of the United Kingdom’s capitol city.
Welcome back to The London Brief. This column for Future Commerce is brought to you by retail technology expert, author, and analyst Miya Knights, a Future Commerce Expert Network member.
Swathed in eco-credentials and draped in virtuous storytelling, Pangaia's flagship store stands as a monument to sustainability's hollow promise. What should be retail alchemy—a collaboration between two eco-conscious brands—instead offers a masterclass in missed opportunity.
What matters in retail doesn't change. I'd even dare to point out that the merchant is the world's second-oldest profession.
What does change is our means of accessing what matters to us as consumers in retail. The merchant facilitates our retail-related needs, missions, and journeys using their finely attuned curation skills. To that end, a recent collaboration between Pangaia and big. Beauty (no, the period was not misplaced) should serve as a lesson to us all.
"Merchandising sustainability is retail's most challenging balancing act—Pangaia demonstrates how easily one can tumble off the tightrope."
The two UK-based sustainability brands got together to bring zero-waste, cult favourite beauty and wellness brands to Pangaia's flagship store in London's iconic Carnaby Street for a limited pop-up. Showcasing the curation skills of big. and underline the sustainability credentials of Pangaia, the pop-up invited consumers to shop not just guilt-free but virtuously, too.
Considering that beauty and wellness is one of the few categories that have managed to sustain growth from the fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic as part of our so-called ‘new normal’ (just compare it to the fortunes of luxury brands, for example), the pop-up should have made a surefire recipe for success.
But I just wasn't convinced. So, let's also consider the evidence as to why.
Green Intentions, Beige Execution
In its favour, we're moving into an era of more conscious consumption.
Consumers today are more likely to emphasise their health, experiences, and the planet's well-being—so much so that we've arguably passed the point of ‘peak stuff.’
Now, while consumers who care about sustainability are those who can afford to, and the likes of Amazon, SHEIN, and Temu exist to serve the needs of those who can't, countless surveys suggest that Generations Z and Alpha are more aware of sustainability and environmental issues than their forebears. This trend should all play into the hands of brands, such as Pangaia and big.
However, the pop-up's lofty ambitions belied its poor execution and the store owner's fortunes, proving that having sustainable credentials does not a merchant curator make. Retailers and brands at the mercy of seismic cultural shifts, such as a pandemic, must adapt to any new normal, in whatever form it may take, and Pangaia's recent struggles prove this to be true.
"In retail's grand story, the pandemic was merely a plot twist—not permission to forget the fundamentals."
The retailer plunged from a $16.6 million profit in 2020 to a $41.5 million loss in 2021, driven by significant investments in its digital platform and workforce. Rapidly decelerating online sales as the world came out of lockdown and had to find something other than sweatpants to wear did not help its fortunes. Furthermore, like many retailers who subsequently overestimated post-pandemic digital commerce demand levels, it had to absorb a $3.1 million write-down on surplus inventory.
Pangaia also learned the hard way that consumers love touching, feeling, and trying before they buy, with the help of a knowledgeable store assistant to aid conversion by persuading a potential customer the item they're considering is suited to them. These are basic retail tenets that it had to learn the hard way. But, by the end of 2023, it had forged strategic partnerships with prestigious department stores, including Selfridges, Galeries Lafayette, and La Rinascente, which navigated its direct-to-consumer (DTC) business back to profitability.
Meanwhile, the retailer is enthusiastic about unlocking fresh revenue channels by promoting sustainable material innovations to other firms. However, this has yet to yield substantial financial rewards. Even positioning itself as more than a retailer, sitting at the intersection of science, purpose, and design, was not enough to prevent the sale of a controlling stake earlier this year for an undisclosed sum.
Oil-Slicked Idealism
The irony of the deal is that Pangiaia's new owner is Royal Group, the family office of the Abu Dhabi royals chaired by the brother of the president of the fossil fuel-rich state of the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The UAE is one of the world's largest oil producers and a major exporter of oil and gas, calling the green retailer's mission to bring problem-solving innovations to the world through premium lifestyle products and experiences into question.
"When a fossil fuel fortune bankrolls your sustainability mission, even the most innovative eco-fabrics can't absorb the contradiction."
Known for its bio-engineered materials and sustainable practices and to, "inspire and accelerate an Earth Positive Future," according to its vision statement, the Pangaia Carnaby Street flagship store should have offered the perfect setting to showcase big.'s cult-favourite beauty brands.
