Revitalizing Vans: A Digital Turnaround Strategy
Retail innovation • Digital product strategy • DTC E-Commerce • 2024 Case Finalist
Overview
Vans, once a key performer within VF Corp, faced a significant revenue decline of $500M in one year, indicating critical issues in brand fatigue, shifting consumer habits, and growing competition in the activewear space. As part of the 2024 Unify Case Competition, I worked with a multidisciplinary team to develop a comprehensive strategy aimed at revitalizing the brand and tapping into the power of digital transformation that made it to the finalist round. My role focused on translating consumer insights into product strategy, visioning tech integration, and helping craft a turnaround story around the brand’s future.
Project Brief
As part of a two-part case for VF Corporation’s executive board, our key objectives were:
Identify the root causes of Vans’ performance decline
Propose a 5-year roadmap with a $50M investment cap
This challenge required a deep dive into historical brand data, shifting consumer trends, industry benchmarks, competitive threats, and VF Corp’s operational capabilities.
The Proposal
Applying my background in human-centered problem-solving, I led the effort to craft a digital-first, customer-centered turnaround for Vans, with a focus on three core areas:
1 Reclaim cultural relevance
→ Reconnect with Gen Z by partnering with emerging digital creators, launching limited drops on resale-forward platforms, and developing community-based storytelling campaigns around skate and street culture.
→ Elevate lifestyle branding through collabs with underrepresented subcultures, tapping into niche authenticity over mass-market saturation.
2 Revamp the DTC experience
→ Overhaul Vans e-commerce experience with personalized product discovery, virtual try-ons, and a loyalty program that drives conversion.
→ Integrate a unified customer journey across app, web, and retail touchpoints to build engagement and increase repeat purchases.
3 Leveraging data for operational efficiency
→ Leverage VF Corp’s enterprise platforms to deploy consumer analytics, reduce product-to-market cycles, and pilot new drops based on real-time trend detection.
→ Improve inventory management and forecasting through data-driven decisions to reduce stockouts and optimize product availability.
