Retailers are running out of low-hanging fruit when it comes to cost-cutting, according to a new report from Deloitte, which means investments in optimization and efficiency could become a bigger priority in 2025.

“Over the past decade or so, retailers have really done a good job of taking out almost as much cost as they can,” Brian McCarthy, principal of retail strategy and business transformation at Deloitte, told Retail Brew. “So this idea of trying to grow profitability through cost reduction just isn’t going to be there.”

Cost-cutting measures such as layoffs have run their course, he added: “I don’t think when consumers are shopping in stores, they’re walking around and feeling like they see a lot of idle store labor standing around.”

• Layoffs in the industry have trended down in recent years after spiking early in the pandemic, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics.

As an alternative, Deloitte is recommending that retailers focus on “optimizing costs instead of simply cutting them,” and then reinvesting those savings into “enhancing productivity, acquiring or outsourcing new capabilities, and exploring new revenue streams,” per the consulting group’s 2025 outlook.

Keep reading here.—AV

Athletes count on their footwear to help them win, but the footwear itself is competing too, for popularity and sales. And an excellent barometer for which shoe models are running circles around their competitors is the annual sales and trend report from StockX, the peer-to-peer resale platform that’s popular with sneakerheads and the shoe-obsessed, and whose many other categories include apparel and electronics.

For 2024, Chinese brand Anta was the fastest growing sneaker brand, with sales growing 1,901% on the platform, which StockX attributes to the popularity of Kyrie Irving’s shoe line, Kai 1. Anta was followed by the Parisian brand Maison Margiela, which grew 425%, Japanese brand Asics (350%), and Italian brand Dolce & Gabbana (185%).

Saucony, the US brand, was the fifth fastest-growing, at 120%. The top selling sneakers will surprise no one, with Nike at the top, followed by Jordan Brand, Adidas, and New Balance.

As for Saucony, a retro and performance running stalwart, StockX attributes its surge to successful collabs with brands like Jae Tips, Trinidad James, and Minted New York.

Keep reading here.—AAN

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Mark Michalek is director of product strategy, at retail software company Jumpmind, working with retailers like American Eagle, Petco, and The Vitamin Shoppe.

How would you describe your job to someone who doesn’t work in retail? My job is to build a product that provides the best store experience for retail associates and customers alike, while making checkout and returns more efficient for retailers. Everyone knows it can be frustrating to go through the checkout or to make a return, so my goal is to make everything as smooth as possible.

One thing we can’t guess about your job from your LinkedIn profile? Even though I’m a product director, I still write code all the time. If we have a new concept, sometimes I’ll engineer it and develop a proof of concept. Jumpmind is an engineering company first, so there’s a lot of overlap between the product vision and engineering.

What’s your favorite project you’ve worked on? I love helping retailers create their point-of-sale experience in store because it’s such an important one. A recent project that stands out to me was when Jumpmind began work with the Landmark Group, one of the biggest retailers in the Middle East, in 2023.

Keep reading here.—EC

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