As the furniture industry reels from a dramatic drop in consumer demand, Lovesac overcame market headwinds to report 7.5% growth in revenue in fiscal year 2024, reaching $700 million from $651 million the previous year.
Brands do not always survive financial engineering. Sears is an example. Bed Bath & Beyond is another. Toys R’Us is still struggling after a bankruptcy and collapse. Quiznos survived bankruptcy but is a small shadow of its former self.
The growth of any brand will plateau if it is successful with its initial product range in its region of origin. Further growth must come from expanding the product range, extending geographically, or both. Before scaling your brand, the business fundamentals need to be in place. Investors seem keen to fund technology-based brands even if they have never made a profit, but this isn’t wise. According to Cyrine Ben-Hafaïedh and Anaïs Hamelin (2022), profit-focused brands...
Barron’s, the financial weekly, is suggesting that investors take a long look at convenience stores. Apparently, convenience stores, such as WaWa and Casey’s and others, have captured the attention and wallets of customers. With fresh, hand-crafted foods, beverages, other merchandise and, according to Buc-ee’s, “the cleanest restrooms in America,” convenience stores are fast-becoming go-to places for speedy, affordable on-the-go offerings.
In some categories, a major component of the brand experience comes from human interaction, such as at premium hotels, restaurants and retailers, to name a few. Brands in these categories need their client-facing employees to be emotionally intelligent, attuned to customers’ needs, knowledgeable about the brand’s offer and motivated to look after customers. Having committed employees kick-starts a chain of benefits.
