Mark Mclaughlin

This is part of a series of videos intend to explore the values we created late last year. While the words are new, these are values that have driven Randa Apparel & Accessories for over 100 years. No company can be successful for over a century without pushing for constant re-invention and having a mindset of entrepreneurial spirit. I love that these videos will show our associates discussing what these values mean to them. Values are not just words, they are actions, beliefs, and guideposts that not only reflect who you are, but also point to where you are going.

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Random act of kindness In 2016, ahead of the Ghostbusters premiere, Leslie Jones faced a fashion dilemma as no designers offered to dress her for the event. The fashion industry's emphasis on sample sizes and the challenges of creating custom gowns within tight timelines were the primary factors behind this issue. Designers typically focus on standard sample sizes, often lacking the resources to promptly craft custom, larger-sized gowns. Custom dress creation is expensive, leading designers to rationalize the cost by repurposing the dress for various occasions, which may not align with a single celebrity event's needs. Moreover, designers tend to create dresses based on specific requirements rather than maintaining extensive inventories of dresses in all sizes. Leslie Jones's public frustration on Twitter triggered widespread public outcry, highlighting the fashion industry's neglect of women beyond standard sample sizes. A positive shift occurred when designer Christian Siriano stepped in. In response to Jones's tweet, he offered to design a dress for her, addressing the size inclusivity issue in the fashion domain. This gesture not only resolved Jones's predicament but also sparked a crucial conversation within the industry. Christian Siriano's intervention and Leslie Jones's experience brought attention to the importance of greater size inclusivity in fashion. The incident exposed the gap between industry size norms and the diverse body types of most women, urging the fashion world to more accurately represent "real women." This event mirrors Beyoncé's past challenges, where she faced rejections from high-end labels due to her and Destiny's Child's "country curvy" physique, highlighting the ongoing necessity for inclusivity and acceptance of diverse body shapes in fashion. #FashionIndustry #SizeInclusivity #DiversityInFashion

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Patrice Louvet, President & Chief Executive Officer, Ralph Lauren, gives his take on 21st century leadership at WWD's Apparel and Retail CEO Summit.

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The 2024 merger of Saks Fifth Avenue and Neiman Marcus Group was meant to provide scale and synergies by combining the forces of America’s three biggest luxury department store names. In a court filing Tuesday, Saks Global Chief Restructuring Officer Mark Weinsten acknowledged what several observers have noted for months, that the tie-up also came with an immediate problem: 40% of Saks and Neiman locations are quite close to each other, sometimes anchoring the same malls. “Given the breadth of luxury retail chains that make up the Global Debtors’ brand portfolio, their stores face competition not only from other luxury retailers and e-commerce experiences, but also, in certain markets, from one another,” he said. “Given this landscape, the Global Debtors and their advisors have critically assessed the financial and operational performance of their retail locations to identify the strongest stores within their portfolio.”

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Here are some interesting stories from the world of retail for Wednesday, January 14: 🚫 Saks Global filed for bankruptcy protection late on Tuesday. Stores will remain open for now, and former CEO of Neiman Marcus department store chain Geoffroy van Raemdonck will replace Richard Baker. 🏬 JCPenney’s total Q3 net sales fell 3.8% year over year to $1.36 billion. Gross margin contracted from 38.7% a year ago to 38%. Net loss in Q3 widened 488% to $100 million. 📈 US consumer prices rose 2.7% annually in December, closing out a year that saw slight progress on inflation but continued affordability concerns for many Americans. 👜 Mulberry said it saw a strong festive trading period underpinned by its full-price sales mix and newness. For Q3, that translated into total group sales rising 5.3% with retail and digital sales rising 11%. ☕️ Coca-Cola has abandoned plans to sell its Costa Coffee chain after offers from private equity firms came in below expectations. It ended talks with bidders in December, halting a months-long auction process. 💄 Ulta Beauty is eyeing AI to improve its loyalty member experience. CEO Kecia Steelman said AI can use existing customer data to make product recommendations more personalized and predictive. 👓 Meta and EssilorLuxottica are discussing potentially doubling production capacity for their AI-powered smart glasses as demand surges for the Ray-Ban Meta frames. ✂️ Britain's consumers reined in their spending in December by the most in almost five years, according to debit and credit card data from Barclays published on Tuesday. 🛍️ The youngest generation of consumers is looking for a collaborative and immersive in-store retail experience. Virtually all (97%) of those surveyed want to help brands make design decisions. 📦 Amazon will appeal against a decision by an Italian court that reduced a fine imposed by the country's antitrust ⁠regulator as it believes it should not be ⁠charged at all. 🛋️ Wayfair is partnering with Google on an AI‑powered discovery and payment tool. The two companies have co-developed Google's Universal Commerce Protocol (UCP). 🍟 Philippine fast-food group Jollibee Foods plans a US listing in order to tap into the nation’s deep investor base that offers the company more opportunities than its anemic home market. 🛠️ Lowe’s has started selling the software behind its point-of-sale systems to other retailers as a new revenue stream for the big-box giant. 🇦🇷 British brand Superdry has confirmed its entry into Argentina as the launchpad for an ambitious regional expansion. #retail #retailnews #economy #DailyRetailNews

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HR is a direct driver of profit-led growth. In my 23+ years across retail, luxury retail, and media, I’ve seen how workforce decisions shape financial outcomes. Personnel costs are often the largest operating expense, and when managed strategically, they become one of the most powerful levers for profitability. That’s why I believe HR’s role goes far beyond having “a seat at the table.” HR should be the conductor of the table, facilitating how functions integrate, collaborate, and align with company goals. The right organizational design links strategy to execution, ensuring that people decisions fuel both the top and bottom line. My approach starts with sales and profitability targets, then builds the organizational structure and budget to achieve them. Read more in my latest interview: https://lnkd.in/erfy_pmr

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Executive compensation continues to rise, with notable increases in both pay packages and benefits. Our very own Elaine Hughes, Managing Director of E.A. Hughes, shared her expert insights in @WWD’s latest feature, which explores the findings of their recent study surrounding the top companies within the fashion industry. Read the full article here: https://lnkd.in/etEi7kau #ExecutiveLeadership #ExecutiveCompensation #ExecutiveSearch #BusinessStrategy

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Signet Jewelers, the largest jewelry retailer in the United States, reported stronger-than-expected earnings during the holiday season, which pushed its stock up significantly. The company posted quarterly sales of about $2.35 billion, meeting expectations, while earnings per share exceeded forecasts. Despite this strong performance, Signet issued a more cautious outlook for the coming year due to economic uncertainty. The company is also restructuring its business, including merging brands like James Allen into Blue Nile, in order to streamline operations and better target high-value customers.  https://lnkd.in/gdByRw5t

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