Notes from Urban Outfitters’ Q1 2018 Earnings Call

You may want to sit down for this one. Yesterday Anthropologie’s parent company Urban Outfitters held its quarterly conference call with analysts to discuss its Q1 2018 Fiscal results, and those results were downright dismal. Anthropologie had its worst quarter since 2011! 2011, which just so happens to be the last time Anthropologie mistook itself for a West Coast casual chic company. Coincidence? I think not.

Inside, full coverage of the call, questions, and my thoughts.

 

Note: Anthropologie has a new promo which will get its own post later today!

Let’s begin as always with the hard numbers, provided by an Urban Outfitters press release:

“The operator of brands including Anthropologie, Free People and Terrain, Urban Outfitters reported Q1 sales of  $761.2 million compared with $762.6 million last year. Wall Street forecasts averaged $769.8 million. Net income for the three months ended April 30, 2017, was $12 million, according to a company press release. Earnings per share were 10 cents versus 25 cent last year; analysts had expected 16 cents. URBN said that its higher tax rate in the first quarter chipped off about 2 cent per share.

The Philadelphia-based specialty retailer said comparable sales fell 3.1% in the latest period. By brand, comparable Retail segment net sales increased 1.5% at Free People, but decreased 3.1% at Urban Outfitters and 4.4% at the Anthropologie Group. Comparable Retail segment sales were driven by strong, double-digit growth in the direct-to-consumer channel, which were offset by negative retail store comparable net sales. Wholesale segment net sales increased 14%. Total inventory was flat year-over-year.

“During the first quarter we continued to see strong double-digit growth from our direct-to-consumer channel and our wholesale business,” said Richard A. Hayne, Chief Executive Officer.  “We believe we have significant opportunity to continue to grow both of these channels at all of our brands,” finished Mr. Hayne.

Within URBN retail segment comp the direct to consumer channel [the brands’ websites] continues to outperform stores posting a double-digits sales increase driven by increases in sessions and conversion rates which more than offset a decrease in average order value.

Ick. I doubt anyone here in this community is the least bit surprised but it’s not as though I enjoy seeing Anthropologie in this turmoil. 4.4% is a huge loss of sales and reading that made my stomach drop. What does that number mean? Basically it means that the brick and mortar stores (the physical Anthropologie stores, as opposed to their website) are down by 4.4 % in sales since last quarter, and this is the largest drop in an overall down period that started a year ago.

Here’s what the leadership team had to say.

David McCreight, President, CEO of the Anthropologie Group:

“Staying finely tuned to our customer has always been an important aspect of our brand. Its this internet awareness that has helped us shape a brand experience and offer that is resonated with many extending through multiple stages of her life. So where did Anthropologie apparel miss the fashion mark and why is it taking so long to correct?

Unfortunately, the assortment over the past several quarters do not properly reflect the established archetypes. The star references became less identifiably Anthropologie outside of our unique aesthetic lanes. Additionally, the assortment architecture followed the momentum of her increasingly casual life style, but as a casual assortment built nicely the merchants over-corrected and missed some of the other dresses occasions in her life, such as appropriate styles for social gathering and work.

So we will continue to adopt her more casual attitude, but we’ll maintain a better balance across the spectrum of her apparel occasion needs. Am I confident it will be corrected, in a word, yes. We’ve heard from thousands of customers who have shared their prospective, encouraging us to take the necessary steps to course correct. The apparel archetypes initially outlined are attractive to our customer. We have a team gaining brand experience and hope to see progress this fall.”

Barrons published a hilarious article yesterday appropriately titled, “Urban Outfitters Chased the Onesie Trend and Lost.” I mean, does any more really need to be said?

On the Home side, Mr. McCreight shared the Home category experienced double-digit growth for the quarter and has for the last nine consecutive quarters, which is very impressive since so much of their Home stuff is online only! He also mentioned that Anthropologie is now exploring wholesaling their home offerings as several department stores have expressed interest in selling it. That’s a huge win for Anthro and something worth cheering for the brand, even if it doesn’t help me as a clothing lover over a home lover.