“With 95% of cosmetic packaging getting thrown away and only 9% recycled–packaging is one of the biggest sustainability challenges facing the beauty industry,” according to big. Beauty co-founder Lisa Targett Bolding. She added: “We're here to change that and provide a platform for the pioneer brands designing waste out of the system.”
The big. expert team was on hand in-store throughout the event, offering personalised skin consultations to help shoppers curate the perfect holiday gifts. Visitors could also discover limited-edition, high-performance products rarely available outside big.'s Hackney boutique, including LESSE's stripped-down skincare range and Subtle Bodies' Australian incense sticks, which are exclusive to big. The event also featured drinks, a live DJ, and a facial massage workshop led by big.'s resident facialist.
Maria Srivastava, Pangaia's Chief Impact Officer, oversees global sustainability and philanthropy initiatives. She told Future Commerce, “Both brands saw an opportunity to create a unique experience that showcases exceptional products and encourages customers to think about the impact of their everyday choices.” She added that Pangaia would measure the collaboration's success through customer engagement, feedback, and the overall reception of the pop-up experience.
But I was left distinctly underwhelmed by the store's pop-up, let alone the store, even before the Royal Group takeover made Pangaia's laudable, original vision seem almost disingenuous. The merchandising was bland and indistinct, while the storytelling opportunities around the retailer's pioneering FLWRDWN™ technology—an animal-free, bio-based alternative to traditional down—was sorely missed.
Here, it should take a page from Japanese retail giant Uniqlo to see what good brand merchandising and narrative displays should look like instead of relying on house plants, DJs, and other brands, including big., to provide creative flair. It was such a shame, as the DTC brand is designed to be a springboard for groundbreaking change, setting new standards in the industry with cutting-edge material innovations.
However, Pangaia still has much to learn regarding retail execution and brand smarts.
__________________________________________________________________________
Miya Knights has over 25 years of experience as a retail technology analyst, editor, author and consultant. She owns and publishes Retail Technology magazine and has co-authored two best-selling books about Amazon and Omnichannel Retail. Miya is a consultant and advisor to several technology companies, judges various industry awards, and is a member of the Retail Influencer Network, Customer Strategy Network, and the KPMG Retail Think Tank.
Welcome back to The London Brief. This column for Future Commerce is brought to you by retail technology expert, author, and analyst Miya Knights, a Future Commerce Expert Network member.
Swathed in eco-credentials and draped in virtuous storytelling, Pangaia's flagship store stands as a monument to sustainability's hollow promise. What should be retail alchemy—a collaboration between two eco-conscious brands—instead offers a masterclass in missed opportunity.
What matters in retail doesn't change. I'd even dare to point out that the merchant is the world's second-oldest profession.
What does change is our means of accessing what matters to us as consumers in retail. The merchant facilitates our retail-related needs, missions, and journeys using their finely attuned curation skills. To that end, a recent collaboration between Pangaia and big. Beauty (no, the period was not misplaced) should serve as a lesson to us all.
"Merchandising sustainability is retail's most challenging balancing act—Pangaia demonstrates how easily one can tumble off the tightrope."
The two UK-based sustainability brands got together to bring zero-waste, cult favourite beauty and wellness brands to Pangaia's flagship store in London's iconic Carnaby Street for a limited pop-up. Showcasing the curation skills of big. and underline the sustainability credentials of Pangaia, the pop-up invited consumers to shop not just guilt-free but virtuously, too.
Considering that beauty and wellness is one of the few categories that have managed to sustain growth from the fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic as part of our so-called ‘new normal’ (just compare it to the fortunes of luxury brands, for example), the pop-up should have made a surefire recipe for success.
But I just wasn't convinced. So, let's also consider the evidence as to why.
Green Intentions, Beige Execution
In its favour, we're moving into an era of more conscious consumption.
Consumers today are more likely to emphasise their health, experiences, and the planet's well-being—so much so that we've arguably passed the point of ‘peak stuff.’
Now, while consumers who care about sustainability are those who can afford to, and the likes of Amazon, SHEIN, and Temu exist to serve the needs of those who can't, countless surveys suggest that Generations Z and Alpha are more aware of sustainability and environmental issues than their forebears. This trend should all play into the hands of brands, such as Pangaia and big.
