Forecast Series: Enclosed Malls Go Extinct

Holiday Preparation: The latest edition to the Bold Metrics client list is the fast-growing State & Liberty, who is noted to be coming soon to the technology. Ahead of the holiday shopping season, the timing couldn't be better for retailers like them who value customer acquisition (+20%) and minimizing returns (-32%) those figures are the average improvements by Bold Metrics' partners. For the future of measure, sizing, and fit: Bold Metrics is proving to be the answer.

Member Brief (🔓): In a world increasingly driven by data, connectivity, and seamless integration of technologies, it’s no surprise that our vehicles are evolving to become the most intimate products we own. These are not just modes of transportation; they’re an extension of our digital lives, seamlessly integrated with our personal and professional activities.

In the annals of ancient mythology, the Greeks infiltrated the walls of Troy not through force, but with guile and deception in the form of a wooden horse on wheels. This iconic Trojan horse has since become a symbol of subterfuge, a strategy of infiltration under the guise of a gift. Fast forward to our digital age, and we see vehicles evolving into not just machines of transportation but highly complex mobile computing platforms. Beneath the sheen of these sophisticated interfaces lie intricate webs of power, influence, and control that have not just consumers but automakers themselves navigating a modern-day Trojan scenario.

But is this infiltration a benign integration or a strategic takeover? Drawing parallels between ancient myths and modern mobility, this essay delves into the role of Blackberry, the intricacies of automotive software, and the potential implications of having consumer-electronics giants at the wheel of our automotive future.

Unlocked: Car Brands Ranked By Privacy

Urban retail availability increases as suburbs flourish

Relevant to the forecast 👇🏽: Molly Morgan, Executive Vice President-Retail Leasing at JLL, tells GlobeSt.com that as millennials and Gen Z start families of their own, they are leaving in-town neighborhoods and heading to the suburbs.

NOW LIVE: The urban allure is being overshadowed by the appeal of suburban and exurban investment. in this second edition of the five-part forecast series, you can subscribe to see the future of retail real estate. 

Part 2 of 5: Enclosed Malls Go Extinct

Google, DOJ kick off biggest tech antitrust trial in decades

Antitrust: Dintzer said Google began "weaponizing" default search agreements in 2007, establishing a monopoly and maintaining it since at 2010 using specific and binding agreements with third parties like Apple, Mozilla and Android.

Mack Weldon to introduce denim with antimicrobial properties

DTC Innovation: Mack Weldon boasts that its denim line is the first jeans made with Ionic+ Silver woven into the fabric. As the brand’s promotional materials describe it: “These jeans are engineered to keep your legs…fresher longer, making your visits to the washing machine a little less frequent.” This is a great innovation that addresses the growing issue with microplastics covered here. The fewer washes, the fewer microplastics washed into our water supply. 

TikTok replaces 'storefront' with 'Shop'

eCommerce: Merchants must then use TikTok Shop to sell on the platform. Unlike Storefront, TikTok Shop is a full in-app browsing and buying experience. Customers complete orders on the app without redirecting to an external site. Consumers can engage with Shop in three ways: Live Shopping videos, in-feed TikToks, and the Product Showcase on a TikTok profile. Products appear via pins on content or by tapping the shopping basket icon.

How Glossier "tried and failed to become a tech company"

DTC Brands: From Glossier’s inception, the company was an acquisitions target, or at least one constantly talked about. By 2019, Glossier had raised so much money that very few companies could afford to acquire it. The better question was, of those that could afford it, whom would Weiss approve of?

Updated for September 7: 802 brands. Today’s breakout is the top 20 fastest growing brands over the last month, regardless of size or market position. This is the first time that we have ever taken a snapshot of this sort, you have the ability to sift the database to find nuggets like this as well. The slowest 20 brands (the largest MoM drops in ranking) is equally interesting if you’d like to take a look.

Birkenstock files for IPO

Brands meet media: Buoyed by the influence of the shared joy of consumption, one of the brands featured in the megahit "Barbie" successfully filed for IPO after a notable bump in its business. Birkenstock was founded in 1774 by Johann Adam Birkenstock, according to the company’s website. L Catterton took over a majority stake in the company in May 2021.

To reiterate: a 250 year old brand is going public and its PE ownership will benefit after just two years of ownership because of a successful cameo in surprise record-breaking hit "Barbie." Brand equity is a funny measure. 

Flexport founder rescinds job offers after CEO pushed out

Logistics: Flexport founder wanted an entrepreneur as the company's CEO. One year later, his handpicked successor is out and it's getting personal.

Target teams up with lifestyle Brand Kendra Scott

Omnichannel: Kendra Scott founded her company in 2002 with $500 in her spare bedroom. At the time she was pregnant with her first son, and doctors put her on bed rest. Kendra, who had been making jewelry for friends, had newfound time to dig deeply into her passion. She began selling her first collection to a local Austin boutique, with her young son in tow.

Instacart's flat shopping orders could hurt ad growth

Retail Media: As Instacart touts its hefty advertising revenue in its hotly anticipated IPO offering, purchases on the online grocery platform have flattened in the first half of 2023, a possible obstacle to future ad growth.

The leaders in retail media are: Amazon, Walmart, Instacart, Ebay, Uber, Criteo, Booking.com and Expedia but each of them relies on order volume to support the data required for advertising efficacy and proof of concept. (Read: The Step Function in Retail Media)