Merchandising
February 5, 2020 at 12:48 pm
As part of our 50 Best Retail Tips of 2019 report, Total Retail's editorial team spent time in last year's fourth quarter poring over each piece of content we published during the year to identify the 50 best tips. We reviewed the content published in our e-newsletter (Total Retail Report) and on our website, identifying the 50…
January 31, 2020 at 10:13 am
Bad recommendations hurt e-commerce. Online retailers must be armed with product and customer data to correctly recommend complementary products. If they don't have the data points, nor the ability to use them, mismatched product recommendations are inevitable. This can be a source of embarrassment for even the biggest retailers. Amazon.com made the headlines recently for all…
January 30, 2020 at 12:18 pm
Nordstrom is the latest traditional retailer to join the resale movement, the company announced in a press release. The upscale department store will be selling gently used merchandise in excellent condition online and at its New York flagship in an initiative called See You Tomorrow. The program begins Jan. 31. The press release announced that See…
January 17, 2020 at 8:49 am
Today’s merchandise management teams simply cannot keep up with the demands of modern retail. Too many stores (both digital and physical), store plans and products — each with unique characteristics — leave no room to make quick adjustments as shoppers’ tastes continue to rapidly change. With a plethora of information, opportunities and competitors in the…
January 14, 2020 at 12:35 pm
Yesterday at the 2020 National Retail Federation Big Show in New York City, Total Retail's Joe Keenan sat down for an interview with Jennifer Williams, vice president, retail services at Perry Ellis International. Williams discusses Perry Ellis' Life Ready application, its initial rollout in wholesale partner Dillard's stores over the past year, and the brand's partnerships with…
January 10, 2020 at 12:32 pm
Target is ready to launch yet another new brand — one that executives hope will help it compete with the likes of Athleta and lululemon. All in Motion, an activewear brand developed by Target's in-house designers, will replace C9 by Champion, a licensed brand from Hanesbrands that Target has carried exclusively for more than 15…
December 16, 2019 at 1:29 pm
In episode 226 of Total Retail Talks, Executive Editor Joe Keenan interviews Sheila Sciocchetti, divisional merchandise manager at David's Bridal, the largest American bridal store chain, specializing in wedding dresses, bridesmaid dresses, and other formal wear, as well as accessories and gifts. Listen in as Sciocchetti discusses the company's new bridesmaid gifting program, why David's…
December 11, 2019 at 3:14 pm
A Colombian government agency is threatening to sue Walmart over a Christmas sweater depicting Santa Claus with what appeared to be three lines of cocaine, reports Business Insider. The now-removed sweater's product description tied the merchandise to Colombia, saying, "the best snow comes straight from South America" and "Santa really likes to savor the moment…
November 21, 2019 at 10:29 am
Sam Walton said, “the secret to retail is giving the customer what they want.” But for all the money invested in brand and promotional campaigns, 50 percent of holiday spending is undecided or totally unplanned prior to purchase. That’s a pretty startling figure when you think about it. What can retailers do to capture a greater…
November 19, 2019 at 11:10 am
The retail industry is feeling the effects of 15 percent tariffs imposed on Sept. 1 on a wide range of consumer imports, and is bracing for the impact of their expansion to additional goods on Dec. 15. These tariffs cover a total of about $300 billion worth of imports from China. Increases on tariffs imposed…
