Welcome to Inside The Collective, a newsletter that invites you into the brains, conversations and ideas of Allison Collins and jessica ramírez, friends and cofounders of The Consumer Collective. Here, we share weekly thoughts on consumer sentiment, news, retail, fashion, beauty, business, things we like, things we don’t — and why. We hope it helps you connect the dots across the consumer world.
Don’t miss our latest consumer insights report, which highlights what consumers are spending on this summer + business opportunities.
The vibes around the World Cup are so joyful. Beyond Scottish people drinking Boston dry and Italian people marveling at Costco’s jumbo sizes, the World Cup is giving people something to connect with, pour hope into, and at least temporarily counteract the less-than-glowing reputation of America on the world stage.
Consumers are actively seeking distraction from the doom and gloom of the current news cycle, and the tournament is delivering exactly that with compelling stories of hope through sport: Cape Verde and their goalkeeper’s remarkable run and Mexico’s “Y si sí” (what if yes?) are just two examples of human stories driving real emotional connection.
U.S. retailers and brands continue to selectively lower prices. Walmart cut thousands of grocery, household, toy and apparel product prices this week.
De Beers has reportedly made major diamond price cuts in the age of lab-grown stones. The business is in the midst of being sold.
Pharrell Williams’ auction platform, Joopiter, is moving more seriously into the watch category. The business has hired a head of watches for the now-dedicated watch division. (If you missed our Q&A with watch resale platform Bezel’s CEO, check it out here.)
Elsewhere, a group of Swiss watch specialists have been acquired (and are now under the name Groupe Chaumont) and will provide components to high-end watchmakers.
Budget airline EasyJet, based in the U.K., may be taken over by an American private equity firm. Inflated fuel costs have hurt budget airlines, including Spirit, which went out of business earlier this year.
In the latest retail media development, P&G created comedy-drama-style advertisements featuring P&G products that will play in Albertsons U.S. grocery stores. The purpose is to engage shoppers at and after the shelf, and Albertsons will be tracking the metrics.
Chinese shoppers want vintage Ralph Lauren (they also want modern Ralph Lauren — the company is doing well there).
Olive Young’s K-Beauty festival is taking place in Los Angeles this August. (Allison Collins)
Hi from San Antonio! I am looking after my dad after a knee replacement, and in a city I'm still getting to know, H-E-B has become my most visited spot. As someone who genuinely loves grocery shopping, I'm particular about where I like to shop, and H-E-B never disappoints. The produce quality is excellent, the bakery is exceptional (my dad got me hooked on their fresh baguettes) and the layout and overall experience are really pleasant. I’m spending a lot of time here these days. (Jessica Ramírez)
The Fun Shortage Is Real, and It’s Making America Miserable (Bloomberg)
Is Niche Dining Fashion’s Next Frontier? (Vogue Business)
The ‘Peptide Gold Rush’ Is Here, and I’m Freaked Out (Good For Your Age from Cheryl Wischhover)
ReSee Expands Into the Business of Luxury Care (WWD)
Why Are Berries Everywhere, in Every Season? Driscoll’s. (NYTimes)
What We Learned From Nike Earnings
The Analysis is a paid subscriber benefit. This week, we interviewed Gio Zaccariello, senior vice president of global visual experience and store design at Coach, to learn more about his work and how Coach is emotionally connecting to consumers. For more consumer insights, check out our consumer insights library, here.
In our first-ever newsletter we did a deep dive into Coach’s successful turnaround. I had just gotten back to Brooklyn from a trip to Tokyo, and the way Coach presented in that market blew my mind. Lately, I see the reverberations of the company’s modernized strategy showing up in my local market, where cool girls are indeed wearing Coach bags (but not the same styles that were popular in Tokyo).
I shared my renewed obsession with the brand with my friend Asha Talwar Coco (beauty brand people should check out her newsletter), and she kindly introduced me to Giovanni Zaccariello, senior vice president of global visual experience and store design at Coach. He’s been with the business 15 years, and here, talks to us about his career path (he’s never applied for a job), Coach’s store and outlet strategy, and how brands can build genuine connections with today’s consumers. (Allison Collins)
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