VF Execs Talk Rentals, Subscriptions and Trade War

The marriage of data and analytics — particularly at its Vans business — helped VF Corp. beat Wall Street’s first-quarter estimates, giving the company confidence to dive deeper on data as it contemplates other areas for growth.

In a telephone interview with chairman and chief executive officer Steve Rendle and chief financial officer Scott Roe, the two spoke about the company’s evolving use of data and customer metrics, as well as its new circular business pilot testing programs. Rendle also addressed briefly his personal views about the trade war between the U.S. and China.