For better or worse, lockdown got us used to certain things. Working from home. Streaming opening night movies in fuzzy slippers. And doing absolutely everything conveniently, seamlessly, and most excellently online. And you know us humans: once we get used to something--especially if it makes our lives better, more comfortable, easier, or less expensive in any way--we’re not ones to give it up.  

Our Retail 2.0 platform keeps getting better. The new assortment planning experience couples excel-like capabilities with strong visualization tools, enabling buyers to merchandise their buys before finalizing their orders. To facilitate information sharing and collaboration, assortments can be shared between team members or even with brands with comments and questions.

In the past year, the fashion industry has proven its resilience and also acknowledged the importance of sustainability as critical to our future.

In her recent webinar, ‘Driving Growth In A Changing Wholesale Market,’ preeminent fashion business consultant Lisa Metcalfe advised brands how to strategize smart post-COVID. Her central message? Thoughtful and measured scaling of operations, based on careful cost-benefit analysis, will carry companies forward in this volatile environment--safely, steadily, and while minimizing risk.

A sustainable fashion industry. Consumers want it, and our planet needs it. But how do brands balance the environmental and ethical demands of a movement so often referred to as ‘slow fashion,’ with consumers’ ever-increasing expectations for speed, personalization, and convenience? Not to mention the intense financial pressures of recovery from the health crisis? Although it might seem counterintuitive, a mainstream sustainable business model can happen. It just requires digital transformation.

The post-pandemic market has become fashion’s new frontier: rife with possibility, but also full of changing business dynamics. Coming off a challenging year, how can brands best minimize their risk and set themselves up for success?  

People often say that art will find a way. But even the most talented and determined independent designers have spent the past year navigating some pretty intense terrain.  Thankfully, increased digitization has revealed promising new directions--creating opportunities for emerging talent to reach audiences and for buyers to discover them. 

Bringing your wholesale business online is an essential part of success in this new digital era. Based on industry trends, 9 out of 10 B2B decision-makers believe online buying will be a fixture throughout 2021 and beyond. We predict this trend will only continue. Industry professionals continue to rely on technology, from creating virtual showrooms and hosting digital trade shows to finding a platform for order management and data insights.

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For most ‘non-essential’ retailers, 2020 was not the best year. But many quarantined consumers re-channeled their entertainment spending into improving their household environments and home offices. As a result, multi-brand home specialty retailers saw profits actually increase during the health crisis--and general merchandisers with robust home offerings experienced significant boosts as well.