Sunday Scoop - Gen Alpha takes over the gift guide (& retail insights for all)

Asked my Gen Alpha kids for help to create these gift guides. Plus retail news we need to catch up on.

Let’s start out with gifts for the littles (even if mine is almost taller than me) but if you aren’t looking for Gen Alpha goodies scroll past and we’ll dig into more Retail Diary insights & details.

Gen Alpha Gifts

What the kids want

This week I checked in with my kids on what gifts are on their lists and what gifts they thought their friends would like. Plus I added a few items that would balance things out (because kids should write thank you notes and what not.) Since every child and family is unique and wonderful in their own way, these are just ideas. Of course, because my kids are asking for this doesn’t mean this is what they will get. We also like to do some experiences and theme nights (ice cream and a new board game.)

Gen Alpha 9 year old boy who loves sports, games, building and has been reading graphic novels every night with me.

My son wants you to know he helped create this!

• Games & Building:

  • We have Kanoodle** and it is super fun and challenging. This can entertain a kid (age 7+) for a long time.

  • Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza is a speedy silly game.

  • Magnetic Marble Run - he asked for a marble building toy and I like the National Geographic Kits

• Sporty:

  • Nerf Football Rocket is sized for smaller hands and fun to play with.

  • Warriors Sweatshirt since he outgrew last years.

• Books:

  • Graphic Novels to read together.

  • Hey Kids Watch This to help us choose family movie night.

• Odds and Ends:

  • Constantly losing socks so we need a fun refresh.

  • Thank You Cards - these are the ones we use for presents and birthdays.

Gen Alpha 11 year old girl who is obsessed with Sephora, wants things to be “preppy” (which just means poppy and pink) and loves to doodle and draw.

And my daughter wants you to know she did this!

• To wear:

  • A new pair of Uggs to get her through the winter.

  • Lululemon tops and Aviator Nation Sweatpants. White Fox sweatshirt to finish mixing it up. (Tip - with how much kids grow, a lot of this stuff I search on Poshmark and eBay first. I’ve found some great Aviator Nation Sweatpants that way and the style is already looking a little worn so all good.)

• Jewelry:

  • She’s asking for Kendra Scott and has her eye on this one.

  • Jenny Bird has two cute sets that would be fun for a tween/teen girl. A Heart Huggie Earring Kit that is bundled with a Tower28 Mascara. There is also the Charm Necklace Kit that is also bundled with Tower28 Mascara.

  • These nap earrings have flat backs which are so comfortable for sleeping in and tiny ears.

  • A name plate necklace that she can wear forever. Another idea is to wear your child’s name now and later you can pass it along for a special milestone birthday.

  • Hoop it up - the tiniest hoops are just the right size and I love when brands sell as singles or pairs.

  • FYI - Ariel Gordon Jewelry is currently having their Black Friday Sale. 20% off with code CHEER2024

• Beauty but make it tween:

  • Hair Clips that are a bit more fun than her everyday ones.

  • Lip Balm that is silly, in a cute package and reminds her of her favorite treats. Tonymoly has great items for tweens. I also love Bubble for skincare for the younger set.

  • For the teens, I love this Black Lip Balm from Finding Ferdinand. The color is super wearable and you can choose from 3 flavors (mixed berries, chocolate or unflavored.)

• Fun room decor - LED lights** to make her space as bright as she is.

• Odds & Ends (that I balanced out with)

  • Kids magazines that I’ve been super impressed with: Kazoo & Anyway.

  • Stationery for Thank You Notes and Camp Pen Pals (not really, they just text)

  • 2 in 1 pens and highlighters - I love the Ooly brand too!

Gifts can also be super regional depending on what the kids at school talk about. Have you heard of any great gift ideas from kids this year?

Field Notes

Women Owned Brands

I visited Marché Collective in Oakland Saturday and here are a few highlights and fantastic finds:

• I enjoyed meeting

  Gabriella Gofis
  IRL (the sweetest person!) and getting a Starling jewelry tour. My favorites were this beautiful wrap ring with two tiny diamonds, a true dazzler of a ring that feels vintage and modern at the same time. The rings are so stackable and fun. I also loved this really cool charm hook that I would gladly add to my collection (a charm hook means I can pile on more charms) and hooked on to a necklace like this it can make a major statement.

• Since I shared some hosting finds earlier this week, I have to mention this really cool set of midnight ceramic stacking bowls with a pour spout from Year & Day.