However, the pop-up's lofty ambitions belied its poor execution and the store owner's fortunes, proving that having sustainable credentials does not a merchant curator make. Retailers and brands at the mercy of seismic cultural shifts, such as a pandemic, must adapt to any new normal, in whatever form it may take, and Pangaia's recent struggles prove this to be true.
"In retail's grand story, the pandemic was merely a plot twist—not permission to forget the fundamentals."
The retailer plunged from a $16.6 million profit in 2020 to a $41.5 million loss in 2021, driven by significant investments in its digital platform and workforce. Rapidly decelerating online sales as the world came out of lockdown and had to find something other than sweatpants to wear did not help its fortunes. Furthermore, like many retailers who subsequently overestimated post-pandemic digital commerce demand levels, it had to absorb a $3.1 million write-down on surplus inventory.
Pangaia also learned the hard way that consumers love touching, feeling, and trying before they buy, with the help of a knowledgeable store assistant to aid conversion by persuading a potential customer the item they're considering is suited to them. These are basic retail tenets that it had to learn the hard way. But, by the end of 2023, it had forged strategic partnerships with prestigious department stores, including Selfridges, Galeries Lafayette, and La Rinascente, which navigated its direct-to-consumer (DTC) business back to profitability.
Meanwhile, the retailer is enthusiastic about unlocking fresh revenue channels by promoting sustainable material innovations to other firms. However, this has yet to yield substantial financial rewards. Even positioning itself as more than a retailer, sitting at the intersection of science, purpose, and design, was not enough to prevent the sale of a controlling stake earlier this year for an undisclosed sum.
Oil-Slicked Idealism
The irony of the deal is that Pangiaia's new owner is Royal Group, the family office of the Abu Dhabi royals chaired by the brother of the president of the fossil fuel-rich state of the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The UAE is one of the world's largest oil producers and a major exporter of oil and gas, calling the green retailer's mission to bring problem-solving innovations to the world through premium lifestyle products and experiences into question.
"When a fossil fuel fortune bankrolls your sustainability mission, even the most innovative eco-fabrics can't absorb the contradiction."
Known for its bio-engineered materials and sustainable practices and to, "inspire and accelerate an Earth Positive Future," according to its vision statement, the Pangaia Carnaby Street flagship store should have offered the perfect setting to showcase big.'s cult-favourite beauty brands.
“With 95% of cosmetic packaging getting thrown away and only 9% recycled–packaging is one of the biggest sustainability challenges facing the beauty industry,” according to big. Beauty co-founder Lisa Targett Bolding. She added: “We're here to change that and provide a platform for the pioneer brands designing waste out of the system.”
The big. expert team was on hand in-store throughout the event, offering personalised skin consultations to help shoppers curate the perfect holiday gifts. Visitors could also discover limited-edition, high-performance products rarely available outside big.'s Hackney boutique, including LESSE's stripped-down skincare range and Subtle Bodies' Australian incense sticks, which are exclusive to big. The event also featured drinks, a live DJ, and a facial massage workshop led by big.'s resident facialist.
Maria Srivastava, Pangaia's Chief Impact Officer, oversees global sustainability and philanthropy initiatives. She told Future Commerce, “Both brands saw an opportunity to create a unique experience that showcases exceptional products and encourages customers to think about the impact of their everyday choices.” She added that Pangaia would measure the collaboration's success through customer engagement, feedback, and the overall reception of the pop-up experience.
But I was left distinctly underwhelmed by the store's pop-up, let alone the store, even before the Royal Group takeover made Pangaia's laudable, original vision seem almost disingenuous. The merchandising was bland and indistinct, while the storytelling opportunities around the retailer's pioneering FLWRDWN™ technology—an animal-free, bio-based alternative to traditional down—was sorely missed.
Here, it should take a page from Japanese retail giant Uniqlo to see what good brand merchandising and narrative displays should look like instead of relying on house plants, DJs, and other brands, including big., to provide creative flair. It was such a shame, as the DTC brand is designed to be a springboard for groundbreaking change, setting new standards in the industry with cutting-edge material innovations.
However, Pangaia still has much to learn regarding retail execution and brand smarts.
__________________________________________________________________________
Miya Knights has over 25 years of experience as a retail technology analyst, editor, author and consultant. She owns and publishes Retail Technology magazine and has co-authored two best-selling books about Amazon and Omnichannel Retail. Miya is a consultant and advisor to several technology companies, judges various industry awards, and is a member of the Retail Influencer Network, Customer Strategy Network, and the KPMG Retail Think Tank.
