McKinsey Research: Global Fashion Industry Expects Challenging 2026
McKinsey has forecast the state of the fashion industry in 2026 based on a survey of company executives.Around 46% of respondents expect the industry to worsen in 2026. The reasons include macroeconomic uncertainty, cautious consumer behavior, and structural factors such as tariffs and supply chain disruptions, writes Worldfootwear.com.
Geographically, 36% consider North America to be a region with no or very little potential, double the percentage last year.
Interest in the Chinese market is growing: only 28% of respondents consider this country's market unpromising in 2026, compared to 41% in 2025.
Overall, the global fashion industry is expected to show low growth in 2026. However, the luxury goods sector may see a slight improvement. Amid inflation and economic uncertainty, shoppers are increasingly focusing on value, prioritizing quality, durability, and meaningful brand interactions.
Company executives consider artificial intelligence (AI) a valuable tool for advancing the fashion market. "More than 35% of executives report using AI in areas such as online customer service, image creation, copywriting, consumer search, or product search."
According to McKinsey, 2026 will require brands to be flexible. Those who can quickly adapt, leverage technology, and build direct relationships with customers will be better positioned to navigate the challenging world ahead.
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McKinsey forecast the fashion industry for 2026 based on a survey of company executives. Approximately 46% of respondents expect the industry to worsen in 2026. The reasons are…
Bank of America analysts predict a decline in consumer interest in sneakers.
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Luxury department store chain Saks Fifth Avenue has gone bankrupt in the US.
One of the leading players in the global luxury goods market, the American department store chain Saks Fifth Avenue, has gone bankrupt. Global Saks, which operates the oldest department store chain, Saks Fifth Avenue (42 stores), a luxury chain… 15.01.2026 240
The Pikolinos Group has appointed Francisco Sanchez as CEO.
The Spanish Pikolinos group announced the appointment of Francisco Sánchez as CEO. The appointment marks a new stage in the group's business development, which owns the Pikolinos and Martinelli footwear brands, and a new strategic plan… 14.01.2026 319
Camper Creative Director Achille Ion Gabriel is leaving his post.
Camper announced the departure of Achilles Ion Gabriel, the brand's creative director, who held the position since 2019. The creative team will now lead the creative direction of Camper and CamperLab. 14.01.2026 332
During the holidays, traffic in shopping centers in Russia was lower than last year.
Holiday traffic at shopping centers in Russia was 16-18% lower than during last year's New Year's holidays. The last week of 2025 saw an increase of approximately 20% compared to the weekly average… 14.01.2026 406
What factors influence pricing, and how to work with retail prices for shoes
Footwear retail is one of those segments that is highly dependent on seasonality. Pricing in the footwear business, in turn, depends on a multitude of factors, from production costs to the vagaries of weather and regional factors.SR's expert in product assortment and management, Emina Ponyatova, discusses the key principles of pricing footwear products, as well as the main pressure factors and challenges facing footwear retailers in 2025, and offers recommendations on how to ensure successful and profitable retail.
Customer profiling in a shoe store. What is this technique and how can it be used in sales?
Profiling is a scientific method of "reading people," allowing one to create a psychological profile of a person and predict their actions or behavior in certain situations, or even catch them in a lie. Profiling is used in sales because the salesperson needs to understand a person's emotional state and their underlying motivations for purchasing. An expert and practitioner in sales growth in fashion, SR, discusses this method and its practical application in footwear retail.
SOHO Fashion Group: 20 years of sustainable growth and collaboration with global brands
This year, SOHO Fashion Group celebrates its 20th anniversary—a significant milestone that highlights the company's sustainable development and its contribution to shaping the Russian fashion market. During this period, the company has established a leading position in the industry, forging strong relationships with international brands and establishing itself as a reliable representative of the fashion segment.
MARCO TOZZI presented his Fall-Winter 2025/26 collection in Moscow.
A harmony of comfort and elegance, fashion trends and classic essentials—German shoe and bag brand MARCO TOZZI presents its new Fall-Winter 2025/26 collection.
