Kenneth Cole, the American retailer known for accessible workwear and footwear, is celebrating its 40th anniversary with a major leadership shift. Jed Berger stepped in as CEO and president, while founder Kenneth Cole retains his role as chief creative officer and executive chair. The milestone comes as the brand ramps up its womenswear business with a relaunched ready-to-wear collection.

But as the economy remains uncertain, along with the future for many fashion retailers, Berger said Kenneth Cole is committed to its core values of accessibility, comfort-focused products, and purpose-driven messaging.

In a recent conversation with Retail Brew, newly appointed CEO Berger spoke about his vision for the company and how it is evolving with the times.

Keep reading here.—JS

If you’d thought this was the holiday season when retail’s returns’ headache would go away, you might want to keep the Advil close anyway. The volume of returns increased 12% YoY from Black Friday through the following Thursday (November 28–December 4), according to data from Loop, a returns management software company that works with retailers.

But the Loop data suggests retailers are not eating as much of the cost of those returns, with 6% more brands charging for returns than last year, marking the fourth consecutive year that companies charging for returns has increased.

Another mitigating factor: More consumers are exchanging their returns for subsequently bigger purchases, “upsells” in reverse-logistics nomenclature. The number of upsells rose 17% for the time period, according to Loop, which based its findings on a sample of 2,600 e-commerce brands on its platform.

Keep reading here.—AAN

Temu recently created an app to let Shopify merchants list their items directly in the Temu marketplace using their Shopify accounts.

Temu said the new app makes it easier for Shopify merchants to expand globally while giving shoppers more options. The app enables Shopify sellers to handle their product listings, inventory, and shipping all in one spot while tapping into Temu’s worldwide customer base.

“[Temu’s] original business model of direct-from-China shipping has become less viable,” Sky Canaves, eMarketer analyst for retail and e-commerce, told Retail Brew.

The end of the de minimis exemption, which permitted shipments costing less than $800 to enter the US duty-free and with minimal paperwork and verification, has impacted companies like Temu and Shein that relied on low-cost, cross-border shipping. The Shopify partnership comes as Temu is trying to reposition itself in a world where ultra-cheap online shopping may not thrive.

Keep reading here.—VC