BUSINESS
Dry January is least of the alcohol industry’s problems
Brewers and distillers face a triple measure of woes due to demographic shifts, diet drugs and health warnings about alcohol
BUSINESS
Food Price Falling: Goodbye grocery greedflation and shrinkflation
The tide is turning on food prices. Consumers can rejoice, but manufacturers and stores should worry
BUSINESS
British consumers are being asked to defy gravity again
Appetite for food and fashion saved the consumer economy last year. They may not live up to the same expectations for 2024
BUSINESS
Nike needs a comeback. Adidas just wrote the playbook
Adidas CEO Bjorn Gulden offers a model for Nike’s tentative turnaround efforts: His decisions around emerging trends seem more akin to a fashion retailer’s instinct for best-sellers. Nike shifted from being organised around sports categories such as running or swimming to traditional departments such as women’s, men’s and children’s. It sharpened its focus on its digital business, selling directly to consumers. But by becoming a tech-and-luxury company, it dulled its product edge
LIFESTYLE
Louis Vuitton's latest popularity won’t stay in fashion long
The biggest names have enjoyed a remarkable run. But unless consumers in China and the US start to regain their appetite for bling soon, investors who have bought into the sector’s quick outfit change could find themselves out of fashion
TRENDS
Ozempic is spoiling the food industry’s bottomless brunch
Investors fear the rise of weight-loss drugs eating into their profits. But companies from Nestle to PepsiCo aren’t panicking yet
BUSINESS
Watches of Switzerland should be worried about its Rolexes
The British retail champion faces a more powerful rival in Bucherer now that Rolex has snapped it up
TRENDS
It's Barbie's world and consumers are living in it
Quiet luxury takes a backset to Barbiecore this summer
BUSINESS
UK Economic Squeeze: Catering to UK's silver-haired spenders is savvy
Tailoring products and services to suit older customers — from putting sleeves on dresses to installing more seats in shopping malls — may be essential to navigating the mortgage time bomb. Older Britons may be protected from the latest income squeeze as soaring interest rates ratchet up mortgage costs. The discomfort here will be most acute for midlife, middle-income households — especially with children at home, many of whom will also have home loans
BUSINESS
Unilever's new CEO may need to get radical for a company turnaround
Despite Unilever's enviable big-name-brand clout, an aggressive approach is necessary to tackle underperformance and structural problems
BUSINESS
UK retailers should make hay while the sun shines on shoppers
Brits are spending more thanks to the good weather in May and June and the recent pay increases. But don't expect the positive effects to continue, as ongoing inflation will slowly erode the effect of annual pay increases
BUSINESS
Billionaire Bernard Arnault has a MoonSwatch in his archives
TAG Heuer should bring back a ‘90s retro model to boost its hype-watch status
TRENDS
Inflation makes us all want to dress like the 1%
In times of anxiety, everyone wants to look and feel like they have old money
TRENDS
China saves LVMH and Big Bling from a fashion faux pas
Market expectations were high for Chinese customers to buttress stock valuations. And they’ve delivered — for now
BUSINESS
New consumer CEOs are about to clean up
The sector is undergoing its biggest leadership shakeup in decades. Newcomers must turn around their corporate homes or keep them steady
BUSINESS
Crypto bros ditched NFTs along with Rolexes
The richest art collectors are still on a tear, but recent banking turmoil may change the picture
BUSINESS
Crypto bros turn back time on their Rolexes, Patek Philippes
Many of those who bought luxury timepieces during the boom of 2022 have been forced to sell. But those bargains might soon run out.
BUSINESS
Cartier can craft the future of luxury
“Whispers” of LVMH taking over Richemont have the potential to change the bling landscape
TRENDS
Pharrell Williams at Louis Vuitton is a different look from Gucci
The approaches taken by the fashion houses could not be more different. Their new creative leads have huge designer sneakers to fill
TRENDS
Adidas needs the last Yeezy shoe to drop
The German sportswear giant just revealed €700 million worth of bad news. New CEO Bjorn Gulden has to prove there are no more-ugly surprises
TRENDS
Head to Tokyo or Seoul for the latest Gucci and Louis Vuitton
The luxury giants are doubling down on Japan and South Korea. That should help offset shopping malaise in China
BUSINESS
Put the nepo babies in charge of the luxury business
LVMH is thriving under CEO Bernard Arnault and his offspring. Why not let the billionaire bling kids do what they do best?
BUSINESS
China's richest shoppers hold the key to luxury's future
Big Bling’s fortunes are inextricably linked to China, especially as high-end spending in the US and Europe comes down from its heady 2022 heights
ECONOMY
The US, EU consumer economy is starting to crack under inflation
Europe is the epicenter of worry for many of the big consumer goods companies, from Unilever to Heineken and L’Oreal.
