Daily LInks
1. Is the fashion industry’s sustainability effort only skin-deep? The major elephant in the space is overconsumption. “If we do not tackle that, incremental reductions of these other impacts are not going to get us to where we will need to be,” says New Standard Institute Director Maxine Bedat. – Read More on Fortune
2. Why DTC culture issues hit hard: Public reports of the corporate culture issues at companies that promised something more create stark brand challenges because these companies gave employees and customers something to believe in — whether it be a female founder, a powerful brand message or radical transparency — and then they disappointed. – Read More on Retail Dive
3. RELATED READ: “Homogenous,” Instagram Apologies Raise Questions About Modern Brands and their “Mission-Centric” Branding. Aside from disrupting the traditional retail model by cutting out the middleman and going all-in on social media content-as-advertising, a morals or ethics-driven approach is a large part of what initially helped to set many of these companies apart from other, more established market entities. – Read More on TFL
4. U.S. businesses accused of pandemic profiteering: In New York City alone, the department of consumer and worker protection said that since March, it had put about 3,000 retail outlets on notice over gouging law violations. Price increases do not necessarily breach gouging rules, which vary from state to state but typically prohibit companies from increasing prices beyond a certain threshold after an emergency has been declared. – Read More on the FT
5. RETRO READ: Can – and Should – Brands Sue Retailers, Resellers Over Price-Gouged Products During COVID-19?Given the very real risk of reputation damage that comes with scenarios of price-gouging by third parties, as indicated by social media-centric fury that was directed at Off-White in April, it becomes clear why brands might be prompted to take legal action to protect themselves (and the goodwill associated with their name) from the actions of rogue resellers and retailers, particularly in times of crisis. – Read More on TFL
6. U.S. Retail Sales Climbed at a Slower Pace in October: Consumer-spending data from private companies suggest shoppers turned more cautious this month, too, as last month’s jump in virus cases accelerated in November, prompting some officials to impose new restrictions, mask mandates and other mitigation strategies to slow its spread. – Read More on the WSJ
