Target’s AI Move, Coach Growth & the Future of US Retail

Why is Coach growing while Kate Spade declines under the same parent company?

And what does Target appointing a Chief AI Officer tell us about the next phase of retail technology?

In this USA edition of Five Things Friday, Alex and Jill unpack five developments shaping US retail.

Target brings Chandu Nair across from Lowe’s as Chief AI Officer, prompting a bigger discussion about whether AI should sit under one executive or be embedded throughout the organisation.

Foot Locker and Nike experiment with community-led retail through the Crenshaw Rec concept in Los Angeles.

Tapestry delivers a striking brand comparison: Coach grows 15% while Kate Spade declines 7%, while the group recruits more than 2.5 million new customers during the quarter — around 35% of them Gen Z.

Michaels looks for growth opportunities created by changes at Joann and Party City.

And research based on almost 19 million North American in-store interactions reports customer satisfaction of 93.4%, with Tuesday and Wednesday producing the strongest results.

A 14-minute briefing on AI, brand execution, physical retail, customer acquisition and the changing US retail market.

The Retail Podcast — retail intelligence without the noise.