Fashion
Cegid Retail refines its approach to the challenges of artificial intelligence for commerce
Published
September 14, 2025
Last year, Lyon-based management solutions specialist Cegid announced that it was bringing its Forward 2026 development strategy into line with generative artificial intelligence. Renamed Forward.ia, the development program continues, in particular for the Cegid Retail division, which is stepping up deployment and experimentation of retail solutions, while taking care not to fall into the trap of multiplying useless generative tools.
“Our approach has always been to make innovation useful and not to create gas factories that serve no one,” Nathalie Echinard, general manager of the retail division, tells FashionNetwork.com. “Nevertheless, we know that AI and generative AI will transform the business, both for our team internally and for our customers.”
Last year’s biennial Cegid Connections Retail event in Rome featured eight AI use cases anticipating the needs of commerce to 2030. Four have since been delivered. Starting with an enhancement to the Livestore checkout solution. This now enables a sales assistant to interact with customers with whom they do not share a common language, via a split screen.
The Cegid Retail Store Excellence tool, used for communication between a head office and its store network, has also been enhanced. “It can now translate and send messages to each store, for example to explain a new collection, in the case of fashion brands”, explained Echinard. The manager also points out that AI can now directly generate message bases or visuals to guide sales teams.
In the apparel business, these teams are subject to high turnover and have no time for training. In the past, Cegid has responded to this need with simplified dashboards that are easy to learn. But AI now enables the salesperson to exchange directly with the system verbally to explain their problem, so as to be guided through the task.
“We’re gradually moving towards an augmented sales assistant,” explained Echinard. “Augmented vis-à-vis the customer, but also in terms of efficiency and time optimization. Applications will help them to choose their priorities according to what’s happening in the store, but above all to navigate from one task to another without really realizing it.”
Personalization has not been forgotten. A tool, presented last year to Cegid’s partners, is currently being developed based on customer data and product recommendation learning. AI will reinforce the Livestore tool by helping the sales assistant to identify the needs of existing tastes and customers.
“This takes the form of a 6-8 word cloud that gives maximum information in a short space of time to the salesperson. After all, no one wants a sales assistant who remains immersed in the tablet”, explained the Cegid Retail manager.
A manager who also bears witness to the growing demands of brands in terms of security. Security breaches, cyber-attacks and data ransomware are on everyone’s mind. “When our customers are major players in the luxury goods and CAC40 sectors, we take this very seriously”, sais Echinard. She points out that, by contract, security updates are the only ones Cegid can launch to warn its customers.
“And, given what’s at stake, no brand has a problem with that,” said Echinard.
After the NRF (formerly Paris Retail Week) trade show, to be held in Paris from September 16 to 18, she will be preparing the 2026 edition of Cegid Connections Retail, to be held in Prague in the spring. Perhaps by then, the market will have taken a more rational look at AI.
“The enthusiasm it generates needs to stabilize, and everyone needs to stop going off in all directions,” concluded Echinard. She is mindful of the Gartner study which, last June, estimated that 40% of AI tools in development could be abandoned by 2027.
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Copyright © 2025 FashionNetwork.com All rights reserved.
Published
December 19, 2025
Chinese Global investment firm HSG has acquired a controlling stake in Italian sneaker label Golden Goose, in one of the biggest Chinese investments in a European luxury brand.
Temasek, a global investment company, and a fund managed by its wholly-owned asset manager, True Light Capital, will acquire a minority stake. US investment fund Permira will remain committed as a strategic minority shareholder, continuing its successful partnership with Golden Goose, according to a press release from the Venice-based sneaker brand.
The deal ends months of speculation that Golden Goose was about to be sold to a Chinese investor.
Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed. The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions and regulatory approvals and is currently expected to close within the summer of 2026. Golden Goose S.p.A. expects its €480.0 million Senior Secured Floating Rate Notes due 2031 to be redeemed in full.
Golden Goose has been the fastest growing Italian fashion label in the past half-decade, stunning observers with its exceptional performance. Since 2020, the group has delivered consistent, strong, and profitable growth, with revenues increasing from €266 million in FY 2020 to €655 million in FY 2024. During this period, the group has accelerated its direct-to-consumer (DTC) channels, launched its Forward Store concept, diversified its product assortment, and invested significantly in ‘Co-Creation’ experiences, deepening connections with its customers worldwide.
This investment comes amid a period of strong financial performance for Golden Goose. In the nine months ending September 2025, the group reported double-digit growth across regions. Revenues rose 13% year-on- year, driven by 21% growth in its DTC channel and an expanded store network, which reached 227 directly operated stores, up from 97 in 2019.
The investment is underpinned by a strong strategic and cultural fit with Golden Goose’s growth ambitions. Drawing on the new investors’ combined experience and track records investing in international luxury and consumer technology brands, such as Moncler and Ermenegildo Zegna group by Temasek, and ByteDance, Pop Mart, RedNote, and Marshall by HSG, they will support Golden Goose’s international ambitions as a leading next-generation luxury brand, while preserving and continuing to invest in Golden Goose’s Made in Italy roots.
Silvio Campara, Golden Goose’s hard charging CEO, will continue to lead the group as chief executive officer, alongside the existing leadership team. Marco Bizzarri, currently a non- executive director on the Golden Goose board, will become non-executive chairman. He brings significant industry expertise, shaped by his leadership of globally renowned luxury brands including Gucci, Bottega Veneta, and Kering, and will play an important role in accelerating Golden Goose’s next phase of global expansion.