BHLDN, Beauty and Terrain also experienced growth which you can read about in the full transcript (although the transcriber, clearly not familiar with UO or its brands, calls BHLDN “The Holden.” Ha!) Since apparel and accessories are my main loves I’m going to keep this post centered on those two categories.

Here is one thing I’m sure Anthro lovers will cheer, direct from Mr. McCreight’s mouth to my typing fingers:

“…I want to share a few specific digital updates for Anthropologie. This year we plan to continue to grow our digital store across categories increasing digital SKUs by 25%. As with our sister brands enhance our digital storytelling by leveraging our customers creativity and passion to inspire each other and in an effort to reduce friction from shopping digitally with Anthro we’re introducing a new perk for our loyalty members, a permanent path to free shipping.

Free shipping! Free shipping!! FINALLY, finally, FREE MUTHERLOVING SHIPPING! Grateful for small miracles today. Beginning next week, Anthro members will permanently receive Free Shipping on orders of $150+. Not an Anthro member? Sign up for free here.

Over on the digital side, the leadership seems somewhat in the dark about the user experience.

“With this implementation, all major brands now share a common platform. The new platform has better user speed and navigation and has resulted in double digit basis point improvements in bounce rates and conversion. It along with the new digital structure should enable URBN to leverage digital investments across all brands and make improvements to our sites at a greatly accelerated pace.

Other enhancement to side functionality and convenience scheduled for implementation this year include full inventory availability by store, pickup in store, greater site personalization, search and browse improvements, custom order furniture capabilities, improved customer communication and better service levels like faster, less expenses and more reliable delivery options.”

Firstly I do need to recognize that double-digit gains in conversion is huge and worthy of applauding! That’s an amazing result and the teams deserve major kudos for that. Well done!!

However, does anyone else in the community agree that the new uni-platform is resulting in better speed and navigation? How about reviews not working on product pages on Anthro’s site for days at a time as one example?

For the 10,000 foot view, here are some of CEO Richard Hayne’s comments:

“Thanks David, and good afternoon folks. This is a difficult period for U.S. fashion apparel retailers. And URBNs first quarter reflect that difficulty. Total retail segment comp sales registered a disappointing 3% decline, well below plan. This drove increased promotional activity and more margin pressure than we had anticipated. As in previous quarters the company saw extreme variability in results by channel.

The sales short-fall in Q1 was wholly attributable to weaker than expected store channel performance in North America, where all three brands have encountered sluggish customer traffic and sales. This issue is impacting virtually all U.S. brick and mortar retailers there are simply too many stores and too many malls in North America. We expect to see more closures and brands disappear until a healthier balance is reached.

I believe our brand delivered some of the best most creative store experiences in the world. However, it is clear that this experiences currently aren’t enough to overcome the decline in traffic and a tepid interest in apparel and stores. We intend to continue to treat our stores like the important part of the omni shopping experience they are, and equipped them in our associates with the technology they need to please the omni-channel shopper.

In the quarter demand for women’s apparel in stores was particularly weak. Besides the traffic problem all brands had an assortment issue, execution in the dress category. Each brand planned as dress business down from the very robust spring ’16 level. To belief was that in spring ’17 some of those sales would migrate to other categories like bottoms or to the newer fashion looks of Onesie and Rompers. Thus, the brands planned, ordered and therefore sold fewer dresses during the period.

I really cannot believe that someone thought it strategically wise to order rompers and onesies over dresses. I’m aghast!

Look folks, this is what I do for my day job. I go into companies — usually young companies but not always, my last contract was at a large international well-known fashion conglomerate for example — and fix their operations that have gotten strategically and organizationally off-track or need help growing. I give them a path to short and long-term success through operational excellence, strong strategic vision and ingenious marketing ideas.

If I were contracted with Anthropologie I would have laughed in the face of anyone there who thought ordering fewer dresses for SPRING (let me make that pink so it stands out and is obvious) and going ever more casual was the right idea. This is clear evidence that Anthro’s leadership has totally lost sight of who their customer is as well as the competitive market around them.