Three fashionable colors for accessories and shoes for the fall-winter 2025/26 season
Each season, trend bureau Future Snoops (formerly Fashion Snoops) identifies key colors for different product groups. For shoes, bags, and accessories, the forecast takes into account the specifics of the categories and is based on general cross-market color forecasts for the season. The three colors described in the article below will influence the accessories market in the fall/winter 25/26 season, helping you promote trendy new items and update classic styles. These shades have beautiful and delicious names: "Ice Star," "Honey Glaze," and "Cherry Jam."
Euro Shoes — March 4-7, 2026 at the WTC Congress Center
From March 4th to 7th, leading brands from Europe, Asia, and the CIS will gather at the WTC Congress Center in Moscow to present their Fall/Winter 2026 collections, capture current trends, and set the direction for the fashion industry.
Just a month until the Euro Shoes exhibition in Moscow!
We are counting down the days for the main international exhibition of footwear and accessories Euro Shoes Premiere Collection in Moscow! The exhibition will be held from August 27 to 30 at a new premium venue – the capital's congress center WTC on Krasnopresnenskaya Embankment.
Salvatore Ferragamo's Shoes Inspire Pastry Chefs
Italian confectioners have created cakes that are exact copies of six legendary pairs of shoes from the archives of the Italian "Shoemaker to the Stars" maestro Salvatore Ferragamo. They were presented in the 10_11 restaurant of the Milan hotel Portrait Milano, which is part of the hotel management company owned by the Ferragamo family.
Main trend themes for footwear and bags collections for the fall-winter 2025/26 season
Whatever aesthetics your collection adheres to - craft heritage, elegant minimalism inspired by traditions or, conversely, futuristic forms - if your customer strives to be fashionable and you need to regularly update your assortment with current trendy novelties, pay attention to the design trends, models and details of women's shoes and bags in the fall-winter 2025/26 season described in this article. To prepare it, the author used materials from the international trend bureau Fashion Snoops, which is a source of commercial forecasts for the seasons ahead, and current trend analytics of key events in the fashion industry around the world: industry exhibitions, shows, shows.
How Pareto's Law Works in a Shoe Retail Store
Analysis of the company's performance is an important quality of a manager. Many indicators in the retail business are subject to analysis, primarily - sales planning and inventory balances, KPI performance by employees, the effectiveness of marketing campaigns, the number of sellers, their work schedules and many other factors that affect the final result of the store. In this material, SR expert on increasing sales in shoe retail Evgeny Danchev, using the Pareto principle, understands the reasons why revenue and volumes of goods sold are distributed very unevenly between weekdays and weekends. The author is confident that the Pareto principle is indispensable in the systemic analysis of sales management efficiency and sales results. But it is important to apply it correctly and interpret its meaning.
Clarks: 200 years of quality, style and innovation
In 2025, the legendary British brand Clarks celebrates its 200th anniversary – an impressive milestone that demonstrates its enduring relevance, impeccable quality and global appeal.recognition of the brand. Since its foundation in 1825, the company has not only created shoes, but also set the standards for comfort and style, remaining a symbol of British craftsmanship and innovation.
New brand in the SOHO FASHION portfolio – BEVERLY HILLS POLO CLUB
SOHO Fashion continues to grow and develop in the Russian footwear market, and in 2025, the leading distributor's brand portfolio added a new one – the legendary BeverlyHills Polo Club (BHPC). This is an international brand that has become a symbol of the American way of life, freedom and style. Founded in the 1980s, it is inspired by the spirit of polo sport, which
associated with elitism, aristocracy and an active lifestyle.
The cyclicality of fashion and its impact on the financial results of the fashion business
Stylists and experts never tire of telling both professionals and ordinary consumers of goods and services in the fashion industry that fashion develops cyclically. The cyclicality of fashion has a significant impact on the financial results of the fashion business, since it dictates periods of demand and decline and determines which goods will be in demand at a certain moment. SR expert in assortment planning and management Emina Ponyatova talks about which aspects of the cyclicality of fashion should be taken into account by shoe retailers in their work, and how they affect the financial performance of the business.
Micam and Livetrend presented a selection of footwear trends for the spring-summer 2026 season
The Italian international footwear fair Micam presents the "Spring-Summer 2026 Trend Guide", developed in collaboration with Livetrend. The guide is based on the analysis of social networks, online marketplaces and fashion shows, as well as new technologies such as artificial intelligence and Big Data.
