FN Investigates: Why the Future of Retail Rests Squarely on Direct-to-Consumer
Following an acclaimed fall 2013 debut, Sarah Flint’s eponymous footwear label — a favorite of A-listers Meghan Markle, Heidi Klum and Blake Lively — has enjoyed a rapid rise. Landing coveted shelf space at Barneys New York, Bloomingdales and Level Shoe is among the most celebrated achievements on the company’s mantle...

“My mission has always been to offer great quality, incredible shoes to women of discerning taste — but as the business grew, we saw that the traditional model drove up prices and limited the products’ reach,” Flint said of her recent decision.... read more here.
America's 10 Most Valuable Malls are Bringing in Billions in Sales. Here's Where They are...
The U.S. retail landscape has its fair share of underperforming, out-of-date properties, but the highest-quality malls are still attracting shoppers in droves, raking in more than $1,000 per square foot, well above the industry's average. 

According to boutique research firm Boenning & Scattergood, the 20 most valuable malls in America that are owned by real estate investment trusts bring in roughly... read more here.
FDRA's National Shoe Sales Reports 

The most up-to-date retail data and analysis of nationwide 
brick-and-mortar independents, e-commerce, and mass retail sales
Starting from a broader perspective, overall retail demand grew a robust year-over-year 5.4% last month, the third-best showing in five and a half years.

Sales were broadly positive across the country, with all but one of Canada's thirteen provinces and territories posting gains in retail demand from a year ago and all eleven retail sectors expanding from a year earlier.

How 'See-Now-Buy-Now' is Rewiring Retail
Thanks to social media, consumers are more engaged than ever and have access to information almost at the same level as an industry insider. Senior merchants at retailers and brands have a very difficult time presenting consumers with a point of view because they already have it. Just look at the fragmentation of trends – the chief merchant of a $4 billion apparel brand recently told me "the new trend is that there is no trend.”

As a result, consumers want what they value, and they are doing the investigation and curation themselves. And, what they see on the runway now, they want now – not months down the road... read the full article on Forbes.
2 018 Outlook as U.S. Shoe Stores Cut Average Hours & Wages again

Facing persistently soft sales across the sub-sector, US shoe stores continue to pare labor costs in response, an environment in stark contrast to a year ago.

2017 Retail Footwear Price Trends & A Look Ahead to the New Year

U.S. retail footwear prices lost ground again in December as sales remain on the defensive, causing full-year footwear prices to decline in 2017 for the first time in a decade.

To Save Retail, Bloomingdale's Turns to Migos
The crowd looks no different than the ones so frequently lined up outside the Supreme shop in SoHo: teens flexing in Off-White tees, Bape Shark hoodies, and head-to-toe Supreme. It’s a crowd that can make anyone of legal drinking age feel like a geezer. The group is crowded around a pristine white cube with a TV inside displaying palm trees, gold chains, and tigers.

The audience is here waiting for the Migos (the Atlanta-based culture-setting better-than-the-Beatles rap trio made up of Offset, Quavo, and Takeoff) to show up—”I want to meet them,” says Charles, a Manhattan College student, “or just see them”—to promote an apparel collection launching alongside their new 26-track album of bangers and slappers, Culture II. But the here—and the who, really—is notable. Because we’re not in Soho, or even Brooklyn. The hormonal wave of streetwear... read more here.
Footwear Stories That Caught Our Eye in January