I’m giving that strategy the serious side-eye. Look at your most successful quarters Anthropologie! What was that success built on? Could it be…oh I don’t know…DRESSES? Maybe? Spring dresses perhaps? Does anyone in this place even look at their historical performance for reference?

I want to pull my hair out just reading this. Let me think of other competitors who specialize in casual clothing for women…let’s see…J. Crew, Banana Republic, Old Navy, Zara, H&M, Lucky Brand, Sundance Catalog, Cuyana, Nordstrom, Everlane, White House Black Market, Garnet Hill, Amour Vert, Splendid, Ralph Lauren…and that’s just 15 off the top of my head!

Now let’s think about some of the retailers that specialize in feminine DRESSES and workwear with smaller assortments of casual and resort wear for the classic and vintage-minded…ok, we could probably list J. Crew again here, ModCloth, Boden, Banana Republic, maybe Calypso St. Barth.

So, to review, you have an insta-list of 15 retailers (and I could make that list much, much longer) competing in one space vs. 5 or so in another. Now tell me again which direction you want to go in for clothing success???

It’s nice to see that Anthropologie is taking steps in the right direction with their upcoming Free Shipping incentive and acknowledging that customers are crying out for something better. I can only hope that their Fall assortment includes:
– Work-ready dresses of an appropriate length, with mixed sleeve types.
– CARDIGANS. Like, ones with buttons, Anthropologie.
– Separates that easily mix and match. Calm down a bit on the patterns and flourish, and no one needs 50 striped tees or 192 things with tassels. (Those numbers are actual item counts by the way, not exaggerations.)
– The kind of casualwear that can double as workwear, for at least 60% of your casual assortment.
– Less assortment. Yes, I can’t believe I’m saying this, but Anthropologie has too much stuff right now. Your tops section should ideally be 3 pages, not 5. Do you really need 9 variations of raw-hem jeans or fringed jeans? Cut it down and make it more complementary.
– An emphasis of quality over quantity. To really drive the point above home.
– A ban on boxy, cropped crap. Just say no Anthro. You’re addicted and it’s not healthy.
– Emphasis on clothing that works on multiple body types. This used to be your jam!! Your bread and butter.
– Adult clothing. No more of these juvenile patterns or maternity-ready clothing disguised as fashionable. No one is buying it.

What are you hoping Anthropologie does to turn things around?

Further reading:
Urban Outfitters Q1 2018 Earnings Call Transcript — Seeking Alpha
Urban Outfitters Chased the Onesie Trend and Lost — Barrons
Urban Outfitters plots 4-point pivot to curtail sales tumble — Retail Dive
With Stores Slipping, Urban Outfitters Looks to Wholesale, International — WWD

68 Comments

  1. Christy
    May 18, 2017 / 4:00 pm

    You nailed it! My only add on is please also bring back the casual t-shirts with a twist (not boxy or cropped). Love Left of Center. Something that I can wear w/my kids, but also dress up w/heels and jewelry and wear to my casual work atmosphere.
    Make me want to come shop again!

    • May 18, 2017 / 4:06 pm

      Yes! I'd love that too. 🙂

  2. Cecilia
    May 18, 2017 / 12:36 pm

    I agree with everything you've mentioned, Roxy, in terms of things I'd like to see from Anthro come fall. Here's one more thing, and it's a little weird: I want to dream. There's no fantasy any more, nothing to imagine yourself wearing while living a life slightly more amazing than your own. The way I know that the dream is gone from Anthro is because I hopped over to Free People's website and felt it there. At 49, a lot of the clothes at Free People aren't going to work for me—which is also what I was saying to myself about the crazy silhouettes at Anthro this past year. But the dream was alive and well at Free People (and it was a unified and lovely boho vision)—so I ordered a jacket, a bag, a long shirt, and a ring. Yes, I need clothes that will transition from work to dinner, but I also want to dream.

    • May 18, 2017 / 4:45 pm

      That's a beautiful sentiment, Cecilia! And I totally agree with you both about how Free People does allow that (and at 35 I adore their clothing), and ever more Anthropologie has gotten away from that. They used to be able to easily convince me that I needed a $300 dress in my life if not to wear to work then to dream about having a job where that dress was must-wear.

