The Indicator | April 25th, 2025

By Sonal Gandhi
Chief Content Officer at The Lead

Zales is wooing Gen Z with a new campaign – “Own it” – encouraging them to wear fine jewelry every day. Target has another buzzworthy partnership, this time with DTC brand home brand, Parachute. Meanwhile, US port activity has declined, consumers are planning to pull back spending and Shein and Temu are raising prices in response to tariffs.

'INNOVATION MOVES'

The Signet-owned retailer, Zales, is starting a new campaign to woo Gen Z, called “Own It”. The campaign is focussed on positioning Zales as a place to buy everyday jewelry, including the more trend-focussed pieces like customizable charm necklaces and tennis bracelets that Gen Z shoppers gravitate towards. The campaign is set to run across digital and social platforms, as well as in-store, and will explore more fun and inviting touch points than your average high jewelry rollout, including mobile gaming and CTV. The brand will also be investing in influencer and celebrity partnerships, as well as tentpole opportunities like US Open player sponsorships. (Business of Fashion)
Beyoncé has made her hair care line Cécred, the official beauty brand of her Cowboy Carter Tour. The brand announced the Cécred Roadshow, a nationwide mobile pop-up tour that will follow Knowles-Carter across the country during her upcoming tour. (WWD)
Shein and Temu are set to raise their prices later this week due to global tariffs and trade rules, according to customer notices posted by both companies. The fast-fashion giants said their operating expenses had gone up, and as a result, they would make price adjustments to continue offering products “without compromising on quality”. (Retail Dive)
Target is launching an exclusive collection of products with home brand Parachute featuring over 200 bedding and bath linens. The collection’s pricing ranges from $12 to $199, with most items under $90. (Retail Dive)
Singapore based E-commerce software provider, Shopline, is looking to expand its business in the U.S. The platform that competes with Shopify is teaming up with Amazon to give its merchants access to new fulfillment options through Buy With Prime. (WWD)
The new company operating Big Lots stores post-bankruptcy plans to scale back the furniture selection and lean into low-priced, name-brand apparel while maintaining the brand’s identity. The company isn’t entirely ditching the category but will focus less on large furniture items and more on smaller home decor items and accessories like rugs and lamps, complementing the rest of the store. (Modern Retail)

'Financial Moves'

83% of consumers are planning to pull back on spending in the coming weeks, says a new report by Klaviyo.
Apparel products had the highest rate of booking declines across all categories, across all countries, reports a new study by Vizion.
U.S. Port activity has declined and remains within normal ranges internationally, reports multiple signal databases.
Mytheresa finalizes Yoox Net-a-porter acquisition, will begin trading as ‘LUXE’.
Sexual Wellness start-up Dame acquires Chakrubs.
United Trademark Group invested $9 million investment and partnership with Xcel Brands.
The Vitamin Shoppe (supplements retailer) was acquired by Kingswood Capital Management and Performance Investment Partners.
Touchcast (AI content creation) was acquired by Infinite Reality.
Runna App (running training plan app) was acquired by Strava.
birddogs (menswear brand) raised a credit facility from Assembled Brands Capital.

Financial Moves Powered by MMG Advisors

'Career Moves'

Marketing Manager, Beauty – New York, NY
Sweater Designer, Juniors – New York, NY
Head of Sales, Beauty – New York, NY
Sourcing Manager – New York, NY
Store Manager – Newport Beach, CA

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