The Week Ahead: All Eyes on Earnings From VF, Kering and Amazon

FN’s new column, The Week Ahead, gives an inside look at the top stories that will impact the shoe world in the coming days.

ALL EYES ON GUCCI: When Kering’s second-quarter earnings are revealed in Paris on Thursday, much of the public’s focus will be on Gucci. The luxury stalwart began to show signs of a slowdown in Q1 when it reported a 20% sales increase. While that might sound like a dream result for some companies, Gucci had been netting quarterly gains of 50% last year. Kering execs have said it’s no surprise the brand’s growth is stabilizing. Balenciaga, Gucci’s sibling brand at Kering, is also rising, thanks in large part to its blockbuster shoe business.

MOVING VANS: Speaking of hot brands, Vans continues to power VF Corp., and it will be in the spotlight again on Wednesday when VF reports its earnings for the first quarter of fiscal 2020. The brand, which just debuted see-through PVC sneakers with Opening Ceremony, is targeting $5 billion in sales by 2023.

EARNINGS MANIA: In addition to Kering and VF, look for earnings reports from Amazon, Columbia and LVMH.

FILA POPS UP: Following the success of its wildly popular Fila Disruptor — FN’s 2018 shoe of the year — the brand is tackling new territory in the outdoor market. On Friday, it will launch a pop-up shop in New York’s Soho neighborhood for its Fila Explore line, a capsule of footwear, apparel and accessories that taps into the brand’s extensive archive of ski, hiking, alpine and trek collections released by the brand in the ’70s, ’80s and ’90s.

EVENT CIRCUIT: FDRA talks burning sourcing issues and tariffs at its annual summit in New York … Donna Karan and Kenneth Cole celebrate their new made-in-Haiti shoe collaboration.