    • Anthropolitan
      May 18, 2017 / 5:34 pm

      I'm 48 and love Free People too, Cecilia. Dream on!

      • Cecilia
        May 18, 2017 / 8:09 pm

        🙂 I will!

    • Denise Marie
      May 18, 2017 / 8:54 pm

      I'm in my late 40's and while I can't wear many of the items at FP, the ones I can, I love. I purchase about 6 or so tops and tees there a year. I also love their bootie selection.

    • Stefanie
      May 18, 2017 / 7:37 pm

      I'm 45 and bought 2 items at FP today-a dress and a bag-and walked out of Anthro empty-handed. With the right styling, us 40- somethings can pull off a lot of FP's offerings! No, I'm not going to be the SA with pink hair, a slip dress that almost shows my booty, 7 silver necklaces and my bright blue bra showing, but I can still look cute!

      • Cecilia
        May 18, 2017 / 9:07 pm

        Exactly! I'm finding that mixing in a little Free People with what I already have upgrades my wardrobe in a major way without having to wearing a mini that barely covers my butt.:) The same can't be said for Anthro, because when I look at the new stuff I am flummoxed as to how I might wear it.

    • lazypadawan
      May 19, 2017 / 10:26 pm

      Yeah. Visiting Anthro used to be magical. Now it's mostly "meh."

  3. Anthrolace
    May 18, 2017 / 4:52 pm

    I love your piece! Perfect.

    • May 18, 2017 / 4:58 pm

      Thank you!

  4. Anthropolitan
    May 18, 2017 / 4:55 pm

    That 4.4% drop was even more than I expected. Wow.

    I'm a little sad about the nationwide trend to shop online instead of in stores, because I actually really like to shop in stores. Even with free shipping, I'm still less likely to buy from a store if I've got to ship the rejects back instead of taking them to a store. I just don't like to have charges hanging out on my credit card for things I'm not keeping. Also, I don't like to have to worry about packages getting lost in the mail.

    As for rompers over dresses, I'm seeing that in lots of stores Too many rompers. Yuck.

    The new website is just awful to use – both Free People and Anthro.

    I'm hoping that they will go back to the things that they used to do well, and make me want to shop there again. For the past year or so, I've mostly just gone into the store to peek in the sale room and look at the mostly barren jewelry rack. There's nothing new showing up online that makes me even want to browse the stores.

    • May 18, 2017 / 5:00 pm

      I'm with you on all of your points Anthropolitan. I will say that the large format stores tend to have plentiful jewelry selections which is nice, as do three of the five regular-sized NYC stores.

      You reminded me of a point I've mentioned elsewhere, but will re-emphasize here. Free People's website used to the class of its field led by the absolutely genius FP me social plug-in. A plug-in which now rarely works. 🙁

  5. Soleil
    May 18, 2017 / 1:06 pm

    Haven't had a chance to read through the post yet, but just wanted to say 'nice new place ya got here, Roxy!' The site looks great!

    • May 18, 2017 / 5:13 pm

      Thank you! I'll have an official welcome post in the next several days; I'm still working with my design and hosting team behind the scenes to implement a bunch of stuff.

      • Stefanke
        May 18, 2017 / 7:38 pm

        I love the fonts

  6. May 18, 2017 / 3:39 pm

    I was just going to say- I went into the store today for the first time in ages and saw soooooo many pretty 'dresses' that would be ideal for summer, and with each one I pulled it out and then was dismayed to notice it had friggin' legs. Ugh. The one-piece style looks great, but it doesn't work for me, and it is way too trendy. I'm not spending over $100 on something that I won't still be wearing 2 years from now. All my best Anthro stuff can still be worn years after I purchased it.

    I finally got my hands on the great Maeve Emory silk dress. It's a cool and classic take on the jumper dress, wih numerous styling possibilities and it will be worn for years. It's no wonder it keeps selling out. More of this kind of thing please!

    (okay fine, so a guy yelled out 'Hey Calvinist!' to me for some reason today but I can take it…I like the pilgrim look too…)

    • Lindinha
      May 18, 2017 / 8:09 pm

      They are smart to continue restocking it! I actually thought it was long gone.

