adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) margin in three years at $22.9 million, a 12 per cent increase YoY. “Our ability to deliver profitable growth and market share gains in the second quarter, while at the same time continuing to invest in exciting long-term growth drivers, is a true reflection of the platform we have built, our operating excellence and the team’s ability to execute,” Revolve Group’s co-founder and co-CEO Mike Karanikolas said. The Revolve Group executive noted that the brand’s healthy cash flow generation has allowed the company to invest in AI enhancements, new owned brands and category expansion, which collectively have the potential to accelerate its profitable growth and market share gains for years to come. Melissa Minkow, CI&T’s global director of retail strategy, attributed Revolve Group’s growth to its unique mix of price-accessible and luxury pieces.  “We’ll continue to see high-end and discount retail, two opposite ends of the shopping spectrum, do well given where the economy is headed with income divergence once again. Revolve Group occupies a nice spot on the high-end side where it can still be relatively affordable,” Minkow explained to Inside Retail. How Revolve Group won over millennial and Gen Z consumers As Global Data’s managing director Neil Saunders told Inside Retail, “Revolve has been very successful in creating a modern fashion platform that speaks to younger consumers. Their brand curation is very strong, and they feel more accessible than many other prestige players, which is important for the younger shopper.” Additionally, Saunders pointed out that “a lot of effort has been put into the website over the past year with better search functionality, more editorial content and improved layout. These things all help with conversion.” Minkow also noted that Revolve’s digital experience is well-merchandised.  “It’s super easy to find what you’re looking for on their channels, and they just are so clearly aware of what their target consumer wants. It’s a seamless path to purchase, start to finish, so I’m not surprised they’ve seen revenue growth during a challenging time,” she said. Saunders attributed a significant portion of Revolve’s growth to new customer acquisition, which has been aided by physical activations such as pop-up shops and a very strong social media presence. Revolve’s Instagram account alone boasts 6.2 million followers. “Existing customers have also been spending more, which is down to Revolve’s deep understanding driven by algorithms and AI and its good grasp of culture. This allows it to put together solid collections, including more own-brand product, which in turn drives relevance and sales,” Saunders said. It should also be noted that Revolve has been pushing an aggressive globalization strategy, especially within the Chinese market, which has led to international net sales reaching $67.3 million, a YoY increase of 17 per cent. Leading growth with digital innovation and physical experiences As Karanikolas referenced in the most recent fiscal report, the company’s foray into AI and other tech developments contributed to its growth in Q2.  One example can be seen with Bellemint, a fashion styling game in collaboration with Muus Collective, which launched in March. With Bellemint, Revolve loyalty members can unlock exclusive loyalty points in the game and receive limited-time discount codes to shop on the brand’s DTC site.  As Cole Cyrus, an analyst from AInvest, an AI-powered stock analysis platform, observed that by integrating gaming with real-world shopping and linking it to Revolve’s loyalty program, the company drove in-game sales with an average order value of $252, nearly 90 per cent of its overall average. “This initiative not only deepened customer relationships but also demonstrated Revolve’s agility in tapping into Gen Z and millennial preferences for immersive digital experiences,” Cyrus commented.  This isn’t to say that bricks-and-mortar won’t play a significant role in Revolve’s expansion strategy in Q3 and Q4.  Revolve plans to convert its temporary Los Angeles holiday pop-up shop into a permanent location, signaling the brand’s emphasis on blending physical and digital retail this year. The store will feature curated collections from Revolve and its in-house brand FWRD, as well as exclusive vintage items from FWRD Renew, creating a destination for brand loyalty and cross-selling. If Revolve can maintain the pace of innovation as it has over the last few quarters, while maintaining steady cost-of-operating margins, there should be little doubt of the retailer maintaining its growth trajectory.  Further reading: Kendall Jenner, curation and machine learning: Keeping up with Revolve Group.