Paul Gonzalez

More than just a destination for sneakers, Portland streetwear has its own flavor that leans heavily into curation and exemplifies the city’s tendency toward function, comfort and eye-catching visuals. In their latest for Travel Portland, New Coyote CEO Marina Martinez-Bateman (they/them) digs into the local and national brands keeping sneakers and streetwear weird and tax-free in Portland, Oregon. https://lnkd.in/gGEqHwWH

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Your packaging is costing you more than you think. I'm not talking about the unboxing experience. I'm talking about the box itself. Most DTC brands pick a carton size and never revisit it. Meanwhile: → They're shipping 30% empty space per order → Their 3PL is charging dimensional weight on air → Container utilization is below 70% A 30-minute carton audit can fix all three. That's what Day 2 of the Unboxed Weekly welcome series is about: a Carton Configuration Guide + 3PL Savings bundle that shows you exactly where you're leaking money on packaging and fulfillment. One brand cut logistics costs by 15% just from this one fix. Subscribe and you get this on Day 2 of the 7-day series. Plus 7 more tools. Link in the comments.

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DTC in 2025: Burn the Cycling Industry Playbook Let’s not sugarcoat it: the cycling world is in the middle of a shake-up. Direct-to-consumer (DTC) is ditching the old rules, flipping the script, and giving power back to the cyclists. Here’s what’s going down: Inventory Apocalypse (And Why That’s Good for Consumers) The industry stocked up as if the end were near. Turns out, it wasn’t. Now there’s a fire sale, and bikes are dropping in price faster than a Cat 5 in a crosswind. Great for your wallet. Not so great for the shops that bought in at full freight. If you’re savvy, this is your time to pounce as a consumer. China Isn’t Just Making Your Bike. They’re Building the Brand The Shanghai 2025 show made one thing loud and clear: the factory is now the brand. Chinese companies aren’t waiting for Western labels to slap logos on their carbon. They’re launching their own lines, with innovation that actually rips. Get ready to see some fresh names with serious tech chops. DTC Grows Up: Online Meets IRL DTC brands used to live behind screens. Not anymore. The smart ones (shoutout to Canyon, Ari, etc.) are setting up brick-and-mortar spots in ride-rich zones like Bentonville. Try before you buy, wrench with a pro, grab a coffee; this hybrid model is how DTC wins cyclists, not just clicks. Custom Is King Mass production is for office chairs and toasters. Cyclists want flavor, and they’re getting it. From 3D-printed saddles to murdered-out titanium dream machines, the Bespoked scene and beyond is all about doing it your way. Cookie-cutter bikes are officially uncool. Sustainability With Teeth Finally, brands are realizing cyclists care about the planet they pedal on. Sustainable materials, smarter production, less waste. It’s not just buzzwords, it’s business. And yeah, even your socks can be performance-ready and environmentally friendly now. Bikes That Think Your next cockpit might know where you’re going before you do. Smart bars, crash detection, seamless GPS. Tech is getting slick, and honestly, it’s making every ride a bit sharper. You don’t need it, but once you try it, you’ll want it, especially if you are a data nerd (like me). Business As Usual Is Dead The industry players who thought the old rules still applied? They’re scrambling. The ones that listen, move fast, and care about cyclists, not spreadsheets, are the ones who’ll win the next lap. #cycling #bikes #DTC #ecommerce #manufacturing

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LULULEMON: Defending Design in the Age of Dupes Lululemon just filed a federal lawsuit against Costco, accusing the retailer of selling “dupes” of its Define jackets, Scuba hoodies, and ABC pants, items that mimic its signature designs so closely, they allegedly mislead shoppers and erode brand trust. The Kirkland versions come at a fraction of the price, triggering allegations of trade dress infringement and consumer confusion. What stands out more than the lawsuit is how it spotlights the growing rival strength of Costco’s private-label strategy. Kirkland products generate around $86 billion in annual sales, built on value, limited markups, and quality checks that would send many big brands scrambling. Analysts and design experts argue that many of the contested features like gussets, pocket shapes, and stitching are common, functional elements in apparel design. Some suggest Lululemon’s high-stakes legal challenge could unintentionally help smaller designers by blurring the line between innovation and imitation. All this unfolds as Lululemon faces broader headwinds, soft demand, U.S. tariffs cutting into margins, and a 20% drop in growth forecasts. In essence, this case isn’t just about protecting intellectual property, it’s about how deeply value and affordability are reshaping competitive advantage in retail. 📬 Want a full strategic breakdown exploring lessons in brand protection, value versus margin, and when to litigate or innovate? It’s waiting for you in the latest Built To Last newsletter. 👉 Subscribe to Built To Last to get the full story in your inbox.

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Abercrombie & Fitch (ANF) shares soared after Hollister sales climbed 16%, even as namesake brand sales declined 2% during the third quarter. $ANF jumped 30% Tuesday. CEO Fran Horowitz said Abercrombie sales are expected to remain flat this quarter, with Hollister growth set to drive the company’s holiday shopping season. “Abercrombie Brands has inventory positioned correctly and a strong marketing plan heading into the holiday season,” Horowitz said. “We’ve opened 30 new stores in the third quarter and aim for a total of 36 stores this year. We remain focused on bringing the brand back to growth.” For more market news, tune into: https://lnkd.in/egXnX_HY

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Fun fact from the hiring side of Style Nine to Five: Most fashion resumes we see aren’t “bad”… they’re just aimed at the wrong target. Strong candidates send in applications that: • Don’t match the roles they’re applying for • Tell one story on their resume and a different one on LinkedIn • Look generic to fashion hiring managers who are scanning in seconds So they get ignored, not because they’re not good enough, but because nothing about their application says “this person fits this role at this brand.” Our founder and fashion recruiting expert, Christie Lohr, reviews fashion applications every day for brands across Canada. After seeing the same patterns over and over, she turned her process into a focused, self‑paced system called Get Fashion Job Interviews. It’s built for fashion job seekers who are applying and hearing nothing backand it comes with a money‑back guarantee if interview requests don’t start coming in after applying what they learn. If you (or your network) are applying to fashion jobs and getting silence, you can see all the details here: 👉https://lnkd.in/ghSTBWcm

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