Welcome back to The London Brief. This column for Future Commerce is brought to you by retail technology expert, author, and analyst Miya Knights, a Future Commerce Expert Network member.
Swathed in eco-credentials and draped in virtuous storytelling, Pangaia's flagship store stands as a monument to sustainability's hollow promise. What should be retail alchemy—a collaboration between two eco-conscious brands—instead offers a masterclass in missed opportunity.
What matters in retail doesn't change. I'd even dare to point out that the merchant is the world's second-oldest profession.
What does change is our means of accessing what matters to us as consumers in retail. The merchant facilitates our retail-related needs, missions, and journeys using their finely attuned curation skills. To that end, a recent collaboration between Pangaia and big. Beauty (no, the period was not misplaced) should serve as a lesson to us all.
"Merchandising sustainability is retail's most challenging balancing act—Pangaia demonstrates how easily one can tumble off the tightrope."
The two UK-based sustainability brands got together to bring zero-waste, cult favourite beauty and wellness brands to Pangaia's flagship store in London's iconic Carnaby Street for a limited pop-up. Showcasing the curation skills of big. and underline the sustainability credentials of Pangaia, the pop-up invited consumers to shop not just guilt-free but virtuously, too.
Considering that beauty and wellness is one of the few categories that have managed to sustain growth from the fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic as part of our so-called ‘new normal’ (just compare it to the fortunes of luxury brands, for example), the pop-up should have made a surefire recipe for success.
But I just wasn't convinced. So, let's also consider the evidence as to why.
Green Intentions, Beige Execution
In its favour, we're moving into an era of more conscious consumption.
Consumers today are more likely to emphasise their health, experiences, and the planet's well-being—so much so that we've arguably passed the point of ‘peak stuff.’
Now, while consumers who care about sustainability are those who can afford to, and the likes of Amazon, SHEIN, and Temu exist to serve the needs of those who can't, countless surveys suggest that Generations Z and Alpha are more aware of sustainability and environmental issues than their forebears. This trend should all play into the hands of brands, such as Pangaia and big.
However, the pop-up's lofty ambitions belied its poor execution and the store owner's fortunes, proving that having sustainable credentials does not a merchant curator make. Retailers and brands at the mercy of seismic cultural shifts, such as a pandemic, must adapt to any new normal, in whatever form it may take, and Pangaia's recent struggles prove this to be true.
"In retail's grand story, the pandemic was merely a plot twist—not permission to forget the fundamentals."
The retailer plunged from a $16.6 million profit in 2020 to a $41.5 million loss in 2021, driven by significant investments in its digital platform and workforce. Rapidly decelerating online sales as the world came out of lockdown and had to find something other than sweatpants to wear did not help its fortunes. Furthermore, like many retailers who subsequently overestimated post-pandemic digital commerce demand levels, it had to absorb a $3.1 million write-down on surplus inventory.
Pangaia also learned the hard way that consumers love touching, feeling, and trying before they buy, with the help of a knowledgeable store assistant to aid conversion by persuading a potential customer the item they're considering is suited to them. These are basic retail tenets that it had to learn the hard way. But, by the end of 2023, it had forged strategic partnerships with prestigious department stores, including Selfridges, Galeries Lafayette, and La Rinascente, which navigated its direct-to-consumer (DTC) business back to profitability.
Meanwhile, the retailer is enthusiastic about unlocking fresh revenue channels by promoting sustainable material innovations to other firms. However, this has yet to yield substantial financial rewards. Even positioning itself as more than a retailer, sitting at the intersection of science, purpose, and design, was not enough to prevent the sale of a controlling stake earlier this year for an undisclosed sum.
Oil-Slicked Idealism
The irony of the deal is that Pangiaia's new owner is Royal Group, the family office of the Abu Dhabi royals chaired by the brother of the president of the fossil fuel-rich state of the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The UAE is one of the world's largest oil producers and a major exporter of oil and gas, calling the green retailer's mission to bring problem-solving innovations to the world through premium lifestyle products and experiences into question.
"When a fossil fuel fortune bankrolls your sustainability mission, even the most innovative eco-fabrics can't absorb the contradiction."
Known for its bio-engineered materials and sustainable practices and to, "inspire and accelerate an Earth Positive Future," according to its vision statement, the Pangaia Carnaby Street flagship store should have offered the perfect setting to showcase big.'s cult-favourite beauty brands.