      One of the few items on the site with a defined waist and it won't break the bank. I like it 🙂

    • May 18, 2017 / 8:28 pm

      Yes! It's funny how many dresses you can pull off the rack only to realize they are rompers right now!! Huge miscalculation on Anthro's part.

    • Eina
      May 19, 2017 / 2:20 pm

      Is the Maeve dress the black one with the crossed straps in back? How does it wash? Do you think it is okay in hot humid weather?

      (and 'Hey Calvinist' is pretty funny, I like the look too)

      • May 19, 2017 / 2:38 pm

        well, I wore it for the first time yesterday so I don't know how it washes yet, but it was HOT out and I was very comfortable. I plan on wearing it a lot this summer!

        The fabric is definitely odd- it's a nubbly silk noil but very informal, a bit like flannel in texture. And the colour is a faded black. It does have enough weight so that the skirt sways nicely as you walk. I found it true to size, and the cut is amazing.

        • May 19, 2017 / 2:42 pm

          I mean, it was hot out for a Canadian who's been freezing all winter, but when it's suddenly 29C / 84F it's rather shocking!

  7. Lindinha
    May 18, 2017 / 3:57 pm

    Thanks so much Roxy! You know how much we love these reports ❤️I won't bother feigning surprise, I'd only be shocked if the numbers were actually better than what they are….

    I was bored enough to look through new arrivals and decided that Anthro today has nothing to do with it's original brand. They've changed out the models, adding the much needed diversity but also skewing younger in the process. It's like shopping an eclectic version of Madewell.

    I'm amused by David comments to which he finally concedes to everything we've been saying for the past few years. But as I'm dealing with a possible lost package from Anthro ? I cannot join in the celebration of free shipping. They ship first class mail more often than not which is outrageous considering what they charge. Even Target uses UPS and you only have to spend $35 for free shipping! After spending my morning on the phone with postal workers I don't want to order anything else from Anthro, free or otherwise.

    Frustration aside I'm curious to see how they're going to turn things around (since they've finally acknowledged the real issue) and I like the mention of the full availability of store Inventory and ship to store option but I'm not holding my breath. My shopping options have expanded widely in the past few months and I don't feel like Anthro is fun. For example – just today I received a contest entry from Madewell. I completed it and they sent me a "good luck" email (cute) and inside was a code for $15 off a purchase (surprise!) and the icing on the cake is shipping is always FREE for members at any amount. Just what I needed to pull the trigger on a tunic I was eyeing. Anthro will have to go back to it's 2012 self (or earlier) for me to come back.

    • May 18, 2017 / 4:31 pm

      The shipping quandary is hard. It's actually quite expensive for retailers, and only getting more so as logistics companies like UPS now make clients estimate the size and scale of their shipments prior to each quarter…how can a company really do that? And then the client gets hit with extra fees if they go over.

      I realize that Urban Outfitters as a whole is a medium-sized company but it's easy to forget that Anthropologie is actually on the smaller side, so shipping is expensive for them. Much more so than a Nordstrom or a Target or even a Gap.

      I'm so glad they are finally going the free shipping route, so I don't really care what company they use (as long as it's not LaserSuck, er, I mean Lasership).

      • anonymous
        May 19, 2017 / 6:06 am

        Lasership is the worst! I can't not fathom why they continue to use them. The lost packages/complaints must far outweigh any cost savings.

      • Eina
        May 19, 2017 / 2:26 pm

        A $5 flat fee might be okay too. What galls me is that something tiny and lightweight, but expensive, will cost so much. And then it arrives and is nothing like the online photos or the size chart is completely off.

        We're asked to pay just to try things on or see them in person.

        I would rather find it in a store, but nooo, there are too many stores and not enough stock.

  8. Denise Marie
    May 18, 2017 / 4:52 pm

    The new site looks great Roxy. I love the layout, font color and more!

    That was a great read. I so wish that Anthro can turn things around. I used to shop there almost exclusively. This past year or so, 90% of my clothing budget goes to Crew and the rest is mainly FP. I love the fitted, pretty, feminine, mature styles at J Crew while Free People fits the bill for something more casual and laid-back.

