Inventory Management

Today’s retailers are facing an urgent need to better understand customer behaviors. This holiday season, listening to what consumers want and need will be vital to predicting their purchasing decisions and ensuring your inventory is not under- or overstocked. However, many supply chain leaders are still relying on their instincts rather than the newest data.…

The retail industry has struggled to cope with the unprecedented changes in the last few years spurred by the pandemic, leading to a scarcity of goods and overstocking in many cases. Additionally, snarls in supply chains resulted in bulk purchases until inflation changed consumer shopping patterns. Failure to identify and forecast changes resulted in excess…

Retail warehouse space during the holiday season is absolutely essential. The busiest time of the year typically sees retailers increase their inventory three to four times normal just to meet consumer demand. This year’s inventory glut created a tricky situation for the retail market. U.S. retailers saw a record $732 billion of inventory in 2022,…

The last three holiday seasons have each been unique as the pandemic first roiled consumer behavior and then unleashed pent-up demand, all the while playing havoc with the economy. This year, with inflation rising and discretionary spending squeezed, retailers are already preparing for a slower holiday shopping season, and a new set of challenging dilemmas.…

With prolonged inflation, hiked interest rates, and an economic downturn, it's no wonder consumers are feeling an increased amount of stress when making purchases or buying services. And with the holiday season upon us, many are rethinking their spending habits even more than they already were. In fact, 60 percent of consumers say their priorities keep changing…

Black Friday sales are anticipated to continue their upward trajectory, as retailers capitalize on the opportunity to preserve market share early in the holiday season and shoppers still strongly resonate with bargain pricing. Having established itself as the traditional beginning of the holiday shopping season, despite recent trends to shift spending earlier in the cycle,…

Brands and retailers have never seen anything like this — rapidly changing consumer preferences, ongoing supply chain disruptions, an influx of inventory for some, all under the cloud of a looming recession. Anticipating consumer behavior in this market is challenging. And being able to get what you need when you need it is complex, which…

Some retail brands are born in boardrooms, others are created in more unconventional circumstances — and J Brooks Boutique, an Atlanta-based online fashion business, is one of those brands. In 2016, its founder, Jessica (Jes) Brooks, bought a sewing machine from a catalog using points she earned as a reward for her performance in her…

What a difference a year or two can make. During 2020 and 2021, retailers struggled to keep up with demand for many items, largely due to supply chain bottlenecks and labor shortages. Shortly after the pandemic started and through last year, a significant reduction of markdowns and in-store promotions took place because retailers could leverage…

The pandemic has introduced a number of challenges for retailers, from the chip shortage to in-demand items being out-of-stock to now severe overstocking that's forcing some retailers to cancel orders in an effort to save profits. The retail market continues to change rapidly along with the uncertain economy, and this is driving ebbs and flows…