Branding

Some companies offer a little extra vacation time, others a creative work environment with flexible

Coach seems to be achieving the nearly unattainable in retail: giving a brand that was cheapened by years of discounts its luster back. The handbag maker reported on Tuesday that net sales rose 7 percent to $1.27 billion in its second fiscal quarter ended Dec. 26, buoyed by growth in China and its men’s lines. More importantly,…

Getting its sunglasses out of gas stations was a key first step. Nowadays, Ray-Ban sunglasses can be found selling for as much as $300 at high-end stores like Nordstrom and Neiman Marcus. The brand recently opened its first ever flagship store, a sleek emporium in the heart of Manhattan’s shopping mecca, SoHo. And if you walk around…

Can capitalism and community work together in harmony? Kenneth Cole, shoe designer and chairman of Kenneth Cole Productions, says yes. "Giving back makes the business I believe more sustainable," he told CNBC. "It has engaged and empowered all of our associates and it's made the journey probably even greater than wherever that destination would look like."

I like to remind folks that consumers are actually people who happen to shop once and a while and look for something beyond “stuff.” This past May, I talked about one retailer’s return to past glories, and what I saw for its brick-and mortar future. Here's why chic beats cheap every time. Cheap Chic Recaptivates…

The Lands’ End catalog of today would have landed at my third-grade feet with more of a splash. The current edition stars Angela Lindvall, who has Chanel campaigns and Vogue covers on her résumé, smiling in $69 noniron pullover tunics and $139 floral party dresses. The pages still display teal mock turtlenecks and anti-pill fleeces,…

The interview below is an excerpt from Robert Passikoff's upcoming book, "At the Speed of the Consumer: Branding in the Digital Age." Robert Passikoff: Brands often get left behind in digital. They’re often an afterthought. You’ve done it really well. What’s your philosophy about brands and digital space? Martine Reardon: I’d say that the philosophy…

Hello women in retail leaders! Welcome to episode one of WIRLC's Women in Retail Talks podcast series. In today's episode, we're excited to offer highlights from a presentation given by Denise Lee Yohn, author of the best-selling book, "What Great Brands Do: The Seven Brand-Building Principles that Separate the Best from the Rest," at our recent…

The Federal Trade Commission, which enforces U.S. laws against deceptive ads, said Tuesday that it had closed a probe of Wal-Mart Stores Inc after the company addressed the problem of products advertised as "Made in USA" when they were not. The FTC closed the probe without action after Wal-Mart dropped all "Made in USA" logos…

Dollar Tree, parent company of Family Dollar, will rebrand hundreds of its Deals stores into Dollar Trees or Family Dollars by next summer as it works to expand the combined company. Dollar Tree bought 138 Deals stores in March 2006 and has grown the chain to 222 stores in 19 states. Dollar Tree said it will…