Merchandising

For most retailers, the essential job of space management — i.e., placing products and promotional materials in a store or network of stores — falls to merchandisers. How essential, you ask? A vast majority of retailers (86 percent) believe there’s a correlation between space management and an increase in sales conversion rate, according to a…

Legacy brands are in danger, especially because brand loyalty is not what it used to be. Instead, quality and, oftentimes, price reign supreme. This dynamic is causing brands and retailers alike to pivot in order to keep up with changing consumer preferences. When shoppers can get high-quality alternatives at a lower cost, remaining loyal to…

Crowdsourcing can be a powerful marketing asset, but many companies need direction on how to implement it correctly. Effective crowdsourcing seeks insights directly from brand followers instead of the general public, which allows companies to focus on the customers most likely to drive revenue. Not only does focusing on advocates provide brands the information they…

When I think about my favorite private brand items, the thing that pops out to me is their “wow” factor. My favorite grocery store has the best ready-to-eat options; my go-to drugstore has reliable, well-priced over-the-counter options; and the coffee shop I most frequent never burns their house coffee. I choose these brands over others…

Grocery chain Albertsons has announced plans to introduce Plated meal kits to hundreds of its stores this year, CNBC reports. The grocer acquired Plated last summer and currently offers its meal kits in 40 stores throughout California as well as in Chicago. Albertsons plans to offer the meal kits in its other store brands as…

The pace of change happens faster than humans can perceive it. Category managers are quickly realizing this as traditional approaches to category optimization are not delivering competitive results. To gain a detailed understanding of this paradigm shift, we surveyed 50 U.S. retailers about their category development strategies, perceptions and future plans. The survey revealed that…

In an interview this week at Shoptalk in Las Vegas, Dan Park, CEO of BuildDirect, discusses how the home improvement online marketplace is using artificial intelligence (AI) to optimize merchandising its site, particularly pricing.

In an interview this week at Shoptalk in Las Vegas, Brian Seewald, vice president, digital, DSW, talks about how the footwear retailer is using a data platform to help it serve up more personalized shopping experiences, including correct sizing recommendations. The result has been increased conversions and decreased product returns, along with a more engaged…

Kohl's said Thursday it would bring discount grocer Aldi into as many as 10 of its stores later this year in a pilot test. The department store chain aims to scale down its real estate footprint and leverage space for other brands, including Aldi. It was reported in January that Kohl's was thinking about not…

Walmart said yesterday that it's raising its age restriction to 21 for firearm and ammunition purchases. In  a statement published on its website yesterday, the retailer said it made the decision in light of recent events and will try to implement this change "as quickly as possible." Walmart also pointed out that in 2015 it ended sales of certain sporting rifles…