There are better options online, and legacies are nervous | McKinsey & Company
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Meet the new luxury shopper (according to McKinsey).

McKinsey’s key finding, summed up in a single idea: It’s a consumer centric market now, and with so much choice, shoppers are far less loyal than they used to be. (411 words)

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Bright lights of Basel | Hodinkee
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The real problems with the Swiss watch industry, as explained by the Economist.

On the back of the Baselworld watch expo late last month, here’s a quick rundown of the problems plaguing the watch sector — and what it’s doing to fix things — just to make the narrative a little more clearer for you. (400 words)

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Bezos: A big reason why Nordstrom, Bloomingdale’s, and Macy’s are on the downswing. | David Ryder / Getty Images
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Inverse relationship: As Amazon Fashion trends up, department stores trend down.

Breaking down Racked’s lengthy report on Amazon’s bold luxury ambitions, whose upward trajectory worryingly coincides with Nordstrom, Bloomingdale’s, and Macy’s big slump. (1,100 words)

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Serious implications for EU nationals like Trunk Clothier's Mats Kling, left | Begg & Co.
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Come what May: With Brexit now triggered, UK’s modern luxury CEOs discuss the early impact.

For most, it’s actually been great for the bottom line. But there have been workforce and supply chain issues––not to mention serious personal implications for CEOs who are EU nationals. (1,057 words)

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Ecoalf CEO Javier Goyeneche gets this | Ecoalf
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The smart ethical formula is clear: Focus on product first, sustainability second.

Ethical products check the boxes. They are nice, to be sure. But an ethical badge of honor is no substitute for a subpar and overpriced product. (396 words)

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Connected, yes – but better? Doubtful | Hodinkee
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Some free market research on why smartwatches are failing.

Montblanc released a new smartwatch in London last week, and the response from Hodinkee readers was not favorable. (751 words)

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Gentrified sunning in King's Cross | Jacintha Verdegaal
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Fair point: Why gentrified is…justified.

FT columnist Jana Ganesh recently stirred the pot. Gentrification, he argued, is, maybe, not as bad as some of us are making it out to be. (488 words)

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That DNVB smirk | Fast Company
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Still not sure what a DNVB is? This new white paper should help you out.

Since introducing the term in 2016, Andy Dunn’s DNVB acronym has caught on. A new white paper adds more depth to the conversation. (609 words)

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Kinfolk founder Nathan Williams, the king of twee minimalism | Racked
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A (not unfair) critique on the merits of minimalism.

If most MLCs are choosing minimalism, when does it start to be seen as a crutch (rather than a strength)? (515 words)

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Content and commerce is a tough game, as JackThreads has foundout | JackThreads
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From the Slack: “There’s no such thing as a ‘middle’ in e-commerce anymore.”

Subscriber Hendrik Laubscher, based recently shared some strong insights in the context of the JackThreads flameout. (474 words)

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