Inventory

Luxury retailer Neiman Marcus — stung by its first holiday sales decline since the Great Recession — is spreading the pain. Drowning in designer duds and accessories that it didn’t sell during the crucial shopping season, the department store chain, which also owns Bergdorf Goodman, has asked its vendors to take back merchandise or risk not…

Consumer expectations have never been higher. They want simple shopping experiences online, on their mobile devices, and in person — whatever is most convenient at any point in time. Most of all, they want to be able to purchase the exact item they’re looking for, and they want it delivered fast. For the last decade,…

Costco willfully infringed Tiffany & Co's trademarks by selling counterfeit diamond engagement rings bearing the luxury retailer's name, and now must face a jury trial to assess damages, a U.S. judge ruled on Tuesday. U.S. District Judge Laura Taylor Swain in Manhattan rejected claims by Costco that Tiffany's trademarks were invalid because they sought to prevent…

One of the biggest problems Wal-Mart identified in its latest profit warning was what it calls “shrinkage.” Greg Foran, president and CEO for Wal-Mart U.S. said on the earnings call that “accelerating pressures in shrink” were one of three major factors that contributed to the company’s underperformance. The others were an overall decline in gross…

Just six months after Kate Spade shuttered its standalone contemporary line, Kate Spade Saturday, and closed down all of its Jack Spade stores, the company is ready to expand again in a huge way. WWD reports that Kate Spade has a slew of new projects in development, possibly to unhook the brand from heavy dependence…

Skechers USA Inc. said it filed a lawsuit alleging that a footwear style sold by rival Steven Madden Ltd. infringes patents for the company's walking-shoe line and other products. Manhattan Beach, Calif.-based Skechers is seeking an injunction against the Setta line of footwear sold under the Steven by Steve Madden line. Skechers also is seeking…

The use of handheld RFID readers for retail cycle counting and inventory management is exploding — and for good reason. They’re inexpensive, tangible and convenient, and provide a familiar form factor for store associates. However, while handhelds are well suited for initial retail pilots, deploying them in scaled-up enterprise environments requires careful thought and planning.…

Department stores have dominated the cosmetics world for a long time. Macy’s purchase of the growing Bluemercury chain is an acknowledgment that things are changing at the lipstick counter. In February, Macy’s paid $210 million for Bluemercury, a chain of upscale beauty shops and spas based in Washington, D.C. Bluemercury’s new Dallas store is the first of about…

Ever since former H&M executive Stefan Larsson took over at Old Navy, the brand has been experimenting with shortening its supply chain and working on a quicker production schedule in order to churn out trendier clothes that are more appealing to its customers. Now, Gap has plans to adopt the same strategy.