This week, in the runup to Labor Day, we’re re-featuring top stories from the last few months across our key coverage topics.

Hasbro has long been synonymous with the kinds of toys kids can hold in their hands: iconic brands such as Transformers, Nerf, and Play-Doh, which came in the form of plastic figurines, dart guns with foam bullets, and moldable wads of wheat flour, salt, and water. But lately, digital sales are seeing double-digit growth, while demand for physical toys is slumping. In fact, the trade-off between the two is roughly one-to-one. In the second quarter, sales in the company’s Wizards of the Coast and Digital Gaming segment increased 20%, while its consumer products segment declined 20%.

But amid this transition from battle bots to bits, Hasbro is also starting to see higher profits, which have more to do with actions the company is taking behind the scenes than the composition of its sales. After facing monumental logistical challenges during the pandemic, Hasbro is working to sort out its global supply chain and bring down costs in the process, delivering $40 million in net cost savings in Q2.

Keep reading here.—AV

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If you could barely keep up with all the high-profile retail CEO switch-ups this August, we’ve got you covered. Here are the major executive shifts to know about:

• Nestlé CEO Mark Schneider was ousted from his role, which he’s held since 2017, and was replaced by Laurent Freixe. Schneider was given just 24 hours’ notice before the change was announced, per The Wall Street Journal.
• Starbucks selected Chipotle CEO Brian Niccol to replace Laxman Narasimhan as its new CEO. Niccol will be a supercommuter—using Starbucks’ corporate plane to travel 1,000 miles from his California home to its headquarters in Seattle.
• Estée Lauder CEO Fabrizio Freda, who’s led the beauty giant for around 15 years, will retire from his role next year. His successor has yet to be named.
• Party City named Barry Litwin its president and CEO. Litwin most recently served as CEO of Global Industrial Company, and has held exec roles at Sears and Office Depot.
• Savage X Fenty CEO Hillary Super left the lingerie brand to become chief executive at Victoria’s Secret, taking over from Martin Waters.
• Diane Von Furstenberg tapped Graziano de Boni as its new CEO, filling the spot Gabby Hirata vacated in June 2023. A former Armani and Prada exec, de Boni joined DVF last October to lead product and brand strategy.

Keep reading here.—EC

This week in fashion news: One major fashion retailer is moving its show from Copenhagen to Paris, and Temu owner PDD sees a dramatic drop in its share price.

Ganni goes to Paris

Danish label Ganni is headed to Paris Fashion Week next month to present its Spring/Summer collection. It previously took part in Copenhagen Fashion Week, though it didn’t present during the past two seasons.

Why this matters: The move comes just months after the brand hired former Balenciaga deputy CEO Laura du Rusquec as its new chief exec, as it aims to make a mark on the global fashion industry. “Ganni has established itself globally, and as we enter our next chapter of growth, showcasing in Paris is a natural evolution for our brand equity and scale,” du Rusquec said in a statement.

Keep reading here.—JS