In this episode:

1.Newest figures from the federal Office for statistic

2. Amazon
3. Puma
4. Bijenkorf
5. Moncler
6. VF Coperation
7. Lyst Index
8. Nike Rise
9. Apple 10.Meta Verse News
10. Edeka
11. About You

According to provisional results from the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis), in June 2022 retail companies in Germany recorded a calendar- and seasonally-adjusted real (price-adjusted) 1.6 % lower turnover than in May 2022. Compared to the same month of the previous year, June 2021, the retail sector recorded a real decline in turnover of 8.8 % in June 2022. This is the largest year-on-year decline since the start of the time series in 1994. Retail trade in foodstuffs recorded a real sales decline of 1.6 % in June 2022 compared to the previous month. Compared to the same month in the previous year, June 2021, sales fell by 7.2%. The decline is thought to be mainly due to higher food prices (+1.0% month-on-month, +11.9% year-on-year). The increase in turnover in gastronomy may also have had a negative impact on food retailing (gastronomy +8.6 % in real terms in May compared to the previous month). Non-food retail trade recorded a real sales decline of 3.3 % in June 2022 compared to the previous month. In particular, textiles, clothing, footwear and leather goods retailing failed to continue the positive trend of the year to date, posting a significant decline of 5.4% on the previous month and 10.1% on the same month last year.Internet and mail order retailing also posted a 3.8% month-on-month decline in sales and is well below the figure for the same month last year (-15.1%), which is the largest year-on-year decline since 1994. Compared to June 2019, however, turnover is still 22.3 % above the level before the Corona pandemic.

The US giant Amazon presented surprisingly good quarterly figures: In the second quarter, sales rose by 7 percent compared to the same period last year to $121.2 billion. Operating profit fell to $3.3 billion from $7.7 billion, but exceeded analysts' expectations. Although sales in the trading business fell by 4 percent to $50.9 billion, currency-adjusted sales in the division were at the previous year's level. The marketplace business grew 9 percent to $27.4 billion, subscription services such as Prime were up 10 percent to $8.7 billion and the advertising business grew 18 percent to $8.8 billion. The biggest growth engine was once again the AWS cloud business, which grew by 33 percent to $19.7 billion. All numbers in detail. Under the title "Project Kangaroo", the bosses of Zalando are planning what is probably the biggest hit in the group's young history. From 2023, the fashion giant wants to expand into the USA, Business Insider learned from several internal sources. Zalando plans to invest a three-digit million sum. More than a hundred employees work on Kangaroo, all of whom had to sign a non-disclosure agreement. Initially, Zalando is said to want to focus on the north-east of the USA and also break new ground in marketing. However, the group's current poor business figures could still torpedo the project. The Board is currently in need of all resources to get out of the current trough.

BJØRN GULDEN, CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER OF PUMA SE: “The second quarter was another great quarter for us. With a currency-adjusted growth of 18% (26% reported) to € 2,002 million, we exceeded € 2 billion in quarterly sales for the first time in PUMA’s history. This underlines the strong demand for our products despite all the global obstacles and uncertainties! I am especially proud that we have again seen very strong growth in all our performance categories like Running, Training, Teamsports, Golf and Basketball. We feel that the increased investments into R&D, Innovation and Product Development over the past years are starting to pay off. Our Gross Margin is currently of course under pressure and declined by 100 basis points to 46.5%, mainly due to an unfavorable geographical and channel mix as well as the higher freight rates. Despite increasing costs, we will continue to focus on keeping our prices competitive and will prioritize sales growth and market share gains above short-term profitability. Due to our strong sales growth we managed to increase our EBIT by 34% from € 109 million in Q2 2021 to € 146 million in Q2 2022 despite increased investments into marketing and sales and higher warehousing costs. We do see an increased level of uncertainty around the world: COVID-19 is still around us, the crisis in Ukraine is worse than ever and there is high inflationary pressure in almost all our markets. Despite all these uncertainties we will continue to invest into our people, brand and infrastructure. We will also continue with our “People First” attitude and do everything we can to ensure the health and safety of all our people, especially in Ukraine. The PUMA Family means more than short-term profitability. I remain optimistic for our sector in general and the PUMA brand in particular and we even raise our revenue outlook for the full year 2022.”

It remains difficult within the current retail landscape to adhere to the normal opening hours. During summer holiday the Amsterdam department Store De Bijenkorf communicates to close stores earlier Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday due to the lack of staff. Also the German fashion store Wahl in Ertingen, who normally sells 6 days a week on an area of around 1000m2 announces to close their store from now on every Tuesday. This is due to the lack of finding enough staff and the increase of the cost structure.

Moncler and Stone Islands report a strong performance in the first half year 2022. The turnover increased by 48% towards EUR 918,4 Mio and even though the comparison is a bit difficult as Stone Island has only been added in Q2 2021 to the portfolio, the performance remains strong with Moncler reporting an increase of 28% in turnover compared to pre pandemic levels.

