Welcome to The Merchant Life, where senior leaders in retail seek out valuable merchandising insights.
We’re writing this in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean on the Azores Islands off mainland Portugal. We will be holding several meetings in Europe during our time here until the middle of February - drop us a note if you are available, happy to meet up.
Fun fact - this is the final edition of the newsletter for 2022. And, as we close out the year, there are a few important announcements that are worth sharing with you.
We start off with Liza’s appointment to the advisory board of the Women of Color Retail Alliance (WOCRA).
She is one of two appointments to the board, the second is Bernardine Wu, Executive Managing Director at OSF Digital.
"I envisioned what is now WOCRA almost 15 years ago, but there were too few of us. Today we are a growing community of close to 1000," says Kimberly Lee Minor, President & Founder of WOCRA. "With the addition of Liza and Bernardine to the board, we are in a position to move that vision of providing WOC in retail with a supportive network and access to skills for career advancement in welcoming corporate cultures serious about inclusion and equity to a new level"
To learn more about WOCRA, please visit https://www.wocretailalliance.org/
In early November, we presented at the Accessories Council’s business workshop in New York City. Stemming from that event, we have the pleasure to announce that we have officially joined the council as a member.
The Accessories Council is a not-for-profit, international trade organization established in 1994. Their mission is to stimulate global consumer awareness and demand for fashion accessory products.
Their membership has grown internationally to include over 330 companies and organizations - and we are excited to join.
To learn more about The Accessories Council and read past issues of their quarterly publication, Accessories Magazine, visit www.accessoriescouncil.org.
First, during our time at The Running Event last month, we met up with Rick Saez to record an episode of The Outdoor Biz, Un-Cut on the trade show floor.
We recapped one of our Running Event presentations, The Product Assortment Playbook.
Listen to the episode on Spotify right here:
Next, The Interline released its 2022 Digital Product Creation Year-End Report. There are 15 exclusive editorials in this extensive work - one of them is authored by us.
We discuss the cultural barriers that impede digital transformation within retailers. Going into 2023, intelligent use of technology will assist to enhance the customer experience and fuel growth.
The report is available for free by following this link - no signup or personal information is required.
Finally, we penned a thought leadership piece for Sourcing Journal entitled: Why Retail’s Inventory Issues Are a Good Thing.
There is something deeply flawed within the business model of the industry, and process innovation is urgently needed - excess inventories provide the opening to engage accordingly.
We appreciate your support over the past year, thank you!
Feel free to share these announcements with a colleague by hitting the button below.
The Merchant Life returns in 2023 with our non-predictions for the upcoming year.
Until then, wishing you the best for the holiday season and a happy new year!