Just as designers were readying themselves to present at New York Fashion in their usual splendor in February, the industry was shaken by the sudden departure of Sabato De Sarno from Gucci after only two years as creative director.

And just a few weeks later, husband and wife duo Luke and Lucie Meier bid adieu to their roles as creative directors at Jil Sander on the heels of Milan Fashion Week.

The news echoed a string of similar C-suite exits that have marred the industry, underlining the bigger economic and political challenges that luxury retailers, among many others, continue to face. The case can be made more markedly for the likes of retailers like Gucci or Burberry—that also saw an abrupt CEO change last year—as both brands have seen sales dwindle over the past year.

“The last couple of years, we’re seeing the market become significantly more competitive. In the next two to three years, all of our research is showing that the market is going to be declining in some categories, but very slow growth overall,” Nora Kleinewillinghoefer, partner and Americas lead for fashion and luxury at Kearney, told Retail Brew. “It takes a very different type of leader to succeed in most of the brands.”

Keep reading here.—JS

On Tuesday, President Trump imposed (and days later, partially and temporarily walked back) 25% tariffs on Mexican and Canadian imports and doubled the 10% Chinese import tariffs enacted last month, a move that garnered significant retail industry pushback.

The tariffs sparked a trade war, swiftly met by retaliatory tariffs from Canada and China, and the promise of tariffs from Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum. These tariffs on imports and exports threaten to raise prices across many consumer goods categories, including alcohol, apparel, agricultural products, appliances, and toys. Retailers like Target and Best Buy have already warned of tariff-related hikes.

A slew of retail industry trade associations have voiced concerns over tariffs this week, with many urging reconsideration, renegotiation, or carve-outs for certain industries.

Keep reading here.—EC

Walmart continues to bet on immersive commerce and virtual games to attract young shoppers to buy Walmart products. This time the retailer is going after the 3 billion active gamers online.

On Wednesday, the company released its first web-based gaming title, “Walmart Unlimited,” on Spatial, an interactive 3D gaming platform, in partnership with Unity Software, a developer that creates tools to make video games across devices.

“Weʼre inviting gamers into this environment to experience and discover a brand available at Walmart,” Justin Breton, director of brand experience and partnerships at Walmart, told Retail Brew.

Keep reading here.—VC