2020 North American Comics Sales Grow to $1.28 Billion (publishersweekly.com)

SECOND QUARTER 2020 SUMMARY: • Second quarter net loss of $255 million, which included after-tax COVID-19 related charges of $14 million primarily related to corporate asset impairments, decreased from net earnings of $141 million during the same period in fiscal 2019. • In Full-Price, net sales decreased 58 percent. Excluding the Anniversary Sale event shift impact, Full-Price sales decreased in the mid-forties percent range. Off-Price net sales decreased 43 percent compared with the same period in fiscal 2019. Top performing merchandise categories included home, kidswear, accessories, beauty and active in both Full-Price and Off-Price. • Total company digital sales decreased 5 percent. Excluding the Anniversary Sale event shift impact, digital sales increased approximately 20 percent in the second quarter and in the mid-teens range on a year-to-date basis. The Company’s e-commerce business continued to experience significant growth in new Nordstrom customers of more than 50 percent. • Gross profit, as a percentage of net sales, was 21 percent, decreasing from 35 percent for the same period in fiscal 2019 due to planned markdowns and deleverage from lower sales volume and reflected sequential improvement in merchandise margin trends.

Every year, the U.S. goes through enough cardboard boxes for shipping to pave a one-mile-wide road from New York City to Los Angeles three times, or build a mile-high cardboard wall around the entire continental U.S. Getting rid of overreliance on Amazon.com's signature brown box is a key goal of the retail giant and its consumer partners, reports CNBC. In 2022, 11 percent of Amazon orders worldwide were sent in original manufacturer packaging. The company has yet to release its 2023 figure for the initiative designed to get rid of Amazon’s signature brown box, called the Ships in Product Packaging program. Total Retail's Take: The abundance of packaging needed to keep up with consumers' e-commerce purchases only continues to grow; however, more retailers and brands are now working to address the issue. Amazon initially launched the Ships in Product Packaging program in 2023 for vendors, and in February 2024 opened it to sellers. It identifies products that might work, contacts vendors and then, to ensure that packages won’t be damaged during delivery, Amazon works with those companies to test product packaging. Some companies that sell on Amazon say they will no longer develop new products that can’t be shipped without additional Amazon boxing.

Hearst Magazines International today announced the launch of the print edition of Harper’s BAZAAR Italy, further expanding the iconic fashion brand’s digital, social and experiential presence in the Italian market. Daria Veledeeva, formerly the editor-in-chief of Harper’s BAZAAR Russia, has been appointed editor-in-chief and will oversee the content strategy and development of the magazine. The announcement was made today by Hearst Magazines International President Jonathan Wright and Hearst Italy CEO Giacomo Moletto. “The prestige and influence of the Harper’s BAZAAR brand in the U.S. and around the world is unmatched and the print expression is an important experience – our audience engages deeply and marketers can therefore connect with them in a more profound way,” Wright said. “With Daria’s leadership, vision, and deep connections in the fashion industry, Harper’s BAZAAR Italy will be a must-read for anyone who is passionate about fashion, culture and the issues that matter today.”