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Kendra Scott names new CEO

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3 days ago

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January 7, 2026

U.S. lifestyle brand Kendra Scott on Tuesday announced the appointment of Chris Blakeslee as its new chief executive officer, effective January 12.

Chris Blakeslee – Courtesy

A sporting apparel veteran, Blakeslee was formerly the CEO of Gap Inc.-owned Athleta, a position he served in for over two years. Before that, he was president of sister activewear brand Alo Yoga, where he was credited for scaling the U.S. brand from under $50 million to a $1B+ direct-to-consumer brand in less than five years.

“Chris understands our customer-first mission, and I’m excited to see him lead with purpose—driving strategic growth and deepening brand affinity,” said Kendra Scott, chief visionary officer and executive chairwoman.

“His forward-looking vision strengthens our holistic brand world, where product, environment, community and culture work seamlessly together. Chris honors my vision while adding a dynamic perspective, making him the ideal steward for our next phase of growth,” added the brand founder.

Kendra Scott continues to strengthen its position as a lifestyle brand, with expansions into eyewear, fragrance, and home since its inception 23 years ago. In 2023, the company launched Yellow Rose by Kendra Scott, alongside the brand’s recent expansion into apparel, hats, and footwear.

Under Blakeslee’s leadership, the brand said it “remains committed to a bullish retail strategy and continues to expand into new categories,” according to a press release.

“Kendra has built an extraordinary brand grounded in a deeply customer-first, experience-driven approach,” said Chris Blakeslee, chief executive officer.

“I’m energized by the opportunity to bring the world of Kendra Scott to life in richer, more immersive ways across product, environment, community, and culture—building on the strong foundation already in place as we shape the brand’s next era.”

In January last year, Kendra Scott entered the eyewear category, following a new licensing partnership with American eyewear giant, Marchon Eyewear.

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Very Group up for sale again – report

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24 minutes ago

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January 9, 2026

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January 9, 2026

It looks like Very Group could be headed for a new owner, just a couple of months after US private equity giant Carlyle took control of the e-tail business.

Very.co.uk

A Sky News report said an auction is expected to start soon with major banks Barclays and JP Morgan lined up to handle the sale.

Very was previously owned by the Barclay family (no relation to Barclays Bank) and there had been attempts to sell it on several occasions. But reports suggested they had a price in mind higher than bidders were prepared to pay. Estimates of Very Group’s current value are £2 billion to £2.5 billion, which would be below the valuation the previous owners had put on it.

Carlyle had been a major lender to the business and it was able to take control under the terms of the financing deal. 

The group had been controlled by the Barclay family for over 20 years and was one of a number of their assets to fall out of their control as their business affairs hit problems.

Sky said the sale plan for Very — which will report its Black Friday and Christmas trading next week — comes as Carlyle’s ownership had always been intended to be transitional. Not that any parties involved have commented on the story, which remains unconfirmed.

The group may have seen some struggles in recent years but it remains a huge business with annual revenue of over £2 billion. Its most recent results filed in October saw adjusted EBITDA of £307.1 million but a pre-tax loss of £505.4 million due to a writedown of an inter-company loan made to the Barclay family’s holding company.

Revenue at its flagship Very UK operation “was broadly stable, with a slight decline” of 0.2% to £1.83 billion, while group revenue fell 1.8% to £2.09 billion.

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​Pandora eyes 6% organic growth in 2025 as weak US market mutes prior guidance

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January 9, 2026

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January 9, 2026

Pandora expects to deliver 6% organic growth in 2025, the Danish jewellery brand announced on Friday in its preliminary and unaudited results for 2025, falling below previous guidance of 7% to 8%.

Pandora is known for its charm bracelets – Cortesía

 
“We delivered 6% organic growth in 2025 despite softer than expected Q4 holiday trading, particularly in North America,” said Pandora’s CEO Berta de Pablos-Barbier, the brand announced on its website on January 9. “While the year was marked by macro headwinds, it has also highlighted opportunities to sharpen execution and strengthen brand desirability.”
 
Pandora is eyeing a full-year operating profit of approximately 7.8 billion Danish crowns ($1.2 billion) along with an EBIT margin of around 24%, in line ‍with its previous guidance. The North American market reported 2% like for like growth in the fourth quarter of 2025 with trading in November and December below expectations due to weakened consumer sentiment causing muted in-store traffic. Although EMEA like for like growth came in at -1% and Italy lagged, Spain, Poland, and Portugal reported strong growth, according to the business.

“As new CEO, my focus will be to navigate the current market environment, reduce our commodity exposure and course-correct in select areas to accelerate profitable growth,” said de Pablos-Barbier. “Pandora continues to pursue significant untapped growth opportunities as a full jewellery brand. Our fundamentals are strong. We are building a bigger Pandora.”  
 
The business will announce its audited full-year 2025 results on February 5. Pandora plans to launch designs in new materials this calendar year, aiming to use high silver prices as fuel for innovation, according to de Pablos-Barbier.

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NRF 2026 Retail’s Big Show to kick off in New York on January 11 with over 5,000 exhibitors

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1 hour ago

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January 9, 2026

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Nicola Mira

Published



January 9, 2026

The NRF 2026 Retail’s Big Show will be held in New York on January 11-13 with over 5,000 exhibitors from some 100 countries, showcasing the latest innovations, tech tools and solutions for the retail trade.

NRF

The event will once again be staged at the imposing Jacob K. Javits Convention Centre in Manhattan, and will feature a busy programme of conferences, keynote speeches and panel debates. One of the show’s star attractions will be actor Ryan Reynolds (of Deadpool and Detective Pikachu fame), who will illustrate his various business ventures.

Also among the participants, representatives of corporate giants like Google, Amazon, Zalando, AliExpress, Adidas, JD Sports, VF Corp., H&M, Mango, Guess, Old Navy and Gap Inc., Abercrombie & Fitch, Michael Kors, Nordstrom, Urban Outfitters, Perry Ellis, The North Face, Bestseller, Lowe’s, Pandora, Coach and Shopify.

Industry experts will speak at sessions on elevating the customer experience, adapting business operations to drive efficiency, promoting business-model agility, recruiting next-level talent, and understanding the latest retail technology. Among those sharing their insights at NRF 2026 Retail’s Big Show will be Fran Horowitz, CEO of Abercrombie & Fitch, Carhartt CEO Linda Hubbard, Marc Metrick, CEO of Saks Global, Michael Rubin, founder and CEO of Fanatics, and Ulta Beauty CEO Kecia Steelman.

The show will feature The Expo, a section on new retail technologies and solutions, the Vendors in Partnership Awards, What’s in Store for Retail Media Networks, as well as happy hours on the Expo floor and tours of some of New York’s more innovative retail spaces.

NRF

Several participants from leading French companies are expected, like Gonzague de Pirey, chief omnichannel and data officer at LVMH, Gabriel Bertoli, head of digital transformation at L’Oréal, Anne-Claire Baschet, head of data and AI at French unicorn Mirakl, and Hervé D’Halluin, in charge of RFID and traceability at Decathlon.

In terms of exhibitors, France will be represented by 28 companies under the Business France banner. They include Autone (specialised in inventory optimisation using AI tools), RetailNext (which generates metrics analysing retail footfall and customer behaviour), omnichannel and logistics experts like OneStock (specialised in order management systems) and Revers.io (returns management and SAV analysis), as well as specialists in new purchasing-path solutions like Faume (for second-hand while label products) and Live Vendor (DTC sales solutions).

The 2025 edition of NRF Retail’s Big Show, featuring some 6,000 exhibitors, was held in New York on January 16-18, and attracted over 40,000 visitors.

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