Millard Drexler's guest appearances

Millard Drexler

The Business of Fashion Podcast

Long Story Short with Bobbi Brown

Sam McKnight

Kamala Harris

Diane Von Furstenberg

Karl Lagerfeld

Marc Jacobs

Karlie Kloss

Candace Bushnell

Lisa Price

Sinéad Burke

Gary Vaynerchuk

Emily Weiss

Tracee Ellis Ross

Gretchen Rubin

Scott Galloway

Eileen Fisher

OwlTail

The New York-based “merchant prince,” best known for his time at J. Crew and Gap, is now watching the American retail landscape crumble as brands and retailers struggle under store shutdowns and debt restructuring. He did offer some advice, and warnings, on the state of American shopping, and what it might look like after the pandemic.  “If you’re not a micromanager, you’re not doing your job well,” said Drexler. With too much assortment, and too much retail space, brands need to determine what’s necessary and get creative with their offerings. This same practice should also be applied to wholesale accounts. “Own the brand, don’t let someone else put it on sale, and you’re safe,” he said. Rethink what growth means for your brand. “Growth is the enemy,” said Drexler, looking to the rise of VC-backed brands that have struggled to successfully scale and break even. Now is not the time to pursue top-line growth at the cost of profit margins. “That’s what investors want, and they’ll do dumb things to get there,” said Drexler. “More is not better, the new big is small in my mind.” The American department store’s make or break. “It’s pretty much near the end,” said Drexler. There’s no reason for them, he argued, unless the assortment and store curation are unique and compelling: “I’m not impressed [and] I haven't been for years with the choices out there.”    Sign up for BoF’s Daily Digest newsletter here. Ready to become a BoF Professional? For a limited time, enjoy 25% discount on an annual membership, exclusively for podcast listeners. Simply, click here, select the Annual Package and use code PODCASTPRO at the checkout. For comments, questions, or speaker ideas, please e-mail: podcast@businessoffashion.com.  For all sponsorship enquiries, it’s: advertising@businessoffashion.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The New York-based “merchant prince,” best known for his time at J. Crew and <a href="https://www.businessoffashion.com/organisations/gap" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Gap</a>, is now watching the American retail landscape crumble as brands and retailers struggle under store shutdowns and debt restructuring. He did offer some advice, and warnings, on the state of American shopping, and what it might look like after the pandemic. <ul> <li>“If you’re not a micromanager, you’re not doing your job well,” said Drexler. With too much assortment, and too much retail space, brands need to determine what’s necessary and get creative with their offerings. This same practice should also be applied to wholesale accounts. “Own the brand, don’t let someone else put it on sale, and you’re safe,” he said.</li> <li>Rethink what growth means for your brand. “Growth is the enemy,” said Drexler, looking to the rise of VC-backed brands that have struggled to successfully scale and break even. Now is not the time to pursue top-line growth at the cost of profit margins. “That’s what investors want, and they’ll do dumb things to get there,” said Drexler. “More is not better, the new big is small in my mind.”</li> <li>The American department store’s make or break. “It’s pretty much near the end,” said Drexler. There’s no reason for them, he argued, unless the assortment and store curation are unique and compelling: “I’m not impressed [and] I haven't been for years with the choices out there.”</li> </ul> Sign up for BoF’s Daily Digest newsletter <a href="http://bit.ly/BoFnews" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">here</a>. Ready to become a BoF Professional? For a limited time, enjoy 25% discount on an annual membership, exclusively for podcast listeners. Simply, click <a href="http://bit.ly/2xNP" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">here</a>, select the Annual Package and use code PODCASTPRO at the checkout. For comments, questions, or speaker ideas, please e-mail: <a href="mailto:podcast@businessoffashion.com">podcast@businessoffashion.com</a>.  For all sponsorship enquiries, it’s: <a href="mailto:advertising@businessoffashion.com">advertising@businessoffashion.com</a>. Hosted on Acast. See <a href="https://acast.com/privacy" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.

Millard Drexler on Why ‘Growth Is the Enemy

On the debut episode of Long Story Short, Bobbi sits with retail and brand industry titan, Millard Drexler. Chances are at some point, you've worn a piece of clothing that was Millard's idea. He's responsible for the success of such iconic brands as J.Crew, Gap, Banana Republic, and Old Navy just to name a few.Millard's knowledge and industry savvy is so sought after, that Steve Jobs recruited him when he had a little idea for a brick and mortar store where you can shop for apple products. Together they designed what would later become the iconic Apple Store. The experience you have when walking through an Apple store, a Gap store, a J.Crew store or even an Old Navy store is largely due to the mind of Millard Drexler and how he designs the retail shopping experience.We're taking your questions! Ask Bobbi anything you like and send her an email at askbobbibrown@gmail.com. We'll be sure to answer in our upcoming shows!See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

On the debut episode of Long Story Short, Bobbi sits with retail and brand industry titan, Millard Drexler. Chances are at some point, you've worn a piece of clothing that was Millard's idea. He's responsible for the success of such iconic brands as J.Crew, Gap, Banana Republic, and Old Navy just to name a few.Millard's knowledge and industry savvy is so sought after, that Steve Jobs recruited him when he had a little idea for a brick and mortar store where you can shop for apple products. Together they designed what would later become the iconic Apple Store. The experience you have when walking through an Apple store, a Gap store, a J.Crew store or even an Old Navy store is largely due to the mind of Millard Drexler and how he designs the retail shopping experience.We're taking your questions! Ask Bobbi anything you like and send her an email at askbobbibrown@gmail.com. We'll be sure to answer in our upcoming shows! See Privacy Policy at <a href="https://art19.com/privacy" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">https://art19.com/privacy</a> and California Privacy Notice at <a href="https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info</a>.

Designing The Consumer Experience With Millard Drexler