VF Corporation slips into the loss zone in the first quarter of their financial year 2022/2023. Background to the strains from the temporary tightening of Covid-19 restrictions in China. Neverthless the turnover developed promising. Decisive for the sales development is "the strong demand from customers for our outdoor, streetwear and sports brands." the CEO states. The CEO also emphasized that the Group maintains its operational forecasts for the full year despite the current uncertainties. That proves the resilience our purposefully assembled family of brands,” says Rendle. In the months of April to June, VF generated group sales of 2.26 billion US dollars (2.22 billion euros) and was thus able to exceed the level of the same quarter of the previous year by three percent. Adjusted for exchange rate changes sales grew by seven percent. The North Face brand and its revenues made a decisive contribution to the increase in sales up 31 percent to $481.1 million. The Timberland label increased by eight percent to 269.5 million US dollars. On the other hand, the Vans brand declined, with sales shrinking by seven percent to US$ 946.8 million. At 170.4 million US dollars, the Dickies label also missed the level of the same quarter of the previous year. The other brands of the Group, which also includes the sportswear label Supreme, had combined sales of 393.9 million US dollars and exceeded the corresponding figure for the previous year by nine percent.

Since the launch of the Lyst Index in 2017, Gucci and Balenciaga have led the way among consumers and industry insiders. Now Gucci has retaken the top spot after 9 months. Both fashion houses owned by Kering, make up 21% of the Lyst Index heat score generated by the top 20 brands. How are the hottest products selected? Lyst filters from more than eight million items based on the number of mentions on social media, as well as searches, page views, interactions and sales on the Lyst app. What to look for: Collaborations: the right remix can create a great brand moment and fuel the brand for both parties. This quarter's perfect combinations include the Fendace collaboration swimsuit, Adidas x Wales Bonner Samba sneakers and the Yeezy Gap engineered by Balenciaga Dove hoodie. The quarterly index proves that claiming a memorable IRL moment has tremendous brand value. Having guests fly in and provide a WoW show earns plus points. Dolce & Gabbana thus climbs 7 positions and re-enters the Lyst index as searches for the brand increased 114% after the Kardashian-Barker wedding in Portofino. Or else, New creative director, new product like Diesel: the Diesel 1DR bag is the hottest women's product in the world this quarter, demand increased by 317%. Rewe is causing a big surprise: the Cologne-based full-range retailer will be the first food retailer to say goodbye to printed flyers next year. Rewe justifies the move primarily with ecological considerations. May many more follow this idea! In July an all vegan Burger King opened its door in Vienna at the Westbahnhof Train Station. The meatless product offer has been compiled in cooperation with the dutch company "The vegetarian Butcher". A vegan Whopper costs EUR 5,50 (compared to EUR 4,99 of a normal meat Whopper). Burger King states that the restaruant will remain open as long as their is demand. The Fast Food Chain already experimented with Vegan Pop Up concepts in other European Cities.

Just over a year ago, the company opened Nike Rise, also in Seoul, a concept that combines digital and physical experiences. Nike Style is now supposed to be the culmination of that. The "definition of sport is to be expanded," the "boundary between physical and digital blurred." So in the new concept, in Seoul's bustling Hongdae district, which combines retail and creative studio, you'll find digital mannequins, QR codes for AR experiences with product innovations and art installations, respectively. Events such as Nike By You workshops and SNKRS lounges for members aim to engage the community. The concept targets a specific sports lifestyle audience, which will find unisex zones in the space for different merchandise categories such as tops, shoes, accessories and other "style" collections. In addition to seasonal products spread across multiple floors, collections associated with the region can also be found. The Nike Style concept is expected to expand both regionally and internationally. In fall 2022, another location will open in Shanghai, after which the Nike Style concept will be rolled out internationally. The concept was penned by London-based Sybarite Architects. The eye-catcher is the 21 x 5 meter chandelier, which consists of almost 60,000 discs of degraded gold metal and 240,000 brass rings. The curved shape of the bar, with its 34 seats, reflects the contours of the Epernay champagne region. The bar was delivered in 12 pieces and assembled on the spot, and now appears as if it were a whole. Umdasch The Store Makers also played a major role in the realization of this bar. This was not the first time that Umdasch was involved here. As part of the 10-year remodeling phase, the Amstetten-based company has already redesigned some of the signature areas such as the Roastery & Bakehall (2017), Wine & Spirits (2018) through to the Dining Hall, Men's Shoes and Seasonal & Books, among others.

