Branding

Uniqlo, a leading apparel retailer, uses a direct mail catalog as part of its strategy to differentiate itself in a crowded marketplace. In the catalog, Uniqlo emphasizes that comfort — i.e., how to make a customer physically feel better — can be as important a benefit as style, value or quality in brand positioning.

Managers of retail loyalty programs have a new metric to remember. It's the number five. The 500Friends Q1 2017 global survey of loyalty program members and loyalty program managers examined the state of loyalty in the retail and consumer packaged goods (CPG) sectors — revealing a number of surprising findings. Most consumers in North America,…

In today's retail environment, building a sustainable and successful brand is more challenging than ever. Retailers are under pressure to create a consistent brand message across all channels they interact with consumers in — stores, online, social media, etc. In addition, today's customer is demanding a simpler and more personalized shopping experience. At times, it…

Total Retail is excited to present its seventh annual ranking of the 100 fastest-growing publicly traded retailers. This year’s list, as in years past, is based on companies’ year-over-year net sales growth, comparing the 2016 fiscal year to the 2015 fiscal year.

JanSport, the backpack and outdoor gear retailer, used email to announce its new deal with Disney.

On Thursday, President Donald Trump issued an executive order that put 24 national monuments at risk of losing their federally protected status. Patagonia’s CEO Rose Marcario is taking a stand against it. “We take this as a sign that Trump and his team prefer to cater to fossil-fuel interests and state land grabs for unsustainable…

The digital marketplace has made it increasingly easy for customers to find the lowest possible price. When price is the only difference between two products, the decision is simple. However, that's rarely the case. With lower prices often come more aggravating experiences. As many bargain hunters quickly find, you get what you pay for. Customers…

Zara recently withdrew apparel featuring a controversial cartoon image. The women's apparel retailer (owned by Inditex) has more than 2,100 stores in 88 countries, and is ranked No. 53 on the Forbes 2016 list of most valuable brands. The Washington Times reports Zara recently removed from its website a denim mini skirt with an image resembling Pepe the…

The way consumers spend money is changing. Last summer, The Wall Street Journal reported that leisure travel spending increased by 8 percent from the year prior. Yet, some lifestyle brands are getting ahead of the trend and making a shift of their own. These brands are entering the hospitality industry in hopes of attracting consumers…

An apparel line from Victoria Beckham has spiced up sales for big-box retailer Target. Joshua Thomas, a Target spokesman, told the StarTribune online sales for the VBxTarget collection have already broken company records for sales of a design partnership — and that was just over the weekend. The success of the Target-Victoria Beckham partnership is…