Pri Bhargava

My colleague Bryan Eshelman recently spoke with NPR on the challenges in the sneaker market these days. As consumers pull back spending, clearly differentiated products and services become a retailer’s lifeline. If your competitive moat isn’t aligned with customer expectations, it may be time to re-think your approach for the future.

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The sneaker care category didn't exist at scale so Devonn Vidal built it. In the latest #ShoeInShow, Matt Priest has a conversation with the Founder of Sneakky Klean, and he shares how he's solving one of the most relatable problems in footwear. This is what entrepreneurship in the footwear industry looks like and identifying a real gap and relentlessly building toward it. 🎧 Full episode linked below. #ShoeInShow #SneakkyKlean #DevonnVidal #SneakerCare #FootwearIndustry #Entrepreneurship #SneakerCulture #NewYorkCity

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Retail is changing, but the fundamentals haven't. I recently joined the NYSE Floor Talk at the ICR Conference to discuss the current state of the apparel industry and where Faherty is headed. In a world obsessed with "tech-first" retail, we’ve found success by being a lil old school. A few takeaways from the conversation: 1. In-Person Retail (wholesale + stores) is a superpower: It’s not just about distribution; it’s about brand discovery and building trust in-person. 2. The "Modern Comfort" Shift: Post-pandemic style isn't going back into a box. People want high-quality pieces that work for the city, the beach, and everywhere in between. 3. Team is Everything: As a former college athlete, I look at business through a coaching lens. Our success is a direct result of the incredible team we’ve built. Check out the full interview here: https://lnkd.in/eppjpqCv

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When I was Production Manager at Reebok, I made a multi-million-dollar decision based on the opinion of a blue-collar factory line worker. It was Reebok's largest factor at the time. 5,000-person workforce. 1.2 million pairs of shoes produced each month. We were evaluating a new production design in the technical trials, which looked brilliant on paper. Engineers were confident. Executives were excited. But to me, something felt off with the design. I wasn’t sure if it was possible. But instead of trusting the leadership team's consensus, I did something unorthodox. I said to my leadership team, “Okay, out of this 5,000-person factory, who is the ONE person that has the most knowledge on this part of the process? Them: “We have 13 finishing lines where all the products come to finish. Mr. Kim, on line 1. He's our best operator.” I said, “Okay, bring him up here. I want to talk to him.” Them: “Why? He's blue-collar. He's a line worker.” “It doesn't matter,” I said. Them: “But he's not well educated. His English isn’t strong.” I took a breath. Then responded, “I'm about to make a multi-million dollar decision, okay? I need to know if this design can pass the trials. So, let's go to the production line. And talk to him.” We went to the production line, asked him if this new project was possible. In less than a minute, we had our answer. “No. It will not work.” Mr. Kim didn't have an MBA. He wore work clothes, not a suit. But he understood the specific machinery and process on the production line better than anyone else in the building. Here’s why I trusted Mr. Kim’s judgement: He executed this specific process on 3,000 pairs of shoes a day. But you know what? We have 2 feet, a left and a right. So he did it 6,000 times a day. And we have 24 working days in a month. So that’s 144,000 reps a month. 1,728,000 reps a year. To me? That makes Mr. Kim a genius in his realm. Within 30 seconds of explaining the design, he spotted the flaw. He saved us from a multi-million-dollar mistake. One that would've cost months of delays and damaged relationships with retailers. Unsung heroes are in YOUR company, too: So, if you’re leading a team through change, scale, or disruption (and want your leaders to learn how to unlock collective intelligence instead of overruling it): I’m opening a limited number of keynote dates. If you’re planning a leadership event, conference, or executive offsite, visit my website to see how I can help: https://stevemckinney.com/

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The apparel industry didn’t suddenly become unstable because of GLP-1, but what these drugs have done is further expose how fragile fashion’s planning assumptions already were. From size curves built on slow body change, to forecasts designed for predictability rather than volatility, in this week’s Seamless feature we look at how GLP-1 is stress-testing fit, forecasting confidence, and inventory strategy across the industry. Read the full article now: https://lnkd.in/dZfeDRd7 #fashion #apparel #sizing #fit #merchandiseplanning #demandforecasting #planning #forecasting #retail #glp1

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