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Zadeh kicks founder sentenced to 70 months for sneaker fraud

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Bloomberg

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January 7, 2026

The founder of sneaker reseller Zadeh Kicks was sentenced to almost six years in prison for a fraud conspiracy that led to the infamous collapse of the online platform and $80 million in losses for customers and financial institutions. 

Bloomberg

Michael Malekzadeh, 42, was sentenced Tuesday in Eugene, Oregon, to 70 months behind bars and ordered to forfeit more than $15 million in assets, federal prosecutors said in a statement. Last year, Malekzadeh pleaded guilty to wire fraud and bank fraud. 

The sentencing signaled the end of a case that sent shockwaves through the sneaker reselling market, which reached record highs during the 2020 pandemic. Malekzadeh rode this boom to improbable heights, offering sought-after shoes at competitive prices from his warehouse in Oregon, even before manufacturers released them.

A lawyer for Malekzadeh didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. 

According to the US Attorney’s Office in Oregon, Malekzadeh “advertised, sold, and collected payments from customers for preorders knowing he could not satisfy all orders placed.” All in all, he owed customers more than $65 million in unfulfilled orders and defrauded financial institutions out of $15 million they’d loaned him, court records show. 

Malekzadeh used the money to fund a lavish lifestyle, prosecutors said. Agents seized luxury watches, jewelry and hundreds of handbags during the investigation, court documents show.

As part of their plea agreements, Malekzadeh and his partner, Bethany Mockerman, the company’s chief financial officer, agreed to pay restitution in full to their victims. The judge set a restitution hearing for March 31.

The government said it raised $7.5 million from selling Malekzadeh’s residence in Eugene, his watches and luxury cars manufactured by Bentley, Ferrari, Lamborghini and Porsche. 

In a separate case, Zadeh Kicks, which Malekzadeh founded in 2013, and all of its sneakers were taken over by a court-appointed receiver, who’s been in charge of liquidating its assets. 

The case is US v. Malekzadeh, 22-cr-262, US District Court, District of Oregon (Eugene).



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Very Group up for sale again – report

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11 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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Translated by

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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