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The Indicator | October 16, 2026

By Sonal Gandhi
The Lead

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THIS WEEK'S HIGHLIGHTS

  • Brands are leveraging fresh tactics to cut through the noise, ranging from opening up fashion shows to transforming physical locations into live streaming studios.
  • As automated AI tools gain traction across commerce, American Express unveiled a system designed to verify automated consumer buying decisions.
  • Learn how top leaders from our Direct 60 roster are re-evaluating their core target audiences.

Image via: Modern Retail

KEY INDICATORS​

  • Brands are jumping on the IP opportunity around “A Court of Thorns and Roses” a book series, debuting its sixth installment, The ACOTAR franchise has sold more than 75 million copies globally. Target rolled out merchandise inspired by the Courts and characters, Fine’ry rolled out “reimagined” versions of four existing scents in its lineup with new names and packaging inspired by the hit series. And Knix is debuting a collection of leakproof underwear, lingerie and sleepwear inspired by ACOTAR characters, alongside five exclusive Court-inspired prints. (Modern Retail)
  • Brands are democratising access to their runway, creating new ways to extend the storytelling powers of their shows among a wider swath of brand fans, whether before, during or after the event. Companies including Victoria’s Secret and H&M are inviting more customers, while luxury labels like Tory Burch and Carolina Herrera are increasingly stacking their own audiences with more niche creators with small but high-converting audiences. (BoF)
  • Experiential retailer Tm:rw turned its three-level, 22,000-sq.-ft. Times Square flagship into a continuous shoppable livestream. The space features nine branded studios where hosts and creators demonstrate products live in physical settings. TikTok Shop viewers can buy demonstrated products in real time and access stream-exclusive drops, giveaways, and deals. (CSA)
  • The Knot Worldwide has agreed to buy its smaller peer Zola, adding to its portfolio ​of leading wedding-planning brands. Zola will continue to operate as ⁠a standalone brand within The Knot’s portfolio of global brands. (Reuters)
  • As personal AI agents increasingly make transactions for users, American Express is introducing the “Intent Intelligence” Framework to capture and authenticate customer purchase intent before transactions are completed. The framework uses a “Create Intent API” to set purchase parameters, such as merchant name, budget, and product preferences. It then generates a unique Intent ID and a Proof of Intent Token containing these constraints, which provides a secure digital payment credential for checkout rather than using the customer’s actual credit card. (Tech Crunch)

  • A new Launchmetrics report, “The Desirability Gap,” revealed that brands using premium strategies such as (designer partnerships, creative appointments, ambassadors and appearances at major cultural events) averaged twice the Media Impact Value of those that did not. Zara’s partnership with John Galliano generated $8.3M in Media Impact Value (MIV) within 48 hours. Gap’s ongoing investment in Zac Posen’s GapStudio has also yielded strong results, including a $158 dress selling out in hours. (Glossy)

  •  Piper Sandler’s Annual Teen Survey shows teen fashion preferences shifting toward nonathletic, fashion-forward styles. Brands like Nike, Adidas, New Balance, and Lululemon are losing favor, while On, Birkenstock, Asics, Alo Yoga, Arc’teryx, and The North Face gain traction. The survey also revealed a recovery in teen spending, up 6% year-over-year. Clothing spending increased by 7%, and footwear spend improved to a 1% decline from last year’s 6% drop. (SGB Media)

DIVING DEEP

HOW CHAN LUU ELIMINATED COSTLY STOCKOUTS AND ALIGNED SILOED TEAMS

Chan Luu’s handmade jewelry built a loyal customer base, but also led to costly stockouts that disrupted promotions and left sales on the table. As the only tool combining marketing, inventory, and storefront data, Conative provides a deeper view of product performance – down to variant level – and allowed marketing and inventory teams to align on stock and promotions. That alignment drove a 12% increase in AOV, and 44% revenue jump year-over-year. Read the full case study here.

LEADING SPOTLIGHT

The Customer You Built Your Brand for Isn't the One Buying

Today’s shoppers skew younger and more digital than many brands assumed, and they’re researching through AI tools and communities like Reddit before they ever reach a website. Executives at Cole Haan, Gap Inc., K18 Hair, Every Man Jack, and eos share how they’re rethinking who they’re really building for.

Read more here.

MOVERS & SHAKERS

  • Anouar Alami (Direct 60 ‘25) named EVP Global Merchandising and Retail at Barry’s (formerly VP/GM Global Licensing at Tory Burch).
  • Nadine Kheirallah (Direct 60 ’23) named VP of Sales at L’Oréal (formerly SVP, International at Anastasia Beverly Hills).
  • Hannah Laher (D60 NEXT ’25) named Director, Ecommerce at Sam Edelman (formerly Director, Ecommerce at Nuts.com).
  • Slisha Kankariya Shah (Direct 60 ’24) expanded her role at Adrianna Papell to
    SVP, Global Digital Commerce and Marketing.

PRESENTED BY —

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