The Chief Merchant Journal

Feb 23

Take Two Capsules

By Raj Dhiman The Merchant Life Newsletter

There are thousands of ways to delight a customer. Capsule collections are one of them. I learned this in my 20+ years as a merchant, building everything from the FIFA…

Feb 23

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I Want the Dirty Job.

By Raj Dhiman The Merchant Life Newsletter

Let me tell you about my dad’s side hustle. I have memories of being 8 years old, sitting in the passenger seat while my dad would drive into the Foothills…

Feb 21

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Sourcing Exchange Podcast

By Raj Dhiman In The Media

𝗜𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁 𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝗿 𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗴𝗶𝗻𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗲𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝘆? In the latest episode of the Sourcing Exchange, host Paul Lennen speaks with retail strategy expert Liza Amlani…

Feb 20

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Robin Report: Why Materials Should Lead Design

By Raj Dhiman In The Media

What if the real competitive edge in fashion isn’t design… but in materials? On this episode of The Robin Report's Retail Unwrapped podcast, Liza joins Shelley E. Kohan to unpack…

Feb 13

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Fitted Intentions

By Raj Dhiman The Merchant Life Newsletter

If there ever was a case for process innovation, the recent hubbub around the football Hall of Fame is Exhibit A. For a moment, the whole world seemed to unite…

Feb 13

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Olympic Capsules

By Raj Dhiman In The Media

I talked to The Canadian Press / Global News about lululemon's Olympic gear. Here's my hot take: This Olympic collection feels noticeably more commercial than previous assortments. The color palette…

Feb 02

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The Interline: Fashion’s Most Underrated Opportunity

By Raj Dhiman In The Media

Tech might be flashy, but process is foundational. In our latest article in The Interline, we make the case that fashion’s biggest opportunity isn’t the newest tool or platform. It’s…

Feb 01

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Materially Overdeveloped

By Raj Dhiman The Material Life

Here’s something that you might not be thinking about when creating products… We already know that overdevelopment is an issue. But, there is a more detailed way to look at…

Jan 23

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Sourcing Journal – The Rearview Mirror

By Raj Dhiman In The Media

Retail decisions ripple ...and most brands don't notice. In our latest contribution to Sourcing Journal, we argue that supply chain strategy can’t be built by looking forward alone. You have…

Jan 19

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Cozey Up

By Raj Dhiman The Merchant Life Newsletter

I spend a lot of time in stores. Over the holidays, I walked into a store I had never visited before: Cozey on Robson St. in Vancouver. The experience was…

Jan 17

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https://open.spotify.com/episode/7aF0R24UCZ2FVhWyTjO8Ah?si=ef44dd66945143c4 Liza’s latest podcast appearance is live and this time she joins the Mere Merchants podcast. We discussed the role of the merchant and why process innovation & a materials-first…

Jan 13

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Materials Are Everything

By Raj Dhiman The Material Life

Momentum is building rapidly in materials research, discovery, and next-generation innovation. Consider a few signals: AI-native materials startups such as Lila Sciences, CuspAI, and Radical AI have quietly raised more…

Jan 07

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New Report: From Stitch to Scale

By Raj Dhiman The Chief Merchant Journal

Uncertainty has become the new normal for fashion. Tariffs, supply chain disruptions, excess inventory, and shifting consumer demand are putting unprecedented pressure on brands, retailers, and manufacturers. This report, From…

Dec 16

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Look in the Rearview Mirror

By Raj Dhiman The Merchant Life Newsletter

In my first role out of university, I was able to negotiate a car into my compensation package. It was a design job outside of London. It was a Renault…

Dec 12

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Materials Leads The Way

By Raj Dhiman The Merchant Life Newsletter

The following is adapted from our upcoming book, The Material Life - Process Innovation for Retailers and Brands. Available for pre-order now! Imagine a chef, midway through a busy day,…

Dec 04

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Keep Pulling On The Thread

By Raj Dhiman The Merchant Life Newsletter

This edition of the newsletter comes from pulling on a thread and watching the spool unravel. Last week we looked at a new role at Lululemon focused on raw material…

Dec 01

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The Voice of Retail Podcast: The Material Life

By Raj Dhiman In The Media

In this episode of The Voice of Retail podcast, Liza Amlani, Principal of Retail Strategy Group, explores the ideas behind her new book on process innovation in fashion retail ‘The…

Nov 30

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Material Ops.

By Raj Dhiman The Merchant Life Newsletter

Generally, LinkedIn is full of junk. My favorite is when someone starts a post with “This might be a hot take, but….” And then proceeds to blather about nothing. However,…

Nov 19

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Marketing, Merchandising, Misaligned

By Raj Dhiman The Merchant Life Newsletter

Let’s talk marketing for a moment. Here are some interesting, marketing-related headlines that are “retail relevant" 1 - Luxury fashion brand Chrome Hearts buys Surfrider Hotel in Malibu for ~$37.5M,…

Nov 12

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The Afterlife

By Raj Dhiman The Merchant Life Newsletter

I’m kicking off with a little shameless self-promotion. If that’s not your thing, skip it, unsubscribe, whatever you like. But there’s a reason I’m bringing it up, so hear me…

The Chief Merchant Journal

Take Two Capsules

I Want the Dirty Job.

Sourcing Exchange Podcast

Robin Report: Why Materials Should Lead Design

Fitted Intentions

Olympic Capsules

The Interline: Fashion’s Most Underrated Opportunity

Materially Overdeveloped

Sourcing Journal – The Rearview Mirror

Cozey Up

Mere Merchants Podcast

Materials Are Everything

New Report: From Stitch to Scale

Look in the Rearview Mirror

Materials Leads The Way

Keep Pulling On The Thread

The Voice of Retail Podcast: The Material Life

Material Ops.

Marketing, Merchandising, Misaligned

The Afterlife

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