The Battle for the Sports Shoe Market
Fashion market experts and economic analysts predict a decline in sales of Nike and Adidas. The leadership positions of the unsinkable sports giants may be seriously shaken in the coming years, as they are being pushed out by young, bold and active competitors – challenger brands. Why is this happening, and what are the main reasons for such changes? Daniya Tkacheva, a fashion market expert and practitioner with 20 years of experience in sales management, and 13 years of experience in the Nike Russia team and fashion retail, shares her view on the situation on the market in the sportswear and footwear segment.
PETER KAISER - the best brand of 2025!
"CAPRICE Schuhproduktion GmbH has received a certificate for awarding PETER KAISER the title of "Top Brand 2025".
Shoe educational program: what shoe soles are made of
“What is the difference between TEP and EVA? What does tunit promise me? Is PVC glue? What is the sole of these shoes made of? ”- the modern buyer wants to know everything. In order not to smash his face in front of him and be able to explain whether such a sole suits him in soles, carefully read this article. In it, process engineer Igor Okorokov tells what materials the soles of shoes are made of and what makes each of them so good.
How to set prices that will earn
Some businessmen still confuse the concept of margin with the concept of trade margins and set prices for their goods, guided solely by the example of competitors. No wonder they go broke! Analyst at the Academy of Retail Technologies Maxim Gorshkov gives several tips and formulas with which you can set not only ruinous, but also profitable prices.
Sales of shoes and accessories: effective techniques for business rhetoric
Which speech modules are effective in communicating with potential and current customers of shoe stores, and which are not, Anna Bocharova, a business consultant, knows.
We form the salary of sellers: expert advice
“How do you charge your consultants for personal or general sales?” Is one of the most popular questions causing a lot of controversy and gossip on the online forums of retail business owners. Indeed, how to properly form the earnings of sellers? But what about bonuses, where to get a sales plan from, do employees allow them to buy goods at discounted stores? In search of truth, the Shoes Report turned to a dozen shoe retailers, but no company wanted to disclose its motivation system - the process of its development was too complicated and individual. Then we asked four business consultants, and finally became convinced that the topic of seller motivation is very complex, because even our experts could not come to a common opinion.
The whole truth about Bayer. Who is he and how to become one?
Bayer is no longer a new, but still a popular and sought-after profession. It’s fashionable to be a buyer. Buyers are at the origins of the emergence and development of trends. If the designer offers his vision of fashion in the season, then the buyer selects the most interesting commercial ideas. It is on buyers that the policy of sales of stores and what, in the end, the buyer will wear depends on. This profession is surrounded by a magical fleur, often associated with a lack of understanding of what exactly is the work of a buyer.
Technology Selling Issues
There is nothing worse than meeting the buyer with the words “Hello, can I help you with something?”, Because the seller works in the store just to help. Criticizing this well-established pattern of communication with the buyer, Andrei Chirkarev, business coach for effective sales and the founder of the New Economy project, shares the technology of truly selling issues with readers of Shoes Report.
Fur, and not only: types of lining
In the production of winter footwear, various materials are used that are designed to retain heat and meet the requirements of consumers: natural sheepleather, artificial fur, artificial fur from natural wool and others. All types of lining fur have their own advantages and disadvantages. Let's consider the properties of each of them.
The best models of Czech shoes of the past
In Soviet times, for shoes from Czechoslovakia sold under the Cebo brand, customers stood in line for four hours and did not regret it, because Czech shoes were considered to be of high quality, comfortable and fashionable. Shoe designer Juraj Shushka shared a photo archive of his collection with Shoes Report magazine, which contains the most interesting Cebo models from the 1940's to the 1980's.
Retail Arithmetic
Before you begin to solve specific problems, you need to find out how accurately all the leaders of your company understand the basic terminology of retail.
How to fire a worker without tears, scandal and trial
Sooner or later, any manager is faced with the need to part with an employee. Properly and on time the dismissal procedure will save the company money, and the boss himself - nerves and time. But why sometimes, knowing that a break in relations is inevitable, we put off the decision for months?