“With 95% of cosmetic packaging getting thrown away and only 9% recycled–packaging is one of the biggest sustainability challenges facing the beauty industry,” according to big. Beauty co-founder Lisa Targett Bolding. She added: “We're here to change that and provide a platform for the pioneer brands designing waste out of the system.”
The big. expert team was on hand in-store throughout the event, offering personalised skin consultations to help shoppers curate the perfect holiday gifts. Visitors could also discover limited-edition, high-performance products rarely available outside big.'s Hackney boutique, including LESSE's stripped-down skincare range and Subtle Bodies' Australian incense sticks, which are exclusive to big. The event also featured drinks, a live DJ, and a facial massage workshop led by big.'s resident facialist.
Maria Srivastava, Pangaia's Chief Impact Officer, oversees global sustainability and philanthropy initiatives. She told Future Commerce, “Both brands saw an opportunity to create a unique experience that showcases exceptional products and encourages customers to think about the impact of their everyday choices.” She added that Pangaia would measure the collaboration's success through customer engagement, feedback, and the overall reception of the pop-up experience.
But I was left distinctly underwhelmed by the store's pop-up, let alone the store, even before the Royal Group takeover made Pangaia's laudable, original vision seem almost disingenuous. The merchandising was bland and indistinct, while the storytelling opportunities around the retailer's pioneering FLWRDWN™ technology—an animal-free, bio-based alternative to traditional down—was sorely missed.
Here, it should take a page from Japanese retail giant Uniqlo to see what good brand merchandising and narrative displays should look like instead of relying on house plants, DJs, and other brands, including big., to provide creative flair. It was such a shame, as the DTC brand is designed to be a springboard for groundbreaking change, setting new standards in the industry with cutting-edge material innovations.
However, Pangaia still has much to learn regarding retail execution and brand smarts.
__________________________________________________________________________
Miya Knights has over 25 years of experience as a retail technology analyst, editor, author and consultant. She owns and publishes Retail Technology magazine and has co-authored two best-selling books about Amazon and Omnichannel Retail. Miya is a consultant and advisor to several technology companies, judges various industry awards, and is a member of the Retail Influencer Network, Customer Strategy Network, and the KPMG Retail Think Tank.
Welcome back to The London Brief. This column for Future Commerce is brought to you by retail technology expert, author, and analyst Miya Knights, a Future Commerce Expert Network member.
Swathed in eco-credentials and draped in virtuous storytelling, Pangaia's flagship store stands as a monument to sustainability's hollow promise. What should be retail alchemy—a collaboration between two eco-conscious brands—instead offers a masterclass in missed opportunity.
What matters in retail doesn't change. I'd even dare to point out that the merchant is the world's second-oldest profession.
What does change is our means of accessing what matters to us as consumers in retail. The merchant facilitates our retail-related needs, missions, and journeys using their finely attuned curation skills. To that end, a recent collaboration between Pangaia and big. Beauty (no, the period was not misplaced) should serve as a lesson to us all.
"Merchandising sustainability is retail's most challenging balancing act—Pangaia demonstrates how easily one can tumble off the tightrope."
The two UK-based sustainability brands got together to bring zero-waste, cult favourite beauty and wellness brands to Pangaia's flagship store in London's iconic Carnaby Street for a limited pop-up. Showcasing the curation skills of big. and underline the sustainability credentials of Pangaia, the pop-up invited consumers to shop not just guilt-free but virtuously, too.
Considering that beauty and wellness is one of the few categories that have managed to sustain growth from the fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic as part of our so-called ‘new normal’ (just compare it to the fortunes of luxury brands, for example), the pop-up should have made a surefire recipe for success.
But I just wasn't convinced. So, let's also consider the evidence as to why.
Green Intentions, Beige Execution
In its favour, we're moving into an era of more conscious consumption.
Consumers today are more likely to emphasise their health, experiences, and the planet's well-being—so much so that we've arguably passed the point of ‘peak stuff.’
Now, while consumers who care about sustainability are those who can afford to, and the likes of Amazon, SHEIN, and Temu exist to serve the needs of those who can't, countless surveys suggest that Generations Z and Alpha are more aware of sustainability and environmental issues than their forebears. This trend should all play into the hands of brands, such as Pangaia and big.
