NEWS
Inside the Industry
Fossil Group Inc. has announced that Melissa Lowenkron will join the company as senior vice president and general manager of the Fossil brand. In the newly created position, she will be responsible for brand strategy, product design and marketing. Lowenkron previously spent 24 years at Neiman Marcus, where she most recently served as senior vice president and general merchandise manager for handbags, ladies’ shoes, beauty and jewelry. With the new appointment, Executive Vice President and Chief Brand Officer Steve Evans will focus his efforts on growing Fossil Group’s other owned and licensed brands including Relic, Michele Watch, Skagen Denmark, Misfit, WSI and Zodiac Watches. Fossil also makes licensed accessories for brands including BMW, Puma and Kate Spade New York.
The Bay, which operates thebay.com featuring Marketplace, one of Canada’s largest premium life and style digital platforms, is partnering with NuOrder by Lightspeed to further accelerate its digital-first transformation, helping buyers make decisions using data, collaborate with vendors and expedite the go-to-market process. The purchase-order/item-creation process is automated through a fully integrated system that can show and deliver products to customers faster. “We are driving a customer-centric approach across our business, and the NuOrder by Lightspeed platform now streamlines our internal process with significant speed and efficiency and allows us to elevate and cater to market preferences through curated on-trend assortments,” said Laura Janney, chief merchant of The Bay.
The American Apparel & Footwear Association applauded the House’s passing of the Ocean Shipping Reform Act of 2021, which would require the Federal Maritime Commission to establish and enforce rules regarding minimum service requirements for shippers, respond to breaches of contracts, and address excessive and unjust detention and demurrage fees. The bipartisan piece of legislation was introduced Aug.10 by Congressmen John Garamendi (D-Calif.) and Dusty Johnson (R-S.D). The legislation now moves to the Senate for consideration. “The AAFA encourages equally swift passage of OSRA by the Senate to stem the tide of this disaster and benefit all Americans by helping to bring this crisis under control while preventing future crises,” said Steve Lamar, president and CEO of the AAFA.
JOOR, the world’s leading digital wholesale platform, has released its end-of-year figures for 2021, which show the continued acceleration of brands growing or expanding their digital offerings even with the return of in-person shopping and events. Real-time insights from the platform found the volume of wholesale transactions increased 60 percent over 2020, averaging over $1.5 billion per month. The number of orders placed on the platform increased 35 percent year over year, and the average order value increased 59 percent over last year. Brand and retailer engagement also grew on the platform with over 400,000 new connections between brands and retailers. Retail accounts grew by 100,000, a 37 percent increase over 2020, mostly driven by boutiques joining the platform.
