveyed said they’re likely to return where they had a positive experience.

Help me out: More than a third of those surveyed (36%) said they were likely to stop shopping at a store where items they wanted to purchase were out of stock.

• The most important factors in creating a positive shopping experience, according to survey respondents, are in-stock items (70%), the ease and speed of checkout (64% and 61%, respectively), helpful employees (62%), having multiple options for items (49%) and store layout (48%).

Keep reading here.—KM

Today’s top retail reads.

All that glitters…is probably gold: “Shifting gender norms and the overall casualization of fashion” are creating a men’s jewelry boom. (Business of Fashion)

Everything, everywhere, all at once: Amazon delivery’s ubiquity may be both a strength and a vulnerability, as it has made the company susceptible to “choke point organizing.” (the New York Times)

Just saying high: Ketamine continues to be studied as a potentially useful drug for treating depression and other mental health disorders, but now it’s being offered at some upscale wellness centers. (Harper’s Bazaar)

Putting the AI in retail: That’s right, y’all—retail CX is going smart. Learn how Wayfair looks to use natural language processing to get real-time insights at scale, sponsored by Square.*

^{*This is sponsored advertising content.}

Three of the stories below are real...and one is most definitely not. Can you spot the fake?

1. A Minnesota man has created a motorcycle that runs on beer instead of gas.
2. Taco Bell is pushing US regulators to free the phrase “Taco Tuesday.”
3. Dunkin’ has created an iced coffee that comes with a splash of vodka to up its happy-hour traffic.
4. IHOP has introduced a pancake-flavored coffee that can be made at home.

Keep reading for the answer.

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

• This diagnostic lab for pets has fashioned itself into a retail brand
• How TikTok helped Waterboy bootstrap its business
• Amazon and Mastercard expand biometric checkout tech