Sourcing I: Brands Navigate an Uncertain Landscape

There are troubles everywhere. Energy shortages, cotton and yarn shortfalls, unstable governments, currency concerns and inflation. While diversification has long been touted as the key to a foolproof sourcing matrix, it also brings with it an added risk of exposure when things aren’t running smoothly. This panel will take a look at the current geopolitical landscape, with specific discussion on areas of concern and guidance on making the best of difficult times and the safest path forward.

• Barbara Fevelo-Hoad, Chief Sourcing Officer & Executive Vice President, Sparc Group LLC
• Bryan Riviere, Senior Vice President, Sourcing, Product Development & Production, Macy's Inc.
• Michael Bland, Senior Partnership Director, QIMA

Sourcing II: Manufacturing Solutions

With the cost of raw materials showing increased volatility, the pandemic dragging on, worker issues rising and developing energy concerns, it’s never been more difficult to manufacture goods in a cost-efficient and timely manner. As consumer demand ebbs, how are manufacturers coping with inconsistent ordering patterns, renegotiated terms and an uncertain trade backdrop? This panel brings leaders from the foremost sourcing names together to discuss how they are coping and what they see on the horizon, from the immediate to the longer term.

• Juliette Barré, Director, Enterprise Sales, Sourcemap
• Devender Gupta, Co-founder, Asmara International Limited
• Jason Kra, President, Li & Fung

Unchartered Waters: Inflation and Today’s Consumer

This intimate discussion between Sourcing Journal founder and president Edward Hertzman and Daren Hull, President at Vera Bradley, aims to shed light on how the consumer, and the market overall, are reacting to an environment of tight credit and escalating prices. After several years of stimulus-boosted spending and easy money, the backdrop has changed rapidly, and drastically. This discussion will dive into how the consumer is responding, the effect of price sensitivity, new offerings as an avenue for growth and how the retailer is managing inventory and coping with relentless supply chain obstacles.

• Daren Hull, President, Vera Bradley

Social Capital

When it comes to ESG sometimes the S gets short shrift. As far as responsibility for the treatment of workers down through the supply chain the buck is often passed in terms of accountability. From the brands to manufacturers to policy, a multipronged approach is needed to address this issue and truly foster change. This panel will look at the points of contention, where the shortcomings lie and what actions need to be taken for true change.

• Jennifer Gootman, Executive, Sustainability & ESG Strategy
• Simon Platts, Director, Sourcing, Commercial ESG & Sustainability, Asos
• Avedis Seferian, President & Chief Executive Officer, Worldwide Responsible Accredited Production (WRAP)

Logistics, Logistics, Logistics

To put it bluntly, these days logistics is king. Where once style and price were the true differentiators between success and failure, now the ability to deliver a product on time and in a cost-efficient manner have taken on paramount importance. This panel will spotlight the existing challenges that have faced the industry since the onset of the pandemic, the biggest trouble spots out there today and where and when there is hope for a more predictable environment.

• Peter Hsieh, Regional Vice President, Sales & Marketing, OEC Group
• Anisa Kumar, Chief Customer Officer, Narvar
• Bob Silverman, Managing Director, Supply Chain & Logistics, JLL
• Stacey Wagner, Chief Experience Officer & Vice President, Zappos.com

Material Evidence: Deciphering the Complex Inputs Landscape

It's been said that “the cure for high prices is high prices” and that’s precisely what we’ve seen as 2022 has unfolded. Raw materials, from cotton to oil, skyrocketed over the past 18 months hitting levels not seen in more than a decade. Now that things have normalized somewhat, what does that mean for the year ahead. How will an inflationary backdrop and a wary consumer affect the situation. This presentation will answer these questions and more, as business attempt to forecast this extremely volatile environment.

• Jon Devine, Senior Economist, Cotton Incorporated

Managing Your Supply Chain in Inflationary Times

As prices continue to climb across the board, brands and retailers need to be as nimble and cost-efficient as possible. As the backbone of fulfillment, the proper use and management of your supply chain is perhaps the most effective way to ensure steady margins and profitable sales. In this candid one-one one conversation, Sourcing Journal founder and president sits down with American Eagle Outfitters chief supply chain office Shekar Natarajan to shed light on his vision of shared services, the wasted costs in our current system and details on how to incorporate radical strategies to revolutionize the way you do business.

• Shekar Natarajan, Chief Supply Chain Officer & Executive Vice President, American Eagle Outfitters Inc.

Survey Findings: Do Your Strategies Measure Up?

Everyone in the industry has the same challenges, but each company tackles them in its own way. Do you invest dollars into better digital tools for supply chain visibility and production, or route money into consumer-facing marketing? Do you spend time getting your suppliers ESG compliant or find new ones? Are you really tracking your carbon footprint or just talking about it? How do you plan new merchandise against an inventory pileup? How are you fortifying your company against future supply chain uncertainties? And why are you still using Excel spreadsheets? In this panel, lead consultants at AlixPartners and Eddie Hertzman will unveil the findings of their joint 2nd annual survey report, which takes the pulse of the fashion industry’s strategies.

• Murali Gokki, Managing Director, AlixPartners
• Ryan Poole, Director, AlixPartners

Challenges and Opportunities

Throughout the day Sourcing Journal editors will discuss key challenges facing the industry and provide strategic solutions on how best to address these issues.

Inflation Meets Inventory Intelligence

Consumer sentiment and mindset is always important, but it is perhaps never more relevant than during a downturn. In this panel, First Insight CEO Greg Petro sits down with Sourcing Journal’s Jessica Binns for a look behind the curtain. How strong is your pricing power? How much are shoppers willing to spend? How should buyers plan their assortments? Are we in a recession? If so, how long will it last? And how is today’s consumer feeling about sustainability? With the use of First Insight’s industry-leading proprietary data, relevant facts and figures will be presented in a way that illustrates and illuminates what can often be hard to decipher.

• Greg Petro, Chief Executive Officer & Founder, First Insight Inc.

Andy Dunn to Discuss Entrepreneurship & Mental Health

Join us at Sourcing Journal’s Fall Summit for an intimate one-on-one conversation between Dunn and Sourcing Journal founder and president Edward Hertzman. Dunn will reflect on lessons learned from launching one of the industry’s first successful DTC businesses, the trials and tribulations that come with being a founder—from raising capital to consumer acquisition—and how this affected him personally. They will also touch on the importance of work/life balance and the mental health themes from Dunn’s new book including his diagnosis of bipolar disorder.

• Andy Dunn, Author & Founder, Bonobos

The State of the Supply Chain: Pitfalls and Pockets of Opportunity

When it comes to initiatives to move the industry forward, it all starts with accurate data. Access to this information in an actionable way, that is insight driven has proven key to success. This panel will discuss the biggest pain points in the supply chain, the missing ingredient no one talks about and where there are investment shortfalls in the supply chain matrix