    • Lindinha
      May 18, 2017 / 5:30 pm

      Oh.Em.Gee…J Crew finally has me in their clutches!

      I'm drooling over things, checking the site everyday and actually considered opening up their CC. For the life of me, I can't understand their recent financial issues. I think everything is amazeballs ? Only downside I face is their 30 day return policy which is a problem because I tend to buy for the future and not necessarily immediate wear. .

      • Denise
        May 18, 2017 / 6:30 pm

        Yes, I love Crew Lindinha! In regards to the 30 day return policy, after the 30 days (but I'm not sure for exactly how long), you can call CS and request a return then instead of cash back, they'll give you a gift card. I especially love their Collection pieces. I do buy them on sale only and the quality is lovely!

        • Lindinha
          May 18, 2017 / 9:08 pm

          Oh that's neat! Thanks for the tip ? I'm in awe of the collection pieces too and the Thomas Mason line which I think is exquisite!

          Hoping for a promo this weekend as Roxy suggested ?

          • Denise
            May 19, 2017 / 8:25 pm

            Speaking of Thomas Mason – this one looks a bit over-the-top but the reviews are great for: https://www.jcrew.com/p/womens_category/shirtsand…. It's completely sold out but I may have to give it a try if it pops back in my size.

      • Jess
        May 19, 2017 / 3:38 pm

        Same here! I just made a huge purchase at JCrew and I hardly ever shopped there when Anthro had its heyday lol. I'm still finding good things at Anthro but not like before when they were really in their prime. They need to get back to their roots and stick with what they did best.

        • Denise
          May 19, 2017 / 8:30 pm

          I just made my first purchase in ages at Anthro. It's the Leeds Textured Sweatshirt: https://www.anthropologie.com/shop/leeds-textured…. It's on it's way to me now but it looks more like a Free People style of top, in my opinion.

    • May 18, 2017 / 5:37 pm

      Similar story here. I'd say right now my top 5 are J. Crew/Madewell, Free People, Boden, Lucky Brand and Anthropologie. Sundance Catalog is quickly catching up too!

      We'll do a J. Crew post soon, I want to see if they launch a promo for the weekend.

      • Amelia
        May 18, 2017 / 6:38 pm

        I'd love a promo from them!

      • Dina
        May 18, 2017 / 7:06 pm

        Personally I won't buy from anyplace where I have to mail back returns unless I'm almost 100% positive I won't have to return the item (that includes Amazon).

  9. Amelia
    May 18, 2017 / 5:14 pm

    Just YES to everything you commented on Roxy!

    OT: happy about FINALLY getting a free shipping option permanently… however they need to stop using Asendia to ship to me!! It takes a solid 2WEEKS TO GET TO ME! Even the GAP and Boden can get my stuff to me in 2/3 days!

    • May 18, 2017 / 5:39 pm

      Wow that is a long time!!

    • Dina
      May 18, 2017 / 7:10 pm

      I never heard of Asendia. 2 weeks is definitely way too long!

  10. nicolleblogs
    May 18, 2017 / 6:44 pm

    A couple random thoughts-
    1- Whomever is designing their dishes since Christmas, has hit it out of the park. The last set of dishes I bought (or needed), was over 8 years ago from them. Since Christmas, I bought the metalic gold lace dinner plates, the woodland animal desert plates, and the pink/ gold spatter side plates. So kudos.

    2- I've swallowed any guilt about taking advantage of free shipping if ordered in store and no longer feel guilty if I have to return items since the amount of online only items is ridiculous (and will always be my main grip with them). At some point, I might get that dreaded "you've returned too many things…" phone call/ talk at POS. But as they've made a business decision to continue that way, I've been using it.

    3- As for style, I am working two jobs, plus taking classes, so a lot of what they come out with is too impractical for me. I have never had much luck with their summer lines (tend to be too boho), and since I wear jeans every day (PLEASE NEVER GET RID OF PILCRO JEANS), all I am looking for is great tops/ blouses to wear to work and class. That all said, I did finally buy the Hemant & Nandita Amalia Eyelet dress, because it is pretty and unique.

