Branding

Three years after J.C. Penney was boycotted by opponents of LGBT rights, retailers have embraced the Supreme Court’s ruling for same-sex marriage. Amazing how quickly things can change. Just three years ago, J.C. Penney found itself embroiled in controversy when it featured gay couples in its new glossy mail-outs, part of its failed strategy under…

Once-iconic American retailer Gap is in trouble. The brand was once so cool that Sharon Stone wore one of its turtlenecks to the Oscars. Today, the company is closing a quarter of its stores amid declining sales. Sales at the brand that once dominated mall retail have declined for 13 straight months, according to Hiroko…

Men's Wearhouse wants to compete with the likes of Suitsupply, Indochino and J.Crew for the attention of fashion-forward millennials. The company — traditionally seen as somewhere a millennial's parents, or grandparents, might shop — hopes to broaden its appeal with a younger age group by expanding its line of custom clothing this year and by…

With its traditional fanfare, Wal-Mart on Friday put singers Mariah Carey, Ricky Martin and Rod Stewart on stage at its annual shareholder meeting. Actress Reese Witherspoon even played host for the proceedings. If this weren’t an annual rite, one could be excused for expressing puzzlement over the forces that bring these big names together with…

Shares of Vera Bradley, a company best known for its quilted-cotton handbags, hit an all-time low Wednesday, and investors can thank Chief Executive Robert Wallstrom’s candor. “We are not attracting enough new customers to the brand,” he said in a news release accompanying the earnings, forgoing the typical corporate-speak that glosses over problems. Wallstrom later…

To put it indelicately, if you thought you were too good for David’s Bridal, you’re not alone. "David’s Bridal’s reputation used to be that it was the Wal-Mart of bridal," says CEO Pamela B. Wallack, sitting in a nondescript conference room at the retailer’s Conshohocken, Pennsylvania headquarters. The offices do not by any means compare…

Dollar Tree said Friday that it has agreed to sell 330 of its stores to the private equity firm Sycamore Partners in order to get regulatory approval for its $8.5 billion purchase of Family Dollar. The Chesapeake, Virginia-based company said earlier this month that it would sell the stores, but it had not disclosed the…

Family vacations, neighborhood barbecues, fireworks, outdoor concerts … the list of fun summertime activities that people look forward to all winter long seems to be endless. People are out and about in the summer, basking in the warmth of the sunshine and the camaraderie that comes with spending time with family and friends. Retailers have taken notice.

The new world of retail has arrived, and so has Total Retail! As I mentioned into explain exactly w

Wal-Mart has long been a vilified brand, possibly one of the most hated in America. In the last year, however, the retail chain has made several significant moves that may change its brand perception, and some analysts say it's doing so in order to appeal to consumers who value corporate social responsibility. In its latest…