MADE Trends introduces "Covid-19 & The Retail Industry". In this new report, MADE Trends explores a post-COVID future for retail, where brands and consumers alike will be forced to collaborate and evolve in creative new ways. After years of "retail apocalypse" predictions, the coronavirus pandemic has thrown the industry into truly uncharted waters where it feels like only the strongest will survive. But when the dust settles, we suggest there is an opportunity for a retail r

One value of direct-to-consumer is that customers have easy access to a brand: it’s simple to find, understand, and purchase; and they feel like they understand the company’s mission more intimately than they would with the average legacy brand. But it also creates direct access to your customers. You can make the most of this by building a direct line of communication and soliciting feedback from followers, shaping future product updates, and marketing campaigns around what

Shopping Spotlights is Pinterest’s new feature, allowing users to purchase curations by guest editors, including influencers and publishers. Former Teen Vogue editor in chief Elaine Welteroth, influencer Blair Eadie, interior designer Sarah Sherman Samuel and publications such as Refinery29, Domino and Who What Wear are partnering with Pinterest for the launch. “A big focus of our product roadmap in the shopping space the last 18 months has been to bridge the gap between peo

Even before the impact of Covid-19, the fashion industry was in the process of adjusting to a new reality, where old ways of manufacturing and selling weren’t able to keep up with new global standards and rising consumer expectations around sustainability and transparency. MADE Trends’ deck “Sustainability: A Starting Point” is an overview of key trends and changing consumer attitudes, illustrated with best-in-class examples from leading environmentally conscious brands to re

Gen Z is the generation most willing to pay a premium for sustainable products (73%) compared to millennials (68%), Gen X (55%), Silent Generation (50%) and baby boomers (42%). Some of Gen Z are more inspired by figures like Greta Thunberg and no-waste queen Lauren Singer. Activism comes naturally to this cohort, who vote with their wallet and will abandon a brand they feel disagrees with their views. They feel a deep association between their behaviors as a consumer and a ci

Gen Z is the generation most willing to pay a premium for sustainable products (73%) compared to millennials (68%), Gen X (55%), Silent Generation (50%) and baby boomers (42%). Some of Gen Z are more inspired by figures like Greta Thunberg and no-waste queen Lauren Singer. Activism comes naturally to this cohort, who vote with their wallet and will abandon a brand they feel disagrees with their views. They feel a deep association between their behaviors as a consumer and a ci

With e-commerce making up an increasing share of retail sales year over year, it seems a natural choice for retailers across categories to invest in. However, there are some retail experiences that seem to just not translate online: chief among them, off-price and dollar stores. When it comes to discount e-commerce, strategies differ. TJ Maxx has sold online since 2013, but the parent company’s Home Goods brand does not, and it brought Marshall’s online just last year. Chall

Brands often feel hamstrung between getting political – risking the alienation of customers who disagree – or staying silent, risking condemnation from an increasingly politically activated consumer base. Data shows that consumers care, but doesn’t necessarily help brands know where to align politically. According to a study by Morning Consult and AdAge, 47% of all consumers have taken some kind of action inspired by a brand's political actions. Clever, non-partisan strategi