    • May 18, 2017 / 7:30 pm

      The pink and gold dishes are a collaboration with @suiteonestudio. I follow them on Instagram and had to get some too!

    • Dina
      May 18, 2017 / 9:11 pm

      Why feel guilty about getting free shipping when their markup on things is around 500% when you pay full price?

  11. Dina
    May 18, 2017 / 6:54 pm

    Wow, free shipping! They still owe me $50 in shipping from a few orders I placed recently, maybe they'll give it back to me now!

    • Dina
      May 18, 2017 / 7:11 pm

      Also, I never once had a package go missing from any of their shipping providers including Lasership, although I know someone else who had a Lasership package get misdelivered.

    • Dina
      May 18, 2017 / 9:08 pm

      I also love how it's worded "in an effort to reduce friction" lol

  12. amles
    May 18, 2017 / 9:29 pm

    Great new site, Roxy! Félicitations 🙂
    These business reports on our revered Anthro don't surprise me either. They lost the plot. They also lost my regular Anthro splurges. In the mean time, have been a goog girl, getting my credit card debt paid off.
    It's a mixed blessing, because I love my eclectic retro items. I love fashion and a unique dress can be the difference between a bad day and an awesome day. Picture it: Anthropologie, Summer 2008…. (To be narrated in the voice of Sofia Patrillo.)
    But there's a line that I'm drawing in the sand right now: no peplum, trapeze/swing, onesie, jumper, cold-shoulder, boxy, off-the-shoulder, mono-silhouette items.

  13. Carrie
    May 19, 2017 / 7:46 am

    Great post Roxy! One thing I'd like to see changed is to include regular Joe photos to the "Your #Anthropologie Style." Free People does it so why not Anthro?

  14. Alison
    May 19, 2017 / 8:13 am

    I hope they are correcting their course. I have taken to looking on eBay for Anthro of yore pieces that I missed out on the first time around.

    I was just thinking the other day about a few years ago when they brought back several classic Anthro pieces….I loved that! Do that again please!

    Check out Reese Witherspoon's Draper James. They are now carrying it at Nordstrom. I just ordered a dress and skirt. It is pricey, but the vintage, classic look that I am wanting back from Anthro!

    • luvlucytoo
      May 20, 2017 / 10:52 pm

      How is their fit? For example, compared to JCrew or Boden?

      • Alison
        May 22, 2017 / 7:44 am

        I'm not sure. The dress and skirt don't arrive until Thursday. I hope they are true to size!

  15. Eina
    May 19, 2017 / 8:34 am

    Thank you for this report, and as always, your comments are spot on.

    During my most recent store visit (weeks ago) I overheard a woman asking for a skirt from one of the house brands. A newish skirt, not on sale, that she had seen online or in the catalog. None of the new staff could help her. The customer's frustration was palpable, and she told them that she's just trying to help them out by spending money in the store instead of online or with some other retailer. She left without trying anything else on, and I don't think she'll be back. I'm pretty sure she was a long-time Anthro customer.

    I later found the skirt online and saw that none of the stores within 100 miles carried it. An ordinary pretty summer skirt.

  16. Lori
    May 19, 2017 / 9:50 am

    Great article, and Roxy your comments are on the mark. I'm actually encouraged that they seem to acknowledge their problems this quarter. I think they were still in denial for the last report.
    One note, online sales are up and store sales are down, which seems to be the trend for most retailers. However I do like seeing the items in the store. So many items are online only, which often leads to returns. Even though I probably order more online, I do go to the store to try things on and see fabrics in person. I hope they do keep more inventory in stores.

  17. Lori
    May 19, 2017 / 9:58 am

    HaHa – I just got an email from Anthro celebrating Jumpsuits and Rompers!??
    The other day I actually contemplated if I could easily turn one of these into a dress instead.

    • Eina
      May 19, 2017 / 2:04 pm

      I did that years ago to a (former) jumpsuit I still have today.

