The Indicator | October 2, 2026

By Sonal Gandhi
The Lead

THIS WEEK'S HIGHLIGHTS

Asian brands are in the news this week as Japanese menswear labels make waves in luxury market and Korean skincare brand Dr.G expands in the US
In AI news – Amazon is allowing merchants to manage stores on Claude while ChatGPT ads get an upgrade
The Lead will be hosting The 2026 Direct 60 Forum next week – have you seen the list?

Image via: BoF

KEY INDICATORS

Understated Japanese menswear labels like Auralee, A. Presse, and Ssstein are gaining global momentum by blending premium craftsmanship with price points far more accessible than heritage European luxury houses. By combining effortless silhouettes with refined, tactile material details, these brands create versatile pieces that resonate strongly with modern consumers. (BoF)
DoorDash is expanding into department store and apparel delivery through new partnerships with Macy’s, Anthropologie, and three VF Corp. banners (The North Face, Vans, and Timberland). (CSA)
Korea’s top skin care brand, Dr.G, is expanding in the U.S. by launching on TikTok Shop—marking L’Oréal’s first brand launch on the platform since acquiring the line over a year ago. Following its initial Amazon entry, L’Oréal North America plans to leverage TikTok Shop for consumer discovery and education alongside an affiliate campaign, while continuing to grow on Amazon and exploring future brick-and-mortar opportunities. (WWD)
Ahead of the New York City Marathon, Hoka launched a campaign to build brand loyalty among local runners. The initiative logs progress via a sponsored Strava challenge, displaying borough scorecards on digital billboards. The multi-channel campaign spans TikTok, Meta, six creator partnerships, and DOOH sites across NYC. (Digiday)
Amazon announced plugins for its Quick assistant and Anthropic’s Claude agent, allowing merchants to manage stores on Claude without using Seller Central. This shift highlights an evolving stance on sharing data with AI rivals like Anthropic and OpenAI. The integration connects store data—including listings, performance metrics, inventory, and sales analytics—directly to Claude accounts. (Retail Brew)
OpenAI is rolling out a batch of ChatGPT Ads updates aimed at making the platform easier to scale, measure and manage, particularly for e-commerce advertisers. Advertisers can now create multiple product feed campaigns and ad groups through spreadsheet uploads in Ads Manager, with ad templates generated automatically. ChatGPT Ads are also expanding across Southeast Asia and Taiwan. (Search Engine Land)

DIVING DEEP

HOW FENITY FASHION TURED INTERNATIONAL DEMAND INTO INTERNATIONAL REVENUE

Fenity Fashion had global shoppers but a checkout that wasn’t converting as well as it could. International customers faced unexpected duty fees at delivery, eroding trust and driving returns. Even at checkout, the true all-in cost wasn’t visible. Working through FlavorCloud’s cross-border platform and ShipBob’s fulfillment network, Fenity fixed both in six weeks.

Read the full case study here.

LEADING SPOTLIGHT

THE 60 BRAND EXECUTIVES YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT

The Direct 60 List recognizes the leaders behind some of the biggest decisions being made across the industry right now, from how brands are approaching AI and technology to how they’re rethinking customer experience, growth and digital transformation.

These are the executives setting the strategy, making the bets and determining where their organizations go next. See who’s leading that change. Explore The 2026 Direct 60.

MOVERS & SHAKERS

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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