Inventory

In part one of this article, I examined the challenges that the retail sector has faced since the beginning of the pandemic, and its inability to rely on traditional historic consumer data when it comes to meeting consumer needs. Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning, however, could be the key to providing retailers with the…

Welcome to this week's Retail Resources, which features a curated list of the best content and resources that I hope will help you navigate through the coronavirus pandemic. This week I offer information and resources about business strategies, wellness tips, and personal finance information. If there's anything you would like me to share in a…

The spread of COVID-19 has quickly transformed how consumers shop, what they buy and what they want from retailers. And many say these new spending and shopping habits will last long after the crisis lifts. These are a few key findings from Capgemini Research Institute’s "The Consumer and COVID-19" survey of more than 11,000 consumers in the U.S.,…

In the weeks since COVID-19 was declared a pandemic, shopping habits in the U.S. have rapidly and fundamentally changed, leaving the consumer packaged goods (CPG) and retail industries to adapt and rise to an unprecedented occasion. Consumers are not only altering what they’re buying, but also how they’re buying, with quarantine and social distancing guidelines…

The fashion industry is facing its biggest crisis yet — the COVID-19 pandemic. Spanish fashion group Inditex announced the closure of over 3,800 stores across 39 markets. The group, which owns brands like Zara and Massimo Dutti, saw its sales drop 24 percent in early March. For Neiman Marcus, bankruptcy may be a possible outcome.…

As the consumer mood in the U.S. around the COVID-19 outbreak has quickly shifted from curious to cautionary, retailers have a significant role to play in providing shoppers with a solution. U.S. exposure and response by federal and local governments continue to mount day-by-day, and therefore buying patterns are evolving rapidly as shoppers come to…

Due to the cross-channel behavior of today’s consumers, shifting from channel to channel and device to device in the same purchase journey, retailers and brands are spending more of their technology budgets on systems and solutions that enable omnichannel operations — e.g., order and inventory management systems. At the same time, they've yet to fully…

The retail sector is undergoing tremendous change, with a growing volume of sales shifting to e-commerce sites. But for owners of all types of retail businesses, issues related to cash flow and inventory remain a primary concern. According to an exclusive Kabbage survey of independent retailers, more than 40 percent cite inventory as their largest…

Athletic apparel brand lululemon athletica launched personal care product line Selfcare on Tuesday, reports CNBC. The retailer is expanding outside of its traditional activewear clothing to offer products that target post-workout needs, helping customers freshen up after exercise and get back to their day. Products in the Selfcare line include dry shampoo, deodorant, face moisturizer, and…

Fine-tuning inventory levels to meet changing customer preferences is a constant battle for wholesalers, and today’s fast-moving omnichannel environment is making that calculus even more complex. As they develop their purchasing plans, businesses are facing a bevy of uncertainties: E-commerce now accounts for 10 percent of total retail sales, requiring organizations across nearly every industry…