One of my favorite ways to research is stepping into a store. Referred to as Channel Checks, Store Visits or Comp Shopping. Breaking down the elements of Channel Checks here.
Hi! Nearly a year into Retail Diary on Instagram…and I realized I’ve never formally introduced myself here.
I’m Sarah—a retail strategy expert, trend forecaster, and merchandising maven.
Five years ago, I decided to take my musings on all things retail, merchandising, and fashion from my notebook to start my very own “Retail Diary.” Each week, I break down designer collaborations, industry shifts, and the products I can’t get out of my head.
Retail Diary has been recognized for its foresight and trend predictions by industry leaders. Retail insiders praise its strategic insights. Content creators often cite Retail Diary as their go-to source for emerging trends and updates on collabs and new launches.
Subscribe at sarahshapiro.substack.com. And for even more fashion insight, follow along here on Instagram. I share a lot here that you won’t find on my Substack.
On a personal note, I live in the Bay Area with my husband and two kids (11 & 8). I love living in CA, but I’m a New Yorker at heart (ask me for my chocolate chip cookie bakery ranking).
In a past life, I founded two fashion accessories companies featured in Refinery29 & O Magazine and sold at Nordstrom. I’ve also been an executive at Bloomingdale’s, Williams-Sonoma, and Clorox. Today, I blend my merchant expertise with trend forecasting and retail consulting to help brands and individuals navigate the ever-changing fashion, jewelry, beauty & CPG landscape.
I always love learning from and connecting with all of you. Comment below with where you’re based and the designer or a brand you think more people should know about!
During store visits this week I heard how quickly @shopdoen sold out of the Le PomPom headphones. And while I was there another shopper came in looking for them! Could fancy everyday essentials and leather goods be the new Labubus?
Clean beauty is out, and algorithm-driven glam is in—where $25 blushes, influencer flywheels, and TikTok-fueled impulse makeup hauls beat virtue signaling, while $500 LED masks capture the real margin.
Sarah Shapiro partnered with @ShopMy to pull top affiliate links from January through April—a window capturing a Sephora sales event and Ulta’s 21 Days of Beauty.
Head to the link in bio for the full breakdown.
The wide leg won. Six of March’s top 10 most-purchased styles on ShopMy are easy pants—drawstring waists, taffeta, carpenter cuts.
Swipe from #10 to #1 to see exactly what people are actually buying right now, based on data shared exclusively with Line Sheet.
Sarah Shapiro breaks down the findings at the link in bio.
Calvin Klein once overheard someone dismiss a look as "very Banana Republic"—and corrected them on the spot. The mall brand, he noted, had captured a mass audience at an enviable price point. Put some respect on its name, Klein advised in so many words.
That was then. Banana Republic peaked at $2.9B in sales in 2014. Last year: $1.9B. No one can name a hero product. And in a moment when you can walk through a crowded mall, scroll through Instagram Reels, and instantly recognize the brands people are wearing—Banana Republic still doesn't register.
At the link in bio, Sarah Shapiro digs into whether the brand can find its signature again.
(Photo: Yvonne Tnt/BFA.com)
Forever on the shop floor! Former YNAP CEO @alisonloehnis has had a very successful next chapter as an influencer. Her audience is shopping her picks directly in @shopmy storefront. I spoke to Alison to learn more plus all the data I found in my reporting.
In a world where former C.E.O.s so often become corporate homily-toting LinkedIn refugees, former Yoox Net-a-Porter Group C.E.O. Alison Loehnis’s emergence as an affiliate-link slinger has been a pleasant surprise, writes Sarah Shapiro.
A little more than four months after joining ShopMy, Loehnis is generating more than $100,000 in monthly order volume through her storefront, with an average order value exceeding $600, according to a source with access to ShopMy data.
At the link in bio, Sarah speaks with Loehnis about this new phase of her career and her experience as a creator.
(Photo: Courtesy of Alison Loehnis)
While Paris, Milan, and New York have spent the past few weeks delivering fresh ideas on the runway—Matthieu Blazy’s redefined silhouette at Chanel, Celine’s sharp prep-leaning accessories assortment, etcetera—ShopMy’s February Top 10, shared exclusively with Line Sheet, tracked what people have actually been looking to purchase of late. And in February, America was shopping for unfussy pants.
Head to the link in bio to read the rest of Sarah Shapiro's breakdown.
