
Episode Six: What Will Women Want?
Presented by: Klarna

Explores the centrality of the merchandising and design functions, the product challenges presented by the pandemic, and the science and arts that determine what goes into a line.
How does a merchant build a line and know what quantities to buy when she doesn’t know how long the pandemic will last, how many stores will stay open, and how consumer behavior will evolve? In this episode, we hear from: NPD about how consumption has changed; IBM on the ability of machine learning and AI to forecast demand to the store level; Pauline Brown, who argues that Aesthetic Intelligence, or, as she calls it “the other AI,” is the only way bricks-and-mortar retailers can fend off Amazon; WGSN on the changes in trend forecasting and how the pandemic impacts future fashion trends; and Justice’s design and merchant VPs on their challenges and triumphs through this absurdly difficult period.

Julia Hanna
VP Merchandising, Justice

Karl Haller
Partner, IBM

Kat Depizzo
VP Design, Justice

Marshal Cohen
Chief Retail Analyst, NPD Group

Pauline Brown
Former Chairman, LVMH North America

Sidney Morgan
Senior Retail Editor, WGSN
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Thank you for the opportunity to be a part of this series! Kat and I really enjoyed our time with you and appreciate the opportunity to share our thoughts and story!
~ Julia Hanna
Julie and Kat , thank you for taking the time to share your insights
– Tom Clements