Upon entering Apple Brompton Road, visitors are greeted by 12 towering Sicilian ficus trees that line the 7-foot-high floor-to-ceiling windows and entryway. Seating at the base of each tree serves as a gathering place for visitors, blurring the lines between inside and outside and bringing nature directly into the store. Visitors enter through the central arcade, which mirrors the dimensions of the original Brompton arcade built on this exact spot in 1903. The store's forum, where free ""Today at Apple"" sessions provide daily creative inspiration and hands-on skills, features a first for Apple in the U.K.: a mirrored ceiling that offers depth-enhancing reflections. Apple Brompton Road's terrazzo flooring is made from plant-based biopolymers and is the first of its kind in the global Apple Store world. The expansive space - with a unique curved wood ceiling - provides ample seating for customers to relax and discover new tips and tricks to get the most out of their devices. Like all Apple facilities, Apple Brompton Road is powered by 100 percent renewable energy. The 200-person team speaks about 45 languages and helps customers learn about Apple products and advises them on monthly financing options and the Apple Trade In program. Apple Brompton Road is the first Apple store in the United Kingdom with a dedicated Apple Pickup area. Opening was on July 28, 2022 with special programming including a 3K walk and 5K run in Hyde Park, panel discussions, performances, a Spatial Audio listening session with a London artist (Nina Nesbitt) and live illustration sessions. Apple has been operating in the U.K. for nearly 40 years and employs more than 6,000 people there.

Digital looks for the Meta Avatar were introduced a few weeks ago. We reported that some pieces from Balenciaga, Thom Browne and Prada, among others, can already be purchased here for Instagram, Facebook and Messenger. Now, on July 19, 2022, Metas Avatar Store launched a collaboration with the world's largest digital fashion retailer- DRESSX (a finalist for the LVMH Innovation Award 2022)-to showcase its own digital-only fashion collection on the platform's Avatar Store. DRESSX's other current digital fashion partnerships include: Bershka, Printemps, American Eagle, Iris van Herpen and Dundas. Earlier this year, DressX collaborated with social gaming platform Roblox to create outfits for avatars and wearables for Decentraland. EDRESSX just teamed up with U.S. luxury brand Jason Wu to develop a digital wearable NFT of the dress worn by former First Lady Michelle Obama at the 2009 Inaugural Ball. The exact digital twin of the dress is currently being auctioned on the DRESSX marketplace. The final owner will also receive tickets to Wu's show at New York Fashion Week in September. The real dress - ivory silk chiffon, organza flowers and crystals - is currently on display in the First Ladies exhibit at the National Museum of American History.

Edeka renames an ice cream and reaps a shit storm for it: Whether Aldi, Rewe, Penny, Netto, Lidl or Edeka - supermarkets and discounters have drawn consequences after the start of the Ukraine war and shown solidarity with Ukraine. For example, products from Russia were banned from the shelves or renamed. Edeka is now going one step further and is introducing a change to the frozen food shelf that is not to everyone's taste.Specifically, it is about a name change of a popular ice cream variety in the frozen food shelf. Until now, the packaging of the sandwich ice cream of the private label "Gut & Günstig" was labelled "Moskauer Art". Now the packaging is adorned with new lettering: "Kiev style". Provocatively, the words "Moskauer Art" are still above it, but are now crossed out. The reactions on Twitter were not long in coming. Edeka is now facing a wave of criticism.You guys really have a (ice cream) waffle and much more like that. However, most people seem to react calmly to the change and simply enjoy the ice cream: By the way, the addition is not intended to be permanent, as Edeka informs us. In the long term, the ice cream will be called "Ice Snack Sandwich" - without any mention of the two capitals.By the way: other retailers have also removed the addition "Moscow style" from their packaging. At Aldi Nord, for example, the ice cream is now simply called "Sahneschnitte".

It was a "huge mega-shit idea" to invest so much money in a start-up, some Otto managers grumbled when the traditional retailer invested in the fashion start-up About You by Tarek Müller (33) a few years ago. Today, About You is worth more than one billion euros and is considered the most important future brand of the Hamburg group - even though the company has weakened considerably since its IPO. e-Start-Up About You by Tarek Müller (33) invested. However, Müller had two undoubtedly "giant mega-shit ideas" in recent months. In November, he drove home drunk on an electric scooter after a night of partying - and was caught by the police. As a result, the entrepreneur had to pay a fine of 30 daily rates of 50 euros each, a court spokeswoman in Hamburg confirmed to manager magazin. In addition, his driving licence was temporarily revoked. However, it was an even worse idea for the multimillionaire not to simply accept and pay the fine, but to appeal against the penalty order. The result: a Hamburg district court sentenced the entrepreneur to a fine of 80,100 euros for "negligent drunk driving". It is quite possible that when the penalty order was issued, the district court did not really know who exactly it was dealing with. Tarek Müller had been pulled out of traffic on St. Pauli in November with a blood alcohol level of 1.3 per mille and had been sanctioned. The responsible judge now wanted to know more precisely, obtained an exact overview of the assets of the fashion millionaire in the course of the main hearing and then raised the daily sentence considerably: from 50 to 2670 euros, to be exact.Her reasoning: "If I were to punish Mr. Müller with 300 euros, he would not even notice it," Bild quoted the jurist as saying. "It is in the spirit of social justice. He should be hit like any normal worker. It has to be noticeable."