Welcome to Inside The Collective, a newsletter that invites you into the brains, conversations and ideas of Allison Collins and jessica ramírez, friends and cofounders of The Consumer Collective. Here, we share weekly thoughts on consumer sentiment, news, retail, fashion, beauty, business, things we like, things we don’t — and why. We hope it helps you connect the dots across the consumer world.
Don’t miss our latest consumer insights report, which highlights what consumers are spending on this summer + business opportunities.
What we’re watching:
Inflation chilled slightly in June, as gas prices dropped temporarily. They are back up, however, since the Iran ceasefire fell apart.
In some cases, consumers are being priced out of fun — even the at-home kind — as prices for streaming, video games and other entertainment products and services rise. We’ve seen consumers prioritize spending on joy, but many of them are making trade-offs to do so.
Consumers are gravitating towards alternative-size products, including minis, which scratch the consumption itch without consumers having to spend much money. Our research has also shown that people want jumbo sizes when it helps them save over time.
Grocery stores are cutting prices on certain products in an attempt to convince shoppers to buy more. And beauty brands continue to selectively lower prices — 4AM Skin just lowered pricing on Clean Sheets from $29 for a 25-pack to $23 for a 30-pack.
The EU’s new rules about destroying unsold goods go into effect July 19. Companies must now disclose information on unsold consumer products they discard, and are banned from destroying unsold apparel, accessories and shoes.
The ultrawealthy are buying multiple neighboring properties, often for hundreds of millions, in order to create large, private compounds complete with tennis courts and other on-site amenities. Real estate is one of the places the ultrawealthy continue to invest.
An anonymous buyer paid more than $50 million for a T.Rex fossil named Gus this week. Ken Griffin, who is among the people building the aforementioned large complexes, spent $44.6 million for a Stegosaurus fossil in 2024. Seems like the rich are also diversifying into dinosaurs.
Medical advancements around sports surgeries are allowing athletes and aspiring athletes (children) to push themselves further than ever. These more sophisticated surgeries are being touted as a “recovery revolution.” We expect that eventually, as amateur athletes push themselves, recovery for all will become much more mainstream.
Wearable fitness tracker business Whoop hired a Nike marketing veteran as chief marketing officer as it aims to take the business global (and possibly one day, public). Both Whoop and competitor Oura have been growing, in large part due to women. But there is a small group of consumers pushing back against constant health monitoring, which can feel overwhelming.
Gen Z especially is spending on old technology that’s less distracting than all-encompassing smartphones — think iPods, digital cameras and DVD players. We covered nostalgia-core a year ago in our interview with Randi Bergman and the insights still hold true.
Watches of Switzerland, which sells Rolexes and other watches and jewelry, is seeing strong demand in the U.S.
Dyson’s portable fans are flying off the shelves as consumers try to cool down during a multiple-heatwave summer.
LVMH has partnered with a fashion school in France to research how creatives may interact with AI. (Allison Collins)
What we like:
I am very pale and constantly looking for sunscreen in all formats. My latest favorite is the Prequel Lip Visor, which looks like regular lip gloss but contains SPF 30. I got the clear version and it’s actually hydrating. Maybe next summer I’ll get it in a color. (Allison Collins)
What we’re reading:
Lucky-maxxing: Why South Korea’s Gen Z is shopping for luck (Jing Daily)
How Brands Sneak In Cheaper Ingredients to Protect Their Profit Margins (Bloomberg)
In a Protein-Maxxing Era, Men Want Tight Suits (WSJ)
New App Stylegrid Aims to Streamline Stylists’ Work, Take the Pain Out of Personal Shopping (WWD)
For Some Patients, a Facelift Alone Isn’t Enough (BOF)
More from Inside the Collective:
Coach’s Stores Connect With Gen Z. Its Visual Experience SVP Shares How.
What We Learned From Nike Earnings
Retail Watch List
Welcome to our second quarterly Retail Watch List, an in-depth retail intelligence report for Collective Members. This list is built to support readers in the retail and real estate communities, but there are insights here for everyone watching the consumer space. This dataset tracks store openings, closings and meaningful retail strategy shifts in the U.S. market. We believe that retail shifts often reflect broader consumer behavior, underscoring where people are spending time and money. For more consumer insights, check out our consumer insights library, here.
This quarter, we’re tracking 96 companies that are actively expanding, reducing, or rethinking their retail footprints in the U.S.
