GlobalData vs Suzy

Victoria's Secret embraces nostalgia and entertainment as Q2 sales rise

Victoria's Secret & Co. is leveraging nostalgia and entertainment to re-engage shoppers, according to comments from CEO Hillary Super after the company's Q2 earnings. The lingerie retailer expanded its fragrance portfolio with iterations like Tease Strawberry Bisou and archive drops such as Pink's square bottle scents, which sold out online in under a day. The company also positioned itself as an entertainment brand, premiering the YouTube docuseries 'Angels Among Us' this month. Victoria's Secret reported Q2 net sales of $1.6 billion, up 10% year over year, with 9% comp growth and net income topping $85 million. The company raised its full-year sales guidance to $7.1 billion to $7.18 billion and expects adjusted operating income of up to $590 million, citing strong performance in bras, Pink, beauty, and all channels.

• Victoria's Secret & Co. reported Q2 net sales of $1.6 billion, up 10% year over year.
• Comparable sales rose 9% in Q2, with brick-and-mortar comps growing 7%.
• Net income in Q2 nearly tripled to more than $85 million.

Dillard's Gains Market Share in Q2

Dillard’s reported modest Q2 retail sales growth as comparable sales rose 1% and total retail sales (excluding construction) reached $1.5 billion. The company’s gross margin expanded to 40.9% and net income increased 34% to $97.7 million, partly driven by $37.2 million in tariff refunds that accounted for most of the margin improvement. Category performance was mixed: gains in accessories, lingerie, home, shoes, beauty and men’s, while children’s, juniors and women’s apparel declined. GlobalData analysis and company commentary indicated the apparel weakness reflected lower consumer spending rather than defections to competitors; inventory at quarter end rose about 5% year over year. UBS analysts had expected flat comps, so Dillard’s 1% comp rise beat those expectations.

• Dillard’s Q2 retail sales (excluding construction) were $1.5 billion, with comps up 1% year over year.
• The company received $37.2 million in tariff refunds, which accounted for 260 of the 280 basis-point gross margin increase.
• Gross margin reached 40.9% in Q2.

Adidas apparel outshines footwear in World Cup quarter

Adidas reported a 13% year-over-year increase in second-quarter revenues to €6.7 billion, led by a 34% jump in apparel net sales while footwear remained flat and accessories rose 18%. Direct-to-consumer (DTC) net sales grew 24% versus 6% wholesale growth. The company increased marketing and point-of-sale spending by 30% to capitalize on the World Cup, which weighed on Q2 operating margin. Adidas announced a CFO transition: outgoing CFO Harm Ohlmeyer will be succeeded by former Adidas employee Birgit Kretschmer, who will join the executive board on Sept. 1. Regional strength came from Latin America, North America and Greater China.

• Adidas' Q2 revenues rose 13% year-over-year to €6.7 billion (about $7.8 billion).
• Apparel net sales increased 34% in the second quarter; footwear sales were flat; accessories rose 18%.
• Direct-to-consumer (DTC) net sales increased 24%, while wholesale grew 6%.

Suzy Names Bryan Silverman Chief Executive Officer, Announces New Round of Funding

Suzy names Bryan Silverman CEO as founder Matt Britton moves into the Non-Executive Chairman role, marking the start of Suzy's next AI-first chapter.

CarMax CMO Sarah Lane on Sports Marketing and AI Transparency

In a Speed of Culture podcast episode, CarMax Chief Marketing Officer Sarah Lane discusses how the used-car retailer builds brand loyalty through transparency and strategic sports partnerships. Lane highlights CarMax's long-standing investment in women's sports, including a WNBA partnership dating back to 2020, and its approach to authentic, player-first storytelling with athletes like Sue Bird, Steph Curry, and A'ja Wilson. The conversation also covers the impact of large language models (LLMs) on car buying, noting that nearly 40% of customers now use AI tools, which Lane views as a positive development that validates CarMax's honest pricing model. Lane reflects on her 20-year career at the company and shares leadership insights focused on curiosity and humility.

• CarMax CMO Sarah Lane discussed brand loyalty and transparency on the Speed of Culture podcast.
• CarMax has partnered with the WNBA since 2020, before the league's mainstream surge.
• Nearly 40% of CarMax customers use LLM/AI tools during the car-buying process.

Snap Moves Beyond Smartphones with AR and AI

Ajit Mohan, chief business officer at Snap, appears on Adweek's Speed of Culture podcast to discuss how augmented reality and conversational AI are reshaping user behavior and brand opportunities. Mohan describes a shift from public feeds to private messaging, Snap’s investment in AR-enabled wearables and a full hardware-plus-software stack designed to augment physical presence, and the potential for AI agents to enable native brand utility and discovery within private messaging. The conversation also covers Snap’s audience reach, the role of AI in neutral distribution for brands, and the need for adaptive leadership amid rapid industry cycles.

• Ajit Mohan is Chief Business Officer at Snap and was interviewed on Adweek's Speed of Culture podcast.
• Snap is investing in hardware and building a full stack of hardware and software to create AR-enabled wearables that augment the physical environment.
• The company sees a user shift from public social feeds to private messaging and believes augmented reality can bridge digital experiences with the physical world.