We know times are tough for retailers across the US. Whether it’s trying to figure out how to keep consumers engaged or trying to keep costs low, everyone is trying to stay ahead in light of increasing pressures from inflation.

For MyTheresa, the German e-commerce luxury brand that has only been in the US since June 2021, the retailer has been up against pretty much the same pressures—but has seemingly survived.

At Retail Brew’s recent The Checkout event, Heather Kaminetsky, president of North America at MyTheresa, told us about the unique strategies and approach that has helped the brand stay afloat with increasing competition from the likes of Ssense and Farfetch.

For starters, she said, MyTheresa’s customers are unique in their shopping habits. “Our customers shop continuously, sometimes every day, but definitely monthly,” she said. “They’re always looking for a full wardrobe.”

Keep reading here.—JS

Here’s a cold, hard retail truth: Pure DTC might help you reach retail customers directly, but it doesn’t mean you’re reaching more customers overall.

Okay, now for some good news. The most practical solution to securing retailers and winning brand loyalty is actually a simple one: barcodes. Need more deets? The not-for-profit org GS1 US is here to help.

Once you get an official barcode on your products, you can manage, track, and uniquely identify your inventory. GS1 standards also include 2D barcodes (like QR codes) that help brands tell their stories via product packaging to make meaningful connections with consumers.

If your pure DTC is lagging, read all about how barcodes can become your biz’s BFF.

The start of the new year has been a time for new beginnings for many retail executives, as execs from beauty to fashion to grocery were on the move in January. Here are the most notable retail C-suite moves to know:

• H&M CEO Helena Helmersson unexpectedly quit after four years in the role, saying, “It’s time for me to slow down, and you can’t do that in this job.” Daniel Ervér, a 18-year H&M vet and current head of its H&M brand, has taken over the top spot.
• LVMH vet Michael Burke took over the role of chairman and CEO of LVMH Fashion Group, leading the company’s fashion labels including Céline and Marc Jacobs. He replaces Sidney Toledano, who departed to serve as advisor to LVMH founder and CEO Bernard Arnault.
• Target tapped CFO Michael Fiddelke, who started with the retailer in 2003 as an intern, to take over the COO position left vacant by John Mulligan, who announced his retirement in October. Fiddelke will hold both roles until the retailer names a new CFO.

Keep reading here.—EC

It’s been anything but a light year for America’s second-best selling beer.

In what seems to be an attempt at a comeback, Anheuser-Busch will be running a 60-second Bud Light commercial in this year’s Super Bowl. The brand faced conservative backlash in 2023 for its campaign with transgender creator Dylan Mulvaney, which contributed to sinking sales. In addition to losing its place as America’s No. 1-selling beer to Modelo, the brand also lost its first female VP of marketing, Alissa Heinerscheid, as a result of extended boycotts.

A teaser for this year’s ad, which shows a man in a Peyton Manning Broncos jersey recognizing a mustachioed man in sunglasses to the tune of Steppenwolf’s “Magic Carpet Ride,” indicates a return to the more male-focused image that Heinerscheid once said she was trying to shed.

Keep reading here on Marketing Brew.—KH