• I chatted with

  Notes from Irene Chen
  from Parker & Thatch. The bag you need to check out is the new East-West tote in Suede Caramel. I’ve seen this bag spotted on the chicest shoulders (think
  Joyce Lee
  and her red one here see the bag here.)

• Had another fun visit with Ariel Gordon and showed my mom some of my favorite pieces from Ariel Gordon Jewelry (I’m looking for a charm to add to this necklace I wear.) Also looked at the items above for a tween I might be shopping for….

• Freda Salvador collabed with

  Natalie Borton
  on a fun charm for your loafers. This big, bold organic piece of jewelry will make your loafers unique and a smart way to refresh and older pair without buying new shoes. (Currently sold out, but add your name to the waitlist.)

• And a creative outlet, start the New Year with a new hobby and try a Guided Sketchbook with one of Art Life Practice’s kits.

• Credo had a great booth with their Holiday Kits.

Fashion Finds

• The At Present Retail Diary Gift Guide! Plus, At Present is having their Annual Sale starting soon and Retail Diary has an early access code. Use code RETAILDIARY to receive first access to shop the sale beginning Sunday 11/17 (it officially opens 11/21/24.)¹

• I’ve been wearing these Nelle Atelier jeans* (the brand is designed for those of us under 5ft 4) and I’m loving. I wore 3 times in the past week. They just launched a super requested (drum roll, and no surprise) barrel leg pair and so smart. A pair of barrel leg designed for petites is an opportunity and filling a void. With other pairs you would need to shorten and that would break up the silhouette and proportions. Try the Nelle Atelier barrel leg if you are still looking for a pair to try and need a petite length.

• It is a sweater, it is a shirt, it is a jacket. I’m loving this La Ligne cropped Jane Jacket*. La Ligne deeper discount code for the holidays! RETAILDIARY15 for 15% off your first order. I had tried the Jane Jacket last year but the longer length one was a bit much for me. Cropped is great for petites or to mix up the proportions.

• Resort 2025 delivering (fresh finds for holiday events and taking on holiday) TWP new arrivals include a new leather Average Joe top and a Next Ex top in a metallic stripe. I love the Next Ex silhouette.

• Also spotted Co’s new deliveries. The Bell Sleeve Top looks fantastic and a Gathered Bomber to wear immediately. I also noticed their membership tier and I am so curious to dig into this (how many people have signed up, the break point in the value for both consumers and the brand, loyalty - it is a loyalty program you pay for. So many questions!)

• Warm and fuzzy Toteme boots are a great city boot without lots of extra bulk. I really like the last with the slightly almond toe.

• Leather Bombers are the jacket du jour (see Marie Claire trend recap here) and I’ve been wearing (and loving) this one.

Beauty Finds

• The UBeauty Plasma Lip Compound is incredible and a new shade just launched. Fortune - a red inspired by Founder Tina Chen Craig’s Chinese culture is available for a limited time and also bundled with the Shanghai Plasma Lip Compound and a clutch/pouch. Use code SHAPIRO20 for 20% off.

• InnBeauty Project launched their Black Friday Sale with bundle pricing. 35% off custom bundles and 30% off all orders over $100. The items I’ve been grabbing are the Extreme Cream as my daily moisturizer, Bright & Tight Eye Cream first thing in the morning, a super easy bronzer the Face Glaze Bronze to give me a hint of sun and Sun Balm tinted SPF lip balm (even in the winter I want to protect my lips.)

Retail Diary Gift Guides

• After chatting with Ellen Marie Bennett (Hedley & Bennett), Lindsay Silberman (Hotel Lobby Candle) and Nora Maxwell (Brightland) I shared insights (read here) and shop their suggestions and a few of my favorite home gifts here.

• Silver & Gold Holiday Gift Guide. Have you participated in a

  Hey Mrs. Solomon on Style
  Outfit Planning? If not this is your week - it is sparkle & shine week.

• Beauty Gifts - Holiday 2024. Shop here.

• Luxe Upgrades are a great gift option. With price points starting at $18.

• And while you are shopping this holiday season, don’t forget all of the Retail Diary Community Discount Codes can be found here.

🛍️ Quick note: I write a lot (too much good stuff to share!) so if you’re reading via email only, you may need to click through to the web version or read on the Substack app. I promise it will be worth it. 🛍️

Retail Reads:

Retail

• I love that Highsnobiety went bold with the claim that Uniqlo is not fast fashion (agreed) and doubled down on what Laura Neilson wrote about for the NYTimes Style recently “Going From Royal Gowns to Uniqlo.” (PS Black Friday deals going on at Uniqlo currently.)