“We are delighted to welcome HSG and Temasek as strategic partners to Golden Goose as we step up our global ambitions as a leading international luxury brand. Their investment is yet another vote of confidence in the success of our model at the intersection of luxury, lifestyle, and sportswear, beloved by a growing, global community of dreamers. With their experience of scaling international leaders across luxury and the broader business spectrum, HSG and Temasek will help us unlock the vast opportunity ahead for Golden Goose. We are grateful to Permira for being integral partners to our successful journey so far and are delighted they will remain valued partners alongside HSG and Temasek,” said Campara.
“Golden Goose stands for love, empathy, authenticity and a powerful sense of community in today’s luxury landscape,” added Jiajia Zou, Partner at HSG. “We feel deeply privileged to partner with Temasek and Permira, together with Silvio and his talented team to support the brand as it enters its next exciting chapter of growth- especially internationally- while preserving and celebrating what makes Golden Goose so uniquely Italian. We look forward to contributing our global experience, resources, and deep respect for the brand’s heritage, with the shared ambition of bringing the unique joy and spirit of Golden Goose to consumers around the world, for generations to come.”
In addition, Francesco Pascalizi and Tara Alhadeff, partners at Permira, commented: “Golden Goose has led the way in defining what it is to be a next-gen luxury brand for two decades now. They have built a unique community of GG-lovers around the world whilst also building a robust and high performing business. Against a challenging backdrop for the luxury industry in 2024 and 2025, Silvio and his talented team have continued to deliver strong performance and healthy growth, proving that Golden Goose is a brand that can stand the test of time.”
Copyright © 2025 FashionNetwork.com All rights reserved.
The country imported textile and textile materials worth N 228.83 billion in the first quarter (Q1) this year, N 337.12 billion in Q2 and N 248.32 billion in Q3.
Industry experts blame policy failure, weak execution of credit initiatives, abandonment of promised institutional reforms, pervasive corruption and structural bottlenecks like weak cotton farming, insecurity and the inability to scale locally-produced polyester for the decline, according to Nigerian media reports.
Nigeria’s textile imports rose to N 814.27 billion in January-September 2025—a 47.43-per cent YoY rise despite repeated government claims of the sector’s revival.
Rising imports indicate a weak domestic textile industry.
Industry experts blame policy failure, weak execution of credit initiatives, abandonment of promised institutional reforms, pervasive corruption and structural bottlenecks for the fall.
Hamma Kwajaffa, director general of the Nigerian Textile Manufacturers Association, lamented that the 10-per cent tax on imported textiles—which was introduced when the ban on textile imports was lifted so that the amount collected can be ploughed into domestic textile production—has not been directed to improve the private textile sector.
Kwajaffa pointed to the failure to create a dedicated textile development fund domiciled with the Bank of Industry.
Conflicting positions among top officials had stalled any action related to the sector and repeated workshops and announcements without execution had yielded no tangible outcome, Kwajaffa added.
Fibre2Fashion News Desk (DS)
Published
December 19, 2025
There’s been quite a few end-of-year updates from shopping centres and all of them are upbeat after a busy 2025.
Sheffield’s Meadowhall is one of them, noting it has been a strong year of exchanges on new leases covering 300,000 sq ft of the destination, 80% retail and 20% hospitality, including renewals from 19 tenants.
It said visitor numbers “have also remained consistently high”, headlined by its busiest Black Friday weekend in six years (262,981 visitors across the three days), while October’s school half-term was also the strongest in six years (457,000 visitors representing a 9.7% year-on-year increase).
Meanwhile, commercial brand activations continued to “perform effectively” throughout 2025, including standout initiatives from Trinny London and Jo Malone.
And, of course, new openings and expansions are the lifeblood of any centre with Meadowhall announcing fast-expanding novelty retailer Miniso has just joined its roster while fashion lifestyle brand TK Maxx has extended its presence there, “concluding a strong year of leasing activity and retail performance”.
TK Maxx has added an adjacent unit to create a 19,000 sq ft space, complete with a 173-ft fully-glazed frontage on the Upper Level The Gallery, showcasing its mix of branded fashion, beauty, homeware, and accessories.
Miniso, meanwhile, has opened a 1,759 sq ft store on Lower Level High Street, introducing its range of lifestyle, homeware, and technology products, alongside the brand’s character collections.
These additions follow several major openings in 2025, including beauty majors Sephora and Superdrug.
These introductions round off a period in which several tenants have invested significantly in upgrading and expanding their stores. More than £47 million has been spent by brands alone across 2024 and 2025, with more than a third of Meadowhall’s operators undertaking new fitouts and refurbishments in that time.
Looking ahead to 2026, operator British Land said more than 25 brands have already committed, and will be bringing a further £8 million of investment to the centre.
Louisa Holmes, Asset Director at operator British Land, said: “This year’s level of investment, from new arrivals and long-standing tenants, reflects the confidence brands have in Meadowhall as a critical part of their national portfolio. In addition to that, the centre’s success means our brands are effectively competing to bring the best and latest shop fits and concepts here, elevating the experience for our visitors.”
Copyright © 2025 FashionNetwork.com All rights reserved.
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