PACSUN'S CO-CREATION MODEL BECOMES A HARVARD BUSINESS SCHOOL CASE STUDY

The Brand's Community-Driven Approach Enters the Classroom, Shaping Future Leaders' Perspectives on Retail

LOS ANGELES, April 14, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Pacsun, the purpose-driven specialty fashion retailer rooted in youth culture, enters the Harvard Business School curriculum with "Pacsun: Co-Creating a Purposeful Take on Retail," a case study developed and led by Professor Cynthia Montgomery. The study examines the integration of consumer input into decision-making across product, content, and marketing, bringing the brand's perspective into direct dialogue with the next generation of business leaders.

Building on themes outlined in Pacsun CEO Brieane Olson's upcoming book, Co-Created: The Cultural Strategy That Redefined Pacsun, the material invites students to examine the move beyond traditional top-down decision-making toward more dynamic, community-informed approaches. It also explores the balance between speed, scale, and maintaining a consistent brand point of view, alongside the need to sustain performance and operational discipline.

"My experience within the Harvard Business School community makes it especially meaningful to bring Pacsun's co-creation model into the classroom and engage with future leaders shaping the next generation of consumer behavior," said Olson. "The concepts explored in my upcoming book are grounded in building with the customer, and incorporating that level of input introduces complexity that requires clarity, discipline, and alignment across the business. The focus is building systems that can absorb that input while continuing to operate with consistency and intent."

To introduce the case study, Olson attended the initial teaching session at Harvard Business School, engaging directly with students on the opportunities and trade-offs of applying co-creation at scale. The discussion focused on balancing real-time consumer input with clarity, consistency, and performance across the business.

At Pacsun, co-creation is embedded across the business, shaping everything from product development to content, brand partnerships, and retail experiences. This model is informed by a continuous exchange with its audience and partners, including the brand's Youth Report, which captures direct input from Gen Z and Gen Alpha consumers, as well as its Youth Advisory Council, a group of contributors who provide ongoing perspective on product and brand decisions. It is further extended through the PS Community Hub, a digital platform that enables ongoing engagement with its audience. Together, these inputs shape decisions across assortment planning, campaign development, and content strategy, reinforcing a model built around relevance and participation.

Additional perspective on this approach is outlined in Co-Created: The Cultural Strategy That Redefined Pacsun, set to release May 12.

About Pacsun
Pacsun is a purpose-driven, leading specialty retailer offering a cross section of emerging brands and trending fashion through the lens of youth culture. Delivering the latest contemporary, streetwear, and activewear, Pacsun partners with the best brands at the intersection of fashion, music, art, and sport to offer curated collections, rare and exclusive products, and creative collaborations on every level to inspire the next generation. Founded in 1980 in Newport, CA, Pacsun is now co-created in Los Angeles. Follow @pacsun on TikTok, Instagram, X, Facebook, and YouTube.

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SOURCE Pacsun