Is your product detail page costing you?
Your product detail page (PDP) could be costing you. If you don’t have the right content on your PDP, customers searching for your product online may never find you. With all the tariff turmoil, now is a great time to reassess your customer’s journey. This week, we also learn about the Pepperoni Index, what a VTuber is, and how Tory Burch is taking over the world. Plus, author, host and Arizona State University associate professor Melissa Magsaysay shares what she’s teaching (and learning from) Gen Z. Let’s get into it.
Buy local. Etsy CEO Josh Silverman posted a blog encouraging its global community to buy domestic to avoid tariffs.
High-low. Higher-income shoppers are coming for value retailers.
The Pepperoni Index. People buy fancy frozen pizzas during recessions.
G3 summit? Trump and Walmart, Target and Home Depot execs talk tariffs.
Tariff “sales.” Some brands are offering deep discounts before duties set in.
Fashion prof on GenZ, Substack and finding your writing voice
Author, brand consultant and host Melissa Magsaysay has worked to elevate brands like Thirteen Lune, Wellness East, and Illuminate AI, with previous experience at Farm Rio and P&G. Now, as an associate professor at Arizona State University's Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising, she’s bringing that industry insight into the classroom—teaching Gen Z while staying sharp on what’s next in retail and communications. -Marcy Medina
What led you to teaching?
I have always been curious about teaching and decided to try it this semester, taking on an associate professor role at ASU/FIDM, teaching Brand Communications for Fashion and Contemporary Fashion courses. Each week, I am pleasantly surprised at how my years of writing, reporting and brand consulting combine to help me impart some knowledge and expertise to the next generation of (eager) fashion and communication professionals. It's been a lot of fun and also helped me evolve into new ways of thinking and adapting to current media and industry norms. My on-camera experience has also helped me get up in front of the class and deliver what I hope is a compelling lecture.
How can retailers stay current?
Keeping abreast of industry trends and the always-evolving media landscape is what I have found to be key when teaching or consulting. When advising brands, I often bring up the importance of exploring emerging communications channels like Substack. It's still a relatively untapped and unknown platform, but it's really moving the needle for a lot of media outlets, journalists, brands and content creators.
What's the best career advice you've received?
Something general is "stay curious." I think being curious leads to a great story and solid communication, but also compassion and empathy. Something more specific is "write like you talk." I didn't start out as a writer off the bat, and I had a lot of imposter syndrome around being a writer. One editor told me early on to write like I talk, and it completely changed my approach and confidence around writing. It’s how I've been able to take writing from the page over to brands, to speaking in person, to college students, on TV or hosting podcasts. It doesn't matter what the medium is, I approach it like I'm in conversation.
What's one thing you are excited to try in your class?
I am having them create and plan an event for a beauty or fashion brand of their choice. They are building a deck with a mood board, activations and KPIs. The goal is to see how well they know their brand's customer and that they can conceptualize an event with the right guests, press opportunities, social opportunities that speak to their target audience and yield the greatest ROI across all relevant channels. I think it's a fun mix of creative and business.
Tariffs force retailers to reimagine the customer journey
Tariff wave? Try tsunami. Customer experience (CX) can play a crucial role in alleviating the stress caused by the flurry of fluctuating duties. Transparency is key, contact centers can provide calm, and now is the time to reassess each leg of the customer journey. There’s a handy timeline of the tariff plan so far, and five actionable steps to take to address the uncertainty.
Why this matters: One expert notes that being a voice of calm earns “brownie points” with customers, and that contact center agents (or you, if you’re a small retailer) should approach each call assuming customers are coming in at a negative five on the satisfaction scale and need to be lifted to a nine or 10. Also, call listening with frontline agents can have a huge “voice of the customer” impact. (CMS Wire)
What retailers need to get right with online search
The landing page and product detail page (PDP), to start. A new study from Lily AI found that 80% of shoppers give up on an online search after not finding what they’re looking for. You can change that with product photos, videos, descriptions, sizes and dimensions, and reviews. Think of this as your content, and good content is powerful. Two-thirds of consumers believe retailers use confusing product language, forcing over half of them to use descriptive words to narrow their search. Make sure they find what they’re looking for.
Why this matters: While some customers are willing to do multiple searches, others aren’t, and they won’t buy. And 61% are using ChatGPT to help them search when shopping online. Generative AI like this favors clear, structured and conversational content. Retailers that regularly publish FAQs, comparison guides and reviews are more likely to come up in search. (Retail Dive)
Urban Outfitters leans into vintage, upcycled trends
Brooklyn jeweler Catbird coming to Chicago
Over 75% of consumers think online shopping lacks excitement
Store design that meets all generations’ apparel CX needs
Tory Burch, Pierre Yves-Roussel talk purpose, local relevance
On a recent episode of the Business of Fashion podcast, founder Imran Amed sat down with designer Tory Burch and her CEO Pierre-Yves Roussel, who is also her partner in life, to talk about how to stay authentic while navigating global challenges, her purpose-driven mission and the nuances required for connecting with customers locally all over the world.
“Part of my business plan from day one is how do we have a successful business with incredible products that actually has deeper meaning and will help support a foundation for women entrepreneurs... It’s been such an incredible experience to have the women that we work with also weigh in on our product. It’s been such a win for employees and a win for our customers." -Tory Burch
Why this matters: Burch, one of the few female global fashion brand founders/leaders, celebrated her company’s 20th anniversary last year, and is currently riding a newfound wave of success after deciding to step back as CEO to concentrate on designing product. Her rediscovered creativity has reinvigorated the product, and Roussel’s leadership has bolstered the brand. Listen to the podcast here.
Meet the VTuber: YouTube on the rise of virtual influencers
YouTube just released a culture and trends report focused on virtual creators. That’s right, the streaming video platform launched in 2005 has spawned a new type of “digital-born personality native” known as the VTuber. A sample of just 300 of these animated digital avatars have earned 15B views across videos, live streams and shorts. They drive viewership of gaming content like Grand Theft Auto and they appear at music festivals and in marketing campaigns.
Why this matters: Think outside the box about how to reach your customer. It’s not just YouTube that’s changing how brands can market using these digital personalities. On TikTok, virtual creators can sell on livestreams 24/7, and Meta is developing avatars of human creators. (Social Media Today)
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The SKUpe is curated and written by Marcy Medina and edited by Bianca Prieto
