Inventory Management

Target Corp. is responding to customers frustrated by their inability to buy items from the chain's Lilly Pulitzer collection. The limited-edition line went live in stores and online Sunday morning, with most of the items selling out within minutes. In a Q&A on Target's website, Chief Merchandising and Supply Chain Officer Kathee Tesija said that while Target's limited-edition designer collaborations often sell out, this one was unique "for how quickly our guests shopped and how much they purchased."

Alibaba Group Holding Ltd said it had a range of measures to fight counterfeits on its websites — remarks that come after a trade group requested U.S. government help in prodding the Chinese e-commerce giant into action against fake goods.

lululemon athletica says #wemadetoomuch. And the maker of yoga and other apparel isn't talking about money. Clearance sales advertised on individual stores’ Facebook pages, complete with the hashtag, signal a potential worry for investors.

Bed Bath & Beyond has modified its return policy, effective April 20. The home goods chain, which operated 1,016 U.S. locations as of May 2014, announced earlier this week that it will deduct 20 percent from a returned item's value for customers who do not provide a receipt, or whose purchase could not be identified through the store's transaction records. Previously, Bed Bath & Beyond offered a full refund for store credit or an exchange even in the case that a customer didn't provide a receipt. 

Out-of-date inventory is holding many retailers back. This issue can strike at any time of the year and keeps warehouses full of the wrong products. Inventory costs can account for up to 90 percent of business expenses, and no retailer wants that. So what's the best way to get those products moving at a price that's appealing to customers, but still makes enough margin for retailers? There are four main ways to address this:

With a strong focus on in-store innovation and evolving its omnichannel retail strategy, Chico's FAS partnered with Tyco Retail Solutions, a provider of performance and security solutions, to address inventory accuracy and visibility challenges in 13 Soma Intimates pilot stores. Soma store associates can now access accurate, real-time inventory information in one place to better manage their deep merchandise assortment, helping to drive sales and customer satisfaction. The ability to have this level of inventory accuracy fosters confidence in associates to provide a better customer experience.

There are seasonal businesses and then there's Halloween Express. The retailer has an eight-week sales cycle (September through October), with 50 percent of its annual business occurring in the last 10 days leading up to Halloween. Therefore, it's critical that Halloween Express is nimble and can make decisions in real time, particularly when it comes to purchasing inventory.

Our experts walk you through opportunities to not only cut shipping costs, but also improve shipping service to your customers.

As part of its strategic shift toward seamless inventory, Patagonia, an outdoor apparel retailer, will deploy 7thonline to support merchandise and assortment planning for direct-to-consumer channels, including brick-and-mortar stores and e-commerce. This deployment marks the expansion of a pre-existing relationship between Patagonia and

By 2017, 50 percent of all U.S. retail sales will be omnichannel. Enabling agile commerce is table stakes for your business. But who will drive these initiatives? Research shows that retailers expect the CFO to spearhead e-commerce. So, how will you demonstrate the return on investment of omnichannel fulfillment to your CFO? Sign up for this informative webinar and learn how to gain your CFO's endorsement on implementing industry-leading omnichannel initiatives that blend the best of online technology with offline fulfillment. You'll learn how to:

• leverage intelligent order routing logic;
• optimize your return policies and procedures; and
• prioritize financial sales attribution.