• Burberry is focusing on their turnaround plan and sharing details about how they can make the business relevant and more profitable. TL;DR: Burberry is pivoting back to its British heritage roots, focusing on iconic products like trench coats and scarves while lowering some prices, after reporting losses and seeing its stock drop 38% in 2024. New CEO Joshua Schulman announced a £40M cost-cutting program and aims to return to £3B in annual revenue.

  • Retail Diary thoughts - The most fascinating aspect of Burberry's strategy is their pricing approach. Having followed the brand since my college days (I wrote a paper about their strategy shifts then too), I've noticed a clear pattern: Burberry regularly oscillates between making their products more accessible (often overusing their iconic check pattern) and then pulling back when they feel they've gone too mainstream. Looking back to the Rose Marie Bravo era shows how long this pattern has persisted. There is a HBS Case Study, 2004 WSJ article (gift link to read behind paywall) and a 2002 NYTimes article written by Cathy Horyn and Suzanne Kapner.

  • Additional points:

    • Despite losing 38% of its value in 2024, the stock shot up 20% when this new plan was announced - biggest one-day gain ever

    • They've had 4 CEOs in 10 years and 3 creative directors in 7 years - each bringing different styles/logos, highlighting why they need stability

    • Similar to other luxury brands, they're struggling with cooling demand in China, but Burberry's been hit particularly hard with Asia Pacific sales down 28% possibly due to a larger demographic of their sales coming from this area.

  • More from Vogue Business here and more on Schulman’s career history and LinkedIn here.

• Putting this in the retail section, definitely not the fashion section. Weighted Vests are a thing. According to the WSJ. I’ve been considering trying one after I noticed on

  Grace Atwood
  (see here just for fun),
  Julia @smarterinasec
  wearing a weighted belt and
  Molly Sims
  wearing in her workouts too. The WSJ highlighted this one designed by an ex Nike exec. I anticipate we will see these vests start to sell now as holiday gifts and really take off in Q1 too for New Year’s Resolutions.

Fashion

• Wow!! I first saw this collab when

  Sogole Kane
  posted it on Substack Notes. Carolina Herrera x Frame and it looks amazing! Why am I loving this:

  • Contemporary Brand partnered with Designer Brand. This feels like a 5th Avenue/Upper East Side collab.

  • The bright colors and all color looks. Major impact.

  • BUT, you can easily separate the pieces to wear for a bit more subdued.

  • Statement looks in the image styling - really really strong styling.

• Leandra Medine Cohen
  mentioned jazz shoes as the next viral shoe and now I’m seeing everywhere. Yes. Shoe brands, listen up. Have a soft leather jazz shoe for spring please.

  • The Row here and here.

  • Zara nailed it.

  • Might I also suggest my favorite actual dance shoes. Try a dance class if you want too.

  • Repetto too and also in patent.

  • Custom via Etsy.

  • No laces look from Aerosoles. Yes, Aerosoles.

  • Heads up, final sale, but worth a look from Gabriela Hearst and would be a great color for the Spring or a warm weather vacation.

• Ruadh Founder/Designer Jac Cameron speaks with Glossy about using Substack as channel to partner with Influencers and Creators to spread the word about Ruadh. I interviewed Cameron here and check out

  Jane Herman
  send with Cameron and Ruadh here.

• Love this take that the Elie Saab Anniversary Fashion show in Riyadh was what the Victoria’s Secret Show should have been from .@ideservecouture on Instagram.

Beauty

• Another one for the Gen Alphas, Claire’s is launching their own beauty line, C by Claire’s. This makes sense as a strategy to get the customers to spend more time in Claire’s stores and grab a greater share of the wallet.

Enjoy your Sunday Scoop. xx

Sarah Shapiro

What’s Next

The next Retail Diary Confidential includes an interview with a beloved travel brand and an assortment of gifts for the traveler. Just in time for Thanksgiving adventures. See you soon and Bon Voyage.

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Items marked with * have been kindly gifted by brands. Thoughts, selections, and reviews are my own.

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1. Brands not included in the At Present Annual Sale: not included in the sale: EMBLM Fine Jewelry, Monbouquette, Lionheart, White/Space, Bleecker & Prince, Selin Kent, Talon Jewelry, Lady Grey, Ri Noor, James Banks Design, M. Hisae, KEANE and Rebecca Pinto.