Carter's (CRI) 28th Annual ICR Conference 2026 summary

Leadership insights and brand value

• CEO highlighted the strong heritage and latent equity of the brands, emphasizing the need to unlock this value and leverage a talented leadership team.

• Focus is on directing existing brand equity and organizational talent toward growth.

Investment and demand creation

• Increased investment in product design and marketing is underway to better connect with Gen Z parents and modern consumers.

• Marketing spend is being ramped up, with a data-driven, test-and-learn approach to ensure returns.

• Productivity improvements are prioritized over new store openings, aiming to drive more traffic to existing stores.

• Social media and influencer engagement are now key channels for reaching target customers.

Consumer trends and pricing

• Holiday period saw strong performance across all channels and age categories, with higher prices and less promotion not deterring sales.

• New consumers attracted tend to have higher incomes and are more receptive to premium products.

• Growth in eco-friendly and premium product lines is contributing to revenue and customer file expansion.

• Efforts are focused on re-engaging lapsed consumers and acquiring new ones.

• Maintaining a competitive value equation (price, style, quality) is central to pricing strategy.