Issue link: https://viewer.e-digitaledition.com/i/1004186
IF WE DON'T ALREADY KNOW EACH OTHER, PLEASE, ALLOW ME TO INTRODUCE myself. Hi. I'm Jennifer Ernst Beaudry, and I'm the new editor-in-chief of Footwear Insight. I've been a contributing editor at Footwear Insight since 2014, and a reporter on the industry for more than a decade. And I'm thrilled to be here. As you may have noticed, it's a challenging time to be in the retail business — or in business of any kind. Changing consumer demands, technological evolution, consoli- dation, it's all happening and it's all happening at once. The media business is no different. This spring, our parent company Formula4 Media sold The Running Event trade show and Running Insight magazine to Diversified Communication, specialists in the trade show world. But while the company is looking different, our core mission isn't. Because while change can be hard, change is good, too. For us, this moment is an amazing opportunity to re-energize all of our media properties in general, and with Footwear Insight in particular, focus in on being the must-read of independent retailers. We've got some big plans: Deeper market coverage. Fresher consumer insights. Smarter analysis. More of the kinds of actionable information that you can use to make your business better. To do it, we're focusing even more tightly on representing the breadth of the market, with regular, dedicated coverage of kids, running, outdoor, comfort and more. And we'll be going all in on the big issues that are shaping the way we do business today, like the technologies that are changing the way footwear is made and sold and the economic policies and forces shaping product and pricing. Other things in the works: An overhaul of our digital magazine and website. (You can see the green shoots of that effort at Footwearinsight.com, with more to come.) More coordination with our sister publications Textile Insight, Outdoor Insight, Sports Insight, Trend Insight, sportstyle and Sports Insight Extra to bring you a 360-degree view of the industry with a footwear-first mentality for a world where lines between categories and between channels are blurrier every day. So whether it's diving into the boot trend (see page 50), breaking down what the trade war might mean for specialty retail or showcases of the best shops around (stay tuned), we're going to bring you even more of the info you need. But as excited as we are about our grand plans (and we're very excited!), we have our ears open. We want to hear from you about the reporting you want to see, when you want to get it and how you want it delivered. We're listening, so be in touch. You can start with me: jbeaudry@formula4media.com. The footwear world is changing, retail is changing and we're evolving along with you. But what we aren't changing is what we are. Footwear Insight was founded to give retailers all the news they need, with none of the noise. And that's exactly what we plan to do. Because isn't that what they say? The more things change … Jen CHANGE IS GOOD TIMEOUT | JENNIFER ERNST BEAUDRY As you may have noticed, it's a challenging time to be in the retail business — or in business of any kind. the healthiest shoes you'll ever wear ® Featuring Lynco ® or thotic suppor t and memory foam cushioning for superior comfor t