Bain & Company

Retail brands risk optimizing the wrong thing

Sponsored by Rezolve Ai, the article argues that retail brands focused on optimizing experiences only on their own websites risk being excluded from purchase decisions now increasingly shaped by AI platforms. It cites the Salesforce Connected Shoppers Report showing brand-site journey starts fell from 82% in 2014 to 38% in 2024, Bain research on widespread reliance on zero-click results, and a January 2025 Rezolve Ai–commissioned survey by Method Research. The piece says brands must audit and restructure product and content data (beyond traditional SEO) to be legible to AI answer engines, and advertises Rezolve Ai’s AEO Discovery Review service to assess AI visibility gaps.

Luxury retailers lean on outlets for growth

Luxury retailers including Tapestry-owned Coach and Ralph Lauren are investing in and elevating outlet stores to attract aspirational, value-conscious shoppers as demand for luxury softens. Consulting firm Bain reports the luxury market lost about 70 million customers since 2022, and a luxury-focused fund (USLUX) is down about 7% year to date per FactSet. Analysts from Citi, Bernstein and Wells Fargo say upgrading outlet assortments and mixing made-for-factory items with select full-price goods can broaden customer bases and support sales and share-price upside for companies such as Ralph Lauren, Tapestry and Capri Holdings (Michael Kors). Analysts cite rising full-price focus, improved outlet product quality, and easier customer acquisition via elevated outlet experiences.

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