However, the pop-up's lofty ambitions belied its poor execution and the store owner's fortunes, proving that having sustainable credentials does not a merchant curator make. Retailers and brands at the mercy of seismic cultural shifts, such as a pandemic, must adapt to any new normal, in whatever form it may take, and Pangaia's recent struggles prove this to be true.
"In retail's grand story, the pandemic was merely a plot twist—not permission to forget the fundamentals."
The retailer plunged from a $16.6 million profit in 2020 to a $41.5 million loss in 2021, driven by significant investments in its digital platform and workforce. Rapidly decelerating online sales as the world came out of lockdown and had to find something other than sweatpants to wear did not help its fortunes. Furthermore, like many retailers who subsequently overestimated post-pandemic digital commerce demand levels, it had to absorb a $3.1 million write-down on surplus inventory.
Pangaia also learned the hard way that consumers love touching, feeling, and trying before they buy, with the help of a knowledgeable store assistant to aid conversion by persuading a potential customer the item they're considering is suited to them. These are basic retail tenets that it had to learn the hard way. But, by the end of 2023, it had forged strategic partnerships with prestigious department stores, including Selfridges, Galeries Lafayette, and La Rinascente, which navigated its direct-to-consumer (DTC) business back to profitability.
Meanwhile, the retailer is enthusiastic about unlocking fresh revenue channels by promoting sustainable material innovations to other firms. However, this has yet to yield substantial financial rewards. Even positioning itself as more than a retailer, sitting at the intersection of science, purpose, and design, was not enough to prevent the sale of a controlling stake earlier this year for an undisclosed sum.
Oil-Slicked Idealism
The irony of the deal is that Pangiaia's new owner is Royal Group, the family office of the Abu Dhabi royals chaired by the brother of the president of the fossil fuel-rich state of the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The UAE is one of the world's largest oil producers and a major exporter of oil and gas, calling the green retailer's mission to bring problem-solving innovations to the world through premium lifestyle products and experiences into question.
"When a fossil fuel fortune bankrolls your sustainability mission, even the most innovative eco-fabrics can't absorb the contradiction."
Known for its bio-engineered materials and sustainable practices and to, "inspire and accelerate an Earth Positive Future," according to its vision statement, the Pangaia Carnaby Street flagship store should have offered the perfect setting to showcase big.'s cult-favourite beauty brands.
“With 95% of cosmetic packaging getting thrown away and only 9% recycled–packaging is one of the biggest sustainability challenges facing the beauty industry,” according to big. Beauty co-founder Lisa Targett Bolding. She added: “We're here to change that and provide a platform for the pioneer brands designing waste out of the system.”
The big. expert team was on hand in-store throughout the event, offering personalised skin consultations to help shoppers curate the perfect holiday gifts. Visitors could also discover limited-edition, high-performance products rarely available outside big.'s Hackney boutique, including LESSE's stripped-down skincare range and Subtle Bodies' Australian incense sticks, which are exclusive to big. The event also featured drinks, a live DJ, and a facial massage workshop led by big.'s resident facialist.
Maria Srivastava, Pangaia's Chief Impact Officer, oversees global sustainability and philanthropy initiatives. She told Future Commerce, “Both brands saw an opportunity to create a unique experience that showcases exceptional products and encourages customers to think about the impact of their everyday choices.” She added that Pangaia would measure the collaboration's success through customer engagement, feedback, and the overall reception of the pop-up experience.
But I was left distinctly underwhelmed by the store's pop-up, let alone the store, even before the Royal Group takeover made Pangaia's laudable, original vision seem almost disingenuous. The merchandising was bland and indistinct, while the storytelling opportunities around the retailer's pioneering FLWRDWN™ technology—an animal-free, bio-based alternative to traditional down—was sorely missed.
Here, it should take a page from Japanese retail giant Uniqlo to see what good brand merchandising and narrative displays should look like instead of relying on house plants, DJs, and other brands, including big., to provide creative flair. It was such a shame, as the DTC brand is designed to be a springboard for groundbreaking change, setting new standards in the industry with cutting-edge material innovations.
However, Pangaia still has much to learn regarding retail execution and brand smarts.
__________________________________________________________________________
Miya Knights has over 25 years of experience as a retail technology analyst, editor, author and consultant. She owns and publishes Retail Technology magazine and has co-authored two best-selling books about Amazon and Omnichannel Retail. Miya is a consultant and advisor to several technology companies, judges various industry awards, and is a member of the Retail Influencer Network, Customer Strategy Network, and the KPMG Retail Think Tank.
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