        • Eina
          May 19, 2017 / 3:42 pm

          No, it was an older one I bought for the fabric so it was worth the tailoring.

          I remember when you posted that Corey Lynn Calter one, and it looked so much better as a dress! I do hope you still have it. And all the other awesome Anthro dresses you got over the years that are so timeless. Still looking for an Ottoman Poppies dress in my size that doesn't cost the sky.

          • May 19, 2017 / 3:56 pm

            ha ha, yes- because I am a hoarder! I wear it like once a summer…

            Ugh- I even have an Ottoman Poppies dress in the closet I've never worn but can never let go of! I really hope it still fits but I'm desperately afraid to try…

          • Eina
            May 19, 2017 / 5:27 pm

            Once a summer is enough! I think it looks even more current right now.

            I have the Ottoman Poppies blouse that I wear regularly, but every time I see it, I wish I hadn't hesitated to get the dress when it went on sale. sigh.

        • May 19, 2017 / 5:30 pm

          I remember loving that CLC jumpsuit, but the torso was way too short on me! It created major cameltoe. 🙁

          I still own my Ottoman Poppies Blouse! I liked the dress but wish it was sleeveless.

          • Eina
            May 19, 2017 / 5:54 pm

            There was an 8 on Poshmark recently, and the sleeves would be easy to remove. I love the sleeves on the blouse (and the dress), and that it is so easy to handwash and air dry like the other Leifsdottir silks that I wear very often.

    • Carrie
      May 20, 2017 / 6:59 am

      There are so many cute jumpsuits and rompers that would've made GORGEOUS dresses. What a waste.

  18. Becky
    May 19, 2017 / 10:14 am

    Not surprised and they keep saying they will right the ship but I don't see it season after season. All I see is trendy garbage I can get at forever 21. I haven't bought a top from them in ages all the offerings are oversized cropped bad quality. I miss the tops with cute details

    All I see right now is off the shoulder, rompers, crop tops, tent dresses. And they seem to think "put a Pom Pom on it" or "put a tassel on it" and we are going to line up.

    The sizing is nuts, I am buying size 0 and a lot of times sized out. I'm 120lbs and not skinny, I should not be sized out.

    Their promotional email this morning titled "jumpsuits and rompers" deleted right away

  19. Jamie Lent
    May 19, 2017 / 12:56 pm

    Quote I’m pondering —
    “Companies go out of business when they make the wrong decisions or, just as important, make too many decisions. The latter creates complexity.”
    – Mike Maples Jr.

    This quote is posted on the Tim Ferris website today!

    • Jess
      May 19, 2017 / 3:26 pm

      Agreed. Anthro has spread themselves too thin. I have to admit that once they closed my favorite boutique style store and opened the department sized one instead, I don't visit as often as I used to because the intimacy and charm just isn't as inviting for me imo. Not that I don't have some good things to say about the new place, it's just so spread out now that it's a lot to take in and a bit more difficult to find things. I'll get used to it but I do miss the old place. I always feel like when a store gets too popular/over extended, they tend to over look the fine details that made them so popular in the first place and it becomes more mass produced hence less attention to the little things we love so much.

  20. alexis
    May 19, 2017 / 1:15 pm

    great post! i used to spend a ridiculous amt of money at anthro and honestly i havent bought ANYTHING in probably 6 months. i havent even been tempted to go to the store. nothing there is special. if i want casual clothes i can go anywhere and get them for much less. i do love the byron lars dresses but the ones online now are like in the $500 which is a little steep. so ill wait hopefulyl fall will have some cute pieces!

  21. Eina
    May 19, 2017 / 2:02 pm

    Well, most of my wishlist clothes sold out almost right away at full-price with free shipping. So some of the buyers are getting it right. It is a tiny wishlist though, and none of the house brands.

  22. lazypadawan
    May 19, 2017 / 10:35 pm

    Brick and mortar retail is getting its butt kicked all around, except for the discounters. But there's something with these guys that they don't get it.

    If you're the kind of person who routinely spends $300 per order, then this plan for free shipping sounds great but I don't spend that much (generally I can't afford to), so I got to pay through the nose to subsidize the spendy-spenders.


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